Exposition of the Whole Bible

been committed in many places, and efpecially in the vallies of Piedmont, not could the cragged’ ¥ocks fecure them from their falling a facrifice unto them. Or it may intend the ruining and deftroying the fouls of fuch, who, before they fell into their hands, were innocent as children, by their fuperftitions worfhip and idolatry, committed in low and dark places, under cragged rocks, and in caves and dens; fuch as the above-mentioned commentator fpeaks of, a very dark one, under a pro- chrift, and where. the principal, bed. for, idolatry,.is fetup. The Targum. te a, high and. lofty * mountain, thou haft fet.the place of the -houfe “* of thy dwelling;” which.agrees.wery well.with the great city, the feat of the beaft.. Aven hither wente/t thou up to offer facrifice; the facrifice of the mafs, to do which the idolaters go to their, high places, their, temples, and to their high altars,.

efpecially in the great city. _ oil y ww tate ¥. 8. Bebind the doors alfo and the pofts hah otal, af

Minent rock, in which the ignorant and unhappy | et up thy remembrance, | &c,] The. memori people, fome time ago, worfhipped and invoked a certain blefféd faint, he knew not who, which ‘could fcarce be looked into without horror; and fuch was the cave in which they worfhipped the angel Michael. - ¥. 6. Among the Jmooth ftones of the ftream is thy portion, &c.] Or thy god; but the portion of Facob is not like them, ftocks and ftones, Jer. x. 16. and ii. 27, Whenever they could pick up fmooth ftones, and fuch as were fit for their purpofe, whether in the ftream of a brook, or in a valley, as the word alfo fignifies, they polifhed, and formed them into an image, and made gods of them’; and thefe were their portion and_inheritance, and which they left to their children. There ‘is an elegant paronomajia * in the Hebrew tongue, ‘between? the word for /mooth tones, and that for a portion, which can’t be exprefied in our language: or, in the fmooth or flippery places of the valley fhall ‘be thy portion’; fee Pf xxxv. 6. and Ixxii, 18. They, they are thy lot; even thofe ftones. Farchi’s note is, to ftone thee with, the punifhment of idolaters with the ‘ews; fuggefting that thofe idols would be their ruin; as they will be the ruin of the idolatrous members of the church of Rome, who repent not of worfhipping their idols of ftone among others, Rev. ix. 20, 21: even to them baft thou poured a drink-offering, thou baft offered a meatoffering; or a bread-offering, as well as a libation of wine, refpecting the facrifice of the mafs, which. confifts of bread and wine, which is offered up in honour of their idols, angels and faints; hence Michael-mafs and Martin-mafs, &c. Should I receive comfort in thefe? be pleafed with fuch idolatrous facrifices? no. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic verfions render it, /hould I not be angry for thefe? Y will; I have juft reafon for. it. Or it may be rendered, /hall I repent of thefe™; of the evil I have threatened to bring, and am about to bring upon thefe idolaters? I will not.

