c Utterly conſumed and deſtroyed your Houſes and Goods, 4 Tho ir was a total Conſumption to thoſe it fell on, yer was but on ſome who might be warnings to others, and by which others might fee how eaſy it was {or God to deſtroy them all. e We no where elle read of ich Fire from Heaven, yet *ris pGſhble ſome ſuch Judy ment might fall on ſome of their Cities , and not be recorded ; but 1 do rather under- {rand it proverblally ſpoken, denoting molt grievous and detolating Fires, or Judgments. J Such of you as eſcaped were yet in Very great Danger, and as Fire-brands in midlit ai the Fire, where vou WCre with others burning till infinire Mercy ſaved a Remnant and pluck'd you out. 2 Vid. chap. 4s Ver. 6s let. þe |
12 Therefore h thus will I do unto thee 7, O Iſrael & - 1d becauſe I will do this unto thee /, prepare 2 to meet
thy n God, O Iſrael. | F
þ Becauſe none of my former Methods have ſucceeded as in reaſon might have been expetted. 7 In ſome more terrible mannner will 1 now proceed againſt thee, k You of the ten Tribes. } And theretore my laſt advice to you is to conſider it well ; if you think well of it, pol- fb'y you may ſee and prevent the threatned Evil, m It you humble rour ſelves, and ſo return, 'twill be Mercy to you ; but if you proudly 1nd finfully refuſe to return, know ye that you muſt perish, for you can nev-r make good your Cauſe againſt God ; and yet you muſt meet him, for he will,e're he hath done with you,end the Controverſy, 7 Who once was thy God, and whom thou till owneſt for thy God, and who would yet be thine if thou repent.
not
13 For o lo, he that formeth the mountains p, and
Name z. |
0 To move them to a& for their ſafety, the Prophet tells them how great and-dreadful God is, the moſt dreadful and rerrible Ene- my, but th2 moſt detirable Friend. p When there was not a Moun- tain or Hill, or the leaft Duſt of either, thy God O 1ſ7ae} formed them; and it is Wiſdom to return to him, for he can remove Dithcul- ties and Preſſures were they as heavy as Mountains, and ſo he can mend a!l with you quickly ; and if your Confidences in ſinful Ways were as ſtrong as Mountains, he can overthrow them, return there- fore and repent. q Giveth being by an Almighty Will, » Which ſor its Inſtability ſeems, of contrary Nature to Mountains, which doth ſhake then and overturn Foundations, that Wind which we feel and hear though we ſee it not, that makes hideous Noiſes, and works dreadful Effets, The Storms you are threatned with, O Jſrael, are like the Wind, dreadful, irrefiftable, but as the Wind raiſed and ruled
therefore to him. $ Think not by any Counſels to prevent what God determines againft an impenitent and ſinful Nation 3 as his Power is infinite in creating, his Wiſdom is infinite too and unſearchable, and he can and will take Sinners in their incorrigible Wickedinefſes and puniſh them, be wiſe therefore and return to him by Repentance. #
can turn a glorious Morning into a dark, diſmal and overclouded Day, -2n41 ſo will do againſt you if you repent not, and can turn a cloudy Morning into Brightneſs, and Miſery into Happineſs if you re- pent. #« Can tread under foot the Idols that are worſhip'd on high Places of the Earth, and trample on high and mighty Potentates, ex- altel above ordinary Men as higheft Hills are above loweſt Valleys. x in this lower World. y Who alone am the Lord, the Eternal and Mighty God. #4 Whoſe Soveraign Power and Command all Crea- tures obey, and act for or againft us as he willeth.
GHRHAF. V.
Alamentation for Iſrael's fali and decreaſe, 1 ——. Exhortation to ſeek the true God, and forſake idolatry, 4, 13 to repent for their obſti- nacy : the terrible day of judgments, 14 —30. A rejetion of all by- pocritical worſhip and ſervice, 21 27.
1 Ear ye this word which I take up againſt inK you a, even a lamentation b, O Houſe of rael, |
4 This Preface you have in the ſame Words, chap. 3. ver. 1. let. a, b,c,d. and in part alſo chap. 4. ver. 1. let. a, b. to which I now add that the Perſon here ſpeaking may refer to the Prophet and to the Lord who ſent him, both ſpeak this Word. 5 Which is very fad and mournful to all concerned in it, woful News to the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes,
_ 2 The Virgin c of Iſrael is fallen 4, ſhe ſhall no more rike: ſhe is forſaken upon her Land f, there is none to raiſe her up g.
c This Name is given to her not for her Purity and Integrity, for
e was an Adultere$, but either ironically, or becauſe her preſent Riches, Glory and Beauty ſeemed to be that of a Virgin that had her Portion, Strength and Honour untouch'd, or elſe by a Figure as pro- perly may it be applied to Iſrael as to Babylon, Iſa. 47. 1. or to Epypr, Jer. 46. 11. to S7don, Iſz. 23. 12. d Or, ſhalle're long fall, the thing Put as done already becauſe of the certainty of it. Or rather is alrea- ay falling by Civil Wars and Con piracies, which prepared way for the final Ruine of Iſrael; it is poſſible this Sermon of the Prophet might be about the time that Shallum or Menabem uſurpd the Throne. Or elſe it may refer to the times of Fehoabaz, when that of the third Verſe will appear to have been fulfilled ; this ſeems mott probable. e Tho they might by Repentance have riſen again, yet the Prophet conſider. ing their Obftinacy, ſpeaks of it as a thing that ſhould never be, as e- ventually it proved allo, for Iſrael never recovered the fall by Shalmg- neſer. f Broken to pieces upon her own Land, and ſoleft. as a broken Veſſel; or ſhe ſhall be by home Diviſions firft broken, and afterwards
Q &.
tink.
3 For thus faith the Lord GOD hb, The Ciry that wen! out by a thouſand 7, ſhall Jeave an }undred & ; and nh: which went forth by an hundred, ſha!! leave ten to 1 Hovuie ! of Iſrael.
þ This ſolemnly attefteth the certainty of the thing, 7 7 out one thouſand Souldiers as the Quota thev nereaticiel at to h-111 againſt an Invader, & Shall loſe nine parts of-ten, ſo great thall the Slaughter be which the prevailing Enemy ihall make upon 174! ; ant here the Prophet uicth a certain Number to expreſs an uncertain, or proverbially ſcarce a tenth Man fhall eſcape. 1 The Kin:dom of th- ten Tribes, and thiz perhaps may reter backward tov F-bownup Ins time, 2 Azngs 13. tobe lure it's fulfilled in the Wars of 3b.:hnzm;j; r and the taking $4mariz. |
- 4 Þ For # thus ſaith the LORD be Houſe of
4 T For # thus ſaith the 4 unto the Houſe of If-
rael 0; Seek p ye me, and ye ſhall live q.