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. III.

VVHen I shall at that time bring again the captivity of Judah, &c. I will gather * 1.1 all nations and bring them into the valley of Jehoshaphat, &c. that which is here said, is by Lyra understood of the day of judgment, of which he spake chap. 2. it being declared more at large, where and how the Lord will pro∣ceed against the wicked enemies of his Church at that time. And according to the Letter he saith, that he shall come down to this valley to judgement, all nations being gathered together, that they may receive the sentence of con∣demnation, as they are well worthy for the indignities done to his people, as they are laid to their charge, v. 3, 4, 5, 6. And the time of turning the captivity of Judah, he takes to be the time of the Jews conversion at the end of the world from Antichrist, by whom they were formerly misled. Calvin contrariwise * 1.2 saith, that the judgments of God against the enemies of his Church under the Gospel are here threatned, the Prophefie being extended to the whole time of the Gospel. And that the turning of the captivity of Judah is named, because

then the Lord began this great work, and thereby made a demonstration of his power to doe for his people in all times and ages to come against their most potent and malicious enemies. The Hebrew indeed, he saith, expound it of their being delivered from the Babylonish captivity altogether, when the Caldeans set forth by the name of all Nations, because they ruled over all Na∣tions, had their judgement by Darius and Cyrus, and he judgeth it ridiculous to take the valley of Jehoshaphat properly, and to hold that there the last great judgement shall be: wherefore be saith, that the Valley of Jehoshaphat is spoken of in allusion to that which was done there against an huge multitude of ene∣mies, * 1.3 that came against that godly King, they being terribly destroyed by ambushes of their own, he and his people doing nothing, but after fasting and prayer praising God with singing, and then the enemies being slain, they went into the camp and took the spoils, and for this spent three dayes in blessing God there, whereupon the place was called the valley of Berachah, that is, bles∣sing. For they to whom Joel prophesied of deliverance might haply doubt of it, seeing the enemies were of so great power, they being even all Nations, for all were against the Jews, and since against Christians; but as the Lord then wrought for the deliverance of his people, so their mindes might be confirmed, that they should againe from time to time be delivered from all that should ri••e up against them, and that not onely Jews but also Gentiles imbracing the faith. As then Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites joyned together in a very great company, Jehoshaphat and his people having no help but in God, yet they were all slain, and the people of God miraculously delivered: so here∣by is meant, that Christians should in all countryes be persecuted, but God will stand up for them against all enemies, and take care of them as his in∣heritance, with which whosoever shall dare to meddle, he will surely bee avenged upon them, for so he saith, I will plead with them for my heritage Is∣rael. And if we goe to the signification of the word Jehoshaphat, as is sometimes done, as in Melchisedeck, Heb. 7. it signifieth the judgement of the Lord, the sense given will hold very well, no particular place is hereby meant, although the Spirit of God herein points at a place for the most memorable fact done there for Gods people, but by the thing done there it is shewed to our com∣fort, that God will always be ready likewise to judge and be revenged upon the malicious enemies of his Church, although their power may seeme to be so great, that we know not what to doe, as Jehoshaphat said, being full of fear at that time. And to shew, that the thing spoken of judging them is more respected then the name of a place, he saith by way of Paranomasie 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I will judge in the valley of the Lords judgement.

They have cast lots for my people, and given a boy for an harlot, and a girl for wine, After the judgement threatned against their enemies, he proceedeth to the sins * 1.4 laid to their charge, for which first, they have scattered Israel amongst the heathen, and parted his land, wherein nothing may seem to have beene done amisse, be∣cause God was the authour of Nebuchadnezzars coming against Jerusalem, and Salmanasars against Irael, and carrying them away, and placing other inhabi∣tants there, as is plain, 2 King. 17. why then are they threatned for this? Sol. They did it not in obedience to God, and as executioners to him, but maliciously and proudly, seeking their owne ends, so that however God wrought it by them for the chastisement of his people, yet they the agents knew not that, and therefore were worthily adjudged to destruction for their cruel destroying of Gods people, and injuriously invading their inheritance. 2. They took upon them also over their persons selling their children like beasts for a little money, whether they were sons or daughters, that they might with the price taken for them hire whores, or buy strong drink to make themselves drunken, which is a fearfull sin, and is the sin of those, that with goods taken [Note.] from the Church, as Glebes, Tithes or Offerings, maintain whores or excesse of riot therewith. Some will have by a boy given for an harlot, a beautiull boy prostituted to mens lusts for gain after the Sodomiticall manner, but be∣cause there is the like reason of girls added in the next place and boys, I doe

