that which redounds to his honour and praise Laudabor propter meam erga vos misericordiam atque beneficentiam Piscator Gentes laudabunt me propter liberationem vestram Vatablus Cum omnes nationes viderint vos a me esse liberatos sanctum me justum que judicabunt quod facerim quod promiseram Maldon Glorificabor sanctus potens mirabilis predicabor Pradus So A Lapide Pintus Lavater and thus diverse interpreters take it in this place I will bring you out of Babylon into your own Countrey unite you into Church order give you another Temple with all the Ordinances of it sanctify you by my word and Spirit cause you to worship mee with pure worship bringing me the best you have for Sacrifices that so you may praise mee for my goodnesse unto you and the Nations for the great things done for you The Lords bringing them out of the countrys where they were scattered was a great work and filled the Heavens with admiration making them to say The Lord hath done great things for them Psalm 126.2 and the Jews also to say The Lord hath done great things for us v. 3. when the Jews were brought out of Egypt it s said Psa 114.2 Judah was his Sanctuary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sanctitatem ejus or Sanctificatio ejus and so the French read it Juda fut sa sainctete God separated them from the Egyptians as these from the Babylonians to inhabit their praises and to bee worshipped by them and so they were his Sanctuary and Sanctification God doth Sanctify himself when he doth vouchsafe a people manifestations of his goodnesse wisdome mercy love and faithfulnesse and God is sanctified when a people doth that is pleasing and acceptable to God Numb 20.12 Because ye beleeve not to sanctify mee in the eyes of the children of Israel unbeleef is a non sanctifying of God and beleeving is a sanctifying of him Obs 1 God accounts not Apostates and Idolaters but those are true Israelites to bee his people his Church for in mine holy mountain there shall all the house of Israel bee those were Rebels and would serve wood and stone that would not hearken unto him hee purged out and the house of Israel purged must bee in his holy mountain God esteems those who are Godly true Beleevers Israelites indeed to bee his There bee none but such in the invisible Church Rom. 11.26 Gal. 6.16 but in the visible there bee tares and wheat yet God doth not reckon the tares to bee wheat they are Satans not the Lords Mat. 13.38 there be goats and sheep yet the Lord reckons not the goats to bee sheep Matth. 25.33 Psal 15.1 Lord who shall dwell in thy holy hill hee that walketh uprightly and worketh c. Obs 2 Where-ever Gods people are scattered hee will bring them and all of them into or unto Sion to serve him In mine holy Mountain c. There shall all the house of Israel all of them in the Land serve mee God would bring them out of Babylon into Canaan from Heathenish mountains to his holy Mountain from the World and Synagogues of Satan into the true Church Where-ever God hath any sheep hee will gather them and all of them into his fold These verses do speak and hold out Gods dealing with his People under Christ and the Gospel wherein God would bring them from all Nations to enjoy the great and good things provided for them of which the Evangelical Prophet Isay speaks at large chap. 60. so Zach. ch 8.20 21 22. and hereof spoke our Lord Jesus Christ when hee said John 10.16 Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice When the Prodigal was in a far Countrey did not the Lord order things so that hee returned to his fathers house when the sheep was strayed and lost did not the Lord seek it out and bring it home to the fold Luke 15. and did not Christ send out his Apostles into all Nations to gathet in those were given him of the Father Mat. 28.19 20. Obs 3 The Lord is to bee worshipped especially in Sion in his holy Mountain in the solemn assembly There shall all the house of Israel serve mee It s not sinful to worship God any where 1 Tim. 2.8 or alone Matth. 6.6 but chiefly in the Congregation it should bee where his worship is publikely held forth and with the harmoniousnesse of many spirits held up where strangers may come in and see yea say God is here 1 Cor. 14.25 For hee is in the assembly of the Saints Psalm 89.7 This made the Prophet say Isa 2.23 it shall come to pass in the last daies that the mountain of the Lords house shall bee established in the top of the Mountains and shall bee exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it and many people shall go and say Come yee and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and hee will teach us of his waies and wee will walk in his paths But in our daies this gracious prophesy hath been greatly crossed for many have said Come let us go from the Mountain of the Lord from the house of the God of Jacob Let us go to our own Mountaine follow our own Teachings and walk in our own paths but God hath made it evident that their mounts are mounts of Corruption their Teachings Delusions their paths crooked and cursed Let us therefore take the Apostles counsel Heb. 10 13 24 25. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is Nor let us meet as the manner of some is viz. to wickednesse Let us fulfill the Prophesy call upon one another to go up to the Mountain of the Lord c. And say he will teach us his waies and wee will walk in his paths Obs 4 In the Lords mountain in the Church God will shew favour and mercy to his people There will I accept them That is pardon approve of and receive them when wee come to serve the Lord after his own way in Gospel congregations meeting in this name of Christ to know the mind of God and glorify him God is the Master of such assemblies hee dispenseth many mercies and distributes sweetest comforts therein Isa 60.7 they shall come up wâ—th acceptance to mine Altar is spoken of the Gospel times men should come from several quarters to the Christian congregations with acceptance God would meet them there welcome them thither there hee would blesse them see Jer. 31.12 Isa 66.18 2 Cor. 6. as every Christian so every congregation is the Temple of the living God therefore hee told the Church of Corinth hee would dwell in them bee their God and father and they should bee his people his Sonnes and
Daughters God would accept of them as a Father doth of his Children take pleasure in them and let out choice mercies unto them When the Disciples were met Jesus came to them bestowed his peace and Spirit upon them John 20.19.21 22. and see what mercies they met with who served him in his Temple Rev. 7.15 16 17 18. Obs 5 Where the person is accepted of God there the Actions and Sacrifices of that person are acceptable also There I will accept them and there will I require their offerings In Sion God would accept the men and in Sion hee would accept their services If Persons or Congregations bee not accepted of God themselves nothing they do or tender is welcome unto him Gen. 4.5 but if the parties bee under Divine favour their presents and duties are grateful Isa 56.6 7. those that joyned themselves to the Lord and took hold of his Covenant Them saith the Lord Will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyfull in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and their Sacrifices shall bee accepted upon mine Altar They being in Covenant with God and offering in Sion unto God he was pleased with them and their offerings Mal. 3.1 3 4. when Christ the messenger of the Covenant should come refine them and bee delighted in by them then should the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem bee pleasant unto the Lord. God is desirous of the prayers praises and almes of a good man who is reconciled unto him they are sweet odours unto him so they are callâ—d in the next vers I will accept you with your sweet savour or savour of rest when God hath these his spirit is at rest being in a manner troubled when hee hath them not Hence prayers of the Godly are likened to incense Psalm 141.2 their bounty to the odour of a sweet smell Phil. 4.18 and their praise is preferred before the sacrificing of an Oxe Psal 69.31 Obs 6 God must have the best tendred up to him in our Sacrâ—fices and Serviceâ— hee calâ—â— for and expects the best from his people I require the first fruits of their Oblations the chief principal and best you have in all your holy â—hings If God have lean lanke lame imperfect Sacrifices offered to him it s a dishonour and offends him Mal. 1.8 if ye offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the Lame and sick is it not evil yes it s very evil it s extreamly evil the interrogation it self portends so much and being a double interrogation doubles the evil What offer it to mee man woâ—ld not accept of such offerings go try Offer it now unto thy Governour that is brought unto mee Go tender it to him will hee bee pleased with thee or accept thy person no I know hee will not and if man sorry sinful man like thy self will not accept such things should I the great God do it God is so far from accepting and shewing favour in this kinde that hee poureth out a curse upon him that doth so ver 14. Cursed bee the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing men think if they do something in religion give God a Sacrifice though it be blind lame sickly they shall have a blessing but see how the Lord brands them they are deceivers and whom do they deceive not God but themselves for instead of a blessing they meet with a curse such dealings with God cause him even then when hee uses to bee most propitious to throw forth curses Suitable hereunto is that in Hos 8.13 They Sacrifice flesh for the Sacrifices of mine offerings and eat it but the Lord accepts them not now will hee remember their iniquity