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. XVIII.

HEre the Lord directeth Jeremiah again to teach by an outward and fami∣liar sign, he must go to a potters house, and there when he had seen how he * 1.1 made a vessell of clay, that pleased him not, which he therefore brake and made another of the same matter as he thought good, the Lord bad him say to the house of Israel, that he had the like power over them, to make them, * 1.2 and to break them, by an Argument a minore ad majus, because the potter is not so absolutely over his pots and clay, as the Lord is over men; both in this regard that the clay is none of his creature, neither hath he absolute Power without God giving him strength to break and make, but God hath. And therefore whensoever he threatens a Nation to pluck it up, or destroy it, if it * 1.3 repenteth, he will not do it, and when he promiseth to plant and build any, if that Nation doth evil he will repent him, that is, turn from doing what he promised, leaving such a Nation to destruction. And the Lord would have Jeremiah thus to teach the Jews, because they were so stupid, that verball teaching without signs would not work upon them, and when being both wayes taught they would not be moved to repentance, he might bring his judgements before threatned the more justly upon them. For by this teaching he sheweth first that the Israelites came not to be so glorious and flourishing a Nation but of Gods meer good will and pleasure, and the same is true touch∣ing any other Nation in the World. 2. That they were not so setledly built, but that by their sins they should be pulled down again, the Covenant and

promise made to Abraham and his seed notwithstanding, because in Covenants betwixt God and man, conditions are alwayes set, to which man must stand for his part, or else the Covenant is broken, to shew which God said to Abra∣ham, Gen. 17. 1. I am God alsufficient, walk before me, and be upright, whereby both he, and his posterity stood bound throughout all generations, and if it were so with the Israelitish Nation, much more with any other. 3. That the welfare or destruction of a Nation comes according to their repenting or evil doing, as Nineveh repenting, although threatned with destructionw, as spared, but Jerusalem doing evil, although built by gracious promises, was destroyed. 4. That destruction or deliverance to a Nation, when God willeth either upon their evil doings, or repentance, cometh suddenly, as upon Sodom, and the old World, Jericho, and the other Canaanites, destruction; and to the Hebrews in Egypt, to Samaria, and to Hezekiah and Jerusalem, deliverance. The similitude taken from the potter is used before Esa. 45. 9. and after Rom. 9. but there in respect of election and reprobation, here of temporall deliverance or destruction, yet as in this, so in that it is to he held, that however God hath absolute Power, yet he electeth none, but such as perfit constantly in well doing; neither condemneth any, but the impenitent only, although his decree of election and reprobation precedeth Jacobs and Esaus doing good or evill actually.

Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon, that comes from the rock of the field? * 1.4 Vulgar, will the snow of Lebanon leave, or fail from the rock of the field, thus also the Hebrews, that is, Doth the snow of Lebanon cease to be at any time upon the top of the rocks? certainly it doth not, for the nature of the rocks there is to hold snow both Summer and Winter, from whence that place had the name Lebanon from whitenesse, as Laban signifieth, no heat of the Sun being able to melt it. Now the Lord was to the Jews, as the snow of Lebanon, a cooling and refreshing to them, what hot persecution soever was raised up against them, but by their sins they now made him to leave them, so that the snow of Lebanon contrary to the accustomed manner was now gone. This sense is followed by Ierom, Raban and others, but somewhat diversly, the * 1.5 snow faileth not by melting all off the rocks of Lebanon, yet Israel is fallen away from the Lord to go after Baal, which I confesse, is also more agreeable to vers. 15. but then Israel must be the cool snow, wherein refreshing against extream heat lyeth, whereas God was this comfort to them, not they to him, yet they departing from him to false Gods, he would hereby shew, that he would forsake them. Isidor, Lyra, Vatabl. following the first reading, give * 1.6 this for the sense, Will any man be so mad in a hot time, to leave the snow of Lebanon commonly coveted by all men to be drunk for cooling, and go to other places to seek waters, that be corrupt and without this refrigerating vertue? and this either may well stand. For the next words, Shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? Vulgar, or can cool wa∣ters coming from any other place be pluckt out, that they should not flow? Hebr. shall cold flowing strange waters be pluckt away, by strange waters others being meant besides those of Lebanon before spoken of, about which there is the same difference amongst expositours that was about the snow of Lebanon, some taking it, as if it had been said, Shall any thing hinder the course of flowing waters that they should be put from it, from what place soever they come; and some as if it had been said, Will any man leaving cold waters in time of heat flowing into the City by pipes from any place, seek out for others uncertain or worse? and to this effect also Calvin, saying, that they are charged here * 1.7 with the same foul fault that they were charged with Chap. 2 13. viz. Forsaking the Fountain of living waters; which was God, here likened to the snow of Lebanon and cold waters flowing in unto them for their refreshing from other places; and this they did, when they left the pure worship of God to serve Baal.

