John Trapp on Nahum 1

CHAP. I.

Verſe 1. THE burden of Nineveh] i. e. The burdenous propheſie. See the Note on Malac. 1.1. It is a burden to wicked men to be told of their ſinnes, and foretold of their puniſhments. To whom we may not unfitly apply that of the Civilian, Perquàm durum eſt, Ʋlpian. ſed ita lex ſcripta eſt. If it be ſo tedious to hear of it, what will they do to bear it? Nineveh had fair warning before by Jonah; and for preſent, the unclean ſpirit ſeemed to be caſt out of her: but he returned ſoon after, with ſeven worſe, as appears by this Propheſie; and ſo their laſt ſtate was worſe then the former, Mat. 12.45. Their bile half-healed, breaking out again, proved to be the plague of leproſie, Lev. 13.18, 19, 20. ſuch as ſhut them out of heaven. God will do good to thoſe that are good, and continue ſo. But as for thoſe that turn aſide unto their crooked wayes, (as all Apoſtates do) the Lord ſhall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, (as cattle are led to the ſlaughter, or malefactours to execution) but peace ſhall be upon Iſrael, Pſal. 125.5.

The book of the Viſion] Or the Epiſtle of the Viſion. Hence ſome collect, that Nahum went not to Nineveh as Jonah had done; but ſent this propheticall Epiſtle thither, to let them know what ſhould ſhortly befall them. So Jeremy ſent an Epiſtle to Babylon, chap. 29. and Eliah wrote a threatning letter to Iehoram king of Judah, 2 Chron. 21.12. before his tranſlation to heaven; and leſt it to be ſent to him by Eliſha, or the other Prophets, who durſt not ſhew themſelves in his preſence; ſuch was his inſolent cruelty, as 'tis conceived.

of Nahum the Elkoſhite] Elkoſh was a ſmall town in Gali[illegible: 1 letter]ee beyond Bethabara, as ſay Hierom and Dorotheus. Here was our Prophet born, and named N[illegible: 1 letter]hum, non ſine numine, ſaith Gualther; for Nahum (as Noah) ſignifieth a Comforter: and ſo he proved, by this Book of his, both to the ten Tribes now newly carried captive by the Aſſyrian Monarch; and alſo to the other two Tribes,Epiphanius. who were ſhortly after beſieged by the ſame Aſſyrian, in the reign of Hezekiah; under whom Nahum prophecied. See the Note on Exod. 3.1.

Verſ. 2. God is jealous] See the Note on Zech. 1.14.

and the Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth] As he is Pater miſerationum, to his people, a father of mercies, and God of conſolation: ſo to his and their enemies he is a moſt ſure and ſevere revenger, Deus ultionum, as David calleth him, Pſal. 94.1. A God of recompenſes, as Jeremy, chap. 51.56. And when He comes againſt a people, he uſually takes them to do, when they are at the ſtrongeſt, and moſt confident: as Nineveh now was, in the dayes of proud Sennacherib.

and is furious] Heb. and is Maſter of hot wrath: he is all on a light fire, as it were, with fierce indignation againſt the enemies of his Church: Yet not ſo, but that he is Maſter of his anger too; and doth nothing in it, but what is juſt and equall. Hence the vials of his wrath are ſaid to be golden vials, Rev. 15.7. his anger is holy, his fire is pure, and without ſmoak. And this is further declared in the following words.

The Lord will take vengeance on his adverſaries] Such as ſeek to thruſt him beſide his throne, that oppoſe his worſhip, contemn his word, perſecute his people, ſend proud meſſages after him, ſaying. We will not have this man to reigne over us: Bring hither thoſe mine enemies, ſaith He, and ſlay them before me, Luk. 19.27. As for ſuch as ſin of infirmity, and return to him by repentance, they ſhall not find him furious, but gracious.

and he reſerveth wrath for his enemies] Their preſervation for a time, is but a reſervation to that wrath to come. As hee precipitateth not his anger, but defers the execution of it, giving men ſpace to repent, as he did Jezabel, Rev. 2. ſo they ſhall find that his forbearance is no quittance; and that Poena venit gravior, quò magè tarda venit.

