Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Ver. 1. NOw Paſhur the ſon of Immer] i. e. One of the poſterity of Immer, after many generations: See 1 Chron. 24.14.
Who was alſo chief Governour] Not high Prieſt as ſome have ſaid, but a principal Prieſt, haply the head of the ſixteenth courſe: or as Junius and others think, the High Prieſts Vicar, or ſecond: ſuch as was Eleazer to Aaron his father, Num 4.
Heard that Jeremiah propheſied theſe things] Or, heard Jeremiah propheſying; and having gall in his eares, as they ſay ſome creatures have, he was galled at the hearing of ſo ſmart a truth.
Ver. 2. Then Paſhur ſmote Jeremiah the Prophet] Either with his fiſt, as Zedekiah did Micaiah, 1 King. 22.24. and as Bonner did Hawkes, and other Martyrs, pulling off part of their beards: or elſe with a ſtaffe, as they dealt by our Saviour, Mat. 26.67. and as that Popiſh Biſhop, degrading a Martyr-Miniſter, ſtruck him ſo hard with his Croſier staffe as he was kneeling on the ſtairs at Pauls, that he fell down backwards and broke his head.Act & Mon. Contra Arrian. orat. 2. Atqui lapidand…ſunt haeretici ſacrarum literarum argumentis, ſaith Athanaſius: but hereticks are to be ſtoned with Scripture arguments: and men may a great deal ſooner be cudgeled into a treaty then into a Tenet.
And put him in the ſtockes] As they did afterwards Paul and Silas, Act. 16. Clerinus the Martyr mentioned in Cyprians Epiſtles,Epiſt. l. 4. Mr. Ph…lpot in the Biſhop of Londons coal-houſe; and that good woman, who ſuffering afterwards for the ſame cauſe, rejoyced much that her leg was put in the ſame hole of the ſtocks, where Philpots leg had lain before.
That were in the high-gate of Benjamin] Which might be a Priſon like Lollards Tower in London, whereunto were ſent the Martyrs many of them for their zeal and forwardneſs. Action and paſſion go together: Omne agent agendo repatitur; eſpecially if men go a little faſter then others do. They who will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus (and be ſet upon't) ſhall ſuffer perſecution: this gate-houſe might well be the Prieſts priſon, whither they uſed to ſend ſuch as they took for falſe Prophets.
Ver. 3. Paſhur brought forth Jeremiah] To be judged, ſay ſome: but why then did he firſt ſmite him? an Officer ſhould retain the Majeſty of the Law, and not do any thing paſſionately. To ſet him at liberty, ſay others; as perceiving that the Word of God could not be bound, nor a Prophets mouth ſtopped by a priſon, as Paſhur alſo ſhall well perceive ere Jeremy hath done with him.Act. & Mon. Bonner ſaid to Hawkes the Martyr, A faggot will make you believe the Sacrament of the Altar. He anſwered, No, no, a point for your faggot: God will be meet with you one day: So true is that of the Poet,
Preſſa ſub ingen…i ceu pondere palma vireſcit,
Sub cruce ſic florent debita corda Deo.
The Lord hath not called thy name Paſhur] That is black-mouth, as ſome derive it;Junius. q d. non Auguſtus ſed anguſtus; non nobilis, ſed mob… l…s futurus es. Non tumor ſed tiimor. Daniel. Thuan. or diffuſing paleneſſe, as others: but on the contrary.
Magor-miſſabib] i. e. Terrour round about, or fear on every ſide: a Proverbial form of ſpeech denoting extreame conſternation of ſpirit, and greateſt diſtreſs: ſuch as befell Tullus Hoſtilius King of Rome, who had for his gods Pavor and Pallor: dign…ſſimus ſanè qui deos ſuos ſemper haberet praeſentes, ſaith Lactantius wittily, i. e. great pitty, but this man ſhould ever have had his gods at hand, ſith he was ſo fond of them: Our Richard 3. and Charles the ninth of France, a paire of bloody Princes, were Magor-miſſabibs in their generations: as terrible at length to themſelves, as they had been formerly to others: and therefore could never endure to be awakened in the night without muſick, or ſome like diverſion.
Ver. 4. I will make thee a terrour] Heb. I will give thee unto a terrour, i. e. I will affright thy conſcience, and then turn it looſe upon thee, ſo that thou ſhalt be à corde tuo fugitivus, and thy friends ſhall have ſmall joy of thee, or thou help by them. See on ver. 3.
Ver. 5. Moreover I will deliver all the ſtrength of this City] Thus Paſhur prevailed nothing at all with good Jeremy, by impriſoning him, to make him give over menacing. But as Baruch wrot the roll anew that had been cut in pieces, and added beſides unto it many like words, chap. 36.32. ſo doth Jeremy here: he will not budge to dye for it. This was to ſhew the magnanimity of a Prophetical Spirit.
Ver 6. There ſhalt thou be buried] In a dunghil perhaps, as Biſhop Bonner was, and have cauſe enough to cry out as that great Pariſian Doctour did from his heir, when brought to be buried,
Parcite funeribus: mihi nil prodeſſe valebit.
