Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 47
CHAP. XLVII.
Ver. 1. AFterward he brought] Chriſtus Myſtagogus me duxit. foreign,Chriſto ducente & docente. Follow God whitherſoever he leadeth thee: this was an ancient rule among the Heathens.
And behold waters iſſued out] i. e. The Goſpel of grace, and the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt thereby conveyed into the hearts of believers, and poured out upon the world by the death of Chriſt, The Prophet ſeems to allude to thoſe waters which by conduits were conveyed to the Altar to waſh away the blood of the ſacrifices, and filth of the Temple: which elſe would have been very offenſive and noiſom. See the like, Zach. 14.8. where the Eaſtern and Weſtern Churches alſo are pointed out. See Rev. 22.1.
From under the threſhold] Quod gloria Dei dudum triverat. Chriſt is that door,Oecol. Joh. 10.7. and fountain of living water, Jer. 2.13. Iſa. 12.3. & 55.1. and from the Temple at Jeruſalem flowed forth the waters of ſaving truth to all nations; and firſt Eaſtward, not Rome-ward, though the faith of the Romans was not long after ſpoken of throughout the whole world, Rom. 1.8.
Ver. 2. And behold there ran out waters] As out of a Viall.
On the right ſide] The right ſide is a place of honour and defence: The doctrine of the Goſpel hath the preheminence, and is maintained by the right-hand of God againſt all oppoſites.
Ver. 3. And when the man that had the line in his hand] The Man Chriſt Jeſus, the ſole Architect of his Church, and Meaſurer of his Goſpel, and that by his Goſpel, which is the line in his hand, nec ſolum recta, ſed & regula.
He meaſured a thouſand cubits] It was not for nothing that Plato ſaid, foreign, God is alwaies meaſuring the world.
The waters were to the ancles] Grace is but a ſmal thing at firſt, no more is the Goſpel, Matth. 13.31, 32, 33. The Church were at firſt but a very few, Act. 1. that is 120, of all the great multitudes which had formerly followed Jeſus: Sed vix diligitur Jeſus propter Jeſum: It was more for the loaves then any great love that the moſt followed him.
Ver. 4. Again he meaſured a thouſand] This is a number of perfection. The Goſpel is a perfect doctrine, and is able to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furniſhed (or perfected) unto all good works, 2 Tim. 3.17.
The waters were to the knees] Grace grows by degrees: and the Scriptures have their ſhallows wherein the Lamb may wade: like as they have their profundities wherein the Elephant himſelf may ſwin.Confeſſ. l. 5. cap. 13. Confeſſ. l. 7. c. 21. Auguſtine contemned the holy Scriptures at firſt, as neither eloquent nor deep enough for the elevation of his wit. But afterwards, when he was both a better and a wiſer man, he ſaw his own ſhallowneſſe, and admired the never-enough adored depth of Gods holy Oracles.
Ver. 5 A river that could not be paſſed over] Repreſenting, as the fathomleſſe depth of the Scriptures (which is ſuch as that we may well do by it, as the Romans did by a lake, the depth whereof they could not found, they dedicated it to Victory) ſo the abundance of Spiritual graces in the Church, the love of Chriſt which paſſeth all knowledge, Epheſ. 3.19. the over-abounding goodneſſe of God, 1 Tim. 1.14. the ſuperpleonaſm of it, as the Apoſtle hath it there. Oh, (ſaith Chryſoſtom ſpeaking of this ſubject) I am like a man digging in a deep ſpring; I ſtand here, and the water riſeth upon me: and I ſtand there, and ſtill the water riſeth upon me. It is indeed a ſea that hath neither bank nor bottom.
Ver. 6. Son of man, hast thou ſeen this?] And art thou ſoundly ſenſible thereof? it is very fit thou ſhouldeſt; that God may have the glory of his great goodneſs and power in propagating the Goſpel, and bringing forward the work of his grace in the hearts of his people, maugre the malice of earth and of hell. The Reformation wrought in Germany from how ſmall beginnings grew it? The eſtabliſhing of that amongſt us (how imperfect ſoever) to be done by ſo weak and ſimple means, yea by caſual and croſs means againſt the force of ſo potent and politick an adverſary: this is to be looked upon as a juſt miracle.
To the brink of the river] Where my work was to ſtand and cry O the depth! O how great things hath God prepared for thoſe that fear him! O the joy! the joy! eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, &c.
Arboretum Chriſti eſt Eccleſia.Ver. 7. Behold at the bank of the river were very many trees] Theſe were trees of righteouſneſſe, fruitful Chriſtians. See Pſal. 1.3. & 92.12. Iſa. 44.3, 4, 5. & 55.11, 12, 13. Jer. 17.8. Rev. 22.2. where and elſewhere it is eaſie to obſerve that John the Divine borroweth the elegancies and flowers of this and other Prophets, in his deſcription of the Church Chriſtian.
