Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 34
CHAP. XXXIV.
Ver. 1. ANd the Word] See chap. 18.1.
Ver. 2. Prophecy againſt the Shepherds] Good Shepherds they ſhould have been, but they were naught, Jer. 23. and naught would come of them, for their mal-adminiſtration.
Wo be to the Shepherds of Iſrael] Both to Princes and Prieſts, by whoſe evil governement the people were ſo bad, as in the former Chapter is fully ſet forth: Qualis rex, talis grex, the Sheep will follow the Shepherd: the common people are like a flock of Cranes; as the firſt flye, all follow.
Should not the Shepherds feed the flocks?] Such flocks eſpecially as have golden fleeces, precious ſouls? Oh feed, feed, feed, ſaith our Saviour to Peter, Joh. 21.15. feed them for my ſake (as the Syriack there hath it) rule them well, teach them well, go before them in good example, do all the offices of a faithful Shepherd to them, and be inſtant, or ſtand cloſe to the work, 2 Tim. 4.2. Dominus propè, the Arch-ſhepherd is at hand.
Ver. 3. Ye eat the fat] Ecce, lac & lanam recipitis: this ye might do, if in meaſure; for the workman is worthy of his wages; ſee 1 Cor. 9.7. but ye gorge your ſelves with the beſt of the beſt: & ſi ventri benè, ſi lateri, as Epicurus in Horace, if the belly may be filled, the back fitted, that's all you take care for. In parabola ovis capras quaeritis, & veſtrum maximè compendium ſpectatis, ye are all for your own ends, nouriſhing your hearts as in a day of ſlaughter, or of good chear, Jam. 5.5.
Ye kill them that are fed] Heb. ye ſacrifice them, ſo ye pretend, but mind your own fat paunches: See Prov. 7.14.
But ye feed not the flock] As being falſi & ſicti imò picti paſtores, mock-ſhepherds.
Ver. 4. The diſeaſed have ye not ſtrengthened] Five ſorts of ſheep are here reckoned up that needed the ſhepherds beſt care and cure, but nothing was done; or, if any thing, it was overdone: for with force and cruelty they ruled over them. See 1 Pet. 5.3.
Ver. 5. And they were ſcattered, becauſe there is no ſhepherd] None but an idol-ſhepherd, Zach. 11.17. a fooliſh ſhepherd, ver. 15. and the ſheep being a fooliſh creature even to a proverb,foreign. and apt to wander into harmes way, will never return to the fold, if not fetcht back; but ſtick in the thornes, or dye in a ditch, or run into the wolves mouth.
Ver. 6. My ſheep wandered] Through the ſhepherds ſupine negligence, or bloody truculence. Surely, as the herd of Deer forſake and puſh away the wounded Deer from them, ſo did theſe cruel ſhepherds: being non paſtores ſed impoſtores, non Epiſcopi ſed Apoſcopi, non praelati ſed Pilati; as Bernard wittily; ſheep-biters rather then ſhepherds: greedy dogs, Eſa. 56.10, 11. grievous wolves, Act. 20.29.
And none did ſearch or ſeek after them] Nec erat qui quaereret aut requireret.
Ver. 7. Therefore ye ſhepherds hear the Word of the Lord] And oh that this Word might ever ſound aloud in the eares of all ſhepherds, as the voyce of heavens trumpet!
Hyperbaton aetiolog cumVer. 8. As I live ſaith the Lord, ſurely becauſe] God here ſeemeth to be in a great heat, in a perturbation of ſpirit, cauſing a kind of impediment in his ſpeech: ſo throughly was he moved againſt theſe leud ſhepherds, whoſe faults he rippeth up again to make better way to their ſentence.
Becauſe my flock became a prey] To the Chaldees, but eſpecially to that old manſlayer.
Becauſe there was no ſhepherd] None but a company of Nominals, or rather Nullities.
Ver. 9. Therefore, O ye ſhepherds] See ver. 7, 8.
Ver. 10. Behold I am againſt the ſhepherds] Heb. Lo, I againſt: by an angry Apoſiopeſis.
And cauſe them to ceaſe from feeding the flock] They ſhall be Officiperdae, Quondams, laid aſide like broken veſſels, as have been ſome Kings of this land in their ſeveral generations (one of recent remembrance) Popiſh Biſhops not a few, Bonner and others outed and deprived..
Ego, ego, Nominatium abſolute …o tu…. Oeconom. lib. 1.Ver. 11. Behold I even I will both ſearch] Ego ego repoſcam & anquiram: rather then the work ſhall be undone, Ile do all my ſelf, and then 'tis ſure to be well done. Ariſtotle telleth of a certain Perſian, who being asked What did moſt of all feed the horſe? anſwered, the Maſters eye: And of a certain African of whom when it was demanded, What was the beſt manure or ſoil for a field? anſwered, the owners foot-ſteps, that is, his preſence and perambulation. Praeſul ut praeſit & profit ſuis, ab iis non abſit, Shepherds ſhould reſide with their flocks: the Archſhepherd will not fail to do ſo.
