GC Preacher : what, forbid a People to rejoice when things proſper with them ? When ſhould a People rejoice if not then ? The Prophet who had a deeper Reach, and took a larger Proſpett of things, had good cauſe to adviſe, or warn or forbid as he doth; for he ſaw more cauſe to grieve than to rejoyce, and ro mourn than to be merry 3 the Reaſon you will have preſentiv. 5 You of the ten Tribes. © For any thing that is counted juſt matter of Joy z though at preſent you proſper either under Feroboam 24. h:s victorious Arms, or under M-n them, and the Safety he hath procured by a Confederacy with Ajjyria, though at other times theſe might be Matter of rejoicing, now in thy Circumftances, O /ſr2-1, 'tis not meet thou ſhouldſt ſhew any Gladneſs, d With Feaftings, publick Games, and Triumphs, or with ſolemn Sacrifices of Thankſgiving, or with erecting Statues to the Memory of your great and brave Commanders, or for continuing the remembrance of their Atchicvements. e With thee, O Jſrael, *tis as unſeemly as *tis for an Adultereſs Wife to rejoice and be jovial, whilſt the Guilt of her Adulteries, and the ſhame of her Lewdnefles, and the diſpleaſure of her Husband fly in her Face, and whiſper Re- proofs in her Far. f Such as is given by Adulterersto lewd Women. £ Thou haſt loved to ſce thy Floor full, and haſt thought and ſaid thy Idols had ſo furniſhe(l thee, and therefore thou didft love them. Though Mirth might become an honeſt Woman, it doth not ſo well {uit with a diſhoneft Adultereis; the very Place, the Company and occafion do upbraid ſach an one rejoicing with her lewd Adulterers : befides this Adultereſs's Toys will be {hort, and end in Sorrows and Shame, ſo will thine O J1ſrael.
|| Or , 2 The floor þ and the || wine-preſs ; ſhall not feed k
wine-fat. them 1, and the new wine ſhall fail in her m.
þ The Corn which is gathered into the Floor and that is threſhed there, that Plenty which theſe ſotriſh Idolaters have and think they have it from their Idols, the Bread rhey eat. For here is the Floor put for the Corn, and the Bread made of it. 7 By the ſame Figure put for the Wine that is preſt out in it, though there 1s great | lenty and the Fats overflow as well as the Preſs full, k All this Ulenty ſhall not nouriſh and ftrengthen them. Since they think their Tdols give them their Corn and Wire,let them zive alio what I will not give, a Bleſſing on theſe that they may ſupport and reireſh them they ſhall be lean and half-ftarved in their Plenty, unleſs their Idols can do this for them, 7. e. bleſs their Food, 7 Who ſeek to Idols for Corn and Wine, and praiſe their Idols as givers of it. Theſe I will blaft, their Proviſion ſhall-be as theirs, Hg. 1.6, m# Or, lie unto her, or fail her ExpeQation. Samaria and all Iirael expett a fair and full Vintage, but they expctt it from their Idols which are a DoGrine of Lies, and in this as in all other will lie.
3 They » ſhall not dwell in the LORDs land o ; but
* Ch.$.13, * Ephraim ſhall return t2 Egypt p, and * they ſhall eat -_— 4+ unclean things in Allyria 9. tb oF Who worſhip Idols, an-! give my Glory to them, depending on * ** ®* them, and aſcribing to them what I alone give them. o Though they bave been in Pofſſcſhon many Years, and though now they ſeem out of fear of loſing it, being great at Home, ani in Peace with Neigh- bours abroad; yet in muſt of this Proſperity and Security, let them note it, they ſhall not much longer dwell in the Lord's Land, which God gave them according to Promile, with exprels Condition that they ſhould obey Him. and fear Him, and Him only, Deut. 6. 2, 3. and with expreſs menace of Exile and Ruin it they forgat God, Deut. $8. 19, 20. This Land which 1s the Lord's Propriety, and theirs only on Condition, and this Condition broken ſhall be their Poſſeſhon no longer. p Many of Ephraim, for *tis not meant of all or the moſt part, but of the more Timorous , Wary, and who con- ſult their Safety before-hand ; many ſhall fly into Egypt and ſhift out of the Enemies reach. Sq again, ver. 6. q The reſidue who fly not into Exypt, ſhall be carried Captives, and in Aſjy1iz be forced to cat forbidden Meats, called here unclean, (uch polluted the Eater.
4 They » ſhall not offer wine-offerings s to the LORD, neither ſhall they be pleaſing unto him ft : their ſacri- fices ſhall be unto them as the bread of mourners « : all that eat thereof ſhall be polluted x; for y their bread = for their ſoul ſhall not come &@ into the houſe of
the LORD.
r Captived for their Idolatry and other Sins, Ss Theſe were by the Law appointed to be offered with the Morning and Evening Sa- crilice ; the Sacrifice repreſented Chrift, and Pardon by Him ; the Wine-offcring repreſented the Spirit of Grace ; the Sac rifice repeated daily continued their Peace and Pardon. The Spirit of Grace ſup- ported, guided, comforted and retreſhed ; all which ſhall be with- held from thele Captives, the Law of God forbidding no one Account, the Law of their Conquerors forbidding on other Account. t Or if any ſhould venture to do it, and think thereby to appeale God's anger, they ſhall miſs thcir Aim, "twill not pleaſe God, « Their Euchari- {tical Sacrifices, in which they were uſed to feaſt with Joy, ſhall be to them as the Bread of Mourners, as if they had buried a Father or Mother, and to comfort or ſupport their {adned Spirits did torce themſelves to {ome larger Allowance and choiccr Meats ; {o great ſhould be their Grief in the midſt of their Joys. Or elſe thus, their Sacrifices ſhould as much pollute them and difpleaſe God, as if one mourning for the Dead, and forbidden to ſacrifice in Tears and Mourning, ſhould yet venture to do it, and againſt Law lacrifice to his God when polluted by the Dead, Num. £9. 11, 12, 13, 14. and Deut, 76. 14. x 0 far (hall theſes Mens Sactifices be trom expiating
HOSP A.
Chap, I
and purifying, that they ſhall increaſe their Guilt and Danzer, and