Exposition of the Whole Bible

cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Of forms of fwearing by Chrift, fee Rom. ix. 1. 2 Cor. xii. 19, Befides, fwearing, as it is a part of religious worfhip, may here be put for the whole; fo it fignifies, that as all bleffings come from Chrift, fo all worfhip.and duty fhould be performed unto him, and in his name. Becauje the former troubles are forgotten, they are bid from mine eyes; which is to be underftood not of afflictions and perfécutions for the fake of Chrift and his gofpel, for thefe, efpecially in the firft times of it, were very great; tho’ in the latter day they will ceafe, to which indeed this prophecy extends:_ but rather, either of the idolatry and fuperftition of the Gentile world, which were troublefome, and offenfive to God, but now removed by the clear light of the gofpel, and fo forgotten by him, and hid from his eyes; or the carnal ordinances of the legal difpenfation, which gave great trouble to the worfhippers then, and could not cleanfe their con- {ciences, and thro’ the fear of death, on the breach of them, were all their life-time fubject to bondage; but now thefe aré all done away by Chrift, and in gofpel-times forgotten by men, and hid from the fight of God, who regards them no more; fee

Fer. iii. 16. which fenfe fuits with what follows. y. 17. For behold I create new heavens, and a new earth, &c.] This prophecy began to have its accomplifhment in the firft times of the gofpel, when thro’ the preaching of it thete was a new face of things appeared in Fudea, and in the Gentile world, fo that the whole looked like a new world; and this was ll the effect of creating power, of the mighty, powerful, and efficacious grace of God attending the word, to the converfion of many fouls; a new church-ftate was formed, confifting of perfons gathered out of the world, the old na~ tional church of the Fews being diffolved, and gofpel-churches every where fet up; new ordinances appointed, to continue till Chrift’s fecond coming, and the old ones abolifhed; a new way of worfhip obferved, at leaft in a more fpiritual and evangelic manner’; a new covenant exhibited, or the covenant of gtace held forth in a new form of adminiftration, the former waxen old and vanifhed away; and the new and living way to the Father, thro’ Chrift, made more manifeft: this will have a further accomplifhment at the converfion of the ews, which will be as life from the dead, and things will look like a new world with them; their blindnefs will be removed, the veil will be taken away from them; they’ll part with all their legal rites and ceremonies, and the traditions of the elders, and embrace the Meffiah, and all his truths and ordinances; old things fhall pafs away, and all things become new: and it fhall have its compleat accomplifhment in the new Feru/alem-ftate, when not only Chrift will appear, and make all things new in a fpiritual fenfe, and that compleatly; but even in a literal fenfe there will be new heavens, and a new earth, which Yon in vifion faw; and and which Peter fays, he and other believers expected, according to the promife of God,’ when thefe heavens and earth fhall be diffolved and _pafs no more heard in ber, norcthe voice of crying s either, on account of outward afflictions and: pertecution or on account of inward darknefs, defertion,.;