Verſe 3. The Lord is ſlow to anger] Slack he is not, as ſome men count ſlackneſſe, ſaith St. Peter, but long-ſufferring to us-ward, &c. 2 Epiſt. 3.9, The devil ſtirred up the Heathen Poets, to perſwade people, that God either knew not, or cared not what was done here below: that he was oft from home, feaſting with the Ethiopians, &c. The Epicures alſo taught the like doctrine:Homer. and the Sadduces among the Jews, the Manichees among the primitive Chriſtians, the Libertines amongſt us. But they ſhall one day find that God is ſlow, but ſure; that the higher he lifteth his hand, the harder he will ſtrike; the further he draweth his bowe, the deeper will bee the wound.

and great in power] Heb. Great of power, able to knock down ſinners in the very act of their rebellion, and to ſend them packing to their place in hell. So that it is not for want of power that he is ſo patient. For the Lord our God is God of gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty and a terrible, Deut. 10.17. But what need we go further then the Text, where he is called, the ſtrong God, great in power, And that will not at all acquit the wicked.] This is the laſt letter in his name (that nomen majeſtativum, as Tertullian calleth it,) Exod. 34.7. which he will in no wiſe forget: as neither muſt we. He will not take the wicked by the hand, ſaith Job, Job 8.20. nor wink at the workers of iniquity, ſaith David, Pſal. 50.21. but will render a juſt recompence to every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience, ſaith Paul, Heb. 2.2. A God of truth, and without iniquity, juſt and right is he, Deut. 32.4.

the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind, and in the ſtorm] The word Suphab here tendred whirlwind, begins with a ſmall Samech, ad minuendum timorem piis, Buxtorf. Tiberias. 167. ne propterea terreantur, to take off the Saints from their inordinate fears, and to aſſure the wicked, that when the Lord cometh, imminet inde Soph finis & exitium: there ſhall be an end of them, and an utter deſtruction. As the whirlwind paſſeth, ſo is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlaſting foundation, Prov. 10.25. Or, as ſome read it, The righteous is the foundation of the world, as firm as the worlds foundation, ſc. the earth, which is unmoveable.

and the clouds are the duſt of his feet] He walketh upon them as men do upon the duſt of the earth: he maketh the clouds his charet, and rideth upon the wings of the wind Pſal. 104.3. See Iſa. 60.8. and 19.1. The wickeds happineſſe ſhall take its end ſurely and ſwiftly, as Ezekiel tells them in his ſeventh chapter, An end is come, is come, is come.

Ver. 4. He rebuketh the ſea and maketh it dry] He had ſhewed what wonders God can do in the ayre. Now he telleth, what he doeth in the water, and in the earth. And it is well obſerved by an Interpreter, that when the Prophets ſpeak of God, Tarnon. they do for moſt part imitate the expreſſions of Moſes that moſt ſevere law-giver, and allude to his hiſtory; to ſhew, that by the law is the knowledge of ſin, Rom. 3.20. without which the ſtony hearts of men melt not, that the promiſe of the goſpell may reliſh ſweetly with them Pſal. 19.10, 11. The word here rendreth He rebuketh importeth, that God rateth and rattleth the Sea verborum pedumque ſtrepitu with ſuch a voice and other noiſe, as cauſeth fright and flight. The Sea ſaw it and fled, Iordan was driven back, what ailed thee, O thou Sea that thou fleddeſt &c. Pſal. 114.3, 5. The waters ſaw thee, O God, the waters ſaw thee, they were afraid; the depths alſo were troubled Pſal. 77.16. See Exod. 14.21. Pſal. 78.14. and 66.6. and 136.16. and 106.9. This is not in the power of any man to do; though Xerxes vainely attempted ſomthing, when he wafted two millions of men over the Helleſpont, and, for battering his bridge of boates, cauſed it to be beaten with 300. ſtripes, and caſt a pair of fetters into it, to make it his priſoner. But to how ſmall purpoſe all this, together with his digging through Iſthmus, his drinking up rivers with his army and the like, it well appeared, when he was forced to fly back out of Greece in a poor fiſhers boat, which being overburdened had ſunk all, if the Perſians by the caſting away themſelves, had not ſaved the life of their king, The ſtory of Canutus the Dane, (ſomtimes king of England) is well known. He was told by a Court-Paraſite that all things in his dominions were at his beck and command. Canutus (to confute him) cauſed a chair to be ſet on the ſea-ſhore; wherein being ſet, he ſaid to the ſea flowing faſt toward him. Thou belongeſt to me, and the land upon which I now ſit is mine own, neither is there any whoſoever that obeyes me not ſhall eſcape unpuniſhed. I command thee therefore thou ſea, that thou come up no higher into my land; nor preſumeſt once to wet thy maſters legs or garments. But the Sea, keeping his ordinary courſe, without duty or reverence waſhed both his legs and gown. He then leaping back ſaid, Let al[illegible: 1 letter] the inhabitants of the world know, [illegible: 1 letter]en: Huntington. that the power of kings is frivolous and vaine; neither is there any mortall man worthy the name of a king, but he to whoſe beck heaven, earth and ſea by his lawes, eternally are obedient. Neither did Canutus after this time weare a crown; but ſet it upon the Crucifix according to the ſuperſtition of thoſe times; thereby acknowledging it to be a royalty proper to Chriſt alone to rebuke the ſurges of the ſea, and to ſay unto them Peace, and be ſtill, Luk. 4.24. Mar. 4.39.

and drieth up all the rivers] As he did Jordan Ioſ. 4 2 King. 2. Chereth 1 King. 17.7. the great river Euphrates Rev. 16.12. See the Note there. See alſo Plin. nat. hiſt. l. 2. cap. 85. and 103.