¥. 7. Upon a lofty and high mountain haft thou fet thy bed, 8c.) Temples and altars, which are ufually built on high places, where they commit {piritual adultery; that is, idolatry, in imitation of the heathens, who had their temples and altars on high places; and the idolatry of the church of Rome in this context, is all along exprefied in language agreeable to the heathen idolatry, and in allufion to it. Some think this phrafe denotes impudence in their idolatrous worfhip; for not content to worfhip under trees, in vallies, and under clifts of rocks, and fuch dark places; now, as not blufhing at, or being afhamed of their actions, erect their altars in the moft public places. Perhaps forme reference may be had to the city of Rome it- thine idols, as the Targum. As the, heathenss had their dares and penaées, their houfhold-gods,,.fo.the papifts have their tutelar images, which they pla in their,houfes, and in their bed-chambers; their images of faints, their crucifixes and. fuperftitious pictures, which they call. memories, and day-mens books: for thou haft difcovered thy/elf to another ¢haz me, or, from me”, departing from me, and.leaying amy bed; rejecting Chrift as king. of faints, deferting his worfhip and ordinances; thou haji uncovered thyfelf, to another, proftituted thyfelf to another, been guilty of {piritual adultery or idolatry,) receiving and acknowledging another for head of the church, according to whofe will all things, im worfhip are directed: and art gone up; to the bed fet up in the high place; to idolatrous temples and altars, there to offer facrifice: thou heft. enlarged thy bed; to take in many adulterers, and idolatrous worfhippers; and fo, as Muj/culus obferves, many {mall chapels,.at firft ereéted for this and the other faint, through the vaft concourfe of people. to them, and the gifts they have brought, haye,. in procefs of time, become large and magnificent temples: and made a covenant with them; with idols, and idol-worfhippers; agreeing, to receive the mark and name of the beaft, and to worfhip his image, Rev. xiii. 15, 16, 17. Or, ‘thou baft cut for thyfelf more than they °, more trees to make idols of, or to make more room for the placing of idols in groves than the heathens:, or, thou, haft hewed it for thyfelf, a bed larger ° than theirs that is, thy bed: thou haft made larger than theirs.;, or, thou haft cut for thy/elf from them *; taken away from emperors and kings part of their dominions, and joined them to thy patrimony,. and appropriated them to thine own ufe: thou lovedft their bed where thou Jaweft it, took delight and pleafure in places of idolatrous worfhip, and in their idolatry, wherever they were: or, thou loved their bed, hand thou haft fen; ftretched. out to help thee, or give thee power, or to invite, encourage, and receive thee into the idolatrous bed; or -rather, any pillar, monument ‘, or ftatue, ereéted for idolatry which feen, they fell down to and worfhipped... ¥.9. nd thou-wenteft to the king with-ointment, &c.] To the kings of the earth, the fir the plural, with whom. the, whore.of committed fornication or idolatry, in allufion themfelves harlots, who, in order to render th more agreeable to their lovers, with ointment; this may refpe

Spirit of God, which the chuzch of Rome pretends to give by adminiftration of the facraments,;which ’tis faid confer grace ex opere id the extreme unction given as a meetnef ven, in thelaft moments of life: and did? increase thy per-

Juimes; after’ the “manner ‘of Harlots, who, to’ in- Pratiate themfelves with men, ufe ‘much perfumes: this'may ‘fignify the many ways the whore of Rome takes ‘to make ‘herfelf regarded by the kings and nations of the earth; prétending to antiquity, infallibility, power of working miracles, works of fiiperétogation, primacy and fuperiority over all other churches; ufing great pomp and fplendor in places of worfhip, and in all religious férvices: and didft fend thy mejfengers far off; not only into neighbouring’ kingdoms and ftates, into all the nations of Earope; but even into the moft diftant parts of the world, into both the Jndies, in order to make profelytes, fpread the religion of the fee of Rome, and increafe its power. ‘The pope’s wuntio’s and “legates a latere may be here pointed’ at, as well as. ‘the’ 7e/uits his emiffaries, fent into all parts to pro- *mote his intereft. Yarchi’s note is, ** to exact tri- “*¢ bute of the kings of the nations;” which has been the bufinefs of the pope’s legates: and didft debaje thyfelf even unto bell, or lay ‘thyfelf low; *proftitute thyfelf as’ harlots-do to every lover; or didft. feign thyfelf very lowly and humble, as the pope does when he calls himfelf fervus fervorum, or tather, thou didft deprefs, or bring low, even unto hell; that is, multitudes of men and women, who are brought ‘down to hell by the falfe doctrine and worthip of the church of Rome; and the followers ‘of ‘the man of fin fay, that if he brings down ‘thoufands into hell, none ought to fay, what doft thou? Cocccius thinks it may have refpect to his pretended power over hell, to fend as many there ‘as don’t pleafe him; arrogating to himfelf the keys, of heaven and hell; or over purgatory, a fig-| ment of his brain, where he pretends the fouls of. ‘men are for a time, and from whence, for a fum of money, “he délivers them. The Targum is, | © thou haft depreffed the ftrength of the people; *< or, as fome copies, the ftrong of the people ** unto hell.”

¥. 10. Thou art wearied in the greatnefs of thy way, &c.] Or, in the multiplicity of thy ways”: which were fo many, as were enough to make her weary; the fteps which were taken to obtain fo ‘much power over kings and kingdoms, which was gradually cot with great pains and artifice, and to amas fuch vaft trealures, and to enlarge her inteteft, and ipread her religion in the world; the multitude of ftratagems devifed, and vaft number of men employed, and embaffies made to carry her point every where. “Yarchi’s note is, “ to fulfil thy defires, and to enlarge thy fubftance:” yet feidft thou not, there is no hope; as men in a’

good ‘caufe are ‘apt to do, upon every difficulty that arifes; but here, in this cafe, tho’ the caufe was very bad, ‘yet when fchemes did not take, or ‘not fo'foon ‘as withed ‘for and expected, new difficulties arofe, and oppofition made; yet no coft nor pains were {pared to gain the point in view, and eftablifh a kingdom and hierarchy; which at

