Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Ver. 1. ANd he ſaid unto me] Chriſtus ſolio ſic infit ab alto, Chriſt from his lofty throne thus beſpake me, who had now my mouth in the duſt, and had no more to ſay but this, Speak, Lord, for thy ſervant heareth.
Son of man] So this Prophet is called almoſt an hundred times in this Book: four times in this ſhort Chapter. The reaſon hereof I take to be this, ſaith a judicious Divine. He had viſions both more in number and more rare in kind revealed unto him, then any other Prophet had. Now,D. Gouge. leſt he ſhould be exalted out of meaſure through the abundance of Revelations, the Lord often putteth him in mind of his eſtate by nature, that he was but a ſon of man, a mortal man, even a worm.
Stand upon thy feet] God, for good ends, caſteth down ſometimes thoſe that are deareſt to himſelf: but then he comforteth the abject, 2 Cor. 7.6.
Dejicit ut relevet, premit ut ſolatia praeſtet.
And I will speak unto thee] So Dan. 10.11. Oracles are for ſtanders, not proſtrate ones: they require utmoſt attention of body, intention of mind, and retention of memory. See Num. 23.18. Judg. 3.20. with the Notes.
Ver. 2. And the Spirit entred into me] This was right, when Word and Spirit went together. See Iſa. 59.21. with the Notes.
And ſet me upon my feet] Called me off from earthly cares, and made me hear ſavingly. In the Scriptures the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh foreign, 1 Tim. 4.1. Let him that hath ears to hear, hear &c. Let him draw up the ears of his mind to thoſe of his body, that one and the ſame ſound may pierce both.
Ver. 3. I ſend thee to the children of Iſrael] So they will needs call themſelves: But what ſaith God, Mic. 2.7. O thou that art named the houſe of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord ſtraitened? are theſe his doings? See the Notes there.
To a rebellious nation] Heb. Gentiles: ſo the Jews call us Chriſtians in ſcorn:The Jews call the Turkes Iſhmaelites, the Ethiopians Cuſhites, but Chriſtians that call Gojim an abominable Nation, and Mamzer-goll, a baſtard people. ſo God calleth them here in great contempt, a rebellious nation (See Amos 9.7.) Gentes Apoſtatrices, as the Vulgar here hath it.
They and their fathers have tranſgreſſed againſt me] A ſerpentine ſeed they are, a race of rebels, neither good egg nor bird, but Mali corvi mala ova.
Even unto this very day] being nothing bettered by all that they have ſuffered: See Jer. 16.13. Iſa. 1.5.
Ver. 4. For they are impudent children] Heb. hard of face. Sin hath oaded ſuch an impudency in their faces that they can bluſh no more then a a ſack-but. Os tuum ferreum, ſaith Cicero to Piſo, that brazen face of thine: and Durus hic vultus lachrymare neſcit, Thou canſt not bluſh, much leſſe bleed for thine offences, ſaith Seneca to one.
And ſtiff-hearted] Duri-cordes, incurvi cervicati, quoſque citius fregeris quàm flexeris, ſuch as will ſooner break then bend. Many of our hearers, alaſſe, are no better. We do even waſh a tile-ſheard, draw water with a ſeive, &c.Bern.
I do ſend thee unto them] About hard ſervice: ſed curam exegerit non curationem, it is the care and not the cure of the charge, that is charged upon thee.
Thou ſhall ſay unto them] Proficiſcere, & Prophetato. Thou ſhalt be as my mouth, Jer. 15.19.
Ver. 5. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear] Some refractaries will not ſo much as hear a Miniſter of God; but bid him, as thoſe old Italians once did the Roman Embaſſadour, ad quercus dicere, ſe interim alia acturos, ſpeak to the poſts, they had ſomewhat elſe to do then to give ear to them. See 1 Cor. 1.22. Of thoſe alſo that do hear, ſcarce the hundreth man believeth our report, ſaith Calvin: nay ſcarce the thouſandth man ſaith Chryſoſtom.
For they are a rebellious houſe] This was ſmall encouragement. Hence Prophets have ſo hung off, as Moſes, Iſay, Jonah, Jeremy, &c. Knox when called firſt to preach, burſt forth into abundance of tears. Bradford was hardly perſwaded by Bucer to enter into the Miniſtery, &c.