Baſhan languiſheth and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languiſheth] all the beauty of thoſe fertile and pleaſant places fadeth. When the earth beareth fruit and flowers, ſhe is ſaid to yeeld her ſtrength, to bring forth her increaſe: as when through drought or otherwiſe ſhe doth not, ſhe is ſaid to languiſh and hang the head. See Ioe. 1.10.12. If the Eclipſe of the Sun cauſe a drooping in the whole frame of nature, how much more the wrath and vengeance of God?

Ver. 5. The mountaines quake at him, and the hills melt] Though vallies and low places are alſo liable to earthquakes: as Antioch often, Ferrara in Italy An. Dom. 1514. and 1573. yet hill-countreys much more; becauſe there are more holes and cavernes,Alſ[illegible: 1 letter]ed. Chronol. See Pſal. 29.6. and 144.4. Zach. 14.4, 5. In the yeere 1618. Aug. 25. Pleurs a town in Rhetia was overwhelmed by a hill, which, with a moſt ſwift motion oppreſt 1500. men. So that village aforementioned in the country of Bern, that was over-covered by a hill in an earthquake: to the deſtruction of 50.Polan: ſynt. families. All this and that which followeth is alledged here, to ſhew how eaſily God can overturn the Aſſyrian greatneſſe.

and the earth is burnt at his preſence] Viz. by his fire from heaven, as Sodom, and by other his land-deſolating judgments, ſuch as Judea (that once fertile, now barren country) Greece, Aſia (once ſo flouriſhing) Germany, Ireland &c. do at this day grone under. God turneth a fruitful land into barrenneſſe, for the wickedneſſe of them that dwell therein. Pſal. 107.34.

yea the world and all that dwell therein] Quae quidem ſunt mira, ſed tamen vera divinae potentiae effecta. Wicked men, beſides what they here ſuffer,Tarnou. ſhall one day give an account of what they have done in the body, with the world all on a light fire about their eares: The triall of their workes ſhall be by fire 1 Cor. 3.13. the tribunall of fire Ezek. 1.27. the Judge a conſuming fire Heb. 12.29. His attendants Seraphins flaming creatures Iſai. 6.2. his pleading with ſinners in flames of fire 2 Theſſ. 1.7. the place of puniſhment, a lake of fire fed with tormenting temper Iſai. 30.33. Sodoms fire and brimſtone was but a toy to it. And ſhall the Ninivites think to mott up themſelves againſt this formidable fire: which the moſt ſolid parts of the world cannot avoid or abide?

Ver. 6. What can ſtand before his indignation?] A glaſſe bottle may as well ſtand before a cannon-ſhot. Theres no ſtanding before a lion, much leſſe before a devouring fire, leaſt of all before an angry God. When our Saviour did but put forth a beame of his Deity, and ſaid I am he, the ſtout ſouldiers fell to the ground Ioh. 18.6. and there they had lame, if he had not licenſed them to riſe againe.Auguſtin. Quid autem judicaturus faciet, qui judicandus hoc fecit? The wicked ſhall not ſtand in judgment, ſaith David Pſal. 1.7.

who can abide in the fierceneſſe of his anger?] Heb:Collectumque premeus volvi[illegible: 1 letter] ſub naribus ignem. in the inflammation of his noſtrils. Thus the Prophet deſcribeth Gods terrible executions of juſtice on the Churches enemies, pulcherrimis metaphoris, hypotypôſi evidentiſſima, & diſtributionis artiſicio inſigniſſimo by moſt elegant Metaphors, evident demonſtrations, and artificiall diſtributions.Crocius in loc.

his fury is powred out like fire] A metaphor either from metalls melted, or from ſhow[illegible: 1 letter]es of raine, ſuch as God powred down upon Sodom (whereunto probably the Prophet here alludeth, as verſe 8. to Noahs flood) flaming ſhowers Jer. 7.20. and 44.6.

and the rocks are thrown down by him] that is, by his fierce wrath, when it is at the full height: as the fire which at firſt burns a little within, upon a few boards and raſters; but when it prevaileth, burſteth out in a moſt terrible flame: as thunder which we heare at firſt, a little roa[illegible: 1 letter]ing noiſe afarr off: but ſtay awhile, and it is a dreadfull crack, cleaving the very rocks. See Ier. 4.23, 24. Mat. 27.51.

