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. LVII.

THe righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, &c. This is by Jerom * 1.1 applied to Christ and his Apostles, thus. The righteous man Christ is put to death by means of the blinde watchmen before-spoken of, who instigated the people against him, and by much pressing of him prevailed with Pilate to con∣demn him, although by his wife he had warning to do nothing against that righteous man; and amongst the Jews there were few or none that considered it afterwards to repent. But they generally took him to be justly cut off, as one that wrought by the devil and deceived the people. Yet the true cause, as the Prophet assigns it, when he repeats again, The righteous is taken away, by rea∣son of malice, Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which if we render it word for word, is, from the face of the malefactour, or malice. To the Apostles he applieth the next words, Mercifull men are taken away, none considering it. For as they persecuted Christ, so they did them who preached and offered the greatest mercy in the world, Forgiveness of sins, to all that would believe in Christ, and were so mercifull that they could not be made to curse, but prayed for their Persecutours, as Christ had done, and it is expressed that Stephan the first Martyr did.

He went away in peace, they rest in their beds, he that walketh before him. Jer. * 1.2 In directione ejus, because the word signifieth either Before him, or right over against him, that is, keeping equipage with him, as when one friend walketh with another. N. Tr. That walketh in righteousnesse, respecting rather the sense then the words. He, that is, Christ, went away in peace, as being Prince of peace, and bequeathing the legacy of peace to his Disciples a little before, say∣ing, My peace I leave unto you: They, that is, the Apostles cut off by persecu∣tion rest in their graves, as in beds, every one that walks before him, and is

upright shall also do likewise. But the Jews, saith he, understand all this as spoken of the righteous slain by Manasseh, or of Isaiah himself, who was cut asunder with a saw. Others understand any righteous persons, who are taken away a little before greatest misery coming upon their Countrey, that they might not see it, as Josiah, and Augustin before the enemies taking of Hippo his City. But all things do so aptly agree to Christ and his Apostles, that I can∣not but think Jeroms exposition most genuine, and to him agree Cyril, Proco∣pius, * 1.3 Theod. Tertullian, Justin, Cyprian, Rupertus, Lyra, &c. Yet touch∣ing these words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which may also be rendred, Because of evil] there may be another Exposition, Christ died for the sins of his people, which otherwise would have destroyed them, as is expressed Isa. 53. If any man shall apply this Text to the righteous in general perishing by the hands of the wic∣ked, or otherwise evil, being now ready to invade his Countrey, or when such die they are but taken away from evil of sinne and misery to the good of sanctity and glory, I shall readily assent unto him: only the first, as I take it is the most proper meaning of the place.

But come hither (ye sons of the sorceresse) ye seed of the adulterer. Having * 1.4 spoken to the comfort of the righteous, vers. 2. now he turns himself to wic∣ked persecutors of Christ and his servants, the malicious Jews, whom he cal∣leth the seed of the adulterer for their spiritual adultery with Idols by wor∣shipping them in every place, as is expressed vers. 5, 6, 7, &c. For such were the Progenitors of the wicked Jews which persecuted Christ and slew him. And * 1.5 he challengeth them, saying, Against whom do ye sport your selves and make a wide mouth? wherein he pointeth at their scoffs, He saved others, let him save himself, &c. and Hecrieth to Ely, and reproaches, He casteth out devils by none other but Belzebub the prince of devils, &c. Thus Jerom. And this is further confirmed from Psal. 22. 7. 13. where in the person of Christ it is said, They shoot out the lip at me, they gaped upon me, &c. Calvin. After comfort to * 1.6 the righteous, here followeth terrour to wicked and rebellious idolaters, who survived after that the righteous were taken away, and because they escape hi∣therto, think of impunity for ever. By bidding them [Come hither] he meaneth, that they shall come to judgement; neither shall they be able to lurk in any place without being found out and brought to severe punishment. And he upbraids them by their parents to meet with their high conceitedness of themselves in respect of Abraham their father, calling them witches chil∣dren, &c. as Christ afterwards tels them, Ye are of your father the devil. He cals them the children of wizzards or witches, saith Lyra, because in the * 1.7 dayes of Manasseh, and of other idolatrous Kings, they were much addicted to divinations, as indeed idolaters commonly are; and therefore to Jehoram was objected by Jehu the abundance of his mother Jezabels witcherafts, as well as whordoms spiritual. But he, as Jerom, applieth all against Christs persecu∣tors; but Calvin, Musculus, &c. to the wicked Jews of those times, under∣standing their mocking and contemptuous speeches of which they are accused to have been against Isaiah and other Prophets of the Lord, as 2 Chron. 36. 16. But in asking them Against whom have ye put out your tongues] he intimates, that it was not so much against them as against God their master, that they might be terrified to think upon it, and all other wicked despisers of Gods Mi∣nisters at this day. Which is indeed a good and pious application, and will hold as well if it be expounded of the persecutors of Christ and his Ministers, as was said before; and so I take it, we shall best go with the sense of the Pro∣phet. And he cals them also a lying seed] because they falsly gloried that they were the seed of Abraham, who, as Christ said unto them, did not so; there∣fore he tels them, That they were of their father the devil, adding, that he was a liar, and so in effect pronouncing them a lying seed for the same reason, as in this place.

