BEA.
by the prophet, and is contained in the following verfes; or rather to the gofpel preached to them by Fohn the Baptift, Chrift, and his apottles, fee ch. ii. 3. which being rejected by them as it was, it is ‘declared, that it would be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for them, Mart. xi. 24. give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrba; the inhabitants of Fudea; for as were both the civil and ecclefiaftical rulers, fo were the people both in J aiah’s time, and in the times of Chrift and his apoftles. The Targum is, “« hearken to the law of our God “¢ ye people, whofe works are like to the people of © Gomorrba.” And by the law of our God is meant, not fo much the law of Mo/es, which thefe people had not hearkened to, but had broken it, and caft it away from them, as the doctrine of the grace of God, the gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who is our God; which was firft fent and preached to this wicked people, for the fake of the ‘mall remnant, according to the election of grace left among them; fee ch. ti. 3.
y¥. 11. Lo what purpofe is the multitude of your facrifices unto me? faith the Lord, &c.| Thele people, though they neglected the weightier matters of the law, and the more fubftantial duties of religion, as did the Scribes and Pharifees in Chrift’s time, Matt. xxiii. 23. yet were very diligent in the obfervance of the ceremonial law, and repeated their facrifices almoft without number, on which they placed all their truft and dependence; wherefore to take off their confidence in thefe things, the Lord obferves to them the unprofitablenefs of them-; they could be of no avail to them, for they could not expiate their fins, or atone for them; and they could not be profitable to God, for he had.no need of them; fee Pf 1. ro, 11,12. I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beafts; to the loathing of them, and therefore would no more eat their flefh, and drink their blood, or accept of them in facrifice, Pf 1. 13. rams were ufed for burnt-offerings, Exod. xxix. 18, Lev. i. 10. and the fat of any creature offered in facrifice was burnt, and forbidden to be eaten by men, Lev. i. 8, 12. and iii. 4, 5, 10, 11, 15, 16. and iv. 8, 9, 10, 19, 31, 35- and vil. 25, 31. and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of begoats; as he did in moral fervices, in a¢ts of beneficence and mercy, and in facrifices of praife and thankfgiving, 1 Sam. xv. 22. Hof. vi. 6. Pf. Ixviii. 30, 31. much lefs did he delight in the facrifices of thefe creatures, as offered by fuch wicked hands, and. without faith in the blood and facrifice of Chrift; and ftill lefs, when thefe were fuperfeded and abrogated by Chrift; for this prophecy belongs to the times of the apoftles, as appears from y. g. fee P/. xl. 6, 7. The feveral creatures mentioned were ufed in facrifice, and their blood was fprinkled round about the altar, Lev. iii. 2, 8, 13. and before the veil, Lev. iv. 6, 17.
¥. 13. When ye come to appear before me, &c.] At the grand feftivals of the paffover, pentecoft, and tabernacles, at which times all the males in Tfrael appeared before God, Exed. xiii, 17. who hath required this at your hand; either to appear at fuch times, thefe feafts being no more to be obferved; or to offer the above facrifices; thefe were not required of the J/rae/tes when they firft came out of Egypt, Fer. vii. 22. nor were they neceflary
Accent. Heb. p. 377, 378. ‘ Do not go on to offer oblation
* fay, on the new moon and fabbath to call a convocation: I cannot écar iniquity, together with the mott folema congregas to appear before God with, or to introduce them to the throne of his grace, Mic: vi. 6, 7. and much lefs under the gofpel-difpenfation, being abolifhed by’ the facrifice of Chrift; or this relates to what follows, to tread my courts? in that unbecoming and hypocritical way they did, and with fuch wicked hearts and bloody hands. Courts are mentioned, becaufe, as Kimchi obferves, the I raelites ftood in the courts of the Lord’s houfe, and did not go into the temple, only the priefts. d paw ¥. 13. Bring no more vain oblations, &c.| As all fuch were which were offered up without faith in Chrift, in hypocrify, and with dependence on themy for pardon and atonement, and particularly when put an end to by the facrifice of Chrift; fee Matt.
xv. 9. The Targum renders it, an oblation of robbery; fee If. \x. 8. sincenfe is an abomination to mes inftead of being of-a fweet fmell. This was burnt on the altar of incenfe, and put upon the facrifices, Exod. xxx. 1,7, 8. Lev. ii. 1. and was typical of prayer, Pf. cxli 2.) Rev. viii, 3. but now under the gofpel-difpenfation to be difufed, and fo difagreeable to God, that it is as if an idol was blefied, J/- xvi. 3. the new moons; the feafts kept on the firft day of the month, at the appearance of the moon: and: fabbaths; obferved every feventh-day, every feventh year, and every feven times feventh year: the calling of affemblies; or the new moon and fabbath, do not call a congregation. Thefe’ affemblies called were the holy convocations on the feventh-day fabbath, at the feafts of paflover, pentecoft and tabernacles, at the blowing of the truampets, and on the day of atonement, Lev. xxiii. 35 &c. Numb. xxviii. 26. and xxix. 1, 7, 12, The words, I cannot away with-or bear, may be joined with the following word iniquity; and the meaning is, that the Lord could not bear the iniquity that was in their hearts when they had their folemn affemblies and holy convocations: it is iniquity, evem the folemn meeting, or ceflation from work on any of the above feftivals; particularly the feaft of weeks, or pentecoft, was called mayy Atzareth by the Fews *, the fame word with this here.