Ver. 12. A… a ſhepherd] He proſecuteth the Allegory drawn from ſhepherdy all along; ſtriking ſtill upon the ſame ſtring with much ſweetneſs.
So will I ſeek out my ſheep] Mat. 15.24. Pſal. 119. ult. Eſa. 40.11.
In the cloudy and dark day] i. e. In the time of their calamity and captivity. When things are at worſt, God himſelf will ſet in: he reſerveth his holy hand for a dead lift.
Ver. 13. And I will bring them out from the people] This they could very hardly beleeve: therefore he aſſureth them of it again and again. God will do the like for all his Elect, ſeem it never ſo impoſſible.
And feed them upon the mountaines of Iſrael] Which are very high mountaines: but the Church, Gods hill, is higher, Eſay 2.2. See the Note there.
Ver. 14. I will feed them in a good paſture] Dayly and daintily; feed them among the Lillyes, Cant. 2.16. Pſal. 23.1, 2, 3. feed them with the fleſh and blood of my dear Son, Joh. 6.
There ſhall they lye in a good fold] Having a bleſſed calm in their conſciences, full of ſpiritual ſecurity, and freed from all annoyances, Mic. 5.5.
Ver. 15. I will feed my flock] Doing all the offices of a good ſhepheard for them: and charging mine underſhepheards to do ſo too.
And I will cauſe them to lye dow…] By giving reſt to their ſouls, Mat. 11. together with many happy Halcyons, that they may ſerve me without fear, Luk. 1.74.
Ver. 16. I will ſeek that which was loſt, &c.] As he did Peter, Paul, the good thief, Matthew, Zac…etu, the Diſciples after their ſhameful flight, Auſtin; all us who like ſheep were gone aſtray, &c.
But I will deſtroy the fat] P…nguem & petulcam, ſuch as in whom fulneſſe breedeth forgetfulneſſe, as in Jeſhurun, Deut. 32.15. Queen Elizabeth was told in a Sermon by Mr. Deering, that once ſhe was Tanquam ovis, like a meek ſheep, but now tanquam indomita juvenca, as an untamed heifer; and therefore wiſhed her to meet God by repentance. Here good Oecolampadius complaineth (and cauſe enough he had) of ſome of Chriſts fatter ſheep, who were too too taunty and troubleſome to their fellows. The Lutherans of Suevia he might well mean; who, in their Syngramma, uſed him very courſely: and Luther himſelf in his book of private Maſſe, ſet forth An. Dom. 1533. paſſeth a very uncharitable cenſure upon his diſeaſe and death.
And I will feed them with judgement] Putting a difference, and dealing with them as it is fit.
Ver. 17. And as for you, O my flock] I have a ſaying to you alſo (ſuch as are unruly eſpecially) as well as to your ſhepheards.
Behold I judge between cattle and cattle] Between ſincere Chriſtians and hypocrites, ſheep and goats: and can ſoon ſhed them, and ſhew them to the world, who are fierce rams, and who are naſty goats: at laſt day howſoever, all ſhall out, and a ſeparation ſhall be made: the precious ſhall be taken out from the vile.
Ver. 18. Seemeth it a ſmall thing unto you] Extenuant hypocritae ſuam culpam honeſto titulo. Hypocrites make the beſt and the leaſt of their ſins;Oecol. which good men acknowledge with aggravation; but the works of the fleſh are manifeſt: and here we have a lively picture of the Pop…ſh Clergy, who eat up the beſt, and tread down the reſt, & pro ſalutaribus aquis ſuam ſalivam hominibus obtrudunt, and for wholeſome, obtrude brackiſh waters upon men, to quench their thirſt.
Ver. 19. And as for my flock, they eat] The poor miſled and muzzled people are glad to eat ſuch as they can catch: they are fed with traditions, legendary fables, indulgences, vowed pilgrimages, pennances, &c. If Luther had not come in our way, ſay they, we could have perſwaded the people to have eat graſſe.
Ver. 20. I even I will judge between the fat cattle] Theſe are, ſaith Auſtin, thoſe that preſume of their own ſtrength, and boaſt of their own righteouſneſſe: being proud, inſolent, and void of charity.
Ver. 21. Becauſe ye have thruſt with ſide and with ſhoulder] i. e. With pretence of law on your ſide, and with power in your hand to do what you liſt;Toto corpore et conatu. for who can withſtand you?
And puſhed all the diſeaſed with your hornes] i. e. With your excommunications, and perſecutions: See Eſa. 66.5.
Till ye have ſcattered them abroad] For how ſhould they abide it? they drive them out of the fold, flock, paſture; ſo that they muſt either fly, or dye.
