Exposition of the Whole Bible

ficient to burn a facrifice with, fuitable to the dignity and majefty of God, and as his juitice. can require for offences committed: wor the deajis thereof

Sufficient for @ burnt-offering, tho’ it was a mountain and foreit which abounded with trees, and efpecially cedars, and there was a great quantity of cattel in it, yet neither were fufficient to furnifh out a proper burnt-offering to the Lord; he only himfelf could provide a lamb {fufficient for a burnt-offering, and he has done it, the only begotten Son of God; he has offered himfelf an offering and a faerifice to God, of a fweet {melling favour, by which he has put away fin, and made full atonement for it. Jarchi thinks this is faid to aggravate the fins of men, of the wicked, which were fo great, that. Lebanon with all its wood and cattel could not furnifh out a facrifice fufficient to expiate them. _

¥.17. All nations before him are as nothing, &c, } As if they were non-entities, and were not real beings in comparifon of him, who is the being of beings, the author of all beings which exift in all nations; who are all in his fight, and are not only as grafhoppers, as is after mentioned, but even as nothing: and they are counted to bim as lefs than nothing, and vanity, if there is, or could be fuch a thing lefs than nothing, that they are; and fo they are accounted of by him; they are like the chaos out of which the earth was formed, when it was Tohu and Bobu, the firft of which words is ufed here; this ferves to humble the pride of men, and to leffen the glory of the nations, and the inhabitants of them.

¥. 18. Lo whom then will ye liken God? &c.] There is nothing in the whole creation that can bear any refemblance to him, or he to. them; fince all nations are as a drop of the bucket, as the {malk duft of the balance, as nothing, yea lefs than nothing, and vanity: or what likene/s will ye compare unto him~? order, ordain, and appoint for him? in what rank can he be placed? to what clafs of beings can he be likened? what fimilitude can be given of him? what is there that is fit to be named with him, or compared to him? this, with what follows, is mentioned as an antidote to prevent the Yews falling into idolatry in Babylon, where they would be expofed unto it; or rather to prevent chriftians in gofpel-times from going into the idolatry of the papifts; fee 4s xvii. 28,.29. and Rev. ix. 20, 21.

¥. 19. Lhe workman melteth a graven image, &c.] Or, the founder; he melts fome fort of metal, as iron, brafs, copper or lead, which he cafts into.a mould for an image, and afterwards graves, or gets it graved: and the gold/mith fpreadeth it over with gold; or, the finer; he ftretches out plates of gold, and covers it with them, fo that it looks,as.if it was made of mafiy gold, and deceives the eyes of men; fuch ftupidity and vanity arethere in mortals to believe that there can be deity in fuch a piece of workmanthip! and cafteth filver» chains; to:put about the. graven image, either for ornament, or rather to faften it to fome wall or pillar, that it may ftand upright, and may not be taken down and ftole away, or blown down with the wind, or fall of itfelf and be broken; thus. ridiculing the weaknefs of thefe idols, and the folly of the makers and worfhippers of them. |The Targum is, ‘ the “* filverimith joins filver chaing to it.”

~® The Targum is, “* who hath direfted the holy Spirit in the mouth of aJl the prophets? is it not the Lord?”” which agrees ith the accents; for fo according to them the words fhould be rendered, who hath directed the Spirit? the Lord; fo Reinbeck arrears p- 418. and who renders the next claufe, and be hath made the man of his counfel (Moles) to know that.

©) OSPNY WIN vir a confiliis, Junias & Tremellius, Pifcator. ReJonah in Ben Melecih.

¥. 20. He that is fo impoverifhed that he’ bath no shlation, &c.] Who is fo poor that he can’t bring an offering to his God, yet he will have one; and tho’ he can’t purchafe a golden or filver one, or.

6ne that is gilt, and adorned with either; yet he will have a wooden one, as follows. Some render it, be that is fet over the oblation, which Aben Ezra tnentions; that was over the treafury, where the oblations were’; the heathen prieft, whofe bufinels it was from thence to procure idols to worfhip. Serom takes the word }DD%3, to be the name of a tree that will not rot; and fo the Targum renders it, “ he cuts down an afh:” but the word is deferiptive of an idol-worfhipper; and, according to Gufjelins *, fignifies one that by cuftom and refeated acts has got fkill in fuch things; and fo Yarchi: hence he ebufeth a tree that will not rot; he goes to the foreft, and chufes the beft tree for his purpofe he can find, even one that will not rot, as the cyprefs; and tho’ he can’t get an idol made of metal, but is forced to have one of wood, yet he'll get the beft he can, that will laft longeft, an incorruptible deity, as he fancies: he fecketh unto him a cunning workman, to prepare a graven tmage that fall not be moved; having pitched upon his tree, and what fort of wood to make his god of, he looks out for an ingenious carpenter and carver, a good workman, to make it in the form of an image, and grave, or rather carve it, in the beft manner he can, and then faften it in a proper place, that it may not fall; a poor helplefs deity, that can’t fecure itfelf, and much lefs be of any fervice to its worfhippers.

y. 21. Have ye not known?) This is the fpeech of the prophet, directed to the idolaters, appealing to their own natural knowledge, who, from the light of nature, might know that idols were nothing, had no divinity in them; that it is God that made the earth, and governs the world, and who only ought to be worfhipped: save ye not beard? by tradi ion from the ancients, from your forefathers, who received it from theirs, and have delivered it to you: hath it not been told you from the beginning? from the beginning of your ftates and kingdoms, and even from the beginning of the world, by the wifeft and beft of men that have been in it, that thofe things are true before re- Jated, and what follow: have ye not underfiood from the foundations of the earth? the being of God, the invifible things of him, his eternal power and Godhead, from the things that are made, even from his founding of the earth; as well as fuch knowledge and underftanding has been as early as that, and might be continued frorh it: or, ave ye not underftood the foundations of the earthy? what the earth is founded upon, and who laid the founda- _ tions of it; no other than that divine being, defcribed in the next words.

¥. 22. It is he that fitteth upon the circle of the earth, &c.| Or, the globe * of it; for the earth is hung as a ball in the air; here Jehovah: fits as the Lord and Sovereign; being the maker of it, he is above it; orders and direéts its motion, and go-— verns all things in it. Kimchi rightly obferves, that the heavens are the circle of the earth, which is the center of them, and around which they are;.

