Vers. 1. Thus saith the Lord; Where is that bill of your mothers diuorcement, whom I haue cast off? or who is the cre∣ditor to whom I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities are you sold; and because of your transgressions is your mother for∣saken.
* 1.1THis place is diuerslie expounded: but very few haue at∣tained ye Prophets meaning. To the end wee may haue the sum briefly, we must note this con∣iunction, whereby the Lord in manie places testifies, that his people are obliged and bound vnto him: namely, that he is as it were our husband, and we his wife: for it is a spirituall mariage consecrated by his eternall word, and sealed vp with the blood of Iesus Christ.* 1.2 As he then for his part receiues vs in∣to his protection as his beloued wife, vpon condition that wee keepe faith and loyaltie towards him: so when we play false with him, he reiects vs; and then it is rightly said, that he puts vs away: euen as if a husband should banish an adulterous wife his house. Now, because wee could not easilie conceiue the reason why God should reiect the Iews which were pressed vnder so many and great cala∣mities, it was necessarie she should here come to manifest the cause of this diuorce. But for as much as we are ordinarily too eloquent in couering of our owne faults, and striue to lay all the blame where we should not; that is to say, vpon God himselfe: so the Iewes also then murmured at their estate, as if the Lord had done them wrong so to reiect them. Why so? Because they could not bee brought to ac∣knowledge that the promises were made vn∣effectual, and the couenant abolished by their leaud behauiour. At least they could not be drawne to make this confession, but with much adoe: for they posted ouer their fault to their predecessors, as if they forsooth had borne the punishmēt of their offences. From thence proceeded those complaints recited by Ezekiel; Our fathers haue eaten sower grapes, and our teeth are set on edge: Ezek. 18.2. Now because such prouerbs at that time went currant among them, the Lord bids them bring forth that letter of diuorce, by which they might iustifie their owne innocencie, and proue that God had vniustly put them away.
It was the custome then to giue a woman vniustlie diuorced,* 1.3 a letter in her hand: for thereby her husband was constrained to te∣stifie, that his wife had liued chastly and ho∣nestly with him: that all might know that she was not put away for her owne fault, but be∣cause she pleased not her husband. And thus the wife was set at libertie, and her innocen∣cie approued; and the fault was laid onelie vpon the husband, to whose discontented mind the cause of this rent was imputed. Mo∣ses ordained this law, Deut. 24.1. in regard of the peoples hardnesse of heart, as witnesseth our Lord Iesus Christ, Mat. 19.7. The Lord by a very fit similitude then shewes, that hee is not the author of this diuorce, but that the people put away themselues by their owne fault, and so pursued their lusts, that they vt∣terly dissolued the mariage knot. This is the cause why he asks for this letter, whereof they boasted so much: for there is great weight in ye pronoune demonstratiue that; by which the Prophet meant to tax their vaine excuses. As if hee should; You haue skill to put the fault farre enough from you, and to reproch the Lord; you haue your defences in your hands readie to shew; and yet in the meane while your selues haue violated the faith of mari∣age: neither are you able to alleadge any iust matter for your selues, whereby to disproue the lawfulnesse of your diuorce.
Where is the creditor? Heere hee sets forth the same thing by another similitude: when any was so farre indebted,* 1.4 that hee could not satisfie his creditors, hee was constrained to giue his children in paiment. The Lord now askes if hee were forced to doe this; to wit, whether hee hath sold or giuen them to pay his creditor; or whether he was like to those vn∣thrifts, who fondly waste their substance: or to those housholders, who suffer themselues to runne ouer shooes in debt. As if he should say; I am sure you are notable to charge mee with any such matter. And therefore it is eui∣dent to all, that you haue been sold & brought into bondage for your iniquities. And thus the Lord maintaines his owne iustice against all false imputations; which by this second member hee thus repulseth, in regard the Iewes were sold and put away by their owne fault.
Saint Paul vseth the same similitude when he saith. We are sold vnder sinne: Rom. 7.14. but in a diuers sense. Besides, the Hebrues are wont thus to speake of wicked ones,* 1.5 who giue ouer themselues to commit sinne with a re∣probate mind. But heere the Prophet onely meant to conuince the Iewes, in regard that by their owne offences, they had wittingly pulled all the euils they sustained vpō them∣selues. If any aske; but can the Lord reiect his heritage? Can hee disanull or breake his couenant? No verily: but it is said hee for∣sakes and prophanes his heritage: as in Psal. 89. Ezech. 24. because we can iudge no other∣wise of it by outward appearance. For in that he bare not that affection towards them hee was wont, it was a kinde of diuorce or re∣iection.