Verſe 7. The Lord is good] To Iſrael (though terrible to the Aſſyrians as hath been plainly and plentifully ſet forth) to the pure in heart Pſal. 73.1. and he doth good Pſal, 119.68. to thoſe that are good, that are upright in their hearts Pſal. 125.4. Theſe ſhall taſt and ſee that the Lord is good: theſe ſhall feelingly fay,' Oh bleſſed is the man that truſteth in him, Pſal. 34.8. Oh praiſe the Lord for he is good &c.

a ſtrong hold in the day of trouble] Praeſidium, aut fortalitium, A ſtrong fort or fortification, better then a[illegible: 2 letters]wer of braſſe, or town of warr: the righteous run thereunto and are ſafe. Prov. 18.10. Hezekiah (for whoſe ſake this is ſpoken) had the experience of it. He had a day of trouble and of rebuke, and of blaſphemy: the children were come to the birth, and there was not ſtrength to bring forth Eſai. 37.3. To God therefore he runs in this dolefull day of his, and had preſent help. And what though the Gods of the nations had not delivered them: yet Hezekiah's God in whom he truſted did not deceive him as Senacherib ſaid he would ver. 10.12. He is the champion of his church, and will be the ſtrong hold of his people, when the heathens Tutelur Gods, and the Papiſts Patrone-ſaints will leave them in the lurch. England was ſometime ſaid to have a war-like George, but the Papiſts being offended with us (to do us, as they ſuppoſe, a miſchief) have robbed us of out George, and left us God alone to be our Champion: for which honour and favour all true Engliſh hearts are bound to thank them, and can merrily ſing as He did once, Contemno minutulos iſtos deos, modò Jovem propitium habeam, We care not for their He-ſaints, or ſhe-ſaints to ſhelter us: ſo that the great God will be good to us, a ſtreng-hold in the day of trouble.

and he knoweth them that truſt in him] that hover and cover under his wings, as the chickens do under the hens: for that's the force of the Hebrew word here uſed. Such as theſe God knoweth for his 2 Tim. 2.19. he knoweth their ſoule in adverſity Pſal, 119. he knoweth how to deliver them, as he did the righteous Lot 2 Pet. 2.9. then, when they knew not what to do, as Jehoſaphat 2 Chron. 20.12. yet if their eyes be toward him, their affiance in him, he will extricate and deliver them. So well pleaſed is he with thoſe that truſt in him, (for that's meant here by his knowing of them Pſal. 1.6. confer Iob 9.29. 1 Theſ. 5.12.) he taketh ſuch complacency and delight in them Pſal. 147.11. and 33.18. and ſuch continuall care of them, (as hath been proved by an univerſall experience, nor one inſtance can be given to the contrary) that they ſhall be ſure to have whatſoever heart can wiſh, or need require 2 Sam. 22.2, 3. even miraculous loving kindneſſe from God in a ſtrong city Pſal. 17.7. and 31.21. ſo great as cannot be uttered Pſal. 31.19. This is for the comfort of Gods Iſrael. But leſt the wicked (as they are apt) ſhould meddle with childrens meat, which was never meant for them: leſt Niniveh ſhould pleaſe her ſelf in a fond conceit of Gods goodneſſe to her alſo, and ſo turn it into wantonneſſe, the Prophet brings in a ſtinging But in the next words.

Ver. 8. But with an over-running flood he will make an end of the place thereof] i. e. of Niniveh that great but bloody city chap. 3.1. Her ſtate ſhall be utterly ruinated as the old world, by the generall deluge. But becauſe the word here rendred flood is uſed of rivers that overflow the bankes 2 Chron. 32.4. and the adjunct over-running alſo implies as much (See Eſai 8.8. Dan. 11.10, 40.) I ſuppoſe the Holy Ghoſt here forethreateneth that ruine of this city by the river Tigris, which at an inundation broke out upon the wall, and threw down twenty furlongs thereof. This was a ſad foretoken to them of their enſuing deſolation by the enemy (as that raine was that fell in Egypt) where it uſed not to raine (a little before Cambyſes with his Perſians ſubdued it) for it fell out in the time of the Siege, as Diodorus teſtifieth, according to an oracle that the Ninivites had received by tradition from their progenitours, ſc. that their city ſhould then be taken by the enemy,Diod. Sic. when the river took part againſt them: and it fell out accordingly.

