p The Prophet here gives us a Reaſon of his Advice to be wary how, and whom they tcuft. q Who received his Being, Maintenance, Education, and inherits the Honour as well as Eftate of his Father ; the Son obliged by moſt inviolable Laws to pleaſe, preſerve, and ho- nour his Father. r Seeks to accule , vilify , endanger and ruine. s Whole Diſhonour and Loſs or Kuine, is alſo the Son's Diſhonour and Ruine; yet unnatural Treachery will be ſo rife in thoſe Times, that the Father had need keep his guard upon his very Son. t Whoſe Love and AffeRtion uſually more tender than the Sons towards Parents, yet will forget their Duty. #« That bare them, that nurſt them, that more than Fathers, tend, indulge, and bear with them : Sov mon- ftrous hall the Perfidiouſneſs of that Age be. x In Conſanguinity there was not any Faithfulnefs, in Afffinity much leſs may you expect it. y The worſt and moſt perillous Enemies, who will be moſt ready and moſt able to miſchief them. 4 Among Relations and Rerainers ; who by Law of God and Nature, Should have been faithfu'teſt Friends : So it fell out through the Civil Wars of the Jews, in their ſeditious, and in their calamitous days ; Much like to this is that of Chriſt, Mat. 10. 21, 35, 36+
7 Therefore a I will look b unto the LORD c - I wil wair d for the God of my ſalvation e : my God will hear
me f.
a Since Times are fo calamirous, and all ſorts of Men are [& fdious: fince no ſure Comfort or Relief from thoſe that are neare Relations, and should be deareft Friends. 6 As one ſet in a Watch- Tower looks round about, and diligently obſerves all that ſtirreth ; So will the Prophet, ſpeaking in the Perſon of the Faithful, the rae! of God; ſo did they who in Iſrae} and Fudab feared the Lord, and walke ed with him. c The God- of Mercy, Power, Truth and Wiſdom, who can and will hely. ,4 Though he do not preſently appear for me, ( faith the Church ) I will with Patience expett. e Who only can, and who graciouſly hath promisd to ſave his Church. f He doth hear my Cry, and will deliver me.
*Lam.4 8 © * Rejoice g not againſt me h, O mine enemy ? : | were continued in that Servitude by the Babylonians till the Medes and 2. when 1 fall &, I ſhall ariſe]; when I "7 fit in darkneſs 7, the | Perfians overthrew the Babylonians, and proclaimed a Releaſe to al
LORD /hall be a light o unto me.
MICAH
ok in Price,
h with
of the true God, or preferr'd. their Idols above him 3 and as if þ« had becn a conquer'd and captiv'd God, as well as his People i bh F hare ſpeaketh afſured of the. Truth of God's avenging Sox twor
7 With Delight or Well-pleaſedneſs the People of Coy ſhall ſee their Enemies laid as low for their Cruelty againft the as ever God ſuffer'd the Enemy to lay his People low for their Go againſt him, and his Mercies: So the like Expreſſion, Pſzl, - IO. chap. 4.11, let. x k Either ſhortly ſhe ſhall, or elſe when El time of full Deliverance is come, the Church ſhall in that Day » joice in her God, and ſay Now. | Be accounted and uſed az moſ contemptible and uſeleſs, the conquering Enemy ſhall thea tre? the Babylonians in the Dirt, and ule them deſpitefully, and without more regard than that we have for the Dirt under our foot : and _ _ accompliſh'd by the Medes and Perfians in their Conqueſt of pabylen,
Theſe Words are variouſly expounded ; but the plaineft, ang moſt ſuting with the Letter and Hiſtory to me, ſeems to be this, n © Feruſalem, the days ſhall certainly come, that thy Walls Overthrown and raſed by the Babylonians, ſhall be rebuilt, #» Which was firk in part fulfilled under Cyrxs, but more fully under Darius Zyſtaſpis, ang Darius Longimanus, who commiſſion'd Nehemiah to repair the Walls of Feruſalem, 0 Either the Decree of Artaxerxes, who is allo called Can. byſes, and who forbad the building of the Temple z or elſe the Decre: of Darius Hyſtaſpis, reviving Cyrus his Decree for the return of all the Fews that would return, p For ever ceaſe, if referred to Camby;
ecree z this ſhall no more hinder ; or elſe ſhall be diſperſed far and wide among all the Provinces, if you mean Cyrus's Decree that all may return.
12 [1 that day q alſo he r ſhall come even to thees from Aſſyriat, and || from the fortified Cities «, and from the! fortreſs x, even to the river y, and from ſea to ſea z, ani" from mountain to mountain a. |
q After the Jews return out of Captivity, and Jeruſalem rebuilt, r He who is of Jewiſh Race, and proſelyted Gentile, s O Feruſdln, Seat of God's Solemn Worſhip, Type of the Goſpel-Church, reſto red to thy promiſed Glory. # In which many {ſraelites were found Captives when the Babylonian Kingdom ſwallow'd up the Aſhrior, and
captive Fcws ; then from Aſſyria did captive /ſrae!, 7, e. ſome of then,
The Prophet in this Verſe perſonates the Church, and brings her in beſpeaking the Enemy in this manner. Jy it be no Pleaſure or Matter of glorying to thee, that the Day of Calamity hath overtaken me. h jJſrael of God, the Remnant, the Faithful, which are the Church of God, 7: O Aſjrim, Edon, or Babylon. k Into a low Condition , into deepeft Diftreiſes. 1 I Shall not always lie in them ; God will raiſe me out of them. #2 The Prophet intends the Good, the few Righteous Ones among thoſe degenerate Mul- titudes. # When Affittion, War, Famine and Captivity, as a dif mal C loud $hall cover us, and benight the Daughter of Light, when fallen as low as a Captive. 0 Shall ſupport, comfort, and de- liver me 3 his Preſence and Favour 5hall, as the Sun rifing, diſpel the Darkneſs of the Night. This is ſpoken more eſpecially concerning Fudah., |
9 I will bear o the indignation of the LORD p, be- cauſe I have ſinned againſt himq, until he plead my cauſe r, and execute judgment for me 5s: het will bring me forth to tke light «, and I ſhall tehold his righteon(-
neſs x.