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. XIII.

THy Prophets are like the Foxes in the desert, yee have not gone up into the gaps, nor made up the hedges. Of all beasts the Foxe is the most subtle and dangerous * 1.1 for getting into and hurting the vineyard through the hedge or wall whereof he can finde any breach, wherefore false Ptophets amongst the Jews are com∣pared unto Foxes, and such they are to the Church of God in any place. The breach is made by sin, this the true Prophet seeks to make up by exhor∣ting [Note.] and stirring up to repentance, and by earnest prayer to God he standeth in the day of battel to keep out enemies coming to destroy it, as Moses by prayer is said to have stood in the gap. But these false prophets contrari∣wise craftily mislead the people, whereby they were brought into danger, and gaps were made instead of being hedged up, for which Ezekiel inneigheth a∣gainst them, as pernicious beasts, and such are also called Foxes, Cantic. 2. 15. and true Prophets for their prayers, The chariots of Israel and horsemen thereof, and * 1.2 repairers of breaches, for their good instructions, and watchmen. They shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Is∣rael, for assembly Hebr. is secret, and so the Caldee turneth it, the Sept. doctrine, that is, at the return of my people out of captivity they shall not return with them, as is by and by expressed, They shall not come into the land of Israel, but dye

before, both they and all such as they are, neither shall they have teaching office amongst my people, if they should survive, nor as true Prophets have * 1.3 my secrets to be revealed to my people committed unto them, yea they should not so much as be written in the catatlogue of Israelites, but be in Gods book blotted out for ever, as he said to Moses, Those that sin against me I will blot out. And this is the most heavy judgement that can befal men, for they that * 1.4 [Note.] are not here found written, shall be cast into the lake of fire, and contrari∣wise * 1.5 to be written in Gods book of remembrance is the greatest felicity, and so shall all they be, that fear the Lord.

From hence to the 17. verse the deceitful dealing of false prophets is set forth by a Metaphor taken from daubers of a wal. For even so they dealt by the * 1.6 Jews, their crying, Peace, peace, was as baubing a wal with untempered morter, because that promising them safety against the judgements threatned by the true Prophets in the name of the Lord they made them as consident, as if they had been defended by a mighty hand and strong wall round about. But this he saith, was but a deceitful wall, like one built with untempered morter, against which a storm coming it is not able to stand but falleth, and they that stand under it for shelter perish, as did sometime 27000. of Benhadads men in * 1.7 Aphek. False Prophets then are builders as well as the true, but their build∣ing is with sand only, and if there be some lime amongst it, it is so ill tem∣pered, that the wall thus built, will not endure boisterous weather, but wind and raine and haile soone cause it to fall: For the well tempered morter of a wall making it strong and defensible is the teaching of peace and safety in truth according to the word of God, that is onely to penitent finners, that hear the words of God and do it, turning from their sins, such only being thus made as a building upon a rock, against which the winde bloweth, the * 1.8 flouds beat, and the raine cometh, and yet it falleth not. Take we heed there∣fore, who are prophets, that we build not as deceivers, but truly doing this [Note.] our work, which is of so great consequence both to our selves and to those that hear us, either for safety, if we be true, or destruction if deceitful.

He inveigheth likewise against prophetesses, who sewed pillowes under arm-holes, and made kercheifs upon every stature to hunt. souls, which according to Calvin is thus to be understood, when any came to consult with them, they leaning * 1.9 upon pillows, as was the manner of arreptitiae in those times, and binding kerchiefes about their heads which covered down to their eyes (whereby they * 1.10 pretended themselves to be wholly taken up with divine revelations, all worldly things being neglected) gave answers as if they had come from God, whereby they sought still for any small reward to give the best content to such as sought unto them, and therefore it is said, upon the head of every stature, whether they were great or small, good or bad, and v. 19. For handfuls of barly and pieces of bread. To this of Calvin comes Lyra somwhat neer, and Vatablus also and Clarius and Isidorus. Let us hear Clarius for them all, he saith * 1.11 thus silly women being instructed in the art magick, sewed pillows and put them under the armholes of those, that sought unto them, and kerchiefs, that is, most thin linnen cloathes, they bound about their heads, making them beleeve, that thus they were prepared to receive divine Oracles, then they as they had excogitated, uttered their prophesies, touching the truth of which simple persons were thus perswaded, and so went away confident, that it should be well with them as they had promised, being by this means in∣couraged to go on in their sinnes to their destruction both in body and soul, for which they are said to hunt mens souls. The Vulg. for making kerchiefs up∣on the head of every stature, hath it, faciunt cervicalia sub capite universae aetatis, ex∣pounded by Jerom thus together with the words going before, wo to those * 1.12 women, that speak flatteringly to sinners, thus making them to sleep secure∣ly in their sins, as if they lay upon soft pillowes, both with their heads, to which cervicalia are proper, and their armes, by leaning and resting themselves upon cushions, to which pulvilli are also proper as the first word is rendred, this their flattery proving in fine nothing but an hunting after their lives or

