away ' | - $ | . r Since their Sins ate ſo many and ſo great, for, thoſe, very Sins al- 2ady mentioned 'in the firſt and ſecond Verſes. s Which the ten Tribes did now inhabit. 7 Tt is a Meraphorical' Exprefhon, for pro- perly it cannot be ſpoken of the {enfe!els and inanimate Creatures z but as Men and Wornen mourn under the los of their Comtorcs anu
Joys, as they negleft themſelves in their Habi:s, and go lels neat, (o | ſhould be Teachers, are and will be. ignorant, will not know, Teied
when the Sins of "the People ſhall bring an Enemy upon the Land, when War ſhall firſt ſpoil their Cities, Lowns, Vineyards an.l Olive-
yards,-and finally ſhall carry the People Captive, all ſhall run into [that Il deſtroy your Prieſthood ; and I will do this: with Deteftaticy
horrid and ſaddeſt State, and be in doletul plight. The ſame Ex- | preſſion ſee in 1/z. 24. 4. and much like Amos 1, 2. u NO ſort of Men but had provoked God and finn'd,no fort but ſhould be punilh'd ; all that continue in the Land rill theſe threatned Judgments overta«c them. x Shall with Grief and Vexation pine away ; what they lee with their Eye ſhall make their Heart ache, and faint with greateſt Dejetedneſs and Ielpair, as the word imports, /ſ4.16.3.-and Foel 1.12. | » Theſeare elſewhere menacetl , Zeph. 1. 2+ which ſee 3 God pabiſh
eth Man in cutting off hat was made for Man'SBenefit antl Comfort ; | -
and *tis probable that the ramer Cattle were ftarved'for want of Grals | or Fodder, all being, eaten up and conſumed by the waſting Armies, }
+ The tamer and innodnr; either kill'd) by Enemies, or offenfged ith ſtench and noxious Air, die of forſake the Country, or are devohred by Eagles-and Birds of Prey,which in thole Countries wait on Armies, 7 Whether by drying up the Waters ot Riveygy Lakes, and Porids, or by corrupting them "with Blood and Carcaſes, or by what other way we know not ; he can do it, who faith he will ; and we are: {ureit ſpeaks the Greatneſs of the threatned Deſolation. |
a Yet alet no-man b ftrive EC. nor reprove d another : for thy e Pcople ' are as they that ſtrive f with the; Prieſt g. Ne 3
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4 Tho Judgments great and waſting are ſo ſure, tho the approach- |
ing Calamities will lay all utterly waſte. 5 None of private.Capa- City ; nov. [rieſt or :Prophet any more open their Mouths to .reaſon , and debate with thts Yeaple ; let all know they are ſo obſtinate;andy -hardned;”tis'to no purpoſe to warn any, mure.. «©, Contend as in Cauſes! pleaded before a Judge, tay, not the Law before them, who have {o; often retuſed to hedr it, - 4,No more chide or ſharply inveigh againſt their Sins and Ways. ;. Or this whole Paſſage may be thus read, Tet.
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. certainly there none that -miy or can ſirive &cs, Allare fo corrupted, !
that there is noheitree, who may with Canfidence argue againſt ot JETS. | 4 SCC Ver. 6. let. t. o Covetgus, Luxurions, Idolatrous- Prieſts, the
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"IX Uhap, [ me a : ſeeing thou haſt forgotten the law of thy God þ | will alſo forget c thy children d. ES ; t The Divorce was not yet.iflued out, the ten! Tribes yet were j;
fome ſenſe Ammi. nu Not. only in the. Prophetick Stile are, becaule- e re long they ſhall moſt certainly be deſtroyed, but in the courſe gf
tne Hiſtory *tis plain in matter of Fatt, many of them” were cy: oF = » by P#] King of Ajſyria, 2 Kings 15, and many were deftroyed by tha by I bloody and cruel Tyranny of Menahem, and more were ruin'd in the: 9 Eftatcs by Exattions and Impoſitions, the Civil Wars; tte Seditiors o
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the Uturpations of ſome, and the depoſing of others were things the irophet #sſea lived to ſee, and I believe ſpeaks of here ag thingy char had already deftroyed many. , x Of God, his Law, his Menace;
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But our Veriion is better of the two. , e Thy Country-men,, Zoſea, it; Prieſts of Baat and the Calves, þ Watch to, ard earneſtly deli,
the former words be the words of God to the Prophet :. Or. aſe if. they . be the words of the Prophet to the, People, then he ſpcaks to! them of the Temper 'of their Neighbours andl People with whom' they-dwelt. It is much:;one which we take, for Hoſes was now amo3g! them z and whether his People or no, they are ſtill the ſame Perſons!
ſpoken'of, f There! js no 1agenuity, -Modeſty, or Fear of God or!| their doings.
Man left among theta, they- will contend with their Teachers, Re-, provers, and Countellors, - They will jukify themfelves, and condemn; all Reproof ; they will-adhere co Sin and. reject all better Advice,juft; as they Ml. 1. 2, 7. and 2. 14. g This doth not ſuppoſe, much leſs
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afſerr, the Priefts of Baal and the Calves to be true Prieits; bnc were; |; + uniſhment ſhall be equal too, both. Prieſt and Peqple ſhall be led in
they as true as they are falſe, yet tuch 1s the Temper of the People, they would not hear, .contider and amend, whoever conteſted "with them. Let them alone: tizeretore to periſh with obſtinate Sinners.* | !
5 Therefore þ ſhalt thou i fall k in the day 1, and the they ſhall commit whoredom t, and ſhall. nor ij
+Heb.c Prophet z allo ball fall » with thee o in the nigh p, and off £2: I q will f deſtroy r thy Mother s. | ER
: hb Becauſe thy Sins are ſo many and ſo great, and thou art incor+ rigible in them. 7 The Prophet curns his Speech to the People, thou O Jjrazl; he ſpeaks to them as to one Perlon, they were all of one
. . » - 4 Þ] y - - > , 8s - — , ; * - . p P piece in Sin, and ſhould be ſo one in Puniſhment, & Stumbte, and | (ajq i, eat up the Sin of that People, 5. e. by finful Courſes tie)
tall, and be broken. 7 Or this day, 7. e. very [uddenly,your Fall ſhall be preſently effeRed by your Enemies Power, Vigilance and Succeſſes; it | | {hall be no.longer delayed. m Who ſpake ſmooth things, who prophe+ fied Lies ; the talſe Frophets of Baal and the Groves, Fer. 14, 13, 14
to this People. Or, as we read it, when the People are ruin'd and
continually fall ; or allutively, both ſhall tall-as a Man that falls: inthe |, Night, Orelſe the Prophet ſhall fall in the darkeit Calamiries,he thall be covered with thickelt Clond,who fallly foretold-and promi ed Light
or make to cea, or be lilent tor ever 5 Vid. cap. 1. ver. 4. ket, n, s Both the State , or Kingdom ; and the Synagogues, or mock+ - Churches : ,The Publick 1s as Mother to private Perlons, fo all hal be deitroyed, which allo came to pals betore the Propher Z0jea. died,