whether we understand it of the religious Iews both of Iudah and Israel that returned out of the captivity or of the devout Christians after them that are the true holy seed and the true Israel of God and were delivered from a greater bondage CHAP. II. 1. SAy ye unto your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ru-hamah 2. Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife neither am I her husband let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight and her adulteries from between her breasts 3 Lest I strip her naked and set her as in the day that she was born and make her as a wildernesse and set her like a dry land and slay her with thâ—â—st 4. And I will not have mercy upon her children for they be the children of whoredoms 5. For their mother hath played the harlot she that conceived them hath done shamefully for she said I will go after my lovers that give me my bread and my water my wool and my flax mine oil and my drink 6. Therefore behold I will hedge up thy way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her paths 7. And she shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtake them and she shall seek them but shall not find them then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me then now 8 For she did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil and multiplied her silver and gold which they prepared for Baal 9 Therefore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my wooll and my flax given to cover her nakednesse 10. And now will I discover her lewdnesse in the sight of her lovers and none shall deliver her out of mine hand 11. I will also cause all her mirth to cease her feast-daies her new Moons and her Sabbaths and all her solemn feasts 12. And I will destroy her vines and her fig-trees whereof she hath said These are my rewards that my lovers have given me and I will make them a forest and the beasts of the field shall eat them 13. And I will visit upon her the daies of Baalim wherein she burnt incense to them and she decked herself with her ear-rings and her jewels and she went after her lovers and forgat me saith the Lord. 14. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speak comfortably unto her 15. And I will give her her vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for a door of hope and she shall sing there as in the daies of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt 16. And it shall be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali 17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth and they shall no more be remembred by their name 18. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and the sword and the battel out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies 20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. 21. And it shall come to passe in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the heavens and they shall hear the earth 22. And the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil and they shall hear Jezreel 23. And I will sow her unto me in the earth and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God CHAP. II. 1. YOu that are of the ten tribes say to your brethren those of the tribe of Iudah and Benjamin Ammi for now I acknowledge them for my people And say to your Sisters of those two tribes Ruchamah For my mercy shall watch over them 2. And when you have acknowledged their happinesse then every one of you may think of a quarrel a just quarrel you have to your own Mother i. to all the ten tribes For she hath not behaved her self like my Spouse Nor shall I answer her with the love of a Husband unlesse she make way for reconciliation of her self by a clean removal of her filthy pollutions and of her doting foolish demeanour in the idle love shewed to those imaginarie dieties that deserve it not 3. Which she had best to remove least by way of requital of her making her self gay for those her best beloved I strip her stark naked and expose her as bare as ever she was born to the injury of the weather in some open wildernesse or drie land where I may take that advantage to kill her with very thirst 4. When this severitie falls upon the Mother the whole nation the particular children have no reason to expect any mercy being no better then children of an adulterous bed and most foul Idolatrie 5. For their Mother hath played the harlot she that conceived them hath brought shame upon her self and them the rather because she hath not sticked to professe it openly that she would follow the example of her Paramours the Assyrian and Egyptian idolaters that give her forsooth a constant supplie of her bread and her water and her wool and her flax and her oyl and her drink and what not for all this she ascribes to their acquaintance and to the bountie of their gods 6. Therefore saith the Lord The time shall come when she shall brag of none of these courtesies received from them The time when her way thither shall be hedged in as with thorns and in everie corner so fenced about that there will be no evasion from the Assyrian slaverie to which she shall be led along in bonds and triumph 7. When her quondam-lovers have brought her to those hard embraces she will then strive to court them and wooe them but shall be able to work nothing upon their affections And finding by sad experience that she seeks in vain for what will not be found she will then fall if not too late upon this sad resolution I will now go and return to my right Husband He was the first and he was the best And I have since tasted of no such happinesse as I ever was sure of in the fruition of his favour 8. This she will then say But she should sooner have taken notice that I was the true Author of what she called her corn and wine
