A commentary upon the whole Old Testament, added to that of the same author upon the whole New Testament published many years before, to make a compleat work upon the whole Bible. Vols. 2-4. Wherein the divers translations and expositions, literall and mysticall, of all the most famous commentators both ancient and modern are propounded, examined, and judged of, for the more full satisfaction of the studious reader in all things, and many most genuine notions inserted for edification in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A work, the like unto which hath never yet been published by any man, yet very necessary, nor only for students in divinity; but also for every Christian that loveth the knowledge of divine things, or humane, whereof this comment is also full. Consisting of IV parts. I Upon the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. II Upon the historical part, from Joshua to Esther. III Upon Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomons Song. IV Upon all the prophets both great and small. By John Mayer, doctor of divinity.

CHAP. XX.

THerefore do my thoughts cause me to answer thee, and for this I make hast. * 1.1 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of understanding causeth me to answer.

Zophar who speaketh here, being moved at the day of Judgment spoken of, seemeth to have been much troubled at it, as not being able to say, but that Job spake rightly: For which he saith, that his thoughts, into which he entred, upon consideration thereof, caused him to make hast to answer, be∣ing the more put on for the reproach of his reproofs before going, Chap. 12, 13. And he would not be thought but to understand well, both what Job had said, and how to answer him, and make him ashamed, notwithstanding all the eloquent speeches that came from him, which he thought so excellent. And what is it, that he saith by way of answer, but a repetition of the same things often objected against Job before, and of the judgements of God in this life against the wicked, of whom he took Job to be now detected for one, and that most notorious, as his punishments were the greatest that ever yet had been laid upon any man. But herein Zophar seemeth to wave the last speech of Job, touching the last day of Judgment, as if he regarded not that so much, but were wholly intent to present judgments; as if it might hence be gathered assuredly, that he who is thus soarly punished, is not righteous, but wicked, whatsoever shew of faith and piety he maketh.

Knowest thou not this of old, ever since man was placed upon earth, That the

triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of an hypocrite for a moment. If one man could have lived ever since the Creation till this time, yet it being past, it is now nothing; therefore no man living so long, but in a far shorter time being cut off for his sinnes, the time of his joy and proud lifting up him∣selfe for his present prosperity is meer, vanity, and this specially pertaineth to the wicked hypocrite, who taxeth other mens sins, and for this seemeth to be godly and zealous, of which he rejoyceth, as if he were now lifted up above the condition of others, even to heaven, as it were; as followeth, vers. 6. Though his excellency reach up to the heavens, &c. He shall be but as dung, stinking and filthy, and that in a moment, a point of time, as the Vulg. hath * 1.2 it, which is the shortest that may be, even whilst a man toucheth the paper with his pen, and immediately taketh it off again, not staying so long as the drawing of a line, or the writing of one letter.

His children shall seeke to please the poore, and his hands shall restore their * 1.3 goods. Vulg. His children shall be worn with poverty, and his hands shall ren∣der to him his sorrow. The reason of this diversity in the first clause is, be∣cause the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 may be derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to please, or from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to teare in pieces: But because there is more sense in this then in the other, this is to be preferred, his children shall teare the poor, or rather being poor shall teare; or through vexation weare out, and be macerated, and pine away, and he seeing this shall be filled with sorrow and griefe, not onely being brought down himself to extream poverty and misery; but his sorrow being hereby increased, that he is forced to see so sad a spectacle in his children also. And his hands are said to cause this, because it is a punishment that commeth upon him for the evill works his, the rapine and wrong that he hath done to others: And the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly signifieth his sorrow or mourning, although in N. Tr. it be drawn to their goods, the very meaning is then, the wicked Extortioner shall be repayed in his kind, as he hath by his oppressions made other men and their children poor, so it shall come to him and his chil∣dren, [Note.] according to that of our Lord, What measure you mete unto others, shall * 1.4 be measured to you againe.

His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lye downe with him in the dust. Here by bones Gregory understandeth such things as are by the * 1.5 wicked done, wherein there is some strength of vertue, because the bones are firme and strong; but the marrow filling these bones, being sins, wherein he began betimes, even in his youth, and continueth still in his older age, the good that he doth or saith is nothing acceptable to God, but as hee lived in sin, so he dyeth, and so shall he be found at the last day, and be condemned therefore for ever. A thing worth the noting to stir us all up to break off [Note.] from the sinnes that have grown up together with us, and not to trust to any good things that we do or speak of, without turning and throughly reform∣ing * 1.6 from our evill wayes.

