x They were called ſo after this, and, are known, by thoſe Names to this day ; but the Meaning is, they ſhall acquire a Name from another Occaſion, that ſha) ſuit them as well, vx. tor the great Slaughter that ſhall be made there, or rather thereabouts, in and about Feruſzlem, and therefore called the Yalley of Slaughter, trom the effect of Slaughter ; as Fudab's Field was called Akelda- ma, AQts 1. 19. being a place for burying of the Slain, as the next Words ſhew. x Either there ſhall be ſo great a Slaugh- ter made upon that Spot by the Chaldeans that they fhall bury as many as the Place will contain, and the reſt of the Carcaſles
1 they ſha!l throw on heaps, to rot above Ground ; for to lie un-
buried, is frequently uſed as a Curſe on ſuch, the Burying of the Dead being accounted as a thing ſacred, and a ſignificant Sym- bol of the Keſurrefjon: Or, thoſe that are ſlain in and about Fe- ruſalem, at the Siege and Taking of it, ſhall be carried thither
to be buried, either becauſe there ſhall be no Burying-places left
about Feruſalem, or that Valley ſhall be filled, till there be no Place for more,that hereby it may be ſo polluted,that no thoughts of Holineſs may remain in it: For a dead Carcaſe under the Law was unclean; and that which before was a Valley of Pleaſure and great Delight, and they had dedicated to God, ſhall now be a Valley of Slaughter.
33 And the *carcaſes of this people ſhall be meat * p1. -9. for the fowls of the y Heaven, and for the bealts uf 2.
theearth ; and none ſhall fray them z away. Chap. 12.
» The Birds and Beaſts of Prey ſhall feed on them, being e ps poſed to open View for want of Interment, Chap. 19.7. 7( A -ai 34 piece of Humanity that even Nature it ſelf teacheth ) Either by *** reaſon of the Enemies preſence, for fear of whom they durſt not, 'or rather, becauſe there will be none lef :0do it : And this is reckoned among the Curſes, Deut. 28. 26.
34 4 Then will I cauſe to * ceaſe from the cities of « x(, ,,2
Judah, and from the ſtreets of Jeruſalem, the voice y, s.
land ſhall be 6 deſolate. Tanks wat a All kind and degrees of mirth ſhall ceaſe, Rev.18.25.a1l Places , , ſhall be filled with Lamentations and Woe ;their linging ſhall be x40, 2,5, turned into ſighing ; they ſhail lay afide all chings that are tor the comfort of Humane Society, which is to be underſtood in this Expreſſion. b There ſhall be ſuch an utter Devaſtation, that there ſhall be neither Seaſon nor Place for theſe Things, 1/4. 64. 10,11. Chap. 25.10. where marrying ſhall ceaſe, without which Man- kind cannot ſubſiſt, there muſt needs be Deſolation. y
CHAP. VIII
The Calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive, 1, — 3.. Their brutiſh Impenitency, 4, 7. Their vain boaft of Wiſdom their Covetouſneſs, Security, Impudence, 8, ——— 12, Their oo Jadgments, 13, —— 17. Bewailed by the Prophet, 18, —— 22,
I T that time, faith the LORD, they ſhall
bring out the 4 bones of the Kings of Judah, and the bones of his Princes, and the bones of the Prieſts, and the bones of the Prophets, and the bones
of the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem out of their graves.
_ @ This Chaprer being a Contituation of the former, he proceeds In carrying on the Threatning with higher Aggravations of the Judgment, viz. that when the time ſhall come ſpoken of Chap, 7. 32. the Chaldeans Rage ſhall reach, not only to the Living, bur even againſt thoſe that are in their Graves, and that ſparing none of any Degree or Qualicy 3 of the Nobles and Prin- ces, as Manaſſeh and others, poſſibly led to it out of Greedineſs, ſuppoſing ro find great Treaſure in cheir Sepalchres ; of the Prieſts and Prophets, principally the falſe ones, asa juſt judgment of God againſt them for deceiving the People ; of the Inhabitants of- Feruſalem, out of their ſpight and fury kindled againſt them, as Soldiers, or in Contempt and Tgnominy ; and this notes the ut- ter Deſolation of the City, not only razing the Walls, but curn- 1ng the very Sepulchres which were accounted facred, and nor c0 be violated.
2 And they ſhell b ſpread them before the ſun, and the moon, and all the hoſt of c Heaven, whom they have 4 loved, and whom they have ſerved, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have ſought, and whom they have worſhipped : they ſhall not be gathered, nor be buried ; they ſhall be for dung upon the face of the e earth.
b Not gather them together into Charnel-Houſes, as we uſu-
F6;h. 15.8. watered by the River of S:loe. { This moſt inhu- ally do out of Humanicy, but ſcatter them about as it were eo
mane Practice of Burning their Children, even their own Bowels, he turned into Duſt and Dung ro Mclech, not their Sons only, but their Daxghters, who were tg ſhew chat they ſhou ;
_ © Yrs, All thereſt of the Stars, |d nor lie out 1n the day-time only, bur
i moſt tender ; they did exprefly againſt the Command and Cau- njohr al and $ if nolt te q { wary night allo, before the Moon and Stars, Chap. 36. 30. Then Carcaſ- i tion of God: See on Deur. 18. 10. having learned it of the Hea- jos ſhall be caſt ro their Idols, Lev. — : King 23. 14, 20,
then, D-ur, 12. 30, 31. the Devil commanding them ſo to do by a kind of L-x Talions, th .
' ; . ( 7 r his Oracles: They took Pattern from the Samaritans, where thoſe thole Creatures God doth, oe Bs roerndeg n ,
worſhipped appoint them as Spectas
of every Nation make Gods of their own, 2 Kings 17. 29, tors and Witneſſzs of his Vengeance, and what Contempt he
4 | 39, 31. t Which wasalways fo far from my approving, that [
pours upon them,their Carcales being brought betore they Idols,
| never let it come into my Thought or Debate, whether 1 ſhould which wlll be fo ſhameful, as if one ſhould draw for th thi Adul.
£2 " ferel-.
Chap. VIII.
x. 9. and 16.
wv
Chap. VIII 7 E RE
1 en view, and expoſe them toge- - gre — he in eilivg that i510 cheeſe dumb Idols res the ſeveral Seaſons of her going and coming by ſore naturel 4 This and the following terms ſerve to exprels the greatneſs and variety of cheir affection and zeal in their worfhipping of them, Deur. 4. 19. 2 Kings 23. 5. Ch. 7.18. he muitiplies words, as 1t were implying, that mo can hardly be words enough to expreſs their tolly and madnels, tix Gentiles worſhipping theſe Creatures, not only for their beauty
cording to their ancient Philoſophy apprehead- 16 , : ond py van a Pin Creatures, and that all events were, that Wrath of God that hangs over their heads, Iſt. 5. 12. Lake
ther, and ir alſo inftquate to help them in their Miſery.