and oil And it was I that gave her that rich plentie of silver and gold which she thought fitter to bestow in the service of Baal then in mine 9. For that unseasonable abuse of what I gave her I will come to her again with an armie of enemies raised up against her and by them I will take away the corn and the wine which I had given her in the right season of them And when she thinks she is in a fair way of enjoying my wool and my slax which she would not acknowledge to come from my bountie I will snatch them both so sodainly and so far out of her reach that she shall not have enough so much as to cover her nakednesse 10. So shall I give way to the discoverie of her follie and shame in the open view of them that she most shamefully doted upon in the time of her plentie And neither they nor any other shall then be able to deliver her out of my hands 11. There shall I put an end to all her jollity to all her festival daies and new Moons and Sabbaths and all her solemn feasts because she looked more to her outward worship in them then to her inward sanctitie 12. And then also her vines and her fig-trees shall vanish in a general desolation which she never dreamed of when she was wont to boast of them as of presents bestowed upon her or made surer for her use by the benefit of her union with those her unfortunate Lovers But I that could not be acknowledged for the true founder of that her happinesse and the onelie means to preserve it will now show that I was so by turning those pleasant vineyards and other so profitable delights into a rude forest and when they are so taken from their unthankful mouths the verie beasts of the field shall eat them up or their rude destructive enemies that may be described by a parable of wild beasts 13. Such will I make my sad visitation of those merry daies wherein she honoured her Baals instead of her own Husband burned her incense to them and for their sakes like a proud strumpet tricked her self up in her gaudie ornaments her ear-rings and her jewels In which garb she footed it after those her dearest dieties and thought little of what I deserved or what I could bring upon her for all this saith the Lord. 14. For this good behaviour of hers shall not I use her kindlie conduct her fairly into some solitary wildernesse in a loving posture and in that privacie accost her in some amorous language to the solace of her good heart yes I warrant you I will lead her thence to her kind Assyrian Adulterers that shall prune her vines to the purpose She shall have her fine valley of pleasure turned into a valley of Achor a dismal place And there will I first open the way to her new instruction wherein she shall learn a new lesson that she never learned before And because she hath formerlie been so musicallie merrie in their sweet companie Let her there learn to sing her meriments over again if she can and trie if her voice will be framed to as merrie a tune as ever she warbled out in her younger daies and equal her merry sits that she had after her safe deliverie out of Egypt 16. But alas in that sad time her mouth will not rellish those sweet and merry ditties nor will she have any mind to her old language of Baal Though it signifie a Husband yet because it is the name of her Idol too I can tell her she will then be so warie as rather to use the terms of Ishi then Baali in the ordinarie salutations of a Husband 17. For I will teach her mouth to leave her wonted names of Baalim They shall have small comfort in the use of that name hereafter which so much abused it heretofore 18. After the amendment which shall attend this alteration I will make a league and covenant in their behalf and such as shall tend to their good It shall be a covenant with the beasts of the field and the fowls of the aire and the creeping things of the earth And then for a covenant with men too I will put as clear an end to their former wars and dissentions as if in their sight I should break the bow and the sword and all the instruments of battel And they shall quietly take their rest without any fear of danger 19. I will adde this too by way of a kind Apostrophe to my people If thou wilt keep thy faith with me for the time to come though thou hast gone a whoring after other gods yet will I espouse thee to my self again for ever And that espousal shall be made by my goodnesse and by moderation of my judgements and that in loving kindnesse and in much mercy 20. And it shall be faithfullie done with full resolution of keeping all promises on my behalf and by that thou shalt know me to be Iehovah i. that he to whom thou art espoused is the powerful God that ever doth reallie make good what he hath said which is the chief notion and reason of the name of Iehovah V. 21 22. Then shall there be as much plentie of corn and wine and oil and all necessaries as can be desired by my people Israel which shall now have the name of Jezreel as being a holy seed and a Mother-Church And no blessing that can come from heaven or earth shall be dutifullie asked in her behalf but it shall be as readilie granted 23. And I will disseminate and disperse her far abroad in the earth with happie enlargement like seed that is cast about with expectation of a large increase And as I will therein make good the best notion of Iezreel so in great mercy I will change the names of Loruchamah and Loammi into Ruchamah and Ammi For she shall tast of my mercy and be my people and resume the priviledge of calling me her God CHAP. III. 1. THen said the Lord unto me Go yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulteresse according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel who look to other gods and love flagons of wine 2. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver and for an Homer of barley and an half Homer of barley 3. And I said unto her Thou shalt abide for me many dayes thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee 4. For the children of Israel shall abide many daies without a King and without a Prince and without a sacrifice and without an image and without an Ephod and without a Teraphim 5. Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their kings and shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes
