Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Ver. 1. THe Word of the Lord came alſo unto me] It is the Property of this Prophet to handle the ſame thing ſeveral wayes, and by ſundry effectual arguments. Gods Miniſters muſt turn themſelves as it were into all ſhapes and faſhions both of ſpeech and ſpirit, to win People to God.
Ver. 2. Thou ſhalt not take thee a wife, &c.] It is very likely that this befell the Prophet in a viſion. Or if otherwiſe, it was but for a ſign, and in regard of the great calamity impendent, that he is here forbidden marriage, otherwiſe lawful enough, and, in ſome caſes, neceſſary. The contrary doctrine (ſuch as was that of the Tacian-hereticks, and Popiſh Canoniſts) is a doctrine of devils, 1 Tim. 4.1.
Ʋtinam aut caelebs vixiſſem aut orbus periiſſem.Ver. 3. For thus ſaith the Lord concerning the ſons—born in this place] i. e. At Anathoth, ſay ſome: but others better, at Jeruſalem. So great and grievous ſhall be the calamity, that married people ſhall be ready to wiſh as Auguſtus did for another cauſe, Oh that either I had lived ſingle, or elſe dyed childleſſe.
Ver. 4. They ſhall dye of grievous deaths] Heb. death of diſeaſes or grievances, as did Jehoram, 2 Chron. 21.18. and Philip the ſecond of Spain, &c. they ſhall dye piecemeal, morte valetudinariorum, which is a miſery; eſpecially if the diſeaſe be ſlow, and yet ſharp, as ſome are.
They ſhall not be lamented nor buried] Which are two of the uſual Dues of the dead.
Ver. 5. Enter not into the houſe of mourning] Or banquets, whether at burials or bridals, as Am. 6.7. Of funeral-banquets, ſee Deut. 26.14. Theſe the Greeks called foreign, the Latines Parentalia: See ver. 7.
Ver. 6. Both the great and the ſmall ſhall dye] Princes and peſants, Lords and loſels together.
Nor cut themſelves, nor make themſelves bald] Neque caedetur neque calvabitur. This they had learned of the heathen, and would needs uſe it, though flatly forbidden them, Lev. 19.27, 28. Deut. 14.1. Now they were told that they ſhould have little either luſt or leiſure to do any ſuch matter.
Ver. 7. Neither ſhall men tear themſelves for them] Or neither ſhall they deal them bread in mourning to comfort any for the dead: Confer Ezek. 24.17. Of feaſting at funerals mention is made by Herodotus, Cicero, Lucian, Pliny, Clemens and Chryſoſtom. See ver. 5.
Neither ſhall men give them the cup of conſolation] i. e. The conſolatory cup uſually given at funerals to the diſconſolate friends of the deceaſed. See on Prov. 31.6, 7.
Ver. 8 Thou ſhalt not alſo go into the houſe of feaſting] Miniſters may lawfully go to feaſts, Joh. 2. but not in times of common calamity: See Iſa. 22.12, 13, 14. Pliny telleth us, that when as in the time of the ſecond Punick war, one Fulvius Argentarius was ſeen at Rome, looking out at a window with a roſe-garland on his head,Lib. 2. cap. 7. the Senate ſent for him, laid him in priſon, and would not ſuffer him to come forth, till the war was at an end.
Ver. 9. Behold I will cauſe to ceaſe] See chap. 7.34. with the Note.
Ver. 10. And they ſhall ſay unto thee, Wherefore?] This is ſtill the guiſe of hypocrites, to juſtifie themſelves, and quarrel the Preacher that reproveth them. See chap. 5.19.
What is our iniquity?] Nature ſheweth no ſin; it is no cauſeleſſe complaint of a grave Divine, that ſome deale with their ſouls as others do with their bodies: when their beauty is decayed, they deſire to hide it from themſelves by falſe glaſſes, and from others by painting: ſo their ſins from themſelves by falſe gloſſes, and from others by excuſes.
