y Soit was, though not according to mans raſh Judgment, and impatient ExpeRation, yet according to Gods Eſtimation, and to the Eye of Faith, whereby 45raham ſaw Chriſts Day as preſent, many Ages before it came: Joh: 8: 56: and comparatively 3 forit hapned - within Two hundred years : which is but a ſmall proportion © Time, if it be compared either with the foregoing or following A- ges of the World, or with the immenſe duration of Eternity, from whence it was decreed byGod,and therefore might well be ſaid now be near the Accompliſhment of ir. In like manner the Apoſtles gment asnear in their time, though it was at many Ages diſtance. z Beyond the time prefixed and appointed
by God. Compare —_ 2;
ſpeak of the Day of Jud
H A P. XIV. delivered from rhe Babyloniſh Captivity : Their Triumphant 13. Gods purpoſe againſt &ſria
Inſultation over Babel. 1 27. Paleſtina is threatned. 28
OR the LORD will have mercy * will yet chuſe 6 Iſrael,and ſet them in their own
land : and the ſtranger ſhall be joyned with them, and
they ſhall cfeave to the houſe of Jacob,
s God will pity and deliver his People ; and therefore will de- ftroy Babylon, wich hinders ir, and ſet up Czrus, who ſhall pro- b Will renew his choiceof them ; for he had refuſed and rejeted them. c So they did in part at their coming from Baby- lm, being thereunto moved either by the favour which the Jews had in the Perſian Court, or by the conſideration of their wonderful Deliverance, and that exa&ly in the time deſigned by their holy But what was then begun, was more fully accompli-
ſhed at the coming of the Meſſiah. 2 And the people ſhall rake them, to their place: and the houſe of Iſrael ſhall poſſeſs them
in the land of the LORD,for ſervants and hand-maids and they ſhall take them captives, F whoſe captives they
were, and they ſhall rule overtheir oppreſſors 4.
h d Which they mighr do literally, and ſometimes did, after their $20 £8 Return into their own land, either by their power with the Perſian Monar-hs, as'in the days of Cyrus and Darius, and eſpecially of Ahaſbuerus; or by their own proweſs,as in the time ofthe Maccabees. Bur this was more evidently. and eminently verified in a Spiritual Senſe, in the days of the Goſpe], when the Apoſtles and other Miniſters, who were of the Jewiſh Nation, conquered a great part of the Gentile-world to the Worſhip and Obedience of their
| nh. on Jacob a, and
and bring them,
And it ſball come to paſs in the day that the LORD ſhall give thee reſt from thy forrow, and from thy feare, and fromthe hard bondage wherein thou
waſt made to ſerve : e For beſides their preſent hard Service, they were in perpetual
ferr of further Severities and Sufferings, at the pleaſure of their cruel! Lords and Maſters. f | 4 Thatthou * ſhalt take up f this || proverb againſt *F1:h:a: 6 the King of Babylon, and ſay, How hath the oppreſ- | Or.cawnrs four ceaſed g ? the || golden city þ ceaſed.
fInto thy Mouth as ir 1s fully exprefled P/al. 50. 16. . g This is ſpoken by way of Aſtoniſhment and triumph, who would have
nejs of gold.. thought this poſſible ? þ As they uſed to call themſelves; which ſſcth here in a word of their own Language.
the ſtaff of the Wicked
. therefore he expre
5 The LORD hath broken *
*pſa.i25:3; and-the (cepter of the rulers 7. | . :, 7 This is an anſwer to the foregoing Queſtion. It is God's own . Work, and not mans ; and therefore it 15 not ſtrange that it is ac-
i ho ſmote the people in wrath with f a con- inual ſtroke; he that ruled the nations inanger &, is
firoke mith- perſecuted, and none hindreth 7. ew roms” © 1, with Rigor and not with Clemency, as many conquerers have done, 1 Neither the Babylonians themfelves, nor their Confederares, -- could withſtand the Power of the Medes and Perſians. + The whole earch »» is at reſt and is quiet : they
break forth into finging. 91 The inhabitants and Subje
ed under their cruel bondage. 8 Yea, the fir-trees rejoyce at thee, end the cedars
ſaying, Since thou art laid down, no
Qs of that vaſt Empire, who groan«
of Lebanon n,
feller is come up againſt us. # Which were felled down for the ſervice of her'Pride and Luxu- feet p.
ry, but now are ſuffered ro ſtand and flowriſh.Itis a Figure uſual in | profane Writers, called Proſopopeia,
S |] Hell 6 from beneath is moved for thee, to meer it ſticreth up the dead for thee, of the earth ; s of the nations.
red v: Ie and in innu-
thee 'at thy com + Heb. lea- evenall the -f [|chiet ones - up from cheir thrones q all the kin oOr, the grave, as the ſame word is ren therable other places; to which he elegantly aſcribeth Senſe and Specch, as Poets and Orarours frequently do, p Heb. the he-goats, which lead and govern the Flock. q From their ſeveral Graves ; which he ſeems to call their thrones by way of Irony or Derifion, the onely thrones now left ro them. Thrones both paved and co- vered with worms, as is noted ver: 11. inſtead of their former . Thrones made of Ivory or Silver, and adorned with Gold and Pre-
it hath railed ſuffer them to do it.
- x0 Ail they ſbal ſpeak and fay unto thee, Art thou 7 become alſo weak as we? ar. thou become like unto us?
» Who waſt King of Kings, and far ſuperiour to us in Power and Authority, that dudſt neither feat God nor reverence Man, that
5. I9. 11 Thy pomp is brought.down to + the
[ | grave {, and the noiſe of thy Viols z: the worm is ſpread under Fre
%, ms n worms cover thee.
thy Glory is loſt and buried with thee. : All th
and melodious Inſtruments, which were much uſed in ”— —_
3- 5, 7, lo. and were doubtleſs uſed in Belſhazzar's Solemn Feaſt.
on F. 1. at Which time the city was taken ; to which Poſſibly the rophet here alludes. « In ſtead of thoſe rich and ſtately Carpets
upon which thou didfſt frequently tread. :
R 12 How art thou fallen from heaven x |] O Lucifer 7 on of the morning z? how art thou cut down to the
ground, which did(t weaken che nations ?: