Commentary on Obadiah, Verse and commentary 3, 4
v. 3.
The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwelleſt in the clefts of the rock, whoſe habitation is high, that ſaith in his heart who ſhall bring me down to the ground?
Though thou exalt thy ſelf as an Eagle, and though thou ſet thy neſt among the ſtars, thence will I bring thee down ſaith the Lord.
2. Now he foretelleth how all the hopes of the children of Edom are diſperſed.
1. They had hope in their own pride, ver. 3.
2. In the ſafety of their ſituation, v. 3, 4, 5, 6.
3. In the ſtrength & aſſurance of their confederates, v. 7
4. In the wiſdome, v. 8.
5. In the ſtrength of their own men, v. 9.
For the firſt, The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee.
Thou didſt think better of thy ſelf then there was cauſe.
Self-opinion is the bane of all vertue; for by it men become their own flatterers, and build caſtles in the air, it is tumor cordis, the ſwelling of the heart; this is of the world, and one of that curſed Trinity which undoes the world,
The luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eyes, and the pride of life,3 John 2.16.
The cunning Serpent breathed this poyſon in our firſt Parents; for when Eva heard him ſay, Similes eritis Deo, you ſhall be like unto God, ſhe ſoon ate of the forbidden fruit, and gave of the ſame to Adam.
Pride ſwelleth the heart, that it is not capable of grace, it filleth it full of it ſelf, & leaveth no roome for Chriſt in that Inne.
Therefore one ſaith to a proud man, Deus praeſto eſt largiri ſapientiam, ſed tu non habes ubi eam recipias.
Pride is contray to humility, for humility is not only vertue, but vas virtutum, the receptacle of vertue; God giveth grace to the humble; but pride, like the woman that had filled all her veſſels with oyle, and at laſt vas defuit, there wanted a veſſel, it ſo filleth the heart with the oyle of ſelf-flattery, that there is no roome left, no veſſell to receive any grace.
It filleth the firkins up to the brim.
Whatſoever good parts are in a man of woman, pride ſpoils all, and turns them into vice, as one long ago truly and facetely rimed,
Si tibi gratia, ſi ſapientia, formaque detur,
Inquinat omnia ſola ſuperbia ſi comitetur.
This is eſteemed the Queen of vices,Iſa. 8 2.1. woe to the crowne of pride.
It is one of the late repentances of the damned, beholding the happineſſe of the juſt, and feeling the miſery of their damdation.
What hath our pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us?Wiſd. 5.
Satan is called a Prince ruling in the air, the god of this world, and that Leviathan, who is a King over all the children of pride.
This vice oppoſeth God, and tranſgreſſeth and treſpaſſeth the Majeſty of God; it began to all the other ſins, it infected glorious Angels, and turned them into Devils.
One obſerveth that pride is no Recuſant, it will come to Church; a man that lives in the light of Religion, and hath any morall goodneſſe in him, will lay down his covetouſneſſe, gluttony, luxury, idleneſſe, envy, anger, for Service time; but the proud perſon will bring pride to Church along with him: Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a proud Phariſee.
Pride mingleth it ſelf with our beſt actions, and claimeth ſhare with God, in many of our good works.
It alſo filleth us with contempt of our neighbour, not as that Publican non ut alii not as other men; Edom lived by his ſword, and awed men with his power, and this did fill his heart with Pride.
Riches unſanctified make men proud, ſo Jack becomes a Gentleman, and Mechanicals finde ſome falſe pedegrees to enable them, or purchaſe places of eminencie, to put them before their betters: power unſanctified, makes men boyſterous, and heavy to the poore.
Learning unſanctified, and the very knowledge of Religion doth breed pride, and that maketh contention, for pride is the root of Schiſme and Hereſie.
This turns faith into preſumption in ſome profeſſors of Religion, but it turneth it into contention in others; in others into ſeparation: in the p…phane, it breedeth contempt of God and of his word.
Wiſdome, knowledge, honour, riches, power with humility, no pride to corrupt them, they are the ornaments of life, and the faculties of vertue, and the factors of grace and the fear of God.
It is a good ſaying of Hugode Sancto Victore. Superbia mihi Deum aufert, Invidia proximum, Ira meipſum, Pride depriveth me of God, envie of m… neighbour, anger of my ſelf.
