now the time of Fehoizkin, the Son of Joſiah, who reigned but eleven Years, and it js probable this was his fifth Year, (for 10 that Year he proclaimed the Faſt for the Drought, as 15 luppoled Chap. 36. 9. ) Tho' the People were bad enough f1]], yet 1t 15 no way probable, that they were fo bad es in the time of Manaſſ:h. We know all Foſi2h's time, the Father of this Prince, was a time of Reformation, though it be certain, much of their old Leaven ot Idolatry and Superſtition was yet in them. Whatever therefore ſome think, God undoubtedly meaneth the Guile that Manaſj: 5 and his Subjects contraCted, forty Years betore this time : Nor do I ſee any reaſon why any ſhould queſtion, whether it be confi- ſtent with the Juſtice of God, to puniſh the'Sins of Parents upon their Poſterity, when it is no more than we ſee done every day in the Puniſhments of Traytors and Felons, by the ſeizing the Eſtates of their Children, and in Wars, upon the Taking of Cities and Fortified Places ; and it is no more than God hath threatned jn the Second Commandment, Exod. 20. and declared it as a piece of his name, Exod. 54- and done in a multitude of Scriptural In- {tances. Manaſſeh is here named as the Son of Hezekiah, for his ſhame, becaule of his degeneracy from ſo good a Parent. It is ex- prefly faid, 2 Kings 23. 6. that notwithſtand Jofzah s Reforma- tion yet the Lord turned not from the hercenets of his wrath,kin- dled againſt $udah for the provocations of Manaſſeth.
5 For * who ſhall have pity upon thee, O Hieru- ſalem? or who ſhall bemoan thee? or who ſhall go
+ Heb: alide + to ak how thou dolt z.
ask ofthy i The tum ofthis is, That this People ſhould be in a moſt mi-
Peace. ſerable pitileſs ſtate and condition ; none ſhould regard them in the day of their Calamity, nor ſo much as once enquire after them, how they fared, or what they did.
6 Thou haſt forſaken me, faith the LORD, thou art gone backward, therefore will I [fretch our my hand agaiaſt thee, and deſtroy thee, I am weary wich repentiug &. ] :
k God here by more Paraſes of the ſame import with many that we have betore met with, declarech his ſteady Reſolution to deſtroy them for their Apoſtacy trom him ; and fets out himſelf to them as angry Princes or Parents, that had been ofren pro-
YL 46 13%
voked againſt a Subject or a Child, and often reſolved ro puniſh
the Offender, bur out of their own Clemency, or upon the Me-' © ] r1je ; ; '1s, thoſe Nations 1n it againſt which God ſent him to denounce
diatio:1 and Interceilion of others for them, had altered their Minds, and reſolved to ſpare them, but at laſt met with ſo many freſh Provocations, that they are weary of forgiving them any longer ; ſo God declareth himſelf weary of his patient bearing with them, and zefolved to bear no lopger. 7 And IL will fan them with a fan in the gates of | Or,what- the land /; 1 will bereave them of || children m; 1 foever is Will deſtroy my people, ſh they return not from
dear. their ways #. _ :
1 Not a purging Fan by Afffiidtion, to ſeparate their Chaff and Drofs from them, but a 1. a:tering Fan. Some Tranſlate it into the gates of the earth : So it isthe ſame thar God had betore ſaid, that he would remove them into all Nations, ( Gates being pur for Cities; ) but it is more probable, that chis is added in purſuir of the Metaphor of Fanning, Men uſually chooſing Barn-dooys to fan at, that they n.ay have the Advantage ofthe Wind. m Of Children
M1IA4H Chap. XV.
than the other Word, as it is in the Hebrew; it is I kzvs cauſed to fall upon it ſuddenly, the City and Terrors. The Word here uled Ty, gnis, commonly figntfiesa City in Scripture, and is very rarely Tranſlated otherwiſe. Were it not {or the Advert ſud- denly coming berween jt and Cy, the Sence were plain a::d thus I will cauſe to fall upon that City Terrors; others read it, ! will cauile himto fall upon it, and Terrors upon the City. The Word lometimes 1n Scripture ſignifies Enemies, and is fo Tranſlaced 1 Sam.28. 16. Pſal. 139.20. Dan, 4. 19. In this Signification of the Word, the Sence is plain, I will tend upon it the Ecemy and Terrors. The Learned Author of our Engl:ſh Annotations oblerves it is tranſlated a Watcher, Dan. 4. 13, 23. and thinks the Sence may be thus, I have cauled ir to fall upon them ſuddenly, a Warcher that bringeth Terrors; to which purpole he tells v5, -_ Chaldeans Forces are compared to Watchers, Chap. 4. 16, 17. ancF.6,
9 She that hath born ſeven hlanguiſheth : ſhe hath giving up the ghoſt ;* her ſon 1s goue down while it * 4:55 Ta yet day 7, ſhe hath been aſhamed and confound- 8: 5 ed k, and the reſidue of them will I deliver to the
ſword, before their enemies, ſaith the LORD /. þ Seven ſignifies many, 1 Sam. 2. 5. Fob 5. 19. The Prophet compiains, that Hieruſalem, or the Country of Fu4ah, that had been very numerous in People, now grew feeble neither able to maintain thoſe ſhe had born, nor yet to bare more. tIn the mid!{t of her Proſperity ſhe became thus miſerable. { A part of them were confounded by the Judgments of God, whic!1 cam? upon them betore their Captivity, 1 For the Remainder of them ( ſaith God ) they ſhall be deſtroyed by the Sword of che Enemy lo * Wo is me, my mother, that thou haſt born *3ob 3. 2, me a man ſtrife, and a man of contention to the þoth whole earth : -| have neither lent on uſury, nor <P: 22»
isnot inthe H:brew, and 15 needlefly ſupplied ; it may as well ce of any, or all their Comforts or good Things. n Their Privi- ledge claimed of being my People ſhall not protect them, ſo long as they go on in their lewd and fintu] Courles. $ Their widows are encreaſed to me above the | Or, 4- ſand of the ſeas o, I have brought upon them || againſt gainſ! the the mother of the young men, a ſpoiler at noon- mother day p: I have cauſed him to tall upon it ſuddenly,