x See the Notes on Chap. 16. 14; 15. Where much of the ſame words are to be found, The Prophet aggravateth the greatneſs of that Salvation, which ſhouli be brought by Chriſt to all the true If ael of God, by comparing it with the deliverance of the anc'ent If; acl of God out of the Land of Egypt; which be ſaith it ſhould ſo far tranſcend and excel,that rhe Deliverance out of Eg yp: ſhould net be named, when this Salvation ſhould appear, whica ſhould be after their return from Babylen. and when God ſhou!d gather them from all Countries, which was fulfilled, when 'by rae preaching of the Goſpcl, not the Gentiles only were converied, but many cf the Jews allo which were ſcartcred abroad, Fames 1.1. 1 Pet. 1. 1. Po ſibly pa:t of thi:Promiſe orProphecy remains yet to be accompliſh- ed. for the Jews ars not yet com- to d "el 1n their own Land, unleſs that term be ro be expounded ef Chriſtians. who during the times of Perſecurion in the primitive Church, were ſcsttered abroad, bur upon the ceaſing of thoſe Perſecucions, when Chriſtian Emperours came to have the Government, returned to their own Countries, where they enjoyed a more till and quiet Habirztion.
9 © Mine heart within me is broken, becauſe of
the prophets, all my bones ſhake y; I] am like a drun- en man, and likes amars whom wine hath overcome ; becauſe of the LORD x, and becauſe of the word of
his holipeſs a»
3 The Prophet having denounced the Wrath of God againſt the wick:d Rulers cf Judah under the Notion of Pators cometh here to diſcharge the like truſt with reference to thoſe orders of perſons amongſt the Jews, whoſe Office it was, or at feaſt who rook upon Them to reveal the Mind 2nd Will of God to people, and who were upon that account call:d Prophets. tor theſe he declares a great P:ſſion and trouble ; either for their ſake in proſpe& of that Ven- geance of God which he ſaw was like to be poured out upoa them, or for the peoples ſake, who had bzen d=c:1ved by their unfaithful Revelations of the Divine Will, and 1:d into wickedneſs by their vile Examples. For this he faith his heart was broken, his bones ſhaked. x And he was even aſtoniſhed and ſtupified, and like a drunken Man he knew not what he did ; he was ſo ftricken at the apprehenſions of the Wrath of the Lord ready to be revealed againſt them. . And to coniider what words the holy God had put into his Mouth, to ſpeak againſt them.
ro For * the land isfull of Adulterers b, for becauſe
n P of || ſwearing the land mourneth c * : the pleaſant wo. places of the wilderneſs are dryed up 4, and their
Fr, cur= [courſe is evil; -and their force is not right e.
7 6 Under that term Adulterers, all Species of uncleanneſs are come nap. 9- prehended. c By falſe ſwearing, or by idle and profane ſwearing, '&12. the Land is brought to ruine. The werd ſignifies alſo aCurſe or -+ curſing» Many good Interpreters judge, that the more genuine ſence and true Tranſlation of this Text were, for becauſe of the Curſe ( that is, the'Curſe of God ) the Land is brought to that Miſery
the Plain, for ſo the word is rendred, Iſa. 63. 13, Lame. 4. 19. The Wrath of God was extended to all places whether more or leſs in- habired.e The Prophets did not only err ia ſingle A&s,but the whole courſe bf their Afftiens was nought, and particularly their Power, Rule and Government was not right. If any ſay what were the Prophets concerned in the Peoples wickedneſs? vſw. They were
rofane as well as the people, as we ſhall find, Yer, 11. but be- ide this, the people were thus vile through cheir connivan ce, they did nor warn the people of their fins, bur ſootied them vp in their wicked courſes, and ſo were the cauſe of the peoples wickedneſs,
i who had not been ſo vile but for them.
2 81k & M 1 4
11 For both * prophet f and pricft are profane 8, *0hp. 5
which is coming upon it, d The Paſtures of the Wilderneſs or of
*- Ciizp s i » x yea, * in my houſe have I found their wickedneſs 4,73 & 2. laich the LORD. ay f Thoſe, whoſe Work was to revealthe Mind of God to the Pe9- oh ple, and who pretended to that Office. g And thoſe that were ems ; , #Þ ; ployed in offering Sacrifices, end other works which belonged ti Eck - the Prieſtly Office, according to the Law. The whole Eccleſiaſti- I: & 2. cal Order, all their Miniſtry were profane, not meerly aypocritical, 309, but lewd, immoral and debauched. & Yea, they were grown to ©? that impudence, that they made the Temple, which was the Lord's Houſe, a Den of Thieves; a place where they committed wicked- neſs. Thus it was in the time GE Ely, 3 Sam. 2. 22, and more ge- nerally afterward, 2 Chron. 36. 14» See Chap. 7. to, 11. and Yer. 14: of this Chapter, There is no more certain lign of a ruining Nati- on, than when God ſuffereth in it a lewd and corrupt Miniſtry, I2 Wherefore * their way {hall be unto them,
and fall therein ;: for I will bring evil upon them, even 16.
the year of their viſitation, ſaith the LORD p.
z? As their ordinary courſe is wicked and ſinful, ſo they ſhal find that it will in the event be tothem pernicious, perilous and full of danger, as a ſlippry path is to them that walk in a dark Night, they ſhall be driven on till they fall therein. Courſes of fin may look ſmooth, bur they always prove ſlippery, p For I am reſolved to puzith their wicked courſes ; and to viſit them with my Judgments,
12 AndT have ſeen || + folly in the prophets of Sa- || Or, -: maria q; they propheſiedin Baal, and cauſed my' peo- 9/74 ple Ifrael to err r. + Hob
q There was a time, when I ſaw folly in the Prophets that be- Conn