away} and unlefs this paflage is referred to by-him, - it will be difficult to find where this promife is; fee Rev, xxi. 1, 2, 5. 2 Pet. iii, 13: and the former Joall not be remembered, nor come into mind, either the old heavens and earth, which fhall pafs away, and be no more feen; or the former ftate both of the Fewifh and Gentile world, or the former troubles, as in the preceding verfe, taken in the fenfe of affliction and perfecution; all antichriftian troubles fhall. ceafe in the latter day, after the converfion of the Hews, and efpecially in the new jerufalem-tates fee Jf ti. 4, and xi. 9. Rev, vii. 16, 17. and xxi. 4. <s ye y. 18: But be you glad, and rejoice for ever in that which I create, &c.} This may refer either to perfons converted, both at the beginning of the gofpel, and in the latter day, whether Jews or Gentiles; who are the Lord’s creation, or new creatures, Being made new men; having new, hearts and fpirits given them, or created within them; new principles of life, light, grace, and holinefs wrought in them, which are the produce of almighty and creating power; and all fuch inftances are matter of joy, as to the angels in heaven, fo to the faints on earth, and efpecially to the minifters.of the gofpel; becaufe of the grace beftowed on men, the glory brought to God, and their own miniftry blefled, and fucceeded,, and fo their hands and hearts fttengthened: or elfe this refers to,the ftate of things under the gofpel-difpenfation, in every age of it,, and efpecially in fome periods of it, particularly the firft and laft; and the whole indeed is a new world or ftate of God’s creating, and is matter of joy to all the people of God. The Targum renders it, ‘* rejoice in the world of worlds, ‘© which I create:” agreeable to which is, the verfion of bifhop Chandler *, “‘ rejoice for the age to “ come, that I create;” the world to come, Hed. ii. 5. which Chrift is faid to be the father of, in the Septuagint verfion of, Jf ix. 6. the gofpel-difpenfation, the Meffiah’s future world, as oppofed to the legal difpenfation, For bebold I create Ferufclem a rejoicing, and her people a joy; that is, do that) for them, thro’ the mighty power of his grace, as will juftly occafion joy to them, and to all others well affected to them; the converfion of the Fews will be matter of joy to the Gentiles; and that, and.the bringing in of the fulnefs of the Gentiles, as well as the deftruction of antichrift, which will occafion a new face of things in the world, will be matter of joy to the whole church; fee Rev. xviii. 20. and xix. 1—8.. ¥..19. And I will rejoice in Ferufalem, and joy in my people, &c.] God himfelf rejoices in his people, as they are confidered in Chrift; fo he did from all eternity, and fo he does at the converfion of them; which is the day of their efpoufals, and when he manifefts his love to them, and rejoices over them to do them good, and continues to do fo; and he rejoices in the exercife of his own race in-them, and will do fo throughout the new Jerufalemate, and to all-eternity. This feems chiefly to refpect the time of the ews converfion, and the latter day-glory; and will have its moft compleat accomplifhment, when the tabernacle of God fhall “be with men, and he shall dwell amon them, Rev. xxi. 3. “and then what follows will be perfectly fulfilled, and the voice of weeping fhall be

-&c.] As the Canaanites did, whofe houte:

temptation, or the prevalence-of corruptions, Rev. XXiv ge | Lait ite tide. a Boas

¥, 20. There fhall be no more thence an infant of days, &c.| That is, there fhall no more be carried.

place where the church of God is, to ‘thee Cy). in order to be interred, an infant that has lived but a few days, avery common thing now; but, in the latter day, fuch inftances will be rare, ¢ rather there will be none at all; every child born will live to the age of man, and not be cut off by any immature death, either by any natural dif. eafe, or by. famine, or fword, or any other calamity, which will now havé no place: sor an old. man that bath not filled bis days; who tho’ he may in fome fenfe, or in comparifon of others,. be faid to be old, yet has not arrived to. the full term of. man’s life, threefcore years and ten, or more; for it feems, by what follows, as if the term of human life will be lengthened in the slate day, and. reach in common to an hundred_ years} fo that as, long life is always reckoned a temporal happinefs, among the reft that fhall be enjoyed, this will be one in the latter day; and which is to be under-~ {tood not of the Millennium-ftate, in which there will be no death, Rev. xxi, 4. which yet will be in this, as the following words fhow,; but of the ftate preceding that; even the {piritual, reign of; Chrift: for the child fhall die an hundred years ald 5. not that that fhall be reckoned a child that fhall die at an hundred years of age”, the life of man, being now, in thefe days of the Meffiah, as long as they were before the flood, as the Fewifh interpreters imagine; but the child that is now born, or he that is now a child, fhall live to the age of an hundred years, and not die before:% but left this outward happinefs fhould be trufted to, and a man fhould imagine that therefore he is in’ an happy {tate for eternity, being blefiled with fuch a long life, it follows, dut or tho’ the fiuner being am hundred years old foall be accurfed; for though this fhall be common in this ftate to good men, and bad men, to live an hundred years, yet their death will not be alike; the good man will be blefied; and enter into an happy ftate of joy and peace; but the wicked man,’ tho’ he lives as long as thé other in this world, fhall be accurfed at death, and to all eternity; fee Eccl, vili. 12, 13. i gietels y. 21. And they fhall build houfes, and inhabit them, €c.] In Ferufalem, and other parts of Fudea; tho’ this need not be limited to the Jews, but be confidered as reaching to all the Lord’s people, the Gentiles alfo; who will be in no fear, of enemies, or ever be difturbed by them, but fhall dwell in their own houfes peaceably and quietly; this is the reverfe of what is threatened to the wicked, Deut. xxviii. 30: and they fhall plant vineyards, and éat the fruit of them; they thall both live to dwell in their houfes when’ built, and till their vineyards bring forth fruit, and then ea of them; and they fhall be preferved from ene: mies breaking in upon them, and’ wafting theit plantations. as Ue ¥. 22. Lhey fhail not build, and anothe inpaot raelites inhabited; but they fhall inha rit the I u they have built, and fhall not be « ifpoffefk enemy: they foall not plant, and a fruit of the vines, olives, fig-trées, or others, planted by them: for as the days of a tree are’ the days of my people, not as of a leaf which falls every year, but as of a tree, and as of fuch that laft long, as oaks, cedars, and the like; tho’ perhaps a tree bearing fruit fit to eat is meant; and the fenfe be, that the Lord’s people fhould live as long as the trees planted by them, and fo fhould eat the fruit thereof, and not leave them to others to partake of. The Targum, Septuagint, and Arabic verfions render it, ‘* as the days of the tree of “<< life;” which, fome of the Raddins fay, were five hundred years. The allufion may be to the tree of life in paradife, and may be expreflive of the long life of good men in this ftate; and as the tree of life was typical of Chrift, who is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon him, it may denote that eternal life his people have by him. And mine elect fhail long enjoy the work of their bands, what they have built and planted; they fhall live Jong in their houfes, and for many years partake of the fruit of their vineyards. ‘The bleffing of Jong life is carried on with the promifes of all other inftances of outward happinefs.:

