In the 16:5 Verſe, former part, God promiſeth to his People, that hz willdo allthe Offices ofa good, watchful, and render faithful Shep- 12rd, which choſe Shepherds did neglett, v7. 4. which ſee. nu Yer. 4. Jet. ;. w Ib. let. q. y 1h:d.let.o, and» = Severely puniſh, which as threatned, ſo was fulfilled in the Ruine of the Rulers of this People. a3 The powerful and rich, who by oppreſling and devouring my Peo- ple grew far, proud, troubleſom and dangerous to the poor Sheep. 5 By their Authority I gave, and by the Encroachments they have made to increaſe their Power. c 'Tis an Irony. I'll feed them bur with Wormwood and Gall, my ſore but juſt Judgments and Diſpleaſure, ſo ſome ; but others refer Judgment here to Reaſoa, Decency and Fit. neſs the moſt convenienc, beneficial and ſafe way, as a wiſe Shepherd will I fced theſe my Sheep ; and either may conſiſt with the Context.
I7 And as for you, O my flock, thus ſaith the Lord * Ch, >» GOD, Behold, * I judg 4 between T cattel and cartel,
27, 38, between the rams e and the ÞF he-goats.
*Zech to. & Make a diff:rent Eftimate and Judgment between Men and Men, 3. between the ſmaller and weaker, that need more Tenderneſs, and the Matt. 25. greater and ſtronger, whoſz Violence 1s to be reſtained - and as be- $2, comes me, and their diff: rent State requires, I will do. e The Hiero- + Heb. glyphick of Rulers in the Authoricy, Humours and Carriage toward ſms#'! cat=their Subje&s, who are allo obſerved, and ſhall be dealt with accord- tcl of 'smbs ingly, when God makes good all this his Word.
are bits. 18 Seemeth f it a ſmall thing unto you, to have eaten up
_ Heb. . ap ";, the good paſture, but ye mult tread down with your feet
722: The reſidue of your paſtures? and to have drunk of the deep g waters, but ye muſt foul 5 the reſidue with your
feet ?
f God a wakens them by this Interrogatory to think firſt, and then ſpeak what this is, when you are full fed, and others hungry and rea- dy to flarve, who might live on that you leave, if you did not ſpoil it, dayor think ſuch dealing isno Crime ? Is it not a very great. Cruelty,
and a mo#t barbarous Inhumaniry ? You great ones, who have much
{ will ſee in what State ind Condition they aretoo. c ide More than others, partly by the Bounty of th? Lord of the Sheep, and
e , but under partly by your Injuſtice and Rapine,you eat the far and ſweer,and wht | you cannor cat you waſte and ſpoil ; and what would you fay if yay,
proud, fat and ſpiteful Servants in your Houſes ſhould de ſe to their weaker, leaner, and modeſter Fellow-ſervants ? g Which are cles; to the Eye, and pleaſant, which are ſweet to their Palate, which 2.
| wholeſom to the Drinker. +þ In ſpite as much as Wantonneſ; vou
places, where they have been ſcattered in the cloudy fand| ſtamp inthe, raiſe all the Mud from the bottom, thar makes the Vy,.
tersunfirto be drank: is this a trival thing, thus to ſtarve and Choak
brings thoſe you ſhould feed and refccſh ? Such hath been the Carriage of y,y r' rich, powerful, ruling and governing Part of my People, who tj he looks till he been+torced cither to live on what you made unwholſom and noxio,; if orto ſtarve at home, or ſeek ſomewhat abroad; this hath deſtroyed m ornear them, he will: many,and diſperſed more,but I will not always wink at,and bear thi;
if under-Servants have | ] been careleſs, they ſhall be warned or turned away. So here, &.' troden with your feet, and they drink that which "
1 ( 1
19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye hays
have fouled with your feet.
20 ET Therefore thus faith the Lord GOD unto them, Behold, I, ever I will judg &berween the fac Zcattel, arg between the lean » cattel.
; See the Phraſe, wer, 11. Jet. a, & Yer. 17, let. d. I am Judge by Office, and I will vindicate and right the Poor by Judgment. 1 Tj, rich, voluptuous, and wanton ones. # The Poor and [Indigent thy; are deſpiſed, oppreſſed, and injured; thus the Chald. Paraphr. between efie rich Man and the poor Man.
21 Becauſe ye have thruſt with ſide and with ſhoulde-, and puſh'd all the diſeaſed with your horns, till ye hay; {cattered them abroad :
22 Therefore » will I fave o my flock,, and they ſhall no more be a p prey, and I will judg q between cattel and catte].
2» Inthe 21: Verſe thoſe Metaphors and Alluſions do expreſs the Unmercifulneſs, Injuftice, Pride, Cruelty, and wanton Tyranny ofthe Rulers in Church and State, againſt the meaner People, that as you the greater Cattelrun againſt the leſſer, andoverturning or laming, ſome way or other hurting them by ſhouldring againſt them ; or as horned Cattel wound and tear the weaker, and make them run for it; fo had theſe Rulers uſed their Power to the hurt and ſcattering of rhe People, 0 Becauſe I ſee they deſtroy who ſhould defend. þ I will interpoſe; they will not, but I will be fo kind, juſt and faithful co my People, and promiſel will ſave from foreign Violence and home-Oppeſſion; p See ver. 5. let. 8. and ver. 10, let. y. q See ver. 17. let. d. and wer. : let, k.
what intended, bur principally and plenarily, as Chriſt is intended here,” ſo in him 'twas accompliſhed ; for he is the great, good, chief, only," Shepherd that laid down his Lite for his Sheep. :- Give rhem bel}," moit abundant, and moſt ſeaſonable Food, he alfo ſhall govern them in Righteouſneſs, and with Equity. u Meſiah ( as Kimchi on the Place) of the Seed of David, the beloved one, who was typified by Davii andin other Places called by this Name, as Fer. 30.9. ch. 37. 24. and Iſa. 37. 35- Heſ. 3.5. « Doallthe Office ofa good and fairliful Shep. herd, and that for ever. »y I willtruſt them in his Hands, for he will keep them, that not one of them ſhall be loſt, bur ſhall go in and out under his Hand, and find Paſture.
24 And I the LORD & will be their 2 God, and ny ſervant b David c a prince 4 among them, I the LOR) e have ſpoken 2.
£ The glorious, gracions,eternal One. # I ſo puttheminto Chriſt's Hand, thatſti!] I am and will betheir God : yea, I will, chrough this my Servant David, be their God. 6 Chriſt was in this great Wok his Father's Servant ; Iſs. 42.1. and 52. 13. Ezek. 37. 24, 25. c A wer. 23. let.u. Chriſt called David there as well as here. & So Chriſt
.
1s Prince and Saviour to his Church, A4#s 5. 31. e God ſeals it with this as his Oath, unchangeable.
25 And 1 will make fwith them a covenant g of peace,
in the woods /.