Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Dedication 2 – List of authors cited 2
The Epistle Dedicatory. To the most Excellent the Theophili of the Nobility and Gentry of England.
IT was the complaint of Jeremiah the Prophet of old, under the Law, that when hee had gone through the streets of Jerusalem to seek out one Ier. 5. 2, 3, 4, 5.godly man, and found none, he came to the great ones, but neither did he finde any amongst them, but that they all had cast off the yoke, and broken the bands. And the Apostle Paul in the time of 1 Cor. 1. 26.the Gospel saith, Not many wise, not many great, or mighty, not many noble are called. If it were with the present noble, wise, and great ones of England, as of old, my dedication of this Booke would prove a nullity. But under the Gospel, it is not said none, but few such are called, wherefore Luke could now finde out a most excellent Theophilus to dedicate his Gospel, and Acts of the Luke 1. 3. Act. 1. 1.Apostles unto, and the Apostle John, an elect Lady, and her children, to write his second Epistle unto; and I doubt not but in these last and worst dayes there be some such, to whom both my work and dedication will be acceptable, that is, true lovers of God, and of his things, as the word Theophili signifieth: and my desires are, that these my poor labours may be a means to increase the number of them, which I doubt not by Gods blessing, but they will, if with the great Steward of Candaces, the Queen of Ethiopia, they would bee pleased at all spare times to be reading the holy Scriptures, and take up Philip by Gods providence brought unto them, to interpret all things therein Act. 8.contained, yea the most obscure, and hard to bee understood, whereof St. Peter saith, there be many by some for want of doing 2 Pet. 3. 16.thus, perverted to their owne damnation, that is, by such as being private persons, presume, to give the sense of their owne heads, contrary to that which they are specially warned by him to take notice of, that no Scripture is of private interpretation. And why 2 Pet. 1. 20.should not all Noble-men, and Gentlemen, Ladies, and Gentlewomen be pleased to doe thus, seeing there are none so great, but if they could, they would be greater, and more honourable? and to attaine to this, the onelyonly way is to search the Scriptures, for which the Spirit of God giveth this testimony to the Bereans, that Act. 17. 11.they were more Noble, then those of Thessalonica. And to speak truly, be ye never so great in this world, til ye come this way to be innobled, although ye be here called honorable, or worshipful, yet ye are not so much as truely free, but in bondage, according to that of our Lord, when the Jewes said unto him, We be Abrahams seed, and Ioh. 8. 33, 34.were never in bondage to any man, he that committeth sinne, is the servant of sinne, but if ye continue in my word, ye are my Disciples, and yee shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. And what man or woman living is there, that is not a sinner? and if a sinner, a bondman till he be made free, and this freedome is not attained, but by abiding in the word, and abiding so, as to know the truth therein contained, and this is not obvious to every spectatour, that doth onelyonly now and then look upon it, and read, and heare it of course, for it is as a treasure hid in a field, and lying deep within the ground, which cannot be found and gotten, but by much seeking and labouring. Matth. 13. 44.If thou seekest for knowledge therefore, saith Salomon, as for silver, Prov. 2. 3.and searchest for her, as for hid treasure, then thou shalt understand, &c. And agreeable to this, speaketh Augustine, saying, Deus sub figuris & obscuris veritatem suam occultavit ut à laborosis tantum, non August.ab otiosis reperiatur. And thus the excellency of his truth is intimated, because we count that vile and base, saith Cassiodor, that comes to us with ease, but that excellent, which is not without great difficulty Cassiodor.attained.
But to returne againe to the freedome, of which I spake before, to stir up all you great ones to affect it, as the Theophilus-Nobility and Gentry doe. Hear some notable passages out of that noble Tutor of Nero the Emperour, who was no professed Christian, but a Seneca.heathen Roman.
Many men, saith he, are fools, that flye servile food, & servile cloaths, but not servile manners, for such may truly be called fools, who affect the reputation of nobility, but the true Nobility, which stands in good manners, they affect not, nor labour after. Again, if thou seest a Noble, or Gentleman praise thy parents, if rich, thy fortune, if fair, stay but a while, and thou shalt be neither of them all, viz. when death comes. But if thou beest indued with good manners, this makes thee praise-worthy indeed.
Lastly, He that hath no nobility, but from his parents, hath no cause to glory therein, whether they were good or evill; if they were good, true is the saying of the Philosopher, Nobility perisheth in him, which is in the beginning onelyonly; but if evill, what joy can he have hereof, being now a firebrand in hell. It is better to come of poor parents that are now in heaven, then of rich in hell.