¥. 23. They fhall not labour in vain, &c.] As they do, who build houfes, and enemies come and turn them out of them, and dwell in them themfelves; or who plant vineyards, and fow their fields, and ftrangets come and devour them; or they are fmitten with blafting and mildew: sor bring forth for trouble, for death, as the Targum, or for a curfe, as the Septuagint: the fenfe is, they fhall not beget and bring forth children, that’ fhall immediately die by fome diftemper or another, or be taken off by famine, fword, or peftilence, to the great grief and trouble of their parents; but thefe fhall live, and out-live their parents, fo that ’ their death will never be a trouble to them: for they are the feed of the bleffed of the Lord, and their offspring with them; or, they are a feed, the bleffed of the Lord‘ or, they are a feed blefjed of God, or the Lord, as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic verfions; or as the Targum, <* a feed whom the Lord <¢ hath bleffed;” a fpiritual feed of the church, a feed raifed up to ferve the Lord, whom he blefies with temporal and fpiritual bleffings; and their offspring alfo, being made a fpiritual feed by the grace of God, and {ucceeding them in the church, in their fteps.

¥. 24. And it fhall come to pafs, that before they call, I will anfwer, &c.| The fenfe is, fhould they be attacked by any enemy, or fear that they fhall be difturbed by them, and fo bethink themfelves of making application to the Lord for help; whilft they are preparing for prayer, ftirring up one anther to it, and appointing a feafon for it, to meet ahs a chapter treats of the fame things as the former, the rejection of the unbelieving Fews, and the gard had to them that did believe; the converfion of that people in the latter day; the calling of the Gentiles, and the happy ftate of the church in the laft times. The caufes of the rejection of the Yews were their unworthy sotions of God, as if he was confined to the temple of Ferufalem, and to be pleafed with external toge ther on that account; before they are.able to put up One petition in a regular way, the Lord will, appear for them, and give an anfwer of, peace:, and while they are yet fpeaking,, I will bear;, whiltt they are praying to him, he hears and anfwer's, and grants their requefts, and miore, as he did Dauiel.’ This fhows the readinefs of the Lord to help and affift his people in any time of trouble, ‘or when they may fear an enemy.;, and is a great encourageément to attend, the, throrie of grace conftantly. roe