and darkneſſe ſhall purſue his enemies] i. e. terrible and inextricable calamities ſhall overtake them: their ruine ſhall be irreparable. And indeed it may now be ſaid of Niniveh, which once was of a great city in Strabo, Magna civitas, magna ſolitudo See Zeph. 2.13, 14, 15. Druſius rendreth it thus, Hoſtes ſuos perſequi faciet tenebras, He ſhall cauſe darkneſſe to purſue his enemies, Or, He ſhall make his enemies to purſue darkneſſe, according to that noted ſaying of the Ancients, Deus quem deſtruit, dementat, whom God intends to deſtroy, him He firſt infatuateth. But the former ſence is the better.

Ver. 9. What do ye imagine againſt the Lord?] becauſe againſt his people. So Pſal. 62.3. How long will ye imagine miſchief againſt a man? ye ſhall be ſlaine all of you: as a bowing wall ſhall ye be, and as a tottering fence. The blind and bloody Ninivites looked no further then the Jewes whom they invaded: they conſidered not that God was ingaged in the quarrel of his people. This made the Virgin daughter of Zion, confident of Gods help, ſhake her head in ſcorn and pitty at them, ſaying, Whom haſt thou reproached and blaſphemed? and againſt whom haſt thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even againſt the holy One of Iſrael. Iſai. 37.22, 23. She knew well (though her enemies knew not) that as an unskilfull archer in ſhooting at a beaſt hitteth a man ſometimes: ſo the Churches adverſaries, in troubling of her, trouble Almighty God, who will not faile to be even with them: for he that toucheth Gods people, toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8. Saul, Saul. why perſecuteſt thou me [illegible: 1 letter] Act. 9.4. It was a ſimple queſtion of Satan to our Saviour, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. what have I to do with thee? whileſt he vexed a ſervant of his. Hath he his name from knowledge, and yet could he ſo miſtake himwhom he confeſſed to be the ſon of the living God? It is an idle miſpriſion to-ſever the ſenſe of an injury done to any of the members, from the head. Druſius reades the text thus, Quid cogitatis de Domino? what think ye of the Lord? what conceit or opinion have ye of him? Doe ye imagine that he cannot performe what he threateneth by his Prophets? or that he cannot, when he pleaſeth, deliver his people out of your hand?

he will make an utter end] Not a conſumption only, but a conſummation: This he is even doing, as the Hebrew hath it: he is buſy about it, and will not faile to ſiniſh it: for he uſeth not to do his work to the halves. Surely a ſhort work will the Lord make in your land, now that he taketh you to do, certo, cito, penitus.

aſſliction ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time] God will diſpatch you at one blow. See a like expreſſion 1 Sam. 26.8. Niniveh had many bruſhes before, by Phraortes king of Medes and his ſon Ciaxares, and afterwards by the Scythians, whereof See Ier. 49.34. and by Aſtyages &c. Now N[illegible: 1 letter]buchadnezzar was appointed by God to make an utter end of it &c. The wicked ſhall totally and finally be conſumed at once. Not ſo the Saints: theſe he corrects with a rod, thoſe with a grounded ſtaffe Eſa. 32.32. Theſe in mercy and in meaſure. in the bunches only, he ſtayeth his rough wind in the day of the Eaſt-wind Eſa. 27.8. he ſtayeth ſuch afflictions as would ſhake his plants too much, or quite blow them down. But to the wicked he hath no ſuch tender reſpect: he ſmites them at the root, and, after many blowes, he reſolves to have them down. For inſtance: compare Gods different dealing with Noah and the old world, with Lot and the Sodomites, Iſrael and the Canaanites, Moſes and Pharaoh, David and Saul &c. Fret not therefore thy ſelf becauſe of evill-doers Pſal. 37.1. when the wicked ſpring as the graſſe, and when all the workers of iniquity do ſlouriſh: it is that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever. Pſal. 92.7. Pharaoh bad faire way made him till he came to the midſt of the ſea: not one wave may riſe up againſt him to wet ſo much as the hoof of his horſe. It was a faire Sun-ſhine-day when Lot went out of Sodome: but ere night there f[illegible: 1 letter]ll out a diſmall change. It was in the Spring that the flood came, then when every thing was in its prime and pride: beſides that, the world never more flouriſhed in wealth, peace, arts, and all magnificence: yet ſudden deſtruction came upon them, they were all at once buried in one univerſall grave of waters.