Ver. 22. Therefore will I ſave my flock] Viz. By Chriſt the true Shepheard: who once found out him whom the Jews had unjuſtly excommunicated, Joh. 9.35. and gave him encouragement. He knows all his ſheep by name, as Exod. 33.12, 17. and hath promiſed them ſafety here, and ſalvation hereafter, Joh. 10.27. It is not with the Saints, as Eſa. 31.4. or as Amos 3.12. but as Jer. 31.10, 11, 12. See the places.
Ver. 23. And I will ſet up one Shepheard] Who indeed is the only Shepheard. Magiſtrates and Miniſters are Shepheards: but Chriſt is the good Shepheard, Joh. 10.11. the great Shepheard and Biſhop of ſouls, 1 Pet. 2.25. Heb. 13.20. the true Shepheard, above all for skill, love, and power: above Jacob, above David of whom he deſcended, and by whoſe name he is here called: ſo Jer. 30.9. Hoſ. 3.5. Ezek. 37.24.
Even my ſervant David] i. e. Chriſt the Son and ſucceſſour of David, not David George; as that odious heretike who dyed at Baſile blaſphemouſly applied this text to himſelf as if he had been the man here intended. The Jews themſelves confeſſe that Meſſias is here meant.
He ſhall feed them] This is thus repeated, as that which containeth a world of comfort. It ſheweth alſo that Chriſt will do it to the utmoſt. Jacob was a ſedulous Shepherd: Chriſt much more.
Ver. 24. And I the Lord will be their God] This is that Bee-hive of heavenly honey we ſo oft meet with in the Old Teſtament; which therefore thoſe Sectaries have ſo little reaſon to reject.
And my ſervant David a Prince among them] Captain of the Lords hoſts, Joſh. 6.2. Captain alſo of his peoples ſalvation, Heb. 2.10. Meſſias the Prince, Dan. 9.25.
Ver. 25. And I will make with them a Covenant of peace] Pactum pacis, pacis omnimodae, Jer. 31.13. Eſa. 11.10. Joh. 14.27.
And will cauſe the evil beaſts] That were wont to worry the flock. I will ſet them ſafe from Satan and his impes, his inſtruments; ſuch as was Nero the lion, and bloody Bonner the Popes ſlaughter-ſlave here.
Ver. 26. And I will make them—a bleſſing] By bleſſing them with all ſpiritual benedictions in Chriſt Jeſus, Eph. 1.3. ſo that they ſhall be felices & faecundi, happy and fruitful.
There ſhall be ſh…wres of bleſſing] Or very large ſhowres (2 Cor. 9.6.) of divine doctrine, Eſa. 55.9. and of righteouſneſſe, Hoſ. 10.12.
Ver. 27. And the tree of the field ſhall yield her fruit] There ſhall be a confluence of all comforts and contentments.
When I have broken the bands of their yoke] Freed them from the Babyloniſh bondage: but eſpecially from the Tyranny of ſin and terrour of hell; when I have broke the devils yoke from off the necks of their ſouls.
Out of the hands of thoſe that ſerved themſelves of them] As did the devil, whoſe drudges they were, and who had them wholly at his beck and check.
Ver. 28. And they ſhall be no more a prey to the heathen] As the Jews then were and are to this day, being uſed by the Papiſts as ſpunges. The Chriſtian Hebrews alſo ſuffered with joy the ſpoiling of their goods: but then (for an allay to their grief) they knew within themſelves that which did ſufficiently ſupport them, and make up their loſſe, Heb. 10.34.
Sept. plantam pacis.Ver. 29. And I will raiſe up for them a plant of renowne] i. e. Chriſt the true tree of life: Or the Church planted and rooted in Chriſt, and much renowned all the world over. Chriſt myſtical is a vine covering the whole earth.
And they ſhall be no more conſumed with hunger] They ſhall have enough of all good things, a ſufficiency, though not a ſuperfluity; a Davids ſat habeo, becauſe the Lord hath heard the voyce of my ſupplications, Pſal. 116.1.
Neither bear the ſhame of the heathen any more] God will bring them in credit with thoſe which formerly ſlighted and reproached them. God faſhioneth mens opinions, ruleth their tongues, promiſeth to them who by patient continuance in well-doing ſeek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: where the Saints ſhall ſhine as the Sun in his ſtrength, Rom. 2.7. Mat. 13.43.
Ver. 30. Thus ſhall they know that I the Lord their God, am with them] They ſhall underſtand the loving kindneſs of the Lord, Pſal. 107.43. they ſhall know the ſalvation of their God, Pſal. 50.23. they ſhall have a plerophory of faith, as Rom. 8.38.
Ver. 31. And ye my flock—are men] Sheep ye are, but rational ſheep, having your ſpiritual ſenſes habitually exerciſed to diſcern good and evil, Heb. 5.14. ſo that ye take and ſee my goodneſs, Pſal. 34.8.