¥. 25. The.walf and the lamb fhall feed together,: &c.] Or, as one.*;/a§ if they, were one, of the fame kind and nature, and lived upon the fare food. The people of God are comparable to lambs} for their harmleffhefs and innocence; and wicked men to wolves, for their fiercenefs and cruelty; but, by the gtace of God, the latter become. as mild and as, gentle as the. former, and live upon the famie fpiritual food, and join with, them in attendance on the word and ordinances, where they find fpiritual. refrefhment and comfort together; fuch who have been perfécutors of the church, fhall now become mémbers of it; and many inftances of this kind, as there wete in the firft times of the gofpel, fo there fhall:be in the. latter day: and the lion fball eat firaw like the bul-. lock, or ox 3 to which creature the minifters of the gofpel are compared for their laborioufnefs, as wicked perfecutors are to lions; and fometimes the latter have been fo changed by the grace of God, as to become preachers of it, as Saul was, and very probably many will hereafter; however, there will be no perfecution of the church after thofe days; wolves and lions will have their nature changed, and be in fellowfhip with the faints, and be better employed than before in perfecuting them: and duft fhall be the Jerpent’s meat; the meat of the old ferpent, the devil, as was threatned, Gen. iii. 14. to which he fhall now be confined; he fhall not be able to bite the faints, being bruifed under their feet; he fhall only have power over carnal, worldly, earthly-rminded men; and fhall not.be able to give the church any trou— ble, by inftigating men to perfecute it: they fhall not hurt nor deftroy in all my holy mountain, faith the Lord; that is, fatan and his emiffaries; wicked men, comparable to lions and wolves, fhall no more drink the blood of the faints, or perfecute the church of God; after the calling of the Fews, and the bringing in the fulnefs of the Gentiles, and the deftruction of antichrift, there will be no more perfecution ‘of the church of Chrift, the mountain of God’s holinefs; he has faid it, and we may be affured of the truth of it; fee the note on ch. xi. g. a:

facrifices, now both.at an end under the gofpeldifpenfation; a better facrifice being offered, and a more {piritual worfhip fet up every where;. which notions-are confidered, y..1,.2, 3. and becaufe they were fet upon their ways and works, and rejected the gofpel of Chrift, they are threatened with ruin, ¥. 3, 4. and the difciples of Chrift, ” whom they excommunicated and perfecuted, have a promife of divine appearance for them, while — vengeance benedi&ti Domini ipfi; which verfion is moft agreeable to the accents.

vengeance fhall be taken on their enemies, their city and temple, y¥. 5, 6. neverthelefs, in the latter day, there will be a large and fudden converfion of this nation of the Zews, which is fignified by the birth of them, which will be matter of great joy to all the true lovers of the intereft of Chrift, y. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and what will add to the profperity, joy, and comfort of the church of Chrift at this time, will be the bringing in of the fulnefs of the Gentiles, ¥. 125 13, 14. at which time the vials of God’s wrath will be poured out upon antichrift and his followers, ¥. 15, 16, 17. and the chapter is concluded with a frefh account of large converfions of men of all nations, and of the union of ews and Gentiles in one church-ftate, which fhall long remain, and be undifturbed by enemies, who will be all flain, and their carcafes looked upon with contempt, y¥. 18—24.

the creator ofall things, he muft be imme omniprefent, and Sena be included in _ oy or place: end all thofe things have Leen, faith Lord; or are,';. they are in being, and contin and will, being fupported by the hand that. them; and what then can be made by a creature? or what houfe be built for God? or what need of any? dut to this man will I look... The Septuags and drabic verfions read by way of interro and to whom fall I look? and fo the Syriae ver which adds, in whom jhall I dwell? notin my made with hands; not in the temple of Jer but in the true tabernacle which God pitched, not.man; in Chrift the antitypical temple, in ¥ the fulnefs of the Godhead dwells bodily, an whom Jehovah the Father dwells perfonally 5 fee. Feb, viii, 2, Fobn ii. 19. Cal..ii. 9.. abn XiV, 10. as alfo in every true believer, who is. the temple of: the living God, after defcribed;. for. thefe. words, may both refpect Chrift and his members;. the characters well agree with him: even to Aine that is poor, and of a contrite {pirit, and trem~ bleth at my word, Chrift was poor liter ly, and, his eftate and condition in this world was very. low and mean, 2 Cer. viii, 9. or affiéied ™, as fome render it, as he was by Gad, and by men, and by. devils; or bumble", meek and lowly,,as the Septuagint and Targum; it was foretold of hima that he fhould be lowly;_ and this charaéter abundantly appeared in him, Zech. ix. 9. Mai. xi, 29. and. he was of a contrite or broken fpirit, not only was his body broken, but his fpirit alfo; not thro’ a, fenfe of fin, and confcioufnefs of it, but thro’ his forrows and fufferings; he alfo trembled at the word of God; that is, had a fuitable and becoming reverence of it; it was at the word of the Lor _ he. affumed human nature; and according as his Fa-. ther taught, and gave him commandment, fo he. fpake;. and agreeable to it, laid down his life, and became obedient to death: and now the Lord looks to him; he looks to him as his own Son, with a look of love, and even as in human nature, and is well pleafed with all he did and fuffered in it; he looked to him as the furety of his people, for the payment of their debts, and. the op and falvation of their perfons; and he now looks to his obedience and righteoufnefs, with which he is well pleafed, and imputes it to his people, and to his blood, facrifice and fatisfa@tion, on account, of which he forgives their fins, and to his perfon for the acceptance of theirs; and he looks to them, in him, and has a gracious regard for them: they alfo may be defcribed as poor; poor in fpirit, fpi-, ritually poor, as they fee and own themfelves’ to, be, and feek to Chrift for the riches of grace and, glory, which they behold in him, and expel fom, him; and are both affiffed and humble, and become the one by being the other; and of a contrite. fpirit, their hard hearts being broken by the and word of God, and melted by the lot grace of God; and fo contrite, not in a m gal, but evangelical manner: and fuch the word of God; not at the threatenin in it, or in a fervile flavifh manner; holy reverence for it, and receive it word of man, but as the word of Ge