Ver. 8. Theſe waters iſſue out toward the East country] In Galilaeam anteriorem. See Acts 9.31.Piſcat. The Churches in Galilee walking in the fear of the Lord and comforts of the holy Ghoſt, were multiplied.
And go down into the deſart] Or, plain, i. e. into the plaines of Moab, Num. 22.1. The Goſpel worketh upon the worſt, even to a tranſmentation.
And go into the ſea] The dead ſea. The law of the Spirit of life which is in Chriſt Jeſus, freeth men from the law of ſin and of death, Rom. 8.2.
The waters ſhall be healed] i. e. Made wholeſome and uſeful: ſo great a cure is done upon corrupt nature by the grace of the Goſpel. He who was before vitiorum vorago, lacus libidinum, mare ſceleribus amarum ac mortuum, a lake of luſts, a guzzle of vices, a dead ſea of wickedneſſe and wretchedneſſe, ſhall by a ſtrange change become a pleaſant river, pure, clear, ſweet, and ſavoury; beſet not with ſuch mock-fruit as the banks of the dead ſea are ſaid to be, but with trees richly laden with the choiceſt fruits; as was to be ſeen in the penitent thief, who as ſoon as Gospellized and converted, beſtirred him and bore abundance of fruit in a very little ſpace.
Plin. l. 5. c. 16.Ver. 9. Whitherſoever the river ſhall come, ſhall live] Not dye immediately, as they uſed to do in the dead ſea; ſo bituminous and ſulphurous were the waters thereof: but live the life of grace here, and of glory in heaven. See Zach. 14.8. Acts 5.20.
foreign, Aug. de C. D. l. 18. c. 13. foreign. Hiſtories tell us of 580. Jews converted to the Chriſtian faith at Axvernum by one Avitus a Biſhop, and baptized. Pappi Eccleſ. hiſt. epit. p. 214. Joſeph de bel. lib. 1. c. 13.And there ſhall be a very great multitude of fiſh] i. e. Of Chriſtians. See Mat. 4.19. with the Note. Chriſt himſelf from the initial Greek letters of his names and title, was by ſome of the ancients called foreign a fiſh.
And every thing ſhall live whither the river cometh] The Goſpel is the true Aqua-vitae, the true aurum potabile, the true Phyſick for the ſoul; as one ſaid once concerning the Library at Alexandria.
Ver. 10. The fiſhers ſhall ſtand upon it] Upon the dead ſea, where formerly they had little enough to do. This ſea is the wide world dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, Eph. 2.1. Theſe fiſhers are Chriſts Apoſtles and Miniſters, who are called fiſhers of men, Mat. 4.19. and their preaching compared to fiſhing, Mat. 13.47. they fiſh with various ſucceſs, as did Peter, Luk. 5.5. but may encloſe a great multitude as he did, Acts 2.3. and as Farellus who gained five Cities to Chriſt; who brought them to hand by whole ſhoales.
From Engedi] Called alſo Hazazon-Tamar, 2 Chron. 20.2. that is the City of Palmes, where grew the beſt balſam in the world, though it were near to the dead ſea.
Even unto Eneglaim] Which is likewiſe a place adjacent to the dead ſea, where Jordan falleth into it, as Hierom teſtifieth.
They ſhall be a place to spread forth nets] Dr. Preſton being asked why he preached ſo plainly, and did ſo much dilate his ſermons, being of ſuch abilities? anſwered, he was a fiſherman. Now ſuch if they ſhould wind up their net, and ſo caſt it into the ſea, they ſhould catch nothing: but when they ſpread the net,Mr. Walls None but Chriſt. p. 400. they catch the fiſh; I ſpread my net, becauſe I would catch ſouls, ſaid he; and indeed he had a very happy hand at it.
The fiſh ſhall be according to their kinds] The ſea, they ſay, hath as many kinds of living creatures as the earth hath. There is that Leviathan, and there are creeping things innumerable, Pſal. 105.
Ver. 11. But the myrie places thereof, and the mariſhes ſhall not be healed] Senſual ſouls are ſeldom wrought upon by the word. Behemoth (the devil) lyeth in thoſe fenns and quagmires, Job 40 21. they are void of the Spirit, Jude 18 19. they ſay unto God Depart from us, we had rather dance to the Timbrel and Harp, Job 21.11. whoredom and wine, and new wine take away their hearts, Hoſ. 4.11. he who had married a wife (or rather was married to her) ſent word flat and plain he could not come: others excuſed themſelves more mannerly, Mat. 22. ſuch perſons chuſe to remain in the ſordes of their ſins, and ſo are miſerable by their own election.
