£ Whether we make any curious DiſtinQtion Eetwixt underſtands ing God, as if that be more ſpeculative, whereby we rightly appre- hend his Nature ; and knowing God, as if that be more pra#ical, as dire&ing the Converſation, we need not here er:quire; yet cer= tainly both center in this, that we ſo know and underſtand God as ro truſt in him, and depend on him alone inall Corditions. þ Kind- nels, as it relates to his own people, Pſal. 5. 12. Judgment with re- ference to his puniſhing the Wicked ; Righteouſneſs, namely, as hs deals juſtly and uprightly with both, Pſal. 92. 15, The meaning here, I conceive, 1s to ſhew Gods orderly governing and diſpoſing of Things in the World in his diſtributive Juſtice, that all Things are right and <qual. 3 Both in himſelf and others, Pſal. 14 7.
25 © Behold the days come, ſaith the LORD, that I will X+ puniſh all :bem hich are I circumciſed, with the uncircumciſed»
k Viz. By the Babyloians, 1 q. d. Do not think to inſiſt upon your external Priviledge of Circumc:ſion, that you are Atrabams natural Seed, and thereby diſtinguiſhed from other Nations, -as you ſome« times were wont to do of the Temple, thar you had God inthe midſh of you. Do not think that ſhall priviledge you, for you ſhall ſ:e, it ſhall not be long ere I bring the Chaldeans upon thoſe other Na« rions, which either are circumciſed in the Fleth as well as ycu, «nd upon you alſo who are uncircumciled in heart as well as they, or whether Circumciſion was loſt as being caſt off by them; and ſo they were indeed uncircumciſed : God tells them they ſhall fare alike: hence in the next Verſe he ranks Judah next ro Egypt among the other uncircumciſed Nations : for te looks tv rhe circvmcifion of the Heart, notof the Body ; to :uward Worſhip, ror outward ons ly ; therefore ſome read ur the Circumciſied in Uncircumciſton,
26 Fgypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all rhat are in the utmoſt _ m | corners, that dwell in the wilderneſs : for all :he/e + Heb. eur ||
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nations ar? unciicumciſed, and all the houſe of Irae) of #0 cor-Iili are » * uncircumciſed in the heart. ye. _ il
m Some refer this ro the place of their Habitatien, as in Corners, hats. 4 - and remote parts of the Wilderneſs, as-it were ſeparated from other Wl!
Narions; and therefore mightrhink themſelves fartheſt remote from hes bar Mit
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Danger ; but ſome rather chuſe to refer it to their Manners, as in + L cutring the corners of their Hair, which was forbidden the Jews, $ eV Levit .9.27 The like Deſcription in chap. 25. 23. n See the þ *"* foregioins Verſe, God regards not the outward Sign, bur priccipal- ly reſp<&s the Circumciſion of the Heart. Here ends thar Sermon that began at chap. 7.
T_T HA F.. A.
They are forbbid to be afraid of the Token of Heaven, and conſult Ilols which are V3in, ,——)}. and not to be compared withrhe Majefy ani Power of God, who is Ja--b's portion, 6, 16» The Babylenians defroy the Temple ; the brutiſh Paſtors and the Flocks are ſcattered, i7, 2. The Prophets humble Supplication, 23, ———25.
Ear ye the word which the LORD ſpeaketh unto o you, O houle of p Iſrael.
o Here . begins another Sermon, 7. 2. moſt Jechonias and the Jews, that were already Tribes.
2 Thus faith the LORD, Learn not the way ofthe
q heathen, and be not diſmayed at the ſigns of r hea-
Roms- 2. 28, 29.
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probably relating to in Captivity, þ The ten
q The J-ws being tro live among the Chaldeans in their Captivity where many of tnem were aJr-ady, the Prophet in this Sermon ad. moniſherh them againſt the Superſtitions of the Chalaean Idolatries, which he underſtands here by Heathen, who were allo much adi&ted | ro Aſtrology, and elteemed the Original of Sciences : The Cufoms
and th-ir Manners he calls here their way, as is frequent: in Scripture, Lev. 18. 3. and 20.23. r This was a PraQice and Study ſo comm-n among them, that judicial Aftrcl: gers, of what Naticn ſoever, were : generally termed Chaldeans; a prattice ſo hareful to Grd, that ſome- times he p-ſirively prohibits ir, Der. 18, 10, 14. and ſometimes in a way of $.0:a and Deriſion. Sarcafically ſends them to ſuch. 1ſs. 47+ 1>. and ofren Ja' ours to perſw.de againſt it: for though 4fro- nomy be not only lawful, but uſeful, as being ſubje& to reaſon, and the rales of Art, whereby many Actions of Humane Life are di- | reQ-d and gui''cd, and proporrioned, yet Judiciary Aſtrology is in- decd origina:ily Diabelical and Heatheniſh; and though God do ſuf- fer th-1r Frediftions ſometimes to fall our right, yet it is to puniſh the curioſity of the E:.quirer. | / 9. d. Leave this to Heathens ; ir doth nor become Gods people, who do wholly depend upen him ; for indeed rhe Heathen, as many ignorant Chriſtians do to this day, were more afraid of the Signs of Heaven, and Aſtrological P:cdiftions, than of God, and whar is foretold in his Word of Pro- phecy; as if Things were governed rather by the Influences of the ; Stars rhan rhe Providence of God; not bur that we may be affeed ; with ſuch preternarural Appearances in the World, which God doth | extraordinary cauſe to appear, as ſome Tokens of his apprcach:ng . Judgments, Joe! 2. 3o, 31. Matth. 24. 7. Luke 21. 11,
= i \ > , £2 : | 3 For' the F cuſtoms of the people are z vain: for | * one cutteth a tree out of the « forreſt, the work of the
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+ Heb. Statutes or Ora. NANCES Arg vanity, * Ita. 44. . 9, 12, C&C. 6
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. 5J-E R E + 3. e. Such Courſes, Inſtitutions, idolatrous Cuſtoms, and ws remonies as theſe, thar many people follow, they are Va, opt