¥. 14. Your new moons, and your appointed feafis my foul hateth, &c.| The Targum is, ** my Word *¢ abhorreth;” the Meffiah, the effential Word. Thefe are the fame as before. They are a trouble unto me; as they were kept and obferved, either when they fhould not, or in a manner unbecoming; I am weary to bear them; becaufe of the fins with which they made him.to ferve; J/ xliii. 24.)
¥.15. And when ye fpread forth your hands, &c.} That is in prayer, this being a prayer-gefture: hence the Targum paraphrafes it, ‘* and when the ** priefts fpread out their hands to pray for you.” I will hide mine eyes from you; will not look upon them, nor regard their prayer; fee Lam. iii. 42. yea, when ye make many prayers; as the Scribes and. Pharifees did in Chrift’s time, and thought to be heard for their much fpeaking, like the Gentiles, Matt. vi. 7. I will not hear, {o as to give an anfwer, or fulfil their requefts: the reafon follows, your hands are full of blood, of the prophets of the Lord, of Chrift and his followers, whom they put to death, * bene
¥. 16. Wafb ye, make you clean, 8c.) Thefe two» words are to be regarded as one, fince they intend) the fame thing, and fuppofe the perfons fpoken to;
to be unclean, as they were, notwithftanding theit™ b The whole verfe, agreeable to the accents, is thus rendered by anal de of vanity; incenfe of abomination is it to me: do not go on, I legal facrifices and ceremonial ablutions; and are defigned to convince them of it, to bring them to a fenfe of their inability to cleanfe themfelves, to lead them to enquire after the proper means of it, and fo to the fountain of Chrift’s blood to wath in, which only cleanfes from it: put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; the exhortation is not barely to put away their doings, but the evil of them, and that not from themfelves, but from before the eyes of God, from the eyes of his vindictive juftice, which is only done by the facrifice of Chrift; and the ule of this exhortation is to fhew the neceflity of putting away fin to falvation, and the infufficiency of the blood of bulls and goats to do it, fince notwithftanding thefe it remains untaken away, and to direct to the facrifice of Chrift, which effectually does it. Cea/é to do evil; either from ceremonial works done with a wicked mind, or from outward immoralities, fuch as -fhedding innocent blood, oppreffing the fatherlefs and widow, things mentioned in the context; it denotes a ceffation from a feries and courfe of finning, otherwife there is no ceafing from fin in this life. y. 17. Learn to do well, &c.| Which men are naturally ignorant of; to do good they have no knowledge; nor,can they that are accuftomed, to do evil learn to doswell of themfelves; but the Lord can teach them to profit, and of him they fhould afk wifdom, and defire, under the influence of his grace, to learn to maintain good works for neceffary ufes, and particularly to do acts of beneficence to all men, and efpecially to the houfhold of faith; and alfo the following ones, feck judgment; {eek to do juftice between man and man in any caufe depending, without refpect of perfons: relieve the opprefed; the poor that are opprefied by their neighbours that are richer and mightier than they, right their wrongs, and deliver them out of the hands of their oppreflors!: judge the fatherle s; do juftice to them who have none to take care of them, sand defend them: plead for the widow; that is defolate, and has none'to plead her caufe. ¥. 18. Come now, and let us reafon together, faith the Lord, &c.|) Thefe words ftand not in connexion either with the preceding or following, but are to be read ina parenthefis, and are thrown in for the fake of the fmall remnant God had left among this wicked people, in order to comfort them, being diftreffed with fin. Thefe feeing their fins in their dreadful colours, and with all their aggravating circumftances, were ready. to conclude, that they were unpardonable; and feeing God as an angry judge, dared not come nigh him, but ftood at a diftance, fearing and expecting his vengeance to fall upon them, and therefore put away the promifes, and refufed to be comforted; when the Lord was pleafed to encourage them to draw near to him, and come and reafon with him: not at the bar of his juftice; there’s no reafoning with ‘him there; none can contend with him, or anfwer him, one of a thoufand; if he marks iniquity in ftrict juttice, none can ftand before him; there’s no entering: the lifts with him upon the foot of juttice, or at its bar: but at the bar of mercy, at the throne of grace; there the righteous may difpute with him from his declarations and promifes, as. well as come with boldnefs to him; and at the altar and facrifice of Chrift, and at the fountain of ferves, that YUP fignifies not oppreffed, but infected with him that is corrupt with the leaven of vice, by hindering him p. 265,:
his blood: here finners may reafon with him from the virtue and efficacy of his blood and facrifice; and from the Lord’s proclamation of grace and mercy through him; and from his promifes to forgive repenting and confefling finners: and here God reafons with fenfible fouls from his own covenant-promifes and proclamations to forgive fin; from the aboundings of his grace over abounding fin; from the righteoufhefs of Chrift to juftify, his blood to cleanfe from fin, and his facrifice to atone for it; and from the end of his coming into the world to fave the chief of finners: faying, though your fins be as {carlet, they fhall be as white as fnow, though they-be.red like crimfon, they foall-be as wool. Every fin is a tranfgreffion of the law, and hateful and abominable to God; no fin is venial in itfelf, but deferving of the wrath of God, and the curfes of the law; all fin is mortal, the wages of it is death: but all are not alike; fome are greater, other lefler; fome are attended with aggravating circumftances, as when. the perfons that commit them have, befides the. light of nature, alfo the law of Mo/es, or the gofpel of Chrift; have had the advantage of a religious education; have fat under a gofpel-miniftry, and received much fpeculative light and knowledge; yea, have been under convictions of fin time after time, and yet have been ringleaders and encouragers of others in fin, guilty of very enormous crimes, which in themfelves are comparable to fcarlet and crimfon: and perhaps reference may be had to the fin of murder, fince the perfons among whom thefe dwelt, their hands were full of blood; and may. refpeé&t the crucifiers of Chrift, among whom there were fome favingly convicted and converted... Moreover, they may be fignified hereby on account of’ the effects of them, they defile men, provoke God to wrath, and through the law work wrath in their confciences; and may fignify, that they are fins of a deep dye, and which have fuch a place in their hearts and confciences, that nothing can remove them but the blood of Chrift: and befides are open, flagrant and notorious to all, and efpecially. to God; yet thefe through the grace and blood of Jefus become as white as wool and as fnow: not that pardon of fin takes fin out of the hearts and natures of men, nor changes the nature of fin, or caufes it to ceafe to be fin; but this is to be underftood of the perfons of finners, who hereby are made fo white, yea whiter than this, Pf li. 1. as they are confidered in Chrift, wafhed in his blood, and clothed with his righteoufnefs, which is fine linen, clean and white; God. feeing no iniquity in them, has thus gracioufly dealt with them, and they being without fault, fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing. It was with refpect to this {cripture, that the Fews in after-times were wont to tie a fcarlet thread to the head of the fcape goat, when he was fent into the wildernefs; though at firft they faftened it to the door of the outward porch, and then to the door of the inward porch, and if it turned white, ic was a fign their fins. were forgiven them, but if not, otherwife*; and it is owned by them, that it belongs to future time, the time of the Meffiah '.
y. 19. If ye be willing and obedient, &c.] The Targum adds, to my Word; the Word made flefh, and dwelling among them;, who would have gathered the inhabitants of Feru/alem to his miniftry, to at-. tend ® T, Bab.’ Sabbat, fol. 89. 2. 1 Gofletius
Jeaven, and fo YVIM ‘V2'N means; reduce to a right way that he may not go.on to hurt the fatherlefs.. Comment. Lbr, tend his word and ordinances, but their rulers would not: ye fhall eat the good of the land; the land of Canaan; as the‘fews held the poffeffion of that land before the times of Chrift, by their obedience to the laws of God, which were given them as a body politic, and which, fo long as they obferved, they were continued in the quiet and full enjoyment of all the bleffings of it; fo when Chrift came, had they received, embraced and acknowledged’him as the Meffiah, and been obedient to his will, though only‘externally, they would have remained in their own land, and enjoyed all the good things in it undifturbed by enemies.
¥. 20. But if ye refufe and rebel, &c.| The Targum is, and do not receive my Word, the Meffiah when come, neither his perfon, nor his doctrines and ordinances: ye /oall be devoured with the fword of the Roman armies,, as they were under'Titus Ve/- pafian, fee Matt. xxii. 7. Luke xix. 44. for the mouth of the Lord hath fpoken it. Now by Iaiah, as well as in former times, Lev. xxvi. 25, 33.
¥. 21. How is the faithful city become an barlot? &c.] The city of Ferufalem, in which were the temple, and the pure worthip of God, and was in the tribe of Fudab, which ruled with God, and was very faithful with the faints when the ten tribes revolted, and fell in with the fin of feroboam; but now in J/aiah’s time was become like a treacherous wife to her hufband, unfaithful to the Lord, went after other lovers, committed fpiritual adultery, that is idolatry, with ftocks and ftones; and in the times of Chrift were a wicked and an adulterous generation, corrupting the word and worfhip of God; fee Matt. xii. 39. and xv. 9. it was full of judgment; trict juftice was exercifed privately between man and man, as well as in the public courts of judicature: righteoufne/s lodged in it; that is, righteous men who walked in all the commandments of the Lord, and lived foberly, righteoufly and godly; fee 2 Pet. iii. 13. but now murtberers of the prophets whom they ftoned, who were fent unto them, and of the Lord Jefus Chrift, of whom they were the betrayers and murtherers; fee Mazt. XXili. 37. AG?s Vil. 52.
¥. 22. Thy filver is become drofs, &c.] Meaning either that fuch perfons, who had the appearance of goodnefs, looked like genuine filver, were now become reprobate, and as the wicked of the earth, like drofs, Fer. vi. 30. Pf. cxix. r1g. or that the word of God, which is as filver purified feven times, was now corrupted with falfe gloffes and human traditions, which were as drofs: thy wine mixt with water™; the wine of the divine word, which was mixed and blended with the inventions of men, as before; fo the roof of the church’s mouth, which is no other than the miniftry of the word, is compared to the beft wine, Cazt. vii. 9, Il.