Behold his ſoule which is lifted or puffed up in him,Hab. 2 4. is not upright in him, but the juſt ſhall live by faith.
Pride in the wicked taketh roome and place of faith, for as faith in the Elect doth lay hold on all the gracious promiſes of God, which do concern this life and a better:
So pride in the wicked maketh them beleeve that they are worthy of all favours of the time, and of all temporall graces; therefore the Prophet ſetteth them in oppoſition.
Therefore God beginneth to taxe this people of their pride, teaching us, that Pride is abominable to God.
Here we are compaſſed with a cloud of witneſſes: It was pride that caſt down the Angels; that deceived Eva: that made Cain a murtherer: Lamech a boaſter: Nimrod a hunter: Iſhmael a ſcorner: Edom an oppreſſour, &c.
And the Phariſee that could put off the aſperſion of other ſins extorſion, injuſtice, adultery, he could not adde pride; of this every one hath a ſhare.
Diogenes wanted not his part, as Plato taxed him moſt juſtly; for it is ſo inſinuating a vice, as that they which labour moſt to expreſſe humility, cannot but take ſome pride, even in that.
This pride of Edom deceived Edom.
Faith buildeth upon a rock, no ſtorme can ſhake it, it is fortified by the prayer of Chriſt, I have prayed that thy faith may not faile: Pride buildeth on ſand, the foundation is falſe, every waſh and wave that beats on it, ſhakes it and ruines it.
There is no creature that comes into the world more naked, and more diſarmed, then man doth; yet none ſo proud, and therefore none ſo promiſing to it ſelf as man is: for as one ſaith,
Colligit de vite ſpinas, pro uvis tribulos, for out of the good bleſſings of God, he maketh matter of ſelf-opinion, and falſe glory.
This is a monſtrous birth, Ex bono malum. Lumen quod in te eſt tenebrae ſunt: when thou thinkeſt thy ſelf more happy then others, and goeſt in this tranſport farre, at laſt thou ſeeſt that thou haſt been thine own impoſtour.
It is a good ſaying of Saint Gregory, That he that boaſteth, and is proud of any of Gods gifts, ſe interficit medicamine, the medicine that ſhould heal, kills him.
That which all this while ſupported the glory of Edom, which was Edoms pride, proves Edoms ruine, it hath deceived him.
The Doctrines of the Church of Rome do maintain this pride of the heart, therefore they are deceit full: for
1. They ſay we have Freewill to do good.
2. They teach that a man in this life may fulfill the whole Law of God.
3. They teach that a man may be juſtified before God by the merit of his works.
4. That a man may overdo the Law, and do works of ſupererrogation, which may encreaſe the treaſure of the Church, and may help out them that come ſhort in good works, by mending their ſtore.
All theſe doctrines ſeem to maintain the pride of the heart, and to give fleſh wherein to rejoyce: againſt which we oppoſe the doctrines of humility.
5. That the Sacraments do conferre grace ex opere operato, and therefore whoſoever is made partaker of them, hath the grace whereof they be ſeals.
Firſt, So in Baptiſme, they affirm that originall ſinne is quite done away, ſo that infants baptized are certainly ſaved; and ſuch as depart the world without Baptiſme, are ſeparated from the ſight of God.
Whoſoever receiveth their Sacrament of the Altar, doth verily and really, and carnally feed on the ſame body of Jeſus Chriſt that was born of the Virgin Mary, and ſuffered death upon the Croſſe.
Secondly, Neither do they only attribute this vertue to the Sacraments which Chriſt ordained in his Church; but unto thoſe five which they have ſince added, and aequi-ballanced with the holy Ordinances of God.
1. For their Sacrament of Penance, they hold that the grace of Baptiſme may be finally loſt; and ſo to recover man again from that downfall, they have deviſed this Sacrament. This is Trent divinity. Seſſ. 14. cap 1. Si in regeneratis omnibus gratitudo erga Deum eſſet ut juſticiam in Baptiſmo ipſius gracia & beneficio ſuſceptam tuerentur, non fuiſſet opus aliud ſacramentum inſtituere.