Now for further information, that ye may know when wee are truly noble, bee pleased to take notice, that this stands in three things, and sheweth it selfe in three signs. The three things wherein it standeth, is first to be wise in point of Government. 2. To keep fidelity to God, as they would have their tenants and servants doe to them. 3. To humble themselves to God, and to give him all due obedience, as they would have their servants and inferiours doe them.
Touching the first, it was the prayer of Salomon, wherewith 1 King. 3.God was so well pleased, that he might be indued with wisdome to goe in and out before the people, over whom God had set him, and both Kings and Judges are admonished hereof by King David, saying Be wise ye kings and Judges of the earth, and shewed how they may be so, viz. by serving the Lord with fear, one part of whose service to this Psal. 2.end is to read in his word continually, as is shewed Deut. 17. 19. that Kings should doe, to learne to feare God, and to doe his will in all things, and best to governe, for want of which learning, some in sundry times have brought both themselves and people to great miseries, whilst they have not been intent to such studies, but either to increase their wealth and honour, or to fill themselves with pleasure in drinking, whoring, gaming, following sports and pleasures, and delicious meats: like Sardanapalus, whose posie was, Ede, bibe, lude, dormi, post mortem nulla voluptas. And why doe any of you great and rich ones, or any others so, but because yee thinke, that there is none other pleasure, but what yee have the sense of in this life, as it is said in the Fable, that the Swine being invited amongst other beasts to the Lions feast, would not goe because there were no dregs there. And it is said of the Welch of old, that they thought there could be no such pleasure in heaven, because there is no strong drink there.
But herein ye are like unto one that hath an Ague, or a Greensicknesse, to whose taste nothing is pleasant, but that which is worst and most hurtfull to him, who yet, if hee recovereth his health, comes to finde more pleasure in good and wholesome meats, and is ashamed to think, that he loved things so vile and base before; so the soule that is so much affected to the vaine and sinfull pleasures of this life, appears hereby to be out of temper very much, but if she hath once recovered her health, and be like to live eternally, shee abhorreth from, and is greatly ashamed of, and grieved to thinke of such pleasures, and her feeding thereupon so long a time; and now all her delight is in the sincere milke, and solid wholesome meat of the word, as it was with Job, who professed, that he esteemed of Gods Job 23. 12.word more then of his appointed food; and David more then the honey-comb, or any worldly treasures; and Salomon repenting, cryeth out upon his owne foolishnesse and bruitishnesse, whilst hee was transported with carnal plea…ures under the name of Agur, saying that Prov. 30. 2.he had not then the understanding of a man in him: but in extolling the word now he saith, Every word of God is pure, that is pretious, and delightfull, as a cordiall to my soule, and againe having largely discoursed of all things that are esteemed much of in this world, he concludeth that they are all vanity, and that to feare God, and keep his Commandements is the whole duty of man, which who so doth not, but transgresseth there-against, although but in his secret thoughts, shall therefore be brought to judgement: But hee Eccles. 12, 13.that fears God shall have the joy of the Spouse in her Bridegroome Christ, treated of in a Propheticall and heavenly manner in his Song of Songs. And who is so great that may not well thinke any of these three worthy to be hearkned unto, and imitated, for as David and Salomon, so most probably, as I have shewed in my Preface upon Job, he was a noble King.
If then any of you will not so much regard what an inferior person saith, yet let that which he brings and presents you with, from such as were your superiours, be accepted and thought worthy your most serious study and consideration; and if there be any suspicion that there be no such joyes and pleasures in heaven, to come, for such as feare God, and love his word above all things, both to understand and obey it; doe but consider, I beseech you, what an unreasonable thing it is to suspect this: For in reason, if this world, which is but a kind of prison, affords to such, as have the goodly things hereof in abundance, so much pleasure; of which, yee great ones cannot but be sensible; what pleasures must the world to come needs afford, which is a most faire and spacious paradise? as Christ calleth it in that saying of his to the converted theif upon the crosse, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise: and that this world is as a prison, appeares by the complaint of the Apostle Paul, Phil. 1. 23. I am streightned between two, having a desire to be dissolved or loosed, foreign, and if to bee loosed, then whilst he lived in this world, he counted himselfe as it were in prison. And here let no man say Paul indeed might well count himselfe so, sith he was a poore man, and so could not have such pleasure here, as noble persons have; for he had more joy, even whilst he lived in the midst of his poverty, and all his afflictions, then the richest, and greatest in this world, of their stately Houses, faire Gardens, delicious fare, large Revenues, and goodly Apparrell, and honour amongst men, because that in his mind he was elevated above these things, and had his conversation in heaven, insomuch as that he counted them all Phil. 3. 20.comparatively, but as drosse and dung: and for his sufferings he rejoyced more therein, then any one can in worldly pleasures, because that joy herein is soon fading; such joy, never but increasing, and finally perfected: for which James saith, Count it all joy when ye fall Rom. 5. 1. Iames 1. 2.into divers temptations; and of the perfection of joy following in a very short time Paul speaketh, saying, our light affliction, which is 2 Cor. 4. 17.but for a moment, worketh unto us a farre surpassing and eternall weight of glory.