Muntter; velut locutte, Junius & Tremellius Pifcator. pellem, Munfter; fo fome in Vatablus; pelliculam, Gataker. and fo the following clauses.

‘and {6 it fignifies, that the Lord fits or dwells im the heavens, from whence he beholds the children of men: and the inhabitants thereof are as grafboppers, or locufis*; as one upon a very great emi-~ -nence looking down, beholds creatures as exceedfing fmall and little, and if the J/raelites were to the Anakim or giants as grafhoppers, Numb. xiii. 33. much more muft puny mortals bé fuch in the fight of Ged, and in comparifon of him; and this may denote, not only the minutenefs of men, but what weak, impotent, ufelefs, worthlefs, and fhortlived creatures men are; that /tretcheth out the beavens as a curtain; alluding to the firmament or expanfe, made at the creation, and ftill continued;. which is as a curtain to himfelf, which he draws around himfelf, he dwelling in the higheft heavens, and in light inacceffible to mortals; and which he ftretches out as a canopy around this earth, for the ufe of the inhabitants of ir: or, as @ Uittle thing; or, as a little fkin*; and which he ftretches. out as eafily, as a man can ftretch out that: and Jpreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in it; for himfelf to dwell in, and fo ftretches out the heavens like curtains about him; tents being made of fuch, and often of fkins. SSA ATT

¥. 23. That bringeth princes to nothing, 8e.| The great men of the earth, kings, rulers, and nobles, thefe he brings to the duit, and all their counfels, {chemes, and purpofes, come to nothing; and their monarchies and kingdoms too in time. Where are now the Babylonifh, Perfian, and Grecian monarchies, and thofe great princes that formerly reigned in them? he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity; their decrees and decifions to for nothing, as Tohu and Boku, the firft of which words is ufed here; fo that they are no more regarded and attended to.. a:

¥. 24. Yea, they hall not be planted, 8c.] As trees are, like the cedars in Lebanon, tho’ they may feem to be fuch; but be like the grafs of the field, and herbs of the earth: or, even they fall be, as if they were not p'anted*; they fhall not grow and flourifh; or they fhall be plucked up, and be no more; this is faid of the princes and judges of the earth: nay, they foall not be fown; as feed is, which fpringing up, brings forth fruit, but fo it fhall not be with them; or they fhall be as if they had not been fown, no fruit being brought forth by theni: yea, their flock Jeall not take root in the earth, fo a8 to continue and abide, but they fhall foon vanifh and difappear, as the moft powerful princes, and wifeft 7 de. The Targum is, ‘* altho’ they multiply, altho’ they “¢ increale, altho” their children beeome great in *¢ the earth:” and or yea, he foal alfo'blow upon them, and they hall wither; as grafs withers, when a fevere wind blows upon it: amd the whirlos foall take them away as fubble; which 4s not able to ftand before the force of it; and as unable are the greateft potentates on earth to’ ftand before the tempeft of divine wrath and vengeanee; if God blows but upon ‘them in oni eir glory and grandeur, pomp and power, wither aw flower of the field; and efpecially if forth in all the fury of his wrath; in @ way againit them, they are no more < betore him, than ftubble before a vic fee Rev. vi, 15,16, 17. - The Largum

* even he will fend his fury upon them; and his «* word fhall take them away, as a whirlwind ‘¢ ftubble.”

_ 25. Lo whom then will ye liken me, or feail I be equal, faith the holy one?] Or be upon a level with? fince the greateft of men on earth are brought to nothing by him, and are no more: this is repeated from ¥. 18. and fupported with frefh ftrength of argument, to fhow, that there is nothing whatever, that is a fit likenefs and fimilitude, by which to reprefent the Lord.

¥. 26. Lift up your eyes on high, &c.] From the earth, and the inhabitants of it, even thofe of the greateft power and influence in it, to the heavens above, thofe that are vifible to the eye: and bebold who hath created thefe things; that are feen-in the heavens, the fun, moon, and ftars; confider the creator of them, what a glorious being he mutt be; what power he muft be poffefied of; what dazzling light he muft dwell in, what glory and majefty he muft be cloathed with; and how infinitely tranfcending all mortal creatures he muft be:

‘that bringeth out their hoft by number; not only into being at the firft creation of them, but at every proper feafon; caufing the fun to rife every morning, the ftars to appear at night, and the moon’ in its revolution; as a general brings forth his army, marfhals it in order, mutters it, and takes the number of his foldiers: he calleth them all by names; fuitable to their pofition and influence; he knows the proper names of them all, which no aftrologer can pretend unto; and this is fuch knowledge as no general of an army has; for tho’ the ftars are innumerable to men, the names of moft unknown, they are all known to him that made them, P/. exlvii. 4: by the greatnefs of his might, for that he is ftrong in power not one faileth, thro’ the omnipotence of God, not only the fun and moon, the great luminaries, are continued in being, and conftantly obferve their order;. but even every ftar keeps its place, or performs its courfe, and retains its influence, and in every inftance obeys the commands of its creator; never fails of appearing at his order, and of doing what he appoints it fhould. Kimchi gives the fenfe thus, that according to the virtue and efficacy that there is in every ftar, fo is its name; and becaufe of the ftrength and power that is in every one of them,.

they remain unchangeably and unalterably the fame, as when they were firft created; which not only holds true of the fun'and moon, but of the ftars, leffer and greater. The Targum is, ‘* be- “* caufe of the multitude of ftrength, and the ** power of might, not one is hindered from its “© order;” wherefore, as there is no likenefs on earth, fo none in heaven, with which the Lord is to be likened, or to which he can be equalled. This may refpect not the might and power of the Lord, in fupporting and maintaining thefe creatures in their being and ufefulnefs, but the ftrength and power of the mightieft creatures, to hinder their influence and fervice: for the words may be rendered, thro’ the multitude of ftrength, or any one being /rrong in power, not one indeed fails *, or is wanting; that is, thro’ the ftrength or power of the mightieft creatures, angels or men, the hofts of heaven cannot be ftopped in their courfe, or

¥. 27. Why fayeft thou, O Faceb, and freakeft, O Tradl, &c.) ‘The Féews, fappofed to be in: captivity, are here meant, according to Yarchi and Kimehi;. whom the prophet reproves, for murmuring at the calamities and afflictions there endured by them: but it may be the church.and people of God, in gofpel-times; are here intended, being under fuffering circumftances, either under Rome pagan, or Rome papal; not only inwardly repining, but openly complaining and uttering; as follows: my way is hid from the Lord, meaning not their courfe of life, or their religious aétions,. their profeffion of the gofpel, their attendance on public worfhip, their prayers and other duties of religion; but their fufferings for his name’s fake, the tribulations they endured, the afflitted way they walked in, which they imagined God took no notice of, fince no way was opened. in providence for their deliverance out of them: and my judgment is paffed over from my God 5 my caufe and cafe are neglected by him; he does not undertake my caufe, nor plead it againft my enemies, or right my wrongs, and avenge the injuries done me, or. deliver me out of the hands of thofe that contend with me. The anfwer to which complaint follows, and which clearly fhows there was no juft foundation for it.

