or fince they call themſelves his, he is willing to encourage them by owning all in them that loyks toward him. ; Or, continue ſuſ- pence, doubtful and unreſolved what to do, or rather inclined moſt to an Averlion from me z tho the Lord's Prophets have perſwaded them earneſtly to return by Repentance, yet they continue unrelolved what is heft to be done, whether to adhere to their Idol-Gods, to make ſure of Feyptian Aids, or tv turn to God, and caft off the other z this they moſt diſlike, and continue as *twere tack'd and faftned to their Rebellion, as the {cc Verſion, 2 The Prophets. » Invit- ed, exhorted and encourage. the: with many fair Promiles to give Glory to God by returning, « Not one of many, icarce any one 1n thoſe great Numbers in //- a! would hearken and obey. p God in his Holineſs, Juftice, Grocinels and I ruth, all which a repenting Peo- ple do magnify, but thele wii! not. They recam their Idols, cepend on Fxypr, and put all on thar caft, and will neither believe nor try God's Goouanels.
8 * How ſhall ? five thee up q, Epliraim ? how ſhall I
deliver thee, Iſrael ? how ſhall 1 make thee as * Ad- « Gen-14- mah ? how ſhall 1 ſer thee as Zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me yr, my repentings ure kindled toge-
272, ther s.
4. Amos 4, 'PE
After ſuch unparallell'd ahule of infinite Mercy and Patience what
could be expetted, but unreicutirg Wrath and fierceft Indignation / but here isa Wonder above all the reft ; Bowels troubled anf1l firug- ling with Anger, and conteſting on behalr 07 moſt inexculavle Sin- ners. q O Fphraim, thou haft deſerve to be deftroyed for ever,
{ braids them with this their Sin.
thy <ins call for this, al my Jultice Threatens it 3 I may do it, but
my Mercy interpoſeth, and 1 would rather {pare in Merc; than de-
firoy in Juſtice : there is ſtill a debate between theſe two 3 how fhall ] give up to Juſtice ? ſaith Mercy ; and how thall I not give up (ſaith Juſtice into the Hands of Enemies ? Juſtice muſt be executed, that I muſt do, ſaith God, and Mercy ſhall be wagnified, that I will do; but how ſhall this be done, it I deliver thee, © Jracl, to thine Kne- mies ? they will utterly deftrey, and where then 1s Mercy ? It I de liver thee not, thy Sins will not be chaftiſed, and where then 1s Ju-
ftice ? If I puniſh thee, as I puniſh'd Admah and Zeboim, with Fire from Heaven, I do what is juſt, but then I ſhew no Mercy ; tor theie
are two of the four Cities which ſuffer the Vengeance of cternal Fire, of theſe Gen. 19. 24. 7 Atter the manner of Nan God lpeaks, we know what tis to have a Heart turn'd from Wrath into Kindneſs and Compaſhons, to God ſpeaks of himſelt here, and J/4. 53. 15. Fer. 31s 20, 5 Still like a compaſhonate Man, he could wiſh his Threats in again, his Bowels are now as in a Flame for them,
9 I will not exccute the fiercencſs of mine anger tf, I
vill not return to deltroy « Ephraim ; for& am God, and not man x, the holy One in the midſt Efthee y, and
[ will aot enter into the City =.
r Here Mercy rejoiceth againft Tulgment, and God declareth his Purpotc to ſpare, he promiſeth thac he wiil not execute a:cording to utmoſt Severity. u This promiſe he confirmeth by doubling ir, tho in ſomewhat different words, I will not do as Men who having beat down au Enemy and wounded him, do return again to lee whether he
Is the Prophets gave them from time to | diſperſed ones ; but what I conjeAure at I do ſubmit to better Judg
ments,
11 They ſhall tremble as a v:rd out of Egypt, and *3; in their houſes þ, ſaith the LORD.
The <ummary of thc firſt part of this Verſe ſeems to be, Tha: ſome ſhould haſten, yet with Solicitude, out of Egypr, whither they fed for ſhelter, like as a Bir that hath bcen caſt out of her Net haſ:- ethtoitz others like Doves shall haſten out of 4ſh7i4 unto July, but with Fear and Colicitude, which cannot but attend them in Land, tho their own, yet now deſolate and horrid under 180 Years Devaſtation, ſince Shalmaneſer tranſported them, 7. e. 110 Years he- fore, and 70 Years concurrent with the Fews Captivity in Babyloy, f They*11 find none but I will place them in Houles, and they hall be theirs too. Tt is a very ſeaſonable and comfortable Promiſe, and (uit- ed to the State and Wants of thoſe returning Exiles, and in the letter of it refers to them ; and they as Types of what is more myſteriouſly and more darkly contain'd in them, wiz, the gathering of Believers from all Quarters to Chrilt, with the Alacrity and Speed which Birds make in flying to their Neſts, and God's providing Manſions of Relt tor them, well reſembled here in theſe Simifies,
12 Ephraim g compaſleth me about with lies þ, and the
God, and is faithful with the || ſaints #7.
This Verle might better begin the next Chapter, and by moſt In- t-rpreters I have ſeen iz is the firſt Verſe of the next Chapter; but fiace we fin(l it here, we will here conſider it, g Many, or the molt ct Ephraim. þ Vlay the Hypocrites with me till, yet give me good Words, call themſelves my People, and ſay I am their God, and that they wcrihip me and ſeek me ; but they flatter me with their Mouths, and lie unto me with their Tongues, as Pſal, 78. 36. So God up- 7 The fame thing in an ingeminat- ed Phraſe, to affet and alcertain the more. þ The People of the two Tribes, under the Government of the Honle of David. 1 While Llolaters are Vatlals and Slaves to the Devil and to their own ſuperlti- ous Fears, the true Worshippers of God like Princes rule with God: Or rather keeping to the Houſe of Davil retain'd the Government in State-Afffai:s, which was Theopolitia, a Government ſet up of God, when Ephraim made Kings and Princes, but God did not know it, 7. did not adviſe nor approve it. m Retains alſo Purity, at leaſt Truth of Worship, and in the holy things of God keepeth to his Word, and comparatively is faithful z whereas Epkraim is hypocritical and falie, Judah adheres to God's holy Prophets, Prieitsand other Saints of Gove
his ſuppcr:ing himſelf with Hopes as unfic to ſuſtain him as the Wird 15 to teed the Body ani nourith it ; in his religious Pretenfions he Hypocrite like, compals God with Lies, and now in his Civil Concer?
he compaſſeth himſelf with Lies. 6 In thoſe Countries the £2:
CHAP. XI.
Goa reproveth Epkraim and Fadah for their fins, and co venanting with ite Aſſyrians. 1,2. exhorteth them by bu former mercies ro repentance, 3---6. The unjuſt dealings and i4olatry of Ephraim provoketh Gos wrath, 7--- 14.