“Matt facceeded + this’ expreffes the refolution, con- “ftancy, and pertinacy of the bifhops of Rome in’

‘their ambitious views and claims of power, who “would not give out, nor defpair of arriving at ‘what they aimed at; and which, thro’ great, fa- “tigué’ and ‘labour, they attained unto: thou haf Found the life of thine hand, that which was fought

‘ rye yn “4 “pm coat ee sw Sbwry & demifitti afque ad infernum, Cocceius.

for and Iaboured ‘aftef; fOvereignty over all bifhops and churches; power over kings and kingdoms; and an univerfal empire Over coniciences, as well as over churches and nations; and alfo immenfe treafure and riches to fupport the pope, cardinals, ‘priefts, &?c. and perhaps giving life to the image of the beaft that it fhould fpeak, and caufe thofe that would not worfhip it to be killed, may

“¢ neceflity of thine hands, thou haft found pro- grieved, at the toil and labour uled, pains taken, and wearinefs contracted; the iffue was an over- recompence for all the trouble and difficulty that attended it: or, therefore thou waft not fick"; of the undertaking; did not defpond in mind, or languifh without hope of fucceeding, finding ground was gained; and at laft things went according to withes; and then it caufed no grief to reflect upon the fatigue and trouble that had been endured; and alfo grieved not at the idolatry introduced, nor repented of it; fee Rev, ix. 20, 21. fo the Targum interprets it of impenitence.

y. 11. And of whom haft thou been afraid or feared, that thou haft lied, &c.] By affuming the name of chriftian, when it did not belong to her, as it does not to the church of Rome, which is antichriftian: this lie is told, not out of any fear of God, or reverence of Chrift; for fhe has no fear or reverence of either; but to ferve a purpofe, to blind the eyes of men under the chriftian name, and with a pretence to ferve the caufe of chriftianity, to get all Chriffendom under her power: and haft not remembered me; or, for thou bajft not remembered me, nor laid it.to thy heart? or, put me upon thy heart *; had no regard to Chrift, nor had true faith in him, nor love to him; but all the reverfe; degraded him in his offices, corrupted. his doétrines, ordinances and worfhip. The Targum is, ‘* and haft not remembered my worfhip, nor “¢ put my fear upon thy heart:” and have not I beld my peace even of old, and.thou feareft me not? or, therefore thou feareft me. not’, becaufe as. yet the vials of God’s wrath are not. poured out, or his judgment inflicted on antichrift, but ever fince he began to reign, he has enjoyed great profperity therefore he fears not God, nor regards man; but fays, I fit a queen, and am no widow, and foall fee no forrow, Rev. xviii. 7.: y.12. I will declare thy righteoufnefs, and thy works, &c,| For notwith{tanding all the idolatry, fuperttition, irreligion and cruelty, of the church of Rome, fhe makes large pretences to righteoufnefs, by which fhe expects to be, juftified, and to ‘merit eternal life, and even. pretends to works of fupererogation; but God. will in due time make it clearly appear, both by the miniftry of his faithful fervants, which he has done in part already; and by his judgments that he will execute, that fhe has no righteoufnefs; that what fhe calls fo is no righteouinefs, but wickednefs; and that her works fhe calls good works are bad ones, fuperftitious, idolatrous and tyrannical: for they ‘fail not profit thee; fecure from judgment here, or ftom wrath to come; nor juftify before God, nor procure falvation and eternal life; but on the con-:: trary, * 997 373 in multitudine vie tue, Pag- trary, fhall bring deferved ruin and deftruétion, here and hereafter.:;

