Exposition of the Whole Bible

mentators; but the good word of God, the gofpel,) which being found and eat by faith, or mixed with faith’ by them that hear it, and fo ‘digelted, is joy and rejoicing of the heart:

delight itfelf in fatnefs, in the goodnefs and fatnefs of the Lord’s houfe, attending on, the. ee and: ordinances with fpiritual pleafure and. delight; and which is the way to become fat “and flourthi ing Spiritual things; fee Pf xkxvi. 8. and Iiy. qo. y, S: “Incline your ear, and come. upto ne, &c. y, 4. Bebold, I bave given him for a ae to the people, &c.] That is, the Meffiah, as - th ae, ae and Ben Melech rightly inreaprctiat and let your foil fe an act paft in eternity, in God’s” eternal some and decrees, when he appointed (Chai ge. the, office..of ao an.aét,of “his, grace, fice, gift of hisyiflos ing £ in. nid og to,.his, people, ‘both 1. Jews, and |. Gentii evenccalh, I his, aie ad? supe Chrilteds, both afbdaths oa f

The exhortations are repeated, to ee the, impor-,}, tance - of them, how. welcome " thef erfons were

| of, their 0. is i to the’ Lord, and to his houte, and his oi and, a he of he te ang. h else ih and bearing the. word. of. thé Lord,) in A foul have fomething to live “upon, ood, folic ae bfantia food and that they fhould tive ¢ com ortably, and plentifully,, and that for ever. It was reckoned.a great abfurdity in Sunlungus, a Chingfe philofopher, wha afferted ¢, that a man had three ears, oné different from the two that are fen; 3 itis truein a fpiritual fenfe. And Iwill make an everlafting cavenant with you 5 which is. to, be underftood i not.of the Covenant of ores. nor_of the covenant, of circuincifio: ion, nor. of the Sinai- -covenant; but of the covenant. of grace, “which is an everlajiing one;..,1t is from everlafting, being. founded in the. everlafting love. of God, is according to his eternal urpoles;; Chrift ts ‘the Mediator of it, who. as fi fach was, fet up from éverlaiting, and the promifes, and, bleffings of it were’ fo ently put into his hands; and it will continue to everlafting fure, firm, unalterable, and immoveable. “This, properly, fpeaking, was imade with Chrift from. all’ eternity, and his: people in‘him; it is made manifeft to them.at.con-. verfion, when they are fhown it, and their intereft in it; ‘when God thakkég “him(elt known to. them as their covenant-God, and Chrift as the Mediator | of itis revealed to them; when.the Lord puts. his Spirit into them, and makes them partakers of the grace of it, fhows them their intereft in the bleffines of it, and opens and applies the. pro- | mifes Of it unto them; and. thefe are made mani- | fet inthe mififtration of the gofpel, and jin, the adminiftration of ordinances: even the fure mercies ef David; that is, the Meffiah, the fon of David, oh he ens hi end. of, his coming, Ape worl ings;,,deaths and.refurreCtion.;,.0f ing. and of the.feveral, charaéters a, watnefs -of;, the, covenant. ill aoft ei furety, mediator, and: sngsloeaey te in, general;.to which, he has» word and doétrines.;,.by,his..w by.his fufferings and, death.; by. ao pi re truth.by-his gofpel, and the mini s of it; and by his Spirit, and a faithful witnefs hei is: @, leader, and commander to the peoplé; he is a leader, as he is.a.cteacher of \his.people, who, teaches: then», to profit, and,leads.them im the way, they thould go. as a king that guides his. fubjects with she Mi ul, nefs of his hands,..as David..the typeof dim. did a as.a,general leads out and on_his armies o battels eafbsabert leads his Bock to good paftures 5 ag a Fiat e,to thofe. that know not, the way 5 and as one that goes before others by way..of ex example 3 Chrift leads his,people out of their own. ways, into his, ways 5, and he, Jeads, them, in..a right af Se | the. city. of, their, habitation, to, heaven. at. and he, leads them, on gradually and ge they.are able.to,,bear. He. isa.comina, - military, way, a wile, powerful, md 9 rageous one, and always: victorious >,and), litical fenfe,, as. aking.commands, OR whofe, commands. are to. be obeyed sand, i they, are written on the hearts of his, pe Ey i are not. grievous, tho” they, can’t be theif own ftrength;.nor.is it.defigned and falyation fhould be obtained by the Ropar ad | of them,..but are.done.to. teftify. fubjection.. t to ate’ yea ‘and amen, and. the eee fine i all of by him in an open way.; they are not owned and acknowledged to be his; there’s no intimacy between them; they are not admitted to fellowfhip and communion with him. The phrafé denotes them to be a foreign people, and fo properly de- {eribes the Gentiles, who were without Chrift, and aliens from the commonwealth of J/rael. Thee, Jeboveh the Father fays, for thefe are his words to his Son, he fhall.ca//; not merely with an external call, by the miniftry of the word, though this is Chrift’s call, and is the means of bringing fouls to him; but fometimes this is a call of perfons who are not chofen and faved, and is of no effect;

but with the internal call, by his.Spirit and grace, which, is according to the purpofe of God, and is peculiar to his elect; is the fruit of love, and by fpecial grace, and to {fpecial bleffings; is by the power of God, and is irrefiftible, unfruftrable, and irreverfible: hence the following effect, and nations that knew not thee, fhall run unto thee; knew not even God himfelf, as the Gentiles did not, much lefs the Meffiah; they knew neither his perfon nor his offices, nor the way of peace, life, and falvation by him; were in a ftate of grofs darknefs; and to whom the gofpel was.not known, which is a revelation of Chrift, and of good things by him. Now the promife is, that upon the above call, fuch perfons fhould ru# unto Chrift; light goes along with that call, directing to the object, where all grace and falvation be; life is infufed, by which they are quickened, and move; and ftrength is given, by which they ftand upon their feet, walk and run; efficacious grace, then exerted, draws them; and under a fenfe of danger, and in a view of fafety in Chrift, they run with all readinefs and chearfulnefs to him, and lay hold on him the hope fet before them. The Zargum adds, “‘ to bring “< tribute unto thee.” Becau/e of the Lord thy God; becaufe of the’love of God, with which they are drawn; and becaufe of his power, which is put forth upon them; becaufe of his grace, and the proclamations of it in Chrift, and the declaration of his will, that whoever believes in him fhall have everlafting life; and becaufe he has appointed Chrift, and him only, to be their Saviour and Redeemer; and becaufe there is no coming to God but by him: for the holy one of Ijrael; or, and or even to the holy one of Ijrael’ that is, Chrift, who is holy in his natures and offices, and the fanctifier of his people; to him fhall they run, for the cleanfing of their filthy fouls in the fountain of his blood; and for the expiation of their fin and guilt, by his atoning facrifice; and for righteoufnefs and ftrength; for grace, and all the fupplies of it; for peace, pardon, and eternal life: for be hath glorified thee; that is, God the Father has glorified his Son, thro’ the miracles wrought by him in his ftate of humiliation; by fupporting him, as man, in hjs work, and under all his fufferings; and by raifing him from the dead, and at his afcenfion to heayen; and by beftowing on him the gifts of the Spirit without meafure, to give to others; which, with the reafons before fuggefted, induce, engage, and encourage fouls to run to Chrift, when called by his grace. Some underftand all this of the firft chriftian church, confifting of believing ews, who a ene wry & ad fan&tum [frael, Montanus, Cocceius.; i J ‘Talmud, as quoted by Abendana on the place, ‘ feek the Lord, where he is found, in the fynagogues, and in the |; call upon him, where he is near, in the aca ogues, and in the {chools.”’;;, by him, interpret the words, “ whilft his Shekinah is found in the fanctuary; before he hides his face, and caufes his Shekinaa “ to fhould call the Gentiles by her minifters unto Chrift, by the converfion and acceffion of which fhe would be, glorified.. Thefe nations are thofe the apoftles were fent and preached unto after the refurrection of Chrift, all the nations of the world, even the moft diftant and remote; and particularly, thofe the apoftle Pau! preached unto from Feru/alem, round about to Iilyricum; and which the miniiters of the word preached unto, in the firft ages of the gofpel; fuch as thofe mentioned by Zertullian * in his time, as the Parthians, Medes, Elamites, the inhabitants of Me/opotamia, Armenia, Phrygia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Afia, and Pampbylia; the Egyptians, Africans, Romans, Getulians, Moors, Spaniards, Gauls, Britons, Sarmatians, Dacians, Germans, and Scythians; befides many other nations, provinces, and ifles unknown, too many to enumerate, who profefied the name of Chrift; and yet more, when the whole Roman empire became chriftian, in the tumes of Confiantine; to which may be added the various kingdoms in Lwrope, which caft off the Romifh yoke at the Reformation; together with many of the American nations, or new found world, who now embrace and profefs the chriftian religion.