¥. 23. Thy princes are rebellious, 8c.| ‘Stubborn and obftinate, refufed to receive and acknowledge the Meffiah; fuch were the Zewsh rulers, civil and ecclefiaftical, in the times of Chrift. dnd companions-of thieves, who devoured widows houfes; made the temple, which was an houfe of prayer, a den of thieves; and took away the key of knowledge from the people, and would not fuffer them to attend the miniftry of the gofpel, Matt. xxi. 13. and xxiii. 13, 14. Luke xi. 52. every oneloveth gifts, and followeth after rewards, The Targum paraphrafés it, ‘* every one fays to his neighbour do *¢ me a favour in my caufe, I will return # to thee “¢ in thy caufe;” and fo juftice was perverted: they judge not the fatherle/s, that is, either they don’t take their caufe in hand at all, or, if they do, don’t do them juftice, but wrong them of their goods and eftates, which of right belong to them: neither doth the caufe of the widow come unto thems; there being no money to be got by undertakis it; fee the cafe of the unjuft judge, a picture judges in thofe times, Luke xviii. 2, 3 >
¥. 24. Therefore, faith the Lord, the Lord of hofts, the mighty one of Ijrael, &c.| All thefe names and titles, which are expreffive of the majefty, power and authority of God, are ufed to give the greater folemnity and weight to what follows; and to fhow that he is able to accomplifh what he determines and threatens to do. 4b; which is a particle, either expreffive of grief at their wretched and miferable condition, or of indignation at their provoking fins and tranfgreffions: / will eafe me of mine adverfaries; or I will take comfort” of them, by deftroying them; expreffing the pleafure and fatisfa€tion he fhould take in avenging his juftice on them: they had been a troubie to him, and had wearied him with their fins, and now he’ll eafe himfelf of them, by removing them. The Targum is, 1 *¢ will comfort the city of Ferufalem;” not taking the fenfe of the words: and avenge me of mine enemies, the Jews, who were enemies to Chrift and his gofpel, and would not have him to reign over them, and which was the caufe of the deftruction of their city, temple and nation; fee Luke xix. 14, 27, 42, 43, 44.
¥.25. And I will turn my hand upon thee, 8cc.] The remnant, according to the election of grace, left in Ferufalem, ¥.9. meaning not his afflicting hand, no not even as a fatherly chaftifement; tho’ the Lord fometimes, by fuch means, purges away the iniquity of his people, as follows; fee /, xxvii.
g. much lefs his hand of wrath and vengeance, the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger; but his hand of efficacious grace in converfion, with which he plucks finners as brands out of the burning; delivers them from the power of fatan; turns their hearts to himfelf; opens them to attend unto, and underftand divine things; breaks them in pieces with the hammer of his word; works grace in them, and carries on the good work in their fouls: all which is owing to his mighty hand of grace upon them, ‘and to the exertions of the exceeding greatnefs of his’ power towards them. ‘This was accomplifhed in part in the converfion of a large number of the Jews on the day of pentecoft, and afterwards; and will be more fully accomplifhed in the latter day, when that people fhall turn to the Lord, in confequence of his hand of powerful grace being turned on them. The phrafe is ufed of the difplay of divine grace and mercy, in Zech. Xiii. 7. and prey page away thy drofs; which the Targum rightly interprets of wngodlinefs or wickednefs; it means the fins of converted ones, which at con 5
™ It being ufual to mix water with wine, and drink it, and this being not at all re roachfal, but comm ndable; Gufi thinks fuch a verfion does not exprefs the fenfe of the words; he therefore thinks, that which fignified infatuated; and fo the words should be rendered, thy wine is infatuated into water; is degenerated, a its fpirit and {prightlinefs, and is become infipid and taftelefs. So Jarchi mentions a Midrath, which interprets it by the word in Eccl. ii. 2. It is a word only ufed in this place, Jofeph Kimchi fays, that \ge in the Arabic language Aas Indeed, according to Caltel, it is ufed for the lees of @il, fignification of mixture, but without giving any inftance.
are purely purged from; not that fin, as to the being of it, is removed from them; that dwells in them, abides with them; and, like drofs, is a heavy burden, a dead weight upon them, and will be, whilft they are in this tabernacle, and makes them groan, being burdened; fo far from it,. that in their view it rather increafes; they fee the plague of their own hearts, and fuch innumerable fwarms of corruption they never faw before; fin revives, and they die; but in converfion grace fuperabounds it, deluges over it, keeps down the force and power of it, fo that it has not the dominion; the old man is put off concerning the former converfation, which ceafes to be a feries, a courfe of finning: befides, through the fprinkling of the blood of Chrift, which cleanfeth from all the drofs and filth of fin, the guilt is removed from the confcience, and perfect peace, and full pardon take place; all iniquity is caufed to pafs from them, and they are clothed with change of raiment, the righteoufinefs of Chrift, by which they are juftified from all things, and are pure, fpotlefs, and without fault before the throne: and take away all thy tin. The Targum alfo interprets this of iniquity, rendering it, J will take away all thy fin; but it is better to underftand it of felf-righteoufnefs; which, as tin is of more worth than drofs, and looks like filver;, fo this has the appearance of fome good in it, and was what the Yews were fond of, trufted in, and depended on, and which they followed after, and endeavoured to eftablifh and hold faft; but this in converfion is all taken away: the Lord, by his Spirit, convinces of the weaknefs and infufficiency of it to juftify in his fight, fhows that it is not a righteoufnefs, and will be of no fervice in that refpect; yea, takes away thefe filthy rags, and clothes with the righteoufnefs of Chrift, caufes the foul to drop and renounce its own righteoufnefs, and put on that; and not only to renounce works before converfion, but all after it, as a profeffion of religion, fubjection to gofpel-ordinances, and all works, though done in faith, and in a right manner; a glaring inftance we have of all this in one of that little remnant, the apoftle Pau/, Phil. iii. 6, 7,8, 9. Moreover, by dro/s and tin, or tins, in the plural number, may be meant perfons; wicked and prophane men, by the former, who fhould be put away like drofs, P/ cxix. 119. and felf-righteous perfons, by the latter; who fhine like filver, make a fhew of religion, appear outwardly righteous; but thefe, as well as the other, fhould be feparated from the people of God, when the precious and the vile fhould be diftinguifhed.
