Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII.
Ver. 1. AND the Word] This particle And ſheweth the dependance of this diſcourſe upon the former. Gods people ſhall be brought to their own country; The Lord Chriſt alſo ſhall ſit upon the throne of his Father David: But betwixt theſe two great benefits the Church ſhall ſuffer much; and her enemies a great deal more, when once God takes them to do.
Ver. 2. Set thy face againſt Gog] i. e. Againſt thoſe laſt enemies of the Church, before Skiloh come: the Kings of the leſſer Aſia and Syria before his firſt coming (ſee the books of Maccabees) the Pope and Turk before his ſecond coming: See Rev. 20.8. with the Note. Againſt theſe Ezekiel is commanded to ſet his face, that is, to propheſie with utmoſt intention of ſpirit, and contention of ſpeech.
Virtute opus eſt contra Antichriſtum d… cturo. Polan.The land of Magog] Or, in the land of Magog, which ſome make to be Gogs country, and eſpecially Hierapolis (for which they alledge Pliny lib. 5. cap. 23.) a chief City of Syria. This Hierapolis had its name from the multitude of religious houſes or idol-temples there erected. May not Rome, the Metropolis of idolatry,Ptolom. in quarta Aſiae tabula. be rightly ſo called?
The chief Princes of Meſhec and Tubal] People neighbouring upon the Syrians, and ſubject unto them, great enemies to Iſrael. See on chap. 27.13. In Meſhec or Cappadocia, the Turks began to grow great and formidable. As for Tubal, Hierom and Joſephus among the Ancients; Bellarmine and Gretſerus among the Jeſuites, underſtand it of the Spaniards. R. David and Ahen-ezra take Meſhec for the Italians.
Ver. 3. Behold I am againſt thee O Gog] Ecce ego ad te, Have at thee Gog.
The chief Prince of Meſhec and Tubal] Theſe two are thus conjoyned to ſhew, as ſome think, that Turks and Popelings ſhall at length joyn their forces to root out the true religion: and that whilſt they are tumultuating and indeavouring the Churches downfal, Chriſt ſhall come upon them and confound them. See on Rev. 16.14, 16.Propheta omnia loquitur magn…ficis verbis per Hyperbolas. The Jews hold that this whole Prophecy ſhall be fulfilled at the coming of their long-looked for Meſſiah: and whilſt they take all things therein according to the letter, they run into many very great errors.
Ver. 4. And I will turn thee back] As he did Antiochus Epimanes by the Jewes: the Turks oft by Hunniades: the Popes forces by the Huſſites in Germany, and lately by the Suedes. It hath been long agoe foretold, and for many ages believed, and by the Turks themſelves not a little feared, that the Mahometan ſuperſtition by the ſword begun, and by the ſword maintained,Turk. Hiſt. 1153. ſhall at length by the Chriſtian ſword alſo be deſtroyed, ſo that the name of Gog and Magog (ſaith the Hiſtorian) ſhall be no more heard of under heaven. A cold ſweat alſo ſtands at this time upon the limbs of the Weſtern Antichriſt, by reaſon of the growing greatneſſe of the Proteſtant Princes.
And put hooks into thy chaws] A Metaphor from thoſe that catch Whales: Confer chap 29.4.
And I will bring thee] But, for an ill bargain.
Ver. 5. Perſia, Ethiopia, and Lybia] A numerous army from all parts. The Church is againſt all the world, and all the world againſt the Church. Hic vir totius orbis impetum ſuſtinuis, ſaid One once, concerning Athanaſius. A ſilly poor maid in the midſt of many fierce and ſavage creatures aſſaulting her every moment, is a true picture of the Church, ſaith Luther.
Ver. 6. Gomer and all his hands] The Cymbrians or Cimmerians, ſaith Melancthon: the Galatians, ſaith Theodoret.
The houſe of Togarmah] The Phrygians, as ſome: the Armenians as others will. Of Antichriſt his great power, See Rev. 9.1. —20. & 20.8. See on ch. 27.14.
Ver. 7. Be thou prepared] Comparator & comparate. Muſter up all thy forces, and ſee to their ſafety. But canſt thou ward of my blows? mote thy ſelf up againſt my fire?
Ver. 8. After many dayes thou ſhalt be viſited] ſc. By mine heavieſt Judgements: for ſhall not God avenge his own Elect? — though he bear long with them. I tell you that he will avenge them ſpeedily, Luke 18.7.8.
In the latter years thou ſhalt come into the land] Antiochus, that little Antichriſt, did, and made havock. It is the opinion of ſome very grave Divines, that the great Antichriſt before his abolition, ſhall once again overflow the whole face of the Weſt: Quod Deus avertat.
Which have been alwaies waſte] i. e. A long while.
Ver. 9. Thou ſhalt aſcend and come like a ſtorm] With great hurry and terror: but it ſhall ſoon blow over.
Thou ſhalt be like a cloud] Sed cito tranſibis.
Ver. 10. Things ſhall come into thy mind] Aſcedent verba ſuper cor tuum, thou ſhalt machinate miſchief: but it ſhall fall on thine one pate. O pray, pray, ſaid a holy man once, Pontifex enim Romanus & Concilium Tridentinum mira moliuntur, for the Pope and his Council of Trent are hatching ſtrange buſineſſes.
Ver. 11. I will go up to the land of unwalled villages] That care not to fortify their towns, but commit themſelves to God, and think to eſcape us: but we ſhall ſoon ſhew them their folly therein. The Hebrews have one and the ſame word for folly and confidence, foreignPſal. 49.14. Eccleſ. 7.27. Pſal. 78.7. Job 31.24. See on Job 4.6. But in the fear of the Lord is ſtrong confidence: and his children (though their towns be unwalled) have a place of refuge, Prov. 14.26.