of my rest to prey upon you and disturb you of your rest For I am now resolved and have peremptorily decreed to gather some of other nations and kingdoms together specially the Chaldaeans and their auxiliaries and by them to pour out my indignation upon these Iews even all the fiercenesse of my indignation For no otherwise then in a kind of fierce zeal shall all the land of Judaea be destroyed 9. But after that affliction I will convert the people to a more penitent and devout and holy language that they may call upon the name of the Lord with more reverence then now is to be found amongst them and joyntly endevour to serve and obey him as they that willingly joyn their sholders together to bear that yoke that he laies upon them which easie yoke is no other then his service 10. And then from the remotest parts of their captivity from as far as those places about the rivers of Cush shall my suppliant and humble servants the off-spring of my people Israel and Judah far and wide dispersed over several nations from thence shall they bring offerings unto me in testimony of their hearty thanks for their joyful return into their own countrie 11. About that time will I take away the shame and grief which thou hadst conceived for thy former great sins and offences committed against me For then shall I by death and miserie have removed from thee those haughty and insulting Countrymen and Priests of thine And then shalt thou offend no more as thou hast done by pride and contempt of my holy places and my Sanctuarie in Mount Sion when those Masters of misrule and ringleaders to the proudest and most presumptious offences are taken away 12. In stead of them I will furnish thee with a meek and humble generation of men though poor which shall trust in the name of the Lord and not in the proud mistake of their own fortunes and abilities 13. This good remnant of my people that return from their captivity shall not return to their great and grievous sin their idolatry nor shall they so accustom themselves again to the speaking of lies and deceit Therefore in all peace and plenty shall they feed well at last and take their rest securely having none to fright or molest them 14. Rejoyce then O daughter of Sion sing and shout for joy O Israel Be merry and chearfull from the bottom of a thankefull heart O Daughter of Ierusalem 15. For God hath taken off those judgements wherewith thou wert afflicted for thy sins He hath removed thy enemies out of thy sight that they may trouble thee no more And instead of those Tyrants Iehovah the the God and King of Israel is in the midst of thee and thou shalt see no more of those calamities which thou hast seen heretofore 16. In those daies it shall be said to Jerusalem and to Sion Fear not nor be any way discouraged Let not thy bands faint or give over till they have raised an other City and Temple wherein to serve the Lord. 17 Iehovah thy God in the midst of thee is of great might and power and of as ready a mind and will to save and defend thee He will rejoyce over thee exceedingly He will acquiesce and solace himself in his love toward thee They that sing for joy shall not have more content and delight then he will take in thee 18. They that were the cause of removing thy merry Feasts and Solemnities will I remove far from thee For they have been but a burden and a disgrace unto thee 19. And take notice of it at that time will I undoe not them onely but all those that have any way troubled and afflicted thee And I will cure them amongst thee that are any way weakened in their fortunes and gather them dayly to their own homes that have been as good as ejected and banished from thence in the long time of their captivity And I will make them famous and renowned in those very places where they have been put to shame and disgrace 20. Again I say it to you all that shall then survive and serve me At that time will I reduce you to your own homes and gather you together to your own friends and acquaintance and I will make you famous and renowned among all the people of the earth so that your own eyes shall see with what advantage I have brought you back again from your captivity A Paraphrastical EXPLICATION Of the PROPHESIE OF HAGGAI CHAP. I. IN the second year of Darius the king in the sixth moneth in the first day of the moneth came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel governour of Iudah and to Ioshuah the son of Iosedech the high priest saying 2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts saying This people say The time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built 3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet saying 4 Is it time for you Oye to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lie wast 5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts Consider your waies 6 Ye have sown much and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough ye drink but ye are not filled with drink ye cloth you but there is none warm and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts Consider your waies 8 Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house and I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified saith the Lord. 9 Ye looked for much and lo it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it why saith the Lord of hosts because of mine house that is wast and ye run every man unto his own house 10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew and the earth is stayed from her fruit 11 And I called for a drought upon the land and upon the mountains and upon the corn and upon the new wine and upon the oyl and upon that which the ground bringeth forth and upon men and upon cattel and upon all the labour of the hands 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Ioshua the son of Iosedech the high priest with all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet as the Lord their God had sent him and the people did fear before the Lord. 13. Then spake Haggai the Lords messenger in the Lords message unto the people saying I am with you saith the Lord. 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirt of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel governour of Iudah and the spirit of Ioshua the son of Iosedech the high priest and the spirit of all the remnant of the people and they came and did work in