¥. 6. Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, &c.] The Lord is to be fought unto at all times, whenever the people of God meet together, efpecially on fabbath-days, and while the external miniftry of the word lafts,, and life itfelf; fo the Targum, “* feek the fear of the Lord, whilft ye ‘* are alive.” Kimchi compares it with Eccl. ix. 10. The Fewi/h writers, as dben Ezra and others, generally interpret it before the fealing of the decree, or before the decree is gone forth. It may be underftood of place, as well as time, and be rendered, feek the Lord in the place where be may be found'; God is to be found, as Aben Ezra obferves, in all places, and at all times; under the Old Teftament there was a particular place appointed for the worfhip of God, the tabernacle and temple, where he was to be fought unto, and might be found; under the New Teftament, all.

places are alike, and wherever the church and people of God meet together, there he is to be fought, and there he may be found, even in his houfe and ordinances: call ye upon him, while he is near; the fame thing defigned by different words: feeking and calling defign not only prayer,. but the whole of public worfhip, and the time and place, when and where,. the Lord is to be found, and is near. Aben Ezra thinks it refers to the Shekinab in the fanctuary. Perhaps it may have fome refpect to the time of Chrift’s incarnation, and his being in the land of Fudea, and to the deftruction of the temple by the Romans, when. the Lord could be no more fought unto, and found in that place; or when the chriftians were obliged to remove from Ferufalem, becaule of the, fiege of it; and when the ‘ews had no more an opportunity of hearing the gofpel there. ¥. 7. Let the wicked forfake bis way, &c.] His evil way, as the Zargum paraphrafes it, his wicked courfe of life; and which is his own way, of his own chufing, and in which he delights, and a very dangerous one it is; and yet he is bent upon it;

And fo another Jewith writer, mentioned it, and nothing. can turn him from it but efficacious grace; nor will he ever forfake it, till he fees the evil, danger, and loathfomenefs of it; and when he does forlake it, it is fo as not to make fin the courfe of his life, tho’ he does not, and cannot live without fin. The word for wicked fignifies reftlefs, troublefome, and ungodly, and is ‘ expreffive of the pollution and guilt of fin all are under. Some are notorioufly wicked, and all men are wicked in the account of God, tho’ they may think otherwife themfelves; and they become fo in their own apprehenfions, when they are thoroughly awakened and convinced of fin, and of the evil of their ways, and are enabled to forfake them: tho’ this may alfo be underftood of bis own way of faving himfelf; which is by works of righteoufnefs he has done, in oppofition to God’s way of faving men ‘by Jefus Chrift,; which way of his own muft be relinquithed, ‘and Chrift alone muft be applied unto, and laid hold on, for falvation: -and the unvighteous man his thoughts, not his natural thoughts, but his finful ones, his wrong thoughts of reli-. gion, righteoufhefs, and falvation; particularly his thoughts of being juftified by his own righteoufnefs; which thoughts are to be forfaken, as being contrary to God’s way of juftifying finners; and as all men are unrighteous, are deftitute of righteoufnefs, and full of unrighteoufnefs, fo is the felf-righteous perfon; and he muft be divefted of all thoughts of his own righteoufnefs, and acknowledge himfelf an unrighteous man, ere he receives mercy, forgivenefs, righteoufnefs, and falvation, at the hands of the Lord: and let him return unto the Lord; from whom he has departed, againft whom he has finned, and who only can fave him; and this he does, when he comes and acknowledges his fin before the Lord, implores his grace and mercy, and. attends his word and worfhip; all which is the fruit and effect of powerful and efficacious grace, in turning and drawing. The Targum is, ** and let him turn to the worfhip % of the Lord:” and he will have mercy upon him; which fhows, that the returning of the finner to God is not meritorious, it is mercy ftill to receive him; and which is here mentioned, as the motive to return; there is an abundance of it with the Lord, and he has refolved and promifed to fhow it, and he takes delight in it, and many are the inftances of it: and to our God, for he will abundently pardon; God is to be applied unto, not as an abfolute God, or out of Chrift; but as our God in Chrift, in whom he has proclaimed his hame, a God gracious and merciful, and fo does abundantly pardon. The promife of pardon is ab- | folute and unconditional, and is here obferved as the motive to forfake fin, and not that as the condition of pardon; the defign is to comfort thole that are diftreffed with fin; God does and will pardon, and none but hevcan, and he has declared that he will; forgivenefs is with him, and it is publifhed in the gofpel, and there have been many

The Lord does abundantly pardon, or multiply to pardon™,; he pardons all forts of fin-’ eel | and thoughts and mens, which this is Tiltaftrate bid 4 WO a ae yt. 10. For as the rain Jnow from heaven, and ret. Rain and fnow come dow:

ners, and all forts of fins; original fin, actual fins and tranfgreffions; all backflidings and revoltings; all but the fin. againft the Holy Ghoft, © ¥. 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, &c.] In fome things there may, be a likenefs between the thoughts of God and the thoughts of men, as to the nature of them: thoughts are natural and

2 mbps "aa De multiplicabit ad parcendum vel ut parcat, Pagninus,

ceids; multus eriz ut propitietur, Muntfter.

known; but then the thoughts of men are and limited, whereas the thoughts of the Lord infinite and boundleis; mens thoughts have ginning, but the Lord’s have coneg eh intended: the thoughts of men are evil, eve imagination of their thoughts, yea, every nation is, and that always and only fo; b thoughts of God are holy; as appears from h purpofes and covenant, and all his acts of grac for glory: the thoughts of men, as to the jects of them, are vain, and nothing worth 3 thoughts and fentiments of things are very differe from the Lord’s, as about fin, concerning Chrift, ‘the truths of the gofpel, the people of God, reli-

