c It is worthy of your obſervation and admiration. Theſe Words are literally ſpoken by Faiah concerning himſelf, but withal myſti- cally concerniag Chriſt, of whom he ſpeaks more frequently and Fully than any other Propher, and of whomy he was an evident Type ; "and therefore they are fitly applyed ro Chriſt, Heb. 2. 13. d Either 1, his natural Children, whole very Names were Propheti= cal, and Signs of future Evers, c<.7. 3. & 8. 3, 4. Or, 2. his ſpi- ritual Children, whom he had either begotren or brought up by his Miniſtry. For the Prophets were called Fathers not only with re- ſpecc to the young Prophets, who were commonly called the Sons of the Prophers but alſo inrelation to others, as 2 Kings 2, 12.07 13s 14. And rhis ſenſe ſeems more probable than the former, becauſe ir agrees beſc,1. with the following Words,which ſeem to be too lofty
T A B,
is to ſet forth the Incredulity of the 7/-aelites, and their Contempt ani Rej-ction of Chriſt, and of all his faithful Meflengers, both rke P:opicts, who were ſent as Harbingers before his coming, and the Apoſti'es, who were Witnefles of his coming, 3. with Heb, 2.13. where they are expounded of ſpiritual Children, e Are a Gazing-ſrock to,and admired by them,' for our folly in believing Gods Promiſes ; for ſo the believing Jews now were, to Ahaz and the generaliry of the People, who thought it their Wiſdom and In. tereir to procure Aid from Aſhria, and eſteemed thoſe Fools who, upon pretence of relying upcn God, would neglect ſo great an ad- vantage. And ſo the Prophet foretells that they ſhould be when the Meſfiah did come; which is the myſtical, as the other is the literal ſeaſe; ani ſo both of them may be meant in this place. f Evena- mongſt the Iſra:lites, who have been taught and do profeſs better things. g Which come to paſs by the wiſe Counſel and Providence of God, in which I willingly acquiefce. þ Where the Temple now was, and where rhe Meffiah was to ſet up his Kingdom.
19 them / that have familiar ſpirits, and unto wizards » that *peep,and that mutter»: ſhould not a people ſeek unto their God o ? for the living to the dead p ?
; The J1/-aelizes, to whom I and my Children are Signs and Won« ders, wbo are fallen from God, and his true Religion and Wors- ſhip, into Superſtition and Idolatry, and will endeavour to ſeduce you 1ato the ſame impiety. '& My Children, whom the Propher here arms againſt the common Temptation. 1 For Advice and Help, and ſeek no more to the Prophets who have hitherto delude ed you with vain Words. This was the Counſel of the ungally and unbelieving Jews, w Of whom ſee Lewis. 19. 31+ and 20, 27 & Deut, 18:11, » That ſpeak with a puling and low voice, as theſe Words ſignifie; which they affe&ed to do,ſpeaking rather in.
' wardly intheir Bellies, than outwardly and audibly with theirs
Mouths and Voice, as the Title of Yentriloquie, commonly given to them, {ignifies- 6 This Anſwer the Propher puts into their Mouths, to the foregoing Counſel: Doth not every Nation, in Caſes of Dife ficulty or Diſtreſs, ſeek to their own gods for relief ? Much more ſhould we do ſo. that have the only true God for our God. p Shal they ſeek ( which words ar eafily underſtood out of the foregoing Clauſe ) for the living, &c. That Living Men ſhould enquire of the Living Gol, is proper and reaſonable ; bur it is highly abſurd for them to forſake him, and to ſeek to dead Idols, either to the Images or to the Spirits of dead Men, which are ſuppoſed to dwell and ſpeak in them.
+ nolight in them -.
q Let this Diſpute between you and them be determined by God's Word, which is here and in many other places called rhe law, to ſignifi their Obligation to believe and obey it; and rhe teftimony becauſe itis a Witnels between God and Man, of God's Mind and Will, and of Man's Duty; and fo theſe two Titles contain two Arguments againſt theſe Idolatrous Praftices, r Your Antagoniſts thar ſeek to pervert you, vs 19. f This proceeds from the darkneſs of their Minds, becauſe they are blind, and will not ſee, and God hath ſhut their Eyes that they cannot ſee. But theſe Words are by diverſe Learned Interpreters underſtood not as a Declaration of their Ignorance, but a Commination and Predi&ion of their Miſe= ry, light being moſt commonly uſed in Scripture for Comfort an@ Happineſs, and darkneſs for Sorrows and Calamities: And this ſenſe ſeemsro be much f:voured by the following paſſages. And then the Words may be thus renixzd, 4ſſuredly ( for the Hebrew Particle afher 1s frequently uſed as a Note of Afeveration,as 1 Samn. 15. 20. Pla, 10.6. & 95.1, Oc. as hath been more than once obſerved be. fore Jn light or merning>light ſhal be (for that may as well be undere ſtood as #5 ) to them, a Nighr of Miſery ſha] come upon them, and they ſhal never havea Morning of Deliverance from it; they ſhal be ſwallowed up in endleſs Calamities.
21 Andthey t ſhal paſs through it « hardly beſtead x and hungry y:and it ſhal come to paſs, that when they thal be hungry,they (hal frerthemſelves, and curſe thein king z,and their God &,and look upward b,
t The Idolatrous and Apoſtatical [jraclitess u Or, in it, to wit, their own Land, which is eaſily underſtood out of the Context,and from the Phraſe it ſelf, che Pronoun Relative being put without an Antecedent,as it is in other places which have been formerly noted. They thal either paſs through it into Captivity, or wander hither and thither in it like diſtrated men, nor knowing whitherto go, nor what to do ; whereas if they had not forſaken God, they might have had aquiet and ſettled abode in it. x Sorely diſtreſſed, as this Word is uſed, Gen: 35: 16, & Job 30: 25. y Deſtitute of Food,and of all Neceſſaries, which are oft ſignified by Food. z Either becauſe he doth nor relieve them 3 or becauſe by his fooliſh Counſels and Courſes, he brought them into theſe Miſeries. @ Eirher, 1. the Iruz God; orrather 2+ their Idols, to whom they truſted, and whom they now find too late unable to help them, b To Heaven
for help, as Men of all Nations and Religions in great Calamities uſe to do.
22 And * they ſhall look unto the earth c: hold, trouble and darkneſs, dimneſs of anguiſh; and
they ſhall be driven to darkneſs 9.
andemphartical robe uſed concerning his natural Children; for their Prophetic:i Names, which, if they were S:gns, could nor properly
be called Wners:2. with the Context, and ſcope of the Place, whicy | |