their dark and calamitous condition in the Babyloniſh Captivity ; For the like Reaſon Joſephus tells ns, 116. 12. ch. 11+ that the Jews in. ſtiruted a Fealt to be obſerved by their poſterity, upon the account
from thine own fleſh « ? : k Viz. The Faſt that pleaſeth me, ſupplied from the former verſe; having ſhewed the evil they are to abſtain from in order to an ac-
of rhe ſervice of the Temple being re=eſtabliſhed, which they called The Feaſt of Lights, becauſe, ſaith he, ſo great a Happineſ$ brake forth upon them' beyond their hope. y Here is a Meraphorical allufion in a Metonimical Expreſſion, viz. of the effc;-nt, deſcribing, the
4
ceprable Faſt, viz, Cruelty, he here ſpeaks of rhe duty tha isrequir-| comfortable cited of -44/ } "Panains a Tight Mapper,w > 7 like
of Adverlity and Calamity is ſet forth and reſembled b , but here more particularly for a comfortable and free Efare after I hed Fr dl t
19 ,4.4%
4 Fs Chap. L
| Pierceth through a cloud,noring how ready God is to help his People
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vill. I'S'A like theday light ſhall break forth from the blackneſs of their night
ofzMittion, and bring with it the joy and comfort of all good rhing:; And he doth nor only ſay this light ſhall appear,but break for:h,dait it ſelf forth, notwithitanding all difficulties, as the Sun breaks, and
when they are rightly humbled, how quickly, and how clearly Salva- tion ſhall break torth upon them. z Another Metaphor to expreſs the ſame thing, unleſs there may be this difference, the Light with reference to their outward ſtate, and Health with reference to the inward delight of their Minds, in both to deſcribe the compleat ſa- tisfaQtion. they ſhould have : Deliverances out of great preſlures are often in Scripture repreſented by the recovery of Health,as ch.57.18. and Jer.$.22. and this Prophet eſpecially delights in this Metaphor ; becauſe all affliction is as it were a fickneſs to the ſou], altering the Heart and Countenance. See Neh. 2. 2, 3. and a recovery out of this eſtate maketh the Heart glad, and the Countenance chearful, Efther 8. 16, 17. Jerem. 33. 6. compare v. 10, 11. Hence the LXX render it Medicines, a Either rx. Thy Uprightneſs and Sincerity, Gen. 30.'33. Or 2- The Reward of thy Righteouſneſs, by a Me- rtonymy, chap. 48. 18. Pſalm 24. 5. and here perhaps it may particu- larly relate ro their works of Mercy, and Charity, it being the thing m hand, and often ſo called, Pſalm 112. g. and applyed by the Apoſtle ro this purpoſe, 2 Cor. 9. 9. It brings temporal, ſpiri- tual, and eternal Bleſſings, and all this not of deſert but free Grace, aSa Reward, that naturally ſprings forth from the ſaithfulneſs of his Promiſes, as the Harveſt from the Earth, when the ſeed is ſown, ſee Hof. 10. 12. ſo the Fruit and Reward of our Righteouſneſs ſprings not from our deſerts, but from God's Righteouſneſs, Heb, 6. 10. Or 3. The Witneſs ofthy Righteouſneſs, by what thou doeſt thou wilt appear to be Righteous, Pſalm 37.6. For ſuch a notion as this was vulgarly ſucked in, that Adverſity did never befal a perſon or people, bur for their fins, and was ſtrongly urged by way of argu- ment againſt Job's integrity by his Friends, therefore thy being de- lvered ſhall be as a teſtimony of thy Righteouſneſs. Or 4. The fruit and effe& of thy Righteouſneſs, viz the due, juſt, and right order of thy Government, which, as Calvin faith, isa ſign of God's
fatherly kindneſs; things that are now in a confuſion he will bring -
into right order again, 1,e. Juſtice ſhall be duly adminiſtred, and men ſhall carry themſelves juſtly all the Land over, ſee 1/a. 32. 16, 17, 18. Or 5. Chrift's Righteouſneſs, Jer. 23. 6. compare with 33. 16. Then the meaning 1s, He ſhall go in and out before thee. b As it were making way for thy better State, as the break of day, or the morning Star goes before the Sun. «© i.e. The Glory of his Power and Providence, or his glorious Power ſhall be ſeen in bringing thee up from Captivity, and defending thee free from their purſuir; Or, as ſome,a glorious State ſhall ſucceed this thy calamitous con- dition, and called the Glory. of the Lord to expreſs the greatneſs of this Glory, as very great mountains are called the mountains of God, -and tall Cedars the Cedars of God : The glorious Lord, by a Mctonymy. of the Adjunt, & Heb. Shall gather thee, thus the
oid-is uſed, concerning Dar,” who was appointed to bring up the loop the march of the 1ſraelites, when they marched fromthe Wilderneſs of Sinai, Numb. 10. 23. This Office God takes
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8 FL
this place doth properly ſo ſignifie, but becauſe it is moſt agree- able ro the matter diſcourſed of, and the Chaldee render it violence, . and then the ſenſe is, ſpeaking words ef affliii:n, or that will vex and grieve, like thoſe words of Nabal to David's Servants, 1 Sam. 25. 10, 11. Prov. 18. 23.. And thus it relates to their harth and un- juit Commands, wherewith they were wont to burden their Ser- vants, a Synecdoche of the kind. io And if thou draw out »» thy ſoul » to the hun-
gry, and fatisfie o the afflicted ſoul p: then ſhall thy Iighe riſe q in obſcurity, and thy darkneſs be as the noon day r.