impletur avaritia—If the whole earth were monopolized, avarice would thirst for more. What, will you be placed alone in the midst of the earth? (so some read it.) Will you be so foolish as to desire it, when we have so much need of the service of others, and so much comfort in their society? Will you be so foolish as to expect that the earth should be forsaken for us, (Job xviii. 4.) when it is by multitudes that the earth is to be replenished? An propter vos solos tanta terra creata est?—Was the wide world created merely for you? Lyra.
Now that which is threatened, as the punishment of this sin, is, that neither the houses nor the fields they were thus greedy of, should turn to any account, v. 9, 10. God whispered it to the prophet in his ear, as he speaks in a like case; (ch. xxii. 14.) It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts; {as God told Samuel a thing in his ear, 1 Sam. ix. 15.) he thought he heard it still sounding in his ears; but he proclaims it as he ought to do, upon the house-tops, Matth. x. 27. (1.) That the houses they were so fond of, should be untenanted, should stand long empty, and so should yield them no rent, and go out of repair: Many houses shall be desolate, the people that should dwell in them being cut off by sword, famine, or pestilence, or carried into captivity; or, trade being dead, and poverty coming upon the country like an armed man, those that had been house-keepers, were forced to become lodgers, or shift for themselves elsewhere. Even great and fair houses, that would invite tenants, and (there being a scarcity of tenants) might be taken at low rates, shall stand empty without inhabitants. God created not the earth in vain: he formed it to be inhabited, ch. xlv. 18. But men's projects are often frustrated, and what they frame, answers not the intention. We have a saying, That fools build houses for wise men to live in; but sometimes it proves for no man to live in. God has many ways to empty the most populous cities. (2.) That the fields they were so fond of should be unfruitful; (v. 10.) Ten acres of vineyard shall yield only such a quantity of grapes as will make but one bath of wine, which was about eight gallons; and the seed of an homer, a bushel's sowing of ground, shall yield but an ephah, which was the tenth part of an homer; so that, through the barrenness of the ground, or the unseasonableness of the weather, they should not have more than a tenth part of their seed again. Note, Those that set their hearts upon the world, will justly be disappointed in their expectations from it.
II. Here is a wo to those that doat upon the pleasures and delights of sense, v. 11, 12. Sensuality ruins men as certainly as worldliness and oppression. As Christ pronounced a wo against those that are rich, so also against those that laugh now, and are full, (Luke vi. 24, 25.) and fare sumptuously, Luke xvi. 19.
Observe, 1. Who the sinners are against whom this wo is denounced; (1.) They are such as are given to drink, they make it their business, have their hearts upon it, and overcharge themselves with it. They rise early to follow strong drink, as husbandmen and tradesmen do to follow their employments; as if they were afraid of losing time from that which is the greatest mispending of time. Whereas commonly they that are drunken, are drunken in the night, when they have despatched the day, these neglect business, abandon it, and give up themselves to the service of the flesh; for they sit at their cups all day, and continue till night, till wine inflame them—inflame their lusts; chambering and wantonness follow upon rioting and drunkenness—inflame their passions; for who but such have contentions and wounds without cause? Prov. xxiii. 29—33. They make a perfect trade of drinking; nor do they seek the shelter of the night for this work of darkness, as men ashamed of it, but count it a pleasure to riot in the day-time. See 2 Pet. ii. 13. (2.) They are such as are given to mirth; they have their feasts, and they are so merrily disposed, that they cannot dine or sup without music, musical instruments of all sorts, like David, (Amos vi. 5.) like Solomon; (Eccl. ii. 8.) the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe, must accompany the wine, that every sense may be gratified to a nicety: they take the timbrel and harp, Job xxi. 12. The use of music is lawful in itself; but when it is excessive, when we set our hearts upon it, mispend time in it, so that it crowds our spiritual and divine pleasures, and draws away the heart from God, then it turns into sin to us. (3.) They are such as never give their mind to any thing that is serious; they regard not the work of the Lord, they observe not his power, wisdom, and goodness, in those creatures which they abuse, and subject to vanity, nor the bounty of his providence, in giving them those good things which they make the food and fuel of their lusts. God's judgments have already seized them, and they are under the tokens of his displeasure, but they regard not, they consider not the hand of God in all these things; his hand is lifted up, but they will not see, because they will not disturb themselves in their pleasures, nor think what God is doing with them.
2. What the judgments are, which are denounced against them, and in part executed. It is here foretold,
(1.) That they should be dislodged; the land should spue out these drunkards; (v. 13.) My people (so they called themselves, and were proud of it) are therefore gone into captivity, are as sure to go, as if they were gone already, because they have no knowledge; how should they have knowledge, when by their excessive drinking they make sots and fools of themselves? They set up for wits, but, because they regard not God's controversy with them, nor take any care to make their peace with him, they may truly be said to have no knowledge; and the reason is, because they will have none; they are inconsiderate and wilful, and therefore destroyed for lack of knowledge.
(2.) That they should be impoverished, and come to want that which they had wasted and abused to excess; Even their glory are men of famine, subject to it, and slain by it; and their multitude are dried up with thirst: both the great men and the common people are ready to perish for want of bread and water; this is the effect of the failure of the corn, (v. 10.) for the king himself is served of the field, Eccl. v. 9. And when the vintage fails, the drunkards are called upon to weep, because the new wine is cut off from their mouth, (Joel i. 5.) and not so much because now they want it, as because, when they had it, they abused it. It is just with God to make men want that for necessity, which they have abused to excess.
(3.) That multitudes should be cut off by famine and sword; (v. 14.) Therefore hell has enlarged herself; Tophet, the common burying-place, proves too little; so many are there to be buried, that they shall be forced to enlarge it: the grave has opened her mouth without measure, never saying, It is enough, Prov. xxx. 15, 16. It may be understood of the place of the damned; luxury and sensuality fill those regions of darkness and horror; there they are tormented, who made a god of their belly, Luke xvi. 25. Phil. iii. 19.
(4.) That they should be humbled and abased, and all their honours laid in the dust. This will be done effectually by death and the grave; Their glory shall descend, not only to the earth, but into it; it shall not descend after them, (Ps. xlix. 17.) to stand
