kro00Ps C. q har dreadful Deſolations God threatned againſt Iſrael, chap. 1. wer. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. for thoſe he now ſpeaketh of, and me- ditateth on, having finiſh'd his elegant Deſcription of God's whn- derful works of mercy toward Tſrael of old, and left them as a foun- dation of Comfort and Hope. r Or Heart, -or Bowels, or inward Parts, Prov. 20.27%. $ Another Effe& and Sign of ſurpriſing Fears and Aſtoniſhment. # At the meer report. # A conſumption and de- cay of all my Strength, a languiſhing oft my Spirits, and a declining of my Vigour, a very uſual Effe& of great Fears. x I was all ſha- ken, as withan Earthquake, no part was free or unſhaken. »y Theſe Fears awakned my remembrance of that God, and thoſe wonders which I have recounted ; theſe Fears have occaſioned my ſearch into this Myſtery of Providence, that underſtanding it, I might, as I do, betake my {elf to God, and his covenanted Mercies, that I may reſt in him who will make it go well with the Righteous, even with thoſe Righteous who ſhail live to ſee and feel the troubles of thoſe days. z The King of Babylon, with all his bitter and cruel Nations bent on Violence and Rapine. a Againſt the F-ws my People, ſaith the
, [Or, mud. "_
Or, it them
, EPHANTAMC d The Inhabitants of Canaan, but particu-
e With violence invading every ſide z a Tem--/
de uy of contrary Winds and Exhalations, moving as violent- mo— f To dfſperſe and drive away from the Earth. g The joy hey took was ſuch as is the joy Men who take the Spo1]
/didſt walk zz through 7 the ſea with thine
| Prophet. 6b With mighty force,a2d eur in pieces, make moſt bloo-
dy work among them. c With numerous Armies and ſpoil ia Troops, where what one leaves, another will take; where none eſc1pe tic _ of ſome or other in the Troops ſee this accompliſh'd, 2 Kin:s ClNaÞPes 25s
17 < Although & the fig-tree e ſhall not bloſſom neither /þa// fruit be in the vines g, the labour þ of the olive ſhall + fail 7, and the fields & ſhall yield no mear /. the flock 2» ſhall be cut oft z from the fold o, and here
/hall be no herd p in the ſtall :
d To War foreſeen the Prophet ſuppoſeth Famine, and deſcri- »eth the moſt grievous, as indeed it fell out. -e Which was in that Country a very conſiderable part of their Proviſion to live upon. f Nor give the leaſt fign of bringing forth Fruit. g Which were alto the Riches and Proviſton of choſe Countries. h Either 1a:cur beſt w- cd upon the Olive, or the Fruit which the Olive brings forth, called acre Lavyour, by an Aſlufion to our Labour. 7 Diſappoint th- ex- peRation of both Dreſſer and Eater. k Ploughed and ſown. / Cara 'or Bread, m Of Sheep kept out in the Field; n Either by Wolt Murrain, or by the waſting Babylonians. 0 Where they were wont to "e ſafe, now are in greateſt danger, and that becauſe they may be ſwept away allat once. p Greater Cattel kept in the Stall for labour, Ir for feeding.
+ Heb. le;
18 Yet I q will rejoyce7 in the LOR D<-,I will joy in the God 7 of my falvation z,
g As for my part, I will, ſaith the Prophet, r Look for Joy CK- pett matrer of rejoycing in the Lord z 5s Who will preſerve 4 Rem- nant and redeem them, who will rebuke Babylon, and will very ſtrangely deſtroy it. # The Prophet renews his own Faith, and con- firms ours. u All ſhall end in Salyation to him and Believers,
19 The Lord GOD 7s my ſtrength +, and he will
make my feet like * hinds feet y, and he will make me *2 Sam: to walk upon mine high places z. To the chief linger 7 *7 3% on my Þ ſtringed inſtruments. | + Heb. x The Prophet had in his own, and in the Name of all the godly, Ne-in;/ made a full profeſſion of his Faith, and reſolution to behave himſelf ©
with Joy in midſt of Troubles, ver. 17, 18, now he gives us account
on what ground he ſpeaks ſo, *tis not in his own ſtrength he can do
lis but it is becauſe the Lord God is liis ſtrength. »y That I may
eſcape to God my Refuge, to that ſafe Mountain of Salvation, that I
' may at laſt fly from Babylon to Fudea, ro Feruſalem. 2 To my native
Country, to my beloved City, and thy more beloved Temple which
were built like high Places to that Munition of Rocks, gc. Deur. 32.
13+ Iſa. 33. 16. My God will return my Captivity, and when [
am ſet at liberty, as I ſhall be by Cyr, my God will be my ſtrength,
that as a Hind let looſe, I may haſten to the Mountains of Ifrael,
a Let this be kept on Record for publick Uſe, this be Pattern for
others, as well as tis Declaration of my Faith, Hope, Defire and
Prayer, |
for their Sins , of which in particular, Idolatry, Apoſtacy, God; and the ſinful Faſhions of great Ones in their Habits, chap. 1. 5, 6. 8, 9. which Sins, and many others which then
The ARGUMENT.
His Prophet by ſomewhat larger Account of his Pedigree, groes us ground to gueſs of what Family be might be
the laſt named may poſſibly be the good King Hezekiah ; the Names are the ſame in chap. 1. ver. 1. and 2 Kings
18. 1. By his freedom with Princes and the King's Children, reproving them, ver. 8. and threatning them with the lof. tineſs of his Style, may fairly be admitteda Conjetture at ſomewhat more than ordinary in his Deſcent , but whether of Royal Blood or no, he came with a Droine Warrant, and with a prophetick Spirit, ſharply reproving all Ranks of Men
and negled to enquire for the irue Religion, and the true and the violent Oppre/ſion of the great Ones, are named, abounded among ft them, are threatned with ſevere Puniſh:
ments, and with utter Deſolation, which had already befallen ſome of the neighbouring Natiens named, and propoſed as Examples tothe Jews to move them to conſuder, repent, amend, and prevent the threatned Fudgments, which unleſs they repent, will come ſuddenly. The Prophet therefore affetionately exhorteth and preſjeth them to Repentance, chap. 2. by Examples of thoſe he mentioneth, whoſe Impenitence added to their Sins ruin'd them. By Promiſes and Encouragements to expett Mercy upon their hearkning to his Counſel, foretels the coming of the Meihah, the calling of the Gentiles, the preſerving of a Remnant of them amidſt all the "Troubles and waſting Fudgments that ſhould fol- low them, and a Return out of Captroity, with the E_ them as the Church and People of God, which Pro-
mije cloſeth his Prophecy, and for which he calls on them
CRAT. L