{4 y The prophet again returns to God, expoſtulating with him þy and humbly imploring mercy for his People, which lets us know A that he did nut underſiand God's words to him, Ver. 11.as an ab- id folute Prohibition of him to pray for this People. Zion was a
Place whoſe gates God loved,and Fudah was his pleaſant Portion. Lord, ſaith the Prophet, is it poſſible thou ſhouldeſt loath a place which thou {o much lovedſt, or caſt off a People which thou haſt ſo much owned ? { He acknowledgeth God co be he that had ſmitten them, and their Condition without him to be help- leſs and hopeleſs. # And that all their Hopes and ExpeRtations | were fruftrated. q 20 Weacknowledge, O LORD, our wickedneſs, *pſal.1ce, 42d the iniquity of our fathers, for * we have fin-
6. ned againſt thee.
Dan 9. 8. u That is, both we and our Fathers have ſinned againſt thee, and have given thee a Right to puniſh and deſtroy us ; we deſire not to cover or cloak our Sin, we own andacknowledge it.
21 Do not abhor «s, for thy names ſake w, do not diſzrace the throne of thy glory x : remember, break not thy covenant with us y.
* w The Thing which the Prophet deprecateth is,the Judgments
; 0) come already, and farther coming upon this People, the Famine
Sword, and Peſtilence, with the Drought, under the ſad Conſe.
jl quents of which they ar preſent laboured ; but he prays for the
| Removal ot theſe Judgments, and the Prevention of ſuch as were
(| yet to coine, in this Phrafe, Do not abhor 2s ; nothing to us.
that the Love of Gud to a People is the Root of all Good which
they can expect ; and his Hatred and Diſpleaſure, the Root of al] the Evil that can betide them. Here are divers Arguments brought
T1 to back this Petition. 1. For thy Name's [ake, that is thine Ho-
Vi nour and Glory fake, an Argument often made uſe of in Holy
Writ, in the Prayers of God's People, Fo. 7. 9, &c. and upon a
very good Foundation, whether we conſider God's Concern for
his own Glory, or the Tenure of God's Promiſes, promiſing mer-
# ey for his own Name's ſake. x He alſo arguech with God,from
| kis' former Love and Kindneſs to this People, which he had made
; the Throne of his Glory. The Words are either to be underſtood
| of the Throne of the Houle of David, called the Lord's Throne,
z Chron. 29. 23. or elle the Temple, and the Ark in it, the
more ſpecial Symbol of God's Preſence : Hence he is ſaid to have
dwelt betwixc the Chernbims, Pſal. $0. 1. 1o Chap. 17. 12. the.
Prophet faich, A glorious high Throne from the Beginning is our
Sanffuary, Lord ( faith the Prophet) we have deſerved all the
Dilgrace thou canſt throw upon us, but do not thou diſgrace the
Throne of thine one Glory. y Remember, break not thy Cove-
and in the caſe of the Peoples MurmuringNumb. 14+ 19, 20. and Samuel who was ſo prevalent with God, 1 Sam 7. 9. though theſe two formerly ſo potent and prevalent Mediators tor a Pec- ple with me, /food before me, waited ( that is ) upon me, and ſolicited me on the behalf ofthis People, yet I could not favour this People, b 9g. d, Tam not able to abide the fight of them, and therefore letthem go forth. ;
2 And it ſhall cometo pals, if they ſay untothee, Whither ſhall we go forth? c then thou ſhalt tell them, Thus faith the LORD, * Such as are for Death * Chap. to death, and ſuch as are for the ſword, to the 43-11+ ſword and ſuch as are for famine, to famine, and wag i
ſuch as are for captivity to captivity. 4. es
c If they ask thee what thou meaneſt by going forth ; which g [ being a term of motion, implieth a Term to which the Motion *' ſhould be, 4d Saith God in the general, it is to Ruin and Deſtru- ion, but they ſhall not be deſtroyed one and the ſame way ; ſome ſhall be deſtroyed by the Peſtilence ( for that is here to be underſtood by Death ) others ſhall be deſtroyed by the Ea- mine, others by the {word of Enemies, others ſhall go into Capti- _ but one way or other the Land ſhall be quitted of the moſt of you.
3 And I will * appoint over them four -|- kinds, * Lev. 26. | faith the LORD e, theſword to ſlay, and the dogs 15: | d* the fowIs of th ares
to tear, and * thetowls of the Heaven,and the beaſts p,,,;1;., of the earth to devour and deſtroy f. os EE
e Four kinds of Deſtroyers,the Enemies ſword ſhall lay them Te. ind ſo make Meat for the Dogs,who fhall tear their Carcaſes,and for the Birds of prey, who ſhall prey upon their dead Bodies that ſhall lie unburied. f And I will alſo ſend amongſt them wild Beaſts, who ſhall both tear their living Bodies and their dead Carcaſs.
4 And + I will cauſe them to be * removed into + yeh, all kingdoms of the carthg ; becauſe of * Manaſſeh ive ther; the ſon of Hezekiah king of Judah, for tas which he for aremv- did 1n Hieruſalem h. .-
g Though: the body of the People were removed into Baly. > lon, yet, as it 1s more than probable that many of them fled into v4. 8f others Countries to fave chemie]ves, fo there is no doubt. but the _ ht king of Babylon removed them into.feveral Kingdoms belonging EzcK. 25. ro his large Empite. b What Mansſſ-h did, may be read 2 Kin. 2 Kines 21.11. He did wickedly,, above all that the Amorites did that © a Ns” were before bini, and male alſo Fudah to fin with bis 1s. Verſe 16. Moreover he ſhed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Ferufſalem frim ene er u0 arother, be lides bis fin wherewith he made Juith 10 fin, &c., Some makea Queſtion whether God means the pertor.al Sins of Manaſj-h ard his Mint- ſters, or only the Sins of the lame kind that the Jews ſtill conti-
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Chap. XV. SERE