¥. 28. Haft thou not known? baft thou not heard? &c.] From the hiftory of the church in all ages; from the experience: of all good men; from their own knowledge and obfervation; from the fecriptures, and the prophets, the interpreters of them; both that what is before fuggefted is wrong, and that what follows is true, that the everlaj/ting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? or, the God of the world; that has made it, and upholds it, and governs it, and judges righteoufly in it; who is from everlatting to everlafting, unchangeably the fame; whofe name alone is Jehovah, the felf-exiftent and _allcomprehending being, the maker and former of all things; who has not only created the earth, and.

the foundations of it, as the Zargum, or the continent, and the habitable part of the world, that is moft known and dwelt in, but even the extremities of the earth; and therefore knows, and will take care of his own people, let them be where. they will: and tho’ the work of creation, and of upholding creatures in their beings; and of governing the world, and providing for all in it, and of taking care of his church and people in. particular, requires fo much power, as well as wifdom, yet he» never finks under it, nor is weary of it;) wherefore they have no reafon to give way to fuch unbelief and defpondency, as above exprefled: there is xo fearching of bis underftanding; ’tis infinite, it reaches to all perfons and things, and therefore he can’t be at a lofs to provide for his people, or plead their caufe; nor can their cafe be unknown to him, or:

he want either power or {kill to help them. © y. 29. He giveth power to the faint, 8c.) Who are ready to faint under afflictions, becaufe they have not immediate! deliverance, or their are not anfwered at once, or promifes not fulfilled as they expected, to fuch' he gives frefh fupplies and enlarges their views, to behold the goodnefs | of the Lord inthe land-of the living, and con- hindered in their work appointed to do, or be defirms his bleffings and promifes of grace unto

The Targum is,.‘* who “* giveth

™ giveth wifdom to the righteous that breathe “< the words of the law:” and to them that have no after gree of conftancy, and with patience and quietnefs = the Lord is to be waited upon for the manifeftations.

might be increajeth firength, not that they have no coin at nity eat fpeaking; for then it could hot be properly faid,, cheir ftrength was increafed by ~ him; but that their might and power were very fmall, and that in their own apprehenfions they had none, and then it is that frefh ftrength is given ~ them; as the apoftle fays, when I am weak, then am I ftrong, 2 Cor. xii. 10. tho’ this may be underftood, not of the ftrength of their graces, but of their fins and corruptions: a word trom the fame root as this here ufed, fignifies iniquity; and the fenfe may be, that the Lord increafes the fpiritual ftrength of fuch on whom the lufts, corruptions, and vitiofity of nature have not the power and dominion °- y. 30. Even the youths foall faint and be weary, &c.] Such as are in the prime of their ftrength, and glory in it, yet thro’ the hand of God upon them, by one difeafe or another, their ftrength is weakened in the way; or they meet with that which they are not equal to, and fink under, and are difcouraged, and obliged to defift. Some think the Babylonians and Chaldeans are here meant,. the enemies of Jrae/, and by whom they were carried captive. Fhe Targum interprets this claufe, as well as the following, of wicked and ungodly men, and fo do Farchi and Kimchi: it may be applied to the heathen emperors, who perfecuted the church of God, and were {mitten by him, and found it too hard a work for them to extirpate chriftianity out of the world, which they thought to have done; and alfo to all the antichriftian ftates, who have given their power and ftrength to the beaft: and the young men fhall utterly fail; or, falling foall fail‘; ftaumble and fall, die and perifh; or, how- ‘ ever, not be able to perform their enterprife.

¥. 31. But they that wait upon the Lord, &c.] As children on their parents, to do them honour, to obey their commands, and receive food and bleffings from them; as fervants on their maifters, to know their pleafure, do their work, and have their wages; as clients on their patrons, to have advice of them, put their caufe into their hands, and know how it goes; and as beggars at the door, who knock and wait, tell their cafe and wait, meet with repulfes, yet keep their place, and continue waiting: fuch an act fuppofes a knowledge and | reverence of God, confidence in him, attendance | of himfelf, who fometimes hides himfelf, buriis to be waited for, fince he has his fet time to thew himfelf again, and his prefence is worth waiting far 5 alfo for the performance of his promifés, which may be expected from his perfections, the natura of the promifes, and their being in Chrift; likewife for anfwers of prayer, and for the freth difcoveries of pardoning grace and mercy; and as Old Teftament-faints waited for the firft coming of Chrift, fo New Teftament-faints for his fecond coming, and for eternal glory and happinefs; and fuch foall renew their ftrength; which is to be underftood of fpiritual ftrength in the heart, and of the graces of the Spirit there: it fuppofes ftrength received already, which natural men have not, but converted men have; and yet they want more, and more they fhall have; to affift them in the performance of duty, to enable them to refift fatan and his temptations, and the corruptions of nature, and to caufe them to endure afflictions and perfecutions. patiently, and to perfevere unto the end: they fhail mount up with wings as eagles, fwittly and ftrongly; it is expreffive of the motion of the affeétions. heavenwards towards God and Chrift, and things above; of the entrance of faith and hope within the veil, and of the exercife of thefe graces on Chrift, who is-now at the right-hand of God; of the expectation of glory and happinefs in heaverr hereafter, and of prefent fupport under afflictions, the Lord bearing them as on eagles wings; fee Pf. ci. 5. Cant. iii. 7. Jf. xxxiii. 16. Exod. xix. 4. Deut. xxxii. 11, 12 &: they fhall run, and not be weary; in the way of God’s commandments; which fhews great affection for them, hafte to obey them, delight and pleafure, chearfulnefs and alacrity there - in, fo as to be without wearinefs: and they fhail walk, and not faint; in the ways of God, in the name of the Lord, or in Chrift, as they have received him; leaning on him, trufting in him, continuing to do fo, till they receive the end of their faith, the falvation of their fouls; and fo fhall noc fink under their burdens, nor give out till they enjoy it: different perfons, tho’ all of them believers, may be here intended; particularly chriftians under the gofpel-difpenfation, tried and exerciied by many enemies; fome fhall foar aloft, and dwell on highs others, tho’ they can’t rife and fly fo fwiftly and ftrongly, yet thall rus with- on him, not with the body only, in public and private, but with the foul alfo, and with fome de- out wearinefs; and others, tho’ they can neither fly nor run, yet thall walk without fainting.