Inflaming your selves with Idols under every green tree, slaying your children. * 1.8 That which followeth here of their Idolatry, and offering their very children

in Sacrifice in valleys and groves, hath been so much spoken of, 2 King. & 2 Chron. that I shall not need to say any more hereupon, but referre the Read∣er to my Commentary upon the Histories of Ahaz and Manasseh, &c. Only Isaiah in setting forth these abominations continueth his Allegory begun, ta∣ken from adulterers and whores, who commit their wickedness in beds, and in secret behinde doors being shut, v. 7, 8.

Thou wentest to the King with oyl, and didst encrease thy perfumes. Here also * 1.9 he goeth on still in the same Allegory. For an whore anoints or paints her face with oyl, and takes to her much sweet perfumes to make her the more amiable to the adulterer: so he sheweth that wicked Idolaters, who served Molok, which signifieth the King, did; and this was the Idol of the Ammonites, to whom they sacrifced their children, as is said before vers. 6. The oyl and perfumes with which they went, were offerings which they brought to that Idol. And thou didst send thy Messengers farre off, that is, to the Assyrians, whose gods thou didst also worship, of which more is spoken Ezek. 16. and of those of the Babylonians. And debasedst thy self even to hell] by such an humbling, as where∣by Amon humbled Thamar, of which Jerom saith, A great humbling, from the * 1.10 light and height of chastity, to the darknesse of the Stews. Calvin expounds it of forrain and remote Kings, whose friendship they sought by sending them gifts of oyls, most precious and sweet odours, wherewith their Countrey abound∣ed, as to the King of Assyria sometime, and then to the King of Babylon, be∣cause they were most mighty, as they thought, to defend them: and to inti∣mate this, Legats are said to be sent farre off. But because the whole scope of the place is to declare them to be grosse spiritual adulterers with all sorts of false gods, whether of the Nations near or farre off, and killing their children was before mentioned, which is notoriously known to have been done to Mo∣lok the King; I rather assent to Jerom in the first; and for Messengers sent farre off in this negotiation, which implieth nothing, but that as they com∣mitted adultery with Molok, the God of the Ammonites, who were near, so they had their factours to bring in Idols also, such as they had amongst the Heathen in Countreys more remote.

Yet saidst thou not, There is no hope, thou hast found the life of thine hand, there∣fore * 1.11 thou wast not grieved. Vulg. Non dixisti, quiescam. But the Hebrew word signifieth desperatum est, there is nothing but despair, if I go on thus still. Thou hast found the life of thy hand, that is, herbey thou hast been hardened to go on in these abominable wayes without repentance, because thy wealth which is as a life to thee is great, making thee proud, and to sleight all admo∣nitions of the Prophets without being moved to grieve for thy sins: Of the like obstinacy taxed, see Jer. 18. 12.

Of whom hast thou been afraid, that thou hast lied? That is, saith Jerom, Con∣sider * 1.12 since thy heart hath been hardened by reason of thy wealth wherein thou hast trusted, and hast not been grieved for thy sins, that thou mightst call upon and turn to me, what other Potentates thou hast feared, who in∣deed have been a terrour unto thee; and if then being by necessity enforced, thou hast sometime sought unto me, Thou hast lied, for thou hast not in truth remembred me then, but thy heart hath still been towards thy Idols: Have not I held my peace of old, and thou fearest me not, Hebr. Am not I silent even from everlasting; the meaning, As I have not been called upon, so I have left thee in misery at all times most anciently, And thou hast forgotten me; or forgetting thee, as thou hast forgotten, and put me out of thy minde. Thus Jerom. But * 1.13 the Hebrew, Thou hast not feared me; and the sense is given otherwise thus by Calvin, Have not I shewed as much patience as any God could shew in for∣bearing all this while to execute my severest judgements upon thee, and yet thy hard heart is not wrought upon to fear me?

