Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII.
Ver. 1. AGain the Word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying] A new commiſſion to preach again to his Country-men: which he had not done, ſince chap. 24.27. See the Note there.
Ver. 2. Speak to the children of thy people] I ſay of thy people: for I can ſcarce find in my heart to own them, they be ſo …ad.
When I bring the ſword upon a Land] The ſword is of Gods ſending, chap. 14.17. and whenceſoever it cometh, it is bathed in heaven, Iſa. 34.5. Think the ſame of any other publike calamity, Amos 3.6. and therefore frame to a patient and peaceable behaviour under it. Among Philoſophers the moſt noted ſect for patience, was that of the Stoikes, who aſcribed all to Fate.
Ver. 3. He blow the trumpet] Hence the Ancients infer,Clem. Bern. that a Biſhop muſt preach, and that Praelati officium est ſollicitudo non celſitudo. He taketh upon him the office of a conſtant Preacher, ſaith Gregory, that undertaketh to be a Miniſter.
Ver. 4. His blood ſhall be upon his own] The blame ſhall reſt wholly upon himſelf. Not to be warned is a juſt both preſage and deſert of deſtruction.
Ver. 5. But he that taketh warning] Praeviſion is the beſt means of prevention.
Ver. 6. He is taken away in his iniquity] This a diſmal kind of death, far worſe then that of dying in priſon, or of dying in a ditch.
At the watch-man's hand] By whoſe treachery, or indiligence at leaſt, he miſcarried.
Ver. 7, 8, 9. See Notes on chap. 3.17, 18, 19.
Ver. 10. Thus ye ſpeak] But not well, whilſt ye have hard thoughts of God,Refricat verba deſperantium. Omnis reſtitutionis ſpecies & ſpes à Deo nobis praeciſa eſt. Heb. 2.1. and heavy thoughts of your ſelves; as if your ſins were unpardonable; and that ye were already ruined beyond relief: whereas true Repentance is a ready remedy, a plank after ſhipwrak, that would ſet you ſafe, and render you right again. This they had been told before, chap. 18. but to little purpoſe: the word was not mingled with faith in their hearts, and did therefore run through them, as water runs through a riven veſſel.
And we pine away in them] Ita punimur ut per…amus. This the Prophet had threatened, chap. 24.23. and they ſtill ſtomackfully object it to him: it lay as hard-meat, and they raiſe a cavil upon it: whereto the Lord anſwereth;
Ver. 11. As I live ſaith the Lord God, &c.] This is one of thoſe precious places, thoſe melliflous hony-combes, which we ſhould go on, ſucking, towards heaven, as Sampſon once did toward his parents, Judg 14.9. Here, if anywhere, we may find ſtrong conſolation. God when he ſwears, deſires certainly to be credited, ſaith Tertullian. O happy we, for whoſe ſakes God vouchſafeth to ſwear:Lib. de Poenitent. cap. 4. and O thrice-wretched we, if we believe not God, no though he ſwear to us! Oh (ſaith Theodoret here) who can ever ſufficiently admire the Lords great goodneſſe, who being ſo ſhamefully ſl…ghted by the ſinful ſons of men, doth yet ſwear his readineſſe to receive them graciouſly, who have revolted grievouſly? Well might Nazianzen ſay that God delighteth in nothing ſo much as in mans converſion and ſalvation: foreign, ſaith Baſil, i. e. he would we ſhould fear him,Suff…ndere mavult ſanguinem quam effundere. Tertul. not fall by his hand: redire nos ſibi, non perire deſiderat, (as Chryſologus phraſeth it) return unto him, not periſh from the way, Pſal. 2.12
For why will ye dye?] Turn ye muſt, or burn. See chap 18.31, 32.
Ver. 12. Say unto the children] The ſame as before; only with a Proviſo of Perſeverance in well-doing, for elſe all's loſt. Non enim quaeruntur in Chriſtianis initia ſed finis, ſaith Hierom, The end is better then the beginning.
Ver. 13. When I ſhall ſay to the righteous] See on chap. 18.24.
If he truſt to his own righteouſneſſe] As thinking that he hath thereby purchaſed a licenſe to commit iniquity.
Ver. 14. Thou ſhalt ſurely dye] Viz. Except thou repent; for that altereth the caſe. Poenitency is almoſt as good as innocency.
If he turn from his ſin and do] Theſe two parts make up true Repentance.
Ver. 15. Give again that he had robbed] Quod rapuit reddideret. The law for reſtitution ſee Num. 5.6, 7.
Ver. 16. None of his ſins] This is point-blank againſt the doctrine of Purgatory.
Ver. 17. Yet the children of the people ſay] This was a ſecond cavil of theirs. See ver. 10. and chap. 18.25. Archeſilas was ſurnamed Cavillator: ſo might theſe well have been.
Their way is not equal] There is no equity at all in this cauſeleſſe quarrel of theirs.
Ver. 18. When the righteous turneth] To ſet them down, if right reaſon would do it (and man ſhould be mancipium rationis, a ſlave to reaſon) he repeateth what he hath ſaid before.
Ver. 19. He ſhall live thereby] Provided that he reſt not in his righteouſneſſe, but learn to live by the faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.
Ver. 20. Yet ye ſay] But therein ye lye, which is not the guiſe of Gods children, Iſa. 63.8.
I will judge you every one after his wayes] And ſo wring a teſtimony, if not from your mouthes, yet from your conſciences, of mine impartial Juſtice; ſuch as is that, Deut. 32.4. A God of truth, and without iniquity, juſt and right is He.
