Commentary on Obadiah, Verse and commentary 17
VERSE. 17.
But upon Mount Sion ſhall be deliverance, and there ſhall be holines, and the houſe of Jacob ſhall poſſeſſe their poſſeſſions.
The ſecond part of the Prophecy, containing the comfort of the Church againſt all her enemies, ad finem Capitis, to the end of the chapter.
1. A promiſe of reſtitution of them to their own, ver, 17.
2. Of victory againſt their enemies, ver. 18, 19, 20.
3. The means ordained for this, ver. 21.
1. Of their reſtitution of their own.
Mount Sion literally doth ſignifie the ſeed of Jacob, the whole Nation of the Jewes; taking name from the moſt eminent part of their Kingdome, as Mount Sion denoteth Eſau and his iſſue; this ſhall be delivered from the captivity of Babilon; that is the deliverance here promiſed.
And the holines here mentioned, is the renewing of the people by repentance and new obedience to the pure worſhip of God; and then the houſe of Jacob ſhall recover the poſſeſſions which the army of the Chaldeans took from them.
Allegorically and typically, this Prophecy doth foretell the deliverance of the Church from all the enemies thereof in the end of the world, which ſhall be performed by the ſpirit of ſanctification fitting them to the ſame.
That the Church ſhall not alway be under the rod of correction, we have formerly declared.
1. The point now conſiderable, is, what our God requireth of us, even holineſſe.
2. That God performeth his mercy of deliverance firſt, that after he may ſanctifie us to himſelf.
1. That God requireth holineſſe of us; He hath ſhewed thee O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee; Mic. 6.8.ſurely to do juſtice, and to love merciemercy, and to humble thy ſelfe to walk with thy God, this is holineſſe.
This is no earthly wiſdome, which is carnall, ſenſuall and deviliſh; it is the wiſdome which is from above, and therefore, He hath ſhewed thee O man.
Holineſſe is not learned in the Schoole of nature, nor to be ſeen by the light of reaſon; it is the inward light of the ſpirit of God that enlightneth our darkneſſe, which openeth to man the way of good life, not morall and civill only, but religious and ſpiritual, which teacheth juſtice mingled with merciemercy, both built upon a good foundation of humility, and theſe not as before men, but as in a walk with God himſelf.
For ſuch as theſe God keepeth a book of remembrance as the Prophet ſaith,
Then they that feared the Lord ſpake often one to another, Mal. 3.16.and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
And they ſhall be mine ſaith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels (or ſpeciall treaſure) and I will ſpare them as a man ſpareth his own ſon that ſerveth him.Ver. 17.
What can a man deſire more of God, then to be eſteemed amongſt his jewels and precious treaſure? ſuch are the holy? and what trouble can it be to them to be deſpiſed of the world, and caſt out of them, when God ſhall take them in as his jewels and treaſure? God himſelf giveth holineſſe in precept, and giveth the reaſon in that injunction, Be ye holy, for I am holy.
And Saint John ſaith, that every man that hath hope of eternall life, 1 Pet 1.16 ex Lev. 21.44. 1 Joh. 3.3.purifieth himſelf, even as he is pure.
So that Gods holineſſe is the motive that muſt induce us, and the preſident and pattern that muſt conduce us to holineſſe.
1. The motive, becauſe he being holy; nothing ungodly and unclean may approach him, therefore all the legall purifications and ſanctifyings of the poople, before any ſpeciall worſhip and ſervice of God, were types of that holineſſe which muſt fit us for Gods ſervice; becauſe without holineſſe no man ſhall ſee God.
Again becauſe the favours which we deſire from God be holy; and Chriſt ſaith, Nolite dare quod ſanctum eſt canibus, give not that which is holy to dogs; ſurely he will not do ſo himſelf.
2. It muſt be our pattern and example, becauſe holines is never accepted but where it hath three properties, as it hath in God.
1. That it be ſincere, and not in hypocriſie; there is a ſinne of hypocrites, and there is a portion with hypocrites; falſe holines is like …erfeit gold, it will not go for pay, it is high treaſon ag… God to counterfeit his Image and ſuperſcription; for holineſſe is the Image of our God ſtamped in us in our creation; therefore hell is called the portion of hypocrites.