and visit their sins if they did bring the best they had yet they had no respect to God but to their own bellies Obs 7 When the Lord brings his People out of a scattered Captive condition into Church order hee expects they should set up all his Ordinances I will require your offerings and the first fruits of your Oblations with all your holy things Circumcision Passeover Sacrifices c. Their being in Babylon was a representation of the Churches condition under Antichrist and as then they being freed from the Babylonish Captivity fell into the waies of worship formerly given out so now Christians being brought out of spiritual Babylon should do the like Neither let any say those gifts are lost which the Churches once had c. Ezra 2.63 those Priests that were put from their places because their Names were not found in the Genealogies the Tirshatha or Governour said They should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a Priest with the Urim and with Thummim that was never They lost at the Babylonish captivity 1 The Ark with the Mercie Seat and Cherubims 2 The fire from heaven 3 Sheimoh or Divine presence 4 The Urim and Thummim 5 The Spirit of Prophesy These all were wanting in the Second Temple yet they did not forbear to set up and use the Ordinances of God which formerly were appointed Obs 8 The Lord doth those things for his People which makes him honourable amongst them and others I wil bee sanctified in you before the Heathen The mercy and kindnesse he shewed them in bringing them out of Babylon and restoring to them their former injoyments set them on work to praise the Lord and made the Heathens acknowledge that God was faithful to them in keeping his promise Vers 42 And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I shall bring you into the land of Israel into the Countrey for the which I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers 43 And there shall yee remember your waies and all your doings wherein yee have been defiled and yee shall loath your selves in your own sight for all your evils that yee have committed 44 And yee shall know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my names sake not according to your wicked waies nor according to your corrupt doings O yee house of Israel saith the Lord God In these verses you have the event and sequel of the Lords gracious dealings with this People in bringing them out of their Captivity into their own land again which is 1 Experimental acknowledgement of God and his goodness unto them v. 42.44 2 Conâ—â—deraâ—ion of their former waies v. 43. 3 Humiliation and Repentance for them And ye shall know that I am the Lord. They knew the Lord by the works of creation by the Prophets by the severe judgements he had executed upon them but that knowledge had not affected their hearts and brought them to fear worship and serve the Lord answerably but now upon that great mercy of being delivered out of Babylon which seemed a thing unpossible to them Ezek. 37.11 and being brought into Canaan they should have such knowledge of God as should descend to their
Camels vers 5. I will stretch out my hand I will cut thee off I will cause thee to perish I will destroy thee vers 7. I will open the side of Moab vers 9. I will execute judgement vers 11. I will stretch out my hand I will make it desolate vers 13. and thrice more in the Chapter afterwards Men are backward to eye God when judgements come they will not see his hand the hands of men they see and feel and thereupon fret rage meditate revenge disquiet themselves plot mischief and attempt changes but did they see Gods hand laying vengeance upon them they would see also how justly hee had done it even for their sins and so humble themselves bee quiet submit and accept the punishment of their iniquities God hath laid his vengeance upon Nations near us and farther off they do not they will not see the Lord or his hand but they shall see and bee ashamed for their envy at his people whatever vengeance is upon any Nation it s the Lords vengeance not mans Obs 4 It s Gods method to plague and punish the wrongers by the wronged The Edomites dealt wretchedly cruelly against the house of Judah they were the wrongers the oppressours and what saith God I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel They were the wronged The Edomites thought the Jews should never bee able to get up again or trouble them but God had his time to make them instruments to plague and punish those had intreated them so ill Obad. 21. The Lord caused Saviours to come up upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau after the Babylonish Captivity the house of Jacob grew strong became terrible as fire and burnt the Edomites as stubble and straw Those they had despised and insulted over at last they suffered by Obs 5 When God imploies men to bee instruments of executing his judgements they are carried forth so far as hee pleaseth They shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury God had conceived great anger against them had much fury to let out therefore they should destroy man and beast make it desolate from one end or side of the country to the other Obs 6 The vengeance of God is an awakening and distinguishing thing they shall know my vengeance that I am a God of infinite power most holy and just differing from all the Gods of the Nations Vers 15 Thus saith the Lord God because the Philistines have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a despightful heart to destroy it for the old hatred 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines and I will cut off the Cherethims and destroy the remnant of the Sea coast 17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall lay my vengeance upon them These verses are a Prophesy against the Philistines where you may take notice of 1 Their sin they were revengeful v. 15. 2 Their punishment cutting off destruction v. 16. 3 The manner of Gods punishing them v. 17. with furious rebukes 4 The End of his punishments v. 17. they shall know that I am the Lord. 15 The Philistines They came out of the loines of Casluhim Mizraim and Ham Gen. 10.6 13 14. Their Country was Palestina which was West of Judaea and bordering upon the Sea it had five great Cities in it Ashdod Gaza Askelon Gath and Ekron 1 Sam. 6.17 each of which had its Lord Josh 13.3 The Sept. calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alienigenae men of another stock race nothing allyed to the Jews They owned not the God of Israel but had other gods Judg. 6.10 Dagon was a chief God of theirs Jud. 16.23 they had an house of gods 1 Chro. 10.10 poor and petty gods that were confined to and comprehended in an house These Philistims were men of war they had the Jews under their power eighteen years together Judg. 10.7 8. yea forty years together Judg. 13.1 in Samuels daies they slew thirty thousand footmen at once and took the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.10 11. they slew Saul and his three Sonnes in another Battle whereupon they came to possesse many Cities of the Israelites 1 Sam. 31. They were the greatest enemies the Jews had and more frequent warres were between them and the Jews than any other Have dealt by revenge The Hebrew is Pro facere in ultione for that thou hast had to do in revenge which is an act of an ulcerous mind repaying evil for evil The word Nakam revenge hath affinity with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or kam insurgere for ultor in laesorem insurgit The revenger riseth up against him hath wronged him be the injury real or in imagination and satisfyeth himself for the same The Philistims as they had oft conquered and kept under the Jews so they had oft been conquered and held under by the Jews Sampson in his daies plagued and slew many of them Judg. 14 15 16. chapters So in Samuels and Jonathans times they suffered much 1 Sam. 7.13 and chap. 14. but David 2 Sam. 5. 8. 21. Chapters was the great Champion that subdued them Hezekiah also smote them 2 King 18.8 and Vzziah brake down the walls of their strong Cities and built Cities among the Philistines 2 Chron. 26.6 These acts of the Jews lodged in their hearts rankled begate malitious thoughts in them and made them from Generation to Generation to meditate revenge and having an opportunity upon the Babylonians comming to besiedge Jerusalem they fell in with them furnished them with men ammunition and what they could to destroy the Jews And have taken vengeance with a despightfull Heart The words in the Original run thus And have revenged a revenge with contempt in the minde They contemned and despised them in their hearts mindes and were glad they had an opportunity to be revenged on them The Heb. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by Avenarius divexatio flagellatio Piscator reads the words Exereuerunt ultionem ex animo depopulatione they did from their heart take vengeance on Jerusalem by depopulating it They were very spightful against them and used them summo ignominioso contemptu with the greatest scorn and spightfulnesse they could Matth. 5.44 Pray for them that despightfully use you the word for despightful use is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mars bellum because where there are despightful actions there is hostilis veluti bellicus insultus an hostile and warlike insulting over others and seeking their harm yea oft their ruine To destroy it for the old hatred Montanus turnes the Hebrew thus Ad corruptionem inimicitia seculi to destroy through the enmity of the age its like they had great enmity against the Jews at that time but in the margent hee hath it Inimicitiis perpetuis