‘of them, and their excellency and

| effential to them both; they are within them, | internal’ aéts, and unknown to others, ti much! the nature as the quality of them | in redemption, vocation, and preparing his pe gion, holinefs, and a future ftate, and in reference to the bufinefs of falvation; they think they can fave themfelves; that their own works of righteoufnefs are fufficient to juftify them; their privileges and profeffion fuch, that they fhall be fayed; their wifdom, riches, and honour, a fecurity to them from damnation; however, that their obedience, with repentance for what is amit entitle them to happinefs: but the thought God are the reverte of all this; particularly 1 refpeét to pardoning mercy, their thoughts are different; carnal men think of mercy, but not of juftice, and of having pardoning mercy in an abfolute way, and not thro’ Chrift, and without converfion and repentance; and {0 this is a reafon why mens thoughts are to be forfaken, becaufe fo very unlike to the Lord’s.- Or elfe thefe words are | be confidered as an argument, proving that G does abundantly pardon all returning finners; fin he is not like men, backward to forgive, efpecially great and aggravated crimes, but is aa free, and willing to forgive, even thofe ‘of the moft aggravated circumftances. Nether are your ways my ways, faith the Lord; the ways which SO prefcribes and direéts men to walk in, are dil rent trom theirs; his are holy, theirs unholy; 5 a "4 plain, theirs crooked; his are ways of light, the ways of darknefs; his are pleafant, theirs not fo, at leaft in the iffue; his lead to life, theirs to death; and therefore there is good reafon_ why they fhould leave their evil ways, and walk in his, Moreover, the ways which he takes in the falvation of men, are different from thofe which they naturally purfue, and efpecially in the pardon of fin; he pardons freely, fully, without any referve, or private grudge, forgetting as well ‘forgiving. ee ¥. 9. For as the heavens are higher t earth, &c.} Than which there canno ceived a greater diftance: fo are my than your ways, and my thoughts than 4 which may denote the heavenlinefs of thoughts of God, the eternity pit well as the very great diftance b the heavens, and: do ne ret rr duced the following effects; otherwife they may be exhaled into vapours, as they often are, and drawn up again by the fun: dat watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud; or, inebriateth the earth”; foaks into it, and reaches the feed that is fown in it, and cauies that to {pring up, and rife into ftalk and ear: that it may give jeed to the fower, and breed to the eater; produce a iufficiency tor food both for man and beait, and enough for feed to fow the ground with the following year.

» y. 11. So fall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, &c.] My good word, as the Zargum, this may either be underftood of Chrift, the eternal word, who is called the word of God, and may be faid to go forth out of his mouth, being fpoken of by all his holy prophets, fince the world began, whofe coming was like the rain or.{now, Hof. vi. 3. he came trom heaven, from his father there, and as a free gift of his; and in confequence of a decree, as the rain does; the manner of his coming, like that was fuddenly, gratefully, and with great efficacy, watering his people with his grace, thro’ the miniftry of the word, and making them fruitful; and tho’ he returned to heaven again, yet not empty, without fruit and effect; he produced a large harveft of fouls, and procured all bleffings of grace for them, and accomplifhed the whole will and pleafure of God, in effecting the falvation of his people; and the pleafure of the Lord profpered in his hand: or elfe it may be interpreted of God’s word of promife; the promilfes are made in heaven, and come from thence as the rain and fnow do; are the gifts of God’s grace, are very refrefhing and reviving, as rain to the earth; and are always effectual, being yea and amen in Chrift Jefus; and being made good, fulfil purpofes, or the good will and pleafure of God; particularly promifes concerning Chrift, pardon and peace thro’ him; fuch as are given forth in this chapter: or rather it may be meant of the word of the gofpel, which is of God; comes from heaven is a blefling ot grace; falls according to divine direction here and there; tarries not for the expectations, defires, or deferts of men; falls in great plenty, and is a bleffing wherever it comes: it is the means of foftening the hard hearts of men; of cooling the confcience fet on fire by the law, and allaying the heat of divine wrath there; and of refrefhine and reviving drooping, difconfolate, and weary fouls: it is the means of the firft buddings of grace in the Lord’s people, and of the larger exercifes and flourifhings of it, and of all fruittulnefs in good works: it is productive of feed to Chrift the fower, and fruit to his minifters who labour under him, and of bread to the eater, the believer, whom it furnifhes with the bread of life to feed upon by faith: it fhall not return to me void, it is accompanied with a divine energy; it is the power of God to falvation: but it hall accomplifh that which TI pleafe; in the converfion of finners, and comfort of faints: and it fhall profper in: the thing whereto I fent it; whether it be the favour of lite unto life, or the favour of death unto death, whether for the quickening of finners, and reviving of faints; or whether for the hardening of men, and leaving them without excufe to. perifh in their fins, both in the Fewifh and Gentile world. CAC), BALA

Yo 12. For yé foall go out with joy, and be led

| dail wit peace, &c.| Tho’ thefe words may lia change fhall be wrought in them, as if briers

| 507 terally refpect the Yews return from captivity to their own land, attended with joy and peace; as the preceding verfe may refpect the word of promife concerning it; as it is interpreted by the Targum, ** for with joy fhall ye go out from among ‘* the people; and with peace fhall ye be brought ** to your own land;” yet they may be fpiritually applied to the converfion of men, in confequence of the word being made effectual, of which the deliverance from the ‘Babylonifh thraldom was a type; when men go out of a ftate of bondage to fin, fatan, and the law; out of a ftate of darknefs and ignorances out of the pit of nature’s miféry and diftrefs; out of themfelves and their own righteoufnefs; out of their own finful ways, and from’ among the men of the world: and tho’ here is a divine power exerted in all this, yet they go out freely, being led by the Spirit of God; who takes them by the hand as it were, and Jeads them in ways before unknown to them; he leads then. to Chrift, his perfon, fulnefs, blood, and righteoufnefs; to the houfe of God, and to the ordinances of it; and from one degree of grace to another, till he brings them to glory: all which is attended with joy and peace to themfelves; finding themfelves releafed from bondage, in a ftate of light and comfort, out of the horrible pit, and on a rock; brought to Chrift, and clothed with his righteoufnefs; to the angels in heaven, who re- Joice over every finner that repenteth; to the minifters of the gofpel, who are the inftruments of their converfion; and to all the faints into whofe fellowfhip they are brought; which joy is further illuftrated by the following ftrong figures: the mountains and the hills fhall break forth before you into finging; or the people that dwell upon them: and all the trees of the field fhall clap their hands, or clap with their branches; as the Targum, the tops of them being moved with gentle breezes of wind, bow themielves, and the branches intertwining and clafping each other like hands and arms. Kimchi obferves, that mountains and bills may fignify the kings of the nations; and the frees of the field, the people rejoicing at the deliverance of the Fews, as they pafs along: it may be as well applied to the minifters of the word, and common believers rejoicing at the converfion of finners, in whom as wonderful a change is wrought, as in the following cafes. Vitringa interprets this of the apo- {tles and minifters of the word going forth into the Gentile world, attended with joy in themielves, and. among the converts there.