Heu infelicem cur me genuere parentes?
Ah miſer aeternos vado damnatus ad ignes.
Spare funeral-coſts: why was I born,
By hells black feinds now to be torn?
Ver. 7. O Lord, thou haſt deceived me, and I was deceived] From hence to the end of the Chapter the Prophet,Iterum more ſolit… cauſam ſuam foreign coram Deo agit. Oecolamp. not without ſome tang and taint of humane frailty, grievouſly quiritateth and expoſtulateth with God, about the hard uſage and ill ſucceſs he met with in the execution of his prophetical function. But as ex incredulitate Thomae noſtra confirmata eſt fides, Thomas his unbelief ſerveth to the ſetling of our faith: and as Peters fall warneth us to look well to our ſtanding: ſo when ſuch a man as Jeremy ſhall miſcarry in this ſort, and have ſuch out-burſts, oh be not high-minded but fear. Some render the text, Lord if I be deceived, thou haſt deceived me: and ſo every faithful man, who keepeth to the rule, may ſafely ſay. Piſcator hath it perſuaſiſti mihi Jehova, & perſuaſus ſum. O Lord thou perſwadedſt me, and I was perſwaded, ſc. to undertake this Prophetical office; but I have ſmall joy of it: ſome think he thus complained, when he was put in priſon by Paſhur.
I am in deriſion dayly, every one mocketh me] This is the worlds wages. The Cynik ſaid of the Megarians long ago, Better be their horſe, dog, or Pander, then their teacher: and better he ſhould be regarded.
Ver. 8. For ſince I spake, I cryed out] i. e. Ever ſince I took upon me the office of a Prophet, I executed it vigorouſly, I cryed with full mouth, as chap. 4.5. Iſa. 58.1.
I cryed violence and ſpoile] Sc. will ſurely befall you by the Chaldees, or I cryed out of my miſuſages.
Becauſe the Word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me and a deriſion dayly] This was all the recompence I reaped of my good-will to this perverſe people, and of my paines taken amongſt them. Few ſins are more dangerous then thoſe of caſting reproaches upon Gods Word, as here: of ſnuffing at it, Mal. 1.13. of enviouſly ſwelling at it, Act. 13.45. of chatting at it, Rom. 9.19, 20. of ſtumbling at it, 1 Pet. 2.8. of gathering odious conſequences from it, Rom. 3.8.
Ex humano motu & metu hoc in mentem incidit A Lap. Piſc. Quoque magis tegitur, tanto magis aeſtuat ignis. Ovid. Chryſoſt. de Lazaro, Hanc legem ex hoc loco dat concionatori ne defatigetur nec ullo tempore ſileat, ſive ſit qui auſcultet, ſive non.Ver. 9. Then I ſaid, I will not make mention of him, nor ſpeak any more in his Name] i. e. I will give over preaching: This, ſaid Latimer in a like caſe, was a naughty a very naughty reſolution.
But his Word was in my heart as a burning fire] Ex ſenſu malae conſcientiae propter illud propoſitum. And here was the work of the Spirit againſt that carnal reſolution of his. Gods people cannot do the things that they would, ſaith the Apoſtle, Gal. 5.17. As they cannot do the good they would, becauſe of the fleſh; ſo neither the evil that they would, becauſe of the Spirit: there is a continual conflict, and as it were the company of two oppoſite armies, Cant. 6.13. True grace will as little be hid as fire: — quis enim celaverit ignem?
And I was weary with forbearing, and could not ſtay] Jeremies ſervice among the Jews was ſomething like that of Manlius Torquatus among the Romans, who gave it over ſaying, Neither can I bear their manners, nor they my government. He began to think, with that painful Patriarch, that reſt was good, Gen. 49.15. and with the Olive, Vine, and Fig-tree in Jothams parable, that it was beſt to enjoy a beloved privacy. He was ready to ſay, Bene qui latuit bene vixit: And Bene qui tacuit bene dixit, &c. But this could not hold with him, he ſaw well: for as the motion of the heart and lungs is ever beating, and tis a pain to reſtrain it, to hold the breath; ſo here,
Strangulat incluſus dolor atque exaeſtuat intus:Ovid. Triſt.
Cogitur & vires multiplicare ſuas.
Ver. 10. For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every ſide] This paſſage is borrowed from Pſal. 31.13. See the Note there. Some render the text, I heard the defamation of many Magor-miſſabibs, many of his complices and Coryphaei, ſpies ſet a work by him to defame and bespattle me.
Report ſay they, and we will report] Calumniare audacter, broach a ſlander, and we will blazon it: ſet it afoot, and we will ſet it afloat: give us but ſome ſmall hint or inkling of ought ſpoken by Jeremy, whereof to accuſe him to the King and State, and we deſire no more. Athanaſius was about thirty times accuſed, and of no ſmal crimes neither, but falſly. The Papiſts make it their trade to belye the Proteſtants, their chieftaines eſpecially. They reported of Luther that he dyed deſpairing: of Calvin that he was branded on the ſhoulder for a rogue: of Beza, that he ran away with another mans wife, &c. And for their Authors they alledge Baldwin and Bolſecus, a couple of Apoſtates requeſted by themſelves (and as ſome ſay, hired) to write the lives of theſe Worthies, their profeſt enemies. But any thing of this kind ſerves their turn: and they cite the writings of theſe runnagates, as Canonical.