HIS chapter contains 2 fummons to the enemies of Chrift to come and try the caufe between God and them before him; words of comfort to true believers, promifing them help, protection, and provifion 4 full conviction of idolaters, and their practices; and is clofed with a promife of fome great perfon, and what he will do unto them, and for the people of God. The fummons is in ¥. 1. exprefled according to the forms ufed in courts of judicature. The iffue of the contro- for ten years the eagle afcends very high in the firmament of heaven, and approaching near to the heat of the fun, i the fea, thro’ the vehemence of the heat; and then it cafts its feathers, and is renew again, and its feathers grow, ears to a hundred; and in the hundredth to.the days of its youth; and fo every ten falls into the fea, and dies. So Ben Melegh from Saadiah Gaon.

verfy is put upon this foot, the raifing up a certain perfon from the eaft, who it was that did it, which appearing to be the work of the Lord, proves the point contended about, ¥. 2, 3, 4. the obftinate perfiftence of idolaters in their idolatry, notwithftanding this is obferved, y..5, 6, 7. the peopl God, under the names of Facob and S/rael, the jects of God’s choice and affection, ¥. 8,9. are. couraged againft the fear of men, with promifes_ of help and ftrength from the Lorber &; f Hy ch nee

’ The Jews have a notion, that alls into yeat it afcends according to its cu! ~ oa of confufion to their enemies, and victory over them, ¥. 11, 12, 15, 16. and of fpiritual provifions, and great profperity in their wildernefsftate, in which they fhould manifeftly fee the hand of the Lord, ¥. 17, 18, 19, 20. when the idolatrous nations are challenged to produce their trong reafons for their idolatry, and are put upon proving that their idols can foretel things to come, or do good, or evil to men, or own they are nothing but an abomination, ¥. 21, 22, 23, 24, 26. and then one is fpoken of that fhould come as a mighty warrior, and tread down the pagan princes, and a fett of gofpel-minifters fhould be fent, bringing good tidings to Zion, to the filencing of idolaters, and the ceffation of idolatrous worfhip, ¥. 25, 27, 28, 29.

y. 1. Keep filence before me, O iflands, &c.] The great controverfy in the world after the coming of Chrift, which is exprefsly fpoken of in the preceding chapter, was, as Cocceius obferves, whether he was a divine perfon; this was firft objected to by the Yews, and afterwards by many that bore the chriftian name; fome in the times of the apoftles, efpecially the apoftle Fobn, and others in after ages; fome affirmed that he was a mere man, as Ebion and Cerinthus; others that he was a created God, as Arius; and others a God by office, as Socinus and his followers; now thefe are called upon, wherever they were, whether on the continent, or in the ifles of the fea; and efpecially all fuch places which were feparated from Fudea by the fea, or which they went to by fea, were called iflands, perhaps the Huropean nations and ifles are more particularly intended; and now, as when the judge is on the bench, and the court is fet, and a caufe juft going to be tried, filence is proclaimed; fo here, Jehovah himfelf being on the throne, and a caufe depending between him and men being about to be tried, they are commanded filence; fee Zech. ii. 13: and let the people renew their firength; mutter up all their force, collect the moft powerful arguments they had, and produce. their ftrong reafons in favour of their fentiments: /e them come near, then let them {peak, let them come into open court, and at the bar plead their caufe, and fpeak out freely and fully all they have to fay; and let them not pretend that they were deterred from fpeaking, and not fuffered to make their defence, or were condemned without hearing: /et us come near together in judgment, and fairly try the caufe; the iffue of which is@@put upon this fingle point that follows.

y.2. Who raifed up the righteous man from the eaft, &e.} The Largum interprets this of Abrabam; and fo the Talmud", and this way go moft Fewifh and Chriftian commentators, and to him the characters agree; he was a righteous man, believed in Chrift for righteoufnefs, had the righteoufnefs of faith when circumcifed, did juftice, and wrought righteoufnefs himfelf, and required his children and feryants to do the fame, Gen. xv. 6. and xviii. 19. Rom. iv. 11. he was raifed up out of an idolatrous family, from Ur of the Chaldees, on the other fide the river Euphrates, which lay eaft of Fudea; he was called by the Lord #o his foot, as it follows, and was obedient to him; he went forth at his command, not knowing whither he went, Hed. xi.

1,42; FF,, 215 fenfe, he father of many nations, even of all believers, in all nations of the world, Gen. xv. 18 21. and xvii. 4, 5, 6. Rom. iv. 41, 12,16. he made him a conqueror over the dings that had vanquifhed the kings of Scdom and Gomorrba; and plundered their cities; who were no more able to ftand before him, tho’ he had no more than three hundred and eighteen fervants of his houfhold, than duff and Jtubble can refift the force of a mighty winds he purfued them in an unknown tract, got an entife Victory over them, without being hurt or lofing a man; which was fo extraordinary an affair, that Melchizedek prieft of the moft high God, and a type of Chrift, went forth to meet him, and blefled him, Gen, xiv. 14, 15, 18, ig,20. and who but the mighty God could, or did raife up this man, and make him what he was, and do the things he did? fome, as dben Ezra, and feveral Chriftion writers alfo, think that Cyrus is meant, fpoken of as railtd up already, tho’ to come, in the manner of prophetic language, called the ravenous bird from the eaft, ch. xlvi. 11. who came from Perfia, which lay eaft of Judea; whom God called to bis foot, and who performed his pleafure, and executed his counfel, and fo faid to be a righteous maw in that refpect; and is exprefsly faid to be raifed up in righteoujne/s; before whom the Lord fubdued. nations, and loofed the loins of kings, fee J. xliv. 28.

