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s Therefore þ theu z ſhalt have none that 1:3! * < _ cord by Jot & in the congregation of the LORD 2. g þ Becauſe your Sins ſo great, univerſal and incorrigible, have Pro voked God to frame and delign this Dz{vlation azainſt You, 2nd _ cauſe he will puniſh you according to your Ways. #7 Either Opnrer ſor, {poken thus as to one, that 1t might comprehend every op of them, who are deſcribed, wer. 2, or elle this Thou is the whoie Fam.
ly, ſpoken of ver. 3. perhaps both theſe may beft be mean: here { None that ſhall ever return to this Land, to claim an Inheriragcs there, or to ſee it allotted by Line, and given to them to poiſ:; it « the Prophet here alludes to the magner of dividing Fields, anq In. heritance of old in uſe among them, as in Foſvug's time + ſo both the whole Family in general, and the great ones, Oppreffors anq Ex. tortioners, are more particularly menaced with an utter and perpe. tuated Excluſion out of tne Land in which they ſinned, and whence they are carried Captivesz whoever do, neither they nor their Pg. Rerity ſhall poſſeſs Inheritances in it. } They ſhould. no more be the Congrezation of the Lord, nor ſhow their Children be ſo, or Rang in the Congregation of the Lord at any time hereafter, to clain their Portion among God's People. Thus they are rejeed and dic. inherited, and this to this Day is verified on the main Body of this People.
6 || | * Propheſie ye not m, ſay they, to them that pro. | q phefien: they o ſhall not propheſie to them p, that they oh
{hall not rake ſhame 9. a! th
m It js manifeſt that our Verſion here intends this as an Interdid, or / Prohibition laid upon the true Prophets, whoſe Hearers were { far } from amending and turning unto God in compliance with his Coun, ®;i and obedience to his Commands given out by his Prophets,that Rulers Fl and People agree to ſilence the Prophets, and exprefly forbid them tg !% difti] or drop their ſevere PrediCtions againft the Kingdom. 7Faith. 71% tully, as 1/aidh, Hoſea, Foel and Micah now did. 0 My true Trophet;, ſaith God, p Shall ceaſe from farther troubling, and terrifying theſs People, who fear not my Judgments, and will not by Repentance pre. vent their miſerable Captivity and Shame. So God doth in his Dic pleaſure grant their Delire, and gratity the Interdixt in Judgment againft them. q That they may, as they ſeem reſolved to put of al} Pivihing and Shame, go on without Checks or Rebuke, till they be ntterly ruined: they are impatient of that Shame they ſhould take to themſelyes for their Sins, and therefore would not here the Truth; ſo it ſhall be, and they ſhall not be ſhamed to Repentance, but they ſhall be ſhamed in their Ruine- This ſeems the meaning of the Words in our Verſion, and I will not add any other, though there are ſeveral Verſions which ſomewhat vary from ours.
7 © O thou that art named r the houſe of Jacob s, is the ſpirit of the LORD || ſtraitned t ? are theſe x his doings?||0, do not my words do good y to him that walketh + Op-b rightly 2? Ty ' r You are in Name, not in Truth, you call your ſelves, and wou'd "ps be called by others the Seed and Pofterity of Facob, s You glo- ry in Facob whom God bleſſed, guided and preſerved, and you think he ſhould ſo bleſs you z but you gothing think how Facod feared, o- beyed and worfhipped God, you are nor honeſt, plain-hearted and upright with God as he. # The Power, Goodneſs, Wiſdom and Kindneſs of God is not leſs now than formerly, he is as merciful to deſign Good as gracious to promiſe, as great and good fo perform his Word ; but the reaſon -he doth not promiſe Good to you, but threatens Puniſhment upon you by his Prophets, is all from yourſelves, *tis for your Sins, you dc the things that muft be diſcountenanced ; and if you would hear better things by the Prophets, you muſt do het- ter, you muſt do what God requires by them. x Are theſe ſererer Proceedings againſt you,the Doings your God delighteth in ? Doth he chooſe to take this way 2 Doth not Mercy better pleaſe him ? He would be more pleaſed to ſpeak comfortably to you, do you as Faco did, and God will deal with you as he did with him. y My Words promiſe all Good, and my Prophets declare Good to thoſe that are indeed the Houſe of Facob. All the ways of God are in aneven Te- nor, Mercy and Truth to ſuch as keep his Covenant. and Teftimanies to do them, as 7/a. 25. 10. 4 That with honeſt Hearts walk in the ways of God, but froward Sinners and difſembling Hypocrites cat
not with reaſon expe the ſame uſage from God, who will give Peace, and ſhew Mercy to Iſrael, whileft the Workers of Iniquity are led out to Puniſhment z this whole Verſe is excellently cleared by the !r0- phet, ſa. 59. 1, 2, 3, ©. |
3 Even | of late a my people 1s riſen up b as an en?M): 4x ye pull off the robe + with the garment c, from then! _
paſs by ſecurely d, as men averſe frem war e. : This Verſe to me ſeems to be deſigned as a Proof of the Perrer 3, neſs and Iniquity of this People, and conſequently a juſtifying God, and his Prophet threatning Severity againſt them ; they Aattereds themſelves, and were angry with the Prophet,but God in theſe W ords convinces them that they could not with reaſon expett better tidings For 4 from a long -time ſince they have revolted from me, and 0 later days they have revolted with addition of new Violence to their old. b All of them have riſen up, and ated Hoſtilities among then- [clves: Jſrae! againſt Fudab, and Fudzh againſt J/7ael, and of late the ten Tribes have conſpired againſt one another, Subjetts againſt _ Kings, and great ones againf the meaner ſort ; all Places are #® of the Sins and woful Effects of Civil <editions, and the "reaſonable Pratices of violent Men. «c You ftrip thole to their Skin, Lake ar. their Clothes, and leave them naked. 4 That in Peace and 'eatins no Evil, go about their private affairs. e Diſliking tucn apt ne: bloody and oppreſſive Courſes, and wiſhing every one might enjoy M® Right without Plundrings, Sequeſtrations, Confiſcations and One tions for not being of their Party. All which we may calily beliere attended the fa&tious and rehellious Times which ſucceed. atrer 7 boam*s Death, briefly mentioned 2 King 15. 8, Tc. which read zſ. this Verſe, and diligently contider how it paints cut thoſe £0: /ſraeF's tinning.