thy confidences /, and thou ſhalt not proſper in
them 2. ; Some apply it to the ſad and ineffeual Return of the Am-
baſſadors, being diſappointed in their ExpeCtations from the King of Egypt ; but rather, all the help rhou can{t procure from a= broad ſhall not prevent thy Captivity, but from hence thou 1halt go. k An uſual Poſture of Sadneſs and Mourning, 2 Sam. 13.19. {uited here to her going into Captivity. /Refuted to give Suc- ceſs unto them, 2 Chron. 16. 7. Or, reje&ted thee for thy Conh- dences ; or hedifapproves thy Confidences, v/x. all thy Refuges which thou ſeekeſt out of God. m Yiz. Inthy Refuges and De-
pendencies. C HAPFE mn
Gods Forbearance with the 1dolatry of Judah, who zs worſe than Tirael 1—1 I. Both called to repent, with Goſpel Promiſes, 12 - - 197 Miſery by Sin; Salvation only of God, 20 25.
+? Hey fay », If a man put away his o wite,
lh _ ſhe 50 from him, and becomes another man's, ſhall he return unto her again p? Shall not that land be greatly polluted q? But thou haſt played the harlot with many r lovers ; yet return again to me,
ſaith the LORD.
n Or, Menuſe to ſay. If this, with the four following Ver- ſes, belong ro the former Chapter, then ir ſeems to expreis God's Condeſcenſion to them, q. 4. though, if a Woman forlake her Husband, and be married to another Man, the Law will not per- mit him to receive her again ; yet God would receive thee again upon thy returning to him : but thou chuſeſt rather obſtinately to adhere to thy ocher Confidences, wherein thou ſhalt not pro- ſper. Bur, if we look upon them as beginning a new Argument, then here God declares his Readineſs to receive them again upon their Repentance, though it be very unuſual for Husbands fo to do, when their Wives have prov'd treacherous unto them, in be- taking themſelves to other Husbands : And fo this Chapter may very well begin with ſuch a proverbial Speech, they ſay, or men uſe to-ſay ; or, it is commonly ſaid. o Or give her a. Bijl of Di- vorce, Deut. 24. 1. f, 4. d. He cannot take her again according to the Law, Deut. 24. 1, 2, 3, 4+ Or rather, willa Man do ſuch a thing ? If the Law were nor againſt it, would any Man be ſo ea- fily wrought upon, as to take her again ? No certainly, it 1s an Argument from the leſs to the greater, to ſer forth God's great Le- nity towards them, 9.9. if an Husband ſhould turn away his Wife meerly becauſe ſhe pleas'd him nor, tho' ſhe gave him no juſt cauſe?, and the ſhould beſtow her ſelf on another, he would not be reconciled to her, neither might he take her again ; but you have gone a whoring from me, and ſufficiently provoked me to rejeQt and turn you off. Yet T will diſpence with my own Law for your ſakes, and will a& by my Prerogative : I am ready ro be reconciled, to follow them that fly from me, as in the cloſe of the Verſe; and Zec. 1. 3. and Mal. 3. 7, God will pardon Sins of A- poſtacy, and falls after Repentance. q Heb. In being profane be profaned., Would not- ſo great a Sin greatly pollute a State or Nation, Lev. 18: 27, 28. Ir muſt needs be polluted by fuch Mar- rlagesto and fro, and promiſcuous Couplings, Deut. 24. 4. r Not with one only, as being ſufficient to make thee an Adulrreſs, but thou haſt been a common Strumpet, joyning in Fellowſhip with divers Aſociates and Companions, or many Idols.
2 Lift up thine eyes / unto the high places :, and ſee
' haſt thou ſat for them, as the Arabian y in the wilder- neſs : and thou haſt polluted the land with thy whore-
doms, and with thy wickedneſsz.
7 1 Do but look and conſider, whether I do charge thee wrong- zully or no. 7 He dire&s her to the Places of her Whoredoms and Idolatries, called High Places, being principally upon Hills, 2 Azvgs 21. 3, and divers other places, tho* fometimes in Val- lies, chap. 2.23. Which notes alſo her Impudence, that, where- as other Whores affe&ted Privacy, ſhe ſhould be filthy in the open view. « Thy filthine(s has been every where ſo frequent, that thou canſt ſcarce ſhew a Place that hath been free from thy Pol- lurions, verſe 6. 13. where there are notthe Footſteps of thy For- nications and Idolatries. x 7z. To allure Paſſengers , See Ezek. 16. 24, 25+ and waiting for them, viz. thy Aiſociates ; not drawn by others Allurements, but thine own Laſciviouſnels. Y An Alluſion tothe Manner and Cuſtom of that People, either
L Tali
rainick, that were wont to Patca time x Quits Dy the way 13925
that they mighr meer with their Caitomers ro trade, as they jrath {cd along, very properly pointing our the PraGtice of Harlors. Sc Prov. 7. 11, 12. & Not only thy Idolatries, but 211 other thy wicked Courſes. | |
3 Therefore the * ſhowers have been withholden a,
$ 6 "os Sd and there hath becn no latter rain b; and thon hadit a * whores iorehead c, rhou refuſedit to be ahamed.
—_
. Y* . . . a Viz. By me, according tro my threatning, Lov. 25 19. 3n4q -
, ] j# mo fo yo & Dent. 28. 23, 24. 2.e. a drought was fent upon thee, ciriier 2s 2
""TrvT. ll SRIES..S. ATT 'F, yeh A $2 3: Puniſhment of thy Wickedne!s ; tis publick Sins bring tnbiick Judgmenrs: or,as an aggravation of it ; andthen it muy}
! 7 B. V + - « WE though, as It often 1s, 9. 4. fag
2c read
2 notwichPanding the great drouvyh: : ana ris the laſt Word; of the Verize {euin TO) favor. þ Ts 20s ded to Showers before-mention'd, feems to imply, there had been no former nor latter Rain, the former for the {p71NG'Pf OC Ne Corn, the latter for tae plumping and ripeaing it ; tais coming 2
little betore Harveſt. «c For 1] rhis, thoa Oidik Fil remain ins
' pudent and obſtinate, as aſhamed of nothine, c{2p. 6. 15, rhus
proverbially expreiflcd, bucaute Sizme dorh firft and moſtly a- pear 1n the Forehead. Thus Antichrif's Impudence 15 exyretfed, Rev. 17. 5. And lome ancient Herericks were calied £92::45,
4 Wilt thou not from this time d cry unto me, My Father e, thou art the guide of my youth f , dC Viz. That T have withholden Showers. Soine refer this, 1. To the time to come : Wiit thou not yer be wile * and for the future ſeek ro me, having found all thy other ways ſuce lets Iſa. 9, 13. chap. $. 14. 2. To the time prefent : thou challenge me for my prelent Severicy, and continuing it to wards thee, when thou {till retaineſt thy Filthineſs, thy Viores
[1
'S MESSE £ i »V watiiil
; Forehead, verſe 3. Thou ſtill continueſt worſhipping Idols, aud