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hideth it under his tongue. * 1.7 Wickednesse is sweet in the Hypocrites mouth, and is hidden under his tongue, when the evill which he hath in his heart is hidden under good and godly speeches, and flattering smooth words, whereby he seeketh to circum∣vent, and to deceive his neighbour, or to seem godly.

Though he spare it, and forsake it not, but keepeth it still within his mouth. * 1.8 That is, he will by no meanes part with this his hypocrisie by turning sin∣cere and upright-hearted, but continueth to take pleasure in the evill in his heart, thus palliated over by feigned words.

Yet his meate in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of Aspes within him. Hee * 1.9 hath swallowed downe riches, he shall vomit them up again, &c. That is, the e∣vill thoughts and devices in his heart, which he seeketh to hide under the covert of good words, whereupon he fed in his mind, as upon delicious meat, shall prove poyson in him, and he shall cast it all up, that is, all the worldly goods which he hath thus gotten, and God shall in his just judgment make

him to do this, when all that he hath thus gotten shall againe be taken from him. Oh that all such as get their goods by oppression, injustice, and deceit, would consider this. For the present such gain may be sweet unto them, but [Note.] it shall be turned, when for a while with delight it hath lyen, as it were, i•• their belly, into dead poyson, causing them to vomit it up again, and their vitall blood and spirits withall, and so to dye miserably. The faithfull also, as Gregory noteth, are said to have honey and milk under their tongue, that * 1.10 is, sweetnesse, but this is, when having a love to their Brethren in their hearts, they yet shew it not, but smite them with reproofs for their sins, being rea∣dy notwithstanding, when the time is, to speak comfortably againe to them that they may not despair; as Peter, having pricked the Jewes in their hearts * 1.11 by his Sermon, when he perceived this, spake comfort unto them, telling them what they should do to be saved.

He shall sucke the poyson of aspes, the vipers tongue shall slay him. The poy∣son * 1.12 of Aspes sets forth inward temptations, for which it is said to be within him, vers. 14. which at the first are pleasant unto him as meat; but when Satan by his alluring temptations hath prevailed to draw to sin, he turneth to a Vi∣per unto him, bringing inevitable destruction: He rageth in his belly, where he hath held him, like meat, til that he violently breaketh out; and he, in whom he was, is destroyed: As it is said, that the young Vipers, do by their dam, gnawing their way out through her belly, whereby shepe∣risheth: So the evil conceptions in the mindes of the wicked, at length slay them.

Gregory also applyeth this meat in his belly, turned to the poyson of * 1.13 Aspes, to the word of God, in the minde and memory of wicked hypo∣crites; who beare it in their inward parts, but to their greater condemna∣tion, it lying here as a witnesse against them, and they shall be made to cast it up, by him that saith, What hast thou to do, to take my word into * 1.14 thy mouth; and hatest to be reformed. And again, Thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee. There is no praise then in this, that such [Note.] a man hath a good memory to beare away the Sermon, which he hath heard; seeing he beareth away his bane, which is meat to the godly, but rank poyson to him.

He shall not see the Rivers, the flouds, the Brookes of honey and butter. * 1.15 By these three, Gregory understandeth the three graces of Faith, Hope, and Charity, which come from the spirit of God; that is, compared to a River of water, flowing out of the belly of him, that hath Christs water given unto him: The wicked hypocrite shall never see these Rivers, Floudes, or Brooks, as they are, viz. Brooks of honey and milk. But what is Honey? It is a thing coming from above, milk out of the flesh by the dugges here below; [Note.] by honey then we may understand, Christs divinity; by milk, the comfort of his Incarnation; of neither of both which, shall such a man have any comfort, but the truly faithful have abundance: As he that findeth a River or Brook may have his fil of water, to his exceeding great refreshing, in an hot and dry Wildernesse, such as this world is: They may have eyes indeed to see, but because they perceive not; they do only think they see them and take comfort herein, but they do not truly see or taste of them, to injoy any induring comfort hereby: Thus for the allegorical sense, for the literal nothing else is meant hereby, but that the oppressor may ga∣ther Goods in abundance, but shall have no joy of them; for this is not to see these Rivers of wealth: Thus shall he be punished, that is covetous and teareth from others, either he shall be only a slave to them, to keep them, having no use thereof, or when he hath heaped them up together, the Enemy shall come and take them away from him, he never seeing them more.

That which he laboured for shall he restore, he shall not swallow it down, * 1.16 according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoyce there∣in.

