goats ont of thy folds y. Ads 17, y But be not ſo yain and fooliſh, as to imagine that thou doſt lay 159
any obligations upon me by thysSacrifices ;or that I required them, be-
cauſe 1 had need of them, or took any pleaſure in them for themſelves, or for my own fſatisfation by them,
io For every beaſt of the forreſt is mine 2 and the cattle upon a thouſand hills s.
{ I would comm-nd or diſpoſe th:m at my pleaſure, without thy
leave or affiftance, a Which feed upon innumerable Hills, or in Val- leysand Fields.
11 I know 6 all the fowls of the mountains c ; and . the wild beaſts of the held are + mine.
b Where they arezand wheace I can cafily fetch them when I think 7 Hebs good. ©c Not only tame and domeſtick Fowls, but even ſuch as are 7/9 =. wild and fly up and down upon Mountains z which thouzh ovt of mans reach, are at Gods command. -
12 If I were hungry d, I would not tell thee e, * for , the world 5 mine, and the fulneſs thereof f. Bag _ # It Iwanted ordeiired any thing, as I do not, being the Allſuff- D *, cient God, e That thou mighteſt ſupply my wants, f 7. e. All , ONS. tnoſe Creatures wherewith it is repleniſhed, Tai, 13 Will Tear the fleſh of bulls, or drink the blood of vi, 24. 1, goats g ? 1 Cor. 19}
g If I did want any thing, haſt thou ſuch carnal and profs concep- 26+ 28,
tions of me, - that I need or delight in the Blood of Brute-Crea- tures,
14 * Offer unto God thanksgiving 5, and pay thy _ vows z unto the moſt Highs eng . hþ If thou wouldeft know what Sacrifices I moſt prize, and indif- , F
penſably require, in the firſt place, it is that of Thavkfulneſs and © Praiſe proportionable to my great and glorious and numberleſs Fa- vours; which doth not confiſt barely in V<rbal acknowledger ents, but proceeds from an Heart truly aad deeply affeRed with Gods mer- cies, and 15 accompanied with ſuch a Courſe of Life, as is grateful
or well-pleaſing to God ; all which is plaiply comprehended in Thanks- gtving, as that Duty is explained 1n other Scriptures, # Either 1. Ceremonial Vows, the Sacrifices which thou haſt vowed to God, Or rather, 2, Moral Vows: forthe things here mentioned are direflie oppoſed unto Sacrifices, and preferred before them : for having dif paraged, and 1n ſome ſort rejeRted their Sacrifices and Burnt-Offerings,
v 8, it 15 not likely that he ſhould have a better opinion of, or value for their vowed Sacrificcs ; which were cf an inferiour ſort. He ſeems therefore to underſtand thoſe ſubſtantia! Vows and Promi- ſes, and Covenants, which were the very Soul of their Sacrifices, and to which their Sacrifices were but 4ppurtenaces and Seals, as was noted above, on ver, 5« whereby they did avouch the Lord to be their God, and to waly in his ways, &c. as it is expreiſed Devt. 26» 17, and engaged themſelves to love,and ſerve and obey the Lord ac- cording to that ſolemn Vow and Covenant which they entred into at Sinai Exod, 24+ 3 1, 8. which they oft renewed, and indeed did
implicitly repeat in all their Sacrifices, which were appointed for this very end fo confirm this Coyenznt.
15 And *call upon me & in the day of trouble I ;I «py; will deliver thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie me . 274
k And make Conſcience of that great Duty of conſtant and fervent Prayer to me 3 which is an acknowledgement ot thy (ubjeRion to me, and of thy truft and dependance upon me, and therefore is pleaſing to me. | Whentrouble comes. do not avoid it by finful ſhifts, nor - truſt to Creatures for relief, as Hypoerites generally do, but give Glory to me, by relying upcn my Promiſes, and expe help from me by hearty and unfeigned Prayer. m This ismentioned ; either, I» Asa priviledge 3 thou fhalthave occaſion topraife and glorific me for thy Deltverance. Or 2. As a further Duty ; thou ſhalt give me the Glory of thy Deliverance, by praiſing me for it, and improving it to my Service and Glory, |
16 But unto the wicked » God ſaith o, What haſt thou to do to declare my ſtatutes, or that thou ſhouldeſt take my covenant in thy mouth p ? |
n 7, ce. The ſame ungodly and hypocritical Profeiſſ>rs, whom he calleth Saints, v. g$. in regard of their profeſſion, and here wicket in reſpe of their prattice, and the truth of the thing. s He told them what he would not reprove them for, v. 8, and why, v. 9-
THoſgs. 6,
forced to acknowledge his Righteouſneſs; and their own unrighteouſ-
neſs 3 as they muſt needsdo, when the Conteſt is between them and '
that God who is the great Judge of the World, and cannot poſſibly
do any unrighteous thing, Job. 24, 13. Rom. 3.6. who cxaQtly '
knows all their Hearts, avd Works, and cannot be deceived nor con- " tradifed.
7 * Hear, O my people, and I will ſpeak r ; O 1ſ- rael, and 1 will zcſtifie againſt thee s : I am God, e- ven thy God 7. |
.r Having brought in God, as coming to Judgment with them, he now gives 2n account of the proceſs and of the ſentence of the Judge, whoſe words are contained ip this and the following Verſes. s I will plcad with thee, and declare my Charge or Inditement againſt thee. t
' Nat anly.in general, as thou art my Creature,but in a ſpecial manner, by maoy ſiogular Favours and Obligations, and by that falemn
C—_
:
10. &c, now he tells them for what he did reprove and condemn
; them, even for a vain and falſe profeſſion of Religion. p With what
confidence dareſt thog make mention of, or boaſt of Gods Grace and Favour vouchſaved unto thee, in giving thee ſuch a Covenant and Statutes, pretending to embrace them, and to give up thy ſelito the obſervation of them ? This concerns not only the Teachers ( Of whom (ſome underſtand theſe words _) butall the 7jracl;tes in gene» ral: Of whom he rather ſeems to ſpeak,
7 * Seing thou hateſt inſtruction 4,and caſteſt my words behind thee 7.
q Seing thy prattice contradidts thy profeſſion, and makes thee a notorious and impudent Lyar, Though with thy mouth thou (bewe$t muchlove (as is ſaidof them, Ezek, 33. 31.) tomy Statutes and Counſels, yet in Truth thou hateft them, as they are Curbs to thy belgved Lultz, aud Juſtruments of thy juſt Condemnation and ,
map! :.
*Rom! Y 21 324
ſend
Pſal 1 |
upon the Pratice of Meditations into this
©. LL P 5' 45 M's LF -
-manifeſt reproach to thy Converſation, Or ſeing thou hateſt Reproof, was gone, David * falls very ſeriouſly as this word is oft readred. And this above all other parts of G0ds ſincere Repentance,..'and digeſted his Word, is moſt hateful toungodly mea, Prov. 9. 8 and «14, and 15; Plalm. =