s This verſe containeth a promiſe much like that, ch. 11. 6, g. And relates tothe ceaſing of perſecution. The People of God for their whiteneſs and innocency, are often compared to Lambs, and Sheep wicked men to Wolves and Liens, for their antipathy ro the ſeed of the Woman ; God here promiſeth ro takeoff the fierceneſs of the Spirits of his Peoples Enemies, ſo that they ſhall live quietly and peaceably together. #: Wicked men are compared to Serpents, Micah 7. 17. compared with Pſal 72. 9. God promiſeth a time of tran- quility to his Church under the Metaphor of Serpents eating the dſt their proper meat, Gen. 3. 14. inſtead of flying upon men : it ſignifies ſuch a time, when wicked men ſhould mind their proper buſineſs, and not make it their work to eat up the people of God like bread. » For the laſt phraſe, ſee cþ. 11. 9g. what is before no- ted. But will ſome ſay, Wren jhail cheſe things be > The Scripture gives usnO record ofany ſuch period of time yet paſt. And it is very probable chat this is a promite yet to be fulfilled, and it is not for us io know thet:mes and ſeaſons but in the mean time to ler our faith and patience be ſeen; in the mean' time we may learn, That it is Gods work to reſtrain the Wolves and Serpents of the World, who would elſe be alwile doing what they are ſometimes doing, and it is a fad .ign that God is not yet at peace with that people, where we ſee Woives devouring Lambs, and Serpents deitroying men initead of licking up duſt, nor well pleaſed vith that parr of his holy mountain where there isnothing bur #urting and deſtroying, biting and devouring one another, when God ſhall be at peace with a people theſe things fbali not be found amongſt them.
CHAP. LA-VLE | | God 6 Io with the Spiric, ana not by Ceremonies, 1, 5. the won- þ. aerful Birth and benefits of the Goſpel Church, 6, 14. ſevere judg- ments againſt the wicked, 15, —-— 17. the Gentiles ſhall be an holy
Church, +8, 23- the Eternal Pumſbment of the wicked, 24.
tlus faith the Lord *, The heaven 3s my throne 4, and the earth is my footſtol þ : where is the houſe that ye build unto me c ? and where is the place of my
reſt ?
# The Heaven, that is, the higheſt heavens, are the place where T moſt manifeſt my power and glory, and ſhew my ſelf in my Majeſty, So P/al. 11. 4. Pſal. 103. 19. Matt. 5. 34. Hence we are taught to pray ; Our Father wh:ch art in heaven. b And the Earth £5 my footſtovol, or a place where I ſet my feer,. Matt. 5. 35. « Can there be an houſe builded, that will contain me, who can encom- paſs the Heavens and the Earth with an houſe ? 4 Or, where 15 the
lace wherein I can be ſaid to reſt in a proper ſenſe? The Ark is andeed called Ged's foorſtool, and the place of his reft, in a figurative ſenſe, becauſe there God manifeſted himſelf, though in degrees much beneath the manifeſtations of himſelf in Heaven, but pro- perly, God hath no certain place of Reſt.
2 For all thoſe things hath my hand made e, and all thoſe rbings have been f, ſaith the Lord : but to this - man will look, * even to him hat is poor and of a con- rite ſpiric g, and trembleth ar my word 6.
e The Heavens and the Earth are the work of my hands, Ger. r. r. Joh. 1, 3. ( ſome expound it of the Temple. and the Sacrifices. ) f They were not only made by God, but ſubſiſted arid were kept in being by him. Thele things were not therefore valued by hun, nor could he have any need of, or reſpe& to any houſe, which is bur a very little part of the Earth : he having made the Heavens and the Earth, had them ail ar his command,and how could he need a Temple? or, wherein could he be advanraged from it ? & Bur God will look with a reſpe&, and with a favourabie Eye ro him that hath a broken and contrite ſpirie, whoſe heart is ſubdued to the Will of God, and who is poor and low in his own Eyes, Mat. 5.3. Luke 6. 20. And þ who tremWeth when he heareth God's threatning words, nor ever heareth any revelation of the Divine Will with- our a juſt Reverence. ;
He that killeth an ox ji; is as if he ſlewa man: he
he that offereth an oblation, as if he :ffered {wines blood: he that + burnech incenſe, as if he bletied an Idol 7:
delighteth in their abominations ». |
7 Solomon, Prov, 15. 8. gives us a ſhort, but full commentary 6n this whole verſe ; The Sacrifice of the wicked is aw avomination to the Lord. He that killeth an ox, thar is for Sacrifice,as it is expounded by the
Ft
dejighted nor. | 0 They had made their choice, they choſe not the ways of God, but their own ways, that which God delightednor in, as in the lat= ter part of this verſe, therefore ( jaith God ) I will alſo chute. Pp Their delaſjons, or illuſions, or devices: Mmtanus tranſlites it, adinn vent;onibus, it is a Noun derived from a word which ſignifies ro Jpeak childiſbly or corruptly, the wotd in this form is only uſed in this rext, andin 1 Sm. 25. 3. it ſignifies ftudjes, or works, Pſal. ry. 4, Iſa. 3. 4. Hil. 4-9. Iris an ordinary thing for God thus generally to declare his juſtice againſt men. Thar he will deal with ſinners; as they deal with him, ſo Pſal. 18, 25. 26. Lev. 26. 27. Jer. 34. 17. Prov. 1. 24. 28. The meaning 1s, I will be no kinder to them,than they have been ro me, They have choſen to ck and delude me, F w1ll chuſe to ſuffer them to delude themſelves, or they have choſento work wickedneſs, I will chuſe to bring the fiuit of their works upon them. Theyhave choſen the cauſe,I will chuſe the effe&.gThar is(fay ſome)the rhings which they feared,xnd did theſe things to avoid, av Fer 42.16. Ezek. 11, 8.Others by ther fears chuſe rather to underſtand ſuch 7errors and afrightments as are natural to men upon the proſpett of great evils, as Fer. 20. 4. as God in mercy delivereth his people from their fears, Pſal. 34. 4. So in Judgment he cauſeth fears as a great judgment to poſſeſs ſinners, Lev. 26. 16. Deut, 28 66. # Becauſe. when by my Prophers, I exhorted you to your duty ; very few yeilded obedience, ſee Prov.r. 24,ch. 65. 12. Jer. 7, 13.5 Hearing here ſignifieth hearkning, or obeying, nor hearing is expounded by doing evil, and chuſing that wherein God delighted nor. God accounts thar thoſe do not bear, who do not obey his will.