¥. 1. Thus faith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, &c.] The third heaven, the heaven of heavens, where angels and glorified {faints are, and fome in bodies,.as Enoch and Elijah, and where now Chrift is in human nature; this is the feat of the divine majefty, where he in a moft illuftrious manner difplays his glory; and therefore we are to look upwards to God in heaven, and dire¢t all our devotion to him there, and not imagine that he dwells in temples made with hands; or is confined to any place, and much lefs to any on earth, as the temple at Ferufalem, the Fews boafted of, and trufted in; and which were the unworthy notions they had of God in the times of Chrift and his difciples; to confute which thefe words are here faid, and for this purpofe are quoted and applied by Stephen, Aéis vii. 48, 49, 50. fee the notes there: and the earth is my foot/tool; on which he treads, is below him, fubject to him, and at his difpofe; and therefore is not limited to any part of it, or included_in any place in it; though he for a while condefcended to make the cherubim his throne, and the ark his footftool, in the moft holy place in the temple; which were all figurative of other and better things, and fo no more ufed: where is the houfe that ye build unto me? what houfe can be built for fuch an immenfe being? and how needlefs as well as fruitlefs is it to attempt it? where can a place be found to build one in, fince the heaven is his throne, and the earth his footftool? and therefore if any place, it muft be fome that is without them both, and that can hold both; but what fpace can be conceived of, that can contain fuch a throne and footftool, and much lefs him that fits thereon? fee 1 Kings viii. 27: and where is the place of my ret? for God to take up his reft and refidence in, as a man does in his houfe? no fuch place can be found for him, nor does he need any; indeed the temple was built. for an houfe of reft for the ark of the Lord, which before was moved from place to place; but then, this was merely typical of the church, which God has chofen- for his reft, and where. he will dwell, as well as of heaven, the refting-place of his people with him to all eternity; no place on earth is either his reft or theirs.

¥.2. For all thofe things hath mine hand made, &c.] The heavens and the earth, which are his throne and footftool; and therefore, fince he is ‘ and feeds them; on thefe afflicted « and pathizes with them; on thefe ‘contrite ones, and delights in their facrifices, and dwells with them, and among them; fee P/li.17. J. lvii. 15.

