Pirmneſs Fruitfulneſs, -nd Life of this Stat2, was in 2 Subjeftion - h Either Nebuch.rdnezza;'s by impoſing, or Zedekinh's by ſubmitting IL ,
-:10 of Babylon, 1 T bus, in this Order and Manner of D=pen-
_— bp Jews and their King had Life, Growth and Verdure. Ss and itronger Boughs tor preſet Strength, Beauty and Þcuit. p Younger and tenderer Springles, as Children the Hope of
facure times | ;
7 q here was alſo 7 another great eagle wich 5 great wings and many feathers; and behold, this 7 vine did uy bend her roots towards him, and x ſhot forth her branches cowards him, that he might water it by the & furrows of her plantation. |
9 This is the ſecond Pait of the Parable. 7 7. e. The King of Zzypr, whether .Jpries, or Hop/ra, Or what other was his Name, we need not curiouſly enquire, '(was King of Egypt, v. 1 5. 5 Vid. wv. 3. t Zede- ia, his Noblcs and People. » Sought the Friendſhip and Help of the Kiog of Exypt. x Sent Ambaſſadors, made a Covenant, and cruſted to the Power of Ezypt to defend her B; anches. » That they miglit add to their Greatneſs and proſperous Condition, as Trees grow by due and ſcafonable watering them. z Alluding ro thz manner of Ir- rigation uſed in Egypr, by Furrows or Trenches to convey the Water unrco their Piantatious from the River Nt.
chat ic mizke bring forth branches, and that ic might bear fruic, that ic might be a goodly vine. I
a By Nebuchadnezzar 11 2 very hopeful Condition, where it might have thrived, been fruirful, and flouriſhed. Bur they, borh King and People, were unthankful, and diſcontented, and by ſinful Courles ſeek to better themſelves; they had no great or juſt Cauſe to com- plain of Nebuchadnezzar's Uſage towards them, bur out of Pride, Am- bicion and Ingraticude, joined with Perjury, they revolt, anc pro- voke God's Wrath, and Nebuchadnezzar's Rage againſt them. :
9 b Say thou, Thus faith the Lord GOD, Shall # it proſper? ſhall 4 he not e pull up the roots thereof and f cur off the fruit thereof, that ir g wither 7 it ſhall wi- ther in all the + leaves of her ſpring,” even without i great power, or many people to pluck it up by the roots
thereof. : 5 Tell them what will be the Iflue of al! this, and tell it to them 1n
my Name. «c This Vine ; ſhal Zedekiah and his Peoplethrive by this ?
'tis a Queſtion that muſt be reſolved negarively and with Vehemency.
to 1t, and cbliging himſelf by it. j The Kingdom of the Jews. k Continue and flouriſh.
ambaſladors into a Egypt, * that they. niight 5 give him horfes and c mach people : ſhall he 4 proſper ? ſhall he
covenant, and be delivered ?
u Zeazkiah. x Endeavoured to caſt off the Dominion of the Con- queror. y Nebuchadarzzar, who had advanced him, and obliged him, 2 This is that calied bending his Roots toward the ſecond Eagle. a An old bitter Enemy, and an impotent and falfe Friend. 6 Belide the Perjury, here was a curſed truſting to an arm of flcſh, of which Iſa. 31. 1. &c Zedckiah had not Men to fer upon his hired Horſes ; Ezypt muſt help here too. How ſortiſhly doth this unhappy Z:d:kish act, to run himtelf on the Charge and Hazard of a new War, in which whoever is the gainer, he and his are ſure to be the Loſers ? d See vr, 9. 10. e Can it be likely Vengeance ſhould not overtake fuch Ingratitule ? f Can Perjury be the way for any Man's Deliverance? Can ſuch notorious Sinning end in aoy thing but Miſcry ?
16 g As | live, faith. the Lord GOD, ſurely * 54 in the place ; where the king & dwelleth that made / him king, #2 Whoſe oath » he deſpiſed, and whoſe covenant he brake, eves with him, in the midſt of Babylon he 0 ſhall die.
g As ſure asT am God, and live, IT will puniſh this Perjury. þ A particular Account of che Puniſhment. # Babylon, k Nebuchain. ar, { Zedekiah. m The Oath Nebuchadnezzar impoſed. » Conrempruonſly, without any juſt Cauſe given,and therefore this perfidious Prince could never expect more Favour, but muſt in reaſon fear the greareſt Seve- rities ; under this Fear Zedekiah ſhall ſpend the reſt of his Days. o He ſhall rather be always dying, for though he lived a natural Life, yer 'rwas 1n ſuch Sadneſs, it is more properly ſtiled a dying, in blindneſs under the Mcmo1ialof the moſt affective Sight, the Murder of his Children, which was the Jaſt thing his Eye ever beheld.
17 Neither ſhall Pharaoh with hz p mighty army and great q company make r for him in the war, s * by caſting up mounts, and building forts, to £ cut off many perſons.
ers, if as many as the Egyptian can vainly promiſe, or the Jews more vainly hope. 4 Poſlibly ic may refer ro the Multicudes which uſually
ſer up, deſtroy the King thereof f Put ro the Sword and flay the Children of Zedckiah and of the Nobles. g Never be in poſſibility of ſpringing ; ſo much is threatned by the withering of the Branches. þ All the promiſing Hope they had ſha!l vaniſh as che hope of a Tre? vaniſherh, when all its Buds and Leaves wither in its Spring. # The King of Babylon ſhall do this eaſily, and never need to imploy all his Power and People to do this, utcerly to root up this Vine.
10 & Yea, behold, being planted, / ſhall it profper ?
coucheth it ? it ſhall wither in the » furrows where it grew.
& Nay, ſuppoſe this Contrivance were ſucceſsful, ſuppoſe this Vine were planted by the Help of Egypt. 1 Could it poſlibiy proſper? no, no. » When the King of Babylon, which like the blaſting Wind comes from the North-Eaſt, ſhall but rouch ir, 'twill utterly wither.
artended rhe March of Armies, or elſe 'ris a doubling the thing in doubled Words. r» If Zedekiah be the Perſon, as our Verſion carrieth it, it foretells the Unprofirableneſs of the Egyprian Army, thar ſhall not do him any Kindneſs, if Nebuchadnezzar be intended, as the Ver- ſion waich renders the Heby. particle (againf)then it forerels the lictle Hurt that the Egyprians ſhall do to Nebuchadnezzar. 5s When Nebuchad. #:22ar ſhall with ſo much Speed and Skill caſt up Forts, and build Mounts, wooden Cattles, to annoy Feruſal:m, ſecure his own Forces, and terrify the Ezyp:ian King from the Difficulty of raiſing the Siege, which could not be done without Expence of much Blood. #- Of the beſieged in Ferzſalem, and of the Egyptians. if they attempt to raiſe the Sicge; this Senſe it bears in the French Verſton,
I8 « Seeing he deſpiſed the oath by breaking the cove. nant (when lo, x he had y given his hand) and hath done all theſe z :hings, he ſhall not eſgape.