m Or, yer, truly, n Amidſt all thoſe Threats there is ſtill a Re- ſerve, a conditional Proviſo, and the Lord here does by his Prophet declare.it. -o Though Apoſtate both in Sacred and Civils, though polluted and defiled greatly, and this through many ſcores of Years, yet after all Repentance would help them. p Enquire for my Law, and repent of your deſpiſing it, obey it in all things for future ; en- quire diligently what Promiſes T have made, and wait for them ; be- lieve, obey and repent, for this is to ſeek the Lord, when a Peopic have turned from the Lord, as you have done, O Houle of /jrael. 4 It ſhall be well with-yon,-your Perſons, Families, and the whole King- dom ſhall proſper, as 42c5. Phraſe importeth.
5 But ſeek not * Beth-el xr, nor enter into Gilgal s, and paſs not to Beer-ſheba t: for Gilgal « ſhall tare- ly go into Captivity x, and Beth-el y ſhall come to nought z, Ws |
r Conſult not, worſhip not, depend not on the Idol-Calf at Berþz1 ; or ſeek not God at Bethel but at Feruſul:m, where he will be found ; caft off Idolatry, return to the true God and to his inſtituted Wor- ſhip, ſo ſhall ye live, s A City of great TIdolatry, a Place where God will not be ſought nor found by you, Vid. Zof. 4. 15. and g. 15. ant 12. 11, Where 1t is more fully explained. t Though God of old did, Gen, 26. 24. appear there to /ſaac, though Abraham dwelt there, Ger. 21. 31, 32, 33. and Facob ſacrificed there with acceptance, Ger. 45. 1, 2, 3. yet now God appointeth Feruſalem and the Temple the only Places of his ſolemn Worſhip, and of your ſeeking him. #« The In» habitants of Gilgal, for the Place could not go-into Captivity, it is a Metonymy, the Place put for the People. x Shalmareſer and his Aſſyrians ſhall certainly carry them away Captives. » Both City and People. x Shall be Vanity and Diſappointment to all that truſt to the Idols of it.
6 Seek the LORD and ye ſhall live a, leſt þ he break out like fire c in the Houſe of Joſeph d, and devour 2t ec,
and there be none to quench zt in Beth-el f.
a The Prophet repeateth his Exhortation to Repentance with the repeated Promiſe of a good Iffue hereon, vid. ver, 4. let. p,.q. 6 This is a new Argument to perſwade with them to do their Duty, for unleſs they do it God's Judgments will break out upon them. c Suddenly, with ſtrength and prevalence, as the #eb, Word here ren- dred, brezk forth, importeth. 4 The Kingdom of the ten Tribes, the chief whereof was Ephraim, who was the younger Son of Foſ-pb ; aad the firſt Ere&tor of this Kingdom was an Epbramite, 1 King. 11. 26, e Utterly conſume it as Fire uleth to do where it gets head and prevaileth. f If once this Fire break out from God, all your Idols in Bethel ſhall not be able to quench it, no Tears from your Eyes there
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| ſhed, no Blood of Sacrifice there offered ſhall quench it.
7 Ye g who * turn judgment þ to wormwocd z, and
leave off k righteouſneſs in the Earth /, x
£ Rulers and Judges. þ The righteous Sentence of the Law, the Equity'of it, which is ſweet and pleaſing to juit Men, and lafe for all. 7 Proverbially underftood Bitterneſs, Grief, Injuftice and Oppreſſion, k Make to ceaſe in your Courts of Judicature, and tread it under foot. I Or among Men in the Land, the latter part of this Verie explains the former. ;
ing.p, and maketh the day dark with night q ; that * calleth for the waters of the Sea y, and poureth them out upon the face of the Earths; the LORD &* his
Name &. | |
m Tho this be not in the Hebrew, *tis well ſupplied Dy our Tnter- preters. # A famous Conſtellation, and whoſe rifing about Seprember was uſually accompanied with Rains and [weet Showers, which as cbap. 4. ver. 7. had been with-holden, whence want of Water and Bread : now the Prophet adviſeth to ſeek the Lord who can give them Raia and Corn, by the kindly Influences of that watry Conftcllation, which as he made, 10 he guides and manageth. This I take to be the mot natural meaning of the Place. 0 Which ariling about Novemb:r, brings uſually Cold, Rains and Frofts intermixt with much uncertain- ty, but very ſeaſonable for the Earth, to make it fruirtul x this ment!» oned to perſwade theſe People to repent, who were atflicted with f:ct Parrenneſs and Untruitfulnels as bi ought famine with it. p Prover- bially, that curneth greateſt Adverſity ( which is here calle the fha- dow of Death) into as great i roſperity, h-re calle! the Morning, P//, 23. 4. q Metaphorically thisexprefſeth a change of Proſperity into 4d»
State adviſed to (eek him, who can turn your Morning 1at0 Night, or your Night into Morning ; who can on a ſud.len cemon's ail Evil {om you, and bring all Good upon you; ſeek him theretore, and feck not Idols. 7 Either to' raiſe them to terrible Swellings ard Rage, or ra- ther calls np Waters out of the Sea, by commanding ti:e Vapour to af- cend, which he turneth into Rain. $s And thei poureth out from the Clouds to make the Earth fruitiul. 5 He oaly is Gou enil the Lord, who doth, G&c,
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Chap. V.
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o That ſtrengthneth the f- {ſpoiled {4 azainſt the | bound to be with you, and own you ; 1e | Tepent, ceale frou Idols and Violence.
frong x, fo that the ſpoiled y ſhall come againlt tl fortreis <.
# You have been exceedingly weakned ard ſpoiled by your Ene- mies; yet return, repent, ſeek God, for he can renew your Strength, that you ſhall ſpoil your Spoilers who are ſtrong. x The Mighty, Victorious and Inſolent. y Thoſe that had lot their Strength, and were as conquered, 7 Shall rally, re-embody and form a Siege againſt their Betiegers ; ſo God whom you ſhould ſerve will ſoon tura all from Dark and Diſmal into Light, and pleating unto you and yours ; in your Apoſtacy all will be Milery and Darknels, but in your recurn all Shall he well and proſperous with you.