and xlv. 1,13. and xlvi. 10, 11. fome underftand it of him as a type of Chrift, who is the righteous one, or righteoufne/s itfelf, as the word properly fignifies, the Lord our righteoufnefs; whofe name is Oriens, or the eaft, the rifing fun in the eaft, Zech, iii. 8. the angel afcending from the eaft, Rev. vii. 2. born in the eaftern part of the world; called to be the fervant of the Lord, and was; to whon he has given the heathen for his inheritance, aa made him his firft-born, higher than the kings of the earth, and whom he will overcome and flay with his two-edged fword: but fince rather Chrift is the perfon fpeaking, and concerning whorh the controverfy is, therétore fome petfon diftinét. ffom him mutt be meant; and [ am iriclined to think with Cocceius, that the apoftle Paul is intended, that wonderful man; tho’ this fenfe is rejected by Witringa: he was a righteous one, made fo by: the righteoufnefs of Chritt; he believed in it, and waa a preacher of if, and lived a holy and righteous life and converfation; whom the Lord raifed up for uncommon fervice and ufefulnefs, and té whom he!

fappeared perfonally to make hirh a minifter, and fend him out to do his work; he was raifed up ih the eaftern part of the world, in Fudea, being an Hebrew of the Hebrews, and from thence fent forth into various parts; fee 4és xxvi. 16, 17,18: called him to bis foot; and tho’ he was like a furious lion,, raging againft his faints, breathing out flaughter and threatenings againft them, and in the height of his rage and fury; yet was at once, at the call of Chrift, made as tame as a lainb, and faid, Lord, what wilt thon have me to do? he was willing to do any thing, and every thing he pleafed,. Adis ix. 1, 6. and when he fignified it as his will, that he fhould preach his gofpel, he was not dif>. obedient, he did not confer with flefh and blood, but at once fet about it with the greateft zeal and readinefs: gave the nations before bim; made hitn an apoftle of the Gentiles, or of the nations, and

§. God gave him by promife the land of Canaan, poflefitd by feveral nations, and which his feed aftermade thofe Gensiles or nations obedient by word and deed; he triumphed in Chrift every where, he made him in a fpiritual "and diffufed the favour of his knowledge in every place, Rom. xi. 13. and xv. 18. 2 Cor. it, 14: and made him rule over kings? governors, princes, po- “tentates, and kings of the earth; he had power over their fpirits, being an inftrument either of converting them, as Sergius Paulus the Roman. de- -puty, from whence fome think he had his name; or. to make them to tremble at his difcourfes, as Felix the Roman governor; and of bringing them at Jeaft to own there was fomething in the chriftian ‘religion, as Agrippa, a crowned head, who was obliged to confefs, he had almoft perfuaded him to bea chriftian, As xiii. 7, 12. and xxiv. 25. and xxvi. 28. and of bringing their kingdoms, and the inhabitants of them, into fubjection to Chrift: he gave them as duft to bis fword, and as driven flubdle to bis bow; whofe weapons were not carnal, but ‘fpiritual, and mighty thro’ God; his fword was the fword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; his bow and arrows were the gofpel, and the truths of it, in whofe miniftry Chrift went forth conquering, and to conquer; and this being attended with the power of God, men could no more ftand againft them, than duft and ftubble before the wind. ¥. 3. He purfued them, and paffed fafely, &c.} Went on in his work, purfued his great defign in fubduing the fouls of men, and bringing them to the obedience of Chrift; and tho” he had fo many enemies, he paffed on fafely,; God did not fuffer them to fet upon him, to do him any harm, even tho’ he was expofed to perils by fea and land, by thieves and robbers, by his own countrymen and heathens, in. city and country, and even by falfe brethren; fee 47s xviii. 10.. 2 Cor. xi. 26. it is in the future tenfe, he fhall purfue them, he fhall pafs fafely +5 or in peace: ‘even by the way that be had not gone with his feet, travelling in foreign parts, in diftant ‘countries, in tracks of land unknown unto him; where he had never been. before, even from Ferufalem round about to L/ricum, fully preaching the gofpel of Chrift, Rom. xv. 19.

y. 4. Who hath wrought and done it, &c.| Contrived and effected it, formed the fcheme, and brought it to pafs; namely, raifing up the righteous man from the eaft, and fucceeding him in the manner defcribed: calling the generations from the:beginning? or rather here begins the anfwer to the above queftion, which may be rendered, he that calleth the generations from the beginning *, he has wrought and done this; and to this agree the Syriac and. Arabic verfions; even he that knew them from all eternity, before they were, and all the men that would be in them, and could call them by their names and who calls things that are not, as tho’ they were; and who calls them into being at the appointed time, and continues a fucceffion of them, one after another; who calls by his grace all that are called in fucceffive generations, and rules over them by his power, providence, and grace: J the Lord, the firft, and with the laf, I am 4e; the immutable Jehovah, the everlafting I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, the firft and the laft; all which is faid of Chrift, and is the perfon here fpeaking, Rev. i. 8, 17. and xxii. 13. phrafes expreffive of his eternity and deity; he is the firft and the laft in God’s thoughts, purpofes, and decrees; in the covenant of grace; in the creation of all things; in the falvation, juftification, fanctification, adop- tion, and glorification of his people; and in t church, above and below: and with the laf, m be underftood either of the laft generations Ge is with, and calls as well as the firft, as De Dier; or of all believers with whom he fhall be, and tite with him to all eternity, fo Cujetius'. Now the converfion of the apoftie Paul, his commiffien te preach the gofpel, the extraordinary qualifications he was endowed with, the wonderful things done by him in the converfion of finners, and plantin: of churches in the Gentile world, and towards th abolition of paganifin in it, are inconteftible proofs of the deity of Chrift; no mere creature could ever have raifed up fuch a man, and accomplithed him in fuch a manner, or wrought fuch things by him. a ¥. 5. The ifles faw it, and feared, 8c.] Not the victory which dbreham got over thé kings; nor Cyrus’s expedition againft Babylon, and other nations, and his deliverance of the ews; but the progrefs of the gofpel through the miniftry of the apottle Pau/: the idolatrous inhabitants of the Gertile nations faw great multitudes embracing and profeffing the gofpel;: they faw their idols neglect: ed, and their temples abandoned; they feared what would be the confequence of all this, that their old religion their fathers retained, and they were brought up in, would be abolifhed; and efpecially a pannic feized the priefts on this account, whole’ livelihood depended upon it: the ends of the earth were ofraid, for the found of the gofpel by him, and other apoftles, went into all the earth, and their words to the end-of the world, ‘Rom. x. 78. meaning the inhabitants that dwelt in the furtheft parts of the earth, where ignorance and idolatry wholly reigned: they drew near, and tame; not to. God, nor to Abraham, or Cyrus’ father to their gods, to exert themfelves in the defence of their religion; or whichis‘ beft, they got together té confult what was proper to be done on fuch an emergency. as CE) fas Sal ¥. 6. They helped every one his neighbour, 8cc:4. By advice and counfel, ‘by the beft arguments they could make ufe of, to’ withftand the new religion, and defend the old one’; to prevent the embracing: the’one, and relinguithing the other: and every exe faid to bis brother, be of good courage, or be firong my they ftrengthened one another’s hands in their ido=> latrous worfhip, encouraged each other to oppoie the prevailing’ doétrine; urging, that the craft of fome was in danger, and the religion of them all ap ftake, and their god@Plike to fall into contempt. An inftance of this may be feen in Demetrius the craftfman at Epbefus, when the gofpel mightily prevailed there, who ftirred up the workmen. of| the fame craft with himfelf and the like, fageeit4 ine the lofs of their bufinefs, andthe difhonour. reflected on their goddefs Diana, thould'the apoftle go on as he did; by which we may judge how it! was, more or lefs, in other parts of the world; fee Ags ix. 20, 23—28. one Cresta ¥. 7. So the carpenter encouraged the goldfmith, &c.] The carpenter, when he had made a wooden. image, encouraged and haftened the goldfini or the jiner, as fome render it, to do his part, in’ covering it with’ plates of gold or filver: and be that fmootheth with the ‘hammer him that fowte the anvil, he that beat’ out thin plates of. and filver with the hammer, in order to decorate the—