They ſhall be given to ſalt] Delivered up to ſtrong deluſions, 1 Theſ. 2.15, 16. vile affections, Rom. 1.26. juſt damnation, Rev. 22.11.
Ver. 12. Shall grow all trees for meat] Arbores eſibiles: theſe are foreign uſeful Chriſtians, ſuch as whoſe lips are feeding, and their tongues trees of life, Prov. 11.30, & 15.4. See the Notes there.
Whoſe leaf ſhall not fade] They will not fail to make a bold and wiſe profeſſion of the truth. See on Pſal. 1.3. Jer. 17.8.
Neither ſhall the fruit thereof be conſumed] But as the Lemmon-tree, which ever and anon ſendeth new fruits aſſoon as the former are fallen down with ripeneſs. Or as the Egyptian fig-tree, which yeeldeth fruit ſeven times a year, ſaith Solinus; and if you pull off one fig, another groweth up preſently in the place thereof.
Becauſe their waters they iſſued out of the ſanctuary] Hence their ſo great fruitfulneſs, viz. from the divine influence, Hoſ. 14.8. the Word and Spirit going together, Eſa. 59.21. hence it is that the Saints are neither barren nor unfruitful, 2 Pet. 1.8.
And the leaf thereof for medicine] Gods people, by their holy profeſſion of religion, do much good to many ſouls: as did diverſe of the Martyrs and Confeſſors. Lucianus an ancient Martyr perſwaded many Gentiles to the Chriſtian faith by his grave countenance and modeſt diſpoſition: inſomuch that Maximinus that perſecuting Emperour durſt not look him in the face, for fear he ſhould turn Chriſtian. And ſo Beda telleth us of one Alban, who receiving a poor perſecuted Chriſtian into his houſe, and ſeeing his holy devotion and ſweet carriage,Hiſt. Ang. l. 1. c. 7. was ſo much affected with the ſame, as that he became an earneſt profeſſour of the faith, and in the end a glorious Martyr for the faith. The like is recorded of Bradford, Bucer, and others.
Ver. 13. This ſhall be the border] Here the Prophet returneth again to the dividing of the land, begun chap. 45.1, 2, &c. having hitherto interpoſed many moſt memorable matters, and of great uſe to the Church.
Joſeph ſhall have two portions] He had ſo by his fathers will, and for his two ſons, adopted by his father.
Ver. 14. And ye ſhall inherit one as well as another] Spiritual bleſſings are divided in ſolidum amongſt the community of Gods people: they all partake of one and the ſame ſaving grace of God, righteouſneſſe of Chriſt and eternal life, though there are ſeveral degrees of grace and of glory. See Gal. 3.26, 27, 28, 29. All Gods Sons are heirs, heirs of God, and coheirs with Chriſt, Rom. 8.17.
Ver. 15. And this ſhall be the border of the land] i. e. Of the Chriſtian Church: the borders whereof are here ſet forth as far larger then thoſe of the land of Canaan ever were.
From the great ſea] The Mediterranean ſea.
The way of Hethlon] From one end of the Kingdom of Damaſcus to another.
Ver. 16. Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim] Towns of Arabia deſerta. All this is to ſet forth the amplitude of the Chriſtian Church ſpread far and near upon the face of the whole earth; and therefore rightly called Catholike. Roman-Catholike is contradictio in adjecto; for it is, a particular-univerſal.
Ver. 17. And the border from the ſea ſhoil be Hazar-Enan] Foraſmuch as the borders in this deſcription of the land are ſet to be ſuch as never were in the Iſraelites poſſeſſion, the Jew-doctours are, will they nill they, forced to confeſs that the land of Iſrael in the world to come ſhall be larger then ever it had been. Now Heb. 2.5. Goſpel-times are called the world to come.
Ver. 18. From Hauran] A town of Arabia deſerta (Ptolomy calleth it Aurana) but Felix in this,This was Palmira, afterwards Hadrianople. that it is taken into the Church.
Ver. 19. From Tamar] Hazazon-Tamar which was near the ſea of Sodom, v. 10.
In Kadeſh] Not in Rephidim, Ezod. 17.7.
Ver. 20 Till a man come over againſt Hamath] To that place of the great ſea, from which lyeth a ſtraight way from Hamath Eaſt-ward.
Ver. 21. So ſhall ye divide] Epilogus est. There is one and the ſame inheritance of the Saints in light.
Ver. 22. An inheritance unto you, and to the ſtrangers that ſojourn among you] What can the ſpiteful Jews ſay to this? who ſtick not to ſay that rather then the baſtard Gentiles (ſo they call Chriſtians) ſhould ſhare with them in their Meſſiah, they would crucifie him a hundred times over and over. Under the old Teſtament, though ſtrangers lived with the children of Iſrael, yet they had no inheritance with them at any time, as now they are appointed to have.
Ver. 23. See on ver. 22.