y. 13. When thou crieft, let thy companies deliver thee, &c.] From diftrefs and impending ruin, if they can; meaning not the allies and auxiliaries of the Yews, the Egyptians and Alfyrians, they fent to for help, as Kimcbi, and others; rather as farchi, their idols and graven images they worfhipped, angels and faints departed, the papilts pray unto; let them now, in the time of Jome’s ruin, renew their addrefies to them for help and deliverance, if they can give it: or, thy gathered ones *; the kings of the earth the whore of Rome has gathered unto her to commit fornication with her; and who, by her emiffaries, will be gathered together to the battel of the Lord God Almighty, and to make -war with the Lamb, but will be overcome; as alfo her many religious focieties and convents of jefuits, friars, priefts, &c, thefe will ftand afar off, and Jament her in her diftrefs; even the kings and merchants of the earth, fhip-mafters and all company in fhips, but will’not be able to relieve her, Rev. XViii. g—19: but the wind fhall carry them all away; vanity foall take them; fo far will they be from helping her in the time of her calamity, that the wind of God’s power and wrath fhall carry them away as chaff; a puff of his dreath, or the leaft breath of air *, fhall diffipate them, and bring them to nothing; they’ll be no more able to ftand before him, than the lighteft thing that can be thought ‘of can ftand before a bluftering wind or tempeft. The phrafe denotes an utter and eafy deftruction of the whole jurifdiction and hierarchy of the church of Rome: but be that putteth bis truft in me, foall poffe/s the land, and fhall inherit my holy mountain; fuch of God’s people as will be in Badylon a little before its fall, and will be called out of it, who fhall betake themfelves to the Lord as their only refuge, and put their truft and confidence in him, rejecting all idolatry and fuperltitious worfhip, fhall enjoy the communion of the true church of Chrift, and partake of all the ordinances of it: it may be, ‘this may have alfo a particular refpect unto the ‘Jews, who will be called about this time; who, upon their believing in Chrift, will return to their own land, and dwell in Ferufalem, God’s holy mountain, as it ufed to be called. Hence it follows, x. 14. And foall fay, caft ye up, caft ye up, &c.] A caufe-way, a high-way, for the people of the Yews to return to their own Jand: this is either faid. by the Lord, as fome fupply it; or by the prophet, as Yarchi; or by him that putteth his truft in the Lord, as Kimchi, or rather by one, that is, the firft of the living creatures, a fett of gofpel-minifters, that fhall give to the angels, the proteftant princes and potentates, the feven laft vials to pour out on the antichriftian ftates, both papal and mahometan, and fhall ftir them up to do it; or the voice out of the temple, that fhall order them to do their work; by which means way will be made for the return of the faid people, Rev. xv. 7. and xvi. 1: prepare the way; of the true doétrine and worfhip of God; the way of truth and holinefs, of faith and practice: sake up the Jtumbling-block out of the way of my people; the fuperftition, idolatry and impiety of the church of Rome are the great ftumbling-block in the way of the converfion of the Fews, and the means of hardening that people in their difbelief of Chritt, and the chriftian religion; wherefore the fall of antichrift, and.a reformation every where from all corruption in do¢trine and worihip, in principle and practice, which alfo may be intended by theie expreffions, will prepare the way for their embracing the chriftian religion, and fo for their return to their own land. The Targum is, * and he hall ** fay, teach and admonifh, prepare (or direét) the ‘< heart of the people to the right way, remove ** the ftumbling-block of the wicked out of the ‘© way of my people.”