This further confirmeth the literal sense, of seventeen before given: For when a man hath gathered Goods, and they be taken from him, and he injoyeth them not long, what is this, but as is there said, a compulsory restitution made of them, yea even of them all; for which it is said, Ac∣cording to his substance, and that which he laboured for; that is, beating his brain, and working by his power to attain it. The vulg. He shall smart for all that he hath done, yet he shall not be consumed, according to the mul∣titude of his inventions, so he shall suffer. But here the sense is altogether respected, and not the words in the Originals; that the worst which shall come to such, might be expressed not only in this World, but in the World to come: And he is compelled to restore, that is punished, as hath been said, or made to smart, and he swalloweth not down his rapines, in whose throat they ever stick, even stick alwaies, he being not yet so consumed hereby, but living to beare the punishment of this his wickednesse for ever and ever; as they do, that lye burning in the tormenting flames of Hel fire, but yet are not consumed as other fewell, to have an end put to these hideous sufferings. Lastly, In saying he shall not rejoyce, he meaneth, that he shall have everlasting sorrow, as hath been already said.

Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, nor save of that which he de∣sired. * 1.17 The vulg. His belly is not filled, and when he hath what he desired, he shall not be able to possess it. Whereupon, what is the belly, saith Gregory, * 1.18 but covetousnesse, which by having the greatest abundance, is not satisfied, but as the fire, the more wood is laid upon it, although it seemeth to be at a stay for a time, yet kindling in, is this also, the slame is made greater and extendeth further: But whilst he thus coveting more, death cutteth him off, and then all his possessions go from him: And this is the same in effect, with not having quietnesse in his belly, because the belly that is stil crav∣ing and unquiet til more meat cometh into it, is not filled; and what doth the covetous man desire, but to hold and to keep his Possessions, and to be increasing them alwaies? and this is added as a further punishment, when a covetous wretch hath his desire granted him, he being made to abound in wealth, hath it soon taken from him again, by death coming in the in∣stant and cutting him off, as these Israelites in the Wildernesse: Who asking flesh had it given them, but when it was between their teeth, they dyed: Or as the Fool in the Gospel, who when as his grounds had but even now brought forth abundance, and he was meditating upon living * 1.19 plentifully thereupon, was the same night taken away.

There shall none of his meat be left, therefore shall no man look for his Goods. * 1.20 The vulg. Nothing shall remain of his Goods. By his meat and goods the same is meant, but they are called his meat: Zophar going on stil in the allegory of the belly, of these nothing is left him, because he is by death stript of all, and must goe as naked before the just Judge, as the poorest man that is, for all his wealth finding no favour.

In fulness of sufficiency, he shall be in straites, every hand of the wicked shall * 1.21 come upon him. The vulg. All greife shall rush in upon him. For he is by his covetous getting of worldly Goods from others, in continual danger to have them taken away again by the hands or power of some mighter then he, or by Theeves and Robbers, or he being cut off, his Goods may come into the hands of such as he hath oppressed, every one coming to catch and take away a part again, and this is in effect, the rushing in of all greife upon him, for the 23. V. it is the same in effect that was said be∣fore, V. 24. He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall * 1.22 strike him through. What is the iron weapon here spoken of, saith Gregory, but the want of temporal things, which is strong as iron, breaking through even stone wales, and what the bow, by the Vulg. rendred, The brazen bow, But judgment suddenly coming upon him, for this his sin of stealing; although by his necessity forced to it, for the Arrow striking through

and slaying, which cometh from the bow, is not seen till it stricketh, and therefore it is thus compared, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth either brass, iron or steel: The poor man therefore, that is by his poverty tempted to steal, to avoid a bodily want, incurreth the danger of the destruction of his Soul, which although he neither seeth coming, nor feareth, yet it shall suddenly [Note.] come upon him, and he shall not escape it, coming like an arrow out of a bow, and to intimate this sudden coming of Judgment upon him, the word signi∣fying steely, or brasen, is derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that signifieth suddenly. For the literall sense, it is although the wicked escape one judgment, so that now he thinketh himself, out of danger, and so hardneth his heart to go on in his sinns, and another shall come upon him before he is aware of it, and slay him.

It is drawn and cometh out of his body, yea the glistering sword cometh out of * 1.23 his gall, terrours are upon him. The vulg. It is drawn out and cometh out of his sheath, lightening in his bitterness. Whereupon Gregory, it is sayd to be drawn out, because he is drawn to sin by Sataus Temptations, but be∣cause * 1.24 he that sinneth doth evill voluntarily; It is sayd also to come out, the wickedness that he doth, and the evill which he suffereth therefore come from himself, as out of a sheath, out of which a Sword cometh, whereupon the Psalmist sayth, The evill which the wicked hath done shall slay * 1.25 him. And it is added, Lightening in his bitterness, in alluding to his shining in worldly glory, as the rich man, Luke 16. For which Gods wrath shall come suddenly as lightning upon him, making him to be in great bitterness and sorrow: And this may be taken as spoken against the rich oppressing and increasing their wealth by their might; that before of the poor stealing for his necessity. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used, signifieth, Body, as N. Translat. hath it, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 lightning or glittering, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bitterness, from which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying the gall cometh.

