kt Slizht Diſlikes will do little in this caſe ; you Rulers and Judges ** muſt heartily hate, and ſhew that you hate, 1 both Ways, Doings " Contrivers and Abettors of the, Evil among the People, and _ elves. m Commend, encourage, defend and reward all Good in 0- thers, and do it your ſelves ; let your Heart be toward good Things and good Men. 7 By this it's evident the Prophet ſpeaks to Goyer. nors and Judges among them ; what the Import of the Phraſe is, ver, 10. let. b, c. and ver. 12. lct. y. Set up honeſt and upright Judges in every Gate, where Judges did fit in thoſe days. o Poflibly he Will forgive, or abate, or reſpite the evil days z poſhbly he may give yg, his gracious Preſence, and yet ſave. p What the Invafions of Enemie; or the Civil Wars have ſpared, and left q in Samaria and Jſ7ael, the Ten Tribes ; Vid. chap. 5. ver. 6. let. d.
16 Therefore y the LORD the God of hoſts , the
Lord ſaith thuss, Wailing # /hall be in all ſtreets x and they ſhall fay in all the high-ways x, Alas, las ! and they ſhall call the Husbandman to mourq.
ing y, and ſuch as are skiltul of lamentation z to wail. ing, | |
7 The Prophet foreſeeing their Obſtinacy in their Sins, and their refaling to obey his Counſel from the Lord, doth proceed to de. nounce Jndgment againſt them. $s That there might be no douly: made of the Truth of the Prophet's Words, he doth in moft ſolemn Manner atteſt it to be from the Lord ; and that he might awake them to Repentance and Humiliation, he proclaims the Majeſty and Power of God who calls them to it. # Lamentations uttercd in Words and Geſtures , Eccleſ. 12. 5. Fer. 4. 8. Zech. 12. 10. ſhalt every where . be ſeen and heard in the broad Streets of your Citi: as when the Afſrians prevailed and cut off the Forces of Jjrael, he. fieged and took their Strong-holds. '# Of great Towns or Cities, x Abroad in the Country, and on the Road all ſhall cry out as undone, diſpirited and hopeleſs Men, Alas, alas! » This ſort of Men are little uſed to ſuch Ceremonies of Mourning ; but now ſuch ſhall their State be, that they ſhall be called upon : Leave your Toil, betake your ſelves to publick Mourning, +4 And to make all ſound doletul, cail in thoſe whoſe Art lieth in aQing the part of Meurners, and can move hardeft Hearts to lament and bewail : See theſe Fer. g. 17, 18, and Mar. y. 23.
17 And in all vineyards a hall be wailing ; for * I wil paſs throvgh thee b, ſaith the LORD.
4 1n theſe Places was uſually the greateſt Jollity, and they gathe- red their Vintage with Joy, but now *tis quite contrary ; either
Vines are blaſted, or eaten up, or deftroyed of the Enemy. 6 4 an incenſed God puniſhing all, every where, who have ſinned again him, and therefore every place now ſhall be full of Sorrow, becauſe every place hath been full of Sin. - | |
18 * Wo unto you that deſire c the day of the LORD4;*l
ro what end e 25 it for you ? the day of the LORD t- dark- s neſs F. and not light g. |
c Scoffingly, or not believing any ſuch Day would come ; the Pro phets had long threatned ſuch a Day,but theſe Scoffers thought no ſuch thing could ever overtake them; and if it did they would know the work of it,alter their Courſe they will not, whatever comes on it ; ard they are confident the Prophets tright them with Bug-bears, but Woe to ſuch Scoffers. &@ Vid. Fo?1 1. 15. and 2.2. and Zeph.1.15, e What do you think to get by it ? What Good can you expett when darkeft Calamities overwhelm you ? f All Adverſity moſt black and doleful, therefore called in the Abftratt Darkneſs. g No Joy, Hope or Com- tort in It.
'19 * As ifa man did flee from a Lion, and a Bear mct' himh; or went into the houſe z, and leaned his hand on
the wall k, and a Serpent, bit him I.
þ Here proverbially is cxprels'd the Continuance and Succeſſion of Evils one atter another ; it will be a long Calamity when your Cirll Diſlenſions waſte you firft, next God's Armies of Locuſts and Palmer: worms, and the Ajjyrians too, until all ends in final Captivity : you may eſcape one, but ſhall fall into another Calamity, and worſe than that you eſcaped ; abroad your Mileries ſhall be like a Lion or Bear. ! At Home you may hope for cafety from ſuch open Dangers, but there other kind of Miſchief ſhall meet you. þ Weary and Faint ſhall think ro eaſe and ſupport himſelf, 1 Whoſe biting iafuſeth 2 deadly Poiſon, which ſuddenly corrupts the whole Maſs of Blood, and kills the Man, If Conſpirators at home be Lions, the {[yrians will be as Bears to you, =
20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkneſs, and not light? even very dark, and no brightneſs 1 it mm? |
a All theſe things conſidered, ye ſecure, profane and atheiftial Scoffers, ſpeak your ſelyes, will not that Day be as dark as I have, de- {cribed, and as little to your Comtort ?
21 © 1I* hate », 1 deſpiſe o your feaſt-days p,and I wil
not \| ſmell q in your ſolemn aſſemblies r. qu 7 Impure and unholy they are, whatever they ſeem to be, and, therefore the Lord hateth them, they are Abomination fo MM, Prov. 15.8. and Jja, 1. 12,14. 0 Worthleſs and contemptible they are, and as ſuch God rejeterh them, /ſa. 1. 10, 1,12. 1 here 15 no Goodneſs that I ſhould value in them, there is a!l that V jleneſs 1 them which attends deep Hypocriſy, for which I do hate them. p The Apoſtate J/7aelites imitated the Fews in many things, among which they retained their Feſtivals, in which they mulriplied ther Ceremonial Sacrifices, and ye: God owns them not as his, but brands them with this, they are yours, therefore unwarraitable, \V i11-worſbip, and diſpleaſing to God. q A <Savour of Reſt or Lelight, 1 wit __ cept and be pleaſed with, Gez, $8 21, 7 Appoin:<4, a5 yu &-: _—_—
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