rather with Calvin rest in the former. 3. He chargeth Tyrus and Zidon in * 1.5 particular with this sin, and robbing God of his silver and gold; which may be conceived, as Calvin hath it, thus to have been done. The Assyrians fighting * 1.6 against Israel, the Tyrians and Zidonians being neer neighbours, haply did help them with provision, whilest they lay there, and for this were together with themselves made partakers of the prey. And because they had never been pro∣voked by Israel to this, but onely their covetousnesse put them on to doe so, he saith, what have ye to doe with me Tyrus and Zidon? and yee have carryed into your Temples, &c. by these words noting a further most grosse sin in them, that they dedicated of the best things taken out of the land of Israel to their idols, ascri∣bing virtue thus to stocks and stones. For the next words, will ye render me a recompence? the meaning is, will ye deal by me, as if ye ought me a revenge, and now will take your opportunity to be revenged upon me? for the Lord counts that which is done to his people to be done to himself.

Yee have also sold the children of Judah and Jerusalem to the Grecions, that ye might * 1.7 remove them far from their border. Here their selling of boys and girls before spoken of, vers. 3. is further amplified by shewing, to whom they sold them, the Grecians being a people far remote in Europe beyond the Sea, and these are named in particular, other peoples also, that dwelt afar of, being meant, and thus they did to cut off from them all hope of return to their own coun∣trey. And hereby he aggravates their sin, that they had been no way provoked to it, for the Tyrians and Zidonions were sometimes consederates with the Jews, in the dayes of David and Solomon, and the Philistims here also spoken of, were brought under by David, and continued Tributaries to them, and so were a long time as one people with them, in which time the Lord expected, that they should have been brought to imbrace the true religion also. But as the man∣ner * 1.8 of wicked men is in the time of prosperity to live peaceably with and to be friendly towards their neighbours, but in their adversity, to side with their enemies, so these are here charged to have done, thus Gualter. And this is the [Note.] highest degree of sinning in any people to take the advantage of their misery to make a prey of them, and therefore they shall be most severely punished that doe so.

I will raise them out of the place into which ye have sold them, and will return your * 1.9 recompence upon your own heads. It may be doubted here, how this was ever verl∣fied, for when had the Jews other Nations in their power to make fale of them as slaves? Sol. It was done, when in way of revenge for their wrongs they were subdued by the Assyrians or Caldees. Then as it is said, vers. 8. They were * 1.10 sold into the hands of the children of Judah, and they sold them to the Sabeans. Thus the wicked enemies of Gods people shall suffer, as they have made them to suf∣fer, God will proceed per legem talionis, as was notably exemplified in the Jews, [Note.] being by the Romans sold 30 for a piece of silver, as Christ had been sold unto them for 30 pence. And as for the Jews being brought again into their own countrey, this was notably fulfilled in the dayes of Cyrus, wherefore there is no reason, why the faithful should in their lowest ebbe of misery despaire: for ene∣mies may prevail against them, and bring them under for their sins, but stay a while and they shall have their turn in suffering the like, but the faithfull shall then be lifted up again.

Proclaim this amongst the Gentiles, prepare war, &c. Here the means of effecting * 1.11 what was before threatned against the enemies of Gods people are set forth. Other Gentiles shall be raised up, whom these oppressours despised, as being of little strength: even a company exercised before in husbandry more then in war, but now at the will of God armed by his power to take revenge up∣on them. For which he saith, Beat your pleugh shares into spears, and your prun∣ing hookes into swords, Let the weak say I am strong. This is by Lyra expounded * 1.12 of Antichrist and his adherents, as being ironically bidden to doe thus, but when they had dont all that they could against Christs Church, they should be brought to judgement in the valley of Jehoshaphar, as here followeth, v. ••2. and to shew, that these things are spoken of the last judgement, which shall