But becauſe this ſerves not, Penance doth come in; for how elſe ſhould they bring in their Auricular Confeſſion, by which they dive into mens hearts, and their impoſed power by which they dive into mens purſes for ſatisfaction? And this concludes with Ego te abſolvo, I abſolve thee; which doth waſh them as clean from all ſins paſt, as if they had never ſinned.
2. For the Sacrament of Marriage, they do that but a little honour, ſave only in belying it to be a Sacrament, and pronouncing Anathema to all that do deny it to be a Sacrament ordained by God himſelf in Paradiſe.
Firſt, But neither do they make it the means to convey any ſpirituall grace which is the chief uſe of a Sacrament: but only make it a bare ſigne of the conjunction between Chriſt and his Church.
Secondly, Neither do they leave it at large for all perſons, but curſe thoſe that allow it to Prieſts.
Thirdly, Neither do they honour the ſtate of Matrimony with equall honour to Virginity, but pronounce Anathema to them that preferre it before Virginity.
3. For the Sacrament of Orders they make the Prieſt ſome amends, for therein he hath a Sacrament which the Lay partake not in to this they attribute the power of Abſolution the power of Binding, the power of turning bread into the body of Chriſt; the power of conferring grace.
4. For Confirmation, that is another help to Baptiſme to relieve the imperfection of Chriſts Ordinance, Novam grati…m tribuit.
5. For Extreme Ʋnction; as the Sacrament of Baptiſme is ſacramentum intr…euntium, the Sacrament of entrance; ſo this is ſacramentum exeuntium, of going out; this makes expeditiorem ad Coelum viam, a quick way to heaven; and is to be adminiſtred in articulo mortis, the point of death, and it carries the ſoule to heaven directly.
May we not behold the pride of the Church of Rome in all theſe, how they have taken to their owne hands the keyes of David; they open and no man ſhutteth, they ſhut and no man openeth.
It is in the power of the Prieſt to give, it is in the power of the people to take ſalvation; and I do not ſee any great need of Jeſus Chriſt in theſe doctrines.
Neither can I find that they have left him any abſolute, but only given him a dependent power over them, that he cannot ſave without them.
Surely all this pride deceiveth them that put truſt therein: for,
1. Againſt Freewill We oppoſe,
In Adam we all die, in Chriſt made alive. 1 Cor. 15.12.And that this ſtretcheth to a corporall, ſpirituall and eternall death; here the ſame Apoſtle,Eph. 2.2. We are by nature children of wrath.
Saint Paul was a veſſel of election, he had the ſpirit of God, he received the office of his Apoſtleſhip immediately from God; yet he ſaith, The good that I would do, I do not; Rom. 7.15.the evill that I would not do, I do; whence is thence this Freewill?
2. Againſt the fulfilling of the Law of God in this life,Eccleſ. 7.20. There is not a juſt man upon earth, who doth good and ſinneth not; and he that breaketh the leaſt of the Commandements is guilty of all; James 3.2. Prov. 24.16.that is, he is found a tranſgreſſor, legis, of the Law. But in multis offendimus omnes, in many things we al offend. Juſtus cadit Septies.
3. Againſt Merit of workes. Chriſt ſaith,
They that have done all that is commanded, Luke 17.7 &c.have done but their duty; ſervi inutiles, unprofitable ſervants.
And what proportion is there, finiti ad infinitum, of the finite to the infinite? the works of men be finite, the glory of God is infinite.
All our righteouſneſſe is like defiled clothes.Iſa. 94.6.
4, Againſt Supererogation.
That pride deceiveth them; for there is nothing to be done in obedience, or in love to God, which is not commanded in his law, that requireth all the ſoule, and all the mind, and all the ſtrength of both theſe; he that can finde any thing more to do, and can do it, may ſupererogate.
5. Concerning their Sacraments.
They diſhonour Baptiſme and make it of no account, when they teach that the grace of Baptiſme may be loſt, and deviſe three Sacraments to help it.
Confirmation to ſtrengthen it.
Penance to renue it.
Extreme Ʋnction to perfect it.
We acknowledge God powerfull in his own Ordinance; we hold that the Grace given to the Elect in Baptiſm is ſealed and imprinteth an indelible character.