¥. 26. And 1 will reftore thy judges as at the firft, &c.] This refers not to the times after the Badylonifh captivity, when the Fews had judges and rulers, fuch as Zerubbabel and Nebemiah, as they had in the times of Mofes, Fo/bua and the Fudges, or as in the times’ of David and Solomon; but it refers, as Kimchi obferves, to the times of the Meffiah, and is true of the apoftles of Chrift, who were fet on twelve thrones, had power and authority from Chrift to preach his gofpel, and to judge the twelve tribes of J/rael in a doctrinal way, Matt. xix. 28. for which they were abundantly qualified, having _ the fpirit of counfel and of judgment refting upon them, as the prophets of old; and will be again _ verified in the minifters of the gofpel, at the time of the Yews converfion, when the watchmen fhall fee eye to eye, have aclear difcerning and judgment of things as at the firft, J/ li. 8. and t _ counfellors as at the beginning; which is to be underftood of the fame perfons; the apoftles at Fe. rufalem, gave advice and counfel'in matters of difficulty, and were confulted on fpecial occafions, of which there is an inftance in 4é/s xv. and ordinary minifters of the word are qualified, and efpecially will be in the latter day, to give advice both to fenfible finners, enquiring the way of falvation, and to faints when under defertion, and have loft their beloved, or have any matters of difficulty upon them, whether with refpect to faith. or_practice. Afterward thou foalt be called the city of righteoufnefs; when many fhall be converted through the hand of the Lord turned upon them, and become incorporated into a church-ftate, and having the apoftles, and other minifters of the gofpel among them, with proper officers over. them, as the firft chriftian church at Ferufalem had; and the members of it were righteous perfons, fuch as were juftified by the righteoufnefs of Chrift, and lived righteoufly, walking in the ordinances of the Lord, and as became the gofpel of Chrift, and will be the cafe of the churches of Chrift in the latter day: the faithful city; to Chrift, his gofpel, ordinances, and one another, as the firft Chriftians at Feru/alem were; fee Aéfs ii. 42. and iy. 32, 33. _-A true church of Chrift is a congregation of faithful men, who keep the ordinances as they were delivered; ftand faft in the faith of the gofpel; take care that the laws of Chrift’s houfe are put in execution; and do not fuffer fin upon one another, nor bear them that are evil, whether in doctrine or practice; and which ‘in the latter day will be the cafe of the churches of Chrift in a remarkable manner, when they will juftly bear this character. ¥.247. Lion fhall be redeemed with judgment, &c.] The bleffing of redemption by Chrift is the fource and foundation of the other bleffings of grace before-mentioned, the little remnant are favoured with, as juftification, pardon of fin, and converfion, ¥. 18, 25, 26. fee If xliv. 22. and liii.10,11. Zech. x.8. it is of a fpiritual nature; the redemption of the foul is a deliverance from the captivity of fin, fatan, and the law, and is plenteous and eternal: the objects of redeeming grace are Zion and her converts; not the world, but the church is redeemed by Chrift; for by Zion is meant, not a place but people, even the church and people of God, who frequently bear the name of Zion in this prophecy, and in other paffages of fcripture, both of the Old and of the New Teftament; fee J/ xlix. 14. Hed. xii. 22. compared to mount Zion for its height and holinefs; for being the object of God’s love, the inftance of his choice, the place of his habitation; where his worfhip is, he grants his prefence, and diftributes his bleflings; for its being a perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth, well fortified and immoveable: and the redemption of the church by Chrift is with judgment; with the judgment and vengeance of God on Chrift,. and through the condemnation of him as her head and reprefentative; with the judgment of God, which is according to truth, in whofe judgment fhe is truly redeemed by the blood of Chrift, and really delivered from her bondage, according to his juftice and holinefs which are glorified by it: but here the redemption of Zion feems to mean a more glorious ftate of the church, a reftoration of her to her former glory, or to a greater, which will be in the latter day, and may be difcerned as drawing near by the figns of the times fulfilling, Luke xxi. 28. whereby the truth and faithfulnefs of God, in his promifes concerning -it, Wiha
ESS ot will be honoured, and he will appear to be 2 God of ‘judgment: and her converts with righteoufne/s 5