follow immediately after the persecution stirred by Antichrist, ver. 13. he saith, * 1.13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe, come get ye down, the Presse is full, after which he saith, multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near, the Sun * 1.14 and Moon shall be darkened. And to make this good, he saith, that the revenge taken upon the Tyrians Zidonians, and Philistims before spoken of vers. 8. was taken in the time of the Maccabees, when they obtained many victories over the Cap∣taines of Antiochus, amongst whom Kendebeus a most mighty Captaine was one, who was a maritim man, and Tyrus, Zidon, and Palestine were maritim places, and therefore it is probable, that some were then taken by the Jews from those parts, and sold for slaves. And the Prophet having thus shewed what should be done then, now passeth on to shew how the enemies of the New Testament should be judged, when their strength should seem to be greatest, thus Lyra. But Calvin takes this as spoken of the Medes and Persians, a people * 1.15 not accounted of for warriours in times past amongst the Assyrians or Caldees, but when God will, it is shewed here, that they should be valiant to execute his will upon the present enemies of the Jews, amongst whom the Tyrians, Zidonians, and Philistims were most noted for their inhumane taking their op∣portunity to practise against them undeservedly, as hath been said. And be∣ing thus understood, as was before noted, it followes well after the recom∣pence spoken of, that should be made, as a declaration of the means whereby other Gentiles shall be stirred up against these, and armed and strengthened by God, although they might seem too weak to effect so great a work, as indeed Cyrus seemed, and therefore when he first began his siege against Babylon, hee was derided by them, as going about a thing impossible to take it. Whereas the next words may seem to make against this, Let the heathen be wakened and * 1.16 come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, expounded by some of their being raised from death to come thither to judgement, I have before shewed, that in saying thus, it is onely alluded to the miraculous destruction of the Nations ga∣thered together against Jehoshaphat in that place, for so they should againe together come to destruction, who had so notoriously wronged the Jews, o∣ther heathens being made the instruments, as then some of one Nation fought against another and so they were all slain.

Thus God sate to judge the heathen round about, when the Persians were made instruments of the destructions of the Babylonians, and the Grecl∣ans afterward of them, as they had been before the overthrow of the Assyri∣ans. For the next words put in the sickle, it is true, the cutting down of all * 1.17 the wicked at the day of judgement is spoken of by the like phrase, Rev. 14. and that there seemeth to be borrowed from hence: but that alwayes by this phrase the destruction to be made at the day of judgement is meant, I de∣ny, for there is the like reason of the harvest being ripe, and of the wine∣presse being full, which is also here spoken of, and a reason is rendered, Gen. 15. why the Amorites should not be judged till after 400 years, for the wickednesse of the Amorites is not yet full. So here their sinnes being grown to a fulnesse and ripenesse, whom the Prophet threatneth, he sheweth, that they shall be judged with cutting down likewise. And this is the cause why the [Note.] wicked are proceeded against no sooner, the Lord stayeth till corruption is * 1.18 grown Universall, as in the old World, and till greater sinnes be added, as in the Nations expelled before the Israelites. Againe, note hence, that there [Note.] is no saying of any, they are weake, when God will have them to be executioners of his judgements for wickednesse grown to maturity, where∣fore Jeromy saith, that if the Caldees were but a few and all wounded, they should rise up against Jerusalem and burn it with fire.

Multitudes in the valley of decision, the word rendred decision, signifieth tri∣turation * 1.19 or threshing, answering fitly to that which was before said of the harvest being ripe. It is as if he had said, at the time when God shall judge the enemies of his Church by other Heathens, very great multitudes of them shall lye together to be threshed and beaten in pieces, as it were by his judgements, as the straw of the corn by a threshing instrument, and in

varying the word twice before called the valley of Jehoshaphat, into the valley of decision, he sheweth that he meant no particular place, to which men should be gathered together to be judged, but that according to the signification of the words, the Lord would judge and tear them, when his set time should come.

Then the Sun and Moon shall be darkened, that is, the whole course of Natur•• * 1.20 shall seem to be overturned, which way soever these wicked ones shall looke about them, seeing no comfort, but all horrour and confusion, which is com∣monly set forth by darknesse, and sometimes by the lights of heaven turned into darknesse, as Esai. 13. 10. Vers. 16. The Lord shall roar out of Zion, Jer. * 1.21 25. 30. Amos 1. 2. it is said likewise, and the heavens and the earth shall shake, but the Lord will be the hope of his people. As the Lion roaring, the beasts of the forrest quake, so the Lord uttering his voice in judging the heathen enemies of his people, not onely men, but heaven and earth also shall quake, which is spo∣ken to shew his wonderfull great power, that the faithfull might not doubt, but that he was able to take revenge upon their enemies, and to doe for them as hath been said, Hag. 2. 6. He saith not onely, I will shake the earth and the heavens, but also the sea and dry land, which is quoted, Heb. 12. ••6. and applyed to prove the vanishing away of all visible things, and the everlasting per∣manency of the Kingdome, or Church of God militant and triumphant. And of the quaking of the earth before God uttering his voice, we read Exod. 20. But whereas the earth onely then quaked, now he saith, both heaven and earth shall, which because it is applyed by the Apostle to the time of the Gospell, we may likewise apply this, when the Lord shall send forth his Word from Zion, it being preached in all Countreys and Nations, heaven and earth shake; that is, no forces either diabolicall in heavenly places, or of men upon earth shall be able to withstand it, but be as weak as a reed shaken with the wind, and then his people called Israel, whereby the faithfull both of Jews and Gentiles, are meant, shall be filled with hope and comfort.