Ver. 10. For while they be folden together as thornes] And ſo can hardly be handled without hurt: God will burn them together in the ſame place 2 Sam. 23.7. as a man puts thorns folden, and that cannot eaſily be ſundred all together into the fire, where they make a ſudden blaze and are extinct. So will God deale with the Ninivites, not withſtanding their carnall combinations and confederacies.Junius Crocius.

and while they are drunken as drunkard[illegible: 1 letter] ] who are very quarrelſome, bragging and braving: but may be eaſily dealt with, and puſht down with one finger.

as ſtubble ſully dry] that hath long laine a ſunning, and ſo is very combuſtible. The wicked are oft compared to ſtubble, becauſe good for nothing but the fire: and when fully dry, when ripe for ruine, they ſhall be fully devoured, as ſome read the words. Ecq[illegible: 1 letter]em vero mihi dabis Rhetorem &c. as One ſaith of another text. But what gallant Rhetorick is here? well might God ſay Hoſ. 12.10. I have ſpoken alſo by the Prophets and uſed ſimilitudes &c. (See the Note there) here we have three in a breath; and all little enough to work on the hearts of the wicked, who are loth to beleeve the truth and certainty of Gods threats: but rather bleſſe themſelves when God curſeth Deut. 29.19.

Ver. 11. There is one come out of thee that imagineth evill againſt the Lord] Many there are, but one among and above the reſT: ſc. Sennacherib, that bold Briareus, that lifteth up his hundred hands at once againſt heaven; and threateneth to cut off at a blow Gods people, as if they had all but one neck. See verſe 9. He is come up over all his chanels, and gone over all his banks, Iſa. 8.7. but God ſhall ſoon put a ſtop to him: and with an over-running ſlood (that he may be even with him) make an utter [illegible: 1 letter]nd of his place, as it is here ver. 8.

a wicked Counſellour] Heb. a counſellour of Belial, or of the devill, who lendeth him his ſeven heades to plot, and his ten horns to puſh Gods people. What pernicious counſel he gave them ſee 2 King. 18. 2 Chron. 32. Eſal. 36. ſc. to caſt off God as not able to deliver them out of his hands: and to make an agreement with him by a preſent &c. the peſtilent counſell he gave them by Rabſhakeh, who was, ſay the Rabbines, a Renegado-Jew. Every Viſier and Baſha of State among the Turks uſeth to keep ſtill a Jew of his private counſell: whoſe malice, wit, and experience of Chriſtendome, with their continuall intelligence, is thought to adviſe moſt of that miſchief,Voyage into the Levant. p. 114. which the Turk at this day puts in execution againſt us (ſaith mine Authour) the Jews being found the moſt nimble and Mercuriall wits in the world, but counſellours of Belial. In all the ſhop of hell there is no anvile ſo well ſet, whereon to forge, no engine ſo apt, whereby to execute any choice piece of miſchief, as that man, who is ingenuose nequam, & publico ma[illegible: 1 letter]o facundus (as it is ſaid of C. Curio the Roman) Wittily wicked, and peſtilently eloquent. Such were Cardinall Pool to England, Cardinall Sadeletus to Geneva, and the I[illegible: 1 letter]ſuite[illegible: 1 letter] generaily, great Politicians and factours for Rome: They ſay, Satan ſent Luther, and God ſent them to withſtand him. They deſtroy many ſouls, as the Dragon doth the Elephant; by biting his ear, and ſucking his blood; becauſe he knows that to be the onely place which the Elephant cannot reach with his trunk to deſend. They take crafty counſel againſt the Church. Pſal. 8.33.

Verſe 12. Thus ſaith the Lord] To thee, O Jeruſalem, and for thy comfort. The Lord will ſpeak peace to his people: and Miniſters are charged to ſpeak to their hearts, Eſay 40 1.

though they be quiet] Or, ſtill, well diſciplined (as the Turkiſh Army is, to the wonder of all that paſſe thorow it:)Turcae perpepetuum ſilentium tenent ut muti. Cuſpin. de Caeſar. p. 475. there was no falling out, nor complaining in the Aſſyrian hoſts: therefore, and by this means, did their king march on, p[illegible: 1 letter]ſſe throw.

and likewiſe many] How great an Army they were, may bee gathered from the many thouſands of them that were ſlain by the Angel, Eſay 37.36. It is all, one with God, whether it be done againſt a nation, or againſt a man onely, Job 34.29. he ſtands not upon multitudes, who taketh up the Iſles, as a very little thing, Eſay 40.15.

