they were ready to offer any Sactifices God ſhould require of them ; or elſe this Veri2 is the Prophet's Suppoſition that ſome among them would be ready to enquire how they ſhould in this caſe behave them- {clves. and ſo this Proſopopeia fairly makes way for farther direQion to this People: £ 1! irb what, Heb, what Preparation ſhall I make for a due and right adreſs unto God ? þ In the Perſon of all the People, or elſc in the Perſon of the moſt thinking among ; this 7 is the People of the Fems, iItis a Temple-Phraſe,and contains the ſolemn attendance on God in his Worſhip, well paraphraſed in the Chald. Par, With whar ſhall 1 ſerve before the Lord? &k This is exegctical to the for: mer Phraſe, When I come to bow my ſelf and worlhip the Lord,with what ſhall T appear ? 7 Such was the God of 1ſrae}, Heaven his Throne, the Earth his Footfto-1, Tdols are Dunghil Gods, our God alone 1s the God who dwells on high. m Shall theſe ſuffice for Teſtimony that 1 owe my all to God, or appeaſe his Diſpleaſure, which juftly might devour me as the Fire the Sacrifice ? 7 It is probable this repeats {as is uſual in Scripture to confirm and affett us the more) the thing
before mentioned.
© my % -* Willthe LORD be pleaſed with thouſands of rams, Rs, * or with ten thouſands of rivers of oll p ? ſhall I give my
Ile
firſt-born q for my tranſgreſſion r, the fruit of my + body
+Heb.&el- for the fin of my ſoul s ?
ly.
5g ag what doth the LORD require of thee y, but * to do juſt- Emblethy 1y &, and to love mercy a, and to | walk humbly with thy ſelfrswalh God b ?
ems yy 9 The LORDS voice a crieth þ unto the city cy and || the ' ſee thy man of wiſdom d ſhall ſee thy namee : hear f yeg the
which MH.
ſider. d4 Man is ſupplied to make the Senſe intire, but without that ſupply the Senſe might have run plain, And IViſdom will bear, which mutt have been reſolved ſome wav like to our Tranſlation, and I know none that better fits than that our Learned Tranſlators have ſupplied. I know not but that the Abſtratt uſed here tor the Concrete, may ex- preſs a Superlative Degree, Wiſdom, i, e. the wiſeſt will hear, Tc, e Rightly apprehend and duly reverence the Holinels, Juſtice and Ne- cefſarinel(s of God's Proceedings, with his Power and Majeſty in execut- ing his juſt Diſpleaſure on brutiſh hardned Sinners, f Conſider well and diſcern. g Citizens both of Feruſalem and Samaria,and every other City in the Twelve Tribes. ing, by which he will plead his Cauſe. Theſe are called rhe Kod, ei- ther becauſe they are from God, who once was, and ftill would be a Father to them, or kecauſe *tis a comprehenſive Word which takes in the various Puniſkments inflited.
o The Law did dire& the Offering of Rams , ſingle Beaſts for ſingle Sacritices ; if this be too little, they ſhall be multiplied, we will give many, very many ; for the Phraſe is an Hyperbole. p Cz was required too in their Sacrifices in the Meat-Offerings of them, but in no great Quantities,a Log or Hin, 7. e. half a Pin or three Quarts: but we know ſuch Gifts are infinitely ſhort of the Divine Goodneſs beſtowed on us,he who is our God is worthy of Rivers of Oil,multiplied to thou- ſands; had we ſuch ſtore, it ſhould be all his. Such like Hyperbole you meet in Jſz. 40. 15, 16, 17- q This is propoſed not as a thing
.praQticable by any Rule of Reaſon or Religion, but as a Proof of their readinels (as Abraham) to offer up their Firft-born, as he did offer up his //aac to God, It is. much to part with any of our Chil- dren, but *tis more to part with the Strength and Glory, and hope of our Families z yet right Hypocrites, or like unnatural Heathen, this they would do, rather than what would pleaſe the Lord, 7s To ap- peale the Anger of the Lord for my Sins, would theſe be Expiatories ? The Queſtion is repeated to affett us the more z the Words would bear this reading, Shall I give my Einſt-born 2 Thus would be my Sin ; The Fruit of my Body ? This would be the Sin of my Soul.
$ Het hath ſhewed thee 4, O man, what good * : and
: The Prophet anſwers the Enquiry made, ver, 7. otherwiſe than theſe Enquirers did expett ; you who mak? this Enquiry might have ſpared this Pains; God himlelt hath already plain enough told you this. u O Fews, every one of you might from the Law of God know what would pleaſe your- God, and with what you ought to come before him, you might have read, 1 Sam. 15. 22. that he delighteth in your obeying his Word ; and more early, Deut- 10. 12, 13, 22. the ſame practical Rule was laid down. x In it ſelf for you, and well pleaſing to your God: from his own Mouth your holy and righteous Fathers did know, and fo might you, what is that Good, with which you ſhould appear before Gud. » What ſo much ? Or what without ; of doth he require any thing without ? It is a Queftion that muſt be re- ſolved in a Negative, Comparative or Abſolute z the Lord doth not require Sacrifice without Moral Duties,nor doth he require Sacrifice fo much as ſuch Duties after-mentioned. 7 To render to every one what: is their due, Superiors, Equals, Inferiors, to be equal to all, and oppreſs none, in Body, Goods or Name in all your Dealings with Men carry a Chancery in your own Breaſts, and do according to Equi- ty. 4 Be kind, merciful and compaſhonate towards all that need your Kindneſs, do not uſe Severity towards any ; though the Laws of Man did not require you to remit of your Pretences, and if you exadted all your Right you did not break the Laws of Men, yet you ſhould have reſpe& to the Law of Love, and fhew Mercy with delight in ſhewing it, Rom. 12.8. and 2 C97, 9. 7. Heb, 13.16. b In all Duties which immetiately refer to the Precepts of the firſt Table, in all religious Exerciſe and Deportment toward God, keep the Heart fincerely kumble toward God, think highly of him, his Laws and Determi- nations z murmur not againſt the final Determinations God by his Providence makes, complain not of any of his Precepts, know and own it, thou art an unprofitable Servant if thou haſt done all, Luke
17. 10.
rod h, and who hath appointed z it.