Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Ver. 1. THe word which came to Jeremiah] To ſhew the juſt puniſhment of the people for diſobeying the precept concerning the Sabbath, chap. 17. and other of Gods Commandements: See on chap. 7.1.
Ver. 2. Ariſe and go down to the Potters houſe] Whether the Prophet was to go actually to the Potters houſe, or in viſion only, it skilleth not. This we know, that our Saviour did actually waſh his Diſciples feet: and at another time ſet a child in the midſt of them, when they were ſtriving about the primacy: expounding to them afterwards what he meant; and ſo it might well be here. It may not be amiſſe for us to go down oft with Jeremy to the Potters houſe in our meditations, to conſider, I mean, our original. foreign, as the firſt man Adam was of the earth earthy, ſo are we ex luto lutei.
Ver. 3. Then I went down to the Potters houſe] Gods Commands muſt be obeyed without ſciſcitation.Officioſe paret. Jeremy ſaw that verbal teaching without ſigns would not work upon his hearers: he is therefore ready to do any thing or to go any whither, for their eternal good.
And behold he wrought a work on the wheles] So the Poet,
— amphora coepit
Inſtitui, currente rotâ, cur urceus exit?Hor. de art. Poet.
Ver. 4. And the veſſel which he made of clay was marred] Or, the veſſel which he was making miſcarried, as clay in the Potters hand.
Non ſemper feriet quodcunque minabitur arcus.
Ver. 5. Then came the Word of the Lord unto me] See ver. 1. To the viſible word, God alwaies addeth the audible: as in the two Sacraments.
Ver. 6. O houſe of Iſrael, cannot I do with you] Make you or mar you at my pleaſure: have I not an abſolute ſoveraignty over you, that ye lift up the heel againſt me, and awake my power by your provocations?
As the clay is in the Potters hand] What then hath vain man to vaunt of? or why ſhould any proud Arminian ſay, Quod potui, miſerentis eſt Dei: quod volui, Grevinchovius.id meae est poteſtatis? That I can do good, is of Gods mercy: that I will do it, is merely in mine own power? This man was ſure his own Potter: and not willing to owe overmuch of himſelf to God.
Ver. 7. At what inſtant I ſhall ſpeak] As God loveth to premoniſh: and he therefore threateneth, that he may not puniſh; for he would be prevented.
Ver. 8. Turn from their evil] If I may ſee ſuch work amongſt them, as at Niniveh God did, Joh. 3.10. He ſaw not their ſackcloth and their aſhes, but their repentance and works, thoſe fruits of their Faith.
I will repent of the evil] Not by any change of my will, but by the willing of a change: mutatione Rei non Dei.
Ver. 9. And at what inſtant I ſhall speak] All is done as God the great Induperator commandeth, whether it be for or againſt a Nation, or a particular man only, Job 34.29.
To build or to plant it] As he did this kingdom of England; which was therefore anciently called Regnum Dei, and reckoned among the fortunate Ilands.
Ver. 10. Then will I repent of the good] I will take away mine own, and be gone, Hoſ. 2.9. curſe their bleſſings, Mal. 2.2. and deſtroy them after that I have done them good, as Joſh. 24.20. and all this (whether for the better, or for the worſe to a Nation) God uſually doth on the ſudden; At what inſtant, &c. Mercies the more unexpected, the more welcome: Judgements, the more ſuddain, the more direful they are.
Ver. 11. Behold I frame evil againſt you] As the Potter frameth his veſſel on the wheel.
Return ye now] Currat poenitentia, ne praecurrat ſententia. Mitte preces & lacrymas, cordis legatos. Addreſſe your ſelves to God, and be at peace: ſo ſhall good be done unto you. See chap. 3.12. & 7.3.
Ver. 12. And they ſaid There is no hope] See the like deſperate return,Refert ſtomachoſe cantilenam illorum obſtinatam. chap. 2.25. & 13.9. Actum est: vel desperatum est: vel expectoratum est: that is, we are at a point, and have made our concluſion: Thou maiſt ſave a labour of further exhorting us: for we are as good as we mean to be, and ſhall nor ſtir from our reſolution: Keep thy breath to coole thy broth, &c.
We will do every one the imagination of his evil heart] As you forſooth pleaſe to count it and call it: though we reckon that we have as good hearts as the pureſt or proudeſt of you all.
Ver. 13. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord] God himſelf ſeemeth here to wonder at the deſperate obſtinacy of this people, as not to be matched again. Like as our Saviour marvelled at the unbelief of the Nazarites, and could do for them no mighty work, Mar. 6.5, 6. See the Notes there.
The Virgin of Iſrael hath done a very horrible thing] A Virgin ſhe is called, either by an Irony, or elſe becauſe ſhe ſhould have been a pure Virgin, ſincere in Gods Service, but was nothing leſſe. What this horrible thing was, ſee ver. 15. Confer chap. 2.13, 32.