yet thus ſhall. [illegible: 2 letters]ey be cut down] Heb. ſhorn; with as little ado as one would ſhear a ſheep, mow down a meddow, or ſhave off hair with a ſharp raſor. The Prophet ſeemeth to allude to that Text in Eſay (with whom, as his contemporary, he hath many things common) chap. 7.20. and to threaten the Aſſyrian, that he ſhall bee payd home in his own coyn: and that as he had done to Iſrael, ſo ſhould it bee done again to him. God loveth to retaliate.

when he ſhall paſſe thorow] Heb. and he paſſeth, or away he goeth, ſe, to his own countrey, after the loſſe of his Army, ſlain by the Angel, ſo Hierom. Others, they ſhall be cut down, ſc. by the hand of a mighty One, as Eſay 10.34. or of an Angel, when he, that is Sennacherib, and every one of his Army hath paſſed thorow, ſc. the land without reſtraint, or controul, and now maketh account that hee is maſter of all.

Though I have afflicted thee, yet I will afflict thee no more] ſc. by theſe Nineviten no, nor by any other enemies, unleſſe there be very great need, 1 Pet. 1.6. The Church hath ever had her Halcyous, her interchanges of proſperity and adverſity. God will not alwayes chide, Pſal. 103.9. he delighteth in the proſperity of his ſervants, Pſal. 35.27. and wiſheth, Oh that this people were wiſe, &c. O that my people had hearkened, &c Pſal. 81.13, 14, 15. There is another reading of the words, as may be ſeen in the margent. This is Iunius. the Chaldee paraphraſ[illegible: 3 letters]. thus; Although the Ninevites enjoy great peace, and by peace are ſo m[illegible: 3 letters]plied, that they are very numerous, yet ſhall they be ſhorn and cut down.

Verſe 13. For now will I break his yoke from off thee] Leſt the promiſed deliverance ſhould be any whit doubted of; the time when, and the miſery whence they ſhould be delivered is here laid open. God hath ſet the time of his peoples ſufferings, which ſhall be neither ſo little a while as they would; [illegible: 1 letter]or ſo long as the enemy would. Hold out faith and patience; deliverance is at next doore by.

and will burſt thy bonds in ſunder] By yoke and bonds here, underſtund thoſe Tributes which the Aſſyrians, called out by Ahaz, impoſed upon the kingdome of Judah, 2 King. 18. God promiſeth them here their ancient liberty; which was, ſoon after this, recovered under Hez[illegible: 1 letter]kiah, who truſting in God, and reforming religion, rebelled againſt the king of Aſſyria, and ſerved him no longer. Shortly after alſo, the Perſians deſtroyed Nineveh, dealt more gently with the captive Jews, and gave them good leave to return home again, as many as had a mind to it, Ezr. 1.4. 2 Chron. 36. Verſe 14 And the Lord hath given a commandement.] ſc. to his upper and lower forces (for he is Lord of Hoſts, Commander in Chief of all creatures.)

againſt thee] O Sennacherib devoted to deſtruction, for thine intolerable pride and cruelty. God reſiſteth the proud, Iam. 4.6. he ſetteth himſelf in battellarray againſt him, as the word ſignifieth, commanding all his creatures to fall on: [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and no wonder. For whereas all other vices flee from God, pride alone fleeth in his face: caſteth down the gauntlet of defiance, and maketh head againſt him. Hence his hatred of a proud perſon.

that no more of thy name be ſown] i. e. that no more children be born to thee; ſo Lyra expounds it: that thy poſterity periſh, ſo Gualther. This muſt needs bee grievous to proud and ambitious perſons, who promiſe themſelves a kind of immortality here in their poſterity: and that there ſhall be a perpetuall ſucceſſion of their name in this world. Their inward thought is, that their houſes ſhall continue for ever, they call their lands after their own names, Pſal. 49.11. But their lamp ſhall be put out in obſcure darkneſſe, Prov. 20.20. there ſhall be—Nullus, cui lampada tradant. Others ſenſe the Text thus. Thou ſhalt no more be talked of; but the memory of thy name ſhall bee utterly extinct. The face of the Lord is againſt them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth, Pſal. 34.16. See Eſay 10.12, 13, &c. Ier. 49.34. Sennacherib had done great exploits, till he lifted up his hand againſt heaven, he had been very victorious and famous; but now lies wrapt up in the ſheet of ſhame, and is made an inſtance of divine vengeance, even among the Heathen: For ſo Herodotus telleth us, that in Egypt there was Sennacheribs ſtatue erected, with his inſcription; Let whoſoever looketh upon me, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Hero. l 2. learn to fear God. He lifted up himſelf againſt his Creatour and Father: hee is therefore ſlain by his own children. He thought to overturn the true ſervice of God; he is therefore ſlain at his idoll-worſhip. He went about to deſtroy the houſe of God; he is therefore deſtroyed in the houſe of his god, Eſay 37.38.