¥.13. Inftead of the thorn fhall come up the fir- ‘tree, and inftead of the brier fhall come up the myrtletree, &c.] The meaning of which either is, that inftead of wicked men, comparable to briers and thorns for their being fruitlefs and ufelefs, hurtful and pernicious, under a curfé, and their end to be burned, there good men, comparable to fruitful and beautiful trees, fhall be; which was eminently true when the gofpel was preached in the Gentile world; fee I/. xxxv. and xli. 19, 20. fo the Targum, ** inftead of the ungodly fhall rife up righ- * teous perfons, and inftead of finners fhall rife “* up fuch as are afraid to fin;” or elfe the fenfe is, that fuch who are like briers and thorns in their nature-f{tate, being no better than others, but children of wrath, even as others, fhall by the grace of God be made like fir and myrtle-trees; as great and thorns were changed into fir and myrtle-trees;

name, fupport his gofpel and intereft, and’ be for to which the faints are fometimes compared, parhis praife, and to the glory of his grace, who has ticularly to myrtle-trees, Zech. i. 10. becaufe goodly to look at, of a fweet {mell, ever green, Hourifh in watry places, and bring forth fruit: and it foall be to the Lord-for a name, for an everlafting fign that done fuch great and wonderful things for them 5 and fhall be for an everlafting fgn and menument of the love, grace, power, and faithfulnefs of God, - and for a fure token that the church and of foall not be cut off; that is, thefe perfons, who are become and made like to fir and myrtle-trees, fhall God fhall not be cut off, but that God will have a people to ferve him as long as the fun and moon be called by the name of the Lord, fhall bear his ' endure. st ih CHAP. LVI. sah d + ig - 4p pare HIS chapter contains a prophecy of the converfion of the Gentiles, and their acceffion to the church, and of the corrupt ftate of the folved upon, chofen his people to, and inswhich his glory was greatly concerned; and therefore calls it his own: or they are the words of Chrift, church afterwards, efpecially of its rulers, which brought in men comparable to wild beafts to devour. It begins with an exhortation to the duties of judgment and juftice, enforced by the nearnefs of Chrift’s falvation, and the clear revelation of his righteoufnefs in the gofpel, and by the bleffednefs of the man that does thofe duties, and lays hold on thofe bleffings, and obferves the whole of religion, infticated and moral, ¥.1, 2. when encouragement is given to eunuchs, and ftrangers or Gentiles, fenfible and religious perfons, to hope for acceptance with God, and that they fhall be welcome to his houfe, with an anfwer to their objections, and promifes of fpecial favours, ¥. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. to which is fubjoined a promife or prophecy of future additions, both of Zews and Gentiles, to the church of God in the latter day, ¥. 8. and then follows a call upon fome favage people, comparable to wild beafts, to come and devour, which will be previous to the above prophecy, y¥. 9. the reafon of which is the fad corruption of the rulers of the church, their ignorance, negligence, avarice and drunkennefs, ¥. 10, I1, 12.

¥. 1. Thus faith the Lord, keep ye judgment, and do juftice, &c.] Obferve the word of the Lord, which comes from the God of judgment, is the beft informer of the judgment, and the only rule of faith and practice; and which fhould be kept in the heart, mind and memory, be held faft, and who is the fole author of fpiritual and eternal falvation, and in whom alone it is, and from him alone to be had; and which was near, being performed by himfelf, publifhed in his gofpel, applied by his Spirit, and enjoyed by his people here and to all eternity: aud my righteoufne/s to be revealed; and which alfo are either the words of God the Father concerning his faithfulnefs in the performance of his promife of Chrift, and good things by him; concerning his juttice, which was glorified in the work of redemption by Chrift; or concerning the righteoufnefs of Chrift, called his, because he fent him to bring it in, he approves of it, imputes it to his people, and juftifies them by it: or they are the words of Chrift concerning his own righteoufnefs, which he has wrought out, and brought in, in the room and ftead of his people, and for their fakes; and which is revealed, not by the light of nature, nor by the law of Mofés, but by the gofpel of Chrift, and that from faith to faith, or only to believers. Now thefe being ufed as arguments to engage to the keeping and doing judgement and juftice, fhew that the doctrines of falvation by Chrift, and juttification by his righteoufnefs, are no licentious doétrines, rare

¥,2. Bleffed is the man that doth this, 8c.] That does juftice, and keeps judgment; he hereby exercifes a good confcience both towards God and men; he enjoys communion with God in his ways,. worfhip, and ordinances, he attends unto; and abode by; and fo likewife all the ordinances of the Lord, which are his ftatutes and judgments; thefe fhould be all of them kept as they were delivered, in faith, from love, and with a view to the glory of God and Chrift; all matters of judgment and juftice between man and man, whether public or has an evidence of his right to eternal happinefs > and the fon of man that layeth bold om it; on the falvation of Chrift, and his righteoufnefs; which fuppofes a fenie of the infufficiency of a man’s own, righteoufnets, a view of the excellency and fuitablenefs of Chrift’s righteouinefs; and is expreffive.

private, fhould be obferved and done; all that you would have men to do to you, do to them; all works of righteoufnefs required by the Lord, tho’ not to be depended upon for juftification in his fight, but regarded as fruits and evidences of faith and repentance; for works of righteoufnefs can’t be done but by regenerated perfons. The reafons enforcing a regard to thefe things follow: for my Jalvation is near to come, which are either the words of God the Father concerning Chrift and his falvation, whom he appointed, called, and fent to effect it; who, when this prophecy was given out, was to come, and was to come as a Saviour, and was near at hand; and whofe falvation, as to the efficacy of it, was come, all the Old Teftamentfaints being faved by it; and as to the impetration of it, was near at hand, he being ready to come, and in a fhort time, comparatively fpeaking, did come, and work out this falvation God had reof a {trong act of faith upon it, embracing and) retaining it as a man’s own: that keepeth the fabbath from polluting it; by doing any fervile work’ on it, and attending to all religious duties, private: or public.. This is put for the whole of inftituted — worfhip, under the gofpel-difpenfation, and for any day or time in which the church of Chrift me together for religious worhip: and keepeth bis band from doing any evil; committing any fin againf God, or doing injury to the perfons and properties of men, including the whole of moral duty. — x. 3. Neither let the fon of the firanger, &c. Gentile, that is fo by birth, the fon of ont an alien from the commonwealth of J/rae/, a from the covenants of promife, and fo I | no right to come into the congregation of the former difpenfation; but now: of partition being broken down, in the times to which this prophecy belongs, fuch are e1 to expect admiffion: shat hath joined himfelf to the

| young men, and children, where Chrift is.as a fon

Lard; who having a {piritual knowledge of him) over his own houfe, and a¢ts as prophet, prieft, and in Chrift, loves him, believes in him, gives up himfelf to him, to walk in his ways and ordinances, and cleaves unto him with full purpote of heart; fee J/ xliv. 5. Fer. 1.5. fuch an one fhould not jpeak, faying, the Lord bath utterly feparated me {rom his people; by a law of his, Deut. xxiii. 3. for now the wall of {eparation, the ceremonial law is deftroyed, and God declares himfelf to be the God of the Gentiles, as well as of the Fews;, and of all that fear God, and believe in Chrift, of every nation, who are accepted with him; and that they are all one in Chriit, and all partakers of the fame promifes and bleffings; fo ftrangers, and the fons of ftrangers, were to have an inheritance among the children of J/rae/ in gofpel-times; fee Ezek, xivii. 22, 23. and therefore fhould have no reafon to {peak after this manner: neither let the eunuch fay, behold, I am a dry tree; having no children, nor could have any; and to be written childlefs was reckoned a reproach and a curfe; nor might an eunuch enter the congregation of the Lord, Deut. xxiii. £. and yet fuch aman, having the grace of God, and acting agreeably to it, as in the following verfe, fhould not diftrefs himfelf on the above accounts.

