lath a conty With Iſrael } $11 the fir ills tor Witn
and Witneſſes, Underftand Pr
I
ap. V1. will in Mercy t0 this People take away theſe tambling-blocks, theſe <cations of Sin. :
- 13 Thy graven Images k alſo will I cut off, and 3 thy || ſtanding Images } out of the midſt of thee zn ; [3 y & . : \ - "us
and thou {halt no more Worſhip the work of thine
151 1and's 1. b | t Which were for the Matter of them made of Wood or Stone,
ſmoothed and faſhioned to the Images, which the blind Id9ojrter thought di! Well repreſent his God. / Statues erected in Places cho- Name from their Poſture, the Matter tilt the ſame. m O Jſael in the Type, and O 1/rael Antitype, this verified among the Fews, who 0 this Day hate Images for Divine Uſes, and learu'd this in their Cantivity 3 and 'tis verified in the Church of Chrift, which condemns all Religious UC of Images. 7 *Twas once the great Sin of the Fews, ro worſhipand rely on Idols ; but when God 'hall by the Methiah re- deem both his J/raels, they ſhall no more tin thus, Zoj. 14. 3. for they ſhall know he is the only true God, and there is no Saviour be: fide hims - b .
14 And I will pluck up thy groveso ont of the midſt w of chee: ſo will I deſtroy thy || Ciries p.
0 The Groves were ſome of them abuſed in downright idolatrous Worſhip, others of them uſed ſuperſtitiouſly, thus beſide the Word ; the other way quite contrary to the Word... but. after the return from Babylon, there was a great Reformation in this Point, and after the appearing of the Meſhah there had been a greater Eradication of Idolatry. p Or, thine Enemtes ; for the Word here uſed,indifferently fignifieth both, and they will either agree to this Place, If Cities, they 17e thoſe devoted to Idolatry, which Deut. 13. 15. were to be de- {tioyed ; if you interpret it Enzmz?s, *tis either an Argument to con- firm them that they ſhall not need Horſes and Chariots, or defenced Cities, or a farther Bleſſing promiſed upon the reforming from 1do- latry 3 this an Effect or Eruit of it, God will deitroy their Enemies when they have deſtroyed theſe Idols which are his Enemies,
i5 And I will executeq Vengeance y in anger and fury s upon the heathen ft, ſuch as they have not
heard 4, q God ſpeaks to our Capacity, he will proceed, or att, as the ev. Word fignifieth 3 he is ſupream Judge : r To whom Vengeance belong: | ethz and when he hath paſſed the Sentence, and his Inſtruments exe- | cute it, he takes it to himſelf 3 ſo when the Babylonians revenged the Wrongs by the Aſjyriaz done to the Fews,and when Cyrus with his Per- | fans and Medes avenged the Injuries of Babylon, this Prophecy was | partly fulfilled, and in ſucceeding times it was farther fulfilled, and is now fulfilling, and ſo will he, until the final Deſtru&ion of the Wic- ked. s This ſpoken after the manner of Man ; it includes the greatneſs of God's juſt Diſpleaſure, and the EffeQs of it,which are reſembled to what we do. when furiouſly angry, at with utmoſt Strength, and in the moſt terrible Manner we can ; ſo God will with .as great Severity and Terror as Fleſh and Blood can bear proceed againſt theſe Heathens. Literally the Nations under the Afſjriaz Monarchy firſt, next the Nations under the Babyloniſh Kingdom 3 in the full import of the Words, all the Nations that are Enemies to the Lord, to his Chriſt, and to his peculiar People, who know not God, nor obey the Goſpel. 20 unparalleFd Terror, and ſo they ſhall be made Warning-pieces t0 0kNers.
CHAP. VL
Cof's controverſy with bis people for their unthankfulneſs, 1 ——5. He rejeteth their ſervices, and ſheweth them their duty, 6—— 9g. re- proveth and threatneth their injuſtice and oppreſſion, and the idolatrous praltice of Omri and Achab with deſolation, 10 16,
l Ear a ye now b what the LORD faith c, Arile 4, contend thou e || before the Mountains, and ler
the hills hear thy voice f. h a Vid, chap, 1. ver. 2+ let. 1, m, vn. 6 Whilſt the Lord is willing to debate with you before it be too late for you. Though *tis a Man like | your ſelves who ſpeaketh, yet he comes from the Lord, and with the LorUts Meſſage, and *tis the Lord who ſpeaketh by Micah. This 1s | God's Command to Micah, who is bidden to ariſe z ſo Fonab chap. 1, ver, 2. Which ſee, Prophets as other Men could he content to tit ; at eaſe, and neither be troubled by others, or troubleſome to others ; | and perhaps the liitle Succeſs of Mzcab's Preaching had occaſioned him toretire and fit down; now God rouſeth him, Get up, prepare thy ſelf; ePlead Micah the preſent Cauſe, argue the Caſe that is between , thy God Plaintiff,and thy People Delinquents. f Plead openly, vehe- , mently, let there be Witneſſes to hear the Caſe which is ſoclear on e e
God's Side, and ſo full againft thy People, that the very Mountains
and Hills on which they have ſinned againft me notoriouſly, on which . I have bleſſed them abundantly, had they Eyes and Ears, and Voice, . vould teſtify that I have planted them with Vines, Olives, Fig-trees, , and clothed them with Graſs and Flocks,and ſtored them with Springs, , and beautified them with Cedars, Oaks and all pleaſant Trees of the 4 foreſt; this I have done upon the Mountains and Hills for my People. | b and there they have made their Groves, ſer up their Idols, ſacrificed
to Devils, and committed other Lewdnefſes not to be named. O Micah, ſpeak as if thou wouldeft make Mountains hear thee to teſti- J fy tor me, Deut. 32. Is 1ſd. 1s 2,
- 2 *Hereye, O mountains g; the LORDS controverſy h, -and ye ſtrong foundations of the earth i: for * the LORD WT {th a controverſy with his people k, and he will plead 1 WY. ith 1irael 1,
n $11 the firſt Verſe God direQs Micth to take the Mountains and ; BY Fills for Witneſſes 3 now in this Verſe he doth call upon thoſe Moun- WH ns to hear ; It is a Proſopopeia, an elegant perſorating of Hearers "HY 74 Witneſſes, as Deur. 32. 1. 1/4. 1. 2. and 2. 2. Some by Mountains ; underſtand Princes and Nobles, and by ſtrong Foundations of the 0 Eirth, inferiouc Magiftrates, as #/al. 75+ 3+ but it may as well or bet- |
MICAH
ſon tor the purpole, fixed that they move not, had this ditferent |
*,