e Or, a rock, as for the ſtability and everlaſtingneſs of his Na« ture, and invinciblenefs of his Power, ſo alſo for his fixednefs and immutability in his Counſels and Promiſes and Ways; So that if there ſhall be a fad change in your affairs from an high and proſ- perous, to a calamitous and deplorable conditicn, as there will be remember that this proceeds from your ſelves, znd from the change of your ways and carriages towards God, and not from,God,- in whom there is no variableneſs nor ſhadow of change, Jam. 1. 17. Y All his works and aQtions are unblameable, as being perfe&, wiſe and righ- teous, as it follows. g All his adminiſtrations in the world, and particularly all his dealings with you are managed with Jud gement and Juſtice. þ Conſtant to his Promiſes : You cannot accuſe him of any levity or unfaithfulneſs towards you ro this day.
5 Tt They # have corrupted themſelves k, || their ſpot is. not the ſpot of his children: / they are a perverſe and
crooked generation . himſe 7 (i. e.) The Jrazlizes, as the following words manifeſt. & This Or. th
phraſe ſometimes in Scripture notes ſin, and ſometimes deſtruQion. they | And ſo the ſenſe may be, Either r.. Their wickedneſs is not from not his God but from themſelves, and their own choice ; they have wilfully dren tf and induſtriouſly depraved themſelves, and ſold themſelves to fin. js het Or rather 2. Their deſtruftion is net from God, who is Fuft and bios, True, &Cc. as was now ſaid, but wholly and ſolely from themſelves : and from their own wickedneſs, as it here follows. 1 (i. e.) Their blemiſhes or ſinsarenor committed through ignorance or frailty, or ſurprizal, as good Men ſometimes ſin, but they proceed from de- ſign and deliberation, are accompanied with malice and wilfuineſs and contempt, and followed with obſtinacy, impenitency and incor- rigibleneſs. So that they carry themſelves not like my children and people, as they ſeem to be and profeſs to be, bur like mine enemies. m Not only ſome few of them, but the whole body or generation of them are perverſe, (7.e.) froward and untraQtable, and crooked, (5. e.) ir- regular and diforderly, not agreeing with the ſtraight and righte= ous nature of God and of his law, Compare 1/s. 42. 16.
6 Do ye thus require the LORD, O fooliſh people and unwiſe ? isnothe thy father hat hath bought thee »?
Hath he not made thee o and eſtabliſhed thee p?
z» Thar hath redemed and reſcued thee from Egyptian bondage. 0 (i.e.) Advanced thee, as that word is uſed, r Sam. 12.6. Efh. 6. 6. and Pſal. 95.6. and 149. 2+ 1/a. 43. 7. Made thee, not only in a ge= neral and common way, by Creation or produQion, bur in a pecus liar manner by adoption, or making thee his peculiar people arid children. p (1. e.) Renewed and confirmed his grace and favour to t':ee, and not taken it away from thee, which thou haſt oft pro- voked him to do.
7 Remember the days + of old q ; conſider the years + Heb of + many generations ; ask thy father, and he will ſhew ernity, thee, thy elders, and they will tell thee. Ia. 634
q (i.e.) The hiſtory and events of ancient days or former ages, and thou wilt find that T had a reſpe& unro thee, not only in Abra- ,__ -: ham's time, but long beforeir. Compare Jer. 2. 20. "—
8 When the moſt High * divided to the Nations their Ek inheritance r, when he ſeparated the ſons of Adam [ſhe + Aas {er the bounds of the | people according to the number 26: | of the children of Iſrael 7: + Heb,
r When God by his providence did allot the ſeveral parts of the **? y world to ſeveral people, which was done Ger. 10. and » 1. See Deutr. 2 5, 9. Amos 9 7. Atts 17.26, 27. 7 (i.e.) Divided them in their languages and habitations, according to their families. * (i.e.) He diſpoſed of the ſeveral lands and limits of the people, ſo as hedid re {ſerve a convenient and ſufhctent place for the great numbers of the people of 1/razl, whom: he deſigned to make as numerous as the ſtars of Heaven. And therefore he ſo guided the hearts of ſeveral people, that the Poſterivy of Canaan,which was accurſed of GoJ,Gen.g. 25,26, 27, and devoted to ruine, ſhould be ſeated in that country, which God intended for the chi'dren of Jae, that ſo when their iniqui- ties were ripe and Gods time came, they might be rooted out, and the 1/razlites might come in their ſtead.
5 For the LORDS portion zs his people « : Jacob is the Þ lot of his inhericance. ® Foc
+ Heb hath rupted |
|
. 1 :
Mic. 5 + Heb!
u Tt is no wonder God had ſo great a regard to this people; for 15: 16. he choſe them our ofall Mankind to be his peculiar portion and fHebe treaſure. ;
10 He found him x * in a deſert land y, and in the waſt howling wilderneſs z: he || led him abont @, he * Chap inſtructed him, 'he * kept him as the apple of his eye b. 15;
x Not by chance, but as it were looking out and ſeeking for him, y5 I he met wirh him there. He did indeed manifeſt himſelf to him in | 7 Egypt, but it was in the wilderneſs at Sinai, where he found God, paſſe and God found him in an eminent manner, and revealed his mind *Pſal:- 2. 8,
and will to him, and entred into covenant with him, and imparted himſelf and his grace and bleſſing to him, that being the place a pointed in Egypt for God and 1ſrael to meet together, Exod. 3. 12. this word he alſo ſignifies both their loſt condition in themſelyes,and that their recovery was not from themſelves, but only from God, who ſopght and found them out by his grace. » Ina place deſti« tute of all the neceſlaries and comforts of Life, which alſo was a | type of that deſolate and comfortleſs condition in which all men are, before the grace of God finds them our. See Cant. 3,6+and 8. 5. Exek. 16. 4, Hoſ. g. 19. and 13. 9. x Where, in ſtead of the voices | of men. is nothing heard but the howlings & yellings and ſcreirches of ravenous birds and beaſts. See 7/a, 43. 20. Mich. 1.8: a He conduQ- ed them from place to place, by his cloudy pillar and providence. See £xod. 13. 18, &c. Or, he compaſſed him about, by his provideat care over him, watching over him and preſerving him on every fide,
Compare Ffal. 32.7. b As men uſeto'keep the apple of their eye, ;
it e. with ſingular care and diligence, this being as a moſt tender *g,g, , ſoa-moſt uſefal part. Compare Pſal. r7. 8. Prov. 7. 2. Zech. 2.8. .- .ch.r.3 11 * Asancagle ſtirreth up her neſtc, fluttereth over If 37.
IS 4 | | her
DBUTER
ber young; f preadeth-abroad her wings d, taketh them,