b Wicked Men are compared to chaff, Pſal. 2. 4. Suck as executs Judgment on them are called Fanmners, Fer.. 15.7. So Matth 3. 12: becauſe as the Fanner kcepeth what is in the Fan unquier.in a continual motion and agitation, by which (. advantaged by rhe Wind ) he emptieth it of che Chaff : ſo the Executioners of GOD's Vengeance,by a ſucceſſion of Judgments keeps a people from quiet; till all their Chaff be winnowed out, and the Fan be emptied ofall bur the more ſolid Grain. c For ( be faith ) as the Fanner firſt Ridlerh whar.he hath in. his Fan one way, then another, firſt throweth it up, then lets it fall into-rhe Fan, ſo the Enemies ſhould b8 round about Bbylon, and GOD would beon every ide and every
: .
3 Againtt hjm that bendeth, let the archer bend his bow, and againſt him that lifrech up himſelf in his Brigandine 4? and ſpare ye nother youngmen, deſtroy ye utterly all her hoſte. ., + Cd al
d Whatever Arms the Babylonians ſhall be armed with, they ſhall meet with their Matches, thoſe that ace Archers, ſhall meer with Archers-to bend the Bow againſt them and thoſe who are other- wiſe armed ſhall meet wirh Perſons prepared to incounter them ar their own ky t e Their whole Hoſt ſhall be deſtroyed both young and old Men-
4 Thus theſlain ſhall fall inthe land of che Chaldeans, - © :-. and they that are thruſt through * in her ſtreersf. * Chap, - F Thus all of them ſhall be deſtcoyed, ſome in the Fields, ſome 49: ou in tlie Streets of their Cities» I =o p;
5 For Iſrael bath not been forſaken; nor Jud4h of his God, of the LORD of hoſts g ; though their larid was filled wich ſin againſt the Holy One of Iſrael b. -_ > ..
[4 Thar 1s, nor utterly forſaken, for ina ſenſe they were forſaken as to ſome gradual manifeſtar.ons of GOD's Love to them, bur Judah and .tjrael were not left as a Widow, or were nor divorced from GOD. h The word tranllated fin, ſignifies a molt heinous finning, or deſolation, and the beſt Ingerpreters judge that ſm here- ſignifizth the puniſhment of Sin. GOD hath nor forſaken rhe 7ews utterly, though as they were formerly filled with grievous ſins; #57 hg be now filled with grievous Judgments becauſe of their 'ſtas.
. 6 *Flee out of the midſt of Babylon, and deliver every, man his own ſoul : be notcut off in her iniquity: ,_ -_ © 'Þ for * this is therime ofche LORDS vengeance, he will v9 } render unto her a recompence k- . © * Chap: i
; It is a matter of no grear moment whether we underſtand. 50. 15 28. 'Þ theſe words as ſpoken to the Jews in the Captivity of Babylom, as Kh 1 | Chap. 50. 8. or torhoſe whom the Chaldeans had hired to help cherits
Or to ſuch ſtrangers as for their ſecular advantages lived in Babylon. By Soul here ſeemerh to be meant Life, and by Iniquity the puniſh-: ment of the Babylonians iniquity ( as the Hebrew word oft ſignifies though in the New Teſtament theſe words be uſed as a moriition to People ro ſeparate from the Idolatries of myitical Babylon, yer. they ſeem here to be only a warning to others to remove out of the reach of Babylon's fall. k For the time is conie when GOD hath determined to take vengeance on Babylon, and to recompence to her all her ſin, and that cruelty which ſhe ſhewed to the Jews in particular, | | : ot $17
7 Babylon hath been * a golden cup in the LORDS *Rev 14< rand, that made all the earth drunken /: the nations *: & 174+ | have drunken of ner wine, therefore the nations are mad mm. | 4h, | ils
I A golden Cup, becauſe of her great Rickes and Plenty, GO hitherto had made uſe of Babylon, asa Rod in his Hand, — ne her Riches and Power, and proſperity proportioned to the Service he had for herto do; what ihe did the did by commiſſion from God, rherefore this Golden Cup is ſaid to have been in the Lord's Hand | ſhe had made all the Nations about her drunken with the Lord's. Fury. m Conquering them ay, and making them mad through the miſery and ſmart they felt from her. Babylon in Daniel is compared to an head of Gold, and Rev. 17. 4+ She is faid fo have had a Golden Cup in her hand, bur the meaning' is no more thari this. That God had raiſed up Babylon to great degrees of dignity and ſplendour: intending to makeuſe of her to execute his Vengeance upon many other People, and he did accordingly ſouſe her, to give the Cup of his Fury to many Nations to theencaging of divers People, burnow the courſe of his Providence toward her was altering, &«.
8 Babylon is ſuddenly -* fallen and deſtroyed = : *Ifi 21.9. : how! for her, * take balm for her pain, if fo be ſhe may Rev. 14.8. be healed ». & '$, 2.
» That is, ſhe ſhall ſuddenly fall and be deſtroyed, you may try Chap. all ths probable ways for her Cure, but they will all be uſed ro no 46.-11. purpoſe. |
9 We would have healed Babylon, but ſhe is not healed .*., forſake her, and let us go every one to his:
own countrey o,, for her judgment reacheth unto teaven, and 1s lifred up even to the sky p. .. .. - ;
©. The Prophet hereſeemethto Soufanens the mercenary Soldier y that ſhould come to help-rhe Chaldeens, as if they ſhould ſay this, they would have helped Bzbylon, bur there was ne healing far her. o And therefore they call one to another ro leave her to her ſelf, and, return each Man to his own Countrey, p For her puniſhmeovrt was: very great, - her caſe too ſad for them to help. The reaching of. things to the Heavens, and lifring them up to the Skies are phraſes. uſed to ſignifie ligh and great meaſures, and degrees of things, ſo, expreſſed Gen. 11,4. and 28, 12. Deus. r. 28. 1 Sam. 5, 12. 2 Chrone 28. 9. Pſal. 107. 26. is:
10' The LORD hath brought forth our righteouſnefs,” . come and let *. us declare ia Zion the work of the » chap.
LORD our GOD 9. | ; 1 $0. 38 l EF: 4 q Theſes
4 : e ſpoken as in the perſon of the Jews owning PR, gn words *Laby 1. Tobe the mighty Work of God. 2. An a& of Juſtice, and Judgment pleading rhe Caufe and revenging the Wrongs of his People ; and owning the Jewiſh Religion, ani cal- ling one to another to go to che Temple to declare what God had done for them, and to give thanks unto him for it.
1x * Make + bright thearrows r, gather the ſhields,
the LORD hath * 1 the Medes 7, for hisdevice is againſt Babylonto deitroy it, becauſe it is the * vengeance of the LORD, the
vengeance of his temple «.