and compare me, that we may be like » ? | n» If you are tempted or inclined at any time to exchange Me for an ido), do me and your ſelves this Right, ſeriouſly ro coofider, Whether you can find another God, who will be more able, and more ready to do you foe than I have been ; Which if you can do, I am content you ſhould prefer him before me ; Bur if not, as . wil' appear by whar Iam now ſaying, : verſe 6,7. then it is beſt for you to adhere to your ancient God and Friend. | $a 6 * They laviſh gold out of che bag, and weigh filyer *Chap.4o, inthe balance, and hire a goid{mith, and he maketh it oo & 47, a godo: * they fall down, vea; they worſhip. -_ 0 Lerus ſuppoſe, a God made with the greateſt Coft and Art. - 7 They bear him upon the ſhoulder, they carry him p, and ſer him in his place, and he ſtandeth ; from his place ſhall he not remove 4: yea, * one ſhall Ery unto him, yet can he not anſwer, nor fave bim our of his trouble. _ GEN Þ Either, 1. In Pomp upon ſolemn Occaſions. Or, 2. From that place where he is made, unto that place where they intend to ſet him up, as !t is expreſſed in the following Words. q_ Or rather, he cannot remvye, He can ſtir neither hand nor foot to help his People, rn 4 Zh 8 Remember this r, and ſhew your ſelves mens ; * bring is again tomind z, O ye tranſgreſſors #. I . . » Conſider theſe things which I now ſpeak. O ye Iſraelites. s Att like reaſonable Creatures, and be not fo bruitiſh as to wor- ſhip your own works: Be ſa wiſe and couragious as to withſtand ali Solicitations ro Idolatry. t Think of this again and againe
*chap.q9 I 8, 25.
12. Jer, 20. 4 *Chap.44. 17.
*Chrp.455
20,
are obliged to take the betrer heed, that you do not relapſe into 1t again. : : ; L 5
9 Remember the former things of old, || for I 2m God, and there is none elſe, I am Ged, and there is none like me. DE:
[| What I have done for you, and in the World, my evident: Predi&ions of future things juſtified by the Event; and thoſe oor miraculous Works whereby I have abundantly proved my
1v1nItY+ : | "1 . :
to Declaring the end from the beginning x, and from ancient times. the, things that are not yer done, » ſaying, * My counſel hall ftand y, and I will do ail,
my pleaſure :
+
Pſal. $3. T. Prov. | | on \ 19. 24, &
x Foretelling from the beginning of the World, or from the be- 27. 30. _. ginning of your Nation, thoſe future Events which ſhould happen Heb.6. 17, in ſucceeding Ages, even to the end of the World, or to theend of your Common-wealth ; for ſuch Preditions we find delivered by Mo-
T Y
h OBE: were upon the beaſts 4, and upon che cartel : || | rp your carriages e, were heavy laden f; they are a burden
% to the weary beaſt, Ver born,
fHeb. ths . Man. of ny counſel,
ſes, the firſt founder of their Common-wealth. y As I will nor, (o no other Power can diſappoint my purpoſes and Prediftions, = Ix Calling a ravenous bird = from the Ealt a, f the
| 5 ; man
i I
man that executeth my counſel bfrom a far country c; yea Thave ſpoken #, I will alſo bring it to paſs, I have purpoſed it, . I will alfo do it.
x Cyrus called # bird for his ſwiftneſs and great expedition, and ravenous for his fierceneſs, and viQtoriouſneſs over his Enemies. # From Perfis, as I/aiah 41. 2. b Concerning the Deliverance of my People, and the deſtruftion of their crue! oppreſſors, the Baby lon/ans. c From Perſia, which was far from Babylon, but much far- ther from Judea.
12 Hearken unto me, ye ſtout hearted 4, that are
far from Righteouſneſs e. a Or, Ye * hearts are proud or hard or ſtubborn. He ſpeaks El- ther, 1. To the Babylonians, you who are ſtout againſt God, ang fay or think that neither God nor any Man can deliver my Peopic out of your hands Or rather, 2. To #he Houſe of Jacob, expreſled verſe 33 Where he beſpeaks them in the ſame Words here uſed, hearken to me; And to whom alone he direReth his ſpeech in this whole Ch:pter, for though he ſpeaketh of the Babylenians, yet he doth not ſpeak to them; And to whom the Prophet, for the moſt
HA 4 IE
art, turneth his ſpeech in all his Prophecies, unleſs where there is ſomething in the Text or Context, which determineth it to ſome other Perſon or People. And this very crime of ſtoutneſs, or hard- neſs of heart is molt juſtly and moſt frequently charged upon the Jews, by their own Prophets every where, becauſe of their groſs contempt of, and incorrigibleneſs under all God's Words and Works. And the Prophet 1peaks this, either to the Jews of his Ge- neration; Or rather to that Generation which was carryed Captive to Babylon, whoſe ſtout-heartedneſs is particularly noted and repro- ved, Zech. 7.11, 12. Compare Mal. 3. 13, 14, 75. e That are not only yoid of, bur enemies to Righteouſneſs and true Holineſs : Thar give up your ſelves to wickedneſs, that deſpiſe my Counſels, and Promiles, and Threatnings. ; : 13 I bring near my righteouſneſs f: it ſhall not be
far off g, and my ſalvation ſhall not carry; and I will
place ſalvation in Zion þ for Iſrael my glory s. | f Though you are moft unrighteous perſons, and have given me Juſt cauſe 70 make you 10 know my breach of Promiſe, as] threatned in the like caſe Numbers 14. 34.Yet I will ſhew my ſelf to be a Righte- ous and Faithful God, making good my Promiſe of delivering you out of Babylon after ſeventy Years ; and although you think the time long, and are apt to dittruſt the thing it ſelf, yet it ſhall come, ' and that ſpeedily,1 will bring it near,or cauſe it ro approach, or come unto you, and as it follows, it ſball not tarry beyond the appointed time. £ My Work of ſaving you from the Babylon;ſh Captivity. 4 I will bring my People from Babylon to Zion, and there I will ſave them from all their Enemies. 7 In whom I will once again glory, as my Peop'e, and the illuſtrious Monuments of my glorious Wii- dom, and Power, and Truth, and Goodneſs; Whom I will mike a great and glorious Pcop'e, though now they are mean and con-
temptible, and in whom:I will once more ſertle my glorious Pre- |
ſence and Ordinances. G HA P. MXEVIL
God's Fudgements upon Babylon and Chaldea : Fr their cruelty towards God's People, 1 6. Their pride and ther fins, 9———10. Their Enchantments ſhall not deliver them, 11 15. i 1 Ome down #a and fit in the duſt 5: Ovirgin daugh- ter of Babylon c, ſit on the ground : there is no throne d, O dauzhter of the Chaldeans: for thou ſhalt
no more be called e tender and delicate. :