* dolaters ſottiſhly. imagined that the ' Govudnels of their Land was a
Bleſſing on them from their Idols ; Thus facrilegioufly they robb'd
- God, and on this miftake they proceed to farther Impiety. 'f More
ſtately, more curiouſly wrought, more richly adorned ; and it is moft
likely more for number too, accounting It. a great Devotion to have
- many, and rich Statues of thuir Idols.
| Or, bs 2.]| Their heart is Givided 7 * now ſhall they be found
kzrh ai» faulty þ ; bei, ſhall + brezk down &k their altars : he ſhall
_ heir ſpoil their images 1. |
op PG g From God and his Worſhip, or between God and Baadl, ſuch as
EE leb. be- Zeph. 1.5. ſpeaks of, or tle divided one;trom ano: her by Parties and
ext. Fattions, and CivilWazs, which tended to their Ruin. b. As this was
- their Sin, ſo the feds hereof {houid manifeſtly prove them faulty.
i Either God, or the Kifig of 4ſ};ri2 firr'd up by God to invade and
deftroy Fpbraim, © k Ucterly pull down thofe Altars which they had
multiplied to their 1dols ; the 4//;rians ſhall, as other conquering
Heathen Idolaters, rage againft the Guds of the People they conquer,
as well as againſt the People ; ſuch was the iride and Atheiſm of theſe
Men. 1 Waſte, or deſtroy thzm 3; how goodly foever they had ſeem-
ed to be, yet they ſhould bz broken to pieces: if they were made of
rich Materials, as <ilver and Gold ; or it adorned with it, the Enemy
ſhould the ſooner ſpoil them, and then *rwill appear how ſottiſh this
People were to truſt in.-them, or aſcribe any Praiſe to them, when Baal cannot defend his own Images or People.
2-4+ 3 For m2 now n they ſhall ſay o, * We have no King p,
becauſe we feared q not the LORD; what then ſhould. a
King do to us r ? | 7
m Surely. » Frelonz. 0 See, and feel, and be convinced too of
this Trurh. þ Either no ing at all, as.in an Inrerregnum,. or no ſuch
King as we expected; and hoped: our Dependence was .much upon
the wiſe, valian*, and {ucce{sful Condutt of our King z but he iseither
Jefs wiſe, and rvaliant,or ets ſucce(stul in.his Enterprilez, qWorſhippd \
not, kept not his Liwg depended not on; God, therefore we have no.
K ng, or one next to'none, not able to helpus. 7 And now it we had
our King, were he as/pdwertul, wile, and. ſteceſstul as Feroboam the
ſecond; yet *twou'd'be too late, the, Aſſyrian; Power bath.ſo far pre-
vailed, and Gud..is: ſo far departed -from us: Kings are not able to
ſave without the God of Kings. 18-5 CL, «
+ S% _ © 4 They s have ſpoken words t, ſwearing falſly's in
Deur. 29. making a covenant.x.: thus judgment y ſpringeth up * as,
A oy
os Wt;
$4 hemlock in the farraws of the. eld z. Fo os To 5-23+ 5 The Nobles, and Great Men in /ſr az/ 3 the Heads of the' Parties,
+ 12+ or the Counſellors of the: Kingdom, * t'Have- in long and repeated Conſultations and Debates, contrived and laid:*forth the Dengns moſt I:ke to help us; but all in vain, all iz but words; Or thus, they have deceived cre ancther, and ruin'd all z and this latter ſeems exattly to jure with what follows, #« by Perjury, deceiving thoſe they: treate1 with, x Either among themſelves, accepting an Uſurper, promiling, and ſwearing Fealty to him 3 or with their Ailez, as with the Aſſyrian King, whoſe orenant'they perjurioutly broke, and contrary-to Oath {ent To, and confederatedt with Sur, or S9,-King of Ft ypt. y Fug
menr, 7, e, Divine Revenies do lo 2bound every. where,” or''eleune- | quaj and finful Projeas, Counte!ls, and Reſolutions of their Rulers are inftead of juſt whotetom and ſaving, turird into bitter, poiſonous'and pernicious as Hemlock. A proverbial Speech. exprefling the Great- nels of this pernicious Evil; So this will be explained by Amos 6. 12.
FDI E 2.
Chap,
afraid for, yet they truſtei in theſe for Aid againſt Fnemies; and roy tear they have not power enough to detend. themivIves: what Brute; are Iolaters! Of this Berh aver, principal Seat of the Calf-God, (:, chap. 4. 15+ let. f. c They who dwelt at Beth aven, who had Gain and Profit by the Idcl, to which many re{orted ; or elle they that were additted to this Ido}, worshipp'd it, and truſted nit. 4 Howl ang cry over the endanger'd God, {o tt all their Scrrows be multiplieg that haficn after any ftrange God. e That were to atzend and git; Sacrifices to theſe Calves; the Prieſts were like to loſe their Living; with their Idol. s f Theſe Prieſts formerly were cd, clothed, enrich. ed, and got into credit by thele their Idols,this made them right g12q, 2 Allic's Credit and Veneration, þ Is vanish'd ; 'twas once taken {;; a God, but now the caſe is altered, *tis turned into a Captive, an, with loſs of Liberty hath loft its Deity alſo ; the Aſjyrians have Either broken it, or carried it in Derifion into A714.
6 It þ ſhall be alſo carried + unto Afſyria ji | preſent # to King Jareb 1 : Ephraim ſhall receiyg ihame,. and. Iſrael ſhall be aſhamed » of his ogy
countel n, _ |
b The Golden Calf made by Fcroboam the Firſt, 1 Xings 12, 29, 7 Though it hath Feet, it cannot go, it muſt be born ; as 7/aiah deride; the Idols of Babylon, Iſa.,46. 2, 7. and Fer. IC. 5+ and It is catried jn Triumph. # According to the Cuſtom of conquering Generals, th: rich and rare things of the conquered People were relerved tor Gits to their Kings : and here is a Rarity indeed, a captive God, and 'ti rich, for 'tis wade of Gold. 4 Vid. chap. 5+,13+ let. 7. 1 The grex Con{ulicn of this People is here foretold, and the Certainty of ith the Ingemination of the Phraſe, the 4ſſy77ans $1 Nupbraid them with their brutish Folly,. to think that a God which could not keep it |; from becoming a Prey to inſolent Souldiers : and when thus taunted ]ſrae] $hall have nothing to anſwer, but muſt be filent with Shame, x Which is expreſly metioned, 1 Kngs 12. 8. it was againſt the Coy. {cl of God;and as they began,lo they perſiſted in it by the ſame Coung,
7 4s'for Samaria 0, her King p is cut off q as the foney
upon -| the water y. |
o After three Years Siege she $hall be cut off. p For all the ref the Kingdom was loft, and now he 1s pent up there alſo ; hethat yz once the Confidence of the Ten Tribes, and King of a mighty Peg ple, is now ſpoiled of all but one only City, where he is rather a It; foner than a iing, kept cloſe till made a Captive. ' q Shortly will > cut off; *tis not unlike this Prophecy $should be delivered when Sur; r14 was beſieged. r As a contemptible, weak, and light thing ; 2 er, and foretels how contemptibly the Afſyrians should v: them.