Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXIX.
Ver. 1. PRophecy againſt Gog] Prophecy again againſt him, for my peoples greater comfort. The Jews (noted ever to have been a light, aerial, and fanatical nation, apt to work themſelves into the fools paradiſe of a ſublime dotage) they expounding this Prophecy according to the letter, conclude that Chriſt is not yet come, becauſe theſe things here foretold are not yet fulfilled. When he doth come, they ſay, he ſhall ſet up his kingdom at Jeruſalem, gather all Iſrael out of all coaſts unto himſelf there, ſend each one to his own Tribe, and that moſt certainly, by the operation of his holy Spirit. There they ſhall be no ſooner ſetled, and the kingdom not yet fully ſtabliſhed,In fruſta vel ſcintillas redigam te. Pintus. Sextabo te. but Gog and Magog ſhall bring a huge army againſt Jeruſalem, where they ſhall fall by the ſword, lye unburied, &c.
Ver. 2. And I will turn thee back] Convertam vel Conteram te: See ch. 38.3.
And leave but the ſixth part of thee] Or, ſtrike thee with ſix plagues, or draw thee back with an hook of ſix teeth, as chap. 38.4.
And will cauſe thee to come] This is much and oft inculcated, that it is God who brings in and drives out the Churches enemies. This is a quieting conſideration.
Ver. 3. And I will ſmite thy bow out of thy left hand] I will diſarm thee:Lib. 2. as Herodotus reporteth of Sennacherib and his Aſſyrians in Egypt, that their quivers, bowſtrings and targets were gnawn to pieces by Mice and Rats in one night, ſo that they were forced to flye for their lives: And as our Chroniclers tell us that in the battle between Edward the third of England, and Philip of France, their fell ſuch a piercing ſhower of rain, as diſſolved their ſtrings, and made their bowes unſeful.Dan. 237.
Ver. 4. Thou ſhalt fall upon the mountains of Iſrael] Thither thou ſhalt come indeed (as Antiochus did into the Temple, Antichriſt into the Church of God, 2 Theſſ. 2.) but there thou ſhalt take thy end.
Ver. 5. Thou ſhalt fall upon the open field] Heb. the face of the field, which thou ſhalt dung with thy dead carkaſſe.
Ver. 6. And I will ſend a fire on Magog] So God will one day on Rome that Radix omnium malorum, Rev. 18.
And among them that dwell careleſly in the Iſles] Who muſt not think there to mott up themſelves againſt my fire.
Ver. 7. I will not let them pollute my holy Name] As if I were leſs able to deliver my people, or leſs mindful of my Promiſes.
Ver. 8. Behold it is come, and it is done] It is as good as done. So, Babylon is fallen, i. e. it will fall certainly, quickly, utterly.
This is the day] O dieculam illam! when ſhall it once be? O mora! Chriſte veni.
Ver. 9. And they that dwell] Hyperbolical expreſſions; though the Jews hold otherwiſe. See on ver. 1.
Shall ſet on fire and burn the weapons] Do not the Churches Champions ſo at this day, ever ſince they proclaimed and proved the Pope to be that Antichriſt: burning up his weapons (his falſe doctrines and hereſies) by the fire of Gods Word, and giving their bodyes to be burned for the teſtimony of Jeſus?
And they ſhall burn them with fire ſeven years] i. e. Diutiſſime & ſaepiſſime! This ſeven years is not yet out. The Jeſuites ſay, Satan ſent Luther, and God ſent them to withſtand him. But there is a ſucceſſion of Luthers to find them work enough ſtill, and to burn up their weapons, that the Churches may be at reſt.
Ver. 10. So that they ſhall take no wood] This muſt needs be Hyperbolical, as are alſo ſundry other paſſages in holy Scripture. When Luther burnt the Popes decrees and decretals at Wittenberg, it was a fair fire doubtleſs, as Solon once ſaid of the fire he cauſed to be made at Athens, of the bills and bonds of the Athenian uſurers.
Ver. 11. I will give unto Gog a place there of graves] That's all the portion or poſſeſſion he gets in the holy land.
On the Eaſt of the ſea] The dead ſea, or the lake of Sodom: a fit place for Antichriſt to be buried in: he ſhall at laſt be caſt alive into a worſe lake, Rev. 19.20.
And it ſhall ſtop the noſes of paſſengers] By reaſon of ſtench, or the mouthes of paſſengers from ſpeaking evil of Gods people.
And they ſhall call it] For a laſting monument of Gods great mercy, in ridding the country of ſuch Peſts.
Ver. 12. And ſeven moneths ſhall the houſe of Iſrael be burying of them] That is, a long while: like as the Reformed Churches were in …ooting out Popery, thoſe damnable doctrines, ceremonies, images, reliques, bulls and books. Here in England, the Romiſh Religion ſtood a whole month and more after the death of Queen Mary, as afore. December 27. it was permitted that the Epiſtles, Goſpels, ten Commandements, Lords Prayer, Creed and Letany ſhould be uſed in the Vulgar tongue. March 22. when the eſtates of the Realm were aſſembled by renewing of a law of Edward the ſixth, was granted the whole uſe of the Lords Supper; that is, under both kinds. June 24. the ſacrifice of the Maſſe was aboliſhed, and the Liturgy in the Engliſh tongue eſtabliſhed.Camd. Eliſab. In July, the oath of Supremacy was miniſtred: and in Auguſt images were removed out of Churches, broken or burnt: Tantae molis erat Romanam abſcondere gentem.
