that mourn 4. = | « To delare, as it reſpe&ts the Jews, that their liberty is at hand. * Viz, the happy age of God's grace, either which will be grateful, and welcome .new> to them, or acceptable to God, a time where- in it pleaſeth him to favour them; bur this muſt be underſt-ad of a further extent than to Babylon, and rather unto Mankind in J«<ſus Chriſt, Gal. 4. 4. and Tit. 3- 4. called a time of God's gord will in chat Angelical Song, . Luke 2. 14. On the account of thoſe good tidings which the Angel brought, v. 10, 17. calledſo poſſibly from the arbitrarineſs, and good pleature of God, having no reſpet ro any ſatisfaftion from man. y Not preciſe'y, as if Chriſt preached but one year,the miſtake of ſome Ancients mentioned, an r:futed by Irene, lib. 2. Ch. 38: But for time indefinitely, and may in- clude the whole time of preaching the Goſpel. See Rom. 10. 15. which I take to be the meaning of that now, 2 Cor, 6, 2. and pro- bably hath a pertinent alluſion to the year of Jubrlee, which was a general releale proclaimed by ſound of Trumper, which relates al- 1o here to the word Prociaiming, Lev. 25. Io. 2 Viz. on Babylon, it being neceſſary, that where God will deliverhiis People, he ſhould take vengeance on their enemies ; but myſtically, and principal- ly en the enemies of his Church, and the Spiritual ones chieffy,v:z. Satan, Sin, and Death. # Either by reaſon of their ſifferings, or of their ſins, Mas. 11. 28, Or, the miſeries of Sim, See on chap. . I8, | : , m 3 To appoint b unto them that mourn in Zion c to give unto them beauty for aſhes 4, the oyl of joy for mourning e, the garment of praiſe for theſpiric of hea- vineſs, that they might be called frees of righteouſneſs, g, the planting of the LORD 5, chat he might be glo- rifieds. — 6 Supplieit, Viz. Comfort, or Joy, or elſe it may refer to thoſe Accuſative caſcs following, Beauty, Oyl, Garments, c Put by a Me- gonymy for the Jews, q. 4. among the Jews;and they forthe Church of God, or, according to the Hebrew For Zion. d By aſhes under- ſtand whatever is moſt proper for days of mourning, as Sackctoth ſprifikled with Aſhes,and theſe aſhes which were ſprinkled on their heads, mixing themſelves with their tears, would render them of a woful Aſpe&, which was wont to be the habit of Mourners, as by Beauty whatever may be beautiful, or become times of rejoycing. e The ſenſe is the ſame with the former, he calls ic Oy! of joy in alluſion ro thoſe anointings they were woat to uſe in times of joy, Pſal. 104. 15. and alſo the ſame with what follows, wiz. Gladneis for heavinieſs, gladneſs brings forth Praiſe to God ; and it. 1scalled' a Garment in alluſion to their Feſtiv.l Ornaments, for they . | Garmcits appropriated to their conditions, ſome ſuitable to times of rejoycing, and ſome to times of movirning ; orelſe an alluſion to comely garments ; and the ſpirit of þeavineſs, becauſe heavineſs doth opprels, and debaſe the Spirits. Ir is all bur an elegant def- cription of the ſame thing by a threefold Antitheſis. f That is, that they may be ſo, as it is uſually expreſſed, Gh. 58. 12. & 65. 18. they ſhall be acknowledged ſo, v. 9, g He aſcribes Righte- duſneſs ro Trees, underſtanding thereby Perſons by a Metaphor, by which he means, that they ſhall be firm, ſolid, and well rooted, being by faith engrafted into Chriſt, and bringing forth fruir ſuitable to the Soil wherein they are planted, that had been as dry trees, ſee on 1a. 56. 3. viz. the Church, the Vineyeard of God, and the hand by which they are planted, as in the next words þ Planted by the holy Lord, who being himſelf holy, and righteous, would plant none bot ſuch, which notes allo their Foundneſs, and ftability, an alluſion to that paſſage in Moſes his Song, Exod. 15. 17. i Either in thatglory which he ſhould confer upon them, or that glory he may expe& and receive from them, ehat ſo it may be evident whoſe handy work it was. See 4&, 60,
"IP = 4 And they ſhall * build the old waſtes, they ſhall
raiſe up'the former delolacions,and they ſhall repair the
wafte cities the deſolarions of many generations &.
& See ch. 58. r2.As it is applied to Goſpel times,the meaning may be, that Gentiliſm, which was as a wilderneſs overgrown withbriars, and Thorns, ſhall be cultivated, and rhofe Cities and Provinces of the Gentiles thar lay as if were waſte void of all true Religion, ſhall Now God
by the Miniftry of the Word, be edified in the true worſhip of ;
5 And ſtrangers 7 ſhall ſtand ms and feed your flocks #, and the ſons of the allen s ſhall be your plow-men, and your vine-drefſers p.
{ Viz, Gentiles, ſuch as are not of the natural race of the Jews,but Gentile Converts. Or; fuch as ſhallhave no more than an outward profeſſion, ſtrangers to the true work of Grace, 72 Ready to be at thy ſervice, a like expreſſion, ch. 48. r3. » The Churches with rhe word of God. » The ſame with ſtrangers, or their tuccetlors. p As the words deſcribe the proſperous eſtate of the Jews, the meaning of them is, that they ſhould be in ſuch a flouriſhing and proſperous condition, that withour their own labour, they ſhould have all in- fcriour offices executed, either by flaves taken. ia War, or by Per- ſons hired for reward, which they ſhould have Riches and Wealth enough to accompliſh ; Bur as they principally relate to the ſpi- ritual State of the Church, ſo probzbly by Strangers we. may under- ſtand Converted Gentiles with their Succeſſors meant by the Sons of Aliens, which ſhould be ready to diſcharge all Offices for the advantage of the Church, feeding the Flocks,viz. the Churches of Chriſt with the Word of God, and ſhould manage the whole work of God's Spiritual Husbandry therein; ſee 3 Cor. 3. 6, 7, 8, 9. Or; by ſtrarigers may be meant Members of the Church only by an out- ward Profeſſion, even they ſhall be ſome way ſerviceable to her int ordinary and inferiour matters: The Earth ſhall help the W.man, Rev. 12. 16. j x
6 Burt ye ſhall. be named the prieſts g* of the LORD:
men ſhall call you the miniſters of God ; * ye (hall eat r
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—
had |
the riches of che Gentiles, and in their glory ſhall ye boaſt s your ſelves. | |
Maintenance, as the Prieſts of old were plent:fully provided for with- otit their labour, ſo ſhall you by thelabour of Strangers : Or,2.For Countenance, you hall be every where as greatly valucd as the Prieſts were wont to be ; you ſhall be eſteemed as Princes;for ſo the word