God and this people met God made himself known unto them then by sanctifying of them vers 12. for whom hee is a God unto hee blesses and sanctifies and specially on his Sabbaths then hee heard their Prayers accepted their offerings and let out his loving kindnesse unto them Obs 1 Having and hallowing Gods Sabbaths is a sign and manifestation that God is the God of that people The Jews had the Lords Sabbaths and hee bad them hallow them that so being hallowed they might signify and certify to them that God was their God As Circumcision and the Passeover were signes that the Jews were in Covenant with God so likewise was the Sabbath Exod. 31.13 and because it was a sign of the Covenant between them and God vers 16. God tells them they must observe it for a perpetual Covenant and hence it was that when they violated the Sabbath God accounted it the violation of the Covenant between them Vers 21 Notwithstanding the Children rebelled against me they walked not in my statutes neither kept my Judgements to do them which if a man do he shall even live in them they polluted my Sabbaths Then I said I would pour out my fury upon them to accomplish mine anger against them in the wildernesse Here the successelessenesse of Gods exhortation is evidenced hee pressed them to bee obedient and dutiful to him being their God but they rebelled and would not walk in his statutes nor keep his judgements their Fathers statutes and judgments they would walk in and observe they chose rather to be defiled and dye in their Fathers waies than to be sanctified and live in Gods waies Whereupon God had a purpose to destroy them as hee had formerly to destroy their fathers This Verse is the same with the 13. which hath been opened and the observations given Vers 22. Neverthelesse I with-drew my hand and wrought for my Name sake that it should not be polluted in the sight of the Heathen God having purposed their destruction saw that if hee should proceed thereunto the Heathens would make an ill sense of it and blaspheme his name for prevention wherof hee let fall his purpose and would not destroy them This Verse falls in with the ninth and fourteenth onely this is in it which they have not I with-drew my hand Vatablus hath it retraxi manum meam I drew back my hand Castalio revocavi I recalled it Jun. Trem. Reduceus manum meam bringing back my hand I wrought for my name Gods hand was stretched out and hee pull'd it back again The Hebrew word is in Hiphil And notes thus much I made to return I made mine arm come back again when it was going forth to destroy them Obs Gods people do oft provoke him both fathers and Children and so that they are at the door brink point of destruction and yet he is merciful unto them and that for his name sake When hee cannot shew mercy for their sakes hee will shew mercy for his own names sake In the eighth ver is set down their BUT but they rebelled against mee they would not hearken they would not forsake their Idols whereupon God purposed to destroy them In the ninth vers is Gods BUT but I wrought for my name c. in the 13. vers again is their BVT but the house of Israel rebelled c. then God was angry again and purposed to consume them in the â—4 vers you have Gods BUT again But I wrought for my names sake c. in the 16. vers you have their BUT the third time but they polluted my Sabbaths in the 17. you have Gods Nevertheless or BVT again for its the same in the Original Neverâ—helesse mine eye spared them c. in the 21. vers you have their Notwithstanding or BVT once more the Hebrew is the same with But before Notwithstanding or But the Children rebelled c. and in this 22. verse you have Gods BUT or Neverthelesse answering thereunto Neverthelesse I with-drew my hand and wrought for my names sake Four times in this Chapter you have them provoking God even to their ruine and as many times his sparing of them this last time his hand was stretched out even at the work and had hee strucken one blow had broken them all but hee recalled his hand hee would not let his power fall upon them to crush them in peeces but wrought for his name and their safety If wee have our Buts and Notwithstandings importing rebellion ingratitude and disobedience the Lord hath his Buts and Neverthelesses importing mercy patience and loving kindnesse Vers 23 I lifted up my hand unto them also in the wildernesse that I would scatter them among the Heathen and disperse them through the Countries 24 Because they had not executed my Judgements but had despised my Statutes and had polluted my Sabbaths and their eyes were after their fathers Idols In these two verses you may see 1 A commination backt with an oath in the 23. v. 2 The Reason thereof in the 24. I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness Of this Gesture used in swearing you heard before v. 5 6. but where it was done will hardly bee found in Moses writings that God thus lift up his hand and threatned to disperse them some thing like hereunto see in Deut. 4.26 27. ch 28.25.36 37 64. chap. 31.21 22 23 24 25 26. Lev. 26.33 in those places the Lord threatens to scatter them and David tells you hee lift up his hand to do it Psalm 106.26 27. he lift up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness to overthrow their seed also among the nations and to scatter them in the lands Maldonate makes the lifting up the hand here to be in way of threatning not of swearing That I would scatter them among c. Of their scattering and dispersion was spoken in the 5 6 and 12. chapters Because they had not executed my Judgements Some referre these words and the rest in the verse to the time after their entrance into Canaan if then they should not keep Gods judgements and do them hee having performed his Promise unto them hee would scatter and disperse them among the Nations but because the verse speaks of the time past wee must also look at what was done as well as what was to do The Children before mentioned had rebelled and did not keep the judgements of God to do them they polluted his Sabbaths and defiled themselves with their Idols whereupon God thought to have destroyed them in the wildernesse but spared them for his Name sake that the Egyptians and Nations might not blaspheme and pollute his name but knowing that when hee had possest them of Canaan that their children would do as they had done hee lifts up his hand and threatens their driving out of that Land again and dispersion in the Countries and so makes their sinne the principium and fundamentum of their Posterities ruine Their eyes were after
peace and safety Politicians think it weaknessâ— foolishnesse to suffer for Religion They can change it at pleasure and fall in with that hath most pompe and applause in the world Upon this account many have fallen from Protestantisme to Popery and from Christianity to Turcisme To save their skins they have parted with their Religions Many men make use of Religion as Mariners of the winds meerly to serve their own ends If Religion once crosse them they can cast it off and fall in with those waies of worship do suit their humours and further their designes Like children that having been held in by their Parents bestow themselves upon any to obtain their own ends These Elders saw their Law and worship were differing from the religion of the state where they were and so exposed them to many inconveniences and dangers they would therefore bee of the state Religion outwardly at least complying with that serving wood and stone Obs 4 God sometimes disappoints the designes and expectations of men who intend and resolve to forsake him and provide for themselves by sinful and Idolatrous waies That which cometh into your mind shall not be at all You would be as the Heathens but it shall not be I will not only deny your desires but dash your designes you seek Heathens favour and shall meet with Heavens frowns and miss of your aimes you would be Babylonians have the protection and blessing of Babylonish Gods but my thoughts are cross to yours that is in my minde shall stand not what is in yours that happinesse you hope for in the waies and worship of Babylonians you shall not finde Men think by going out to the world by conforming to base vile superstition and Idolatrous practices to get much but God in his infinite wisdome and justice disappoints them as Demas and Judas Vers 33 As I live saith the Lord God surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you Having shewed the ingratitude and untoward carriage of this People in Egypt in the Wildernesse in Canaan and their resolution to cast off God in Babylon here begins the fourth general part of the chapter viz. a denunciation of judgement for their Hypocrisy and other sinnes together with promises of mercy extending to the 45. vers In the ver you have 1 God asserting his authority and power over this people who thought to cast him off I will rule over you 2 The manner of his ruling over them which is 1 With Power 2 With Fury 3 The ratification of both and that is by oath As I live saith the Lord. Touching this Oath of God much hath been spoken already in this and former chapters With a mighty hand The Hebrew is Bejad chazakah in or with a strong hand with a rigid hand saith Castalio By mighty hand here is not simply meant Gods power but his power in punishing so the plagues of Egypt were Gods strong and mighty hand God would punish them for their dealings and to that purpose it should bee visibly and openly and therefore it follows With a stretched out arm Sometimes the stretching out of Gods arm notes powerful and visible deliverance Psal 136.12 sometimes powerful and visible punishment as here In the inflicting of punishments men stretch out their hands and armes which here after the manner of men is given to God With fury poured out Of dealing in Fury accomplishing fury and pouring out fury See before