y. 4. For thys faith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my fabbaths,.&c.] That fear and ferve the Lord; religioufly obferve. all times of divine worfhip, and walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord; fhew regard to all the inftitutions of the gofpel, and perform all religious exercifes, private and public, on Lord’s-days, and at other times: aud chufe the things that pleafe me who do that which is well pleafing unto God, which he has declared in his word to be acceptable to him; and do that from right principles, with right views, and of choice; not forced to it by thofe who have authority over them, or led to it merely by example and cuftom: and take hold, of my covenant; not the covenant of circumcifion, as Kimchi; for what had eunuchs to do with that? but the covenant of grace, the everlafting covenant, the covenant of peace before fpoken of, ch. liv. 10. and ly. 3. made between the Father and the Son, on account of the elect; which may be faid to be taken hold of, when a perfon by faith claims his intereft in God as his covenant-God; comes to Chrift as the mediator of the covenant; and deals with his blood, righteoufnefs and. facrifice, for pardon, juftification and atonement; regards all the promifes and bleffings of the covenant as belonging to him, and lives by faith on them, as fuch; fo David by faith laid hold on this covenant, 2 Sam. Xxiil. 5..:

¥. 5. Even to them will I give in mine boufe, and within my walls, &c.] The Targum is, ‘* in the «¢ houfe of my fanctuary, and in the Jand of the << houfe of my fhekinah;” meaning the temple at Ferufalem, in the land of Fudea; but.a gofpelchurch-ftate is here meant, which is the, houfe. of God; the materials of which are true believers; the foundation Chrift; the pillars and beams of it are the minifters of the word; the windows the ordinances, the door into it faith in Chrift, and a profeffion of it; the proyifions of it the word and ordinances; the ftewards of it, the preachers of the gofpel; where are faints of various forts, fathers, king there. This is the Lord’s houfe, ’tis of. his building, where he dwells, which he’ keeps, repairs, beautifies, and adorns; here he promifes. to give the perfons before defcribed, a place, and a name, better than of fons and of daughters; a place of entrance and admiffion into his houfe, for continuance to dwell in; a place of honour, profit, and pleafure; a place of comfort, reft, eafe, and quietnefs; a place of fulnefs at the table of the Lord; a fixed, abiding, fettled place; or, a hand °, which may fignify a part, portion, lot, or inheritance, 2, Sam. xix, 43. or a ftatue or pillar, 2 Saw. xviii. 18. fee Ezek. xlvii. 22, 23. Rev. iii. 12. and a name, not of office, for all in it are not officers; nor a mere name in a church-book, which to have only is of no avail; nor the mere name of a profeffor, which men may have, and be dead; but a good name, as a church-member: and fuch an one is he, who keeps his place in the church; feeks to maintain peace and brotherly love in it; lays himfelf out for the welfare of it; is ready to contribute according to his ability for the fupport of it; and whofe life and converfation is becoming the gofpel of Chrift: moreover, by this name may be meant the name of the people of God, he being their covenant-God; or of the priefts of God, as all the faints are under the.gofpel-difpenfation; or of chriftians, as they are now called; or rather of the fons of God, which. is the new name that is given them, and is a more excellent name than of fons and daughters;, that is, than to have fons and daughters, the want,.of which the. eunuch complained of; or than to be the’ fons and daughters of the greateft potentate on earth; J will give them an everlafting name, that foall never be cut off; fach is their good name in the church, and is fpoken well of in after ages, is had in everlafting remembrance, and will be confeffed by Chrift at the laft day; and fuch is their name as, the children of God, for once fons, no more fervants,. the name and relation will always continue; and both this name and place are the gift, of God, ’tis he that brings them to his houfe, and; gives them,a place there, and enables them to behave well in it, fo as to have a good name; and it.is he that gives them the name, privilege, power, and relation, of. children, which fhall,never.be cut off by any, act of their own, or his, or by’ men, or devils; fuch a name had the eunuch converted and baptized by Philip, Ads viii, 27—39. ¥.6. Allo the fons of the ftranger that join. themelves to the Lord, &c.], Having anfwered the objection, and, removed. the difcouragement of the eunuch, he now returns to the fons of the f{tranger, who alfo join themfelves to the Lord,.as the eunuch had done; fee ¥. 4. and who..do this, fo ferve him, and to love,.the. name of the,Lord, to be bis fervants, who give, up themielves, to, him, not only to be faved by him, but to.ferye him. in righteoufnefs and holinefs, with reverence and Body fear, and from a principle of love to him; being heartily defirous, and accounting it an honour to be his fervants: every ane ‘that kecpeth the fabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant, fee the note on ¥. 4. P 4 ¥.7. Even them will I bring to my holy mguntain, &c.] The church, called a mountain for its height, vifibility

° ”~ manum, Montanus, Cocceius. Ben Melech interprets it by ED YP p/ace; and obferves, that not a corporal place. is in.

