14 Therefore behold, {I will proceed to do a mar- vellous work amongſt this people, ever a marvellous, work and a wonder, * for the wiſdom of their wiſe men ſhall periſh, and the underſtanding of their prudent men ſhall be hid =.
z Shall diſappear and vaniſh; for this atiſwers to, ſhal periſh, in the former Clauſe. A vail ſhall be caſt upon the Eyes of their Minds : they ſhall give no evidences or proofs of their Wiſdom, | {but their folly ſhall be made manifeſt. - And this way indeed a wonderful thing for their wiſe men'to be made fools;
- + Heb. 7 ill aa8e : *Jer.49- 7. Obad. wv. 8, I Cor. | 1, 29-
ding to their own. and other Mens inventions, preferring the devices :
TI 4 H. Chap, XX1z; 15 * Wounto them that ſeek deep # to hide their counſel from the LORD 6, and their works are in the he ap, dark c, and * they ſay, Who ſeethus ? and who knoweth "pc FE 'T,
us 4?
# Heb. that make deep. A Metaphor from Men, who uſe to 4; deep into the Earth, that they may hide any thing —_ they would keep ſafe and unknown. 6 Vainly imagining, Thar they can keep all their Hypocriſie and ſecret Wickedneſs out of Gods ſight, and that they can deceive, not only Men, but God by their external Profeſſions and Services, c Their wicked Counſels are contrived, and their Idolatry is praQtiſed in ſecret and dark places of which, ſee Ezek; 8: 12. d We a& fo cunningly, that neither God nor Man can diſcover us.
16 Surely your turning of things upſide down e ſhall be elteemed asthe potters clay f: or ſhall the ® work fay- of him that made it, He made me not ? or ſhall the thing framed, ſay co him that framed it, He had no underſtanding g ?
e All your ſubrile devices, by which you turn your ſelves i all ſhapes ; and turn your Thoughts hither and thick ond es the order which God hath appointed. flr is no more to me than the Clay is to the Potter, who can not only diſcern it throu hly but alter and diſpoſe it as he ſeeth fir- g And no leſs abſurd ang ridiculous is your Conceit, that I your Maker, and ſupream Gover..
nour, cannot diſcover, and controul all your Artifices ar my ' pleaſure.
17 Lit not yet a very little while, and Lebanon ſhal be turned into a fruitful fieid : and the fruitful field ſhall
be efteemed * asa forreſt þ ? * Pit oo h The Forreſt of Lebanon. which was a barren Mountain, and a 16. mY deſolate Wilderneſs, ſthall by Gods wonderful providence, become | a fruitful and populous place; and theſe places which are now ; fruitful and populous, ſhall then become as barren and Deſolare, as that Forreſt. This ſenſe is confirmed by char parallel place, Iſa. 32. I5. And from both places compared together, this ieems to be a Prophecy of the reje&ion of the wicked and unbelieving Jews, whoſe Sins and marvellous Judgments, and particularly Intatuation, are declared in the foregoing Veries; and of the calling of the Genriles, of which he ſpeaksin the following Verſe, as appears further by comparing that Verſe with 1a: 35: 5. And this Opinion may receive ſome Countenance from Matth: 15: 7, &c. where Chriſt expounds the foregoing Words, v. 13. upon which theſe have a dependancey of his own times. |
18 Andin that day ſhall * the deaf i hear the words of the, book, and the eyes of the biind ſhallſee out of
obſcuricy, and out of darknels k.
# Who were deaf before, God by his Word and Grace did open their Ears : even the deaf and blind Gentiles, as was now noted. Co:npare 1/a:35:5. k Being, by Gods Grace, brought out of that groſs, and worſe than Egyprt:an darkneſs of ignorance and wickedneſs, in which they formerly lived, unto a clear and faving knowledge of the Truth. E
r9 The meek 1 alſo 5 ſhall increaſe their joy in the LORD ms, and the poor » among men ſhall rejoyce in
the Holy One of Ifrael.
I The humble and meek Believers, oppoſed to thoſe proud and ſcornful Iſraelites or Jews, of whom he ſpeaks in this, and in the foregoing Chapter- m Shall greatly rejoyce in this, that the Lord, and Holy One of 1ſrae! 1s now their God and Portion. = Either 7. Spiritually, of which Mat: 5:3. Or 2. outwardly, mean and deſc picable People, ſuch as the G-ntiles were in the Opinion of rhe Jews, and ſuch as the greateſt part of the firſt believing Chriltia.is were, Mat: 11: 5: 1Cor: 1: 26; Jam: 2:5.
20 For the terrible one 9 is brought to noughe, and theſcorner p isconſumed, andall that watch for iaiquicy
q are cut off :
o The proud and potent Enemies of thoſe meek and poor Believers now mentioned, ſuch as the unbelieving Fews, and the Heathen Potentates were in the ficit Age of Chrittianity. p The ſcornful | Oppoſers of Gods Word and People. 9 Thar early and diligently _ - — to the pragice of Wickedaels, or to do miſchief to OTRErs
21 * Thatmake a man an offender r for a word s, and
lay a ſnare for him that reproveth ? in the gate «, and
curn aſide x the juſt y for a thing of nought z.
r That condema and puniſh a Man, as if he were a great Criminal. s For a verbal R-proot, as appears from the next Clauſe. #7 For Gods faithful Prophets and Miniſters, whoſe Office it is to reprove ungodly men, ſuch as theſe were. u Publickly ; which they took for agreat Affeont and Diſgrace ; although the Reproof ought to be publick, where the Sin 1s publick and ſcandalous. He mentions the gate, becauſe there the people uſed to aſſemble, both upon Civil and Sacred Accounts, and there Prophets uſed to deliver their Prophecies ; - of which, ſee Fer: 7:2: and 17: 19. x To witz from Fudgment, as this Phraſe is more fully delivered, 1. 10. 2. or from kis right ; whichis elſewhere called he perverting, or overturning» or overthrowing of s mans right or judgment, as Deut: 27: 19. Prove 17: 23: Lam: 3:35- 3 Thefaichful Prophets and Miniſters of God, and among others Chriſt, who is oft called the juſt or righteous Oney both in the Old and New-Teftament. # Not for any great advantage, but for a trifle, which is a great Aggravation of their injuſtice. Or, with wanity, i.e. withvainand frivolous Pretences ; or withous any colour of Reaſon or Juſtice. ;
22 Therefore thus ſaith the LORD, who redeemed
| Abraham @, concerning the houſe of Jacob, Jacob 5
| ſhall not now be aſhamed, neither ſhall his face now | wax pale. :
s From manifold dangers, and eſpecially from that _—oy it
; which his Family and Anceſtors were generally involved, 70: 24: 2, 3} b The Iſraclites or poſterity of Jacob, who are oft calle
| 7a in Scripture, who had great cauſe to be aſhamed, for their
*Ch45.9
cum.
*Ch.35.5,!