¥.15. For thus faith the high and lofty one, &e.] Who is high above the earth, and the nations of it; higher than the kings in it; the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; and io able to fave his people, and deftroy his and their enemies; who is higher than the heavens, and the angels there; who is exalted above the praifes of his people; the knowledge of whofe being and perfections is too wonderful for them; whofe thoughts are higher than theirs; and whofe love has an height in it not to be reached by them; all which may ferve to command a proper awe and reverence of him, and clofe attention to what he fays; and perhaps thefe characters and titles are affumed in oppofition to antichrift, who exalts himfelf above all that is called God, as well as what follows; who boafts of antiquity, and infolently takes to himfelf the title of holinefs: wherefore the Lord goes on to defcribe himfelf, as he that inhabiteth eternity; is from everlafting to everlafting, without beginning or end, the firft and the laft, who. only hath immortality in and of himfelf; angels and the fouls of men, tho’ they die not, yet have a beginning; God only is from eternity to eternity; or rather inhabits one undivided, uninterrupted eternity, to which time is but a mere point or moment: whofe name is holy, his nature being fo; he is originally and effentially holy, and the fource of holinefs to his creatures, angels and men; tho’ none are holy in comparifon of him;. his holinefs is difplayed in all his works; he is glorious in it; and therefore with great propriety holy and reverend is his name: I dwell in the high and boly place; he dwelt in the moft holy place in the tabernacle and temple, which were figures of the true fanétuary, heaven, where Jehovah dwells, and feems to be here meant; tho’ the word place is not in the text; and it may be rendered, J dwell with the high and holy”; and Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech interpret it of the holy angels; and if we apply it to the holy and divine perfons in the trinity, the Son and Spirit, it may not be amifs, and will ftand well connected with what follows: with him alfo that is of a contrite and bumble fpirit; not only with the other divine perfons, and with thofe high ones, but with fuch who are broken under a fenfe of fin; not merely in a legal, but in an evangelical way; not only with the weight of divine wrath, but with a view of pardoning grace and mercy; and fuch fouls are humble as well as contrite; have the worft t s of themfelves, and the beft of others; they are humble under a fenfe of fin and unworthinefs, and fabmit to the righteoufnefs of Chrift for Pet acceptance and jutftification before God; and afcribe the whole of their falvation to his free grace alone; and become chearful followers of the meek and lowly Jefus; with fuch the Lord dwells, not merely by his omniptefénce and omnipotence, but by his Spirit and grace or in agracious way and manner, by fhedding abroad his love in their hearts, and communicating his grace to them; and which he ufually does under the miniftry of the word and ordinances, and: which may be expected: and his end in fo doing is, to revive the fpirit of the bumble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones; who are fometimes in a very lifelefs and uncomfortable condition; grate is weak; fin is prevalent; they are under a fenfe of divine. difpleafure; under the hidings of God’s face, and. attended with various afflictions and adverfe difpenfations of providence: now the Lord dwells with them, to revive. and quicken them; which he does by his gracious: prefence 5, by the difcoveries of his pardoning love and grace; by the application of precious promifes; and by granting large meafures of his grace, fo that they become comfortable in: their fouls, and are quickened to the frefh exercife of grace, and difcharge of duty. Alf this feems to be fpoken for the confolation of the Lord’s people in: their low eftate, during the reign of antichrift, and towards the clofe of it, when greatly opprefied by him. Vitringa interprets this of the Walden/és and Bohemian brethren; but it feems to refpect later times.

¥.16. For I will not contend for ever, &c.] By afflictive providences; with the humble and contrite, the end being in a great meafure anfwered by their humiliation and contrition; when God afflicts his people, it fhews that he has a controverfy with them, for their good, and his own glory; and when thefe ends are obtained, he’ll carry it on’ no longer: neither will I be always wroth; as he feems to be in the apprehenfions of his people, when he either hides his face from - them, or chaftifes them with a rod of affliction: for the fpirit foould fail before me; the fpirit of the afflicted, which not being able to bear up any longer under the affliction, would fink and faint; or be overwhelmed, as the word “ fignifies: and the fouls which I have made; which are of God’s. immediate creation, and which are alfo renewed by his grace, and made new creatures. The proleiytes Abrabam made are called the: fouls he made in Haran, Gen. xii. 5, much more may this be faid of the Father of fpirits, the author both ef the old and new. creation. The Lord knowing the weaknefs of the human frame, therefore reftrains his hand, or moderates or removes: the affliction; lee a like reafon in P/, Ixxviii. 38: and ciil. 9, 13, i4. the laft days of trouble to God’s people, which will be the time of the flaying. of the witnefies, will be. fuch that if they are» not, fhortened, no fiefh can be faved, but for the elect’s fake they will be fhortened, Mit, xxiv. 22.559... ory y¥.17. For the iniquity of bis covetoufnefs wast wrath, and {mote him, &c.] Notthegreedy watchmen of the church of Rome, ch. lvi. 10, ra.-but. teachers and preachers in the reformed churches, who mind their own things, and not the things of Chrift; feek after good benefices and livings, temporalities and pluralities, and to be lord-bifhops:; taking the overfight of the flock, for filthy lucrefake; which.may eafily be obferved to be the predominant fin of the preachers and profeffors of the threatened them, as he did the church at Sardis, the emblem of the reformed churches, that he will come upon them as a thief, Rev. iii. 4: Lid me, and was wroth; fhewed his difpleafure by departing from them; and how much God has withdrawn his prefence, and caufed his Spirit to depart from the churches of the reformation, is too notorious: and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart; took no notice of the reproofs: and corrections of God; was unconcerned at his abfence not» at all affected with his. departure, and the withdrawings of his Spirit; thefe had no effeét to caufe a reformation, as is now too vifibly the cafe; the fame evil is purfued with equal eagernefs; this is a way the heart of man is fet upon, and they don’t care to be turned out of it; and are like’ froward, peevifh children under the rod, receive no correction by it.