They have caused them to fall in their wayes, from the ancient wayes to walk in * 1.8

pathes, a way not cast up. Hebr. in their wayes, the ancient wayes, or wayes of Eternity. Vulgar, the wayes of the World, a long time gone in: and accord∣ing to this the sense is thus given by Jerom, their false Prophets made them * 1.9 fall in their evil wayes, which were wayes of Idolatry that the Nations of the world had long walked in, and so they went in wayes not beaten by their godly forefathers, or not cast up or made by God for them to go in, and there∣fore were a way tending to destruction. So likewise Lyra, Tho. Aquin. Hugo, calling these evil wayes of wicked men, such as are spoken of Job 22. That say to God, depart from us, we care not for the knowledge of thy wayes. But Calvin, Vatabl. and Cald. following the first reading, they make one another * 1.10 to fall in the wayes by God appointed them to walk in, which are wayes so long ago gone in, that it is a wonder, that they should now stumble and fall in them by taking a distast at them, and preferring the abominable wayes of Idolatry which are so dangerous, as being like unto wayes that were never made, as common wayes are by causing and evening them, that men may go safely upon them without stumbling or falling. And this is the case of all the wicked, they take no liking to the good way wherein is safety, but turn into [Note.] wayes most dangerous for pits and quagmires, into which they sink, and can get out no more till they perish everlastingly. Wherefore John Baptist is said to have prepared the way of the Lord by filling valleys, &c. when he brought them by repentance unto Christ, for then they went in a plain way, but be∣fore in wayes wherein they might fall so, as never to rise up again, even the val∣ley and shadow of death, such as all sinfull wayes are.

For the Law shall not perish from the Priest, nor Counsell from the wise, nor * 1.11 the word from the Prophet. Say what Jeremiah could in exhorting or threat∣ning them, they were so far from being reformed thereby, that they were the more stirted up against him, sometime to kill, and sometime to vex him with scoffs and mocks, as here, where they stirre up one another, to smite him with the tongue: In saying the law shall not perish from the Priest, &c. they meant, that they had priests and Elders, and Prophets among them, that were sufficient to direct them, for the Priests lips shall preserve knowledge, &c. Mal. 2. 7. see also, Deut. 17. and therefore they might safely contemn whatso∣ever Jeremiah said, therefore come and let us threaten him, as he threatens us, and devise to say something to him, so that he may be ashamed and have little heart to go on in prophesying against us any more, as, That he is a fool or a mad man, a Priest that affecteth singularity, and to bear rule over all others, and a common enemy to all. And by such a common Argument Calvin noteth that the Papists elude whatsoever is brought against their abominations in divine * 1.12 worship. Do ye tell us of error and superstition, we have an holy High Priest, the Pope, that cannot erre, and a representative Church of Cardinals, Bishops and learned Priests that cannot erre, for the Spirit is promised to the Apostles, and them their successours, to lead them into all truth: ye are there∣fore but giddy-headed and phanatical hereticks and novellists, that reprove and speak against our doings, and if we can devise any means to be revenged upon you for so doing, certainly we will by opprobrious speakings, cursings, killing up and massacring, or plotting against you some terrible blow, which shall one day be your ruine. But as the Jews, so they do but herein fight against God and his truth, for which they indeed are accursed as in the words following, vers. 19. 20. and 21, 22, 23. where his praying against them is in way of prophesying, as being such as the Lord would not forgive, but do according to all that is here threatned, because that in combining against Ieremiah they plainly impugned God, in whose name and words only he spake unto them from the beginning.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vers. 1. 2.
• * 1.2

  3. 1.
• * 1.3

  3. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
• * 1.4

  Vers. 14.
• * 1.5

  Hieron. Raban. Tho. Aquin. Hugo.
• * 1.6

  Isidor. Lyra.
• * 1.7

  Calvin.
• * 1.8

  Vers. 15.
• * 1.9

  Hieron.
• * 1.10

  Calvin. Vatabl. Cald.
• * 1.11

  Vers. 18.
• * 1.12

  Calvin. Note.