5 The iſles t ſaw 3t #, and feared x ; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came y. e Even remot Countries, as ver. 1- » Diſcerned the mighty Work of God in delivering his People, and overthrowing their E- nemies, in ſo wondecderful a manner. x Leſt they ſhould be in- volved in the ſame Calamity, as being conſcious to themſelves, that they alſo were enemies to GoB8's People. » They gathered them- ſelves together to conſult for their common ſafery, and to maintain the cauſe of their Idols, whom by this inſtance they perceived in great” Jeopardy. | LOND
| 6 ® They helped every one his neighbour, and every P. Chap.49. foes gt | | 0 19.6 44. one (aid to his brother, + Be of good courage z. ' =P z They encouraged and aſfliſted one another in their Idolatrous * + Heb: be Priffices. HT | ; | ſtrong. - 7 So the carpenter 4 encouraged the || gold{mith 5,
y Or foun- ,.1 he that ſmootheth with the hammer || him that
| !Or :þ; ſfmote the anvil, |] laying, It is ready for the ſodering fnitng. e: and he faſtened it d with- nails zhar ir ſhould not be $Or,J-ying yoved. ſi” |
of the ſodrr, . ,, Who brought wocd to compoſe the body of the Idot. þ Who it” is got2. qyas.ro prepare golden plates for coveringand adorning of the Image,
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their Idols, vur of ſuch things as ſhould ſhortly come to paſs, which
? Chap, 04.9, 1 Cor. 8.
6. IOr, worſe 1. Paſſively. your workmanſhip, all the coſt and art which is laid
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may be underſtood, either df the Jews who were 1n-a Wilderne!s condition, till God brought thera out of it ; Or, of the Gentiles converted to rhe true Religion under rhe Golpel.
i9 * I will plamt in the wilderneſs the cedar; the ſhirrah-tree, and che myrtle, and the oyl-tree : I will ſet in the deſert the fir-tree, azd the pine, and the box- tree together d: =
a Trces which are both uſcful and pleaſant ro the eye, and giving 2 good ſhadow to the Traveller, which in thoſe bot and parched Countries was very comfortable. Thus much is evident and con- F:{ſed : bur what parricular Trees theſe Hebrew words ſignifie, ſeems to me improper to diſcourſe here, becauſe ofily the Learned are capable of judging in this caſe, and they may conſult my Latin Synopſis upon this, and ether places of Scripture where they are men- tioned.
20 That they may ſee e, and know, and conſider, and underſtand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the holy One of Iſrael hath crea- ted it. |
e Or, That men may ſee: for it is an indefinite expreſſion. The ſenſe is, That all that ſee this henogr c_—_ may conſider 1t, and may know that this is the work of God alone. :
2t F Produce your cauſe f, faith the LORD ; bring forth your ſtrong reaſons g, faith the King of Jacob.
f The Prophet having pleaded Gods cauſe againſt the Idolatrons Gentiles, whom he challenged to a diſpute, ver. I. he now _— eth the Challenge, and gives them liberty and Invitation to uw wharſoever they can on the behalf of their Idols. g To prove the the Diviniry of your Idols.
22 * Let them h bring them forth, and ſhew us what ſhall happen # : let them ſhew the former things & what they be, that we may | conſider them /, and know # the latter end of them » ; or declare us things for to COme 0. : REF
h Either the Idols : Or, which is all one, the 1dolaters 1n the name and by the help of their Idols. ! All future Events ; w_—_— he divides into two ſorts in the following clauſe, the former and t - Jater, as we ſhall ſee. k& Which is not to be underſtocd of ſuc things as are paſt, for ſuch things might eaſily be known by Men from Hiſtory, much more by the Devils who poſſeſſed and aQed in
may be better diſcerned, than thoſe rhings which are yet at a great diſtance, So he propounds the eaſieſt part firſt, Ler us try whether they can foretel thoſe things which are even at the Door, and if ſo we will try them further. Let them tell us what things ſhall happen, and in what order, which firſt, and which laſt. / Heb. ans we will ſet our heart to it; we will allow the Argument its due weight, and either fairly-anſwer it, or give up our cauſe againſt Idols. m Thar we may know, or let us know by their Informa- tion. #» The conſequence of them, whether the Events did anſwer to their prediftions : Or, what things happened next after thoſe former things. o To wit, hereafter, or after a long tim*; which limitation may be eaſily gathered, both from the oppoſition ofthis clauſe tothe former, and from the next following clauſe, where it is ſo Limited and Explained.
23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter : that we may know that ye are gods : p yea, * do good, or do evil q, that we may be diſmayed, and behold #r to- gether yr. _ | ; |
p That we may have, if not a certain proof, yet at leaſt a probable argument-of your diety. It may be-objetted that the Devil hath forecold future Events by Idols :.but it gay be anſwered, that ſuch prediftions were but rare, and oftentimes were falſe, and confuted by the Events ; and generally were dark and doubtful, as hath been noted ; and when they were verified by the event, that was only done by Divine permiſſion and revelation, for the tryal or puniſh- mtent of wicked men, of which we have an inſtance, Deuts 13 1, 2, 3. and therefore doth no more prove them to be Gods, than the prediftions made known by God unto the Prophets, proved them to be Gods. 9q ProteQ@ and bleſs.your Worſhippers whom I intend to deſtroy, and deſtroy my people whom Iintcnd to ſave, and then you have ſome colour to afſerr your diety. Bur alas! You can | neither do good norevil. r That I and my people may be aſtoni- ſhed, and confounded, and forced to acknowledge your god» head.
24 Behold, * ye are{[| of nothing s, and your work z || of nought : an abomination zs he that chooſeth you «
s You lately were nothing, wichout any beeing at all, and now you have nothing at all of Diviniry or Vertue in you. # Either
out upon you. Or, 2. Aftively, allthatyou can do. Your Ope- rations are like your beeings, there is no reality in your beeings,
is moſt abominable for his folly, as well as his wickedneſs.