Out of the houſe of thy gods will I cut off the graven image] This, thoſe ſuperſtitious Heathens held a great loſſe, a ſore affliction. It is reported of the people of the Eaſt-Indies, in the Iſle Zeylon, that having an Apes tooth got from them, which was a conſecrated thing by them, they offered an incredible maſſe of treaſure to recover it. What a noiſe made Micah after his Ephod and images, Judg. 18.24? and Laban after his Teraphim? Gen. 31. and the men of Ophrah, for their altar and grove? And what a price ſet Papifts on their pictures and trinkets.Judg. 6.30.

I will make thy grave] ſc. Of thine idoll-temple, polluted by thy ſlaughter therein, and ſo converted into a ſepulchre for thee. There is a ſtory (but of no great authority) that Sennacherib, after his ſhamefull return out of Judea, demanding of ſome about him, what might bee the reaſon that the unreſiſtable God of heaven ſo favoured the Jewiſh nation, as he had found by ſad experience? Anſwer was given him, that Abraham from whom they deſcended, ſacrificed unto him his onely ſonne, which purchaſed this protection to his progeny. If that will win him, ſaith he, I will ſpare him two of my ſonnes, to procure him to be on my ſide. Which Sharezzer and Adrammelech his ſonnes hearing of, prevented their own deaths by ſlaying him. It is more likely that they laid wicked hands upon their father,Caſtal. Annot. either out of ambition, or diſcontent for the loſſe of the Army. Howſoever, God made uſe of their cruelty, for the juſt puniſhment of Sennacherib: and is here therefore ſaid to have commanded it. After this, cruell warre aroſe among Sennacheribs ſonnes, which were the utter overthrow of that nation,In Cyropad. and laid them open as a prey to the kings of Babylou, as Xenophon writeth.

for thou art vile] Worthleſſe, and weightleſſe. All wicked men are ſo, be they never ſo great, Pſal. 15.4. Dan. 11.21. In his eſtate ſhall ſtand up a vile perſon, that is, Antiochus Epiphanes, the great king of Syria, whom the Samaritans in flattery ſtiled, The mighty god. 'Tis vertue onely that enobles. Them that honour God, he will honour: but they that deſpiſe him, ſhall be lightly eſteemed, 1 Sam. 2.30. Contempt ſhall be their portion, and with ignominy, repreach, Prov. 18.3. Here then the Prophet threateneth the ſame that Joel had done, chap. 2.20. His ſtink ſhall come up, and the ill ſavour ſhall come up, becaue be hath done great things, i.e, he hath attempted to do them, but was hindered from heaven. God put a hook in his noſe, and a bridle in his lips, and turned him back to Nineveh: where, within leſſe then fifty dayes after, he was ſlain by his two ſonnes, Tob. 1.23. and although his third ſonne Aſar-haddon reigned in his ſtead,: yet hee ſoon after loſt both his life and his kingdome, which was devolved to the Babylonians, and all the royall race of Aſſyria was rooted out.

Verſe 15. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him, &c.] This Behold is as the ſound of a trumpet before ſome Proclamation, to beſpeak attention. Jeruſalem is ſurrounded with mountains, Pſal. 125.2. and on the mountains a voice may bee heard afarre off.Pedes Evangelizantis. Vulg. The feet of him that bringeth good tidings,] Or, Of an Evangeliſt, that brings news of Sennacheribs ruine: but-eſpecially of Satan ſubdued by Chriſt, which is the ſumme of all the good news in theworld, Luke 2.10.

that publiſheth peace] Pacem omnimodam; externall, internall, eternall, peace of countrey, and of conſcience, by Chriſt who is our peace: It is uſuall with the Prophets to riſe from earthly things to heavenly, from corporalls to ſpiritualls. See Rom. 10.15. Eſay 52.7.

O Iudah keep thy ſolemn feaſts, &c.] which hitherto hindered by the enemy, thou haſt intermitted. Perform thy vows, (made in the day of thy diſtreſſe) bring preſents to him that ought to be feared. Pſal. 76.11. 2 Chro. 32.23

for the wicked] Heb. Belial, that ſtigmaticall Belialiſt Sennacherib, that lawleſſe, yokeleſſe, maſterleſſe monſter, that merum ſcelus, that is ſo portentouſly, ſo peerleſly vitious.

He is utterly cut off] His Army by the Angel, himſelf by his ſonnes, his Monarchy by the Babylonians. See Eſay 27.1, 2.