forth, thou waſt God : thou haſt permitted, born with, reſtrain'd, overthrown and puniſh'd ſuch proud, bloody and ſacrilegious Wret- ches. In thy Works of old,before this proud Chaldean Monarch was thought of, thou wert as now Wonderful, Juſt and Good, and thy Saints found ſupport in the Remembrance thereof, Pſal. 74. 12. and 77-6,12.& 143+ 5. Iſa. 45. 21. InCovenant with thine 1ſrael,which Covenant 15 not of late Years, it 1s an ancient Covenant, and as it hath,ir ſtill ſhall be kept for our good. g The Sovereign Lord and Ru- ler of the World,who only art Fehovah. h Judge and Vindex by Office; as Judge, engaged to defend, reſcue and avenge the Oppreſled, and my God or Judge. Whether the Prophet ſpeaks only in his own, or in his Peoples Name, he hath reſpe& to that peculiar Relation he or they had to God, much like that 1/a. 63. 19: He refers to the anct- ent Covenant-Relation which God had taken them into, and implics his Hope and ExpeRation of Help from God, their Judge and Vindex- ; Holy in thy Nature, Law and Government, in thy Mercies, and it thy Judgments, who doſt intend to make thy Holineſs appear in duc time by ſaving us; though thou ſeem to forger, or ar leaſt to delay the Work, yer thou art the Holy One in the midſt of us, ſa. 12. 6 and we wait for thee. þ Who are thine, and oppreſt, threatned and expoſed ro the Avarice and Cruelty of the Chaldean. 1 Be ut- terly cur off and deftroyed, for the Death of a Nation is the Deſtru- ion or Deſolation of it ; thou who haſt made us thine by an ever- laſting Covenant of Mercy, wilt ſhew us ſuch Mercy that we ſhall outlive the Rage of our Enemies. m With humble Veneration he doth look towards God,and diſcerneth what quieteth his Spirir, 04 confirms his Faith and Patience. m Ser up, maintained and defign- ed. o The Chaldean Kingdom, as ver. 6. p To execute this Judg: ment, which is ever attempered with Mercy, which ever betfcrs, never deſtroys thy People, Vid. Iſa. 10. 5, &c. Babylon as Aſſ111* was the Rod of God's Indignation, &c. q This he repeats for Col- firmation and 1!luftration, and intimateth God tobe his Peopies Rock and Reſuge. r Strengthened and fortified. s To chaſtilc
and diſcipline, nor to deſtroy, 13 * Thou
Chap.
9 They 7 ſhall come all o for violence: || + their fa. 9s, ; ces p ſhall ſup up as the eaſt-wind, and they ſhall ga F J #071.
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n Chaldeans, and in particular theſe fierce and ſwift Horſemen, Fed,
o With one Purpoſe, on the ſame Deſign, to enrich themſelves hy ſeal [nh making a Prey of all. p Either thus, their very Countenances ſhall to,,, .; be as blaſting, peſtiferous and dangerous, as is the Eaſt-wind jy «1 * thoſe Countries ; or thus, all they can ſup up, or lay hold on, they +46, .,
ſet their Faces Eaſtward to devour others in thoſe Coaſts. q Priſo- 71:5; /,..
ners or Captives, called here the Captivity, to expreſs the Extremity 79y,;4;, thereof. r Both for eaſineſs of gathering, and the Multitudes of ef,
Offence thus to aſcribe his Grandeur to a dumb Idol, but 'ris worſe
and O + mighty God 9g, thou haſt + eſtabliſhed 7 chem ſr
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CHAP. I.. The Prophet waiting by faith for an anſwer, ſheweth the de/irudtion of the Chaldeans for their unſatiableneſs, 1 — 8. cruelty, intemperance, and idolatry, 9 — 20. :
Chap. oa
H ABA
' 13 * Thout art of purer z eyes x than to behold y eyil z , and canſt not look a on || iniquity : where- fore lookeſt b thou upon them that deal treache- rouſly c, azd holdeſt thy tongue d when e the wicked F deyoureth g the man þ that 1s more righteous z than
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_ © Lord, who haſt raiſed and increaſed-the Chaldean Kingdom.
4 Of infimte Purity and. Holinets. x Afſcribed unto God to expreſs
his Knowledge ſo his Eyes run to and fro, and his Eye 1s upon the
Rizhteous. y His Omniſciefice beholds all things ; and fo David ex-
prefſeth ir, Thou beh»ldeft miſchief and ſpite to requite it, Pſal. 10. 14. But he doth not, will nor, cannot ſee with delight, with approbart-
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Or, pb . grievance.
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Will *ſtand 2 upon my watch 6, and ſet c me upon *1fr.21. the + tower d, and will watch #2 to ſee what he f will rp fon
lay g || unto me h, and what I ſhall anſwer 7: + when I ;,; places. am || reproved #. f Or, 7n me
4 The firſt Chapter ended with that difficult and perp!ex'd Que- f Heb. ſtion, why God ſuffers the Wirked ſo long to proſper in their Op- upon my re-
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on, z Of Sin and Violence. a The ſame thing repeated ro confirm us. All this the Prophet doth lay down 2s moſt undoubtedly true, and on which he. ſtays himſelf, (chough the be amazed with the darkbeſs of Providences- ) and by this he will repreſs all undue Mur- murings, when he debates with God about his Providences, moſt Joſt and Holy * But why thus or thus? 5' Seeſt all the Violence done, and bearc{t with them that do it 3 why doft not thy Hand re- move, and avenge what thine Eye is offended at, and-thy Heart” ab- horreth ? c The Chafdeans, who were a perfidious Nation, and rus in'd many by their Treacheries, Fraud and Force, were both alike to them. And 'tis_ likely they dealc- very fafly with the Zews. 4 Scemeſt unconcerned in ſuch a Degree as to. be filent and ſay no- thing. e Or whileſt it might ſeem a fir ſeaſon co ſpeak, when the Violent are about their Violence, when the Prey 1s between the Teeth -nd not ſwallowed. f The Chaldean, an Oppreffor, bloody and trea- cherous againſt Men, an Atheiſt, or Idolater againſt God. g Swal- loweth down whole, as the word imports, Numb. 15. 3o. and Pſal. 124-3. h The Few, or almoſt every one of us, as the Phraſe, im-
rts. i Tho' the Fews were a very cortupt-Nation, yet compa- |
red with the Chaldeans, rhey were the better, of the two the Few was the leſs evil. 'Now this Riddle he defired might be unfolded ;
Why is the Juſter oppreſt by che Unjuſter ?