chap. 8.18.5.13.9.8 Will I rule over you Ruling imports soveraignty authority and power over others Here the Genus by a Senecdoche is put for the species the whole work of ruling for punishing and the summe of the words is this you think by withdrawing from mee and my worship and by Babylonizing to secure your selves to escape danger and all punishment but know assuredly you are my subjects I will not suffer you so to revolt from mee I will put forth mine hand and mine arm my fury punishing you for your rebellions and idolatries so that will you nill you me shall you acknowledge to be your Lord and Soveraign Obs 1 It s a vain thing to think of getting from under the dominion of God and impossible to accomplish these Elders thought To withdraw from under the Laws and government of the God of Israel and put themselves under the Babylonish Gods and Babylonian government but what saith God I will rule over you take what course you please trans orm your selves into Heathenish manners disperse your selves into by-corners villages Towns Cities plant your selves in what Province soever of the King of Babylons use what policy you can to cast off my yoak yet I will rule over you for you cannot go from my presence nor from my power In the second Psalm the Great ones of the earth thought to exempt themselves from the government of God and Christ Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us but they were laughed to scorn and vexed for it v. 3 4 5. Obs 2 The untoward carriage of Gods people causes him to deal more sharpely with them Rebelliousnesse in them produceth rigidnesse in him Their treachery bred severity With a mighty hand and fury poured out will I rule over you They thought to run from under him and he held a stricter hand over them They would not willingly obey as Sonnes hee made them obey as servants When Servants runne from their Masters they bestir them fetch them back with power punish them severely for their fugitivenesse and hold them harder to it than ever so did the Lord by these and made them know that hee ruled in Babylon as well as in Sion and turned his golden Scepter into an Iron rod and put a yoak of Iron upon them This is that the Lord told them in Moses daies that if they walked contrary to him hee would walk contrary unto them and punish them seven times more that is rule over them with greater severity Levit. 26. he would make his little finger heavier than his loines had been before Obs 3 God will punish those that shake off his worship to follow false waies with visible irresistible punishments These Elders were upon terms of Apostatizing from the God of Israel about to leave his Tents and to betake themselves to the Babylonish Temples therefore the Lord swears hee will rule over them with a stretched out arm hee would visibly punish them and with Fury poured out they should no more bee able to withstand it than a man can a great rain or floud When subjects are upon rebelling and would fall in with some other this kindles his fury causes him to punish them openly and irresistibly Apostacy is a provoking sinne It s a reproach to God his truths and ordinances It s a violating of all former Promises and ingagements unto God its high ingratitude and rebellion against God it s a great scandal unto all the godly especially the weak
as their only King and Lord. There will I accept them The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 volam eos se Montanus renders it I will will them when it referres to God The Heb. root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is bene-velle favere acceptare as here it imports 1 Pardoning and passing by whatever formerly offended 2 Sam. 24.23 when David would offer a sacrifice for his sinne in numbring the People and for stopping the Plague saith Araunah the Lord thy God accept thee that is pardon thy sinne and remove the judgement Jer. 14.12 When they offer burnt offering and an Oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them Non-accepting was Non-pardoning and that appears most clearly Levit. 1.4 Hee shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering and it shall bee accepted for him to make the attonement The laying his hand upon the head of the Sacrifice noted the laying of his sins upon the same and it God accepted the Sacrifice his sinnes were forgiven and peace was made but when hee accepted it not there was no pardon no peace When God therefore saith here I will accept them the sense is hee will pardon them 2 Approving receiving with favour and delight Job 42.8 Him will I accept God would hear and regard the prayer of Job for his three friends Eccl. 9.7 Eat thy bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is well pleased with thee and what thou hast done so Psal 149.4 The Lord taketh pleasure in his People and this also is included here I will accept them that is approve of favour and take delight in them Vatabl. reads it Benigniter eos complectar or benevolentia prosequar I will deal kindly with them and pursue them with favors The French is illec iz seur seray propice I will bee Propitious to them I will remember their sinnes no more I will shew them great kindness Some render the words There will I take pleasure in them When they are come to my holy Mountain to a Church state again being purged from their sins through my Grace I will take pleasure in them as a Husband in a Wife as a Father in his Children There will I require your offerings Formerly the Lord had refused their Offerings and manifested his displeasure against them and their offering as Mal. 1.10 I have no Pleasure in you saith the Lord of Host neither will I accept an Offering at your hands see Amos 5.21 22 Jer. 6. â—0 Isa 66.3 ch 1.11 but now hee would bee so farre from refusing hating and prohibiting of them that he would call for them and accept them Offerings The Hebrew word for Offerings is Terumah which notes any Offering freely given to the Lord and frequently it s put for the Heave-Offering so called because it was lifted up unto the Lord. If wee take it in this sense it s by a Senecdoche put for all their Offerings but we may keep to the words as they are And the first fruits of your Oblations The Hebrew is Veeth reshith mashoshecem the beginning of your elevations Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-fruits of your separations The Vulg. is initium decimarum vestrarum the beginning of your tenths Vatab. The first fruits of your gifts The Jews say they were to bring the first fruits of seven things onely viz. of Wheat Barley Grapes Figgs Pomegranats Olives and Dates but God was to have whatever opened the wombe first of man or Beast Exod. 13.2 which may also come in amongst first fruits Oblations and Sacrifices do differ thus that is properly an Oblation which is offered etiamsi nihil circa oblatum fiat though nothing bee done to it or about it Sacrifices are offered bur aliquid circa sacrificatum fit something is done to it and about it The Sacrifice was to bee killed flayed cut in peeces or the like By first fâ—uits of Oblations wee may understand the principal and chief Oblations for Reshith notes praecipuum prestantissimum the choicest and most excellent as well as primum the first And Calvin interprets it Florem vel quod excellit in donis vestris that which was the flower and excellency in your gifts So Lavat primitias munerum optima pretiosissima vocat the best and most pretious things they had he calls first fruits With all your holy things The Hebrew is In all your Sanctifications Kodesh sometimes noted the Temple or Sanctuary sometimes their Sacrifices sometimes their Festivities and sometimes whatever was Dedicated to Divine worship Here we may take it in the last sense and so the French carry it En toutes vos choses dediees Vatab likewise reads it in omnibus sacris vestris in all your holy things Calvin expounds it in toto cultu meo in all my worship and so the sense runs well with that before I will require your offerings and the first fruits i. e. The principal of your oblations in all your dedications and holy things and in all my worship Some read the words in omnibus rebus quas conserva veritis mihi in all the things you shall prepare set a part and conserve for me If wee read it with all your holy things the sense is that the sacrifices Temple Priests Solemnities and festivals should be restored Vers 41 I will accept you with your sweet savour Of Sweet Savour or Savour of rest as the Hebrew is you heard in the 28. v. of this chapter and in the 19. v. of the 16. Chapter They should bee pleasing and delightful unto God as a sweet savour is unto man They were wont when at Jerusalem to offer incense and sweet things unto God and hee accepted the same and they should do it again after their return and bee accepted Both they and their Sacrifices should bee a sweet odour unto God this and the like expressions in the old Testament the Apostle alludes unto in Phil. 4.18 2 Cor. 2.15 Eph. 5.2 When I bring you out from the People and gather them out of the Countries c. These words wee had before in the 34. v. where they sounded judgement but here mercy And I will be sanctified in you before the Heathen The Hebrew is I will sanctify my self when sanctification refers to God it imports 1 Vindication of his Name being polluted and dishonoured by the Sonnes of men as Ezek. 36.23 I will sanctify my great name which was prophaned among the Heathen which yet have prophaned in the midst of them 2 Making himself known and acknowledged to be holy just and powerful so it s to bee taken Ezek. 28.22 They shall know that I am the Lord when I shall have executed judgements in her and shall bee sanctified in her so Levit. 10.3 by the fury and judgement upon Nadab Abihu God sanctified himself he made himself known to be a holy just and dreadful Majesty 3. Gods doing of