And this seemeth to be best, because vers. 12. he saith, I will shew thee thy * 1.14 righteousnesse and thy works, and they shall not profit thee; As who should say, I have not hitherto done it, as now I will, but have held my peace, as it were,

in times past, and have not spoken by the voice of so great and long-lasting judg∣ments, as now I will. For all the judgments of God against Israel in former times were nothing to that by the Babylonians, and afterwards by the Romans, which is specially meant, for he chargeth them with their despising of his dear and only Son, v. 4.

When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee. Symmachus, for companies * 1.15 or congregated ones, as the Septuagint have it, render it, Thy Synagogues] to the same effect, that is, the company of gods which thou hast gathered toge∣ther, and made thee from all Nations farre and near, according to that which hath been already said. Thus Deut. 32. 37, 38. they are bidden to do likewise; * 1.16 and Elijah biddeth Baals servants to cry aloud to him; and Elishah Jehoram, to get him to the gods of his father and mother, 2 King. 13. but when they did so so, he sheweth that it should be vain, onely such as trust in God shall not do it in vain, but possesse the Land, as it followeth in the next words.

Cast up, cast ye up, prepare the way. Having said, that the faithfull should * 1.17 possesse the Land, he now sheweth how a way should be made for them; see the like before, Chap. 40. 1. 62. 10. It is a metaphorical speech taken from the making of a causie by casting up the earth high; and because great stones some∣times lying in the way hinder passengers by their stumbling at them, it is fur∣ther added, Take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people, Chap. 62. 10. the stones; whereby, saith Jerom, the Jews understand the removal of all impediments of the way, that they might safely and without any let return * 1.18 out of Babylon to Mount Zion according to the letter; but it is rather and more agreeably to the premisses to be understood of the Church of Christ, which is commonly compared to a mountain, as Matth. 5. 15. and Isa. 2. 1, &c. and because it is such, it is said, Cast up, cast up, as intimating, that the way must be made high to come to this high mountain: And then is every stum∣bling block and stone, at which men might stumble, taken away, when all things obscurely set forth in the Word, are by the industry of the Pastours of the Church made plain; and hereby Christ is made manifest to be the Messiah that was to come.

For thus saith the high and lofty One, &c. Having promised to such as trust in * 1.19 him, that they inherit his holy mountain, and have a way made thither, now he sheweth a reason why it should be so, viz. because he that dwelleth on high, dwelleth with the humble and contrite in heart, who are the onely men that have this grace bestowed upon them to trust in God, according to to that, God despiseth the proud, and gives grace to the humble; see the like Chap. 66. 2.

For I will not contend for ever, nor be alwayes wroth. As if he had said, I * 1.20 have indeed striven by my judgements with these my humble servants to bring them to this grace, but now I will do so no more. For if I should be extream this way, all the souls that I have made must needs perish.

For the iniquity of his covetousnesse I smote him, &c. It was not because I de∣light * 1.21 in the destruction of sinners, but to correct and amend them, that I might pardon their sins and save their souls after that I have thus judged their bodies. But what is meant by covetousnesse here? Sol. Some understand it of that love and desire of money, which is said to be the root of all evil, some of an inexpleble desire of sinning, as the word is used Ephes. 4. 19. and some of * 1.22 sinfull desires of the heart in general, which God punisheth as well as acts, be∣cause they make men guilty before him, but this dissers little from the former, and according to either of them, if for covetousnesse we render it desire, it will be best.

I saw his wayes, and will heal him. That is, even when I smote him I saw * 1.23 his obstinacy and incorrigibility in sinne, yet I thought I would not proceed in judgements any longer, but allure him by mercies, delivering him from the miseries of which he is even sick unto death under the hands of his ene∣mies.