Confirmation is no more but a watering of the Plants which the ordinance of God hath graſſed. Penance is no more but a ſtirring up of the grace given in baptiſm: extreme unction is of no neceſſity, it was a temporall practiſe in thoſe times when the gift of healing was in the Church; inſtead whereof we have prayers both in private and in publike Congregations. The Grace of Baptiſm we hold ſufficient for the whole life to ſanctifie it, and in the Elect of God it is not, it cannot be loſt.
The true Sacrament of Confirmation is the Lords Supper, for that repreſenteth to us the body that was broken for us, and the blood that clenſeth us from all our ſins; that is often repeated to call us to repentance and to ſtrengthen our Faith.
If we flatter our ſelves, that the act of receiving doth ſanctifie us, that is a deceiving of our own hearts; for the fleſh profiteth nothing, it is the ſpirit that quickeneth.
We know that it may be eaten to condemnation; if there were carnall preſence of Chriſt, none could eat of it but he muſt be joyned ſo with Chriſt as he could not periſh.
Laſtly, for the Sacrament of orders, they deceive themſelves in the pride of their hearts, thinking that God hath given them the Kingdome of Grace, and of glory to beſtow where they will.
We are the Miniſters of God, ſent forth as Gods Embaſſadours, to carry his pardon to ſuch as are penitent: the pardon doth ſet forth who are capable of it; we are the Miniſters of God to make tender of the means of Grace to ſuch as are capable of them.
We cannot make a man capable either of Grace or Salvation; yet none can have either but by our Miniſtry: except God will ſhew his Prerogative and ſay, Ecce ego creabo rem novam in terra. Behold I create a new thing upon earth.
Humility deals truly with us: for it I be humble, I am content with that I have, and think it more then I deſerve.
I do not envy either greater graces in others, or higher places; for I know mine own weck…dneſſe, and my ſins are ever before me: and therefore I think it happy with me, and acknowledge it a great mercy, that I am not conſumed.
I do not glory in mine own knowledge, but with Agur the ſon of Jakeh, I ſay, and confeſſe, Surely I am more brutiſh then any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man: Prov. 30.2, 3.I have neither learned wiſdome, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
I do not glory in mine own righteouſneſſe, but looking to mine heart within, and into my wayes without, I ſay with Saint Paul, of Sinners I am cheefe.
An humble man hath this advantage of a proud man, for he cannot fall, his eſtate may grow both higher and fuller, but his heart keepeth one point of elevation, and is fixed at that; he never graſpe…h for wind to hold it, he hunteth not after opinion, he doth not flatter himſelf with vain hopes.
Well may an humble man ſuffer from others, but he will keep ſo good a watch upon his own heart, that that ſhall never deceive him by any information of ſelf-wiſdome.
But I commend a Virtue that but half keeps a living man in the earth, ſaith the gallant; true, but as the root is deep emboſomed of the earth which makes the Free bear a ſtorm the better.
But this keepeth men from putting forth themſelves, where they may exerciſe their other virtues. I but it joyeth all well-affected, that Church and Common wealth aboundeth ſo in choyce, that there is no need of me.
And thoſe whom pride putteth forth have an evil edition.
2. Their next confidence was in the ſiituation of their dwelling, reſembled to an Eagles building her neſt in the clefts of a rock on high. So there meets to make up their confidence, ſtrength and height of dwelling.
That is their confidence, and that is diſperſed in the fourth verſe,
Thence will I bring thee down ſaith the Lord.
This opinion of the ſtrength of an impregnable habitation hath deceived many.
After David had reigned ſeven yeeres in Hebron, The King and his men went to Jeruſalem to the Jebuſites the inhabitants of the land, 2 Sam. 5.6.which ſpake unto David ſaying, except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou ſhalt not come in thither, Thinking David cannot come hither.
The Hebrewes have made a figurative conſtruction of theſe words, namely that the Jebuſites did preſerve two Images, the one of Iſaac, who was blind, the other of Iacob, who was lame, theſe two Iſaac and Iacob made a Covenant with Abimilech, in which League they comprehended the Iebuſites; therefore the league muſt be broken, which was made with Iſaac and Iacob, if they did come thither to remove the Iebuſites.
But this is vain and fabulous.
The true meaning is, that the Iebuſites did think their hold ſo ſtrong, that ſo long as there were any men therein, (though blind and lame) they would be able to defend the place againſt David.