¥.3. He that killeth an ox is as if he flew a man, &c.] Not that killed the ox of his neighbour, which, according to law, he was to pay for; or that killed one for food, which was lawful to be done; but that flew one, and offered it as a facrifice; not blamed becaufe blind or lame, or had any blemith in it, and fo unfit for facrifice; or becaufe not rightly offered, under a due fenfe of fin, and with repentance for it, and faith in Chrift; but becaufe all facrifices of this kind are now abolifhed in gofpel-times, to which this prophecy belongs; Chrift the great facrifice being offered up; and therefore to offer facrifice, which, notwithftanding the unbelieving Fews continued daily, till it was made to ceafe by the deftruction of their temple, was a great offence to God; it was as grievous to him, as offering their children to Moloch; or as the murder of a man; and was indeed a trampling under foot the Son of God, and accounting his blood and facrifice as nothing, which was highly difpleafing to God: be that facrificeth a lamb, as if be cut off a dog’s neck; the lamb for the daily facrifice,, morning and evening, or the pafioverlamb, or any other: this now is no more acceptable to God, than if a dog, a very impure creature, was flain, his-head cut off, and offered on the altar; which was fo abominable to the Lord, that the price of one might not be brought into his houfe, Deut. xxiii. 18: be that offereth an oblation, as if he offered fwines blood; the meat-offering, made of fine flour, on which oil was poured, and frankincenfe put, Lev. ii. 1, however rightly compofed it might be, and offered according to law, yet now of no more efteem with God than blood, “which was forbidden by the fame law; nay, than the blood of fwine, which creature itfelf, according to the ceremonial law, was unclean, and might not be eaten, and much lefs be offered up, and ftill lefs its blood, Lev. xi. 7, 8. and xvii. 10: and he that burneth incenfe, as if be bleffed an idol; or that remembers incenfe®; that offers it as a memorial of mercies, and by way of thankfulnefs for them, as.if he gave thanks to an idol, which is nothing, and vanity and vexation in the world; facrifices of fuch kind, be they what they will, are reckoned no other than as idolatry and will-worhip: yea, they have chofen their own ways, which were evil, and oppofite to the ways of God, efpecially to the way of falvation by Chrift; they gave heed to the traditions of the elders; continued the fervice of the ceremonial law; and fet up their own righteoufnefs, in oppofition to the doétrines, ordinances, facrifice and righteoufnefs of Chritt: and their foul delighteth in their abominations; things which were abominable unto God; as were their traditions, which were preferred to the word of God, and by which they made it void; and their facrifices being offered up contrary to his will, and with a wicked mind; and their righteoufnefs being imperfect, and trufted in, to the neglect and contempt of the righteoufnefs of his Son.

¥. 4. [ alfo will chufe their delufions, &c. Suffer them to approve and make choice of fuch perfons that fhould delude and deceive them; as the Scribes and Pharifees, who were wolves in fheeps clothing, and thro’ their appearance of fanctity deceived

many; and by their long prayers devoured widows houfes; and as thefe falfe prophets, fo likewife falfe Chrifts, many of which arofe after the true Me1- fiah was come, and was rejeGted by them, whom they embraced, and by whom they were deluded and ruined, Mart. vii. 15. and xxiv. 24: and will bring their fears upon them the things they feared; fuch as the fword, famine and peftilence; and efpecially the Romans, who, they feared, would come and take away their place and nation, ‘Yobu xi. 48: becaufe when I called, none did anfwer, when I fpake they did not bear; that is, when Chrift called unto the Hews in the external miniftry of the word; to come and hear him, they refufed to come, nor would they fuffer others to anfwer to this call, and hear him, and attend on his miniflry; which rejection of him, and his gofpel, was the caufe of their ruin: but they did evil before mine eyes, openly and publickly to his face; blafphemed and contradi4ted, his word, and defpifed his ordinances: and chofé that in which I delighted not; their oral law, their legal facrifices, and their own felf-righteoufnefs, as well as their immoralities.

¥. 5. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word, &c.| This is faid to the comfort of the believing Fews, who are thus defcribed; fee the note on ¥.2: your brethren that hated you, that caft you out for my name’s-fake; as the unbelieving Jews, the Pharifees; and fo Farchi interprets it of the children of the Pharifee, that fay, depart ye defiled; who were brethren to them that believed in. Chrift, by blood, by birth, by country, yet hated them, tho’ without caufe; as they did Chrift, in whom they believed; and caft them out of their affections, and company, and converfation; out of their own houfes, and out of the fynagogues; excommunicated them from fellowfhip with them, and that for the fake of their believing in Chrift,. and profefling his name; having made a law, that whoever confefled him, fhould be put out of the fynagogue, or excommunicated; and the word here ufed, fignifies that excommunication among the Fews called Niddui; fee Fobu xv. 19. and ix, 22, 34. and xii. 42: thefe aid, let the Lord be glorified, that is, they pretended by all this hatred of, and averfion to, thofe of their brethren that believed in Chrift, and by their perfecution of them, that all-their defire and defign were the glory of God, imagining that in fo doing, they did God good fervice; fee Fobu xvi. 2. R. Mo/es the prieft, (not the Egyptian, or Maimonides, as fome commentators fuggeft) thinks the fenfe is, that thefe unbelievers complained, as if the Lord was heavy unto them, and impofed burdenfome precepts and commands upon them they were not able to perform; and which, he fays, is always the fenfe of the word when in this form; but Aven Ezra obferves, that he forgot the paflage in Fob xiv. 21. where it is ufed in the fenfe of honour and glory. This fenfe Kimchi alfo takes notice of; but feems not to be the fenfe of the paflage; and were it fo, it was a falfe fuggeftion of thofe unbelievers; for Chrift’s yoke is eafy, and his burden light, Matt. xi. 30. fee Fobu vi. 60: but he foall appear to your joy, and ye fhall be afoamed, that is, the Lord thal] appear, either in a providential way, as he did for the chriftians at Feru/alem, before the deftruction of it; directing them to go out from thence, as they did, to a place called Pella, where they were