Ver. 14. Will a man leave the ſnow of Lebanon] See chap. 2.13. which may ſtand for a Commentary on this Verſe. The rocks of Lebanon were ſtill covered with Snow: whence alſo it was called Lebanon, i. e. white. Now the Lord was to the Jews as this ſnow was to the thirſty traveller, cooling and comforting: and therefore in no wiſe to be left.
Or ſhall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forſaken?] Heb. ſhall ſtrange, cool, flowing water be forſaken? or fail?
Ver. 15. Becauſe my people hath forgotten me] Not forſaken me only. Of all things God cannot abide to be forgotten: this is that very horrible thing, ver. 13. this is filthineſſe in Virgin Iſrael, which is moſt abominable.
From the ancient paths] Chalked out by the Law, and walked in by the Patriarches and Prophets,Vepreta avia. Heb. paths of antiquity or of Eternity. Set a jealous eye upon novelties: and ſhun untrodden paths, as dangerous.
Ver. 16. To make their land deſolate] Not intentionally ſo: but yet eventually. Idolatry is a land-deſolating ſin.
Ver. 17. I will ſcatter them] Wherry and whirle them up and down, as chaff before the force of the enemy.
I will ſhew them the back and not the face] This was woful, but juſt upon them for their unworthy dealing in like ſort with the Lord, 2 Chron. 29.6. chap. 2.27. & 32.33. Ezek. 8.16. Every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience hath a juſt recompence of reward, Heb. 2.2.
Ver. 18. Then ſaid they, Come let us deviſe devices] Words ſavouring of a moſt exulcerate ſpirit againſt God and his faithful Prophet, quem toto coelo hic explodunt, whom they ſhamefully ſlight, and deſperately oppoſe, both with their virulent tongues and violent hands. Hence his enſuing complaint, and not without cauſe.
For the Law ſhall not periſh from the Prieſt, &c.] As he would perſwade us it ſhall. We ſhall have Prieſts, Sages, and Prophets ſtill: berter then he is any: let us therefore ſtop his mouth, or make him away, there will be no great loſſe of him.
Come let us ſmite him with the tongue] By loading him with ſlanders, and laying falſe accuſations againſt him. Some men have very ſharp tongues. He that was famous for Abuſes ſtript and whipt, had nothing but his tongue to whip them with. Some render it, Let us ſmite that tongue of his; that is, tie it up and tamper it, that he reprove us no more. Or if he do; yet
Let us not give heed to any of his words] If we cannot rule his tongue, yet let us rule our own ears, and ſay, Tu linguae, nos aurium domini. And is not this the very language of the Romiſts? Non tam ovum ovo ſimile, &c.
Ver. 19. Give heed to me O Lord] Though they will not, yet do thou, I beſeech thee. This is ordinary with good men, when wearied out with the worlds miſuſages, to turn them to God, and to ſeek help of him.
Ver. 20. Shall evil be recompenſed for good?] q. d. That's greateſt diſingenuity and unthankfulneſſe. To render good for evil is Divine; good for good is humane: evil for evil is bruitiſh…s: but evil for good deviliſh. Lo with ſuch breathing devils had Jeremy here to do: and indeed what good man hath not? See 1 Sam. 24.17. Pſal 35.12. & 109.5.
Ver. 21. Wherefore deliver up their children to the famine] He who had prayed ſo hard for them, could and did pray here as earneſtly againſt them: yet not out of private revenge, but by a prophetick ſpirit, whereby he foretelleth their calamities auxeſi verborum per hypotypoſin. This is uſual with the Pſalmiſt, and other Prophets.
And let their men be put to death] Heb. be killed with death: See Rev. 2.23. with the Note.
Ver. 22. When thou ſhalt bring a troop] The Vulgar rendereth it Latronem, a thief or robber: viz. Nebuchadnezzar that arch-thief, whoſe Monarchy was grande latrocinium, and whoſe regiment without righteouſneſſe, was robbery by authority.
Ver. 23. Yet Lord, thou knoweſt all their counſel] Though I know it not, yet thou art privy to it, and canſt prevent it; for wiſdom and might are thine, Dan. 2.20.
To ſlay me] All malice is bloody.
Forgive not their iniquity] He knew their ſin to be unpardonable: and therefore prayeth for vengeance upon them unavoydable. This was fulfilled upon the Jews by the Babylonians in reſpect of Jeremy, and by the Romans in reſpect of Chriſt.
Neither blot out their ſin from thy ſight] A heavy curſe. Woe to ſuch as whoſe debts ſtand uncroſſed in Gods book. Their ſins may ſleep a long time, like a ſleeping debt, not called for of many years: as Sauls ſin in ſlaying the Gibeonites was not puniſhed till forty years after: as Joabs killing of Abner ſlept all Davids dayes. Mens conſciences alſo may ſleep (in ſuch a caſe) for a ſeaſon: but their damnation ſleepeth not: nor can their condition be ſafe till God have wiped out their ſins for his own ſake: till he have croſſed out the black lines of our iniquities with the red lines of his Sons blood, and taken out of his coffers ſo much as may fully ſatisfie, &c.