Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
Ver. 1. ANd the Word of the Lord came unto me] This is oft prefaced by the Prophets, to make their ſermons more authoritative, and authentike. Pauſanias telleth us that ſome Heathen Sages, to adde weight to their works, were wont to perfix foreign, i. e. God God.
Ver. 2. What mean you] Or, What's come to you? (qua vos dementia cepit?) that you do ſo toſſe this ſinful and ſenſeleſſe Proverb amongſt you both at Jeruſalem, Jer. 31.29. and alſo here at Babylon.
— delicta parentum
Immeritus Judaee luis?
Muſt I be blaſphemed rather then you faulted? Is it for your fathers ſins only that ye ſuffer? and do ye thus think to put off the reproofs of the Prophets, as if your ſelves had not ſeconded and out-ſinned your Fathers, and are therefore juſtly puniſhed?
The fathers have eaten ſour grapes] Sin is no better: it is an evil and a bitter thing to forſake the Lord, Jer. 2. what wild ſour grapes your fathers both bred and fed upon, ſee Iſa. 5.2, 8, 11, 20, 21, 22, &c. and it was woe woe unto them.
And the childrens teeth are ſet on edge] Or, ſtupified. But is there not a cauſe? and are there not ſins enough with you, even with you to procure your ruth and your ruine; but that I muſt be injurious rather, then you be found obnoxious?
Ver. 3. Ye ſhall not have occaſion any more] For I will ſhortly take an order with you; and not by words but by blows vindicate my juſt Judgements from your cavils and ſcurrilities.
Ver. 4. Behold all ſouls are mine] So that to ſhew my Soveraignty, I may do with them as I ſee good. Howbeit, let me tell you, that I ſlay none but for his ſins. i. e. idque ipſi ſuâ injuſtitiâ evenit, non injuriâ meâ, the fault is meerly in himſelf; ſo little reaſon is there that you ſhoud be thus quarrelſom and contumelious againſt me.
The ſoul that ſinneth it ſhall dye] i. e. Shall ſuffer for his ſin either here, or hereafter, without repentance. Every man ſhall bear his own burden: every tub ſhall ſtand upon its own bottom; and every fox yield his own skin to the fleaer, as the Jews at this day proverbially can ſay.
Ver. 5. But if a man be juſt] Keep faith and a good conſcience: do good acts and have good aimes; do all as well as any, not this or that, but this and that too (as here it followeth) duties of Piety, and duties of Charity.
Ver. 6. And hath not eaten upon the mountains] i. e. Hath not offered there to idols: for at their ſacrifices they feaſted: Exod. 32. the people ſat down to eat and drink, and roſe up to play. See chap. 20.28. Hoſ. 4.13.
Neither hath lift up his eyes to the idols [As every Papiſt doth daily, and is therefore no righteous perſon, ſuch as is here deſcribed. Neither helpeth it, that they are the idols of the houſe of Iſrael, and not the idols of the Nations.
Neither hath come near to a menſtruous woman] Though his own wife, Levit. 18.19. & 20.18. Adulter enim est uxoris propriae ardentior amator, ſaid an Heathen. There is a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing, Eccleſ. 3.5.
Ver. 7. And hath not oppreſſed any] Either by force, or fraud.
Hath given his bread to the hungry] Negative goodneſſe alone is little worth. Men muſt not only not rob the hoſpital, as we ſay, ſpoil the poor by violence, but draw forth their ſouls and their ſheaves both, to the hungry, and cloth the naked with a garment, or they cannot have the comfort and credit of juſt men.
Ver. 8. He that hath not given forth upon uſury] Of this ſin ſee what I have ſaid elſewhere, Exod. 22.25. Pſal. 15.5. Neh. 5.10.
Nihil intereſt inter funus & funus: nihil inter mortem diſtat & ſortem. Ambroſ.Neither hath taken any increaſe] Intereſt we call it now, after the French, who firſt helped us to that fine word. But let the Patrones of uſury conſider that what diſtinctions ſoever they bring for it, God alloweth here of no uſury, but condemneth both Neſhec the biting, and Tarbith the toothleſſe uſury, as equally naught.
That hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity] Whether it be injury to another, revenge, raking together riches of unrighteouſneſſe, reaching after honours, &c.
Hath executed true judgement] Without partiality or paſſion, whether he be a Judge or an Arbitrator.
