Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX.
Ver. 1. THe Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord] This Chapter and the next are Jeremyes th… teenth Sermon, as ſome reckon them, and it is wholly Conſolatory. The Authour of it he ſheweth to be the God of all Conſolation: and this the Prophet inculcateth ſix ſeveral times, in the five firſt verſes, pro majori efficaciae, that it may take the better.
Ver. 2. Write thee all the Words that I have ſpoken to thee in a book] For the uſe of poſterity, as Hab. 2.2. and that the conſolations may not be forgotten, as Heb. 12.5.
Vox audita perit: littera ſcripta manet.
Ver. 3. I will bring again the captivity of Iſrael and Judah] This promiſe Oecolampadins thinketh was written in the book in greater letters then the reſt: it was fulfilled according to the letter in carnal Iſrael ſent back by Cyrus (upon Daniels prayer, who underſtood by that book here mentioned, that the time of deliverance,Convertam converſionem. Vulg. yea the ſet time was come, Dan. 9 2) but more fully in thoſe Jews inwardly, Rom. 2.29. thoſe Iſraelites indeed, who are ſet at liberty by Chriſt, Joh. 8. and ſhall be much more at the laſt day.
Ver. 4. And theſe are the words] Theſe are the contents of this precious book: every leafe, nay line, nay letter whereof, droppeth myrth and mercy.
That the Lord ſpake] See on ver. 1.
Ver. 5. We have heard a voyce of trembling] We were at firſt in a pittiful plight, ſc. when the City was taken and the Temple burnt (and this is elegantly here ſet forth, and in the two next verſes) but better times are at hand: Flebile principium melior fortuna ſequetur.
Ver. 6. Ask ye now and ſee, &c.] Was it ever heard of in this world, that a male did bear? The Poets indeed fable, that Minerva was born of Jupiters brain: — Pictoribus atque poetis Quidlibet audendi fas eſt.
Wherefore do I ſee every man] Heb. Every ſtrong or mighty man.
With their hands on their loynes] And not on their weapons.
And all faces turned into paleneſſe] Through extream fear, the blood running to the heart, and the heart faln into the heeles. The Septuagins for paleneſſe have the yellew jaundiſe: the Vulgar gold-yellowneſſe: Piſcator Morbus regius: the Hebrew properly implyeth the colour of blaſted corn, Deut. 28.22. It importeth that the moſt ſtout-hearted warriours ſhould be enervati & exangues, more parturientium, bloodleſſe and ſpiritleſſe, as travelling women.
Ver. 7. Alaſſe, for that day is great] i. e. Troubleſome and terrible, ſomewhat like the laſt day, the day of judgement, which is therefore alſo called the Great day, becauſe therein the great God will do great things, &c.
It is even the time of Jacobs trouble] Such as never befell him before. Thoſe very dayes ſhall be Affliction: ſo Mark expreſſeth the laſt deſolation, chap. 13.19. not Afflicted only, but Affliction it ſelf. But though it be the time of Jacobs troubles, let it be alſo the time of his trust, for there will be ſhortly a day of his Triumph.
But he ſhall be ſaved out of it] Not from it, but yet out of it: the Lord knoweth how to deliver his, 2 Pet. 2.9. and though Senſe ſay it will not be; Reaſon, it cannot be; yet Faith gets above, and ſayes it ſhall be: I deſcry land.
Ver. 8. I will break his yoak from off thy neck] The forementioned miſery did but make way for this mercy, that it might be the more magnified. Let the Saints but ſee from what, to what, and by what Jeſus Chriſt hath delivered them; and they cannot but be thankful.
Ver. 9. But they ſhall ſerve their Lord their God] Without fear in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe before him all the dayes of their lives, Luk. 1.74, 75. See Joh. 8. Rom. 8.
And David their King] i. e. Zorobabel of Davids line, Hag. 2.23. but eſpecially Chriſt the King of Saints, as the Jew-Doctours alſo expound it.
Whom I will raiſe up to them] To be Meſſiah the Prince, Dan. 9.25. Chriſt the Lord, Act. 5 31.
Ver. 10. Therefore fear thou not O my ſervant Jacob] This is Iſay-like: and indeed the Prophet here ſetteth himſelf verbis conſolantiſſimis, as one ſaith, with moſt cordial comforts, to chear the hearts of Gods poor afflicted.
Ver. 11. For I am with thee] To preſerve thee, and to provide for thee, to ſupport thee, and to ſupply thee.
Though I make a full end of all Nations] See Iſa. 27.7, 8. with the Notes. See alſo on chap. 5.10, 18.
But I will correct thee in meaſure] Heb. According to judgement, not ſummo jure & rigidâ juſtitiâ: not as I might; but in mercy, and with moderation.
Aliqui reddunt Mundando non mundabo te, id eſt non excoquam te exacte ad purum putum.And will not leave thee altogether unpuniſhed] Heb. Et innocentando non innocentabo te; in very faithfulneſſe I will afflict thee, that I may be true to thy ſoul, and not cruel to thy body.
Ver. 12. Thy bruiſe is incurable] i. e. Inevitable, by Gods irrevocable decree. Or, it is incureable in it ſelf; but not to me, who am an Almighty Phyſician or Chirurgion. See Ezek. 37.11. they ſeemed free among the dead, free of that company.
Ver. 13. There is none to plead thy cauſe] Thou art friendleſſe.