PRD MIN WP, ule qui vocat ve/ vocavit generationes ab initio, Munfter, ‘Tigurine verfion 0, vel fis ftrenuus, Vatablas.

wooden god, encouraged the» fmith at the forge, that fmote on the anvil, there making nails for the faftening it to a pillar or wall, to haften his work: Saying, it is ready for the fodering; for the feveral joints to be put together, by fodering them: aud he foftened it with nails, that it fhould not be moved; either the goldfmith and finer faftened the plates of gold and filver with nails, that they might be kept faft and clofe to it; or the fmith that {mote on the anvil, and made the nails, he faftened the image with them at fome proper place, that fo it might not fall, or be taken away. All which, as it reprefents the hurry and folicitude idolaters were: in, to keep up,their craft and religion; fo it expofes them to ridicule and contempt.

¥. 8. But thou, Irael, artmy fervant, &c.] As the great fpread and fuccefs of the gofpel, could not fail of drawing the refentment of the idolatrous heathens on thofe who embraced and profeffed it, and by whom they were grievoufly perfecuted under the. Roman emperors;- wherefore, to fupport themy under thefe trials, the ord fpeaks thefe and the following comfortable words unto them; for not carnal, but fpiritual J/rae/ are here meant; fuch who by the power of divine grace were turned from idols to ferve the living God, who were made willing to become his fervants, and whofe honour it was to be fo called and accounted; and being: fo, they might be affured their Lord and Matter would protect and defend them, blefs and reward) them: Facob whom I bave chofen, Ifraelites indeed; Facob-like, plain-hearted men, wreftling and» prevailing ones in prayer with God, whom: he chofe to be his people, and peculiar treafure; who, tho’ difallowed of men, were like their Lord and Sa viour, chofen of God, and precious: » the feed. of Abraham my friend; the f{piritual feed of Abraham, being believers in’ Chrift, and.friends of his, as Abraham was; and whom he. ufes and ‘fhews tobe fuch, by difclofing his fecrets to them, Jobmxv.. ¥..9. Thou whom I have taken: from the ends of the earth, &c.] Meaning not dbrabam, nor his na¥ tural feed; but'fuch who. believed) in Chrift, who dwelt in the-furtheft, parts of the earth, to whom the gofpel came, and, by which they were laid hold: upon, and apprehended by Chrift-as his. own: and called thee from the chief men thereof; from among the great men of. the earth, out of their families, courts,’ and palaces:, or rather called them by grace, when fuch perfonages were paffed, by.and-Jeft; not many’ noble, not many mighty, -being called iin thofe’

my fervent; and not only called them by the name;

but made them fuch in reality:.adding,| J: have’

chofin thee, and not caft thee, away;-nor does the Lord caft away any whom he has-chofen and: foreknown; and therefore being thus»dear to God, \as all the above titles and ats of grace fhew, and being fecured by him from perifhing, or. being eternally loft, this fhould encourage them to. fuffer perfecution patiently for his, name’s fake, andenot be afraid-of any of their enemies;:'as follows;::.

x. 10. Fear thoy not, for tam with thee), 8ec.]) Not merely -by.his effence. or;potver} who is. every wheres or by his providence fupporting, preferving,»

«| andsdignityy as did the Roman emperors," t. elsclue a os:

IA A. 217 tect his people, fupport and fupply them, ' comfort and ftrengthen their: hearts; wherefore they need not fear any of their enemies, nor whatfoever they may be called to fuffer for his name’s fake, even tho’ they pafs through fire and water, and the valley of the fhadow of death: de not difmayed, I am thy God; thro’ Chrift, in a covenant-way, as appeared by the effectual vocation of ther; and therefore might depend on his love, be fure of his power, expect all needful fupplies, and to be comfortably carried thro’ every fervice and trial, they were called unto; and need fear nd enemies, or be difmayed.-at any thing that fhotld befal them; or become weak as’ water, and their héarts mele like wax within them, ‘as the Fewi/> commentators generally interpret the word" The. Tergam is, “be not broken;” in fpirit. THe word fignifies to look ‘about,’ as perfons in diftrefs, and’ amazed: I will firengthen thee; with ftrength’in their‘ fouls, to perform duties, exercife grace, withftand corruptions, refift temptations, bear afflictions, fuffer perfecutions, ‘and do their generatioh-work, according to the will of God; and if God is the ftrength of his people, they need not be’ afraid of any perfons’or things, P/: xxvii. 1, 25'3;' yea, I will belp thee; help them out ’of all their:affliGtions and temptations, and out of ‘the hands of all their the exercife of grace, in bearing the crofs, in fighting the Lord’s battels, and’ in their journey to another world; help them to every mercy, temporal and fpiritual, to all needful fupplies'of grace, and’ at laft to glory; whofe help is fuitable: ‘and: feafonable, and may be expected, ‘fince’ he is able to. help, either with or without means; has: promifed tovhelp his people, -as here,’ and’he'is faithful that’ has promifed; he has laid help’on one that is’ mighty, and fet*up.a throne of grace to come to. for help im time’ of need;’and feeing he is, their helper, they need ‘not fear‘what men‘or devils cari do unto themy Hed. xiii. 4)'6:° [will ‘uphold thee with the right hand of “my righteoufnefs »cithér by his almighty power; “or! by “hisSon, the man’ of his right hand,-made' ftrong? for himielf, and the author of righteoufhefs:'to “his people: ‘this is_éxpreflive of his fuftentation of them, not therely in