felt by he◠enemies 3. For Thus saith the great Iehovah I return now to Sion and to my former love and compassion that I showed to her of old And I will dwell again in the middest of Ierusalem my gracious presence and daily favours shall make them appear like my own domestick Servants which shull gain Ierusalem the title of the City where the true Religion is professed and the Mount of the lord of Hosts where you build your Temple unto me shall be called by the name of the holy Mountain because of the peculiar presence of my Holinesse and the daily observance of your sacred Duties and Devotions in that place 4. And concerning your temporall blessings thus also saith the Lord of Hostes there shall be seen again in the streets of Ierusalem Men venerable for their age and grave Matrons sitting there to refresh themselves and every one of them with a staffe in their hands to support their feeble bodies because of their extream old age and the extraordinary number of year to which they shall attain 5. And with this grave sight of your Ancients sitting before your doors you shall have another that will please you well great store of young children that shall fill up your spacious streets with severall companies of young boyes and girles here and there recreating themselves with their merry and innocent sports 6. And do not startle at it saith the Lord of Hostes for though this may seem a strange and wonderfull thing in the apprehension of this poor remnant of the People that are now returned out of the land of their captivity yet nothing should seem impossible for me saith the Lord of Hostes. 7. And look not upon your selves alone that are first returned and can yet make up but a little company for thus saith the Lord of Hostes I will wonderfully provide for the welfare of my people in the Eastern and Western parts 8. I 'le conduct them safely hither again from all parts of the world whither they are dispersed and they shall dwell in the middest of my holy City Ierusalem And they shall be my peculiar people and I will be their powerfull God Truely and justly shall I make this good to them by my blessing upon them and they to me by the true worship of my name and their just dealing and conversing with one another 9. And therefore Go on chearfully in the building of my Temple which you have now begun saith the Lord of Hostes you that live to see these daies and hear the comfortable words of these late Prophesies from the mouth of us the Prophets that were in the times that the foundation of the house of the Lord of Hostes was laid and that God hath raised up to incite and encourage you in the building and perfecting of his holy Temple 10. And to adde the more life and speed to your undertakings I am enjoyned to tell you that whereas before you setled your selves in earnest to this good work your men and your cattle at home had little reward of their labour in matter of Husbandry ye toyled and took paines with little or no successe and they that ventured further abroad could find no peace and quiet by reason of some affliction or other that was ready to overtake them beside the many quarrels and distractions which by my permission and connivence rose up amongst you 11. Now since I perceive your readinesse and alacrity to proceed in the building of my House I will not show my self so averse as formerly I have been from this remnant of the captivity saith the Lord of Hostes. 12. For you shall be a generation that shall live in peace and prosperity Your Vines shall be fruitfull and your land shall bring plenty of corn For the Heavens shall drop that dew which shall make them so And the remnant that return from Babylon will I make to be eye-witnesses and owners of all this felicity 13. So shall it come to passe that as you of the house of Iudah and Israel were held accursed of all nations by reason of the great misery that your great sins had brought upon you so upon this safety and prosperity which I shall give unto you you shall be accounted a Nation that God hath now blessed with extraordinary favours Therefore do not faint and give back from your good intentions but proceed on chearfully and couragiously in the building of the Temple 14. For thus saith the Lord of Hostes As there was a time when my thoughts and intentions were chiefly set upon afflicting of this nation for those sins by which your forefathers provoked me to anger and I had no mind to repent of it I would not 〈◊〉 diverted 15. So now in these times of amendment and of a more readiness to go on in my service I am willing to repent and to put on other resolutions of doing good and bestowing favours upon Iudah and Ierusalem And therefore be not discouraged nor taken off from your good beginnings 16. And let these be the actions wherein you shall practise and entertain your selves Let every man use candour and integritie in those things which refer to others and himself And you that as more publick persons are intrusted in your gates which are your courts of Justice pass your sentences according to that truth and equity which will be the best means to procure and prolong your peace and prosperity 17. And much more must you be careful that there be no studying of mischief against one another or delighting to deceive others or dishonour my name by false oaths For howsoever wicked men may love and take pleasure in such things yet are they all of them the object of my hatred saith the Lord of Hosts 18 After this for a full and clear solution of the queries and demands that were the errand of Sarezer end Regem-melech the word of the Lord was made known unto me to this sense 19. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Your fast of the fourth moneth which you observed in the sad remembrance of Jerusalem at that time taken by the King of Babylon and your fast of the fifth moneth wherein the Temple was consumed by fire and the City laid ruinous and desolate and your fast in the seventh moneth which put you in mind how your noble Patron and Commander Godoliah was treacherously and unhappily brought to an untimely death and your fast of the tenth moneth in which the Babylonians began their siege against Jerusalem All these daies of fasting shall be now to your whole nation upon your return from Babylon festivall dayes set times of merry and joyfull Solemnities In all which let not your joy obliterate the memorie of your dutie forget not to deal candidly and truly with your neighbours and to entertain one another with the mutual offices of true love and courtesie as well as of jollity and feasting 20. And to encourage you yet more