þ They ſhall endeavour to heal their Breaches, but in vain :. The remnant ofthe People ſhall ſeek for any fit Perſon, and offer the Kingdom to him; but they ſhall not find any ſuch, who {kall be willing to undertake the Government. # Either ſhall be loſt and
* cut off: Or, ſhall have no Courage or Streng:h left in them. of.9.6: 13 And * thorns ſhal come up in her palaces, nettles ip. 13-2nd brambles in the fortreſſes thereof k,and * it (bal be
. ofir;. an habitation of dragons, anda court for || f owls.
hes. 4 k This is another Mark and Evidence of extream Defolarion,as it Heb: is alſo, Ho. 9. 6. : fda - ky 14FThe wild beaſts of the deſert ſhalalſo meet with theowl. + the wildbeaſts of the iſland, and the ſatyr bal cry to Heb-Z'= tis fellow 1, the|| ſcrichowl alſo ſhal reſt there m, and
Heb.7jim. find for her ſelf a place of reſt,
Ornight= 7 Sec onlſe: 13. 21. 22. m Becauſe there ſhall be no Men left to monſter, diſturb or affright them, Ds. 17. 2. 15 There ſbal the great owl » make her neſt, and lay
and hatch, and gather under her fſhaddow o, there ſhal
the vulturs alſo be gathered, every one with their mate.
» Whether this, or what other Creature is meant by this Hebrew Word, the learned Reader may find largely diſcourſed in my La- tin Synopſir up5n this place : For others it may ſuffice ro know, what all agree in, that,whether it be a Bird qr a Serpent, it is a Creature that lives in deſert places. o As fearing no Diſturbancefrom any
Men.
16 Seek ye out of the book of the law of the LORD, and read p : no oneof theſe ſhal fail, yone fhal want her mategq+: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his ſpirit r it hath gathered them s. |
p Whenthis Judgment is execured, if you peruſe this Book of holy Writ, and particularly this Prophecy of mine, you will find, thar all things ſhall exally come to paſs, as I have told you. q As ] have ſaid, That the Vulturs ſhould each have their Mate ; ſo ſhal it be: And this Prophecy ſhall be exaaly fulfilled, even in its ſmaleſt Circumſtances. r My Spirit ; ſuch ſudden Changes of Per. ſons being frequent here. And Gods Spirit may be put for his
ighr-and Power, as it is in many places of Scripture. s Hath brought all theſe Creatures rogerher, at he formerly brought the wqgngy to Adam, and to Noah, by an inftin& which he pur in- to them.
17 And he hath caſt the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: : they ſhal poſleſs it
+SICLED
E” ſhal be || ſoaked with blood, and their duſt made far
glad for them b, and the deſert ſhal rejoyce, and place. bloſſom as the roſe. "Chap 52. a And as the Land of Gods Enemies which was exceeding Fruit. 9-© 55-124
x Heb. The Reemim. But what kind of Beaſt this is, whether that ful, ſhall be turned into a deſolate Wilderneſs, as was declared in
; the foregoing Chapter ; ſo on the contrary, Emanuels Land, or the | Seat of Gods Church and People, which formerly was deſerted,and | deſpiſed like a Wilderneſs, and which the rage and malice of their ; Enemies had brought to deſolation, ſhall flouriſh exceedingly. 6 ; For the Wildernets and ſolitary place : or, for theſe things, which | were Propheſied in the foregoing Deſtruction, concerning the | Ruine of the implacable Enemies of God, and his Church. Bur | that Hebrew Letter which is in the end of this Hebrew Verb, and is | here rendred for them, is by all the ancient Tranſlators, and by divers others negle&ed in their Tranſlations, as if it were only ad= ed to the Verb Paragogically, as Grammarians ſpeak ; and therefore thoſe two words may well be omitted. : 2 Ir hal bloſſom abundantly, and rejoyce even with joy and ſinging ; the glory of Lebanon ſhal be given un- tO it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon c ; they 4 ſhal ſee the glory of the LORD e, and the excellency of our God.
c The Wilderneſs ſhall be as fruitful and pleaſant as Lebanon, and Carmel, and Sharon ; which were eminent parts of the Land of Ca- aan, as hath been oft noted. 4 Who are underſtood by the Wilder neſs. e The glorious diſcoveries and effe&s of Gods power and goodneſs to his People. |
2 *Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees f. 0
f Ye Prophets and Miniſters of God, comfort and encourage Gods people,who are now ready to faint,with hopes and aſſurance of
that Salvation, which, in due time, I will work for them. He mentions hands and knees, becauſe the ſtrength and weakneſs of any Man, eminently appears in thoſe parts.
4 Say to them 7hat are of a Þ fearful heart, Be ſtrong, fear not ; behold,your God will come g ith vengeance h, even God with a recompenſe, he will come and ſave
Ou.
£ Though he ſeem to be abſent, and departed from you, he will come to you, and abide with you. + He will ſhortly come in the fleſh, For although this, and the following Promiſes may be Metaphorically taken, concerning the temporal Deliverance of his People from Babylonian and other Oppreſſors ; yet they are much more Emphatically and Literally underſtood concerning the Re- demption of Gods People by Jetus Chriſt, as is ſufficiently mani- feſt, both from the Words and Phraſes themſelves, and from di- vers places of the New-Teffament, where they are fo expounded by Chriſt and the Apoſtles, þ To execute Vengeance upon the Ene- mies of God, and of his People : Which alſo was verified in Chriſt, who was Ser for the fall, as well as for the riſmg of many in Iſrael, Luke 2. 34. and who did accordingly inflit moſt dreadful Judg- ments, both temporal ant! ſpiritual,upon the unbelieving & apoſtate Jews, who were the great perſecutors of Chriſt,and of his People,
5 Then ® the eyes of the blind ſhal be opened,and * *chap. 2g, the ears ofthe deaf ſhal be unſtopped z. 18.8427
7 The moſt ignorant and ſtupid Creatures ſhall be forced to Ac- Mar. 9.27, knowledge the wonderful Works of God. Or rather thus, The &c. poor Gentiles, who before were Blind and Deaf, ſhall now have the & 115, Eyes and Ears of their Minds opened to ſee Gods Works, and to & 12-22. hear. & recieve his Word.And in token hereof, many Perſons,who & 20, zos are corporally blind and deaf, ſhall have ſight and hearing miracul- & 21. 14: ouſly conferred upon them : All which being ſo fully and literally Joh. 9.6,7. accompliſhed in Chriſt, and applyed by Chriſt to himſelf; it is a *Matw 5, plain Proof, Thot this Prophecy belongs to the times of the Goſs _— pel, Co