Ver. 11. Becauſe your fathers] See chap. 2.5. and 7.24, 25.
Ver. 12. And you have done worſe] See chap. 7.26.
For behold ye walk] See chap. 9.13. and 11.8. and 13.10.
Ver. 13. Therefore I will caſt you] Chap. 10.18. Becauſe ye have ſinned wilfully and willingly, ye ſhall be caſt out of this land, though full ſore againſt your wills.
And there ſhall ye ſerve other gods] Will ye, nill ye; (for a juſt puniſhment of your voluntary idolatries) being compeld by your imperious enemies ſo to do,Notatur poena talionis. except ye will taſte of the whip, as now the Turkes gally-ſlaves.
Where I will not ſhew you favour] This was a cutting speech, and far worſe then their captivity: like as that was a ſweet promiſe, Zech. 10.6. They ſhall be as if I had not cast them off, and I will hear them.
Ver. 14 Therefore, behold] Or, notwithſtanding, ſc. theſe grievous threatnings, and extream deſolations. Thus the Lord ſtill remembreth his Remnant, and the Covenant made with them. Miniſters alſo muſt comfort the precious, as well as threaten the vile and vicious. Evangelizatum, non maledictum miſſus es: laudo zelum, modo non deſideretur manſuetudo, ſaid Oecolampadius to Farellus in a certain Epiſtle, Thou wert ſent to preach Goſpel and not Law only, to poure oyle as well as wine into wounded conſciences. I commend thy zeal, ſo it be tempered with meekneſſe of wiſdom.
That it ſhall no more be ſaid] i. e. Not ſo much be ſaid: the luſtre of this deliverance ſhall in ſome ſort dimme the luſtre of that; but both muſt be perpetually celebrated.
Ver. 15. But the Lord liveth, &c.] Or, let the Lord live, and let the God of our ſalvation be exalted, Pſal. 18.46. See the Notes there. How much more then ſhould our Redemption from Sin, Death and Hell by Jeſus Chriſt obſcure all temporal deliverance? See for this chap. 23.7, 8. Confer alſo chap. 3.16.
Ver. 16. Behold I will ſend for many fiſhers &c.] ſc. To incloſe in their foreign, large and capacious nets, whole ſhoales of them together. Theſe were the Chaldees whom God ſent for, arcano instinctu cordium, by putting it into their hearts to come up againſt Jeruſalem: Howbeit, ſome by fiſhers underſtand the Egyptians, who lived much by fiſhing: and by hunters the Chaldeans, as Gen. 10.8, 9.
And they ſhall hunt them] Out of all their ſtarting holes and lurking places: as the Romans afterwards pul'd them out of their privies, &c.
Ver. 17. For mine eyes are upon all their wayes] And though they hide me from themſelves, yet can they not hide themſelves from me poſſibly, nor from my hunters, who ſhall ferret them out.
Paenarum abund… Jun.Ver. 18. And firſt] i. e. Before I reſtore them.
I will recompence their iniquity, and their ſin double] i. e. Abundantly, I will have my full pennyworths of them: not double to their deſerts, as Iſa. 40.2. and 60.1.
With the carcaſſes] i. e. With their Idolatries, more odious and loathſome then any ſtinking carcaſſes can be.
Ver. 19. My refuge] Better then thoſe of the fugitive Jews, out of which they were hunted and murthered.
The Gentiles ſhall come to thee] By faith and repentance.
Ver. 20. Should a man make gods to himſelf?] Nonne res haec ſtupore digna? Is not this a ſtrange ſottiſhneſſe? The Gentiles here ſee it: and yet the Papiſts will not.
Ver. 21. I will for this once] And this once ſhall ſtand for all. Affliction ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time, Nah. 1.9.
And I will make them to know] Effectu magis quam affectu.
My hand and my might] i. e. My mighty hand, mine irreſiſtible power in their juſt puniſhment.