I The Princes and Judges laſt mentioned. »» They ſhal take no root, asit follows, for Planting and Sowirg are in order to taking root, and are neceſſary to it. They ſhal not continue and flouriſh, as they have vainly imagined, but ſha] be rooted up and periſh, as is declared in the reſt ofthe Verſe, » Blaſt them, as a vehement eaſt- wind doth Plants.
25 To whom then will ye liken me o, or ſhal I be equal ? ſaith the holy One.
o He repeateth what he {aid wer. 18. that he might oblidge them
to the more ſerious and frequent conſideration ef the abſurdity of ſtrengthning him to the work, . þ Heb. Righteouſucſs, which is put.
the Idolarry.
26 Lift up your eyes on high p, and behold who! 36: 11. and Deceir for a Deceirful Man, Pſal. 10g. 2. For it ises | hath created theſe things 9, that bringeth out » their 'vi4ent from the following words, chat he ſpake here of a Per-, '2{.145.4. hoſt by number s, hs * calleth chem all by names ; by
the greatneſs of his might, for that he is ſtrong in pow= er z, not one faileth x. | |
Þ To the high and ſtarry Heaven, as appears from the following words. 4 Which you ſee on High, the Hoſt of Heaven as it fol- lows. r That at firſt brought them our of nothing, and from day to day brings them forth, making them to riſe and ſer in their aps pointed & fixed rimes. s Asa General brings forth kis Army into the Field,and thereMuſters them. As aMaſter callerh ali theMembers of his Family. « Which work is a Certain and evident proof of God's infinite power. x Either ro appear when he calleth them ; or to do the work to which he ſends them. ' : ©: TRL . ;
27 Why ſaiſt thou y, - O Jacob, and ſpeakeſt, O If- rael, My way & is hid from the LORD, and my judge- ment # is paſſed over from my. God 6 ?
y, Inthy heait : why doſt thou give way to ſuch jealoufies con-" cerning thy God, of whoſe infinir Power:-and Wiſdom, and Goods neſs, there are ſuch evident demonſtrations given to all Mankind, and to thee ina lingularmanner? - z The courſe and conditiors of my Life. He takes no notice of my Prayers and Tears and Suffcr- ings for his Name, but ſuffers my Enemies to abute me ar their pleaſure, . and doth nor attempt to reſcue me out of their. hands« This Complaiat is uttered in the name of the People being prophe- tically ſuppoſed to be in Captivity. # Eirher-r.: My Puniihment: Or, rather 2. My Cauſe, as this word is moſt commonly uſed. God hath negleQed to plead my Cauſe, and to give Judgement for me againſt mine Enemies, as he hath formerly done. ' þ God bath diſmifled it, and left it and me in the hands of mine Enemies, and now our Caſe is ſo deſperate that God cannot help us: for which, Sony they compared themſelves to dry Bones Jying in the Grave,
zek. 37. ena 4p hea £ |
28 Haſt thou not known ? haſt thou not heard, that the everlaſting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth « fainteth nor, neither is weary 4 ? * there is no ſearching of his underſtanding e. y
c Of all the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof from one end to another. He ſcems to mention the ends or utmoſt bounds, becauſe they might ſeem to be more our of the reach and care of God's Pros vidence, as being moſt remote from Jeruſalem, + the only place of God's ſolemn and publick Worthip in the World, , aad-being then: thoughs to be uninhabired. The Argument is: clear and ſtrong :
God who matle all, even the moſt deſolate and barbarous parts of the Earth, and conſequently takes care of them, will nor negle& his own Land and People. & He is not by age or hard Jabour becomes weak and unable ro help his People, as men are apt to be. « e His Counſels by which he governeth all the World, and in a moſt par ticular manner thine affairs, are far above the reach of thy under- ſtanding : and therefore thou doeſt ignorantly and fooliſhily in paſ< ſing ſo ralh a Centure upon the Ways and Works of the infinitely Wite God. ; x49 LPS bn ,
29 He giveth power to the faint, and to bem that have no might he encreaſeth ſtrength f _ | |
f He hath itrength enough not only for himſelf, bur for all, e- ven the weakeſt of his creatures, whom he can eaſily ſtrengthen to bear all their burdens, aod ro vanquiſh all their. opprefſors. . _ *
30 Even the youths g (bal faint, and be weary, and the young men ſhal utrerly fall : bat
£ The youngeſt and ſtrongeſt men, left to themſelves, or without God's help, or which do not wait upon God ; which is eafily un=- derſtood from the oppoſition in the following Verſe. X RET >
31 Bur they that waic upon the LORD 5, ſhal + 4 Het; renew their ſtrength 5, they thal mount up with wings change, as eagles &, they thal run and not be weary, and they hal walk and not faint /. | |
þ That rely upon him for ſtrength to bear their burdens, 2nd for deliverance from them in due time. ; Shall grow ſtronger and ſtronger in Faith and Patience, and Fortitude, whereby they ſhal be more than Conquerors over all their Enemies and Adverſities.
k Which flyes moit i{trongly and ſwifrly, and high our.of the reach, of all danger. ! They fhal beenabled io run or walkin their way as they pleaſe, without any wearineſs.
CHAP. AII. God call:d Abraham, and was with him : the Nations Idolatrous, 1 $,
Iſrael encouraged by Promiſes of ſafety and deliverance, 9——20. Tae
vanity of Idols, 21 24. Redemption by, Chrift, 25—29, RE ſilence before me a, O ilands 6, and let the
7 people renew zheir {trength c 2 let chem come + Heb] near 4, then lec them ſpeak e'; let us come near toge- 242%, ther to judgement. Fe LH]
s Attend diligently ro my plea, and then anſwer it if you can.
b O you Ishabitants of Iflands, as the n:xr Clauſe explains this. By
x .
* pſc 149.5)
———
. Countries remote from Judea, inhabited by the Tdolatrous Gentiles;
with whom he here debaterh his Cauſe! «© Strengthen themſelves ' to maintain their cauſe ag2inſt me; ler them unite all their {trength ; together. 4 Unto me that we may ſtand rogerher, and plead our Cauſe before any indifferent Judge. _e I will give them fiee liberty ro ſay what they can on their own behalf. NEG ET >
2 Who f raifed up g | the righteous man þ * from f Heb:
the Eaſt 3, called him to his foot &, * pave the nations 7oſ- | before him, and made him rule over kings 1? he gave _ hems as the duſt 2 to his ſword, - and as driven itubble to ;,* ;.. his bow. . Hp 1 * Seq Gaya,