But what doe I speaking of joyes and pleasures here to the greatest of the Nobility and Gentry in England, who may now say as the wife of Phineas, when the Arke of God was taken, Ichabod, The glory is gone from Israel: But this is not come to passe without a providence, because they were too much carryed away by these vanities for the most part, and set not their minds upon the treasure before spoken of, to seek that with all earnestnesse: Wherefore others far inferiour to them are set up and they put downe. Oh that they would now therefore lay this to heart, and turne their taking pleasure in vanity, to a taking of pleasure and delighting themselves in the 1 Pet. 1, 25.word of God, which indures for ever; and think when they are stirred up thus to doe, as the Spouse in the Canticles, this is the voice of my beloved, when he had said, I have eaten my hony with my hony-comb, I have drunken my wine with my milke; eate O friends, drinke, Cant. 5. 1…yea, drinke abundantly (O beloved:) So shall they be able (to their soules solace) to say, before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy commandements; and have eaten and drunke that which refresheth us more then all the good Chear and Wine, which we formerly had: and thus their pulling downe shall turne to their setting up, and exalting more high then ever heretofore; as God dealt by Job.
2 The second thing, wherein true Nobility stands, is in Fidelity to God, as you looke that your Tenants or Vassals should duly do their fealty to you: For whoso doth not, preferreth himselfe before God, in that he hath indignation at them that sweare fealty to him, and keepe it not; yet hee voweth to God and keepes it not. But what is the fidelity vowed to God? verily the vow made in baptisme, or any vow or covenant since, made lawfully, so that whatsoever Christian forsakes not the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, but followes and is led by them; as almost all the rich are, being so vaine in their Apparrell, and so taken with Plays and Maskes, Dancings and other Sports, may justly be charged for not keeping their fidelity to God; or likewise, he that protests or swears any thing, but performs it not. For as he that makes oath to his Soveraigne Lord and King, and afterwards breaks it, rebelling against him, hath tainted his blood, and is no more honourable, but a base Traytor; so he that makes oath to God, for to him in swearing is the hand lifted up, but breakes it, is falne from his excellency, and honour: As Reuben is said, by his Father Jacob, by his presumption against him to have been. And with this, as a great sinne, and cause of his ruine, is Zedekiah charged, 2 Chron. 36. 13. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him sweare by God, that is, fidelity to him.
3 For humility towards God: It is a rule in the civill Law, that what humility a Superiour would have his Inferiours to shew to him, the like he ought to shew to his Superiours; now no man is so great, but God is farre his superiour, therefore to him he must be humble, or else he looseth his honour, according to that saying of the man of God to Ely, those that honor me, I will honour; but those 1 Sam. 2. 30.that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed; and from the same history it may be gathered, who humble not themselves to God, viz. all such as set not by his Lawes, to observe and doe them, in all things; and who they be, is further shewed in the example of Zedekiah, of whom it is said, that he humbled not himselfe before Jeremiah the Prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord, that despise the instructions, 2 Chron. 36. 12and admonitions of Gods faithful Ministers; as thinking themselves too great by such poore men to be directed. And Azariah, the son of Hoshajah, and Johanan the son of Chareah, Nobles amongst the Jewes, are expresly charged to have beene proud, when they sleighted the directions of Jeremiah. Now that every man that is Ierem. 45. 2.greatest and highest in this world, may be moved to put away this pride, and to humble himselfe to God, as hath been said; Consider I pray you, that as there are three things that make men to humble themselves to other men: Their Majority, Utility coming by them, and an inevitability of punishment to such as do not; All these are far more eminently in God, then in the most high and mighty man. For first, Hee is so great that the whole earth is ful of his glory; he is above all Men and Angels, he can doe what so ever he pleaseth; and very Emperours and Monarchs are all his servants, as he called Nebuchadnezzar the great, and King Cyrus. And if a terror be stricken into a poor man, when he comes before a King sitting in his majesty; when God hath appeared as upon mount Sinai, such terrour was stricken into the children of Israel, that they feared they should dye, if he should speake to them any more; yea, King Moses himselfe said, I exceedingly feare and quake.Hebr. 12. 21.
