For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Ver. 13. For my people have committed two evils.] Contrary to those two good things that I have commanded them, viz., "Depart from evil, and do good." Psa 34:14 Lust doth first εξελκειν, draw a man from God, and then it doth δελεαζειν, deceive him with a bait of the creature. Jam 1:14
They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water.] The all-sufficient, ever-flowing, over-flowing well spring of all welfare. Jam 1:17 Trismegist, a heathen, could say, a Respicite O mortales, et resipiscite, et ad fontem vitae recurrite, Look back, O mortals, and repent, and run back again to the fountain of life. Seneca also saith, that sin is so foul a thing, that he would not commit it, though he could hide it from men, and get pardon of it of God; for that were to turn his back upon God, the chief good, &c. How well might Bullinger b say, that Seneca alone had left to posterity more sincere divinity than all the books of almost all the schoolmen.
And hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns.] Such, and no better, are all idols, human helps, creature comforts, friends, means, merits, &c.; what are they all but cisterns, that hold but muddy rainwater at best? but then, being broken cisterns, riven vessels, what hold they else but limum et lapides, mud and gravel? Such cisterns, therefore, to hew out, what is it better than industrious folly, laborious loss of time? to say no worse of it. Now
“ Turpe est difficiles habere nugas:
Et stultus labor est ineptiarum. ”
a Dialog. 7.
b Comment. in Romans 1:19. So little reason was there that Alex. Hales should be called first Fons vitae, font of life, and then Doctor Irrefragabilis, irresistible teacher.