And this is first spoken of the Jews, with whom he dealt thus, and then of all sinners amongst whom the Gospel cometh, it cometh as unexpected or undeserved, for which the Lord saith, I was found of them that sought me not. But when their wayes were most wicked, and they had been striven withall by many dreadfull judgements in vain, by offering the grace of the Gospel the Lord healed them. And he saith, That he will comfort him and his mour∣ners, whereby some few godly persons amongst the Jews were meant accord∣ing to Ezek. 9. who mourned for the sins of the Land, and not only for exter∣nal miseries, of whom it is said, Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. * 1.24

I create the fruit of the lips, peace to the farre off and the near. The conceit of some mentioned hereby Musculus, because 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth a bank of a river as well as a lip, that the abundance of peace is meant, running as a river full of water between two banks is not so well agreeing, because neither is a river any where called the fruit of two banks (for the word here used is of the dual number) implying two; neither is this word put for any thing but two lips. To follow therefore the common reading, hereby is meant either the event of Gods gracious promises made by the mouth of his Prophets, for these bring forth their expected fruit, as it were, when it is peace according to the pro∣mise made, the enemies being quite subdued. And this he saith, to declare how they should come to have so plain and open a way, as was said, vers. 14. there should be all peace, and therefore no enemies to keep them from their so much desired Countrey; Thus Jerom. Or hereby is meant, that such as came * 1.25 to bring tidings should bring the glad tidings of peace; or that the Prophets and Apostles should thenceforth preach and comfort, whereas the Prophets had been formerly so much in denouncing the judgements of warre and de∣struction: So Calvin. By the farre off are meant the Gentiles, by the near * 1.26 the Jews; or if it be in any part referred to the Jews, some taken and carried into Babylon, and some left to till the ground, the farre off were those in Ba∣bylon, the near those at home in Judea. But it is applied to Jews and Gentiles, Ephes. 2. 17. the Jews being made the farre off there, because rejected for their unbelief, and the Gentiles near, Act. 2. 39. the afarre off are the Gentiles, be∣cause to be called, but not then called.

But the wicked are like the troubled sea that cannot rest. Lest such should lay * 1.27 hold of this promise of peace they are here cut off from so doing, such as by true repentance turn shall have the peace promised vers. 19. but the wicked going on presumptuously still in sinne shall be restlesse as the sea, which is con∣tinually tossed with tempest after tempest; so they with one misery after ano∣ther, after miseries upon earth with miseries in hell for ever and ever. And if any wicked man hath peace external and prosperity as some have sometimes, yet he never hath such peace as is called the fruit of the Prophets lips springing from fiath which justifieth, that is, peace of conscience, which is said also to be peace with God. For although he seems to himself sometime to have this peace, because his cauterized conscience doth not for the present accuse him, [Note.] yet indeed he never hath it, but is like to a condemned person suffered to live for a time; but when the Judge cometh again is full of fear of being condem∣ned: So he, whensoever God will, shall have his conscience set awork to do the office by remembring his sins, and aggravating them against him to the ma∣king of him fear even to desperation, as hath been the case of many at sundry times, who to avoid the horrour of a troubled conscience have most unnatu∣rally laid violent hands upon themselves, as Judas did. Jerom assenting to * 1.28 this, that it may thus be understood of all the wicked, yet saith, it may more particularly be understood of the Jews who were restlesse in persecuting Christ, crying with one consent, Crucifie him, crucifie him; and therefore have ever since been restlesse in respect of miseries; and thus, as the sea by being trou∣bled is made to foam, and that foam turns into dirt, so the Jews are of all men conculcated and trodden under foot as mire and dirt in the streets. And herein

I will not against Jerom, but it is best to take it, as hath been said, and so it is generally by our new Writers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vers. 1. Hieronym.
• * 1.2

  Vers. 2.
• * 1.3

  Cyril, Justin, Cyprian, &c.
• * 1.4

  Vers. 3.
• * 1.5

  Vers. 4. Hieronym.
• * 1.6

  Calvin.
• * 1.7

  Joh. 8. Lyra.
• * 1.8

  Vers. 5.
• * 1.9

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.10

  Hier. Grandis revera humili∣tas, praecipitatio ad inferos, quia à luce & culmi∣ne castitatis ad tencbras lupana∣ris.
• * 1.11

  Vers. 10. Hieron. Calvin.
• * 1.12

  Vers. 11. Hieronym.
• * 1.13

  Calvin.
• * 1.14

  Vers. 12.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 13.
• * 1.16

  2 King. 19.
• * 1.17

  Vers. 14.
• * 1.18

  Hieronym.
• * 1.19

  Vers. 15.
• * 1.20

  Vers. 16.
• * 1.21

  Vers. 17.
• * 1.22

  Hieron. Calvin.
• * 1.23

  Vers. 18.
• * 1.24

  Matth. 5. Vers. 19. Muscul.
• * 1.25

  Hieronym.
• * 1.26

  Calvin.
• * 1.27

  Vers. 20.
• * 1.28

  Hieron.