r You have offended in numb:r, wo:ſhiping a multitude, 2 troop of Idols, there ſhall a great number ot you periſh by the ſ'vord ; or poſſibly th: term number may r-fer to al in the next phrafe,to Jer them know that none of them ſhould eſcape. God faith he will num- ber them, tell them out one by one to the Sword. 5 As you have bow- ed down toldols, Js. 44. 17. ( which are mine Encmies ) I wil make you bow down to your Enemirs Swords. # I called you by my Pr phets, Zech. 7.7, 11, -2 you did not anſwer by doing the :hiogs which I by them ſp:ke to you for, bur nor confiiering that I Jaw 40, or if conlideting it, yet uot regarding it, you impudently did evil ; yea, u You finned «.cliberatcly, chuſing finful cures, the things which 1 hated, which are he-e (' as often ) expreſſed by a Meſs, arid cal'ing the things in which God delighrerh nor. In matters of Worſhip we ougat ro chuſe nothing wherein God de- lighteth nor, and reaſon, as well as Scripture wiil aſſure us, he can deligt in nothing of that nature which himſelf bath nor directed. It is objervable that ruin is here threatned to this People, not- for their immoralities, or lewd lives, bur for their errors, and juper- ſtir ons in Divine Worſhip. Other {ins provoke God to wrath, bur thoſe of this nature alone, are en-ugh to ruin Sou!s and Na- tions.
12 Therefore thus ſaich the Lord God : Behold my ſervants ſhall eat, but you ſhall be hungry x: Behoid my ſervants ſhall drink, bur yo"1 ſhall be thi:ſty : Behold my ſervancs fhall rejoyce, but ye (ball be aſhamed :
are the Servants of men, in complying with Idolatry, and ſuperſti- tion ; ſol have ſome Servants among t you who have diſtinguiſhed themlelves by keeping cloſe to my Inſtitutions from thereſt of you, T will dilinguiſhth:m from you in the diſpen/ations of my Provi- dence ; thole that have eat bre:d at their Idol Feaſts, ſhall be hun- gry, my people that would nor do ſo, they ſhall have enough;thoſe who have furniſhed a drink-offering to Meni, or that number of 1dcls, ſhall want that drink by which they have fo prophaned my name, but my Servants, from whoſe mouths you pull'd the drink, becauſe they would only furniſh a drink-effering ro me, they ſhull ari.k. My Servants whom now you make to mourn, and upon whom you pour ſhame, and contempr, ſhall r:jozce, and yu ſhall be aſhamed ; you that now rejoyce, and ſhout, while my Servants that cannot comply with you are affi&ed, and by you made ro mourn, ou ſhal cry to: ſon1ow, and houl through vexati n, whiles my Servants who ke-p c ofe to my iaititutions ſhall ſing for joy of heart. Thoſe
; Who tia an hour of P<ſecurion for Religion, can have patience un- der the Enemies Triumphs an + Rage, will find that the Rod of rhe wicked jba!l nor always reſt upon the lot of the righteous.
I 14 Behoid my ſervants (hall ting for joy of heart. bur
Breaking. ye ſhall cry for forrow of heart, and jhall howl for |]
| vexation of Spirir.
; ' J ; And: ye ſhall leave your name for a curſe unto my
* Ch. cholſeny ; for the Lord God {hall flay thee z, and *call
62. 2- his ſervants by another name. | 7 Your name ſhaZrot, as Prov. 10. 7. or only be uſed when men would curſe others, ſaying let them be made like ſuch perſons. As
vants were uſed in bleſſing : ſo your names ſhall only te uſed in cur- ſing, or when men will curſe themſclves, they ſhall uſe your names as examples of the eminent wrath of God upon ſinners. z Fer you ſhall norperiſh by an ordinary hand, but by the hand of the Lord God, and asis the God, fo is his juſtice, ſo is his ſtrength, yea God himſcIf ſhall look upon y cur name as accurſed and nor ſuffer his peo- plc to be called by it, they ſhall not be cle! Jews, but Chriſtians, As 11- 26. The Children of God, John 1. 12 So deteſtable a fin is Holarry, that God will nor ſuffer himſelf to be called by a name given to [dols, how proper ſoever it be to expreſs his perfetion, Hoſ. 2. 16, 17. Nor yet ſuffer his own people to be calied by a name by which 1do/aters are known.
.* Deut. 16 That he who bleſſeth himſelf in the Earth, ſhall '. 13. bleſs himſelf in the God of truth a, and * he that ſwear- 4 #5 v: eth'in the Earth, ſhall {wear by the God of truth þ, be- *& 45. 23. cauſe theformer troubles are forgorten,and becauſe they " Zech.1.5. are hid from mine eyes c. .
K -.. s I will bring itro paſs, that over a!l the world, if any man Bbleſ* himſelf, or bleſs another it ſhall bein God, Amen. So the Heb. ( ve tranſlate it theGod of Truth ) Amen 1s a name given to Chriſt, Rev. 3.
14. Th ſe things ſaith the Amen, the faithful and true witneſs, being here
applied to God, many think it makes a great proof of the God-head of Chriſt, and judge the ſenſe of this text to be : That under the
times of the Goſpel men thould not bleſs them({c1ves ( as before ) in the names of 4braham,and J/aac,and Jacib,but inthe name of Chriſ?,in the God Amer, nor is this an improbable ſenſe. Others taking it more appellativgly by E/ohim, Amen, here underſtand that God who ſhews
x As thereare a party amongſt you, who inſtead of ſerving God,
the names of Leeh and Rachel Ruth 4. 11. and orkers of (zod's Ser- |
1 4 BD. Chap. LXV, himſelf rue and faithful in Lis promiſes, b Tn like manner it j5 Prophes
icd, that thoſe that ſwear ( by which ſome underſtand worſhip God
thers calling God to be a witneſs ) ſhould ſwear by the Gor ef truths
;r in the God oftruth. Either worſhipping God in Chriſt the 4-
en, or calling the faithful God to atteſt their lincerity, or ſwearing
»y thar God who hath approved his truth and fairhfulneſs by taving
.ad delivering his pecple. © becauſe they ſhall ſee what God pro-
miſcd 1s fulfilled, rhe troubles of his peopleare at an end, and
acy are hid from God's Eyes, that is, they are at an end.
i7 For behold c, 1 create ®* new heavens,and earth d, and the former ſhall not be remembreg come 1nto mind e, 2 Pet. c I will tell you yet a more admirable thing, I am about wholly 3: 33:
to alter and change the ſtare not only of my people, who are now af. REV. 21.1 dicted, reſtoring them to a more lightſome ttate, more free from T Mb. trouble and afflictcns, bur d bringing a new face upon the world.ſen- ſhall come ding my Son toraiſe up a new Church, and to inſtitute a new wor. 9 *5y ſhip, Jon 4. 21, 24. and giving out my Spirit in a more plentiful 9: mauner, As 2. 17. which new ſtate ſhall abide until a new Hens
ven and Earth appear, in which ſhall dwell nothing but righteouſneſs, 2 Pet,