All darkness shall be hid in his secret places, a fire not blown shall consume him, &c. * 1.26

By darkness here understand the works of darkness, of which though many break forth in every wicked man, yet the hipocrite hideth them a long time, seeming to the world an Angell of light: But he shall not therefore go unpunished, for a fire not blown shall burn him; that is, hell fire sayd not to be blown or kindled, because it differeth herein from other fires made by men, that they must be renewed from time to time, or else they will [Note.] go out, but this is a fire created by God, and being once kindled by his breath, that is, his word, it burneth everlastingly: And it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle; What is his tabernacle but his flesh? He that is then in the flesh, that is, in a naturall Estate, and so continueth un∣converted, * 1.27 when he dyeth it shall go ill with him, because his place shall be in the everlasting burning fire, that burneth without blowing: For of those that are in the flesh it is sayd, that they minde the things of the flesh, and to be fleshly minded is death, but the converted and believing are in Christ, and no condemnation is to them. * 1.28

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him▪ By the earth sinners are meant, because when Adam had sinned it was sayd to * 1.29 him, Earth thou art and to earth shalt thou return, and he that is of the earth is earthy. On the contrary side then by heaven the righteous are to be understood, who are often spoken of as heavenly, and are sayd to have their conversation in * 1.30 heaven. In saying then, that Heaven shall reval his iniquity, &c. It is meant, that as he hath wronged all sorts of men, so they shall all cry out against him at the day of judgment, and his oppressing of the righteous shall cry more terrible against him, then the oppressing of the wicked, although that shall cry against him also: But Heaven and Earth, may also properly be understood, for although they be dumb creatures, yet they have a voice to accuse and to testify against the wicked, for which it is sayd, He shall call the heaven and

the earth to judge his people: and heare O heavens and harken O earth: inti∣mating * 1.31 that they have ears to hear God speaking, and if so, they have a voice also to cry out against his enemies, such as all the wicked are, and the earth is sayd to have opened her mouth to receive Abells bloud at Cains hands. The wicked then cannot look to heaven above, or to the earth beneath, without * 1.32 horrour to think, even these, if other witnesses fail, shall come in to give te∣stimony [Note.] against them before the great Judge at the last day.

The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath: vulg. of his house the end shall be opened, it shall be drawn a∣way * 1.33 in the day of the fury of God; Expounded by Gregory, the intention of his heart, which was hidden before, no more appearing but only what he spake and did before others shal be discovered; that is, his thoughts, which were evil or good accusing or excusing him at the day of judgment. But because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 * 1.34 Jagal, doth not signify to discover or lay open, but to roule or remove away, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the bough of a tree, which is the increase thereof, I rather under∣stand his bundance of wealth, of all which he shall be stript in the day that God executeth his wrath upon him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vers. 2. Vers. 3.
• * 1.2

  Vers. 6. Vers. 7.
• * 1.3

  Vers. 10.
• * 1.4

  Matth. 27.
• * 1.5

  Vers. 11.
• * 1.6

  Ier. 7. 5.
• * 1.7

  Vers. 12.
• * 1.8

  Vers. 13.
• * 1.9

  Vers. 14, Vers. 15.
• * 1.10

  Song. 4.
• * 1.11

  Act. 2.
• * 1.12

  Vers. 16.
• * 1.13

  Gregor.
• * 1.14

  Psal. 50. 16.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 17. Gregor. Joh. 4. 10.
• * 1.16

  Vers. 18.
• * 1.17

  Vers. 20.
• * 1.18

  Gregor.
• * 1.19

  Luke 12.
• * 1.20

  Vers. 21.
• * 1.21

  Vers. 22.
• * 1.22

  Ver. 24. Gregor.
• * 1.23

  Vers. 25.
• * 1.24

  Gregory.
• * 1.25

  Psal. 34. 21.
• * 1.26

  Vers. 26.
• * 1.27

  Isa 30.
• * 1.28

  Rom. 8. 5. 6.
• * 1.29

  Ver. 27. Gen. 3. Ioh. 3.
• * 1.30

  Phil. 3. 20.
• * 1.31

  Psal. 50. Isa. 1. 1.
• * 1.32

  Gen. 4.
• * 1.33

  Ver. 28.
• * 1.34

  Rom. 2