When the Lord gathers up his People out of the world and brings them into near relation to himself into Canaan and Church order hee looks they should review their former waies and bee much affected with them and throughly repent for them There shall ye remember your waies and all your doings wherein c. When brought into Canaan they were not only to eat the milk and honey to behold the glory thereof but they were to remember daies of old their sinnes in Babylon compliances with Babylonians how they had polluted themselves and provoked the Lord and thereupon to mourn kindly for their unkindnesses to him who had shewed such marvellous loving kindnesse unto them When God brings men out of the World now into Sion gives them the Milk and Honey of the Gospel shews them the glory thereof then they look back wonder at their wickedness and loath themselves for it saying who is like unto us in sinne and wickedness and who is like unto our God in grace and goodnesse in pardon and forgivenesse Micah 7.18 when it shall please God to bring the Jews out of that Babylon they are now in unto the true Canaan the Church of Christ they will remember their iniquities their bitter and bloudy doings against Christ mourn and loath themselves for the same Zach. 12.10 Rev. 1.7 Obs 3 Where repentance springs from sense of Love and kindnesse as it is real and deep so its secret and universal they should being brought into Canaan not onely remember their sinnes but they should loath themselves bee displeased so with themselves that they should smite and abhorre themselves and that in their own sight and for all the evils they had committed when no eye saw them they would spread all their sinnes before them and in the sight and sense of them be vile in their own eyes Vers 44. And they shall know that I am the Lord. These words wee had in the 42. v. wherein they were opened and expounded of an experimental knowledge When I have wrought with you for my Names sake Of these words see vers 9.14.22 The Vulgar is Cum benefecero When I shall have done good to you The Hebrew is When I have done to you or With you for my Name sake That is when I have dealt graciously and mercifully with you out of my free grace and for the honour of my name Not according to your wicked waies Of wicked abominations was spoken chap. 8.9 of wicked counsel chap. 11.2 of Wicked way and waies chap. 13.22.18.23 Those are wicked waies which lead from God from truth from just honest and good things In such they had walked long but God would not deal with them according to the wickednesse of their waies Significat aliquid ad imum usque funditus perdere corrumpere depravare quocunque id fiat modo sine medio Nor according to your corrupt doings The word for Corrupt is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to Corrupt even to the bottome throughly and such were they they were not a Little corrupt but totally corrupted in their judgements wills affections words and actions they were like a corrupt spring that sends forth nothing but corrupt waters Ezek. 16.47 Thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy waies Obs 1 The Lord is gratious and merciful unto the Sonnes of men deserving ill at his hands hee deals with them upon the account of his grace not their deserts What did their wicked waies and corrupt doings deserve at his hands but that hee should have poured out his fury and accomplish his anger upon them as it is ch 7.8 but hee wrought with them for his Name sake that is out of his free grace and favour he spared them hee pardoned them hee delivered them out of Babylon and brought them into Canaan When God seeth nothing in the Creature to put him on to shew mercy hee findes enough in his own Name to provoke him thereunto you have it four times in this chapter thrice before and here that hee wrought for his Name sake whatever mercy this people had it was from Divine favour not their desert If it was free Grace brought the Jews out of Babylon into Canaan what is it but freenesse fulnesse and riches of grace to bring men out of the world into the heavenly Canaan Predestination Calling Justification and Glorification are acts of meer grace and favour Eph. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 3.24 ch 8.30 1 Pet. 5.10 All the Sonnes of men injoy here or expect hereafter is from the bounty favour and mercy of God Psalm 103.8 9 10 11 12. Luke 12.32 to attribute ought to our own wills or indeavours is to derogate from God and darken the glory of his name and free grace Obs 2 God doth therefore deal gratiously with sinners that they may know him experimentally Yee shal know that I am the Lord when I have wrought with you for my Name sake c. God works and so works that hee makes the hearts of men affected with his works and to say Psal 86.8 Among the Gods there is none like unto thee O Lord neither are there any works like unto thy works none so full of Glory so full of grace and mercy none so influential and operative upon the heart It s Gods scope and aim in doing good so freely and fully as hee doth to make himself known to the hearts of his People that so they may bee knit to him provoke them to admire him and live more fully to him Vers 45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto mee saying 46 Son of Man set thy face towards the South and drop thy word toward the South and Prophesy against the Forrest of the South-field 47 And say to the forrest of the South Hear the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shal devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree the flaming flame shal not be quenched and all faces from the South to the North shal bee burnt therein 48 And all flesh shal see that I the Lord have kindled it it shal not be quenched These verses are the fifth general part of the chapter viz. a parabolical Declaration of the destruction of Judea and Jerusalem Some refer these words to the next Chapter and make the beginning of that at the 45. v. of this The 45. v. sets before us the Divine Authority of this Prophesy against the Jews that were yet in Canaan the Prophet received it from the Lord it came from God to him before it went out from him to men In this 45. v. wee have 1 The Compellation Son of man of which heretofore 2 A Command to declare and utter the word hee had received set thy face c. Set thy Face Of this Expression in Chapter 4. 3 7. ch 6.2 ch 13.17 Hac phrasi ostendit strenue precidandum ess◠ita ut nullis minis frangatur nec so
and ruling any more in Judah None of them shall ever come to kingly dignity Vntill he come whose right it is Hebrew is Ad bo asher lo hammishphat which Jun. renders thus Donec venerit is cujus est jus ipsum till hee come whose right it is Aecolamp Donec veniat ei qui judicet untill it come to him who may judge Vatab. Donec is veniat cui jure convenit till hee come to whom of right it belongs The sense is the Crown shall neither fit nor bee fastened to any head till hee come that hath the true right to it and that is neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Zerubbabel nor Aristobulus Alexander or Hyrcanus who assumed Kingly dignity to themselves in time of the Maccabees but Christ the Messiah who is the true heir and successor of David when hee comes hee shall raise up the Kingdome of Judah being miserably afflicted destitute and lost to the eye of the world he changing it into a spiritual Kingdome shall restore it to as high yea an higher glory than ever it had The crown here was reserved and laid up for the Lord Christ who was born King of the Jews Mat. 2.2 to whom the Angel told Mary that the Lord should give the Throne of his Father David and that hee should reign over the house of Jacob for ever and have an endlesse kingdome Luke 1.32 33. upon this account it was that Nathaniel called him the King of Israel John 1.49 and that Christ said The Father hath committed all judgement unto the Sonne John 5.22 The Father had appointed Christ to bee King and Ruler Micah 5.2 gave him power Isa 9.6 hee was to succeed David sit upon his Throne and kingdome to order the same vers 7. and his right thereunto both Matthew in his first Chapter and Luke in his third do clear up shewing how he descended from David And I will give it him Christ when hee comes shall not bee kept off from his right I will give it him and hee shall have the Crown it will fit his head and sit fast upon it though hee come in a mean and low way yet he shall be King and reign Obs 1 The Lord doth lay the glory of Crowns and Scepters in the dust when hee pleases I will overturn overturn overturn it There is no Crown so sure to any Mortals head no Kingdome so stable but the Lord can pluck away the Crown shake the Kingdom to peeces throw out the possessors and dispossesse their Heirs He pulled the Crown from Zedekiahs head he brake his Kingdome in peeces hee threw him out of his Throne deprived him and his Sonnes of ever inheriting more Sometimes the Lord doth suddainly overturn Empires and Kingdomes as Belshazzars by Darius the Median Dan. 5.30 31. Sometimes hee proceeds gradually and so hee did with the Kingdomes of Israel and Judah Hos 5.12 I will bee unto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Judah as rottennesse a Moth eats up a garment by degrees now it makes one hole in it and anon another so Rottennesse enters by degrees into a Tree first into one branch then another after into the body and root So God by degrees eat up wasted and consumed those Kingdomes But bee it suddainly or gradually hee overturns them when hee pleases God overturned the Persian Monarchy by the Goat which had the notable Horn Dan. 8.5 that was Alexander the Great King of Greece and when hee