Ver. 12. To take a ſpoil] Heb. to ſpoil the ſpoil, and to prey the prey. The Antichriſtian rout are all for robbing and ravaging. What vaſte ſums of mony raked the Pope once out of England, which was therefore truely and trimly called by Pope Innocent the fourth, hortus deliciarum & puteus inexhauſtus, his delicate garden, and pit that could not be drawn dry.
To turn thine hand] To plunder them to the very bones, as they ſay. Time was when the Popes receivers here left not ſo much money in the whole Kingdom, as they either carried with them, or ſent to Rome before them, Of this Papal expilation King John heavily complained, and could get no remedy: but Henry the eighth would bear it no longer. England is no more a babe (ſaid he in his Proteſtation againſt the Pope:) there is no man here but now he knoweth that they do fooliſhly that give gold for lead,Act. & Mon. 990. more weight of that then they receive of this, &c.
Ver. 13. Sheba and Dedan] The Arabians, who lived by roving and robbing.
With all the young Lions] That lye in wait for gain, as Lions do for prey.
Art thou come to take a prey?] q. d. If thou art, we are ready to ſet in with thee, or to traffique with thee for it. Mahomet came of theſe Arabians: the Pope hath his mony-merchants great ſtore, Rev. 18.
Ver. 14. Prophecy and ſay unto Gog] Say it over again, that it may be the better conſidered, for the ſtrengthening of the hands and hearts of my people.
Shall thou not know it?] ſc. By thine Intelligencers, and wilt thou not think to make thine advantage of it? The Pope hath his Coricaei in every corner of Chriſtendom: The Jeſuites Colledges placed upon the walls of Cities afford them paſſage into the City, or abroad into the world at pleaſure, to give or receive intelligence as occaſion ſerveth.
Ver. 15. Out of the North-parts] Ab Aquilone nihil boni: from ſpiritual Babylon comes all miſchief to the Church.The King of Syria is called King of the North, Dan. 10.
A great company and a mighty army] Such was the army of Antiochus Epiphanes againſt the Jews; of the Turk againſt Chriſtians; of the Pope againſt the Huſſites, Waldenſes, &c. He deceiveth the Nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the ſand of the ſea,De Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 16. & 17. Rev. 20.8. He hath at his command the Italians, Walloons, Spaniards, whom Bellarmine rightly reckoneth among the ſouldiers of Antichriſt.
Ver. 16. And thou ſhalt come up againſt my people] Oh happy they in ſuch a priviledge, maugre all thy malice, Deut. 33.29.
In the latter dayes] Before the coming of the Meſſiah, firſt and ſecond.
And I will bring thee] But for thy bane.
Againſt my land] The earth is the Lords, and the fulneſſe thereof, Pſal. 24.1. but that land where God is ſincerely ſerved, is his peculiar portion. It was ſaid of old Anglia regnum Dei: Polyd. Virg.It is now ſo much more.
When I ſhall be ſanctified in thee] i. e. Glorified in thy juſt and utter deſtruction.
Ver. 17. Art thou he?] Tis ſure enough thou art he: for I cannot be deceived in thee, nor ſhall fail to ſuppreſſe thee.
By my ſervants the Prophets] Enoch, Jude 15. Hoſ. 2. Joel 3. Dan. 11. Zech. 14. Rev. 20.8. 2 Theſſ. 2.
Which propheſied of thee] Though under another name.
Ver. 18. My fury ſhall come up in my face] Though it do not preſently break forth. Ira Dei quò diuturnior, eò minacior.
Poena venit gravior, quò magè tarda venit. God delighteth to make fools of his enemies; he lets them prevail a while, and carry the ball on the foot, as it were, that they may fall with the greater diſappointment.
Ver. 19. For in my jealouſy] God firſt kindleth, and then ſpeaketh, and then ſhaketh the earth. His wrath is like Elijah's cloud; which was at firſt but a ſmal matter to ſee to: or as thunder which we hear at firſt a little roaring noiſe afar off: but ſtay a while, it is a dreadful crack: or as fire that at firſt burneth a little upon a few boards, but when it prevaileth, burſteth out in a moſt terrible flame.
Ver. 20. Shall ſhake at my preſence] And wriggle into their holes; as worms do in time of thunder.
And the mountains ſhall be thrown down] Hyperbolical threats, to ſet forth the dreadfulneſſe of Gods fierce wrath, which burns as low as hell it ſelf.
Ver. 21. And I will call for a ſword] Againſt Antiochus by the Maccabees; againſt the Turk and Pope by the Chriſtian Princes, Hunniades, Scanderbeg, Queen Elizabeth, the late and preſent Kings of Sweden, the Engliſh and French forces in Flanders now before Gravelin, after Dunkirk and Bergen taken from the Spaniard. Certain it is, that ere long the Beaſt and the falſe Prophet ſhall be taken, and all the fouls of the heaven filled with the fleſh of thoſe Kings and Captains, that fight againſt the Goſpel, Rev. 19.19, 20, 21.
Ver. 22. An overflowing rain, and great hail-ſtones] As once at the general deluge, deſtruction of Sodom, diſcomfiture of the Kings of Canaan in Joſhua's dayes, chap. 10.11. Some think that theſe Judgements here threatened ſhall towards the end of the world be executed upon Antichriſt and his adherents, according to the letter: See Rev, 16.21. See the Note there.
Ver. 23. Thus will I magnify my ſelf] This end God propoſeth to himſelf in all his works: and well he may; ſith he hath none higher then himſelf to whom to have reſpect. And let all this that hath been ſaid comfort us againſt the rage and good ſucceſſe (if any ſuch yet be) of the Antichriſtian rout; ſith theſe are but (as he ſaid once of decaying Carthage) the laſt ſprunts and bites of dying wild beaſtes.