Ver. 9. Hath walked in my ſtatutes] — Quil…ges juraque ſervat. It is as if the Prophet had ſaid, There are many more characters of a righteous man: but I ſhall ſhut up all with this: He that is right in his obedience for matter, manner, motive and end, he's the man I meane, he ſhall ſuerly live.
Effractor.Ver. 10. If he beget a ſon] As he may: for grace is not hereditarty. Heroum filii noxae.
That is a robber] A breach-maker, whether upon the Laws of God, or of men: one that is a poſtilent ſon, as the Sept. here have it, a plague to his Parents, and to his Country.
And that doth the like to any one of theſe things] Or, that doth to his brother beſides any of theſe: as there are mille artes nocendi.
Ver. 11. And that doth not any of theſe duties] Bare omiſſions may undo a man. Not robbing only, but the not relieving of the poor, was the rich mans ruine.
Ver. 12. Hath committed abomination] Such is every of the ſins here inſtanced, whatſoever ſome can ſay in defence of them. Hath given forth upon uſury, and all.
Ver. 13. He hath done all theſe abominations] Or, if he have done but one of them, and undo it not again by true repentance.
He ſhall ſurely dye] Neither ſhall his fathers righteouſneſſe priviledge him, or prevail at all for him.
His blood ſhall be upon him] He is felo de ſe, his own deaths man, and his mends he hath in his own hands, as they ſay.
Ver. 14. Now loe if he beget a ſon that ſeeth] And withal ſigheth, his eye affecting his heart with grief and diſlike.
And conſidereth] Viz. Of the ill conſequents of thoſe courſes, & cavet & pavet.
Ver. 15. That hath not eaten] See on ver. 6.
Ver. 16. See on ver. 7.
Ver. 17. See on ver. 8, 9.
Ver. 18. Spoiled his brother by violence] A man had as good deal with a Coſſack or a Cannibal as with a truly covetous caytiffe. They hunt every man his brother with a net, Mic. 7.2.
And did that which is not good among his people] It ſhould be every mans care to be ſome way ſerviceable to God, and profitable to Men. Let no man turn himſelf into a cipher, nay into an excrement, that lives in the world to no purpoſe, yea to bad purpoſe. Oh its good to do ſomething whereby the world may be the better: and not to come hither meerly as rats and mice, only to devour victuals, and to run ſqueaking up and down.
Ver. 19. Yet ſay ye, Why? doth not the ſon bear the iniquity of the father?] Thus theſe unreaſonable refractaries will not be ſaid, but continue chatting againſt God, quaſi dicant, certè tu non potes negare, &c. Some are foreign,Piſcat. 2 Theſ. 3.2. they have no Topicks, there's no talking to them, they will not be ſet down with right reaſon.
When the ſon hath done that is lawful and right] What a meek, ſweet and ſatisfactory anſwer doth God make to theſe importunate complainers againſt him! Here we have their Replication and his Duplication: as ver. 25. we have their Triplication and His Quadruplication. Oh the infinete Patience of our good God!
Ver. 20. The ſon ſhall not bear the iniquity of the father] The innocent ſon ſhall not; unleſſe it be in temporals only, and that in ſome caſes,Turk. Hiſt. Deut. 24.16. 2 Kings 14.6. 2 Chron. 15.4. It was the cruel manner of Ʋladus Prince of Valachia, together with the offender to execute the whole family,Act. & Mon. yea ſometimes the whole kindred. A like cruelty was uſed in Scotland by the Popes appointment upon the kindred of thoſe that had ſlain David Beton, in revenge of the death of that butcherly Biſhop. Lavater telleth us here out of the Annals of the Suitzers his Countrymen,Lav. in Loc. that when Albertus the ſon of Rodolphus Caeſar was ſlain by his nephew John Habſparg and ſome other Nobles, his children Duke Leopold and Agnes Queen of Hungary put to death not the murtherers only, but their children and kinsfolk alſo not a few: and utterly overturned diverſe ſtrong-holds in Suiſſer-land. But this was not the way of God, nor did it proſper in their hand. Cruelty calleth aloud for vengeance.
The righteouſneſſe] i. e. It ſhall be well with the righteous, and woe with the wicked, Iſa. 3.10, 11.
Ver. 21. But if the wicked will turn, &c.] That is, ſaith Theodoret, ſo far am I from puniſhing one for the ſins of another, that I am ready to receive a returning ſinner, how far or how faſt ſoever he hath run out.
And keep all my ſtatutes] For the beſt and righteſt repentance is a new life, ſaith Luther.