2 For utility or benefit coming by him, no Lord can be so beneficiall to the servant, whom he loveth most, or Father to his dearly beloved childe, as God to his servants, and children that serve him. The Prophet Malachy in his name saith, A booke of remembrance Mal. 3. 16. 17.was written for them that feared the Lord, and they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts in that day, when I make up my Jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his owne son that serveth him: And the Apostle saith, Eye hath not seen, nor eare heard, neither have entred into mans 1 Cor. 2. 9.heart, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.
3 For inevitability of his punishments, let the old world be looked at for example, which was drowned by a flood, and Sodom and Gomorah, and the Kings of Canaan, and all the wicked Kings of Judah and Israel, of whom none escaped, but every one in his time was remarkably judged.
1 Now for the signes of a person truly noble, The first is, to bee free, and not in bondage to his lusts, so as that he cannot master them, but is as one given over to them, Unrighteousnesse, fornication, maliciousnesse, envy, murther, debate, deceit, malignity, deceitfull, Rom. 1. 28.proud, boasters, &c. For he that lives in any of these, or any other grosse sin, is not noble, but servile, and more servile then any slave to the Turke; because in his best part, that is his soule, wherein he that serveth God and not sin, as the Apostle saith of himselfe, In my mind I serve the law of God, and John saith, He that is borne of God sinneth not, that is, in his heart, but hates and abhors Rom. 7. 25. 1 John 3. 9.from all sin; and therefore liveth righteously and holily, is free and noble, although a poore man or a servant, and is preferred before the rich by James his saying, hath not God chosen the poor in this world rich in faith, heires of his Kingdome?Iam. 5. 5.
2 The second is, Bounty towards the poor, and such as deserve well, for the Prophet speaking of such as are bountifull, or not, but churles, saith, the vile person shall no more be called liberall, nor the churle bountifull, that is, as the Hebrew word foreign nadib signifieth, Isa. 32. 5.Prince or Noble: And againe, A Prince deviseth liberall things, and by liberall things shall he stand: And in the Psalmes it is said of a great vers. 8.man, that is good, that he both lendeth and giveth to the poore, and Psal: 112. 5, 9.his horne shall be exalted with honour; that is, he shall be made more mighty and honorable. And againe, his seed shall be mighty upon earth. vers: 2.But on the contrary side, that great man becomes vile, that useth his might to oppresse others, as may be gathered by that which the Prophet further saith, The vile person will speake villany, and his heart will worke iniquity, to empty the soule of the hungry, and to make the drinke Esa. 32.of the thirsty to faile, and he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poore. The greatest amongst men should be, as the King of the Bees, without a sting, to governe over others for their good, but to hurt none; if a Bee by stinging hath lost her sting, and now hath none tohurt withall, she hath no praise therefore, for she hurteth not, because she cannot; so the great one that hath had power, and hurting herewith hath lost it, although he now doeth no harme to any, it is not praiseworthy, because he cannot; but he that hath power to hurt, and doth not, but by it doth good, shall be had in honour both by God and men.
3 The third is magnanimity, that is, to beare so noble a minde, as ever to be studying how to requite goodnesse by any shewed unto him according to his power, and therefore to God especially, by whose beneficence he is what he is, as David did, for he said, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits, I will take the cup of salvation, and praise his name. And Moses after commemorating the great beneficence of God towards Israel, saith, And now (O Israel) what doth Psal. 116. 13.the Lord require of thee, but to feare him, to love, and serve him with Deut. 10. 12.all thy heart; therefore he is not a noble, but vile minded man, that serves not God with all diligence, who hath so highly advanced him. And because Alms-giving to the poore is so greatly by the Lord esteemed of, as being done to his members, he ought likewise to Iam. 1. 14.shew his gratefull minde this way: he that doth these three is after the image of God, who is not temptible of evill, and governs in goodnesse, and will let none goe unrewarded that serve him, and do the good that he requireth, as is said Matth. 6.
