racles, and inftituted his Goſpel-Church. & ze. God the Father, I His Sheep, his Subjects, his redeemed Iſrael, his Church made up of converted Fzws and Gernrilzs, ſhall continue, the Gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt them. # The Church is ſo redeemed and efta- bliſh'd, that Chriſt the Meſſiah might be glorified, God will give him a glorious Name, therefore theſe things are diſpoſed in this manner. 2 Either e're long, or in due time, at the ſet time. o Meſhah. p Whole redeeming Grace ſhall be publiſh'd to che Ends of the Earth, and his Dominion, his ſpiritual Kingdom {hall be enlarged wide as the World it (elf. All here ipoken in this Verſe 1s too great any ways to he applied to Zerubbavel, as ſome F-ws themlelves contels.
5 And this q man r ſhall be the peace 5, when the Al- ſyrian ſhall come into our Land *t: and when he ſhall: tread in our Palaces «, then ſhall we x raiſe agalnſt him ſeven ſhepherds y, and cight + priactpal nien z.
This Verſe, as the former, is abftrnſe, and tne Particulars are not caſily accommodated to times and things. 9 50 the Hebrew, and it may be read as the Neuter Gender, an be reterr d to time, or thing, or both, following in the Text thus z At that time this thing ſhall Þ>c our Peace, viz. when th2 4ſyrizn thall invade us, we ſhall raile by our Pravers ſufficient Strength againſt him, here expreſt by ſeven Shepherds, Ge. our Verſion ſupplies the defett of the Subſtantive with Man, x 4i,e. The Meſhah the Ruler, who ſtands and feed> in the Strength of the Lord. s Which is promiſed to, and expected by the People of God. All their preiervation and deliverances are not only for the Sake, hurt effefted by the Power of the Meſhah. 7 As Senacherib did within a few Years after this Prophecy was delivered, and then by the Power and Authority of Mcſhah was Senacherio and his Army defeated, and Fudea's Peace was ſecured. u Which the Aſ- ſyrian did in all the Cities of Fudah, except Feruſalem, againſt which | he could do nothing, becauſe God-Man the Meſſiah was with Zezekiah and Feruſalem, as toretold, ja. 8. 8, 9, 10. and chap. 37+ 32, 33» 34» 25. x Zezekiah, and with him the Prophets and People by Prayer to God, ſhall prevail with God to ſend Deliverance and Salvation to them. »y The Number is certain, but put for an uncertain, and the quality of thoſe raiſ?d is expreſt by Shepherds in a Decorum to the} Repreſentation of the People of God by the Metaphor of Sheep or Hock, of which Shepherds do particularly take Care. 2 Here again a determinate Number is put for an Indeterminate, and for a ſuthci- ent Number, that the Effe& may be ſure. - God will raiſe a ſufficient Number of Deliverers for his People z this the Import of this Phraſe, 25 elſewhere ſix Troubles and ſeven, Job. 5. 19, Thus in the Letter and Hiſtorical Reference, I ſuppoſe the Words do loux to the won- derful Deliverance of #ezeliah and Jeruſalem from the Aſſyrian, but I doubt not they have a myltical and ſpiritual Reterence, and contain a Predifion of that Peace Chriſt did make, and doth maintain for his Churches againſt all Enemies typified by the Aſſyrian. Beſide this Expoſition given, I mult not pals over that note, viz, The Word rendred Peace, fignifieth alſo Recompence, and ſo might be rendred, This. ſhall be the Recompence of the Aſſyrian by the ſeven Shepherds, ren- ared. for bis invading and ſpoiling Judea, and for attempting” againſt Jeruſalem. ; :
6 And they a ſhall + waſte the Land of Aſſyria with
ces d thereof : thus ſhall he dd deliver us e from the Aſſy- Tian f when he cometh into our Land, and when he treadeth within our borders g. |
a The ſeven Shepherds and eight principal Men, 7.e. thoſe great, wiſe, and ſuccelsful Inſtruments of GoJ's Revenge, and of his Church- es deliverance. b This Paſſage ſeems to point to the Babylonizns, who did invade, waſte and ſubdue the A{jyrizn Kingdom under the Con- du of Meredach Baladan King of 846;1on, called allo Berodach, 2 King. 20. 12. he ſent the Congratulatory Embatly to Zezekiah newly by Mi- racle cured of his mortal Diſeaſe, and delivered from the Aſſyrian, 1ſa. 39. 1, 2. This Merodach taking the opportunity of the weakneſs of the 4ſhrian Kingdom, partly by the great Slaughter of Senacherib's Army and the Murder of that mighty daring Monarch, and partly by the Civil Wars which enſued between the Regrcrdes and 5jarhaddon, took Arms, and ſucceeded in the Attempt ſubduing the A4j[y72an King. dom with torce and bloodſhed enough. c The ſame lay ſome with the Land of 4fſyriz, but others perhaps with better reaſon refer this to Babylon, and the Kingdom thereof, which by Nebuchaine33ar's Hand | deſtroyed the Jews, Jeruſalem and Temple, and was afterwards de- |
ſcroyed by the Medes and Perfizns, whom God raiſed to puniſh Babyloz + and releaſe the Jews. |
4 As we read it denoteth both the fortified | Frontiers, the Garriſons which keep all the Entrances of the King- | dom ; it denoteth alſo their Cities, through the Gates of which was great entrance, or their Courts of Judicature which were kept in the Gates; both their military Power ſhould be reduced, and their civil Power alſo by the prevailing Conquerour, 44 In this manner ſhall He, 2. e. the Meſſiah, e deliver the Jews his People. f Both as Type | of all other Enemies, and he an Enemy to the People of Go1, g See this explained, ver. 5. let. . I add that what is rendred when, might be rendred becauſe, and note out the reaſon why the Lord Meſſiah doth iv deal with 4{lyria firſt, and Babylon next.
7 And the remnant of Jacob h ſhall be in the midſt of many people, as a dew k from the LORD Z, as the ſhow- ers upon the graſs m, that tarrieth not for man, nar wait- | eth for the ſons of men 7,
þ Both the Remnant which ſurviveth the ſacking and burning of their City and Temple, and carried Captive, live in a ſcattered © on- dition ; and the whole Remnant, according to the EleQtion of Grace,
whether of Facob after the Fleſh, or aiter the Spirit. 7 Either among the ſeveral People under the Babyloni} Domjnion, which may well be
their 5 and and ngto
Ft ſhall be
the peculiar Work of God, as Dew hath no other Father or Fountain « ſo the Bleſhngs onFzccb,and the Blefſing by him on others ſhall h« the Lord ; ſo God vlefſeth thoſe that bleſs Abraham's Seed, Gen, SO Cy7us received his Bleſſings, and his Perſians with him, Iſa, 4
from 2.3%
. . . , [ 3, 4+ m The ſame thing in a different. but very apt expreſſor, Toy