e Applicd to the Jews, Rom. 10« 21. 1have ſtretched out my Hand, That 1s, I have uſed.all probable means to reduce them, I have ſtretched our the Hands of a paſſionate Orator to perſwade them, of a tender Mother to protef and defend them, of a liberal Bene. fattor to load them with my Benefits; This I have done continual. ly in the whole courſe of myProvidence with them. Yer f they are a rebellious people ; Paul expoundeth it by & #497 vT4 x3 4178184yore, a People not perſwaded, not believing, but contradicting the Will of God. g That walketh in a way that i not good, that term, rs nor good, often ſignifies what is very bad, ſee 1 Sam. 2. 24. Prov. 28.21. and 24+ 23, Pſalm 36. 5, Though all fins be not equal, yet what is not good is bad. h After their own thoughts, What is here called after their own thoughts, 1s elſe-where called a walking after the imaginations of their hearts, an ordinary Phraſe, by which fin (eſpecially ſins in the matter of the Worſhip of God) are expreſſed, Eight times in the Prophet Jeremiah finning is thus expreſſed, Jer. 3. 17, and 7. 24, and 9. 14+and 11.8. and 13. 10. and 16: 12. and 18. 12: and 23.17, ſoalſo Deut. 29. 19. Errors in matter of Worſhip are ordinarily thus expreſſed, certainly to let us know, that a Worſhip muſt be accor- ding to Gods revealed Will, and of ſuch errours this Text ſeemeth by what followeth, to ſp*ak, though indeed, the reaſon of all fin is mens fondneſs of their own imaginations, in oppoſition to God's revealed Will, whence it is that Self-denial is made the Law of a Diſciple-ſhip to Chriſt.
3 A _ that provoketh me to anger z continually to my
incenſe || uponaltars of brick /.
7 Thar the Jews are the People here intended is without que- ſtion; The Propher ſpeaking of the calling of the Gentiles upon their RejeQtion, reckons up their ſins, which were the cauſes. For though their reje&ion and crucifying of Chriſt, was that ſin which
| was the proximate cauſe, yet God did but viſit on that Generation
their Iniquities, and the iniquities of their fathers togeth#, they having by that at filed up their meaſure, They had provoked God continu- ally to anger to his face, &k Either in his Temple, the place where he uſed to manifeſt himfelf: Or (conſidering what followeth) more probably the Phraſe ſignificth their impudence, not taking notice of God's Omnipreſence, and omniſciencg. 1 The particular pro- vocations inſtanced in, are deviations in the matter of divine Wor- ſhip. Sacrificing in gardens is one thing inſtanced, and burning 3n- cenſe on brick, or altars of brick, is another, Deuteronomy 12« 13. there was a Particulas tar of Gold appointed for Incenſe, Exvdur 4: +
: o
Chap. LXy.
am ſought &« of them; that asked not for me b: I am Rom. g: found c of them that ſought me not; TI ſaid, Behold 3+ 25 26: me, behold me, unto a nation 4d 1hat was not called by Eph. 2. :
T3.
ace k, that facrificeth in gardens, and burneth ,, ao
br ick ,
Chap
lor,prec
1 Wd,
Chap. LXV.
for, p/ecer,
Or, agner.
God commanided, Exod, 20. 24, 25. that his Altars ſhould be made of Earth, or rough ffone. This p-ople tranſgreſſed both theſe Laws, ſacrificing in gardens, for which the Prophet refle&ed on them, ch. 1. 29. and again, ch» 66. 17 .whether in gardens conſecrated to Idols, or in ſuch Gardens as the Heathens worthipped Idols in,is not much material for us to know, and burning Incenſe upon altars of Brick, di- re&ly contrary to the divine Rule, Their Worſhip was doubtleſs Idolatrous, and theſe Phraſes ſignifie committing Idolatry, but the expreſſing that ſin by theſe Phraſes lets ns know that the doing contrary to the direCtion of the Divine Rule in God Worſhip is a great part of the ſinfulneſs of 1dolatry. , 4 Which remain amongſt the graves mz, and lodge 1n the monuments », which eat {wines fleſi s, and || broth
of abominable things p is in their veſlels.
m They remained among the Graves, either there expe&ing Revela- tions by dreams, or there conſulting with Devils, who were thought ro delight in ſuch places, or to pratiſe Necromancy, all which were forbidden, Deut. 18. 11. ch. 8. 19. »n And they lodged in the Monu- ments, the Hebrew word hereuſed gives advantage to Interpreters to vary in their ſenſes. The word ſignifies only placeskepr, or obſerved, ſome Interpret it of Idol 'Temples, ſome of Caves and Denns, in which the Heathens uſed to worſhip their Idols, ſome of Tombs or Monuments for dead perſons; belides the Idolatry of the thing, there was in it a ſinful imitation of the Heathens, avd a ſwerving from the Rule which God had given them. o They alſo ate Swines fleſh, contrary to the divine Law, Lev. 11. 7. Dent. 14. 8. and they indured in their veſſels, p Broth of abom:nable things, ſo the word is uf- ed, Jud. 6. 19, 20. others read it parts or pieces of abominable things, that is, broth, or pieces of ſuch fleſh as was to the Jews unclean by the Law, Levit. 11. Every Creature of God is good, bur Gods Prohi- bition had made the fleſh of divers Creatures an abominable thing to
T$S AI 7 H. Chap. xl
inicc, ſo will Ido for my ſervants ſake d, that TI may not deſtroy them all.
b Theſe words mutt be conceived as a gracious anſwer from God to the Prophet, ſaying as Abraham, Gen. 18. 23, 25. or as Moſes, Exod.' 32. 11, 12, 13. pleading Gods covenant with Abraham, Iſaac, and 1/- rael, To this God replieth, that he intended no ſuch \.verity. the unfaithfulneſs ofmen ſhould not m: ke his promiſe of no cffe&t, Row. 3- 3- His threatning ſhould be made good upon the generality of this people, whoſe Yine was of Sodom, and of the fields of Gemorrhs, Deut. 32. 32. ©c Bur yer, asina Vineyard, which is generally un< - fruitful, there may be ſome particular Yine that brings forth fiuit,or as 1n a Yine which is full of luxuriant vranches that bring forth no fiuit; there may be here and there a branch, that bringeth forth fiuir, and and hath the hopes of nen win in theclufer, -and as ro ſuch, the Gar« diner bids his Servant deſtroy :t nor, or them met ; for they are fruitful, there is in them what ſpeaketh Gods b/zſmg, or what may be of uſes and do us good. 4 So( faith God) wil I av for my Servants ſake, that 1 may not deſtroy them all, either for the ſake of my Servants, 4: braham,. Iſaac, and Jacob, with whliom I anciently made a Covenant, or for my Servant Davids ſake, or for the ſake of ſuch as are my £: leF, at thistime amongſt them, ſee Jer. 30 11. Amos. g. 1. ;