“of the word‘as a dinars. of her, Pf. Ixxxvii. 5. or becaufe converted to her, If 1x. 5. being made to fubmit to the ordinances of the church, and to,join themfelves to. it. Converts are, the objects of redemption by Chrift; all that are redeemed, are, fooner' or Jater, conyérted; and all that are converted are redeemed; and the redemption of them by his blood is confiftent with the righteoujne/s of God; for hereby fin is fully condemned and punifhed; the juftice of God has all its demands, and the law is“compleatly fulfilled; and fo'the end of God is anfwered, which is to declare ‘his righteoufnefs by it. Moreover, in the Iarter day, when there will be 4 redemption and deliverance of the church’ out of all her troubles and diftreffés, her converts will manifeftly appear to be all righteous, being juftified with the fpotlefs righreoufnefs of Chrift, J Ix. 21.0, bbe ete | M28. And the deftruttion of the trauf[erefors and of the fianers thall be ‘together, &c.]. Of the beaft and ‘falfe prophet, of the, followers of antichrift, the man of, fin, who are tranfgteffors of the law’ ‘of God, and finners againft the Lord 5 the’ deftruction of thefe, or the breaking of them into fhivers, as the word ° fignifies, fee Rev. ii. 27. will be at the time of Zion’s redemption, and make a part of it;’and it fhall be all at once and together; thefe ‘finners ‘will’ be all together confumed out of the: earth, and thefe wicked antichriftian ones will be no more init, Pf civ. 35.. Rev. xviii. 8.° and they. “that forfake the Lord; bis word, his worfhip and ordinances; as the Papifts have manifeftly done, by fetting up their own unwritten traditions againft the word of God, by adulterating his ordinances, and in- ‘troducing new ones, and by worfhipping images of. gold, filver, brafs and wood; wherefore they hall be confumed, with the breath of Chrift’s mouth, and with the brightnefs of his coming, 2 Lheff. ii. 8. 029. For they foall be afhamed of ihe oaks which ye have defired, &c.| ‘Though there is a change of perfons in the words, the fame are intended; and defign fuch, who béing convinced of the idolatries of the church of Rome they have been fond of, and delighted in, will be afhamed of them, little Before the deftruction of it; for tinder 6aks,!oe and fuch like green trees, idolatry fed to be com-"™ ye. yall be® confounded for the gare ems? Fie ve ‘the Far ye fhall be-afhamed 6Po> as before; urnifefse both claufes fhould rather Be underitood of the’déw!e time will be filled with fhame “and confufioh, they* in vain praying to theif idols, for help 5 “which'féntethe sate ne es Bek ‘incline to.. ittecpewe it aes Y> 90: For ye foall be as an’ oak whofe leaf fadeth, &¢. J Phil be 'ftripped ‘of alt he asthe and felfconfidence; ‘and‘be'as ‘naked’ ahd’ 4s" bareas an oak that’ has*caft its leavesS” dr thus; ana? way. of juft sega 4 fince they Havé'defired oaksy atid facrificed ynder:thern;’ they fhall® be" fke’them as in the winter’ time, {tripped ‘of “all ‘their’ riehes honour, fubftance, arid’ defirable ‘things 3 fee’ xVill. 1219. and asa garden that ath No'eoajery in which: the ‘herbs““and- plants are “dried rp" ane withered: “it fignifies. the uiicomfortable condition fiich thal’ bein, 2s" Bette: ° 1% Ok Sea ¥.31, And the ftrong fhall be as dah Pie; that frrong one, who is. eminently fo'y’ the little Lt whoft look is more ‘ftout than’ his’ fellows, Dam. vii. 20, the beaft who ad ‘great powerand authority given by the dragon, Rev. xii. 2, 4,7. Who fhall be caft alive into the lake'of fire; when he Will be‘like — tow in thofe devouring flamés, eafily, quickly, and irrécoverably confumed, Dam. vii. 1'1.° Revi xix.20. and the' maker of it as a'fpark, ‘or bis work 5" fo the Targum, *'and the work of theirhands fhall’be as’a “ fpark of fire;” or like the embers and afhes of a coal, which are blown away and loft at once: fo antichrift, and all his evil works, as well as all his evil workers under him, ‘will be entirely confamed: or, as, it may be rendered, be thot wroaght him, that is, fatan, for his coming is after the workin of fatan; he has his feat, power and authority fre ‘the dragon, the old ferpent, and the devil} and may ‘be truly called a creature of his, 2 The. Hoe and they foall both burn together; both the*pope anh the devil: in the lake of fire and brimftone, into which they will both be caft, Rev. xx, 10. and none foall quench them; that fire will be unquenchable and everlafting; they’Il be tormented for ever and ever, and fo will all the worthippers of the beat, Matt. xxv. 41. Mark ix. 44. Rev. xiv: ae:
xx. 10. The Chaldee paraphrafe is, ‘““fo'the wiek- «¢ ed fhall be confiumed, and their evil works) “and and ‘relinquifh them, and come out of Babylon a “ there fhall be no mercy upon them.” et
{ of the enlargement of Chrift’s kingdom and intereft, and of the glory of his church in ‘the latter day, by the calling of the Gentiles, and_ the numerous converfions of them to it, and of the abolition of idolatry, and the deftruction of the antichriftian party. The infcription to it'is in ¥.1. the prophecy itfelf follows; the date of it is the
> laft days; the fubje@t-matter of it, the kingdom, “intereft, and church of Chrift, fignified by the
HIS chapter contains ‘a vifion or prophecy |
° Uy contritio five confraatio, Syr.