was grown very great ruled according to his will his Kingdome was broken divided to others and not to his posterity Dan. 11.3 4. the Lord pluckt up his Kingdome and quartered it among those were not his Heires The Lord made the Scepter depart from Egypt Zech. 10.11 hee cut off him held the Scepter from the house of Eden Amos 1.5 hee breakes the staves of the wicked and the Scepters of the Rulers Isa 14.5 Crowns Scepters Kingdomes he tumbles down and laies in the dust Obs 2 When God overturnes Crowns and Kingdomes hee keeps them in such a condition while hee pleases I will overturn overturn overturn and it shall bee no more untill he come whose right it is This was neer five hundred years for from Zedekiahs deposal to the birth of Christ were four hundred ninety and two years which was a long season for his crown and kingdome to lye in darknesse and a desolate condition Hosea told us long since that the children of Israel should abide many daies without a King and without a Prince ch 3 4. the Kingdom of Israel was overturned by the hand of God above one hundred years before the kingdome of Judah and lyes overturned to this day and so hath been above two thousand years in a sad dark distressed condition When Kingdomes Scepters and Thrones are once overturned they are not quickly raised up again Their sinnes were great which caused the Lord to overturn them and hee lets them lye under the punishment of their iniquity many daies and years When Kingdomes are down many struggle to lift them up again to their former dignity glory and greatnesse but it must not it cannot bee till the Lords time come till he please to put forth his hand and do it Obs 3 The Lord Christ the promised Messiah was the true King of Judah and Prince of Sion Vntill hee come whose right it is and I will give it him The Father had appointed him to bee King given him the Kingdome and made it known long before his comming in the flesh Hee was spoken of Gen. 49.10 Hee was the Shiloh the Prosperer unto whom the gathering of the People should bee hee gathered Jewes and Gentiles together Hee was spoken of Numb 24.17 There shall come a star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel So in Psalm 45.6 7. The Scepter of thy Kingdome is a right Scepter and God hath annointed thee See Isa 11.1 2. ch 42.1 2 3. Jer. 23.6 Ezek. 34.23 24. Dan. 7.14.27 Zach. 9.9 In these places and many other the Kingdome of Christ his right thereunto and the Fathers donation thâ—rof unto him are spoken of The Peoples hearts were towards him and they would have made him a King John 6.15 however hee appeared to the world the Apostles beheld glory and majesty in him John 1.14 2 Pet. 1.16 and Pilate writ over his head This is Jesus the King of the Jews Mâ—t. 27.37 Christ was not a contemptible person whatever men thought of him the Father designed him to bee a King gave him a Kingdome the Prophets foretold his Kingly dignity he was born a King dyed a King he lives and reigns at this day King of Sion and of all Saints Rev. 15.3 wee have no cause to bee ashamed of our King but ought to honour him as wee honour the Father seeing all judgement is committed to him Joh. 5.22 23. Obs 4 The wisdome and goodnesse of the Lord towards his that when hee tells them of the severest judgement hee mingles some mercy I will
overturn overturn overturn Overturn the Church overturn the State overturn them for a long time which was very sad and bitter yet even now when hee is in a full carriere of overturning hee tells them of the comming of Christ who should bee their King wear the Crown and raise up the Kingdome again This was great mercy in the depth of misery if they lost an earthly Kingdome they should have a spiritual one if they lost a prophane and temporal King they should have a King of Righteousnesse an eternal King It is the method of the Lord when hee is bringing in dreadful judgements upon his People that have provoked him bitterly to lay in something that may support and comfort those have served him faithfully Amos 9.8 9 10 11. Behold The eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord There was mercy mingled with judgement so in the next vers For Lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corn is sifted in a sive yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth here again is mercy in the midst of judgement So again in the two next verses All the sinners of my People shall dye by the sword which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us and what then In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it as in the days of old here is goodnesse with severity Obs 5 That how contrary soever Gods actings appear yet he will make good his promises hee is mindful of them and will be faithful The Lord had promised to set up his Sonne Christ to bee King in Sion the hill of his holinesse Psal 2.6 that the Government should bee upon his shoulder Isa 9.6 that hee would cause a branch of Righteousnesse to grow up unto David and hee shall execute judgement and righteousnesse in the land Jer. 33.15 what likelihood was there that these things should bee when the Lord overturns the land plucks up all by the roots and laies all in a dead condition and that for many daies and years They might have thought and said surely This death of the Crown of Church and State will bee the death of all those and other Promises but it was not so though a sentence of death was upon the land upon the Jews yet the living God kept life in the Promises hee minded them and said I will give it to him hee shall have this land the Kingdome and the crown hee shall sit upon Sion reign and execute judgement The actings of God sometimes are such that to mans apprehensions they will make void the Promises of God Psal 77.7 8. saith Asaph will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his Promise fail for evermore Gods hand was heavy upon him his proceedings with him such as his soul was greatly afflicted questioned the truth of his Promises and was ready to despair but what saith hee in the tenth verse This was my infirmity There was no infirmity in God hee had not forgotten his Promise it was not out of his sight though out of Asaphs mans faith may fail him sometimes but Gods faithfulnesse never fails him Psalm 89.33 God will not suffer his faithfulnesse to fail Gods operations may have an aspect that way the Devils temptations and our unbeleeving hearts may not onely make us think so but perswade us it is so when as it cannot be so for the Lord will not suffer it hee will not make a lye in his Truth or faithfulnesse so the Hâ—brew is hee is a God cannot lye he is truth speaks truth and not one of his Promises can or shall fail which may afford strong Consolation unto all that are under any promise of God Vers 28 And thou Son of man prophesy and say Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach even say thou The sword the sword is drawn for the slaughter it is fourbished to consume because of the glittering 29 Whiles they see vanity unto thee whiles they divine a lye unto thee to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain of the wickâ—â—â— whose day is come when their iniquity shall have an end In these verses and the rest to the end is contained the Prophesy against the Ammonites Two waies were spoken of in the 19 20 and 21. vers One leading to the Ammonites the other to the Jews Nebuchadnezzar using divinations to discover unto which of these he should go Divine Providence over-ruled the Divination so that he was to make his military expedition unto Jerusalem Hence least the Ammonites should bee secure and insult over the Jews whose judgements were now comming upon them The Lord commands the Prophet to denounce judgement yea the same judgement unto them In his Prophesy we have 1 The judgement which is the sword ver 28. 2 The Causes of it 1 Reproach ver 28. 2 Impiety and inhumanity ver 29. 3 The place where it shall be vers 30. 4 The Similitudes to which the judgement is likened vers 31. 5 The Event thereof vers 32. 6 The Ratification of the Prophesy ibid. Concerning the Ammonites The Hebrew is Ad filios Hammon To the children of Ammon These Ammonites came of the Jewish Race for they were from Lot and his younger daughter Gen. 19.38 who being with child by him named her Sonne Ben-Ammi who was the Father of the Ammonites and for Lots sake who was the root of them the Lord shewed them kindnesse long after Deut. 2.19 when the Jews came into Canaan they must not distresse them nor meddle with them the Ammonites land was given to the children of Lot for a possession and so the Moabites vers 9. had their land upon that account but the Ammonites though descended from the Jews were bitter enemies to them and made war against them Judg. 11.4 1 Samuel 11.1 2. 2 Chronicles 20.1 They were notorious Idolaters they had Molech and Milchom among them 1 King 11.7 2 King 23.13 They were cruel and bloody Amos 1.13 Concerning their Reproach Some would have the words taken passively here for the reproach they suffred from the Chaldaeans but they are rather to be taken Actively for the Reproach which the Ammonites put upon the Jews So Vatablus understands the words and other interpreters A lapide affirms Opprobrium sive ignominiam Ammonitarum vocat quo Israelem affecerant that the Ammonites upbraided the Jews and their God as weak and unwarlike because Nebuchadnezzar was comming to them and durst not meddle with the Ammonites It s certain the Ammonites bare the Jews no good will and were glad of opportunities to vent that ancient