of fpiritual J/rael, and who are caft out, not by» the Lord, but by the men of the world; who ¢ait’ out their names as evil, who call them outcaits, and account them the offscouring of all things, Jer. xxx. 17. or rather this charaéter of them may reprefent what they appear to be in-a ftate of na-' ture, when they feem to be neglected, and not’ taken notice of by the Lord, as if they were not his people, or beloved by him; and are ‘like the infant caft out into the open field to’ the loathing. of its perfon; and yet fuch as thefe the Lord looks. upon, takes notice of, and gathers in by effectual vocation. ‘The Yargum renders it, the /eattered of Lrael, and fo the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac and Arabic verfions; who, whilft unregenerate, are in a ftate of diftance and alienation from God; are without God and Chrift, and defticute of the Spi+ rit; aliens from the people of God; wandering out of the way of God; are like loft fheep, feattered abroad by the fall of Adam, and their own actual tranfgreffions: now the Lord God is the gatherer of thefe; which agrees with Chrift, as the furety that engaged to look them up, and bring them in; and as he.is a fhepherd that gathers the lambs in his arms; and as he is the Saviour that came to feek and fave that which was loft;.and who, in coniequence of having redeemed his people, gathers them by his Spirit-and grace, thro’ the miniltry of the word; fee fob x. 16: Jf xt. 11, Luke xix. 10, Zech. x. 8. it may be here meant ot God the Father, whofe purpofe, plan and centrivance-it was to gather together all his élect in one, even in Chrift; and whofe promife it is, that to him fhould the gathering of the people be; and who fet him up as an enfign for that purpofe, Eph. 1.10. Gen, xlix. 10. Jf-xi. 10, 12. he now fays: yet will I gatber others to bim, befides thofe that are gathered unto him; that is, to Lfrael’s either to Chrift, to whom thefe outcafts and feattered ones © belong, who is fometimes called J/rael, If, xlix. 2. or to the church of God, whither they are broughe when gathered, as in y. 5, 7. this is done in effec- -tual:-vocation, when God’s eleé& are called and gathered out-of the world, among whom they have been, ‘and are brought to Chrift. as. their Saviour; as the. Lord ‘their nghteoufneis; as. the mediator of the new coygnant; and to his blood for pardon, juitification and 4alvation; and as the ark where they only can find reft for their fouls; and as their king to whom they become fubject; and fo they are gathered into the church as to a fold and paiture.’ Now great numbers of thefe, both among the Fews and Gevfiles, were gathered in at the firit preaching of the gofpel, in the firft ‘times of the ‘gofpel-duipenfation sand it is here promifed that otuers befides them fhould be gathered in, even all that remain of the election of grace uncalled; the reft of thofe that the Father has given to Chrift; the refidue of thofe he has redeemed by hi blood & fuch of the children of God as are yet featrere abroad, even all the remainder of the Lord’s peo-, ple, whether Yews or Gentiles. which will be falfilled’ in the latter day, when the forces and fulnefs of the Gentiles {hall be brought in, and the nation’ of the Fews converted at once,” words may be rendered, yet will I gather unto that are to be gathered*, the other fheep alled; as many as are ordained unto eternal life; not one thal be loft or left Behind, Kimchi mentions it as an. ri ' €Xpo-, vifibility and immoveablenefs; fee J/- ii. 2. ‘efpecially for the latter; the true members of it being fuch who are interefted in the unchangeable love of God, in the immoveable grace of election,. in the unalterable covenant of grace, are on the rock Chrift Jefus, and are fecured by the favour and power of God; and it is called an /oly one, becaufe in it holy men’ are, holy doétrines are preached, holy fervices performed, and the holy God, Father, Son, and Spirit, grant their prefence: and hither the Lord brings his people; he fhews them the way thither; he inclines their minds, and moves their wills to come hither, he removes the objections that are in their way; he conftrains them by his love; and he does it ina very diftinguifhing way,. takes one of a city, and two of a family, and brings them hither; and he, who fays this, is able to do it; and when he has brought them there, will do for them as follows: and make them joyful in my houfe of prayer; or, in the houfe of my prayer '; not made by him, as fay the Fews *; but where prayer is made unto him, and is acceptable with him; every man’s clofet fhould be a place of private prayer; and every good man’s houie a place of family-prayer; but a church of God is an houfe where faints meet together, and jointly pray to the Lord: and here he makes them joyful, by hearing ‘and anfwering their prayers; by granting his gracious prefence; by difcovering his love, and fhedding it abroad in their hearts; by feeding them with his word and ordinances; by giving them views of Chrift, his love and lovelinefs, tulnefs, grace and righteoufnefs; by favouring them with the confolations of his Spirit, and his gracious influences; and by fhewing* them their intereft in the bleflings of grace and glory: their burnt-offerings and their facrifices hall be accepted upon mine altar; which is Chrift, who is not only the prieft that offers up all the facrifices of his people, but is alfo the ‘altar on which they are offered up, Hed. xiii. ro. and is the only one, and the moit holy one, which is greater than the gift, and fanctifies every gift that is upon it, and makes both the perfons and the offerings of the Lord’s people acceptable unto God; for by thefe offerings and facrifices ‘are not meant legal but fpiritual ones; good deeds, acts of beneficence, rightly performed, with which facrifices God is well pleated; facrifices of prayer and praife; and even the perfons of faints themfelves, their bodies and their fouls when prefented, a holy, living, and acceptable facrifice unto God, Heb, xiii, 15, 16. Rom. xii. 1. the prophet here {peaks in figures, agreeably to hisown» time, as Calvin obferves; when fpeaking of gofpel-times; fo he makes mention of the fabbath before, initead of the Lerd’s-day, or any time of worfhip under the’) gofpel-difpenfation + for mine boufe fhall be called an. houfe of prayer for’ all people, Gentiles as well as) ews; the fons of the ftrangers, as others, are all welcome to the church of God, to come and worfhip, and pray to the Lord there, and that is ‘in any place where the faints’ meet’ together;* for holy hands may be lift up every where, without wrath or doubting, 1 Tim. ii, 8..° The ‘fews apply this verfe to the time when the fon of David, the Meffiah, fhall come ~ ° * + oe 2 YARRAT ¥. 8. The Lord God which gathereth the outcafts of SJfrael, faith, &c.} ‘Not the outcafts of literal Ufrael, the captives in Babylon, and elfewhere; but expofition of) his father’s, *¢ ‘after I -have gathered *¢ theoutcaftsvof Ujrael y yet will I gather againft *¢ethemthat are! gathered, | others’ againtt ‘s-thered\ ones, and they are Gog:and Magee” to whichrfenfe, he fays; the following verie' inclines: but much better is:the: fenfe.of viben Ezra, “ ‘sowill:f gather profelytes tonthe gathered of J/- ‘soraels? for is gathered ones, he fays, refers: to Hjraels> Buv it is: beftofcall to interpret it.of the tions gathered and addedito the chriftian churches, inthe times of Conflantine, who before had been treated as outcafts, and perfecuted: for their profeffion of.Chrift;: and of the converfion of ‘various other people, as the Goths, Vandals, Sec. in afterages.) So Vitringa. othiay and» priefts, thofe W.qeAll ye beafts of the field) come to devour, &c.] “Which may be underftood either literally of favage beatts being called to devour the flain, fig~ nifying a great flaughter that fhould ‘be made, like that) in Rev. -xixs17, 18. to’ which: the: fowls of the heaven are invited, as\ to a/fupper and fo Kimchi interprets it of fuch creatures being called to feed upon the carcaffes in'the:camp of Geg and Magog, agreeably’ to Ezek. xxxixs 17,18. but it feems better to underftand it figuratively of people and nations,’ comparable tothe beafts of the field for their ftrength; ‘cruelty, and voracioufnefs. Targum of the whole) is, ‘ all the kings of the ‘* people that thal] be gathered to opprefs. thee, << O' Ferufalem, Mhall be. caft in the midit of thee; ‘they fhall be for food to the beaft of the field, * the beaft of the foreft> fhall. be fatisfied with “them.” ‘Tho’ it feems righteft to interpret thefe ‘ beafts of the kings of the people themfelves, by whom fome underitand the Chaldeans, Babylonians, and other nations along with them, and under them, who fpoiled. the people of the Yews, and catried them, captive; but rather the Romans are intended. And fo. the prophet, after he had foretold the gathering in of the remnant, according to the election of grace, among the Yews, and the addition to them from among the Gentiles, pro-~ ceeds to give.an-account what. fhould become.of the reft-of the. Few#h nation that rejected the Meffiah and his-.gofpel., that- the Romans- fhould be brought in-upon them, -who\ fhould devour them; which deftruction would, be-owing to, the followine fins fabounding ‘among,them®. principal men, But I-aminclined: to the opinion.of Cocceias and, Vitringa, that the barbarous ‘nations: of the: Goths and Vandals, and -others, coming into.the Roman. empire, ‘become. chriftian, tho’ greatly, corrupted, to: are here meant’; fince: this, feems.to.be a’ pro+: phecy of what fhould happen.between the; firftgathering: of the Fes and, Gentiles to Chiift, jin ‘the ‘firft-times of the gofpel,: and..the:after-gathering of them-in the latter days) and the following words aptly defcribe the ignorance, ftupidity, avarice, and intemperance of the priefts of the apoftate church of ‘Rome’; and the following chapter, which is a continuance of this prophecy, better agrees with the idolatry of the church of Rome, than with abe Jews, who, elpecially at-the.timevof their deftruction by the Romans, were.not, given.to idolatry.) ¥eay all the beafts in the fore, a herd of.them,. which, like an inundation, ran.over.the.Roman\ empire, ‘and tore! it toxpieces, and {pread ignorance and. corruption every where;.next defcribhis ga-! ed; | for now) the beat of Rome arofe with his ten heads; Some think:that'a new chapter fhould begin here, i ast AO Jnensve> at ie yet) yo10y His: watchmen are blind, é&c.} A fad character of watchmen; who, of all men, ought to have good fight, to fee whois, coming, to.defery na-|/an enemy, to difcern approaching danger, and fo be capable of giving notice thereof. This tome.apply to the Scribes and Pharifees, who are often called blind guides, and blind leaders of the blind; Matt. xv. 14. and xxiii. 16, 175) 19,)245 26. and well fuits the charaéter of the popith clergy, bithops ecclefiaftical watchmen,. whofe bufinefs thould be: to look. after the fouls of men, and feed them with knowledge and underftanding; but very ill qualified for it, being blind and ignorantvas ito the knowledge: of things divine and {piritual. The) firft letter in this claufe is larger than ufual, perhaps defigned to ftrike the eye, and raife the attention. to what follows, as being fomething remarkable and extraordinary, as indeed the character given of thefe men: is, and directing to beware of them. The -firit word; which is. the word for: watchmen,. has the. letter god wanting 3° The! which being a note of. multitude, fhows, ’tis obferved “, that all the watchmen were univerfally deficient in the light of their minds, and not one of them did their duty, as it follows: they are all ignorant, or know not ", or nothing, not the fcriptures, and the meaning of them, the gofpel, and the doétrines of ic; Chrift, and the way of falvation by him; the Spirit. of God, and his operations on the fouls of men; and fo very unfit.to be fpiritual watchmen, or to have the care of immortal fouls. A popifh bifhop in Scotland declared, he did not,.know neither the: Old nor the New Teftament; and bifhop Albert, reading the bible, could not tell what book it: was, only he.found it was contrary to their religion. They are.alldumb dogs; they cannot bark, and fo ulelels;,-as,a houfedog, or one that is, fet:to. keep the theep, if, it barks.not at. the noife of a thief, or the approach of a wolf, to.give notice to. the family,..or the fhepherd, it is of nowfervice.. It. may defign. fuch who.call themfelves tminifters: of the.word,. and yet either,cannot, or will not preach, fuch as are unpreaching' bifhops, or..in their. miniftry do not reprove the; errors: and. vices,.of men, and warn them of, their,danger: fleeping, jing. down, loving lumbery as dogs do;.flothful,. indolent,,don’t care,to be. concerned in. bufinefs,, but take their eafe and pleafure, and are very, improper. perfons for watchmen... The firlt, word.* uled, is oblerved to’ fignity {peaking vain things. in dreams,..things delirious; and. agrees well,with the dreaming ‘doc; trines, and delirious notions of the Romifh,clergy..) yx. 11.., Yea,, shey ave greedy dogs, See.) Or strong of jou!’ of great appetites, and are meyer fatis-, fied: or /rrong of body; the foul isfometimes put, for the body; big-bodied, fat-bellied. men, fuch, as the priefts, monks, and. friars, that live upon the fan of the land, gluttons, epicures, men.of a, canine appetite, like dogs, which can. never, have. enough, know not fuluefs*, or what it is, to ‘be)filled

