& This Verſe admits of various Senſes, cauſed from the various interpretation of the H: brew word, which we Tranſlate complain which alſo Ggnifies to mourn or grieve; ſo fome render it, why, doth aliving Man grieve or vex himſelf? But the word 15 noted moſt generally ro fiznifie complaining or murmuring. w The word alſo which we Tan{late Sin, ſomerimes fignifierh thar 05- lique a& which we call Sin ; and thole who Incerprer the former word grieve or vex, thus underſtand the word Tranſlated Sin, ſupplying ſome” ſuch words as theſe, Let him mourn jor his [in ? Why doth he mourn for his AffliQions and Plagues,ler him rather ſpend his Tears upon his Sins. Bur the word alſo ſignifies the gui!t of /in, or o2ligacion ro Death, which it layeth Men under, [in lizth at the door, Gen.q.7 ſoalſo Ger. 20. 9. and alſo any puniſh- ment brought upon Men for fin, Gez. 4. 13. where we Tranſlate it puniſhmenr, This ſenſe our Tranſlarors follow. The Propher ti:enin the Perſon of the Fews, checks himſelf in his complaints for their Puniſhmentcs from the conſideration, that nothing had befallen them, but whar was the ja{t reward of their (ins,
49 Let us ſearch and try our ways, aad turn again to the LORD -.
x Seeing God doth nor grieve us willingly, nor delight to cruſh us though we be his Priſoners, and ſeeing the Hand of God is 1n theſe things upon us,and that juſtly ro recomperice our Jniquicies 1070 our Boſoms, inſtead of murmuring and fretting againſt God which is not reaſonable, nor will be of any profit rous, {et us ex- amine our Thoughts, Words and Actions, and conſider what tey have been,and reform, and turn again to the Lordzby apoſtatizing from whom we have brought theſe evils upon us.
when he ſaw the Judgmenc was come he wept plentifiilly and con- {tantly,as for their fins which had broughe theſe Judgmenrs upon them, ſo for the Judgments themſelves, as Indications of God's Diſpleaſure and. Wrath againſt chem for their Tranſgreflions,
50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven h. |
h That 15, until the Lord ſheweth me ſome favour. See the Nores on Chap. 1. Ver. 9g. :
51 Mine eyeaffeQeth mine heart, || becauſe of + Heb, my
Chap:
all thedaughters of my city &. jor!
k The Eye and Ear, are thoſe Organs of the Body, by which [| Or, more |
the Soul exerciſerh irs Senſes to bring 1n all Objeas whether plea- 123 a?,
ſanr or fad to the underſtanding to judge of them,according co the judgment of which upon them it is afteRed with Joy or Sorrow, Defire or Averſacion, ec and the Eye is the chiefeſt of theſe He- cauſe irs Evidence ts more certain,and leſs tubjecs ro deceit. The Propher, and moft of the J-ws, were Eye-witneſs of rhe Evils which had befallen the J-ws and which at preſent were upon them ſo as their Hearts were the more afteRed, The word Traſlated af- feft, 15 by ſome noted ro ſignifie ro waſte and conſume, which are the effe&s of a deep affecting the Heart with fad and miſcrale Objeas. þ Our Margent tells us, that it may be alſo read more than all the Daughters of my City ;, according to which, rhe lenſe is, Thar he was more affected with the Stace of Jeruſalem, than rhe ten- dereſt Woman that had lived in it ; bur 115 as well if nor berter in this place render'd cauſally ; ſhewing the reaſon of his deep affliction, viz all choſe Miſeries he had ſcen fa!l upoa all che [e:rih Nation, or upon all the Inhabirants of ]eraſzlem. | |
52 Mine enemies chaſed me ſore like a bird, * without caule /.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon; and cait a {cone upon rae 77. »
1 Dungeon (ſeemerh nor to be here taken literally for the loweſt and nattieit place in Priſons, which probably was the portion but of 4 few of the Jews 3 but metaphorically for the loweſt and ſaddett condition of Miſery, Their Enemies had broughe them inro the deepeft Miſerics to the curring oft their Lives, arid as Men uſe ro roll great Stones upon the Mouths of Dens and Pitz where rney have ſhut up Perſons, romake chem fure from cfcapmg our, io
41 Let us lift up our heart with or hands uato
God in the heavens y.
y Ler us apply our ſelves unto God by Prayer, often expreſſed under this Notion in Scripture from that geſture ordinarily uſed 1n Prayer : and let us nor doit in Hypocrifie, but joyning our Hearts with our Hands, praying ſeriouſly and fervently.
42 We have tranſgreſſed and have rebelled, thou haſt not pardoned =.
q The Prophet doth not diftare words, but ſenſe to them 3 teaching them the marrer of their Prayer firſt by way of Confe//i- 01. Sin 15 called a Tranſgreſſion, becauſe it is going afide from the way of God's Preceprs 3 it is called Rebellion, becaule it is an aR contrary to that Allegiance and Duty, which we owe unto God, and che Covenant we have made with him. By pardoning here 1s meant, the diſcharge of the guilty Perſons from the temporal pu- nifſhoment due for fin; (as it 15 often takenin Scripture) ſo irfigni- fiesz Thou hat plagued us according to the juſt deſert of our fins.
4-3 Thou haſt covered with anger a, and perſecu-
ted us ; * thou haſt ſlaia, thou haſt nor pitied b.
2 Either thou haſt covered thy ſelf with anger, or covered thy own Face with anger,ſo as not to look upon us to move thy City or (which1s more probably the ſenſe) thou haſt covered, that 15, overw''/med us with thy Wrath. 6b Thou haſt purſued us to a fata! ruine, withour ſhewing us any pity,
44 Thou haſt covered thy ſelf with a cloud, that
our prayer ſhould not paſs through e. c God had covered them with Wrath,overwhelming them with Aftiictions, fo as they had no way to eſcape ! and whereas in this diſtreſs they had nothing elſe ro do,bur only to apply themſelves ro God, he had hid his Face from them, ſo as they could ger no comfortable fight of him;he was as one covered with a Cloud thar could not be diſcerned through that opacious Body. What is meant by rhis Cloud, whether, his fixed reſolution to puniſh them, or his freſh remembrance of their fins,or his juſt Will ro be revenged on them, ſeems roo curiouſly inquired, The Phraſe is a Metaphor and ſignifies no more than that God would not hear their Prayers
their Enemies had dealt with thera, doing what lay in tem ro | make their Condition remedileſ; ard dciperate,
54 * Warers flowed over mine head , ez * 1+ pai. 69. 2.8 124,
'faid, I am cut offs.
* Plal 44,
| As Boys beat a Bird from Buſh to Buſh, ſuffering it to reſt no 19 &X 55. where, {9 mine Enemies to whom I gave no cauſe purſued me, 4-£109.3:
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