Ver. 13. And it ſhall be to them a renown] A Monument, or Trophie of their triumph. When the Suitzers, Anno 1443. had vanquiſhed the Thuricenſes in battle,Lanquet Chron. p. 263. they banquetted in the place where they won the victory; uſing the dead bodyes of their adverſaries inſtead of ſtooles and tables.
Pollinctores. Veſpillones.Ver. 14. And they ſhall ſever out men of continual employment] Viros quotidianos, men that ſhall ſtick to it, making it their buſineſs. So do our publike Profeſſours and others, to confute Popiſh Tenets, and to decry their cuſtomes. In doing whereof they are aſſidui & accubui.
Ver. 15. Then ſhall he ſet up a ſign by it] A ſtatue, pillar, or ſepulchral monument, that the buriers may bury it. Oh that in like ſort God would cauſe the Prophet (all reliques and raggs of Popery, and other hereſie) together with the unclean spirit to paſſe out of our land, Zech. 13.2.
Ver. 16. And alſo the name of the City ſhall be Hamonah] i. e. Multitude or Tumult: and all to keep up the memory of that ſignal victory. Near unto the Univerſity of Cambridge, on the South-Eaſt ſide there appear aloft certain high hills called Gogmagog-hills; but wherefore I know not. But not far from them is Heretikes-hill, ſo called by the Papiſts, becauſe Bilney and Latimer were wont there to walk.
Ver. 17. Speak unto every feathered foul] A further explanation of that which had been ſaid, ver. 4.
Aſſemble your ſelves] Jer. 12.9. Rev. 19.17. See there.
To my ſacrifice] To this great ſlaughter or enemyes, whom I do ſacrifice, as it were, to my juſtice.
Ver. 18. Ye ſhall eat the fleſh of the mighty] Whoſe fleſh may be, perhaps, more delicate.
And drink the blood] Blood royal, of a noble alloy. Sed nihil inde colligas, Oecol.quam perpetuam eorum damnationem qui verbum Dei perſequuntur, quique populum Iſrael spiritualem exagitant. It importeth the eternal damnation of Atheiſts and Antichriſts.
Ver. 19. Of my ſacrifice] Or of my good chear: So God calleth it, to ſhew how well pleaſed he is with the deſtruction of his Churches enemies.
Ver. 20. With horſes and charets] i. e. With men that ride on horſes, and fight out of Charets.
Ver. 21. And all the heathen ſhall ſee my judgment] Antiochus did ſo, and Maximinus the Emperour, and other tyrants, when ſeized upon by ſuch judgments of God as they could neither avoyd nor abide.
Ver. 22. From that day and forward] Their experience ſhall breed confidence.
Ver. 23. And the heathen ſhall know] They ſhall be convinced of the equability of my proceedings, and the truth of my menaces.
Ver. 24. According to their uncleanneſſe] I have not ſhewed my ſoveraignty, or exerciſed tyranny towards them, but done them right.
Ver. 25. Now will I bring again] Three things he here promiſeth his people, notwithſtanding all the ſorrow. 1. Effectual Vocation. 2. Justification here. 3. Glorification, ver. 29. The Sun of righteouſneſs loves not to ſet in a cloud.
And will be jealous] Or zealous; the zeal of the Lord of hoſts, his free grace, ſhall effect it.
Ver. 26. After that they have born their ſhame] Are become ſoundly aſhamed of their ſinful practiſes: hoc enim ingenium est verae fidei, ſaith Oecolampadius, for this is the nature of true faith, to bluſh and bleed for ſins paſt.
When they dwelt ſafely in their land] And ſo ſettled on their lees through carnal ſecurity.
Ver. 27. And am ſanctified in them] i. e. Have fully ſhewed my ſanctity and majeſty, both by their puniſhment, and by their deliverance.
Ver. 28. And have left none of them any more there] Here the Jews triumph and ſay, When was this promiſe ever fulfilled? and how then can the Meſſias be come already? Hereunto it is rightly anſwered that this Prophecy is to be taken partly literally, and ſo it was fulfilled at the return of the captives out of Babylon. See Ezra ….1. Partly ſpiritually;Lavat. in loc. and ſo Chriſt will at the laſt day raiſe up every of his Elect (that Iſrael indeed) and gather them to himſelf; not one of them ſhall be miſſing.
Ver. 29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them] They ſhall have beatifical viſion and fruition for ever. See on ver. 25.
For I have poured out my spirit] Have already, and will do yet more liberally in the dayes of the Goſpel, Act. 2.27. Joh. 7.38.