: $017. es Rai Oe b tae POL Oyradal 4ey PaPeMwEney. ~4ytO ibs d. 34 aa TH! fi age ve WOCEEWA BUN EL od it ‘ Aa i Ly iit i ae ate Yew, he cho } Fae Peeable to which, the words, according to, the accents, are thas rendered by Reinbeck, De Accent. Heb.'p. 427. al} ye beaps bas field; come ye, to devour all the beafts in the fore; fo Munkter; one fort of bealts are called upon ‘to ‘devour an- a veh nefciverunt, Paguinus, Montanus.; mil fciunt, Pifcator. —* IDM dehria loquentes, Movtanus; videntes Vana,: aprrtgp Deles Anterpies it of fach that fpeak vain things in their fleep. TY WH} fy fortes ahiaic, a ia us; fortes anima,” /z). appetente, Vatablus s funt valido appetitu, Vitringa- ~APTY 3 WYVY IN87 niefciumeyevell to fatisfaétion, always craving more. Tho’ fome think this denotes their infatiable avarice, their greedy defire of money, not being fatisfied, with what they have, in order to fupport their voluptuous way of living. dvd they are Jhepherds that cannot underftand, or, and they are, or are they foepherds? thefe blind and ignorant watchmen; thefe dumb and greedy dogs; thefe pretend to be the fhepherds of the flock, and to feed them? yet they know not to underftand*, or know not underftanding; have no knowledge and underftanding of divine things, and therefore unfit, and uncapable of feeding the people therewith: they all look to their own «vay; to do that which is moft pleafing to them, agreeable to their carnal lufts; they feek that which is moft for their worldly profit and advantage, having no regard to the glory of God, the intereft of Chrift, and the welfare of the flock: every one for bis gain from bis quarter; from the province, city, or town, he is in; from his archbifhoprick, bifhoprick, or parifh; making the moft of his benefice, of his tithes and revenues; increafing his falary as much as he can; getting as much as poffible from all forts of perfons, rich and poor, high and low, that are under his jurifdiction; “* than to-day, and this is the cafe of every one, from the greateft

\ ie & biel to the leaft, The Targum is, * every one to fpoil “‘ the fubftance of J/rae/;” as the Pharifees devoured widows: houfes, Matt. xxiii.14.. y. 12. Come ye, fay they, &c.] Either to their fellow-bifhops and priefts, when got together, jovially caroufing; or to the common people,.encouraging them in luxury and intemperance: J will fetch wine, out.of his cellar, having good {tore of it, and that of the beft, hence c prichs wine; and fo at Paris and Louvain, the popith priefts called their wine, vinum theologicum: Gate: will fill ourfelves with frrong drink; fill their bellies and fkins full of it, till drunken with its the drunkennefs of priefts in popith countries is notorious, which feems here to be taxed and prophefied of: for to-morrow fhall be as this day, and much amore abundant, the morrow fhall be as good, and merry, and jovial a day as this, and better; and we fhall have as much wine and. ftrong drink to drink,.or more; this they fay to encourage their companions to drink, and not fpare, and to put away the.eyil day far from them. The Targum is, “ faying, come ** Jet us take wine, and be. inebriated wath old ‘“< wine; and our dinner to-morrow fhall be better large, very Jarge.? 5

J Rye chapter contains complaints of the ftupidity and idolatry of the people, defcribed in the latter part of the preceding chapter; and fome promifes of grace to the people of God. The itupidity of the former is obferved, y. 1. they not taking notice of the death of good men, nor of impending calamities they were taken from, whofe happinefs is defcribed, ¥. 2. then thefe idolatrous people are fummoned before the Lord, y¥. 3. and are charged with deriding the faints, with idolatry and murder, ¥. 4, 5, 6. and their idolatry is reprefented under the notion of adultery, attended with very aggravating circumftances, ¥. 7, 8, 9 and yet thefe people ftill entertained prefumptuous hopes of happinefs, and boafted of, and trufted in, their righteoufnefs and good works, which would be expofed, and be of no advantage to them, ¥. 10, 11, 12. next follow promifes of grace to the faints, that fuch that trufted in Chrift fhould inherit the holy mountain, ¥. 13. that the ftumblingblock: of his people fhould be removed, y. 14. that he would dwell with the humble and contrite, y¥. 15. and not be always wroth and contend with them, for a reafon given, ¥. 16. and that tho” he had {mote them, and hid his face from them, becaufe of their fins, yet would heal them, lead them, and comfort them, and fpeak peace unto them, ¥. 17, 18, 19. and the chapter is concluded with the character of the wicked, and an affurance that there is no peace for them, y. 20, 21.

y¥. 1. The righteous perifbeth, &c.] Not eternally; he may fear he fhall, by reafon of fin and temptation; he may fay his ftrength and hope are perifhed; and his peace and comfort may perifh for a time; but he can’t perifh everlaftingly, becaufe he is one that believes in Chrift, and is ju-