throws; at leaft, feeline very little pain’ and-tr vail, and having vidio Sala inci, dd ‘halls foon as they come are gone, and an immediate dest livery enfues:‘defores her pain came, fhe was delivered of a man-child; like’a woman’ before! the -is) fearce fenfible of any pain; as: foon as ever fher. perceives’ the leaft uneafinefs of this. kindy is de-?

livered of ‘a fon to’ her ‘great joy, and ‘the joy: of all about her. This is to be underfteod) not of! the fudden’and eafy'deliverance of ‘the Fews from! the Babylonifb captivity, by the proclamation of: Ojrus, which occafioned great joy;) much: lefs of the‘birth of ‘Chrift, “of the virgin Mary atthe inn, and inthe ftable, ‘which is the fenfe of fome posi pith interpreters; much’ better do fome Fewifh wri-) ters interpret it of the birth and appearance:of? Chrift; before the troubles ‘of their ‘nation came? ‘on’;) fo' the Targum, “before: diftrels*comes to: «© her, ‘the fhall be redeetned, | and: before ‘tremb=" ling ‘comes upon'her, her king fhall be -re-! “© vealed’; that isjsthe king Meffialigband fo! fome ‘copies ‘have ‘it," according to Galatinus *; who! alfo makes mention.of another expofition of. this! ipafiage, by R. Mofes Haddarfan, it-it may be de- ‘pended on, ‘* before’hé fhould be*born thatfhouldi «bring \//rael into the ‘laft captivity;# the Re-! © deemer fhould ‘be: born;” that? sy ashe ex-! plains it; before the birth of 77tus, who» deftroyed: the temple and «city of Yeru/alem, the Meffialy fhould be born; but! the’ pafiage refers not to his) natural but myftical birth, or the regeneration. of? a fpiritual feéd in»his\church 5 or. of ‘the conver-! ‘fon of the firft chriftians both in Fadea and in the

‘Gentile world; who were like a man-child, ftrong: \and robuft, able to bear, and. did endure great’ chardfhips for the fake of Chrift, and ‘do him much; work and fervice, in which they perfevered to the end; fee Gal. iv..26. Jf liv. 1. asthe firft chri- {tians did thro’ various perfecutions, until the times’ of Conjfiantine, by whom they were delivered from them, and whois prophefied of as the church’s:

fafe, and had a fufficiency of good things 5° whilft the unbelieving Yews were clofely befieged, and 'reduced to the greateft ftraits and miferies, and fo to fhame and confufion: or ‘elfé this may refpect the fécond coming, the glorious appearance of Chritft, which will be to the joy of thofe believing Jews, and of all his people; fince he’ll appear to their falvation, and they fhall appear with him“in glory, and fée him as he is, Hed. ix. 28. Col. iii. 4.'1 Fobn iii, 2. and to the fhame, confufion and deftruction of thofe that have pierced“ him, defpifed*and_ rejected him, and perfecuted his people, “Rev. 1.7. “¥. 6. A voice of notfe from the city, &e! |] From the city of Ferufalem, as the Targum, fo Kimcht, who fays, that in the days of ‘the Meffiah fhall go out of Ferufalem' the voice of ‘noife concerning’ Gog and Magog: this indeed refpects the days: of the Meffiah, but fuch as are now'paft, and a voiee ‘of crying in'the city of Yerufalem, at the taking ‘and deftruction of it by the Romans; when’ were heard from it the noify voices‘of the Roman foldiers,: triumphing and rejoicing’ at’ it, and the fhrieks of the inhabitants, running about from place to’ place for fhelter; fo when deftruction and defolation are come upon. any place, a voice ora cry is faid to come from’it; fee Fer. xlviii. 3. and li'44.' Zepb. i. 10s a voice from the temple; either from heaven, as “ben Ezra; or rather from the temple at ‘Yeru- Jalem, of the priefts there hindered from deing their fervice, and ftarving for want of fuftenance’;' or of the people that fled thither'for fecurity, but forced from thence by the foldiers; and efpecially a voice of crying and lamentation was heard, when fet on fire. Some illuftrate this by what the priefts heard in the temple a little before the deftruction of it, a ruftling and‘ a noife like perfons ‘fhifting’ and moving, and a voice in the holy of holies, faying, let us go bence; as alfo the words of Ye/us the fon of Axanus a countryman, who went about uttering thefe words, ‘* a voice from the -eaft,’ a’ voice “< from the weft, a voice from the four winds, a ‘voice againtt Ferufalem' and again{t the temple, ‘a voice ‘againft the bridegrooms and the brides, ‘<a voice again{t all she people:” this he did before the war began, nor could he be perfuaded to defift from it, but continued it afterwards; going ' on the walls of the city, faying, ‘© wo, ‘wo to the “* city, and'to the temple, and to the‘ people, wo “to myfelf alfo;”* and while he was fpeaking the Jaft ‘words, a ftone caft from a Roman engine killed him, as oféphus * relates:

¥. 7. Before fhe travailed, fhe brought forth, 8cc. man-child, as in-Rev. xii..2, 4, 5. i ay | | ¥.8: Who hath heard fuch a thing? who hath. \/een ‘uch’ things? &c.]: Such. numerous ‘conver-" fions, as after related’; fuggefting that they were wonderful and furprifing, unheard of, what, had inever’ been feen’ in the world’ before} and which’ were amazing’ and aftonifhing to the church her-' felf; fee ch. xlix, 21. and Ix. 8: fhall the earth be: made Yo ‘bring forth in one day? as if it was faid,\ a voice of the Lord, that) thé thing’ about'to be related was as wonderful as’ \if all the women in the world fhould bring forth» their ehildren in‘ one day, or bring forth/as many! ap- ‘at once ‘as would fill the whole earth) or as fur-' jude») prifing, ‘as if the’earth fhould all at once fend out» its herbs, ‘plants and’ trees, as it did onthe third: — day ‘of the creation, Gea. i, 11, 12.. which now» fome in one month, and fomer | in another, and’ {ome aré months) in’ their produc- rendereth recompence to his enemies; for'the Lord’s voice ‘was in all this, and his hand in’ the’ deftruction of thofe people; it was according’ to ‘his pointnient, direction and order, in righteous ment for their fins, they being his implacable enemies, ‘that would not have him to'rule' over them, Like xix, Y4, 27. Suse "| eradually fpring up,

That is, Zzon, as appears from the following verfe:.

! tion’: or fball a nation be born ab once 2: was ever: left'it fhould be thought that the intereft of ‘Chrift fuch’a thing heard of?\ yet this will’ be:the cafe of ' would be fwallowed up and loft in the deftruétion the ews in the latter day, when ‘they fhall be-all.

of the ‘7ews, this, and what follows, ‘are faid con- converted and faved; and which fhallibé done fud- + “cerning the convérfion of ‘many of ‘that ‘people, both in the firft times of the gofpel,’ and denly, and at once; fee Ho/. i. 10, a.) Rom. xi. in' the 7

, 26. of which the converfion of them in the latter day, as well as concerning the'calling of ‘the Gentiles, and the uniting of both in one churchftate. Zion, ot the church of God} is Héré compared to-a pregnant woman, that brings‘forth fuddenly and eafily, without feeling any pain, or geing through. any travail,, or having. any. birthfirft times’of the gofpel was an earneftvand pledge, | when‘ three thoufand were convint on\ and‘ regenerated in one day, under’ and, at another time under the word, two the fand, if not five thoufand: thus Chrift had from: she womb. of the, morning, or at the firft break. of