Rev. vi, I 5,16, 17: ever them that contended with thes oY,” themen of thy contention ®; who contended witl chem; not by words and arguments, but by fevere“ perfecutions, ftriving thereby to hinder the progress of ad Hea and to root chriftianity out of the world’; they that war againft thee fhall be.as webbing, and asa thing of nought, or, the men of thy wa? 4, that proclaimed and. carried on war againit thé chriftians, in order to deftroy them utterly; yet théy, and all their efforts, came to nothing, the gofpel prevailed, and paganifm was utterly abolifhed 3 which came to’ pafs in Confantine’s time, st the Opening of the fixth feal, Rev. via 12, 13, f° which is a proper comment on_ this text. ey band, coal Take hold of it, join in league and al- Vance with his 5) ople as it were, go hand in hand With them; and having fuch an one, with them, and ‘on their fide, they need fear no enemy: or it ig expreflive of great freedom, familiarity, and friendfhip, which may affure believers of the ftrong affection of God towards them; and they may conclude themfelves fafe, being held by him as achild in the hand of its parents, which is then not afraid éf any thing. The Lord holds the right hand of his people, teaching them to walk by faith, leading them into his prefence, and to communion} with himfelf, and keeps. them from falling: or, he witl ftrengthen thy right. hand," to do his work and fervice, and oppofe. their enemies; or he will re-} lieve their wants, and fill.their hands with his good.

things, which is fometimes the fenfe of the phrafe,

Ezek. xvi. 45: faying unto thee, fear not, I will) help thee; as one friend takes another by the hand in diftrefs, and bids. him be of good, chear, promifing him all needful affiftance and fupply. See the note on y. Lo, like a worm,.expofed to. danger, and liable to be trampled upon and crufhed, mean, and defpicable ‘in their own eyes, and.in.the efteem of others; and. it may be Facob, or the true J/raelites are fo called,

‘becaufe of their impurity in themfelves, of which} they are fenfible; and chiefly becaufe of their weaknefs and impotence to defend themfelves, and refift their enemies. It is an obfervation of Farchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, that the ftrength of a worm lies in its.mouth, which, tho’ tender, can ftrike the ftrongeft cedar, and. penetrate into it; and the latter obferves, that the ftrength of Jjrce hes in their prayers, as. Facod’s did, when wreftling with the angel, and making fupplication, he had power with God, and prevailed. Now, tho’ the faints are fuch poor, weak,.and contemptible things, yet the Lord bids them not fear any of their enemies, he would take their part, Sod proteét.them: and. ye men of Ifrael; the Vulgate Latin verfion. renders it, ye dead men of I/rael*; fuch as were accounted as dead men, and had no, more refpect fhown. them than the dead, that are remembered no.more; or were expofed.to death daily, for the fake of Chrift and his gofpel; or that reckoned themfelves dead to fin, and did die daily to it, and lived unto righteoufnefs: or, ye few men of Ifrael, as others ‘render it; Chrift’s flock is:a little flock, his church is a little city, and few men in it, in comparifon of the men of the world: J will help thee, faith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the holy one:

For the Lord thy God will bold thy right of free!;. which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and is the more ftrongly affured by thefescharatters of Redeemer of his people, ous, of «hg bands of.ali their enemics, and the holy. and judt ftill. made ufe of in the eaftern countries, as (eq-

Sieur Thevenot * relates; “* at Damafcus, he fays, ara

‘¢ almoft all Turky over, they threfh not the<orn, but after it is cut down, they put it up ih heaps, and round the heaps they fpread fome of it four or five feet broad, and two feet thick; this be+ ing done, they have a kind of fled, made of four pieces of timber in {quare, two of which fexve for an axle-treg. to two great rollers, whofe/ends enter into thefe two pieces of timber; 10 as/ that they eafily turn in them: round each of thefe rollers there are three iron pinions, about hal a foot thick, and a foot in diameter, whofe pinions are full of teeth, like fo many faws < there is a feat placed upon the two chief pieces of the timber, where a man fits, and drives the horfes, that draw the machine, round

the lay of corn that is two foot thick; and that cutting the ftraw very finall, makes the corn come out of the ears without breaking it, for it flides betwixt the teeth of the iron: when,the ftraw is well cut,.they put in more, and then feparate the corn from that hathed ftraw, ~by toffing all up together in the air with a wooden ‘© fhovel; for the wind blows the ftraw.a little “ afide, and the corn alone falls ftraight down— ‘“ in fome places that machine is different, as 1

have feen, adds he, in Mefopotamia, where, inftead of thofe pinions round the rollers, they “¢ have many pegs of iron, about fix inches long,. ‘© and three broad, almoft in the fhape of wedges, «© but fomewhat broader. below than above, faiten-

«¢ ed. without any order into the rollers, fome “¢ ftraight, and others crofs-ways; and this engine <¢ is covered with. boards over the irons, whereon

‘« he that drives the horfe fits—they take the fame “ courfe in Perfia.” Some apply this to the apo-

{tles of Chrift, compared to oxen that 1 the corn; and who not only plowed. and.

but threfhed in at a Miri im bringing down every 4igh thing, compa Dips and hills that Eola felf aga knowledge of God, and of reducing it to ¢e. dience of Chriff., fee 1 Cor. ix. 951

