# That all Nations may know it by my fortelling of theſe things ſo long before-hand z and by the wondertul Succeſs that I ſhall give thee, and by my over-ruling thine Heartand Counſels, and Vitto« ries, to the delive:ance of my People according to my Promiſe.
71 form thelight,and create darkneſs 0:1 make peace, and * create evil : I the LORD do all theſe ings.
o All mens Comforts and Calamities come from my Hand,
8 Drop down, ye heavens from above, and let' the Sktes pourdown righteouſneſs p ; * letthe earth open q, *c and let them r bring forth ſalvation s, and let righteoul- neſs ſpring up together z : I he LORD have created itz. ? The righteous and gracious Atts of God for his People, ſhall be ſo many and illuſtrious, as if God rained down ſhowers of righ- reouſneſs out of Heaven, 'q Open it ſelf either to receive thoſe ſhowers of righteouſneſs to be poured down from Heaven ; or ta bring forth thoſe Fruits which might be expeCted from ſuch Show- ers. 7» The Heavens and the Earth conſpiring together. 5s The Re« demption of God's people. # Together with Salvation. Whereas Perſons or People are ſometimes delivered from their Troubles by unjuſt Courſes , this ſhall be affeted with Righteouſneſs, both on God's part, who wall hereby afſert his own Juſtice and Faithful. neſs to his People ; and on Cyrus his part, who will do a moſt righteous and worthy Attion in re{cuing a righteous and oppre( ed Nation from cruel Tyrants and Oppreflors. « This great Work of Salvation and Righteouſneſs ; whereof, though Cyrus is the In« ſtrument, Iam the chief Author.
9 Wo unto him that ftriveth with his maker x: let
the porſherd ſtrive with the potſherds of the earth y : * *Ch.29.16
*Amo.3.
lbe51.x
w
z This wo is denounced ; Either 1. againſt thoſe Jes who hear.
ing this and many other Prophecies, and Promites of theireeliver« ance our of Captivity, and yet continuing in Captivity, were ever prone 0 diſtruſt God, and to murmure at him for puniſhing them | ſa
Chap. XL\
thy name
ſhall the clay fay to him thar faſbionerh ic, What mak- Jer. 18. 6. eſt thou ? or thy work z,, He hath no Hands « ? Rom.9.20
f
*
:
hap. XLV. | ſo grievouſly, and for not making more ſpeed to deliver them. Or 2. againſt the Babylonianr, the great oppolers of Cyrus, and of the deliverance of God's Pcople, whom they were reſolved to keep 1n Bondage, in ſpight of God and Men. And therefore as God vere makes many glorious Promiſes to Cyrus, in order to this Work, fo he pronouncerh a Curſe upon them, who ſhould endeavour to hin- der it; and admoniſheth the Babylonians, That they did not only fightagainſt Cyrus, a Man like themſelves, but againſt God, the Ma- ker and Governour of the World. For what Nebuchadnezzar ſpoke with reſpe&tochoſe three Jews, Dan. 3. 15. the Babylonians ipoke 1N their Hearts, in reference to the People of the Jews, Who is that God that ſhall deliver you out of my hands ? y Contend, if you p'eafe, with our fellow Creatures, bur not with your Creator. z He turn- eth his Speech to the Potter,of whom he ſpake in the Third Perſon in the foregoing Clauſe ; ſuch ſudden Changes of Perfons being uſual in Prophetical Writings, # The Porter that made me, had no hands, 5, e. no ability or skill ro make good Work. 1 Wo unto him that faith unto his Father, What
begetteſt thou ? or unto the woman, What haſt thou | brought forth s ?.
b As it were an abſurd and impudent Thing, for a Child to quar- re] with his Parents, either ſimply for Begetting him, or for Beget- " ting him of this or that Sex, contrary to his delire ; no better 1s it for any Perſons to quarrel withGod theMaker and Father of all things, \ as God is called, i Cor. 8. 6. for diſpoſing of themand their Afffairs, | by his Providence, as he ſees fit, and otherwiſe than they delire or expe ; as the Jews quarrelled with God, for bringing them into Captivity ; and the Babylonians, for Tranſlating the Empire from them to the Perſians. x1 Thus faiththe LORD; the holy One of 17ael,and + Heb. 4 his makerc ; | Ask me of things to come concerning oo ”% my ſons, and concerning the work of my hands com- Jo ez. mand ye me d. | | | cerning my , © Iraels Maker, who not only Created him, as I did all others, Sons. and but made him a new Creature, and a peculiar People ro my elf, Gras d The Words thus rendred, contain a conceflion or permiſſion ; the work and the Senſe may be this, Although the Potter doth not give an of my hands account to the Clay, nor Parents to their Children ; yer I will fo
3 -” = a” -*
ly be rebuilt, but the Wealth and Glory of other Countries ſhall be broughtto it again, as it was in former times. Whica although it was in part verified in Feryſalem, yet it was much more fully ac- complithed in the Church of the Goſpe], which is oft expreſled in Scripture under the name of Jeruſalem , and in the Acceflion of the Genziles to that Church which began in Jeruſalem, and from thence ſpread it ſeIfinto all the parts of the World, And this ſenſe ſeems beſt to agree wth the latter part of this and with the following verſe, as we ſhall ſee. o They ſhall be taken captive by thee, and willingly ſubmir themſelves to thee. Which was accompliſhed in the Converſion of the Gentiles, whoſe ſubjeCtion to God's Church is oft exprefled in Scripture under ſuch Metaphors as this ; as P/. 45, 5. and 149. 8, &c. P/al. 68. 18. compared with Eph. 4. 8. þ To obtain thy favour and ſociety. q Or, with thee. We plainly dif.
. Cern that God is on thy ſide, or in the midſt of thee ; and there.
: far condeſcend to you, as to be at your Command in this matter __ to give you an account of theſe great Aftions of mine for which L " you quarrel with me. As for the Expreſſion,Command ye me,though it ſeem to be harſh, yet there are inſtances in Scripture of ſuch