Ver. 22. All his tranſgreſſions] So true is that of an Ancient, Quem poenitet peccaſſe, poenè eſt innocens, Penitence is near as good as innocence.
Piſcat.In his righteouſneſſe] Or, for his righteouſneſſe, tanquam ob cauſum ſine quae non, & ob promiſſionem Dei, not of merit, but mercy, and free grace.
Ver. 23. Have I any pleaſure at all that the wicked ſhould dye] No verily; for then he ſhould do nothing but do and undo, make a world and unmake it again; ſith we provoke him continually: but he is long ſuffering, Atque dolet quoties cogitur eſſe ferox.
And not that he ſhould return] Had not I rather pardon then puniſh? Is not this laſt my work my ſtrange work? Iſa. 28.21.
Ver. 24. But when the righteous] He that is good in his own eyes, and paſſeth for good in the eſteem of others, but yet is not really righteous: if ſuch an one do utterly fall away and loſe that little that he ſeemed to have, what wonder? Common grace can never hold out, or ſtretch to eternity. Bellarmine ſaith well, That which is true grace veritate eſſentiae only, may be loſt: not that that is true veritate firmae ſoliditatis, with the truth of firm ſolidity: which latter being rightly underſtood may be called Special as the other Common grace.
Ver. 25. Yet ye ſay] Ye will ſtill hold your own, and no reaſon ſhall perſwade you. A ſtubborn man ſtandeth as a ſtake in a ſtream, lets all paſſe by him, but he ſtandeth ſtill where he was.
Matrem tuam occidiſti: quid dicam amplius? Matrem tuam occidiſti.Is not my way equal?] This he had ſaid before, but he ſaith it again, foreign. Cicero aggravating the fact of a parricide uſeth theſe words, Thou hast killed thy mother, man: what ſhould I ſay more? thou hast killed thy mother, I tell thee.
Are not your wayes unequal?] They are ſo, and that apparently: but that your mouth's out of taſte, and ye cannot reliſh truth: your eyes are ſore and ye cannot behold the Sun-beams: you are prejudiced, biaſſed, perverted.
Ver. 26. When a righteous man turneth] q. d. Shall I ſay the ſelfe-ſame over again to you? I had need do ſo ſurely, and all little enough.
And dyeth in them] ſc. In his wicked waies: this undoeth him, It is not falling into the water that drowneth a man, but long lying under it.
Ver. 27. Again, when the wicked man turneth away] This alſo he had ſaid before, ver. 21, 22, 23. but men had need to hear this ſweet Promiſe over and over, becauſe there is in the beſt a natural Novatianiſme, to doubt and queſtion pardon for ſins, if great and grievous ones eſpecially.
Ver. 29. Becauſe he conſidereth] Conſideration neceſſarily preceedeth converſion, Pſal. 119.59. L…m. 3.40. Jer. 8.6. The Prodigal came to himſelf firſt, and then went home to his father. See on ver. 14.
Ver. 29. Yet ſaith the houſe of Iſrael] Yet, for all that I can ſay to the contrary: they will ſtill hold their own, they will be dicti ſui domini, &c. ſuch was their impudency and petulancy. God therefore gives over the Confutation, and comes to the Concluſion of this Conteſtation.
Ver. 30. Therefore I will judge you] I will word it no longer with you, but clear up and vindicate my Juſtice (which you have calumniated) in your deſerved deſtruction, except ye repent.
Repent and turn your ſelves] Or, others. Lay aſide your complaints and contumelies againſt me,Iſa. 27.5. and take notice that the beſt thing you can do is to take hold of my ſtrength that ye may make peace with me, and ye ſhall make peace with me.
Ver. 31. Caſt away from you, &c.] And ſo evidence the ſoundneſſe of your Repentance. He that repenteth with a contradicton (as continuing in his ſins) ſhall be pardoned with a contradiction, that is, call into hell.
All your tranſgreſſions] All as well as any: elſe ye do but take pains to go to hell. Gideon's one baſtard ſlew all his his …eventy ſons: ſo will one baſtardly ſin, reſerved and allowed, ſlay the ſoul. Men ſhould do by their ſins, as our forefathers did by the Danes here, make an utter riddance of them: and as the Sicilians did by the French among them, whom they not only maſſacred to a man, but alſo ript up all their own women that were with child by the French, that not one drop of French blood might remain among them.
Make you a new heart] Wait upon God for it in the conſtant uſe of means, that ye may bring forth fruits meet for repentance.
Ver. 32. For I have no pleaſure] See on ver. 23. and chap. 33.11.