5., but it feems rather to refer to Conftdntine, 2 chriftian emperor, brought forths, and broug md in the church;, the fame, with. the man-¢; dS.wotantsho Rae NODE viri belli tai, Vatablus; pugne tum, Mo fa) Iitaek,, qui pauco es numero, Tigurinewerfions = woman brought forth, caught up into heaven, raifed to the Roman'empire, and who ruled the nations; the Pagan ones, with a rod of iron, Rev. xii. 5. and then ‘the “church, who before was but as a-worm, weak dnd contemptible, now became powerful and formidable; and therefore compared to a new threfhing ‘inftrument, heavy, fharp, and cutting: thou fhalt threfh the mountains, and beat them jimall,and halt make the bills as chaff; which metaphorically defign kingdoms and {tates; fo the

“ fume kingdoms;” fo. Farchi and Kimchi interpret it, of kings and princes; and ben Ezra particularly of the Babylonians, but thefe were not deftroyed “by the people of God, but by the Perfrons > it is better therefore to underftand it of the Roman emperors, and of the Roman empire conquered by Conjtantine, and deftroyed as pagan, and when every mountain and ifland were moved out of their places, Rev. xii. 7,8. and vi. 14,15. and the prophecy may have a further accomplifhmient in the deftruction of Rome papal, and all the antichriftian fates, when the kingdom and intereft of Chrift, fignified by a ftone cut out without hands fhall break in pieces, and confume all other kingdoms;. which thall become like the chaff of fummer threfhing floors, and the wind fhall carry them, away, and no place be found for them, as follows;! fee Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44. this threfhing of the nations is afcribed to the church, tho” only as an inftrument, the work *is the Lord’s, as in ¥. 20. fee Mic. iv. 13. Hab. iii. 12.

¥.16. Thou fhalt fan. them, and the wind fball carry them away, and the whirlwind fhall fcatter them, &c.| In allufion to the cuftom of the Fews, who had their threfhing floors on the tops of hills and- mountains, where they took the opportunity and advantage of the wind in winnowihg: their orn} which fanned it, and carried away the chaff, and feattered it abroad; in like manner it is fuggefted, the enemies of the church and people of God fhould: be dealt with, which. are like the chaff the wind, driveth away, and is found no. more, Pf i. 5. and fo Rome pagan was no more. as fuch when fubdued. by Conjtantine, nor will the papal antichriftian ftates, Dam: ii. 35. Compare with this what is faid of literal Babylon, which wilh have -its accomplifhment in myftical. Babylon, Fer. li. 33: and thou fhalt rejoice im the Lord, the Targum is,

** in the word of the Lord;” and fo it. paraphrafes, the preceding claufe, ‘* his word fhall {catter them

“*-as the whirlwind chaff;” and therefore in ‘him:

the faints fhall rejoice, becaufeit is he that deftroys their enemies; fo when Rome. pagan: was abolithed, and the devil and his, angels, or the heathen emperors, were drove out of it and. deftroyed, there was great joy among the people of God,. faying, now 13 come falvation and ftrength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Chrift, Rev. xii. ro. there will be great rejoicing in the Lord likewife when. Rome papal: falls, and thé faints have got the victory over the beaft, Rev. xv..2, 3. and xvii. 20, and xix. 1, 2: and fhalt glory in the holy one of Ifrael, whofe arm alone has done the! above things, and to whom the ‘glory is'to be given: it is the true character of believers to rejoice in Chrift, in his perfon, offices, and grace, aiid to. glory in his being made unto them wifdom;,, righteoufnels, be BOn BT em Steed; reps ¥.17.-When the poor and needy feck water, and there is none,sand their tongue faileth- for thirft,

&c.] This is to be underftood not literaily,. but fpiritually;. not of their outward circumftances, tho’ the people of God are for the moft part, the poor of the world, and in need of the good things of it, hungry and thirfty, and naked; but of their fpiritual eftate: as in Chrift they need nothing, but in themfelves, and at different times, and in different frames, want many things; as larger difcoveries. of the love of God, frefh fupplies of grace freth ftrength and comfort, frefh views of ‘pardon and righteoufnefs, frefh food for faith, and more grace of every fort to help “et in ‘their time of need; and which. they feek for av the throne of grace, and in public ordinances, and fometimes they can. find none; or it is a long time ere they obtain any: they thirft after doétrine, as the Targum, after the word and ordinances, and fometimes their circumftances are fuch, they can’t come at them after communion with God, and fpiritual comfort, and can’t enjoy it, being in a place where is no water; and after the bleffings of grace, an can have no application of them; fee P/. xlii, 1, 2. and Ixiii, 7, 2. and Ixxxiv. 2. this may reprefent in a great meafure the ftate of the church’ under the ten perfecutions of the heathen ernpérors, or when obliged to fly into the wildernefs from: the wrath of the dragon, Rev. xii. 6, 14: I the Lord will hear them; their cries and prayers, and anfwer them, and fupply their wants, who is the Lord God Almighty, and can help them, the Lord that changes not, and therefore they fhall not be confumed: IT the God of Ifrael will not forfake them;

| neither their perfons, nor his work of grace upon | them, but will fupport them, and provide for them, and ¢arry on his work in them; of which they may be affured, becaufé hé is the God of J/rael, theit

¥. 18) L will open rivers in high places, 8c.) Which is not ufual’; but God will change the courfé of nature, and°work miracles, rather than \his people fhall want what is neceffary for them; ithus he Opens’ to them‘ his everlafting and un- in his Son; whofe ‘grace’ is as rivers of water in 4 dry land, exceeding abundant, and very zefrefhing; alfo the graces of his Spirit, which he givés in great ‘abundance, aiid are thofe rivers of water he caufes’ to: flow forth from them that believe in Chrift, in’ the comfortable exercife of them; fee Pf. xxxvit 8. and‘xlvis 4. Rev. xxii. 1. Ji xxxii. 2. fobn vii. 37, 38: and fountains in the midft of the valleys; God himfelf is the fountain of life, and of living’ waters; Chrift is the fountain of gardens, and in him are wells of falvation; the grace of the’ Spirit is a well of living water; fpringing up unto eternal: life; and of thefe, humble fouls, comparable to the lowly vallies, are pattakers of, Pf. xxxvi. 9. Cant.iv.i5. If xii. 3. John iv. 14. Fam. « iv. 6:2 will make the'wilderne/s a pool of water, and the diy land fprings of water; -refpecting either the Gentile-wotld, ‘which’ was like a wildernefs and dry land before the gofpel came into it, but by that was watered and tnade fruitful; or the ftate and cafe of the people of God being in a wilderne(scondition, when *the Lord takes notice of te anc