2. That it be totall; holineſſe in the face, and outward geſture proceeding from holineſſe in the heart and inward affections: holineſſe of the tongue, that it ſpeak not lewdly, falſely, or prophanely; holineſſe of operation, that we do nothing but what becometh the Saints of God. Holineſſe at Church, and holines at home; holineſſe in our private converſations, and in our private retirings, that is in the whole man, in the whole time of his life, and in all places.
3. That it be guided with knowledge, for the ignorant holineſſe of the Church of Rome which is implicit, and knoweth not what it doth, is the ſacrifice of fools: like the Athenians worſhip directed to an unknown God.
This is the way to come again to our own poſſeſſions, and to caſt out that ſtrong man armed that hath led us into captivity; this is the old way, and the good way to the new Ieruſalem.
Many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping, they be enemies of the croſſe of Chriſt, whoſe end is damnation, whoſe belly is their god, and whoſe delight is in their ſhame, which mind earthly things.
But our converſation muſt be in heaven; an holy converſation is an heavenly converſation, and maketh heaven upon earth.
And if we be riſen with Chriſt, to this converſation, then we ſeek thoſe things which are above, and not thoſe things which are beneath.
It muſt therefore be our care to look to thoſe things which hinder holineſſe, and to keep good watch upon our life that none of thoſe things do corrupt us.
Theſe are as the Apoſtle doth enumerate them.
1. The luſts of the fleſh.
2. The luſt of the eye.
3. The pride of life.
1. Carnall deſires do make us unholy, not only fornication and adultery which do make the members of Chriſt the members of an harlot, of which ſin the Apoſtle ſaith, that adulterers and fornicators God will judge.
But carnality alſo in our affections, labouring more for the body then for the ſoule, for the fleſh to ful-fill the luſts thereof: ſtudying meat and drink for the belly, ſtuffe and faſhions for the garments, more then to pleaſe God in the exerciſe of Religion, and duties of charity and piety; carnality alſo in the very ſervice of God, of which the Apoſtle alſo ſpeaketh; for while one ſaith, I am of Paul, another I am of Apollo, are ye not carnall? for the truth of God and the wiſdome of God is valued not in it ſelf, but in reſpect of perſons.
And ſo that thoſe be the greateſt pretenders to holineſſe, that pretend moſt of the ſpirit, unawares do ſerve the fleſh, and are men in Religion carnall, yet think they do God good ſervice.
2. The luſt of the eye is another great enemy to holineſſe, for that coveteth an evill covetouſneſſe; how eaſily is fleſh and blood carried away from God with the wings of worldly deſires?
I would I were as well houſed, as well placed, as well landed, as well friended, as well monied as ſuch and ſuch are.
Who wiſheth I would I were as holy as the Prophets and Apoſtles were? when we muſt needs dye, Balaam would wiſh his later end like theirs.
3. The pride of life, affecting place and Court above others, trim and rich bravery beyond others, power and authority over others: theſe things do corrupt Religion and make us unholy; and all theſe things do periſh in the uſe of them.
There be two things which make the life of man proofe againſt theſe darts of Satan.
1. Godlineſſe that fixeth our hearts on God, and faſtneth our truſt on him, which giveth us aſſurance that we ſhall never want things ſufficient for us, and therefore fear not to loſe by it, if we beſtow our time and ſtrength and means in his ſervice.
2. Contentedneſſe, which reſpecteth rather a ſupply of wants, then a fulneſſe to look upon: conſidering that of all that we have in poſſeſſion, no more is truly ours then what ſerveth for uſe, and that is little; and ſeeing we brought nothing with us, and we leave all, but what our wants have ſpent behind us; let a little content us, leſt much do diſtract us from the ſervice of our God, or corrupt our holineſſe.
2. This teacheth to embrace all the good meanes by which holineſſe may be preſerved and increaſed in us: that is,
1. Diligent hearing the Word of God, upon which muſt attend
1. Private meditation.
2. Conference.
This is not the ſervice of God it ſelfe, but a candle lighting us the way to the worſhip of God; David ſaith, Verbum tuum Lucer…a pedibus meis; thy word is a Lanthorne to my feet.
And they are much deceived, that think they have ſanctified a Sabbath to the Lord, if they have onelyonly heard ſermons, and meditated, and conferred on them.
That is neither opus d…ei, nor opus loci, the work of the day nor place: all this is but receiving from God.
