all have notice given to meer on this work, and being gather'd roge- ther; ſearch your ſelves, hearts and ways, and repen'. 6 Repeated to affe&t them the more, and to haften them to ir, and make them ſerious in it. c Of the Fews, yet a People, yet my Pcople, though next door almoſt to being no People, d Neither defirous to returns nor defirable in your return, fooliſhly unwilling to return, and ut- terly unworthy to be received on your return ; yet gather together, ſearch your ways, and try what you may do for your ſafety,
2 Betore the decree e bring forth f, before the day g paſs as the chatt h, betore the herce z anger of the LORD come upon # you, before the day of the LOR D's an-
ger Come upon you, e The word of the Prophet which declares the Purpoſe of God againſt chis ſinful People. f The Decree is pregnant, nay hath gone a great whiie, but is now htke a Woman near her full time ready to bring forth 3 be you ſpecdy in your Repentance, leſt your Miſeries Rue forth of the Womb of Divine Vengeance and deſtroy you. 2 The Day of ycur Calamities, Babylon's Rage, and God's juſt Diſplea- ſure. h Carry you away as the Wind carrieth Chaff away for the Fire, while thc 700d Grain 15 gathered and preſerved. 7 The heat of Anger. It was Jealoufic like Fire, chap. x. 18: and here 'tis the Heat of thatFirc, tnrimating the greatneſs of the Anger. bþ &As 4 Storm from on high with Violence irreſiſtible and deſtruftive,and the warn- ing is doubled to make them take it.
3 Seck / ye the LORD, all ye meek ? of the earth 7, which have wrought his judgment o, ſeck rightzoul-
in the day of the LOKD's anger.
engage in new Obedience, inquire in the Law what is your Duty,and do it; fear, worſhip, depend on the Lord alone. m Ye humble ones who have not hardned your ſelves with the ſtubborn, proud, idola- trous Hypocrites, but have trembled at the word of the Lord. n Of Fudea, which is here ſpoken of, as chap. 1. 2. .0 Obey'd his Pre- cepts ; ſo doth the Scripture expreſs Obedience to the Law of God by doing Judgment, Dexe. 4 5. Pſalm 119.121. p Enquire and know the Righteouſneſs which God commandeth, which you ought to perſiſt in, and continuc ye in it. q Carry it humbly towards God, and patiently under his CorreRions, ſo wait on the juſt and merci- ful God. r This is ſufficient to raiſe hope; if it be not ſure, if it be hard, yet 'tis nor impoſſile. s Under the Wing of divine pro- tefting Providence kept ſafe from, or in theſe Troubles z they thall be either averted or avated.
4 q For 7 * Gaza x ſhall be forſaken x, and Aſh- * Amos kelon y a deſolation z - they a ſhall drive b out Afſh- 7 5 _ at the noon-day 4, and Ekron e 1hall be rooted up F.
# It 1s time to ſeek ſome refuge, high time to ſeek it in God, for
poured our as duſt z, and their fleſh as the dung f. ow Neighbours as well as you ſhall he deſtroy'd, there ſhall be no
aCaſt them into, and ſurround or beſiege them with Diſtreſs, Ca- lamities, which ſhall greatly trouble and perplex. b The chiefeſt among them,the richett, and who think themſelves ſafeſt ; rhe migh- ty Men, as wer- 1o, let, m. c Like blind Men, ſhall neither know what to do, or where to fly, neither be fit for Counſel or Aion,
Refuge for you among your Neighbours. #« A chief City of the Phj- liſtines, very ſtrong by its ſituation, and by Art fortified, a Frontier toward Egyp:, and not full three Miles from the Sca. x When the conquering Army of the Chaldeans ſhall come againſt it, ſhall be for- ſaken either by the Flight or Captivity of the Inhabitants. y Ano-
d4 All this for their great fins againſt the Lord z theſe Men of Note have been as much greater in Sin as in Stateabove. others, and ſhall be as much Deeper in Diſtreſs. e As fteely, abundantly, and as contemptibly as Duſt in the High-way. F Shall be ſpread as Dung on the Face of the Earth to fatten and improve it 3 their Life ſhal! beof no more value than Duſt, their Honour no more regarded than Dung, and. they ſhall be ſo uſed after Death.
13 * Neither their filver nor their- gold þ ſhall | be able to deliver ; them in the day of the LORD's 15, Wth #, but the whole land hail * be devoured / by the fire of his jealoufi: 22 - for he ſhall make ever ipeedy tiddance = of all them that dwell in rhe and. | hSometirnes theſe have purchas'd Friends, and redeem'd a Life'at tne Hand of greedy Soldicrs who have ſpared on promiſe of Money, but now irſhall notbe fo, neither Silver or Gold ſhall help. 7 To pa- cife the enraged Sulran of Babylon who had been formerly appeaſed with Prefents and Tribute-Money, but will no more. Nor ſhall his ouldicrs dare to ſpare or ſave any when they are charged to ſlay Man, Woman and Child, as in the taking of Jeruſalem *tis probable they were charged, Pſal. 137. 7, 8,9. k Were it the Wrath of lan only, Gifts might appeaſe it, but 'tis the Wrath of God who is a righteous Judge,and receives not Gifts, [Utterly ruined;its Wealth Seed away, its Proviſions cat up, its Stores exhauſted, and its | took (which ſtould continue their Proviſion ) utterly deftroy'd, as {
ther of the ſtrong Cities of the Philiines which fell to the Tribe of Dan, and was a Maritine Town. #2 Utterly waſted, ſo the Abſtra&t doth imply. @ Babylonjans. Vid. Ezeb. 25. 15, 16,17. blnto Cap- tivity, caſt them out of their own, and force them into a ſtrange Land. c A ſtrong fortified City of Paleflina, called in afrer-times Azotus. d It ſhall be taken by force at Noon, or the Citizens led away Captive in the heat of the Day, and under parching Heats. e Famous for its infamous Idolatry where Baalzebub was worthipp'd, the chief Scat of Devil-worſhip. f Utterly extirpated, no more to ſpring up : Vid. Fer. 47. 45. it ſhall be as a Tree pull'd up by the Roots or maimed, as Horſes that are houghed, as 7o/h. 11. 9.
5 Wo unto the inhabitants f of the ſea-coalts g, the nation of the Chererhires þ : the word 2 of the LOR D 7s againſt you : O Caraan &, the land of the Philiſtines, [ will / even deſtroy thee, thar there ſhail be no -inha- birant 2. =