Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God?
Ver. 17. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord] Let not them be either dull or dumb (as Popish mass-priests, with their dumb shows at divine service), but as (for their dignity) they are the Lord's ministers, as likewise the good angels are, and their fellow-servants, so (according to their duty) they must be first in holy exercises, Psa 103:21 Revelation 22:9, going in and out before God's people in the performance of their trust, and that worthy work of theirs, 1 Timothy 3:1, for the which they are to be very highly esteemed in love, i Thess. v. 13. Let ministers, therefore, pray hard for their people, as did Aaron, Samuel, Paul, &c. Let their prayers (at fasts especially) be well watered with tears (those effectual orators, that cry to God for mercy, Psalms 39:12, as blood doth for vengeance, Gen 4:16), as theirs were, Judges 20:28; Judges 2:5 1 Samuel 7:6; and as Ezra, x. 1, and Jeremiah, ix. 1; xiii. 17; and why? but for corruption, in magistrates, ministers, all sorts; a general defection, drawing on a general desolation. Oh let God's two faithful witnesses be clothed in sackcloth, Revelation 11:3, teaching God's people with many "tears and temptations, both publicly and from house to house"; yea, not "ceasing to warn them night and day with tears," to redeem their own sorrows by sound repentance, Acts 20:19,20; Acts 20:31. It is said of Athanasius, that by his tears, as by the bleeding of a chaste vine, he cured the leprosy of that tainted age. And of Luther, that by his prayers and tears he had prevailed with God, that Popery should not overrun his country during his days. When I am dead, said he, let those pray that can pray, Melancthon, his colleague, writeth, that he constantly prayed with abundance of tears; for he knew, that as music upon the water sounds farther and more harmoniously than upon the land; so prayers, joined with tears, find much respect with Christ; who could not but look back upon the weeping women, and comfort them, though he was then going to his death.
Between the porch and the altar] This was that void place, where the priests prayed after the sacrifices were offered, Ezekiel 8:16. As in man there is body, soul, and spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, so in the temple at Jerusalem, 1. between Solomon's porch, Acts 3:11, and the altar of burnt-offering, was the outer great court, 2 Chronicles 4:9, where the people met for preaching and prayer. Next, there was the second court, for the priests only; and here was the altar of incense, Luke 1:9,10. Thirdly, the most holy place, for the high-priest to enter once a year, Leviticus 16:17. The first is here spoken of, the outer court, where the priests might be best heard to pray, and seen to weep; and the people might comport, and say, Amen; the want whereof St Paul counts no small loss, i Cor. xiv. 16.
And let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, &c.] Other exercises there were usually performed at public fasts; as reading the Scriptures, Jeremiah 36:5; Jeremiah 36:27, expounding and preaching, Nehemiah 8:4; Nehemiah 8:8, examining, censuring, and punishing such sins as then most reigned, Nehemiah 9:2 Ezr 9:2 Joshua 7:6; Joshua 22:5. Binding themselves to God by a covenant of better obedience, Nehemiah 10:18; Nehemiah 10:29,30, contributing to good uses, Isaiah 58:7 2 Chronicles 31:3,4; but the chief business and duty of the day was, as here, prayer to God for pardon of sin, and removal of shame and other punishment; whence also it was called, a day of atonement, or expiation.
Spare thy people, O Lord, &c.] Brevis oratio, sed tota affeetibus ardens, saith Mercer, A short prayer, but very affectionate; so are all Scripture-forms: they have fulness of matter in fewness of words. Quam multa, quam paucis! How much in a little! as Cicero said of Brutus's laconical epistle. See Num 6:24-26 Hos 14:2 Luk 18:13 Matthew 6:9,10, &c., which is both a prayer and a pattern: as the standard is the exactest measure. Why, then, should any man fall out with forms, and call them idols, odious as swine's-flesh, &c.? Why should they say, that the use of the Lord's Prayer is the note of a formalist? Is not this to speak evil of good, &c.
And give not thine heritage to reproach] Suffer us not, for our sins, to be forced by famine to beg bread of our enemies, the Ammonites and Moabites; for that will reflect upon thee, Lord, and turn to thy dishonour, as if thou hadst no care of thine heritage, couldst not maintain thy servants. See a like prayer to this Numbers 14:11,12; Num 14:16-17 Deuteronomy 9:26,28, and learn to deprecate shame and reproach as a fruit of sin, and a piece of the curse, Deu 28:1-68 Lev 26:1-46 1 Samuel 2:30. Beg of God, 1. To keep thee from reproachful courses, such as may expose thee to the scandal of the weak and scorn of the wicked. David is much in this petition. 2. To hide thee in a pavilion from the strife of tongues, Psalms 31:20, either to preserve thee from aspersions, or so to oil thy name, that they may not stick. 3. To give thee good repute and report among the best. It was God gave Solomon honour; and he promiseth it to all his, as a reward of religion, Proverbs 22:4 .
That the heathen should rule over them] It is a heavy hand of God upon his people, when Pagans or Papagans have dominion over them, Nehemiah 9:9,10; Neh 9:27 Psalms 79:1; Psalms 80:1,2; Psa 137:1-2 Lamentations 1:2; Lamentations 1:4,5. They are bloody in their positions and dispositions. See Romans 1:31. Their government is tyrannical, such as the Spaniards' is over the poor Indians, the Turks' over Greece, the rebels over the English in Ireland, &c. The saints also are, 1. Conscientious, and cannot yield to their unlawful commands, as the three children; 2. Zealous, and cannot but contest, as Stephen, Paul at Athens, the martyrs; 3. Friendless and destitute, Matthew 10:16, as Paul before Nero, Christ before Pilate, forsaken of all. Pray, therefore, as here, and prevent such a mischief, by shunning Jerusalem's sins of ignorance, ingratitude, incorrigibleness, formality, &c., and by putting our necks under the yoke of Christ's obedience, observing from the heart that form of doctrine which he hath delivered unto us, Romans 6:17 .
Wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?] q.d. Why should they cast our religion in our dish? why should they twit us with thy neglect of us? why should thy name be blasphemed and thy power traduced, as it were on a public theatre? This was that which most galled these good souls (as it had often done David before them), that God, with whom they quartered arms, should be reproached for their sakes, and through their sides; and his glory defaced. This was as a murdering knife in David's bones, Psalms 42:10, and worse to him than all the evil that he had suffered from his youth up. Our nature is most impatient with reproach: for there is none so mean but thinks himself worthy of some regard; and a reproachful scorn shows an utter disrespect which flows from the very superfluity of malice. You shall find some (saith Erasmus) that if death be threatened can despise it; but to be belied or reproached they cannot brook, nor from revenge contain. God's people can bear wrongs best of any; compel them to go a mile, they will be content, if it may do good, to go two, yea, as far as the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace will carry them. But if wrong be offered to God, if he be any way dishonoured, or his name bored through by blasphemies, O what a stomach they have presently, and how blessedly blown up are they with a zeal of God's glory, which even eateth them up.