But that hope was diſpaired; for ver 9. David dwelt in that Fort, and called it the City of David, &c.
The like Example we have of Babylon.
Here her in her ruffe and in the pride of her heart, Thou haſt ſaid in thy heart, Iſa. 14.13:I will aſcend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne among the ſtars of God: I will ſit alſo upon the mount of the Congregation, in the ſides of the North:
I will aſcend above the heights of the clouds.
I will be like the moſt high.
Which pride of heart ſmarted in them; for it followeth, yet thou ſhalt be brought down to Hell, to the ſides of the pit.
I deny not but this is litterally to be underſtood of Babylon; Dr. Reyn…. on Obed.but it troubleth me that any learned man of our dayes ſhould charge ſo many great judgements as have applyed this, to the page missing of the Angels with unskilfull application thereof. I know,
The learnedſt and graveſt judgements have gone that way, as far as we have any thing written of the fall of Angels.
And men of yeſterday do not well to impute unskifulneſſe, to ſuch expert Scribes.
But in the poſthumous writings of great learned men, the publiſher may ſhuffle in ſome of his own brann amongſt their Wheate.
For underſtand this either literally of Babylon, or allegorically of the Angels that fell, either of them thought their dwellings impregnable, and therefore ſafe.
Jeruſalem called the joy of the whole earth, was compaſſed ſo with mountains, that the prophet to expreſſe the ſafety of the Church, reſembleth it to Jeruſalem.
As the mountains are about Jeruſalem, Pſa. 125 2ſo is the Lord round about his people, &c.
They that truſt in the Lord ſhall be as Mount-Sion.ver. 2.
Yet we know how it was deſtroyed.
David was gone far that way in preſuming upon the ſafety of his perſon, and ſtate;
Dixi, nunquam movebor. I ſaid I ſhall not be removed, thou Lord of thy goodneſſe haſt made my mountain ſo ſtrong.
All which examples and all experience, meeteth in one point of Doctrine, that it is a vain confidence to truſt in the ſtrength of our ſtate and dwelling on earth.
A full proofe of this truth we find in the example of the Philiſtims Garriſon, for
Betweene the paſſages, by which Jonathan ſought to go over to the Philiſtims Garriſon, there was a ſharp rock on the one ſide, 1 Sam. 14.4.and a ſharp rock on the other ſide.
Yet Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, ver. 13.and his Armour-bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan, &c.
The reaſon of this is given by God himſelfe, I will bring thee down ſaith the Lord.
The Lord taketh on him to bring down high looks, and whoſoever be the inſtrument and means of their overthrow, it is the Lords doing.
In this very example in my Text, God claimeth the glory of Edoms ruine; for the Prophet asketh who it is that cometh from Edom, and why his garments be red? It is anſwered, I have trode the wine preſſe alone▪ Iſa. 63.1.there was not one with me.
Which prophecy looketh two wayes▪ both to the deſtruction of Edom in the letter, which God aſſumeth to himſelf as his own work.
And ſpecially to the kingdom of Sathan, which Chriſt in the blood of his paſſion did alone conquer.
We had a faire example hereof in Eighty eight; the invincible Armado of Spain, then our enemy, now our reconciled friend, came forth in the ſtrength of ſhips and Ordnance, and men, and promiſed themſelves the conqueſt of this Land: they ſaid we will rejoyce and divide Sichem, and meet out the valey of S…ccoth. God gave us victory, and declared that no ſtrength prevaileth againſt the Lord.
Therefore let no man truſt in the ſtrength of his dwelling: we have an Iland encompaſſed and moted about with the Sea, walled in with ſands and rocks, and ſhelves, which maketh the paſſage to us full of dangers, and is a great ſecurity to our land; yet have the Romans, the Danes, and the Normans conquered this land.
Therefore our truſt is not in the ſtrength of our dwellings, but God is our rock; on the clifts of this rock we dwell ſafe, ſo that Faith, and not preſumption do build our neaſt. To him if we addreſſe our prayers, to him if we give the Sacrifices of praiſe, if to him we perform the duties of obedience, who can harm us? God of his goodneſſe hath made our mountain ſo ſtrong that we need not feare what man can do againſt us.
The truſt of Edom was vaine, and the vanity thereof is deſcribed in the miſerable waſt that was made therein.