Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
Ver. 1. THen came certain of the Elders unto me] Rulers and chieftaines of the captives in Babylon, pretending to be far better then thoſe Elders at Jeruſalem, complained of chap. 8. but indeed no better: nay ſo much the worſe, becauſe they had loſt the fruit of all their afflictions, and were as arrant hypocrites as thoſe veteratores the Scribes and Phariſees, that came to Johns baptiſme, and to our Saviours ſermons, with evil and exulcerate minds.
Non omnes ſancti qui calcant limina Templi.
A Doeg may ſet his foot as far within the Sanctuary as a David.
And ſat before me] Demurely, and (to ſee to) devoutly. But why could they not ſtand to hear the Word of God for reverence ſake? Balac did ſo, Num. 23.18. though a King: And Eglon, though unweildy, Judg. 3.20. and a better man then they both, Conſtantine the Great, as Euſebius recordeth, and further telleth us, that being preſſed, after long time of hearing, to ſit down,De v…ta con…. with a ſtern countenance he anſwered, It were a great ſin in me not to hear with utmoſt attention, when God is speaking.
Ver. 2. And the word of the Lord came] Leſt the Prophet, ſeeing theſe ſeniors coming thus unto him, ſhould favour them too far, God uncaſeth them as he doth (moſtly) ſuch groſſe hypocrites, in this preſent life; Jerob…am and his wife, Ananias and Sapphirah, Simon Magus, and others for inſtance. How elſe indeed ſhould the name of ſuch wicked wretches rot as they muſt? Prov. 10.
Ver. 3. Theſe men have ſet their Idols in their hearts] Though they would ſeem to abhor idols, yet the devil is at inne with them, and their hearts are no beter then ſo many Idol-temples, as thou wouldeſt eaſily perceive, hadſt thou but my fiery eyes, and couldeſt ſee their inſides, as I do.Piſcat. Suſtulerunt ſtercoreos deos ſuos ſuper cor ſuum, they have laid their dungy-deities upon their very hearts; a place where I only ſhould be by right, for it is the bridal-bed.
And put the ſtumbling-block of their iniquity] i. e. They are impudent ſinners, as the Scholiaſt interprets it, and reſolved of their courſe, whatever comes of it.Hoc ſignificat craſſum Dei contemptum & quali profeſſam rebellionem.
Should I be enquired of at all by them?] q. d. No, never; I ſcorn the motion, I abhor ſuch ludibrious devotion as this is: Away with it. Piſcator rendereth the words, An ergò ſeriò interrogor ab eis? Thinkeſt thou that I am ſeriouſly ſought unto by theſe? q. d. Nothing leſſe.
Ver. 4. I the Lord will anſwer him] Or, as I am the Lord (oath-wiſe) I will anſwer him, but with bitter anſwers.
According to the multitude of his idols] i. e. As by his abominations he hath well deſerved: or, concerning the multitude of his idols; that's a ſin he ſhall be ſure to hear of, and to ſuffer for.
Ver. 5. That I may take the houſe of Iſrael in their own heart] Ʋt deprehendam, or as others, ut reprehendam, that I may convince their conſciences of their impieties, and ſting them to the heart with unqueſtionable conviction and horrour.
Becauſe they are all eſtranged from me] And fallen in with the devil, who is foreign, as ſaith Syneſitu, a great promoter of idolatry. Idola ſunt prima ſaliva,Oecolamp. & initium deficiendi à Deo. Idolatry paveth the way to utter Apoſtacy.
Ver. 6. Repent and turn your ſelves] Or, turn others: for true converts will be converting their brethren. They like not to go to heaven alone.
And turn away your faces] Alii dicunt uxores veſtras (ſaith Lavater here) your wives which are according to your hearts, like as in water face anſwereth to face. Wean them from their idols, and win them over to the true God.
Ver. 7. For every one of the houſe of Iſrael] The ſame over again, and yet no vain repetition: duris enim illis capitibus res non potuit ſatis inculcari, to theſe dizzards nothing could be ſaid too much.
Or of the ſtranger] But proſelyted to the Jewiſh religion, as Jethro, who was the firſt of that kind that we read of.
Which ſeparateth himſelf from me] As an harlot doth from her husband: See Hoſ. 4.14. & 9.10.
I the Lord will anſwer him by my ſelf] Non verbis ſed verberibus, not with words but with blows: Or, according to my moſt holy Truth and Juſtice. Or, by my ſelf, ſc. do I ſwear, that I will do it: See ver. 4.
Ver. 8. And I will ſet my face againſt that man] I will look him to death: Or,Ʋultuoſè torveque illum intuear. laying aſide all other buſineſſe, I will ſee to it, that he be ſoundly paid.
And will make him a ſign and a proverb] That when men would expreſſe a great puniſhent upon any,Ier. 29.22. Tantalus, foreign ut vult Plato. they ſhall reſemble it to his, as the Jews did to Ahab's and Zedekiah's (that naughty couple) and the Heathens to that of Tantalus and Tityus.