The worſhip of God muſt have ſomewhat from us to God, to which preaching doth direct us, therefore we muſt adde,
2. Our worſhip of God which chiefly doth conſiſt in,
1 Thankſgiving.
2 Prayer.
Thanks for the graces of God already beſtowed, prayer for the continuance, and encreaſe of them: this is the worſhip which is immediately directed by Chriſt to himſelfe, and for himſelfe onelyonly, that is, for his glory.
And in this the Holy Ghoſt helpeth our infirmities, for being the greateſt duty of Chriſtian worſhip, we cannot without great help performe it, and great help we have, the whole Trinity joyning with us.
The Holy Ghoſt in conceiving and uttering our prayers, and putting life into them.
The Son in carrying them up to the Father.
And the Father in receiving of them.
Pray continually, in all things give thanks.
2. God performeth this mercy of deliverance to his Church, firſt, and then there ſhall be holineſſe; God is ever before hand, and he would have us know that our holineſſe is rather a fruit and effect of his deliverance, then a cauſe of it, procuring or meriting it.
And ſo the Lords deliverance of us is a free, as well as a full favour, it is no wages for our work, as the Church of Rome doth not only erroniouſly, but blaſphemouſly teach.
So doth Zachary confeſſe; ut liberati a manibus inimicorum, feſtiamus ei; that being delivered from the hands of our enemies, &c. not us ſervientes liberemur, not that ſ…rving we ſhould be delivered: ut liberandi ſerviamus: but he doth all his favours for us; to winne us to his ſervice.
The Church of God was puniſhed for not ſerving of him as it ſhould, and now it is reſtored to her owne poſſeſſions, that it may ſerve him hereafter in holineſſe.
It is an excellent uſe that we make of the good favours of God, when they make us the more holy, and the more carefull to ſerve him.
But now being made free from ſin, Rom. 6.22.and become ſervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holineſſe, and the end everlaſting life.
1 Delivered and made free from ſin.
2 Then our fruit unto holineſſe,
3 And then everlaſting life.
1 This deliverance, a motive to holineſſe:
2 This holineſſe, a fruit of our deliverance:
3 This Everlaſting life, a reward of our holineſſe.
It is a great ſigne that God is not with us, when his favours do corrupt us, as when our knowledge doth beget in us ſpirituall pride, and our riches and temporall preferments, bring forth carnall pride: when the many affaires of the world doe make us neglect the Church ſervice, or break Gods Sabbath which ought to be religiouſly conſecrated to Gods worſhip; and when any temporall happineſſe doth worke in us any relaxation of the ſervice of God, for the true ſanctification of all theſe doth conſiſt in this, that we do make them motives and provocations to holineſſe.
This doth make holineſſe our chiefeſt ſtudy and care, becauſe God in the promiſe of reſtoring Iſrael to his poſſeſſions, doth not ſay then ſhall be outward peace and proſperity, and wealth, and eaſe: but then there ſhall be holineſſe, as the proper fruit of Gods favours: for peace, and health, and plenty, may be loſt againe, but holineſſe cannot be loſt, becauſe that is a worke of the Holy Ghoſt in us which cannot periſh, for that ſpirit ſhall abide in the Church for ever.
This doth alſo ſhew whereby we may ſettle our poſſeſſions to us; namely, by embracing of holineſſe: for the enemy hath no power againſt as, ſo long as we be holy, and when Iſrael ſhall ſee that their unholineſſe was their ſinne, God reſtoring them they ſhall make conſcience of ſinning any more, leaſt ſome worſe judgement overtake them.
For God doth promiſe to reſtore Religion, and his holyworſhip, which is the only ſafety of his people, which whileſt they formerly corrupted, they brought upon themſelues deportation, ruine upon their City, and fire upon the Sanctuary of God.
You ſee all the earneſtneſſe of holy Scripture to perſwade us to holineſſe doth aime at our owne ſafety, and God for our owne good perſwadeth it: for what good will our holineſſe do him? or what do we hurt him, if we be unrighteouſſe? our well-doing extendeth not to him, to adde any thing to him; our il-doing is no prejudice to him: the benefit of our holineſſe redoundeth to our ſelves, and thy word that teacheth it, is given to profit us withall.
God give us all grace to make a right and profitable uſe therof to his glory, Amen.