souls. And this is most generally receivd, and is most ancient, and agreeth best, the others being but later inventions either of these false prophetesses setting themselves in such a posture to prophesie, as faigning by their so ly∣ing, that they were asleep, and so spake as in a dream: of their doing thus to those that came to inquire of them. But for the other exposition makes the common proverb, which setteth forth flattery by sewing pillows and laying cushions. As we may see in Plutarch, saying, Flatteries are like unto cushions and pillows, which whilst they seem to stand up against the heads of those * 1.13 that lye down, yet they being laid, do rather give way and yeeld unto them: so the flatterer takes a kind of counterfeit liberty of speaking at the first carp∣ing and reproving some things, whereby he seems to be lifted up and to swell against him, whom he speaks unto, but by and by he sinks as it were under his head and so incloseth and taketh him, as it were in his net, for which he is said here to hunt after his soul. So likewise Plautus hath consuere, to sew together frauds, deceits, lyes. And according to this Gregor. saith, He that * 1.14 flattereth evil doers, puts cushions under his elbowes, or armholes, that he who ought to be reproved for his fault might rest softly in praises thus sewed together. And Theodoret saith, they are soft and flattering speaches composed for lucre, which tickle the ears for a time, but overthrow the soul. But for the Hebr. words here used 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth velamina linteola, linnen cover∣ings, and these are kercheifes, or may be taken for linnen pillow-beers put upon the pillows to lay the head down upon to sleep, which for the reason before going is to be preferred, and so the outer part, the cover is put for the whole synecdochically. For the word rendred stature, Vulg. age, it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 standing, for the head of every one standing, higher or lower, men grown or children, who so came to inquire of them, and brought a present, they pleased them with their flatteries, although it were at last to their destruction. And he sheweth what base minds they did bear, even more base then women called Gypsyes, that now go about to tell fortunes for any little peice of silver, but these hunted after pieces of bread or a little barly like com∣mon beggars, and therefore were the more worthy to be condemned, for so small matters would presume to personate Gods messengers and privy coun∣sellers, as Prophets are whether men or women, for of both sexes God had some both under the old Test. and new. In these false prophetesses hired for [Note.] so vile a price see for what little matters sinners sell their pretious souls, when as they are more worth then all the world, and in comparison of them, all things here are but as fragments of bread, or a little barly. Herodotus writes of a fountaine, called Hippanis, that best representeth flatteres, the waters where of are found to be sweet as men travel by them four or five dayes, * 1.15 but then they are very bitter. Lastly in charging these silly women for their baseness he saith, will ye pollute me amongst my people, &c. to slay the souls of them that should live, and to save alive those that should dye, which is spoken to give us to * 1.16 understand, that they pretended inspirations or revelations from god, and therefore from their false prophesying to animate men in their sins pollution redounded to the Lord, he being thought through their means to be the abet∣tor of wickedness. For their slaying of those that should live, it was by threatning the true Prophets and other servants of God with death, because they speak against them, and for their making alive of those that should dye, it was by promising for a little reward peace and safety to false prophets and to those that were led by them.

I am against your pillows, wherewith yee hunt soules to make them flee, and will teare * 1.17 them off your armes, &c. the Vulg. and Hebr. also for the words to make them flee, have it fleeing souls. For so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth, it is an epithite given to the soul being so subject continually to flee out of the body, so fraile and transitory is this life, and therefore great need that we should have a care of our souls, which if they be once departed out of our bodies, if they flee not to [Note.] the place of blessedness, they are lost for ever. And all the time, that we live here they are but as a bird in a cage, if the door be but opened, ready to be

gone at any time. But here is comfort to the Elect, that the Lord saith he will break off those pillows from their armes, that is, where they sought to lay them, and then such fleeing souls should be dilivered. For it is not to be understood of all in general, but only of those few that God had to life elect∣ed. And in respect of all men those pillows were broken off, when it manifest∣ly appeared at the destruction of Jerusalem, how vaine their flatteries were, promising good, but loe a world of evil: v. 21, 22, 23. serve further to con∣firme the interpretation before going.

Notes

• * 1.1

  V. 4.
• * 1.2

  Amos. 9. 11. Ezck. 2. V. 9.
• * 1.3

  Amos. 3. 7.
• * 1.4

  Exod. 32.
• * 1.5

  Revel. 20. 15. Mal. 3. 26.
• * 1.6

  V. 10. 11.
• * 1.7

  1 King. 20. 30.
• * 1.8

  Matth. 7.
• * 1.9

  V. 17, 18, &c.
• * 1.10

  Calvin.
• * 1.11

  Lyra. Clartus. Vatabl. Isidor.
• * 1.12

  Hieron.
• * 1.13

  Plutar. de dis∣crimine inter ad ulatorem & ve∣rum amcum.
• * 1.14

  Plautus. Gregor. Moral. 18. 4. Quisquis male agentibus adula∣tur, pulvillum sub capite vel cubito jacentis ponit, ut qui cor∣ripi pro culpa debuit in consu∣tis laudibus mol∣liter quiescat.
• * 1.15

  Herod. l. 4.
• * 1.16

  V. 19.
• * 1.17

  V. 20.