That thou mayſt be bound up] Thou art helpleſſe.
Ver. 14. All thy lovers have forgotten thee] Thy ſweet-hearts, thine Idols, thy carnal friends, thy Prieſts, Prophets, riches, pleaſures, all theſe have given thee the bag as we ſay; they ſtand aloof from thy help.
They ſeek thee not] Sink thou mayſt, or ſwim, for them: thou art no part of their care.
For I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy] As if I cared not where I hit thee, or how much I hurt thee.
Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit.With the chaſtiſement of a cruel one] So it may ſeem, and ſo Job thought, chap. 30.21. but that was his errour. See here what a paſſe a Saint may be at; and how deeply he may ſuffer, when his ſins are increaſed. God, out of love diſpleaſed, may lay upon him and not ſpare, leave bloody wailes on his back, &c.
For the multitude of thine iniquities] Becauſe thy ſins are many and mighty, or hony: See Am. 5.12. with the Note.
Ver. 15. Why cryest thou for thine affliction?] And not rather for thy ſins? cry not perii but peccavi: not I am undone, but I have done very fooliſhly. See Lam. 3.39, 40.
Ver. 16. Therefore all they that devoured thee, ſhall be devoured] Or, nevertheleſſe, or yet all they that devoured thee, &c. q. d. That thou mayſt experience, that in love I corrected thee, and for thy good, though to thy ſo great grief: I will have my penny worths on thine enemyes, meaſuring to them as they have done to thee.
Ver. 17. For I will reſtore health] It goes beſt with the Church when worſt with her enemies. It ſhall do ſo much more when all Chriſts foes ſhall be made his footſtool.
Becauſe they called thee an outcaſt] Concluding ſo from thine afflictions:Quam chara dus eſſet, docuit, quod eſt victa, quod elocata, quod ſervata. Cic. p…o Flacco. The Jewiſh Nation, ſaith Tully, ſhew how well God regards them, that have been ſo oft ſubdued by the Chaldees, Greeks, Romans, &c. This was but a ſlender argument; only God is moved by the enemies inſolencies and inſultations, to look in mercy the rather upon his poor deſpiſed and deſpited people.
Saying, This is Zion, whom no man ſeeketh after] Illuſio ex alluſione, this was a jear by playing upon her name: as if Zion ſignified a dry or waſte place, Per ludibrium & blaſphemam contumeliam.and therefore not much to be deſired. Strabo indeed ſaith as much of Judaea. And Mount Zion at this day, nihil habet eximium, nihil expetendum, hath no great deſireableneſſe in it. But certainly Judea was once a land flowing with milk and honey: and Mount Zion was in no ſmall requeſt. Howſoever none ought by their bitter taunts to add affliction to the afflicted, but rather to weep with thoſe that weep: be pittiful, be courteous, 1 Pet. 3.8.
Ver. 18. The captivity of Jacobs tents] i. e. The poor captives that now live at Babylon, as ſtrangers in tents or huts.
And the City ſhall be builded upon her own heap] Or hill, ſc. in Mount Moriah: Jeruſalem ſhall be inhabited in Jeruſalem, Zech. 12. All this was proluſio perfectae liberationis in Chriſto, ſaith Junius, a type and pledge of perfect deliverance by Chriſt.
Ver. 19. And out of them ſhall proceed thanksgiving] Mox ubi fides, inde prodit & la… & confeſſio. Faith is a fruitful grace: the very womb wherein all the reſt are conceived.
Ver. 20. Their children alſo ſhall be as aforetime] How eaſily can the Lord turn again the captivity of his people, ſet them ſtatu quo prius? Zach. 10.6. They ſhall be as if I had not caſt them off. See the Note there.
Ver. 21. And their Nobles ſhall be of themſelves] Forreiners ſhall no more domineer over them, but they ſhall have Governours of their own Nation, who ſhall be more tender of them, and careful of their good. Some apply all this (and well they may) to Jeſus Chriſt who is here called Magnificus, & Dominator, Chriſtus Fortis ille & G…gat eſt; Oecol.his Magnificent or honourable One, and his Ruler: who alſo is one of them, and proceedeth from amongſt them. See Deut. 18.18.
And I will cauſe him to draw near, and he ſhall approach unto me] Either as God, coequal and coeſſential with me; or as Mediatour: and ſo he ſhall approach unto me by the hypoſtatical union, (in reſpect of which he came the neareſt unto God of any that ever was or could) and by the execution of his Prieſtly office, wherein he intercedeth for my people and reconcileth them unto me.
For who is this that engaged his heart] Who but my Son Chriſt durſt do it, or was fit to do it? he is a ſuper-excellent perſon, as is imported by this Mi-hu-ze, Who this he?
Ver. 22. And ye ſhall be my people, and I will be your God] ſc. Through Chriſt, and by his mediation. As for thoſe that are not in Covenant with God by Chriſt; as the devil will one day ſweep them, ſo mean while
Ver. 23. Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury] Senſim ſeſe conglomerans ac demittens in eorum capita, the vengeance of God followeth them cloſe at heeles, till at length they be wherried away by that terrible tempeſt at death, Job 27.20.
Ver. 24. The fierce anger of the Lord] See chap. 23.20.
In the latter dayes ye ſhall conſider it] In the dayes of the Meſſias, but eſpecially at the end of the world; when all theſe things ſhall have their full accompliſhment.