And I will cut him off from the midſt of my people] This is yet a further and a more formidable menace: this is far worſe then to be a by-word to the people.
Ver. 9. I the Lord have deceived that Prophet] I had not only a permiſſive but an active hand in that impoſture; not as a ſin, but as a puniſhment of other ſins: See 1 Kings 22.20. Job 12.16. Jer. 4.10. 2 Theſ. 2.11.
And I will ſtretch out mine hand upon him] i. e. Upon that falſe-prophet, who although he hath thus acted, not without my providence, yet hath ſinned againſt my Law, which is the rule men muſt walk by, or elſe ſuffer for their tranſgreſſion. Aut faciendum aut patiendum. Now God hath long hands, as we uſe to ſay of Princes: neither may any think to live out of the reach of his rod.
Ver. 10. And they ſhall bear the puniſhment of their iniquity] Neither ſhall excuſe other: but as they have ſinned together, ſo ſhall they ſuffer together, quia volentes & ſcientes errabant, they wilfully went aſtray. Quandoquidem hic populus vult decipi, decipiatur, they ſhall infallibly periſh. An evil Pilot may eaſily drown himſelf, and all that are with him on the ſame bottom.
Ver. 11. That the houſe of Iſrael may go no more aſtray] Thus when Gods Judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteouſneſſe, Iſa. 26.9. Thoſe elect that were bad will become good: and they that were good will be made better. Paena ad paucos, metus ad omnes.
Ver. 12. The Word of the Lord came again to me] The utter deſtruction of this perverſe people is once again denounced, and declared to be inevitable.
Ver. 13. Son of man] See on chap. 2.1.
When the land ſinneth againſt me] i. e. The Inhabitants of the land; not as if the land it ſelf were alive and endued with reaſon, as Origen doated, and as Plato held that the Spirit of God was the ſoul of the world.Hom. 4. in loc.
By treſpaſſing grievouſly] Praevaricando perfidè, by doing evil as men could.
Then will I ſtretch out my hand] See ver. 9.
And will break the ſtaff] See chap. 4.16. & 5.26.
And I will ſend famine] Extream famine, a heavy Judgement, as hath elſewhere been ſhewed out of ſacred and profane hiſtory.
Ver. 14. Though theſe three men] See on Jer. 15.1.
Noah, Daniel and Job] What could not theſe three (ſo mighty with God) have done if the matter had been fe…ſible? Daniel was now alive, and in his prime. Ezekiel, his contemporary and fellow-Prophet, envyeth him not, but celebrateth him: as alſo Peter doth Paul, 2 Epiſt. 3.
They ſhould deliver but their own ſouls] Becauſe the decree was paſt, an end was come, chap. 7.2, 4, 5, 6, 10.
Ver. 15. If I cauſe noiſom beaſts] As Lyons, Wolves, Bears, Serpents, &c. Great hurt hath been done not only by ſuch, as Num. 21.6. 2 Kings 2.24. & 17.25, 26. Joſh. 24.12. but alſo by tamer creatures,Aug. whem ſet on by God. Rebellis facta eſt, quia homo numini, creatura homini. Rats, Coneys, Frogs, Waſps, Moths, have done much miſchief.
Ver. 16. Though theſe three men were in it] All alive, and luſtily tugging; yet it would not do. In common calamities Heathens had their ſupplications and ſacrifices: Papiſts have their Letanies and Proceſſions, though to ſmal purpoſe. Let us, in the like eaſe, up and be doing, that the Lord may be with us.
Formula jurandi e…ſiptica.They ſhall deliver neither ſons] Heb. if they deliver ſons, &c. q. d. then never truſt me more.
Ver. 17. Or if I bring a ſword] The ſword, whenſoever it comes, is bathed in heaven, Eſa. 34.5.
Omnis peſtilentiae coeca & deliteſcens eſt cauſa. Fernel.Sword, go through the land] When the ſword rideth circuit (as a Judge) it is in commiſſion: See Jer. 47.67.
Ver. 18. Neither ſons nor daughters] Though never ſo dear to them: foreign the Greeks call them.
Ver. 19, Or if I ſend a peſtilence] Which Hippocartes calleth foreign, becauſe God hath a ſpecial hand in it. Phyſicians can give no good reaſon of it.
In blood] i. e. In great ſlaughter, laying heaps upon heaps.
Ver. 20. Neither ſon nor daughter] Though it were an only one, and ſo more dear to them.
They ſhall but deliver] Howbeit a good man alſo may dye of the Plague, as did Oecolampadius, Greenham, &c.
Ver. 21. My four ſore Judgements] Every of the four (Cardan reckons three more of like nature, viz. earthquakes, inundations, and great winds) are ſore judgements indeed, each of them is peſſimum, i. e. pernicioſum. Cavete.
Ver. 22. Yet behold] See a thing ſuddain and ſerious.
They ſhall come] Be Captives here, as you are.
And ye ſhall ſee their way] How wicked it was, and worthy of puniſhment.
Ver. 23. And they ſhall comfort] i. e. Quiet and qualify your ſpirits.