: Pe mountain of the Lord’s houfe; its lorious efta.
is expreffed by its eftablifhment on the by its exaltation above the hills; and‘b numbers that fhould flock to it, and fhot courage one another to go up to ‘it, ‘in: eats tah ey of God, a wal t
“means of which is fhe kee d, that out of Fernfalem; the effect of that is peace arr the nations: hence the houfe of Facod ise ed to walk in the light held forth By it, "y.2, 3:
and. forfaking fome that bear the chriftian ‘name, called the -houfe of ‘Yavob; namely; their heathenith fuperftition, idolatry, covetoufhels, and confidence in their riches; who are farcaftically called upon to hide themfelves.in the rocks for fear of the Lord, ¥. 6,75 8, 9, 10. when the judgments of God-are denounced on the proud and. lofty, comparable to cedars, oaks, mountains, hills, high:towers, fenced walls, andfhips of the ocean,-at which time Chrift, and he alone, will be exalted, and idolatry utterly abolifhed 5. the confequence of which will ‘be°the uunoft- dread and terror to-all idolaters, y. 1121. and ‘the-chapter is concluded with an exhortation to fuch’ to. ceafe from the man of fin, and have him in’no’account, y. 22... 20) © ws oy a Lhe word that lfaiab the fon of Aniox farw, &c.} That is, the vifion which he faw, for a.new one here’ begins, though agreeable to what goes before; or! the prophecy of future things, which he had siven to-him ina vifionary way. “The Targum paraphrafes it, ‘the word of prophecy, which * Saab, the fon of Amoz, prophefied;”?:or the thing, the decree, as fome chufe' to render it, the purpofe of ‘God concerning things to come,.;which was yevealed’ to the prophet, and he here declares: concerning Fudeb anf Ferufalem; the church ‘and people of God, and what fhould befal them and their enemiés in the latter’ day: this infcription ftands for this, and the three following chapters. «$2. Andit fhall come to pafs in the laft days, &c.
The days of the Meffiah, as Aden Ezra rightly interprets it; and it is a rule laid down by Kimchi and Ben Melech, that wherever the laft: days are ‘mentioned, the days of the -Meffiah are intended. ‘Fhe days of the Meffiah commenced in the latter part of ‘the Old Teftament-difpenfation, or Fewifh world, towards the clofe of their civil and churchftate, at the end of which he was to come, Had.
i... and “accordingly did, which is called the end
“of the world, and the laft days; that is, of that ftate, (Hed. i, 2. and ix. 26. 1 Cor. x. 11: ‘and ufhered in the world to come, or gofpel-difpenfa- ‘tion, whichis properly the days of the Meffiah, reaching ‘from his firft to his fecond coming; the ‘firft of which were the times of ‘ohn the Baplift, *Chrift-and.his apoftles; the later days of that difpenfation take in the rife and reign of antichrift, ¥ Tim. iv.\1, 2, 3. the laft days of it are thofe, *which bring in the perilous times, the fpiritual ‘reign -of Chrift, and the deftruction of antichrift, “and “which will precede: the perfonal ‘coming of “Chrift, 2 Fim. iii. 1—5. 2 Pet. iii. 4, 5. and thefe “are the days here referred to. That the mountain of the Lord’s houfe fhall te efablifbed in the top of the mountains 5 by the mountain of the Lord’s houfe is meant, ‘not ‘mount Moriab,.on which the temple was built, as’ Kimchi interprets it; nor the temple itfelf, as the Targum, though in the laft days of it, and at the firft coming of the Meffiah, that had a greater glory than ever it had before, through the perfonal prefence of Chrift in it; through the -effafion of the Holy Spirit wpon the apoftles there,.-on the day of Pentecoft; and through the gofpel -being, firft preached here by Chrift and his apoftles, _ from whence ‘it went forth into all the world, as. “is afterwards predicted it thould; but the kingdom _ 20f Chrift,) which is his church, is here defigned;
walled the Lord’s houfe, becaule of his building, and where he ‘dwells, and which he will at this time and then the reafons are given of God’s rejecting beautify and:glorify 5 the materials: of it are lively ftones, or true believers, laid on Chrift) the foun-; dation, into which there *is’no right entrance» but:
through faith in him, who is the door,, and-where: is plenty’of provifions;'therpillars and. beams of, it‘are the minifters of the!gofpel; and. its: windows: ‘are the ordinances y here Chrift is: as a fon over his.
