branches of it are broken 4. | c Toat is, the Lord fxed thee when he brought thee firſt into CHAP. XII.
Canaan, ina beautiful flouriſhing ſtate and condition, fo as thou| The Prophet complaineth of the Wicked's Proſperity : By Faith ſ-eth wert in 4 capacity both to have done thy ſelf much good, and to] their Ruine, 1 —— 4. God admoniſheth him of his Brethren's have brought him much glory, like a beautiful fair Olive-Tree,| Treachery againſt him, an1 lamenteth his Heritage, 5, — 13. A fit ro bear fair and goodly fruit. 4 But thou haſt ſo behaved thy rerurn from Captivity promiſed zo the Penitent, 14, — 17+
felt, that che Lord is altering the courſe of his Providence to thee, *P[.51.4- he chac planted thee, iS adout to pluck thee up. God is about tOlx Izhteous * art thou, 0] LORD, when I plead |! Orc, [-t kindle a fire which will burn thee up, and to break thy branches 3) R with thee a, yet let mel] ralk with thee of thy = _ ;
there is nothing more uſual in Prophetical Writings, than to have . things, yet to come, expreſſed as if paſt, becauſe of the certaincy judgments b6. * Wherefore doth the way of the 1, ;hee,
of them ; they being what ſhall as certainly be, as if already | wicked proſper ! whereforeare all they happy that deal *Job. 12.5.
done. _ : very treacherouſly c? OE 37. 17.
® Chap. z. 17 For the LORD of hoſts that planted thee, 4 The Prophet begins here with a Recognition of God's unque- Mal. 3.1s, 21. hath pronounced evil againſt thee, for the evil of the | ſtionable Righteouſneſs and Juſtice, in all his Provideocial Dilpen- houſe of Iſrael and of the houſe of Judah, which ſations in the Government of che World. Some read che latter
| or” 6 part, ſhould T plead with thee ? But let it be ſhould I plead ? or, al- they have done againſt themſelves, to provoke me though, or, when T plead, that is, argue with thee, yer the Prophet to anger, in offering incenſe to Baal e.
; _ | doth it not withour a previous refolution to agree the Lord's Djſ- e Thi» Verſe expounds what was metaphorically expreſſed in
them.
MNOTICAIly penſations juſt, whatſoever he ſhould ſay. b Yer faith he, let me the tormer Verſe, viz. that God had declared his Will to his Pro-| talk with thee. not by way ot accuſing thee, but for my own ſats- ph-t. That he would deſtroy his People, the blame of which| fa&tion concerning thy judicial Diſpenſation in the Goverament mult lie upon the:nſe]ves, tor they had by Hdolatry moſt highly pro-| of the World. c Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prof; per ? voked him, and had cherein done againſt themſelves, as indeed aJl| Wherefore all they happy tha: deal treacherouſly 2 by all th:y, he firning is but an acting againſt our ſelves,God 1s unvulnerable, we [| means many of them, and is thought co have ſpoken with 2 lpecial carinot hurt him, though we may provoke his Juſtice to take ven-| relation to the Prieſts ar Anarhorh, that had conſpired againſt his geance upon us for our iniquities. And the Prophet tells them, | Lite. The proſperity of the wicked hath in all cimes been a Riddle, that the Lord that planted them would do this, thereby hinting to| and a ſore Tempration to the beſt of God's People, to Fob, Chap. them both his power to do it, and alſo thar they had no reaioo| 21. 7, 13. to David, Pſzl. 37. 1. and 73. 2, 12. and 94+ 3, 4, to be confident that becauſe God had made them he would not | Hab. 1.4, 5. Lord, faith Feremy, I know thy ways of Providence deſtroy them ; or becaule he had planted them 1n that good Land, | are juft and righteous, but they are dark and hidden from me, [ Ve ne he would not pluck them up and throw them out of it :| cunnot underſtand why thou doeſt this. Vide 7/2. 27, 11. 2 Thou haſt planted them, yea, they have taken ; - g <a 11 + Heb. ? 18 Þ And the LORD hath given me knowledge root, | they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit ; rþey es on:
of it, and I Know #7, then thou ſhewedſt me their do-[chou art near in their mouth, and far from their
_— may be underſtood either more generally as relating to reins 4.
2)l the wicked ations of his Countrymen, to obviate their f ing: fas pr tn 1b —odirrar _ _ _ OY
pe —_— on _ \y. doings? Or elſe ( which ſeemeth they had Communion with thee, but he that oblerveth their Lives
= he - Eres pectally Foun —_ to that Conſpiracy | 1.1 eaſily diſcern thatthou art far from their inward parts,” thy
—_ os y Ic ref nan 6 in tne t0llow1ng Verles. have neither fear of thee, nor love for thee, nor defire atter thee, - 19 But I was likea lamb, oran ox that is brought | nor delight in thee, nor are they obedient-to thee ; yet thou haſt Chap.18. unto the ſlaughter, and I knew not that * they had planted them by thy Power, and by thy Providence they thrive,
+ Heb ah deviſed devices againſt me, ſaying, Let us deſtroy - [59 0n, and proſper. 0 GR flak with the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off] 3 But thon, O LORD, * knowelt me, thou haſt,,, ' bis beard, fromthe land of the living, that his name may be no ſeen me, and tried my - heart toward thee. e Pull + Heb,
more remembred g. them 'out like ſheep for the [linghter, and prepare ## :-e:
g We have no other mention of this Conſpiracy in Holy Writ, | them for the day of ſlaughter f.
bur it is plain both from this Verſe,and what tolloweth to the end | e Here ſeemeth to be ſomerhing underſtood, viz. But Lord 78
of this Chapter, that the Men of Anathoth 4 which was Fere- | otherwiſe with me, I am maligned, and my life ts hunted after,
miah's own Town) were offended at his Prophelying fo tharp | yet Lord thou knowelt the fincerity of my heart betore and to-
things agaiaſt the Land of Fud4h, and had threatne to kill him if | wards thee, thou haſt had experience of me in the dilcharge of my
he would not leave off that ſtile,and had corſpired tothat purpoſe, | Prophetica! Office, and knoweſt that I have been faichtul in re-
ſomethink to mix poiſon with his Meat,others by ſtarving of him, | vealing to the People what thou didfſt reveal to me, yer for this ic
others think by beating of him, into which variety of ſenſe they | is they that ſeek my Life and would have my Bloocs fLord,avenge
1nterpret that phraſe in this Verſe. Lzx us deſtroy the tree with the | me on this wicked Generation, confirm the words againſt them
fruit thereof ; but the 1enſe is plain, Let us not only put an end to | which I have trom thee denounced. Concerning the meaning of