use slander Frâ—a fait extorsion par violence fraud force any way to accomplish their wills and desires And exercised robbery These words are the same in the Hebrew with those chapt 18.12 hath spoiled by violence There the verbe is in the singular number and the substantive in the Plural here the Verbe is in the Plural and the Substantive in the Singular number They did steal and get from one another what they could secretly or openly which was violence and robbery and this they did frequently they were exercised in it And have vexed the Poor and Needy The word for vexed here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with oppressed or used oppression of which with the other words Poor and Needy was spoken chap. 18.7.12 ch 16.49 the Poor and Needy should have been counselled comforted not vexed or oppressed Yea They have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Of Oppressing the stranger hath already been spoken in the 7. vers of this chapter The Hebrew for wrongfully is belo mishphat absque judicio without right The French is Sans au cune jugement without any justice or equity They did injustly oppresse the stranger against all law add right There was no justice amongst them in their dealings with natives or strangers only fraud and force took place Obs 1 That People are usually such as those over them in Church and State are The Prophets the Priests the Princes were wicked and the People were like unto them The Prophets were covetous and thereupon oppressed taking the treasure and pretious things vers 25. the Priests violated the Law and prophaned the name of the Lord ver 26. The Princes for dishonest gain did dishonest and cruel things vers 27. and here the People were like them covetous using oppression and exercising robbery Micah 3.11 the heads thereof that is of Sion judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for mony Here the chief in the state and Church had their eies upon the reward the hire the mony and to enjoy the same they would do say any thing Covetousness is the root of all evil and causeth all sorts of men in whom it s found to comply with the humors of others for its own interest and to make a prey of those do oppose the same and were not the people suitable unto these that were over them Jer. 5.31 The Prophets Prophesy falsely and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so the false Prophets by their lies and flatteries did strengthen the wicked Priests in their practices they took into their hands so the words may bee read more power than they should Accipiebant munera ad suas manus Mont. in Margent and gifts which they should not and the people love to have it so they love to hear the Prophets lies and to feed the Priests with gifts to bear them up in their waies cha 6.13 from the least of them to the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousnesse and from the Prophet even unto the Priest The word for prophanation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissimulare dolose agere as well as profane agere every one dealeth falsely and how came it to bee so the people learned it of those in place Jer. 23.15 From the Prophets of Jerusalem is Prophanenesse gone forth into all the Land the word may bee rendred hypocrisy dissimulation deceit the false Prophets were notorious Hypocrites Deceivers themselves and they infected all the Land with their leaven It was the Prophets and Priests principally that made the Kings glad with their wickednesse and the Princes with their lies Hos 7.3 and when a Prince or Ruler hearkens to lies all his servants are wicked Prov. 29.12 Wicked Prophets and Priests make wicked Princes wicked Princes make wicked servants and wicked Subjects They tell them tales lies accusing unto them those are contrary to their waies designes and interest or not forwarders thereof whereupon Princes set their servants creatures agents on work to obstruct and pervert justice to intrap and crush such persons This was much practised in late daies The Prelates possest the Princes with their lies and falsehoods concerning the book of sports on the Lords day concerning Altars â—nd Altar-worship and they quickly infected all their Servants and too many of their Subjects therwith so that if the Prophets Priests and Princes be naught the people are too like unto them Obs 2 Covetous Practises in deceiving of or in getting and griping from others is plain thee very the people of the land have used oppression or deceit as your margents have it and exercised robbery When Covetousnesse puts men upon deceitfull practises as to use false weights false lights false measures its robbery so when corrupt counterfeit imbased materials bee put off for sound and good bee it in monies cloathing corn meal wines flesh fish any vendible commoditie it s in the judgement of God robbery so exacting of Fees expedition money taking advantages of mens necessities of forfeitures of Bonds or lands with-holding of servants and labourers wages altering of wills forgeing of deeds warrants Luke 19.8 Levit. 19.13 thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour neither rob him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning the word for defraud notes wresting and plucking from a man and is the same with the word for oppressing here so that he who oppresseth who wrests any thing from another by subtlety hee plaies the Theif hee robs him so for the hired mans wages when the time agreed upon for paiment comes you must not defer one night one day longer its oppression its robbery and cries out against men James 5.4 when many for greedinesse of gain bought and sold in the Temple Christ called them Theeves you have made it saith Christ A den of theeves Mat. 21.13 the Priests for gain gave way to others to buy and sell doves and other things which were of use for offerings sacrifices they made them who bought the same for such purposes pay dearly for them and for this they were called theeves not simply for being in the Temple it was their Covetous practises their deceiving their griping that made Christ brand them with that name When men out of Covetousnesse do grate upon others defraud and over-reach them in bargaining or otherwise they are robbers and such doings is called robbery Amos 3.10 They know not to do right saith the Lord who store up violence and robbery in their Palaces they were so exercised with Covetous practises that they knew not to do right onely they were acquainted with theevery Niniveh was such a City Nahum 3.1 it is full of lies and robbery all shops all places in it were full of them I fear London is too like Niniveh full of lies and robbery are not mens hearts tongues hands exercised with covetous practises
Zephany 2.8 7 Behold therefore I will stretch out my hand upon thee Thou hast clapped thy hands against mee and my people therefore I will stretch out my hand upon thee that is against thee It shall bee upon thee to break and destroy thee I have held in my hand a long time but now I will stretch it out and thou shalt feel the power of it Zeph. 1.4 I will stretch out mine hand upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with the Priests After stretching followed cutting off So Ezek. 14.9 I will stretch out mine hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of my People Israel I will deliver thee for a spoil to the Heathen In the fourth verse it was said I will deliver thee to the men of the East here to the Heathen Those men of the East were Heathens whom the Jews hated as uncircumcised Judg. 18.15 as Doggs Matth. 15.25 26. Christ speaks according to the esteem the Jews had of the Gentiles To them they should bee for a spoil The word for spoil is lebag which Montanus renders in cibum for meat but Piscator thinks it put for Lebaz in predam for a prey but that is not needful because the word Bag it self signifies meat a Portion as Dan. 1.5 8. The Portion of the Kings meat bag hammelech God would deliver the Ammonites to bee meat unto them they should feed upon them and what they had as they had done upon the Jews they should eat their fruit and drink their milk And I will cut thee off from the people Thou art now a Nation among others but I will cause thee to cease from being a Nation either by destroying of thee or sending thee into captivity scattering thee amongst the Heathens If thou bee a people at all thou shalt bee a people without any head without a Name thou shalt bee removed far from the people thou now borderest upon and they shall know thee no more thou and thy name shall both perish so much the next words import I will cause thee to perish out of the Countries I will destroy thee These last phrases do interpret the former causing them to perish out of the Countrys is cutting them off from the People and destroying of them is both The Hebrew word for perish and destroy do signify an utter and total destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Shidler dicitur de omnimoda rei perditione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Kirker significat personam vel rem aliquam ita abolere ut ejus nihil reliquum maneat The Septuagint joyns them both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will destroy thee out of the Countries with a destruction that is utterly Obs 1 The Lord having contended with his own family hee contends with others First he had a Controversy with the Jews and now hee enters into Controversy with the Nations Son of man set thy face against the Ammonites and Prophesy against them hee had formerly set his face against the Jews and prophesied sad things against them which being done hee must set his face against others and prophesy not onely dura but durissima the hardest things against them even utter destruction When Gods people have drunk of the Cup then it shall bee given unto others Jer. 25.