Act. & Mon.Yet ſhall know that there hath been a Prophet amongſt them] Let them prove incorrigible, they ſhall alſo prove inexcuſable, and ſelf-condemned. See 2 Cor. 2.16. with the Notes.Hieronym. Convinced they ſhall be, if not converted: and who knows how the word, now ſlighted, may hereafter work upon them? Saepe fit ut audientes verbum moleſte, Act. & Mon.ſuſcipiant fructuoſe: they may better bethink themſelves.
Ver. 6. Be not afraid of them] Of their lordly looks (ſuch as Steven Gardiner ſet upon Dr. Taylour, and was well told of it) of their bitter ſcoffs, dreadful threats, as if they could undoe us at their pleaſure. Our times are in Gods hands: kill us they may, but hurt us they cannot. See Jer. 1.17. Matth. 10.25. When Bonner ſaid to Hawkes A faggot will make you turn;Act. & Mon. 1443. No, no, ſaid Hawkes, a point for your faggot, you ſhall do no more then God permitteth you, &c. A Miniſter of God ſhould live by faith, and not dye by fear: he ſhould make his hearers afraid of him rather, as Herod was of the Baptiſt, V…lens of Baſil, &c. When Eudoxia the Empreſſe threatned Chryſoſtom, Go tell her, ſaid he, that I fear nothing but ſin. I will rather chooſe to dye, ſaid Calvin, then comply with thoſe that refuſe to ſubmit to Church diſcipline.
Quaſi boves oeſtro agitati. Theodoret. Monitoribus aſperi. Hor. Semper in ictu eſt, Plin. l. 8. c. 29. Ferit obliquo ictu & inflexu.Though bryars (or rebels) and thorns be with thee] Refractarii & ſpinei, ſuch as thou canſt not handle without hurt, deal with without danger, 2 Sam. 23.6. Pſal. 55.21. & 58.10. Mic. 7.4. catching they are and ſcratching, as ſharp-pointed thorns, Num. 32.55.
And thou doſt dwell among ſcorpions] Which are moſt venemous and perilous creatures, joyned with fiery ſerpents, Deut. 8.15. Pliny ſaith, that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the ſting to do miſchief. It is alſo a crafty creature, & occultis machinationibus ferit. The Churches enemies are cruel-crafties, Neh. 4.11.
Be not afraid of their words] Their bubbles of words.
Nor be diſmaid at their looks] Their ſwellings and brow-beatings.
Though they be a rebellious houſe] A race of rebels.
Ver. 7. And thou ſhalt ſpeak my words] Gods Word muſt be ſpoken, however it be taken.
Whither they will hear] See ver. 5. Chriſt, once at leaſt, preached away the moſt of his hearers, Joh. 6.66. Beza ſo delivered himſelf with that evidence and efficacy of truth in Colloquio Poſſiaceno, that Cardinal Lorrain wiſhed that either he had been dumb, or that his hearers had been deaf. Too many of ours are ſo, &c.
For they are moſt rebellious] Heb. rebellion, in the abſtract; as if they had been transfomed into ſins nature.
Ver. 8. Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious houſe] It is no hard matter to ſymbolize with ſinners: See Iſa. 6.5. with the Note; to dwell among them, is dangerous: for ſin is catching, and oft Epidemical. Precious therefore and worthy of all acceptation is the Apoſtles counſel, Rom. 12.2. Lawyers tell us, that we muſt not look ſo much what men do at Rome, as what they ought to do.
Eat that I give thee] i. e. The roul, ver. 9. that is, whatſoever I ſhall henceforth dictate unto thee, do thou get it by heart, diſgeſt it, propound it to the people; work it firſt upon thine own, and then upon the affections of thine hearers: See Rev. 4. and obſerve how alike the Lord dealt with Ezekiel and John the Divine.
Ver. 9. Behold a hand was ſent] A hand from heaven: A hand is index rei & inſtrumentum operationis.
Palmoni hammidabber. Dan. 10.And loe a roul of a book] The Jews folded or rouled up their books upon a cedar ſtick, to preſerve them from duſt and other dangers: See on Iſa. 8.1.
Ver. 10. And he ſpred it before me] Till Chriſt unfold heavenly myſteries, men underſtand them not, Rev. 5.5. Matth. 11.27. 1 Joh. 1.18. & 15.15. He is the excellent Interpreter.
And it was written within and without] To ſhew abundance of miſeries coming on the Jews, and others.foreign gemitus ſicut co…mbae. Iſa. 38.14.
Lamentation and mourning and wo] Foretold all along this volume, till Chapter 40. ſad ſongs, doleful ditties.