Jerusalem shall be holy and no strangers shall passe through her any more; as if hee * 1.22 had said, my Church hath been prophaned by being brought under the power of the unclean heathen a long time, but now under the Gospell, all ene∣mies of the truth being by Gods Almighty power subdued, it shall be so no more, Stangers shall not passe through her, that is, vi & armis, subduing her, which was fulfilled in the time of Constantine the Great, after which the whole Church was never brought under an heathens seet more, but onely for a little time, the Emperour Julian proving a base Apostate; For since, although the Church hath been in Italy subdued by the Goths and Vandals, yet she never was wholly, the Eastern Churches then being free, and since the Eastern being brought under by the Turke, the Western were free, onely Antichrist exalting himselfe in the Temple of God, a generall Apostasie befell the whole Visible Church in the West, it being by divine dispensation that this beast had power to doe 1260 dayes, but he being again destroyed, as he shall be, no enemies shall have power over the Church any more, but shee shall be holy, that is, kept separate from such misuage for ever, for to be holy here is to be separated and exempt from the power of the prophane infidels.

And in that day the mountaines shall drop down new wine. Here the benefits a∣bounding * 1.23 in the Church in time of the Gospell are further set forth, for unto new wine is the Doctrine of the Gospell compared, where it is said, No man having tasted new wine will drink old any more, for they will say the * 1.24 new is better, but in the text it is old is better, and therefore having tasted old he will drink no new, whereby is set forth, how the Pharisees stood affe∣cted to the old rigid wayes, to which they had inured themselves, but his * 1.25 Disciples drink new wine by imbracing the Precepts of the Gospell. And whereas milk is here further spoken of this Doctrine is sincere milk, and * 1.26 for rivers of water here we heare of rivers of water flowing out of the belly, Job. 4. 10. Lastly whereas it is said, a fountaine shall come out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim, this is holy Baptism; the water

whereof in true beleevers washeth away the foulest sins, such as the sins of * 1.27 Israel were, when abiding a time in Shittim in the borders of Moab they committed adultery with the daughters of Midian, and were defiled with their idols sacrifices. Hereby is also intimated, that the Gentiles, for such the Moabites were, imbracing the faith, and being washed with this water should be purified from sin.

Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom, &c. as if he had said, so great shall * 1.28 be the blessings of God upon his Church, as hath beene said, but the enemies of the Church set forth by Egypt and Edom, because Egypt of old was a most cruell enemie to the poore Hebrewes, and since the Edomites, al∣though neare kinsmen, as appeares by divers passages, as Psal. 137. &c. these shall be destroyed, and their land reduced to wildernesses for this their cruelty and inhumanity. And the same is often set forth in other words, Psal. 2. Hee shall breake them in pieces like a potters vessels, Psal. 110. hee shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath, and judge amongst the heathen, &c. being fulfilled in Jewes, whose City is spirituall Egypt, and in coun∣tryes still continuing heathen, especially in Africa so dry and full of deserts.

But Judah shall dwell for ever, that is, the Christian Church built up∣on a rock, and not to be prevailed against by the very gates of Hell. * 1.29 Vers. 21. And I will cleanse their bloud, that I have not cleansed, where by bloud foul sins are meant, Esa. 1. 15. and these by the bloud of Christ are cleansed, 1 Joh. 1. 6. And in saying, their bloud that I have not cleansed, hee meaneth the Gentiles converted to the faith, for whom no expiations were formerly made, as there were for the Jewes, and so sinne, that was the onely impediment of Christs dwelling in Zion, being done away, the Lord dwells alwayes in her, that is, his Church for evermore, and every soule thus cleansed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  V. 1. V. 2. Lyra.
• * 1.2

  Calvin.
• * 1.3

  2 Chron. 20.
• * 1.4

  V. 3.
• * 1.5

  V. 4, 5.
• * 1.6

  Calvin.
• * 1.7

  V. 6.
• * 1.8

  Gualter.
• * 1.9

  V. 7.
• * 1.10

  V. 8.
• * 1.11

  V. 9.
• * 1.12

  V. 10. Lyra.
• * 1.13

  V. 13.
• * 1.14

  V. 14.
• * 1.15

  Calvin.
• * 1.16

  V. 12.
• * 1.17

  V. 13.
• * 1.18

  Gen. 6.
• * 1.19

  V. 14.
• * 1.20

  V. 15.
• * 1.21

  V. 16.
• * 1.22

  V. 17.
• * 1.23

  V. 18.
• * 1.24

  Luk 5. 39.
• * 1.25

  Gualter.
• * 1.26

  1 Pet. 2. 3.
• * 1.27

  Numb. 25.
• * 1.28

  V. 19.
• * 1.29

  V. 20. Matth. 16.