All my familiars] Heb. every man of my peace: from ſuch there is the greateſt danger. Hence one prayed God to deliver him from his friends: for, as for his enemies, he could better beware of them. Many friends are like deep ponds: clear at the top, but all muddy at the bottom.
Ver. 11. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one] Inſtar Gigantis robuſti, Ʋt formidabilis heros. Piſc.as a ſtrong Giant and mine only champion, on whom I lean. Here the Spirit begins to get the better of the Fleſh, could Jeremy but hold his own. But as the ferry man plyes the oar, and eyes the ſhoar homeward, where he would be: yet there comes a guſt of wind that carryeth him back again; ſo it fared with our Prophet: See ver. 14.15, &c.
Ver. 12. But O Lord of hosts] See chap. 11.20. and 17.10.
Let me ſee thy vengeance on them] Some pert and pride themſelves over the Miniſtery, as if it were a dead Alexanders noſe, which they might wring off, and not fear to be called to account therefore: but the viſible vengeance of God, will ſeiſe ſuch one day, as it did Pharaoh, Ahab, Herod, Julian.
For unto thee have I opened my cauſe] Prayer is an opening of the ſouls cauſes and caſes to the Lord. The ſame word for opened here, is in another conjugation uſed for uncovering, making bare, and naked, Gen 9.21. Gods people in prayer do or ſhould nakedly preſent their ſouls cauſes without all cover-ſhames, or ſo much as a ragge of ſelf or fleſh cleaving to them.
Ver. 13. Sing unto the Lord, praiſe ye the Lord] Nota hic alternantis animi motus estuſque. Here the Spirit triumpheth over the fleſh: as in the next verſes, the fleſh again gets the wind and hill of the Spirit. Every good man is a divided man.
For he hath delivered the ſoul of the poor] i. e. Of poor me, as Pſal. 34.4.
Ver. 14. Curſed be the day wherin I was born] What a ſuddain change of his note is here? out of the ſame mouth proceedeth bleſſing and curſing: My brethren, ſaith James, theſe things ought not ſo to be, Jam. 3.10. But here humane weakneſs prevailed: and this part of the Chapter hath much of man in it. The beſt have their outburſts: and as there be white teeth in the blackeſt Blackmore, and again a black bill in the whiteſt ſwan: ſo the worſt have ſomething in them to be commended; and the beſt, to be condemned. See on ver. 7. Some of the Fathers ſeek to excuſe Jeremy altogether: but that can hardly be, neither needeth it. Origen ſaith that the day of his birth was paſt, and therefore nothing now: ſo that curſing it, he curſed nothing. (This is l…ke thoſe amongſt us who ſay they may now without ſin ſwear by the Maſſe, becauſe it is gone out of the Country, &c.) Iſidor. that Jeremie's curſing is but conditional, if any let that day be curſed, &c.
Ver. 15. Curſed be the man] Let him have a curſe for a reward of his ſo good news. Thus the Prophet, in a fit of impatiency, carrieth himſelf as one who being cut by a Surgeon and extreamly pained, ſtriketh at and biteth thoſe that hold him: or like him in the Poet, Aeneid. l. 2.Quem non incuſavi amens hominumque Deumque?
Surely as the bird in a cage, becauſe pent up, beats her ſelf: ſo doth the diſcontented perſon. Look to it therefore. Satan thruſteth in upon us ſometimes praying, with a cloud of ſtrange paſſions: ſuch as are ready to gallow us out of that little wit and faith we have. Reſiſt him betimes. The wild-fire of Paſſion will be burning whilſt the incenſe of Prayer is in offering: this ſcum will be riſing up in the boyling pot, together with the meat: See Jon. 4.1. with the Note.
foreign, exinde foreign. Jon. 4.4.Ver. 16. And let that man be] A moſt bitter curſe, but cauſeleſſe. The devil of diſcontent where it prevaileth, maketh the heart to be, for the time, a little hell: as we ſee in Moſes, Job, David, Jeremy: men otherwiſe made up of excellencies. Theſe ſinned, but not with full conſent. A godly man hath a flea in his ear, ſomewhat within which ſaith Doſt thou well to be angry, Jonah?
Ver. 17. Becauſe he ſlew me not, &c.] Why, but is not life a mercy? a living Dog better then a dead Lion? See on Job 3.10. & 10.18, 19.
Vincet aliquando pertinax bonitas. Rev. 2, 10.Ver. 18. Wherefore came I forth, &c.] Paſſions are a moſt dangerous and heady water, when once they are out.
That my dayes ſhould be conſumed with ſhame?] Why but a Chriſtian ſouldier may have a very great arrear, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8.