{tified by his righteoufhefs, from whence ‘he is denominated righteous; and fuch fhall never perith, but have everlafting life: but the meaning is, that he perifheth as to his outward man, or dies corporally, which is called perifhing, ech. vii. ws. and fo the Targum renders it, ‘* the righteous die,”” Or it may be rendered, the righteous man is loft »; not to himfelf, his death is a gain to him; but'to the church, and to the world, which yet is not confidered: and no man layeth it to heart; takes any notice of it, thinks at all about it, far from being concerned or grieved; inftead of that, rather rejoice, and are pleafed that they are rid of fuch perfons; which will be the cafe, when the witnefles are flain, Rev, xi. 10. The Targum is, ** and no man lays my fear to heart;” or on’ his heart; whereas fuch providences fhould lead men to fear the Lord, and feek to him, and ferve him, as it did David, Pf. xii. 1: and merciful men are taken away; or gathered*; out of the world; to their own people, to heaven; thefe are fuch who obtain mercy of the Lord, and fhow mercy'to others, holy, good men: the former charaéter may refpect the righteoufnefs of Chrift imputed to them, this his grace implanted in them, difcovered by atts of mercy and goodnefs; for one and the fame perfons are intended: mone confidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come; that thefe are evil times coming, great calamities, and {: ments, upon men; and therefore thefe ‘righteous

| ones are gathered out of the world, and are gathered home, and fafely houfed in heaven, that they may efcape the evil coming upon a wicked generation; and who yet have no’ ~abour it, nor are they led to obferve it, own from the removal of good men out of the; fee 2 Kings xxii..20. All this may be applied to e yar iw ws oan oe | et illi paftores? non feiunt docere, Cocceius 5 & illi cum paltores fan » null:

the martyrs of Jefus, in times of popifh perfecution; or to the removal of good men by an ordinary death, before thofe times came.

y¥. 2. He fhall enter into peace, &c.] Or shall go in peace *, the righteous man goes in peace now; he has peace from his juftifying righteoufnefs; he has peace thro’ believing in Chrift, he has peace in, tho” not from, his obedience and _ holinefs of life; and he has peace in the midft of the many trials he is exercifed with; and he goes out of the “world in peace, with great ferenity and tranquillity of mind, as Simeon defired he might, having views of an intereft in Chrift, and in the glories of another world; and as foon as he is departed from hence, he enters into peace, into a ftate where there is every thing that makes for peace; there is the God of peace; there is Chrift, the prince of peace; there is the Spirit, whofe fruit is peace; and there are the angels of peace, and good men, the fons of peace; and there is nothing there to difturb their peace, no fin within, nor fatan’s temptations without, nor any wicked men to annoy and moleft them; and there is every thing that can come under the notion of peace and profperity; for the happinefs of this ftate is fignified by riches, by glory and honour, by a kingdom, and by a paradife; and into this ftate the righteous may be faid to enter immediately upon death, which is no other than ftepping out of one world into another; and this they enter into as into a houfe, as it really is, an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the ‘heavens; and entering into it, they take poffeffion of it, and for ever enjoy it: they fhall reft in their beds; their fouls in the bofom of Abraham, in the arms of Jefus; their bodies in the grave, which is a bed unto them, where they lie down and fleep, till they are awaked at the refurrection; and where they reft from all toil and labour, from all difeafes and diftempers, pains and tortures, and from all perfecuting enemies; fee Rev. xiv. 13: each one walking in bis uprightnefs, in the righteoufnefs of Chrift, and in the fhining robes of immortality and glory, and in perfect purity and holinefs: or, before him*; before God, in the fight or prefence of him, and by fight, and not by faith, as now. ‘Tho’ this is by fome confidered as the character of the righteous man in life, fo ben Ezra; and then the fenfe is, that he that walks in his uprightnefs, in the uprightnefs or righteoufnefs of Chrift, and by faith on him; that walks uprightly in his life and converfation before God, and before bim/elf, following the rule before him, and walking according to the rule of the gofpel, and in the ordinances of it blamelefs, when he comes to die, he enters into peace and reft. And to this fenfe is the Zargum, which paraphrafes it, ‘¢ that are doers of his law;” fee Rom. ii. 13. In the Talmud ‘ it is interpreted of that peace and happinefs righteous men enter into, when they die.

¥. 3. But draw near hither, &c.| The death of the righteous, and their happinefs. after it, being -obferved; the wicked, who thought themfelves fate from danger, and the happier that they were rid of the righteous, thofe witneffes and prophets which had tormented them, and therefore rejoiced on that account, are here fummoned to the divine tribunal, to hear their charaéter, and receive their doom, as follows: ye fons of the forcerefs; the children of Jezabel, the witch, and the prophetefs that taught the fervants of the Lord to commit fornication, and bewitched with her witchcrafts the fons of the apoftate church of Rome; by whofe forceries all nations have been deceived, and of which fhe repents not, Rev. ii. 20. and ix, 21. and xviii. 23: the feed of the adulterer, and of the whore; of the great whore of Babylon, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and whofe fubjects and children are the feed of this whore, and the fons of this idolatrous church: or, ¢hat committeth whoredom ®; which aggravates the character, that they were not only the children of adulterous perfons, but committed whoredom themfelves. ¥. 4. Againft whom do ye {port yourfelves? Sc.] Is it again{ft the minifters of the gofpel, the prophets of the Lord, the true and faithful witneffes, over whofe dead bodies you triumph? know, that it is not fo much againft them, as againft the Lord himfelf, whofe minifters, prophets, and witneffes they are; fee 1 Thef. iv. 8: againft whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? geftures ufed by way of fcorn and derifion; fee P/- xxii. a 13. So the papifts open their mouths, and’draw out their tongues, in gibes and jeers, reproaches and calumnies, againft the true chriftians, calling and defpifing them as hereticks and {chifmaticks; which abufe and ill ufage of them will be refented another day. ‘The Targum is, ‘* before whom do “* ye open your mouth, and multiply to fpeak “« things?” as antichrift is faid to have a mouth open, {peaking great things and blafphemy againft God, his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven, Rev. xiii..5, 6: are ye not children of tranfgrefion; given up to all manner of fin and wickednefs; or children of the wicked one, as the Targum, either of fatan, or of the man of fin; or as the Septuagint and Arabic verfions render it, children of perdition; of the fame character, complexion, and religion, as the fon of perdition is: a feed of falfuood? or a lie, given to lying; to believe a lie, and to fpeak lies in hypocrify; profeffing a falfe religion; embracing falfe doctrines; a fpurious breed, and not the fons of the true church of Chrift. ¥. 5. Enflaming yourfelves with idols under every green tree, &c.] Or, enflamed with or among oaks", with images made of oaken wood, fuch as the papifts worfhip, Rev. ix. 20. expreffing a burning zeal for their idols, and being as hot upon them, as impure perfons burn in luft one towards another: or, with mighty ones’; the kings and potentates of the earth, with whom the whore of Rome commits her fornication, even in every flourifhing kingdom and ftate in Europe, compared to a green tree; alluding to the cuftom of the heathens, who ufed to fet up their.idols under green trees and groves, and there worfhip them, which were pleafing to the flefh; and I with, fays Mu/culus on the text, there were no inftances of this kind in the papacy. Slaying the children in the vallies, under the cliffs of the rocks; this may refer to the cruelty of thefe idolatrous worfhippers; for as they burn with zeal to their idols, fo with rage againft thofe that oppofe their idolatrous practices, not fparing men, woinen, mona mpi inflammat inter quercus, Gataker; incalefcen-