3 God having, as it were, on his own behalf, ſhewn how kind he had been, calls upon them to fpcak now, if they knew any thing of Injury, either in breach of Covenanr, or SCVELITY, that they can charge him with, tharthey have thus apoltatized. See on {/z. r. 18. and 5. 3. Compare Mc. 6. 2, 3, 4 By this nan- ner of Speech his proceeding appears the more juſticiable, he boch makes tacir Conviction the clearer, and the Reproof the ſharper. a Fiz. Idols ; ſhewing their Fully in going from: God ro fuch vaia things, as Idols are, Dent. 32. 21. 8 Sam. 12. 2%, 21. and fee on Ia. 41. 29, The Abſtrat for the Concrete, Ec:!. 1. 2. b 1x. In following their Inaginations : Fools, Rom. 1. 25, 22. as fente- lets as their Stocks and Stones that they made their Iitols of, P{z/ 115.8. and herein they are faid to go ſar from God, and cliulc their Delufions, Jon. 2. 8.
brought us up 4 out of the land of Egypt, through the wilderneſs, through a land of defarts e, and of pirs f: through a land of drought g, and of the ſhadow of death +5, through a land that no man paſſed through, and where no man dwelt ;?
c, 7. e. With themſelves, thought nor 4 The Expreſſion may have toms reſpett to the lituation of the place, as lying lower then Canaan, but the Delign is to reprove their S!ozrh and Sru- pidity, charging herein their Apoſtaſte, not upon their Ignorance, but Wilfulnefs : Their Deliverance froin &£2yp: (and therefore is it here mentioned) being fuch a deliverance, as never greater wis wrought for any People ; wherein there was fo muc!) of his Power and Love fz:en: bur they never regarde:t the Onerations of his Hands, never concerned themiclves about whar God had done for them, verſe 8. which ſhould have engaged rhem to a more cloſe cleaving to him. e Defvlate places, chap. 50-13. ard then whar follows 1s to amplihe the greatnz(5 of their Dangers in the- W1l- derneſs, and herein the greatneſs of their Deliverance. f Either rhoſe natural dangerous Pats, that were there ; or, put for the Grave, where Paſtengers are fo often buried quick in the heaps of Sand ſuddenly blown up by the Wind ; or threatning in every reſpect nothing bur Death, which may be implied in that Exprel- lon ofthe Shadow of Death in this Yerſe, which may allude to !e- veral Kinds, or Fears of Death in paſſing through a Wilderneſs. See in the Synopſis. 2 Where they had no Water but by Miracle. The LXX render it a Land without Water. h See in the Word Pits ; the LXN render it a Land without Fruit , bringing forth nothing that might have a tendency. to the Support of Life, therefore nothing bur Death could be expetted ; and belides, ir yielding ſo many venomous Creatures, as Scorpions, and Szr-
danger of; ali which could not but look formidable, and as the Shadow of Death. i As having in it no Accommodation for Tra- ve], much Jeſs for Habitation : In theſe Reſpetts may it well be called, a waſt howling Wilderneſs, Dexr. 32. 10.
7 AndI brought you into a plentiful country &, to eat the fruit thereof, and the goodneſs / thereof; but
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k Heb. Land of Cernicl, Iſa. 29, 17. underſtand Canrm, Numb. 13. 27. See on Iſa. 35.2. UTo enjoy all the Blefling of ir. 7, i.e. Conſecrated to my Name, Lev. 25. 23. and this you have defiled by going a whoring after your Idols, chap, 3. 1, and ma- ny other Abominations, Pal. 196. 29, 35, 37,38, 39, nTIn the ſame Senſe that it is ſaid in the foregoing Clauſe, my Land, and which you received from me as vour Heritage, the place rhat 1 chole for. my Church's preiene Habitarion, and earneſt of their fi1- .ure heavenly one.
8 The Prieſts ſaid not, where is the LORD ? and, __
alſo tranſgreſſed againſt me, and the Prophets prophe- tied by Baalq, and walked after 7:25 that do not pro- fit r.
0, 9. d. They that ſhould have raught others, knew as little as they, or regarded as Jittle ro know, Hof. 4. 6. who are ſaid here to handle or teach the Law,y/z.The Prieſts and Levites, who were the ordinary Teachers of the Law, not that they did to, but thar, either they ought to do fo, or pretended to do lo. This was their Othce, Dent. 33. 10. and their Practice, N:b. $. $. The Phrate
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/z:1n, to handle their Arms. p Either Teachers, as Inſtructors ; or q They that ſhould have taught the People the true Worſhip of God. were themſelves Worthippers of Baal, 1 Kings 18. 22. Or, in- ſtead of fetching their Oracles from me, fayiag, Thus ſairh rhe Thus ſaith Baal, os tacy did make uſe
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junQtion with Cod, perſuading themſelves, they could konour God together with them, as the Calves, 1 Kings 12. 28. r Fiz. Edols. A Periphraſs: Things that were never able rodo rhem any {rvice, as ver.5. 11. S2e on 1(a. 44. 10. Sure the ſtare mult be ve- r/7 bad when Prieſts, Prophets and People were thus Corrupt.
0 © Wherefore I will yet plead / with you, faith the
plead.
« Tliis is to be underſtood, eirher really, by hisJudgments, P/al. +. 22, and that with great Severities; or verbally, he w 11 go ons, » deal with them, to convince them by his Prophets, as he did with their Fathers, thar they mav be left without excule, chap. 7+ 2c, 26 : Yither for rhe heinouſnets of their Farbers Sin* ;\ for God doth often viiicthe Iniquities of the Parents upon their Chil- dren, Exe. 20. 5 Or becaute they do rimitate their Parents.
10 Fir pals || over the 1fles of Chittim :, and fce and ſend unto Kedar x, and conlider diligently, and fee 11 there be fuch a thing z. ;