Ver. 21. In the twelfth year] Some read the eleventh year: and indeed it was wonder that ſuch ill news came no ſooner; for foreign, ſaith Sophocles.
Superſtes ſtragis.That one that had eſcaped] This God had promiſed, chap. 24.26.
The City is ſmitten] i. e. Sacked and burnt. This man ſpoke much in few.
Ver. 22. The hand of the Lord] i. e. The Spirit of the Lord, which acted me and caried me out, 2 Pet. 1.21. See 1 Cor. 12.3.
And my mouth was opened] As God had promiſed, chap. 24.27. And this fell out before the meſſengers narration. This was much for the prophets honour.
Ver. 23. Then the Word of the Lord] See chap. 18.1.
Ver. 24. They that inhabit thoſe waſts of the land of Iſrael] Thoſe poor few now left in the land, 2 King. 25.12, 22. Jer. 40.5, &c. Surely they are poor, they are fooliſh, they have loſt the fruit of their affliction, miſerrimi facti ſunt & peſſimi permanent (as Auſtin ſaith of ſome in his time) they are never the leſſe wicked, for being wretched.
Verba facis populi recitat. Abrahae ſe conferre, imò praeferre audebant.Speak] Bubbles of words. Antiquum obtinent; They are no changelings, not at all creſt-faln.
Abraham was one] And no ſuch one, but that we may match him. Thus theſe proud hypocrites ſet up their counter for a thouſand pound, and ſtand upon their compariſons, without all ſhame or ſenſe.
The land is given to us] And here we will hold our own: for we are well worthy.
Ver. 25. Ye eat with the blood] Which wicked Saul would not do, 1 Sam. 14. much leſſe would righteous Abraham have done it; ſith it was againſt the light and letter of the Law, Gen. 9.4. Levit. 7.26. Deut. 12.16. Nay ye do worſe things: and are you Abraham's children, and heirs of the promiſed land, together with that faithful Patriarch? I trow not. See a like manner of reaſoning, Mic. 2.7. Joh. 8.39: So the learned Linaker, having read our Saviours Sermon in the mount, and conſidering how little it is lived amongſt us, brake out into theſe words, Certainly either this is not Goſpel, or we are not right Goſpellers.
Ver. 26. Ye ſtand upon your ſword] Vivitur ex rapto, He that hath the longeſt ſword carrieth it amongſt you: ye are alſo very revengeful: ready to ſay with him in the Poet,
Caparene ap. Statum. Theb. 2. Mezent. ap. Virg. Aeneid. 10. Martin. VI. vald. in candelab.—virtus mihi numen, & enſis
Quem teneo.
Dextra mihi deus, & telum quod miſſile libro.
Ye work abomination] This R. Solomon underſtandeth de Venere obſcaeniore. It is in the original, ye women work abomination, as proſtituting your ſelves to an unnatural filthineſſe, as the Caſuiſts complain ſtill of ſome Spaniſh Curtezans.
And ſhall ye poſſeſſe the land] q. d. Ye ſhall be ſet up: what ſhould you expect better then exilium & excitium, baniſhment and deſtruction?
Ver. 27. They that are in the waſtes] Ver. 24.
Shall dye of the peſtilence] Or elſe of the famine, which is worſe. When, where, and how this was fulfilled upon them, we read not: In Egypt likely, whither they went after Gedaliah's death; if not ſooner, at home, as Jeremy alſo had fore-prophecyed, chap. 42, 43, 44.
Ver. 28. For I will lay the land moſt deſolate] Heb. deſolation & deſolation. God made clean work there; there was not a Jew left in the Country: See Zach. 7.14.
Ver. 29. Then ſhall they know] By woful experience.
Ver. 30. The children of thy people] Theſe Captives in Babylon, no whit better then thoſe in Jury.
Still are talking] Detracting from thee, and deriding thee.
By the walls] Suſurros miſcentes clancularios: Ʋti otioſi & ſanniones in foro facere ſolent.fearing left any one behind them ſhould hear them, they get the walls at their backs.
Come I pray you and hear] Thus they jear: and there are too many ſuch ſcoffers at this day.
Ver. 31. And they come unto thee] Very goodly.
And they ſit before thee] Very demurely, and (to ſee to) devoutly; taking up all the ſeats.
They hear thy Words] But they were as heartleſſe in hearing, as they were liſtleſſe in praying, ver. 10.
They will not do them] Of the Athenians alſo it was ſaid of old, that they knew well what was good and right, but would do neither.
Their heart goeth after their covetouſneſſe] Their heart is on their half-penny, as we ſay: neither can the Load-ſtone of Gods Word hale them one jot from the earth. It ſhould be Surſumcorda: but when many mens bodies are in ſacellis, Haram domiſticam arae Dominicae prafer.their hearts are in ſacculis, as Auſtin complaineth: as Serpents have their bodies in the water, their heads out of the water: ſo here. As thoſe Gergeſites, they more mind a ſwine-ſtye then a Sanctuary.
Ver. 32. As a very lovely ſong] Or a love-ſong. Canticum amatorium. Vatab.The word leaves no more impreſſion upon carnal mens conſciences, then a ſweet leſſon upon the Lute in the ear, when it is ended; for then both the vocal and inſtrumental ſweetneſſe diſſolve into the air and vaniſh into nothing. Happy was Auſtin who coming to Ambroſe to have his eares tickled, had his heart touched.
Ver. 33. That a Prophet] See on chap. 2.5.