And to stir you great ones up the more, consider, that every man hath most care of his face to keep that cleane, as the most conspicuous part of the body: but yee Nobles are the head and face, as it were, of the body politick, as Constantine the Great once wrote to his mother Helena, the higher place we have amongst men, the more open we are to the sight of all men, and the eyes of all mortals, their judgements and thoughts, consider our good or evill will, and therefore it ought not onelyonly not to be reprehensible, but laudable what we will. And Bernard to Pope Eugenius a great Prince in the Church then, saith, Monstrosares est gradus summus & animus infimus, sedes prima & vita ima, sermo multus & fructus nullus. And if we consider the most generous of the Beasts that we have about us, that is the most intelligent amongst them to doe his Master service, the dog, he, if right bred, will not prey upon Domesticks, but defend them, hunting after, and destroying only hurtful creatures, the Fox, and the Wolfe, and such like, but they the most ignoble destroy sheep, and poultry, esteemed of for the good use they have of them that be their keepers; so the true, noble, and Gentleman doth neither trouble nor oppresse the good and faithfull of the land, but defend them, and endeavours onelyonly to root out the wicked, as David, did Psal. 101. and whosoever of them doth otherwise is worse then a Dog, yea as vile as a Wolfe or Fox, imploying his wit to do hurt.
Lastly, yee are to other inferiour members, as armes to a body, which helpe what they can, and doe no hurt to any member thereof, for that were unnaturall.
Now if these my labours upon these Books, which are able to make a man truly wise, thus to doe, and consequently to salvation, may finde so much favour, as amongst some of you to bee thought worthy the daily and studious perusal; I doubt not but a blessed work, by Gods grace, will be wrought in your hearts to your everlasting comfort: Which that it may be, prayeth your servant in the Lord,
JOHN MAYER.
A Catalogue of the Authours out of whom any thing is taken in this Commentary.
Adricomius,
Gregory,
Ferus,
Calvin,
Junius,
Thomas Aquinas
Chrysostome,
Pineda,
Philo,
Chald. Paraph.
Genebrardus,
Tertullian,
Cyprian,
Augustine,
Nazianzen,
Apollonius,
Basilius Mag.
Cajetan,
Olympiodorus,
Origen,
Hieronymus,
Isidorus,
Carthusianus,
Lyraus,
Athanasius,
Philippus,
Vatablus,
Clarius,
Beda,
Dionysins,
Rabbi Levi,
Rabbi Abraham,
Rabbi Moses,
Pagninus,
Eugubinus,
Rabbi David,
Tigurina inter.
Septuagint,
Lippoman. Caten.
Albertus,
Ambrosius,
Plinius,
Nicetas,
Plutarchus,
Cassiodorus,
Hugo Cardin.
Tilleman,
Theodoret,
Aelianus,
Xenophon,
Tossarius,
Marianus,
Osorius,
Aristotle,
Glossa Ordin.
Tostatus,
Cyrillus,
Rabanus,
Camarensis,
Olaus,
Philostratus,
Lucretius,
Eusebius,
Ainsworth.
Arnobius,
Rabbi Menahem,
Horatius,
Geneva Notes.
F. M. on Psal.
T. W. on Psal.
Symmachus,
Theophylact,
Donatus,
Arboreus,
Muffet,
Tullius,
Hugo Victor,
Valerius Max.
Antonius,
Aben Ezra,
Salazar,
Hilarius,
Ovidius,
Seneca,
Georgius Agricola
Irenaeus,
Vincentius,
Pausanias,
Macarius.
Clemens Alex.
Rodolphus,
Maximinus,
Sophocles,
Bernardus,
Hippocrates.
Remigius,
Fulgentius,
Hesiodus,
Galen,
Nilus,
Bonifa. Mog. Ep.
Ignatius.
Homerus,
Rabbi Ioseph.
Aquila,
Palingenius,
Socrates,
Alanus,
Prosper.
Pelagius,
Quintilian,
Quintus Curtius,
Petrarch,
Athanasius,
Iuvenal,
Iansenius,
Carneades,
Polybius,
Celsus,
Dioscorides,
Bainus,
Procopius,
Solon,
Heccateus,
Lorinus,
Salonius,
Hugo Victorinus:
Albinus.
Thaumaturgus,
Schola Salerni,
Munsterus,
Bibliander,
Bonaventure,
Iustus Orgelitanus.