I Bind ' your mourning Sackcloth cloſe to you with a Girdle, that j- | may be more troubleſome to the Fleſh ; for though in #6. *tis only ' Zird, the Phraſe is well known 1n the Scripture on theſe Occafiqr; | to include Sackcloth, as what 1s girded on the Mourner ; and ver, 6, | Sackcloth is expreſly mentioned, and in many other Places, 1ſz. Ig. 3, For. 4» $8. Lam.2. 10. Exek.7.18. and 27. 31. m Weep bitterly as they dy who mourn for the Dead, lament over your dead Joys, let it he a hearty Grief, as that of Abraham for Sarah, Gen. 23. 2. of Facy/; Children and Friends ſorrowing for his Death, Gen. $0. 10- or of /jrael lamenting their brave Judge, 1 Sam. 28, 2, # That you may be Example to others, and becauſe they had, as obſerved ver, g, 2 double Cauſe to mourn, one more than the reſt of the People. + Se Ver. 6, 1et., 0 Ver.g. let. p. They were the Lord's Minifters. noy Miniſters of the Altar, they ſerve the Lord in the things of the Altar, p The Caſe needs a continued Faſting, Weeping and Supplicationin the moſt humble Poſture, and with all the Tokens of an atfifted $yi. rit. The Prieſts ſhould above others mourn ; if they mourn in th Day, the Prieſts ſhould mourn Night and Day. q Whg, haviusg ſent me to ſpeak to you in his Name, doth call you to thiFhat he may pardon and bleſs you when you repent. Vid. ver, g. let. k,1, w, 1,
14 © * Sanctifie ye 5 a faſt t, call * a || ſolemn aſſem.'
bly 4, gather the elders x, and all the inhabitants of the i
land y #40 the houſe z of the LORD your God a, and cy unto the LORD b, | i;
s You Prieſts, Minilters of my God, ſet apart a Day, or more Dajs, appoint a time, forbid ail Servile Work, and Senſual Pleaſure,do what you may to prepare for {uch a neceſſary Work. r Wherein to afi
Gain and Mainrenance, had more caule to mourn, their Proviſion was by this means ſhortened. 10 The held is waſted y, the land mourneth s; for the
languiſheth y. |
r The Soil that was wont to be fat and fruitful, and did ſhout with Fruits, now lieth waſte ; horrid to look upon, and ſuch as promiſes no Eruitz the Famine in their Houſes, and the ceaung of the Sacrifices in the Houſe of God, is like to be perpetuated, $s The Inhabirants of the Land by an uſual Figure, hore catjed re Land. 8 The Wheat and Barlzy,their, Bread corn 15 earn up in 11s Greennels by theſe d2vouring Locuſts, whether in the Letter by Vermine, or in the Figure by the Sabylonims. u The word may as well berendred 13 aſam-d, or con- founded ; *tis then a figurative Expreſſion, which this 2roph-t uſeth, wer, 12, 17. in the laſt of which "tis readred withered z if you retain,as well rou may, our Veriton, it plainly tells us, the Heats and Drought with them was {o great, that the Vines were withered, and all their Hopes of new Wine by thts means Cur off. x The Oliire-Trees,as the Vines, fade too, and promite very lite Ou, »y Neither able to ſend Sap from the ROUOUt to Maintain Its Verdure, nor to put forth Berries, or to bring them ro maturity : Now as theſe words declire what Bar- rennels was now npon the Land ; ſo *tis a plain Account of the Rea- fon why the I'riefts are cail-d to mourn, and why the Meat. offering
which made them up, Corn, Wine and Ou. 11 Be ye aſhamed, O ye husbandmen z : how], O ye|t vine-dreſſers a, for the wheat and for the barley ; becauſe the harveſt of the held is periſhed 0. 7 Some read it afſertively, the Husbandmen are aſhamed ; and as
tive Moot, or by way of Exhortation, it better will fute the Context : They are now called upon to bluſh, repent and tearci into the Caule of this Barrennels, and 10's of their Labour in plowing, ſowing and manuring their Tillage; the Prophet aims at this principally, to bring them as well as the Priefts to Repentance. 4 A lort of Men [6 well known with that People, as Gardiners are with us; Men whole | 7 Work was to plant, water, prune and manage Vineyards, and whoſe | Labuvur { unlels for Sin blaſted ) did uſually ircceed to a great In- | q creaſe, b'Your Sins have brought upon you this woful Scarcity ; your Harveft, in which ycu expected your Labours and Cares fthoul{ be recompented, is periſted, quice deſtroyed, as the word imports ; T his is juſt cauſe why you, O Huzbeanimen,fhould lament, and tarther | , enquire why Ged 1s to diſpleaſed with you.
12 The Vine is dried up c, and the Fig-tree d Jangui- ſheth, the Pomegranate-tree e, the Palm-rree f alfo, and the Apple-rree g, even all the trees of the field » are wi- thered 7; becauls & joy is withered away from the ſons of men 4.
c See <7, 1O-let. tw 4 A Tree well known, and the Fruit of it | ,, was uſually a great Advantage, and Benefit to the People of thoſe Countries, e A pleaſant Tree, as appears Carr, 4. 13. and 7.12, and its Fruit lovely, therefore fit for Ornaments about the Pillars of the Temple, Thee in the common. Drought , and by Locuſts have Io their Beauty, ard do fail the Hopes of him that $lantc tem, f Of great Beauty in the Height and Uniturmity 07 its | et
&
w
grievous Calamities, and ſhould now be Examples to others in repen- ting. » Make this Faſt as publick and univerſal as you can, command all the People of the Land, all that dwell with you ; perhaps the Pro- phet intends Proſelytes of the Law, and thoſe of Commerce as well as the Fews, x Courts of the Temple, (for Prieſ:s cnly might go into the Temple it ſelf ;) the Court of /7ae!, where the People were wont to pray. 4 Remember the Covenant by which you are his People, and he 1s your God, that you mav plead his Promiſes as well as wait for his Merciess 6 With Tears of Repentance, with Prayer of Faiit, cry more with the broken Heart than loud Voice.
zs at hand F, and as a deſtruQtion g from the Almighty 6 ſhall it come 72.
cular Declaration of th? Grounds of this Faſt, or as a Direction how "FI ; ER” to manage the Faſt,a ſuggeſting to the People what they ſhould (prezd : Fering ut off: the's muſt ceaſe when that ceaſert = pw o A To | ind Drink offering are cut off ; thi hat cealcth, before the Lord, or <lic as the Words of the Prieſts, bewailing the calamitous State of the Land, c It js a very pathetical bemoaning