¥.18. Ihave feen bis ways, and will heal bim, &c.] Either the ways of fuch who truft in the Lord, the ways of the humble and contrite, who are brought by repentance and reformation, by the dealings of God with them; thefe he fees, knows,. and: approves of, and heals their former backflidings; for tho’ not all, yet fome may be reformed hereby; or.rather the ways ‘of the. troward, their evil ways, which are their own ways, in oppofition to God’s ways, | peculiar to themfelves, of. their own devifing and chufing; thefe the Lord fees, refents and corrects for, and yet gracioufly pardons them, which is meant by healing: J will: lead bins) alfo; out of thofe evil ways of his into the good: and right way in which he fhould go; into the way of truth.and paths of righteoufnefs.; for it is for want of evangelical light and knowledge, that fo many err from the truths of the gofpel, and:from: the fimplicity of gofpel-worfhip; but in the latter) day the fpirit of truth fhall be poured down from on high, and fhall lead profeffors of real religion into all truth, and they fhall fpeak a pure language,» and worfhip the Lord with one confent: and reftore comforts to him, and to bis mourners; that mourn over their.own fins, and the fins of others; that mourn in Zion, and for Zion; for the corruptions in doctrine and worfhip crept into the reformed churches; for the want. of:church-difcipline and gofpel-converfation; for the deelenfions of profeflors of réligion,. and the divifions among them; and for that worldly, earthly, and carnal fpirit that prevails; for thefe, as bad as our times are, there are fome that mourn publickly and privately; and to. thefe, and tothe church for ‘their fakes, com-» fort fhall be reftored, by fending forth gofpel-light, truth and: knowledge, which fhall cover the earth: as the waters the fea; by reviving primitive. doc-» ‘trines and ordinances; by bleffing the word to the. converfion of a multitude of -finners, and to» the. edification “of faints: by caufing brotherly. love; peace and fpirituality to abound among profeffors; and by bleffing all the means of grace to the:con-: folation: of their fouls; and by making particular applications of the blood, righteoufneis and facri-: fice of Chrift, for pardon, juftification and atone~: ment, the folid foundation of all true comfort. » « y. 19. I create the fruit of the lips, 8c.) Which: lis praife and thank{giving, Hed. xiii. 16. thatciss give occafion of it, afford matter for it, by re reformed churches; for which God: has a contro-; verfy with them, and refenting it, has fimote and), rchuked them in a providential way; and has ftoring comforts to the church and its mourners, as in the preceding verfe;_ and by giving peace, as in all the following words. _The Targum renders \ it; “othe fpeech of the lips in the mouth of all ‘© men;” as if it refpected that, blefling of nature, fpeech, common to all mankind whereas. this is a bleffing of grace, peculiar to ome that fhare in the ‘above bleflings; and it may be.reftrained to gofpel-minifters, the fruit of whofe lips.is the gotpel of peace; or the word. preaching peace by Chrift; the word of reconciliation committed to them; the fubject of their miniftry as- follows: peace, peace to him that is far off, and to bin, that is near, faith the Lord; peace with God, made by - Chrift, is the fruit of Jehovah the Father’s lips, who promifed it in covenant, on condition of Chrift’s thedding his blood to make it; whence the covenant is called the covenant of peace; and fpoke’of it in prophecy,; as what fhould be obtained. by Chrift the peace-maker; and peace of confcience flowing from it is the fruit of Chriit’s lips, who promifedsto give it to, and leave it with, his difciples; and. that they fhould have it in him, when they had tribulation in the world; and who alfo by his apoftles went and preached peace to them tbat were afar off, and to them that were nigh; having firft made it by the blood of his crots, ApAji.17. in which place there feems a manifeit reference to this paflage, when the gofpel was preached to the Fews that were near; to them in 7udea firlt, from whence it firft came; and then to the Gentiles that were afar off, as well as the difperfed ews in diftant countries; and in the latter day, to.which this prophecy refers, it will be preached far and near, even all the world over; when: the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the gofpel of peace, thro’ the miniftry of a dett of men raifed up by the Lord, created for that purpote, and eminently furnifhed for fuch fervice; the effect of which will be great fpiritual peace in the hearts of God’s people,and, much concord, unity and love among them, as well as there will be an abundance-of ‘external peace and profperity; and when