own houfe 5 he is the mafter of vit,) the’ high-priefk; and prophetin it; and his fervants are the itewards of it, to give to every one'their portion; 'and-happy:
are they: that have a naméiand:a place inuit:) and it is called the mountain, in allufion to mount Zion,, on which the temple ftood; -becaufe of:itmimmove=) ablenefs, being fecured in theveverlaftingyand: elect ng love of God, and inthe unalterable: covenant of grace, founded. on the rock Chrift,andoguarded by the mighty power of God. ‘This isdfabliby ed in ‘the top of the mountains’; in Chri, -who is higher than’ the. kings: of the: earth, sfignified! by mountains, Revixvii. 9, Tonwho is thes head of all: principality ‘and power ¢ not:in«their firft’heady or in-themfelves, is the eftablifhment of the faints, but in*Chrift, 2 Cora: 21. he vis the: ftabilicy>of their perfons, of their.grace, «and of their life, fpiritual°and eternal. Here it feems to denote the fus periority of the kingdom and intereft of Chriftyoto all civil and religious ftates; \the fettlement:anc fes curity of it; its ftanding above them, »and iconti-+ nuance when they fhall be-no more, even.all -antichriftian ftates; both Papal, Pagan, and Mabometan, Rev. xvi.tg9, 20, and xix.20. Daz. ii.44. and shall be exalted above the bills; mount Zion is above’mount Sinai, or the gofpel-difpenfation is preferable to the legal one. It is an obfervation of Farchi; that it fhall be exalted bya greater fign or miracle ‘that fhall be done in it, than-was done in Sixaz, Carmel and Tabora, the law was given on Sinai, and: many wonders wrought; but on Ziow the Meffiah: himfelf appeared, and his gofpel was publifhediand miracles. wrought by him. And in the latter day, when Chrift, and he alone, fhall be exalted, as he will at the time this prophecy ‘refers to, ¥. 11, ‘17. the church will be exalted, the glory of the Lord will be rifen upon her; the.intereft of Chrift will exceed all other interefts’, -his religion will be the prevailing one; the kingdoms of this world will become his; and his dominion will be from fea ta fea, and from the rivers to the endjof the earth. This may alfo denote the vifibility of the kingdom and church of Chrift; it will be as a city ona hill; and however obfcure the church is now, being in the wildernefs, it will at this time be vifible to all.: and ail nations fhall: flow unto it; that. is, «many out of all nations “fhall-be «converted,:and. comé freely and willingly to join'themfelves to the church of Chrift; they fhall-come in great numbers, in company together, and that continually like flowing ftreams; they fhall firft flow tothe Lord, and to his goodnefs, and then to*his chur¢h and ordinances; fee Jf lx. 45.5, 11. Fer xxxis a2. ¥.°3. And many people fall go and fay; 8c. This is a prophecy of the numerous’converfions among the Gentiles in the latter day, and agrees with Zech. vill. 20, 21, 22, 23. and even the author of the old Nizzachon? interprets it of the gathering of the people to the Meffiah. «Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the houfe of the God of Facob; the church of Chrift, fo called; fee the note on ¥.2. This exprefies the concern that truly gracious fouls have for the houfe of God, and his worfhip in it; they go. up tov it, ‘ws Soret both as their duty and their privilege; and which they do frequently and conftantly, with much fpiritual pleafure, tho’ fometimes with difficulty, finding their account in it, and knowing it is for the glory of God; and not content with fo doing themfelves, they encourage others to do fo likewife; either profeffors of religion with them, who are negligent and backward, thro’ a fpirit of flumber and floth- -fulnefs on them; thro’ lukewarmnefs, coldnefs, and leaving their firft love; thro’ an over-love to the world, and the things of it; and thro’ a vain conceit of themfelves, as being as knowing as their teachers, or wifer than they: or elfe fuch who have made no profeffion, who are quite ignorant of divine things, thefe they endeavour to bring with them, out'of love to their fouls, that they may be under the means of grace, in order to their converfion; and fuch as are enquiring the way to Zion, with their faces thitherwards, thefe they encourage to join with them in holy fellowhip; and in all they fet an example by a conftant attendance themfelves; they don’t ftir them up to go alone, either one or other, but propofe to go with them. See Pfal. cxxii. 1. and he will teach us of bis ways; that is; the Lord the God of acob, the covenant- God and Father of his church and people, who often in this prophecy go by the name of Facob, he is the teacher, and there is none teacheth like him; and happy are they who are taught of God, ’ and who have heard and learned of the Father, and come to Chrift: he taught men by his fon, when here on earth; who was a teacher that came from God, taught the way of God in truth, and with authority, as the Scrives and Pharifees did not; and then by his fpirit, fent after him to teach all things, and bring all things to remembrance; and fince by his apoftles and minifters, who have gifts, anda commiffion to teach men; tho’ all human teachings are of no ayaij, without a divine bleffing, unlefs accompanied with the anointing, which teacheth all things; and which will be abundantly beftowed in the latter day, when all the children of Zion, and that come to the houfe of the Lord, will be taught of God. Kimchi fays, the teacher here is the king Meffiah; the ws to be taught are Gentiles, aliens from the commonwealth of [/rae/, and ftrangers to the covenants of promife, whom Chrift, under the gofpel-difpenfation, has given his minifters a commiffion to teach; and here defign fuch as are humble fouls, and fenfible of their ignorance, and who know fomething of Chrift, and believe in him; yet, as they know but in part, they defire to know more. ‘the Lord; his ways of love, grace, and mercy, in the falvation of men; the fteps he took in eternity towards it, by confulting and contriving the bett method of it, forming it in his fon, and agreeing with him in covenant about it, and chufing the perions in him he defigned to fave: and alfo his goings forth in time, by fending his fon into this world, to obtain falvation for them; and his fpirit into their hearts, to apply it to them; likewife the ways which he prefcribes, and directs his ‘people to walk in, fuch as the ordinances of the gofpel, and every path of duty: and the place where thefe are taught, is the church of God, and to this {chool all that defire to learn fhould go; and there is ever fomething more and more of thefe ways to be learned; for they are not all learnt at once, only part of his ways; and it is but a {mall portion we know of thefe in the prefent ftate, which God -has taken in order to bring about our falvation. 4nd 4 a