cife of it, as they ſhould have done, bur framed Religion to their own or their Neighbours Idolatrous Inclinations. 4 Shlighted firſt, as of little Excellency, refuſed next, and caſt off with Diſdain and Loathing. e The equitable and necelliry Rules for Government of their civil Affairs, which were framed to the Safety and Welfare of a People. j See ver, 11. lt. 6. g. Profaned with working what was prohibited, miſunploying thoſe Days on Idols, or on any common ordinary Buſi- neſs, as Exod. 16. 27. Numb. 15. 32. and Fer. 17.22, 23+ h Seever. 8. {er. 7. 5 To cutthem off from being a People, as Numb. 16. 21.
14 But | wrought for my names ſake, that it ſhould not be polluted before the heathen, in whoſe fight I brought tem out,
See Verſe 9. where theſe Words are paraphraſed,
i5 & Yet alſoI / lifted up my hand unto them in the 7 wilderneſs, that» I would not bring othem into the land
WW 1 | - . . - ”w ich [ had p given them, q flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of ali lands:
22 * & Nevertheleſs, I withdrew ! mine hand, and 7 wrought for my names fake, that ir ſhould not be polluted in the ſight of the heathen, in whoſe fight I brought them forth.
k Heb. 4nd. 1God ſeems to take to bimſelf the Poſture of one that was juſt going to ſmite, yet draws back that he mighc ſpare, and a&” like his own infinite Goodnefs, not ſurable to the Sin of this Generati= on. This isexplained wer. 9. let. -. which tee.
23 I »lifted up mine hand unto them alſoin the wilder- neſs, that *I would » featter them among the heathen, and
diſperſe them through the countrey*3
# This ſolemn Geſture and Signification ; ſee vez. 5. let. r. and [7 Here 'tis aa Oath added roa Threat,to make it more dreadful to them, and to make it ſucceſsful in keeping them from the Sin threarned. o Foretold them ofa Captivity which ſhould come upon them for theic Sins, which 'tis probable was often inculcated intheir hearing before Xoſes penn'd it for them, Dev?. 32.15. and fo £0 ver. 43, and Lev. 26.
205 -
*Pſ:58.39
Clip. XX. TEEKIA £. Chap. x)
+1; +2, 33. and 'tis infethinated t6 Make it pierce the deper, and |ſented to their Idoi, was a Provecation ufito God,” « Burne Fweet affect them the more. | ; Odours to their Idols, which did ſtink in the Noſtrils of Go 24 Becauſe q they had > riot executed my judg-[2 Wine was a part of the Offering that Sacrificers offered, anq fo
ments ; but had deſpiſed my ſtatutes, and had polluted [414 theſe idolatrous Jews here; they violated the whole L cangeT 4 Y : P Sacrifice, and did all that to Idols hey thould have done only -
my fſabbaths, and their eyes were after their - fathers| 04
OY 29 Then q || I faid » unto them , What « isthe high
o The whole 24h; Verſe 15 already explained, wry. 5. which ſee. 7 he aus 4 a That travelled through the Wilderneſs. r In all that 4o Years, place whereunto ye 7 £07 and the name thereof iScalled jy t
wherein their Fathers were to be goa and Ey. which their Chil-} Bamah « unto this day x. — dien ſhould have learn'd , kept, and done God's Judgments, but did Wh a "07 A" ET... them not. s Which their Fathers choſe in Egypr, and rerain'd with loded _ I III —_ - Im. » Godfle me , end now their Children ſerve the fame, even the Egypriar: No. 5 _ m_=_ yu that ye goto the high Place ? fone "Y 4 | : 7 0U not gotothe Altar of God, and bring your Sacrifices t 25 t Wherefore I « gave them alſo x ſtatutes zhar|ple? Or, what God better than jane A you (none 5 ware rw were not 7 good , and judgments z whereby they ſhould |profir by attending upon thofe Sacrifices offered daily > How often not live. ave you by ſuch like means, poured contempt on God and his Lawd t Becauſe they did by ſuch perverſe Obſtinacy rejet the StatutesI s Leaving my Temple and the Service I preſcrib'd, and in other Plz.
did in Mercy give them; my good Laws and Judgments, ſaith God, wW —_ doing their ſuppoſed Duties. « High Place, the very they deſpiſed ; for this Cauſe God proceeds to puniſh them in'a dread. Will tellsthem their Wickedpeſs, that they ated againſt the exprek;
ſul kind and mannier. s Not by appointing or enjoining, but by per- - of God, and fram'd themſelves to Idolaters of the Nation. mirting them to make ſuch for themſelves ; much like that Rom. 1. 24. |* nd this they did with obſtinacy continue in to the days of 70/4 Living tp to a reprobate Scnſe, or that 2 Theſ]. 2. 11; and Pſal. 81. 11, 2 Chron. 34, 3. thus far the Narrative of their great Wickedneſles, * , a 04408 won beer _ _ 57 6 arg ws = Gio Wherefore ſay unto the 9 houſe of Iſrael » Thus obitinateand unrily xou g1VCS cIels, and Calts |jaith [ , : | off the Care and Guidance of him. « Ocders and Rules abour their|,@.. LO _ GOD », Are ou polluted after the _ Religious Worlhip, which they firſt invented, next approved, and en e9= Ks and commit ye whoredom aſter their
NATIONS 7
Jaſtly made their eſtabliſh'd Religion, where all they could love in it ; EET fant: FG: tenet |» fie cone a ge pr, hh gocy, pious, or ſuted ro the ipiri CUTE z tnat were un- .-o Make enquiry, ana now the rropnet enquires of ET and 9966 wy _— P the ng ul m—_— = Men; _ # _- _ _ neg RE _ — and fell fa nor could commend the Uſers of them to God ; that were indeed per- expeCt : Your Fathers, where are they ? at became nicious to the Uſers, and increas'd their Sins, being ſuperſtitious and ſome that bore their Iniquity ? And what had become of the reſt, p Ido)atious : So the zot good, is, very bad, Inconvenient, and hurtful. | God had not withdrawn his Hand ? And all this hath been no warn- z If it be notexplicatory of the former, ut may, tis poſſible, refer |1Ng to you, but as they, ſo you have polluted your ſelves, and been diſtinQly to the inconvenient, ay rr and upaF _; Decrees, | {dolaters. and Edi&s, about civil Matters, which were {uch as they could never 1 For w | 1 thrive under ; for however ſome Heathen Nations have thrived under _—_ ſons _ mo —_ _ —_ _ bY ſ
an evident Bleſſing from Heaven, though their Religion were Idola- {: : - 4 trous, yer T do not remember that an Apoſtate Nation ever retain'g |\©Ives with all 5 your idols even unto this c day : and
their good Govergiment and civil Proſperity under their Apoſtacy * ſhall I be enquired d of by you, O houſe of Irael2+y, frotn God : thus the Judgments given were ſuch they could not live| As T live, faith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of in them; they made grievous and deſtruQtive Laws for themſelves and by you. : |
theirs. |