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. God began with Jerusalem his own People and Family and then caused the cup of his fury to pass unto all Nations and Kingdomes So Isaiah after hee had begun with the Jews and declared what dreadful judgements God would bring upon them hee turns aside to the Nations and laies the burden of the Lord upon them and that in nine Chapters together from the beginning of the 13. to the end of the 21. judgement oft begins at Gods house as Amos 3.2 you onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for your iniquities God would begin with them Ezek. 9.6 Begin at my sanctuary but hee ends elsewhere Psalm 75.8 when Gods people have drunk the red wine in the Cup the wicked must drink the dregs the Cup passeth from place to place till all be drunk off Jerem. 25.29 Loe I begin to bring evil upon the City called by my name and should yee bee utterly unpunished ye shall not bee unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth Have I begun with mine own City and People and do you think to go free no the sword is commissioned to come unto you if that have eat the flesh of my Sons and Drunk their bloud much more shall it eat your flâ—sh and bones and drink your bloud If Jerusalem go down other Cities will not stand if God spare not his own Temple hee will not spare Satans Synagogues when the green trees are cut down that stood in the garden the drye trees must expect the Axe which stand in the forrest Obs 2 That the Lord takes notice what the waies and carriages of Nations are towards him and his Thou saidst Aha against my Sanctuary when it was prophaned and against the Land of Israel when it was desolate All the secret consultings plottings revilings attempts that are against the worship waies and people of God among Heathens and Heathenish spirits are minded by the Lord Psalm 66.7 his eyes behold the Nations the men of them their thoughts words and waies when the Nations gathered themselves together against Sion and said let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Sion Mic. 4.11 God then looked upon them and observed the workings of their hearts heads tongues and hands yea their rage and imaginations hee animadverts Psal 2.1 Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagin a vain thing Hee observed how insultingly the Babylonians carried it against his Jeremy 50.11 Psal 137. they rejoyced they laughed they said sing us one of the songs of Sion they and the rest of Sions adversaries mockt at her and her Sabbaths whatever the Nations now do devise plot speak or enterprize against the people of God hee that sits in heaven beholds the same and laughs them to scorn Obs 3 To laugh at and insult over the calamities of others is a grievous and provoking sinne Because thou saidst Aha against my Sanctuary when it was prophaned and against the Land of Israel when it was desolate and against the house of Judah when it went into captivity Behold therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East for a possession c. Because the Ammonites insulted clapped their hands stamped with their feet were heartily glad at the sufferings of the Jews and vented their spight against them therefore God was exasperated so as to threaten the Ammonites ruine and utter extirpation They were the Neighbours bordering upon them they were their confederates in league with the King of
to bud In that day or after that time when his justice had fallen upon Egyptians then his Mercy should bee extended to Israel Jerem. 50.4 5. when the Medes and Persians should have laid Babylon waste and made her land desolate what then In those daies and at that time saith the Lord the Children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping that is for gladnesse for the mercy vouchsafed them they shall go and seek the Lord their God they shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward When the Babylonians were brought into bondage then God gave the Jews their liberty Isa 10.26 27. when the Assyrians should bee destroyed then should the Jews bee eased of their burdens Obs 2 How low weak afflicted soever the Church bee God is able to raise it up to bring it to glory strength and to a flourishing condition The house of Israel was low and much afflicted the Horn of it weak and hardly visible yet God caused the Horn thereof to bud When we look upon some beasts they have no hornes but in a short time their heads do bud and bring forth hornes which are their strength So God in a little time would cause the glory strength happinesse of his Church and People to appear though at that time they lay in the dust The Church of God looks oft times like a dry and dead tree but his divine influences makes it bud blossome and flourish Isa 35.1 the desert shall rejoyce and blossome as the rose it shall blossome abundantly When Sion was turned into a wildernesse he made it like Eden and her desert like the garden of God Isa 51.3 when the Church was in the most desolate and hopelesse condition hee made it glorious beautiful and strong when the Tabernacle of David was quite fallen nothing but ruines and breaches discernable what said the Lord in that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruines and I will build it This was done litterally after their return out of Babylon when the second Temple was built and the two Tribes of Judah and Benjamin grew up into one body but spiritually in Christs time not in the resurrection of his body from the grave but in bringing in the Gentiles after his ascention to make up all the breaches and ruines were made in the Jewish state so it s applyed Act. 15.16 God that gives being to things that are not can give more glorious and excellent beings to things that are Obs 3 When God shews kindnesse to his Church hee gives his Prophets and Servants matter freedome and opportunity of speaking and professing the true faith publikely When the Lord caused the horn of the house of Israel to bud when he shewed favour to his people then hee gave Ezekiel the opening of the mouth In the times of enemies prevailing Prophets are silent or prophesy faintly if they have matter to utter they want freedome they whisper mutter and speak as it were clauso ore and oft have not opportunity to do so much Amos 5.13 they are necessitated to be silent but when times grow better and God shines upon his people then the Prophets are full of matter free to speak and want not seasons to declare the goodnesse of God then they are not afraid or ashamed openly to professe the Truth and to praise the Lord. The opening of the mouth is the gift of God the illnesse of the people and times may shut the mouths of Prophets but none can open them but God Since God began to shew mercy to his people in this land hath he not vouchsafed the opening of the mouth to his Prophets their mouths were shut in the Prelates daies but now there is a great opening Blessed be the Lord for it Obs 4 The end of Gods shewing kindnesse to his Church and opening the mouthes of his Prophets is that hee may have honour and glory thereby from all sorts And they shall know that I am the Lord They Babylonians they Jews shall acknowledge that I have done these things and that I am the Lord. FINIS A Table containing the Principall things in the precedent Expositions A ABomination of the Eyes what Pag 31 32. Abundance happinesse lies not in it 479. Dangerous Pag 525 Abstract oft rendred by the concrete Pag 121 122 Accepting what it imports Pag 123 124 Action Actions of men are over-ruled by the Lord. 175. see youth Pag 554 Adultery The Punishment thereof Pag 307 Adonai what it notes Pag 486 Affliction God hath times to shew mercy in them 18. hee reveals himself by one way means or other to the afflicted 19. what brings sad afflictions 218. may bee long yet are not endlesse 571. in them persons do strange things 311. they are cups 312. bitternesse argue not hatred Pag 365 366 Aholah what Pag 291 Aha what it notes Pag 386 Aholibah what Pag 292 Agate whence named Pag 471 Alienate what Alienates God Pag 303 Altars high places Pag 89 Affections Conjugal pleâ—sing to God Pag 363 Ammonites their Original 198 386. Enemies to the Jews ibid. they reproached them 199. insulted over their miseries 387. how called 389. their despight Pag 391 Arme stretching out of Gods arm what it notes Pag 101 Army nothing without Gods assistance 554. it and its Commanders may labour serve and suffer much and yet bee disappointed 584. they are Gods instruments Pag 585 Apostates their punishment and evil of Apostacy 103. God accounts not them his Pag 127 Aram who descended from him Pag 469 470 Arvad a City and where Pag 455 B BAbylon a description of it Pag 25. Babylonians how called Pag 388 Bamah what Pag 89 Baalmeon Pag 401 Bashan Pag 448 Blasphemy wherein it consists Pag 83 Balm Pag 472 Best God must have the best sacrifices and services Pag 130 Bed the bed of love what 299. when defiled 302. two sorts of beds Pag 322 Bethie Shimoth a City and where Pag 401 Boiling-pot 329 331. sinners boiled in it to purpose Pag 333 Beauty of wisdome what 498 subject to spoil 501. perfection of beauty in what 50â— marr'd by what Pag 525 Bryars who are such Pag 534. 535 536. C CAlamus what Pag 474 Calamity suddain and what it should work 365. laughing at Calamitie grievous 395. why we should not Pag 396 397 Chronology of some things and times specially to be â—oted 330 546. best kept in adversity Pag 582 Carim what it signifies Pag 173 Camels their strength and nature Pag 390 Captivity what the Jews lost then Pag 132 Cassia what Pag 473 Chittim and the Isles thereof Pag 450 Canaan upon what account said to flow with milk and honey 22 23. of what length and breadth 24. Commendations of it ibid. wherein it excelled Babylon 25 26. what sorts of people in it 271 differenced from other lands 443. Godly shall bee brought in to it Pag 541 Christ hee hath