- Therefore 1 * I will be cnto them 1 as a lion n, as a
lcopard o by the way will I obſerve p them,
] Since t
Drunka "ones pr Pome ng ; . Vid. ch. 5+ Ve 13. let. 0, that 1s, 1n his fuileſt Strength, 0' a middle
Aze, ſwift in puriuing, and that can continue the Chaſle till he over- $5—9 take
-hallenged any one to attempt Its Reſcue. 0 A very fierce, {wift, flv
that 1 may be ſure to take them. ; 0 ] will meet them q as a bear that is bereaved of her
| mhelps r, and will rent the caul of their heart s, and there b. will | devour them t like a lion #: the - wild beat ſhall
"rear them X. : | | ql know their Haunts, their Walks, I will not fail to meet them
there. 7 Robbed of her Whelps newly taken away, which makes her mad with Rage, ſo great Rage is proverbially expreſſed, Prov. 17. 12. «Firſt kill, next tear in pieces, pull out the very Heart ; it is proba- hle this fierce Creature may by Inftin& haſten to tear up the Prey, that it may drink the Blood before it run to waſte. r Where I find them, and ſeize them, like the hungry and fearlels Lion which feafts on his Prey where he catch'd it, draws it not into his Den, but de- voureth it immediately. # An old Lion that hath his great Teeth, his Grinders, and hath ftill Whelps, fierce, Gen 49. 9. and terrible, that will either call in his Whelps to divide the Prey, or drag the Prey to his Den for them; and what hope of any thing to be ſpared when vou fall into ſuch Hands ? xt is ſaid of the Lion, that he calls by his Roaring the wild Beaſts together to' the Prey, when he hath taken it, ſo you ſhall be devoured by the whole Troop of wild Beaſts. Or it may be a general Threat added to thoſe particular ones before, every wild Beaſt ſhall prey upon them, All this God executed on them by the Aſſyr7ans, who in their Fiercene(s, Cruelty, Greedineſs and Courage, anſwered the Charatter here given to them z the par- ticular Reſemblances I leave to any who may eallly ſute them,
9 © Q Iſrael, thou haſt deſtroyed thy ſelf y, bur in me * + thy help z. kw » Afffeer thele Menaces it might ſeem I had deſtroyed thee, but thou thy ſelf haſt done it by thy Sins, it is the Rebel that deftroys himſelf | though he fall by the Sword of his provoked Soveraign z thou art Cauſe and Author of thine own Ruine. #4 Or, for, I was always rea- dy and able to help thee, and would certainly have ſaved thee, but thy Sins, thy Wickedneſs, carried thee toward other Helps which were Lies, and have diſappointed thee, and now thou doft periſh un- der thine own Choice, whereas hadſt thou choſen me I would have help'd and ſaved thee. Or elſe thus the whole Verſe : This hath de- ſtroyed thee, O J/racl, for thou haſt rebelled againſt me, againſt thy Help, and ſo Sol. Farchy.
io 1 will be thy King a: * where zs any other that may are thee in all thy cities b ? and thy judges c of whom thou
laidſt d, Give me a King e and Princes f ?
41 would have bcen thy King to govern and fave thee, but thou refuledſt me im both, yet I will be thy King to puniſh thee, I will not loſe my Right and Honour by thy rebellious Carriages againſt me, I vill bea King; and ſubdue ſuch ; or elſe *tis a taunting Queſtion, Where is thy King, on whoſe Counſel, Wiſdom, Power and Conduct thou haſt relied ? let him now ſave thee if he can; ſo it runs ſmooth |. with the next Words, b Or who is there, what wiſe, valiant and lucceſsful Commander in any of thy Cities, that can deliver thee firſt out of my Hand, and next out of the Aſſyrians Hand ? c Where are they? Thy Magiſtrates have ſinned with thee, and ſhall be deſtroyed with thee, thy Rulers or inferiour Governors. 4 Whom thou didft importune and ſolicite, in a manner forcedſt to meet, conſult and re- oive in ſeditious times who ſhould be King next, when Treaſons had taken away him that was. e Some refer this to their firſt asking a King, but 'tis better referred to the Times either after Fero- boam the firſt, or to the Times after Feroboam the ſecond,
LL)
AOSE-4. ſhould not ſtay + long in the lace of the breaking forth T 11", 4 ot - children q. $2ilhe s
; hey have-ſo abuſed my Gifts by Luxury, Pride and atheifti- % cal Forgetiulnels of me, of what I had done for them, what I delerv-! ph | ed and expedted from them, I will uſe them as is meet, an take my , with very great Anguith, and with as great certainty, Ati+, 5.5. 0 Revenge upon them. m Unthankful Apoſtatzs, Idolaters, ſottith i As ſuddenly, inevitably, and with as much Danger too; ir hc be nur rds, Belly-gods, who live to eat an drink, and forget me. 7 the wiſer, and return to his God. p i.e. Ephraim. jp A very touliſh
Strength and Succeſs, that will dreadtully roar over his Prey, as it he
ind watchful Creature, Fer. 5. 6. and 2ab, 1, $. p Watch for them, |
,
n By this Simily, weil known in Ecrinture, the Proptct aſſure; F- piraim that the Puniſhment of his Sins will overtake him {addenl
#7 "IT; oleCall) 3
i? v4
SON, an incon{iderate Child who eadangers himſelf ani his Muther. 'q Aa Child thar ſricks in the Birth, fo Xpkraim juſt ar the Birth hci
his Prey 3 and which is ftrong, couragious and proud of his tateth, one while will, another while will not return to God, thus di-
cth under the Delay.
CC I——_—
Z ; repentance ſhall be hid from mine eyes a.