Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Ezekiel · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Ver. 1. ANd the Word of the Lord came unto me] Junius obſerveth, that this and the two following Prophecies (viz. thoſe, chap. 7, & 8.) were delivered on the Sabbath day; that's the proper ſeaſon of preaching.
Ver. 2. See thy face toward the mountains of Iſrael] i. e. The Jews, who are haughty and hard as mountains, who are aſperi & inculti, rough and rude, as Mountaineirs uſe to be. In Mount Olivet it ſelf (beſides other mountains) they boldly ſet up their idols, even in the ſight of the Lord: ſo that he never looked out of the Sanctuary, but he beheld that vile hill of abominations; called therefore by an elegant Agnomination, the Hill of Corruption, 2 Kings. 23.13.
Ver. 3. Behold I, even I will bring a ſword upon you] Becauſe ye are polluted by mans ſins, and ſo made hateful unto me. For as God thinks the better of the places wherein he is ſincerely ſerved; yea where his Saints are born, Pſal. 87.5. or make abode, Iſa. 49.16. ſo the worſe of ſuch places where Satans ſeat is.
Ver. 4. Your images ſhall be broken down] Heb. your Sun-images, whence alſo Jupiter Hammon had his name, which Macrobius ſaith was the ſame with the Sun.Lib. 1. Sat. cap. 23. See 2 Chron. 23.5.
And I will caſt down your ſlain men] Cruentatos vulneratos, vel interfectos veſtros, ſuch as when wounded, flye to their idols for ſafety.
Before your idols] Heb. your d…i ſtercorei, dunghil-deities, more loathſome then any excrements.
Ver. 5. And I will lay the dead carkaſſes of the children of Iſrael, &c.] That in the very places where they have ſinned, there they may ſuffer. So in the valley of Hinnom, and at Pilates Praetorium, &c.
Ver. 6. In all your dwelling-places] Omnia everram & evertam funditus: I will turn all topſy-turvy.
Your works ſhall be aboliſhed] Thoſe toileſom toies, your Mawmets and monuments of idolatry. This the Prophet telleth them again and again: that he might waken them, and work them to repentance.
Ver. 7. And ye ſhall know that I am the Lord] That I am dicti mei Dominus, one that will be as good as my word. So ſhall all, not idolaters only, but broachers of hereſies alſo, quae furere & faetere cultores ſuos faciunt, ſaith Oecolampadius here.
Ver. 8. Yet will I leave a remnant] For royal uſe. See on chap. 5.3.
Ver. 9. And they that eſcape of you ſhall remember me] Here beginneth that true Repentance never to be repented of, Pſal. 22.27. and 20.7.
Becauſe I am broken off from their whoriſh heart] i. e. I am troubled, ſaith Piſcator, I am tired out, ſaith Zegedine, and made to break off the courſe of my kindneſs. I am broken off from their whoriſh heart, ſo Polanus rendreth it: that is, ſaith he, I leave them, though loth to do it: the breach is meerly on their part: for they have an Impetus, a ſpirit of whoredoms in them, that cauſeth them to erre, and go a whoring from under their God, Hoſ. 4.12. & 9.1.
And with their eyes] Thoſe windows of wickedneſs through which the devil (who is foreign, as ſaith Syneſius) doth oft wind himſelf into the ſoul.
foreign. Sept.And they ſhall loath themſelves] They ſhall diſpleaſe themſelves, ſaith the Vulgar; but that's not enough. Pudefient in faciebus ſuis, ſay others; they ſhall bleed inwardly, and bluſh outwardly, deeply deteſting their former abominations, and not waiting till others condemn them, they ſhall condemn themſelves.
Ver. 10. And they ſhall know] By woful experience. He that trembleth not in ſinning, ſhall be cruſht to peices in feeling, ſaid bleſſed Bradford.
And that I have not ſaid in vain] In terrorem only.
Ver. 11. Thus ſaith the Lord God] Sic ait Dominater Dominus.
Smite with thine hand] Manibus pedibuſque obnixe omnia facito, do thine utmoſt by geſtures and ſpeeches to make this ſtupid people perceive their ſin and danger.
Alaſſe, for all the evil abominations] Propter omnes abominationes peſſimas: we cannot call ſin bad enough:Oecolamp. the worſt word in a mans belly is too good for it. O perdita Iſrael (dicere vult) quae tot malas abominationes operata es, &c.
Ver. 12. He that is far off ſhall dye of the peſtilence] Pluribus verbis hunc locum tractat. Ointments muſt not only be laid upon the part that aketh, but alſo rubbed and chafed in: ſo muſt menaces and promiſes, that they may ſoak and ſink into the ſoul.
Ver. 13. Then ſhall ye know that I am the Lord] Vexatio dabit intellectum, ſmart ſhall make wit:Aug. See ver. 10. Four times in this chapter are theſe words uſed; Verba toties inculcata, viva ſunt, vera ſunt, ſana ſunt, plana ſunt.
Among their idols] See on ver. 4.
Where they did offer ſweet ſavour] Idolatry is coſtly.
Ver. 14. Then the wilderneſſe toward Diblath] Which was horriditate nobile, bordering upon that terrible howling wilderneſs mentioned by Moſes, Deut. 8.15. See Jer. 48.22.