CHAP. L | Mountains given to Eſay, Deut. 2. 5. Joſh. 24. 4. for Inheritance as ; 69 I : F hei here 'tis ſaid, and which he and his Poſterity did epjoy about 1200 Grd putting the Iſraelites in mind of his love, complaineth of their n= yrs. Þ By Nebuchadnezzar's Arms five Years after the ſacking of thankfulneſs, 15. Of the irreligion of Prieſts and People, exhorting | 72, 7.1211 2s forctold by Ezekiel, ch. 35. The People were lain or them to repentance : alſo of their prophaneneſs and wearineſs in his ſer- captivated, or forced to fly trom the Sword of the Enemy, their Ci- vice, 6——13+ The corrupters of God's worſhip accurſed, 14- ties taken, ne and burnt. It is poſſible that chey might meer 7 with worſe Uſage than the Jews met with herein, however their He burden a of the word of the LORD 5 to If ſtate ſeems os. and ont, no Token of unequal Hatred, bur b.h rael + by Malachi c. Le what follows doth manifeſtly diſcover it, for whereas Jacob's Capti- ng f a See Zech. g. 1, let. a, b,c. and Nah. 1. 1. let. a. uſually it imports | vity returned, and their Cities were rebuilt, -Eſau's never were. hi, ſad Threats againſt thoſe concerned inir, though ſometimes it may be | q Or Fackals, or Owls, for the word is ſo uſcd and explain'd by ' Nnomorethan the Meſſage of God. b The Authority was Divine on | ſome ; or all theſe with Dragons, doleful Creatures, which delight which this Prophet ſpake. c My Meſſenger (faith the Lord) ſo Heb. | in deſolate Places,by which the utter deſolation and the perpetuity of ſounds. My Angel, as ſome, though they err, who take him to bean | the deſolation of Eſau is hgnified. : Angel converſing with Jews in the Form of a Man ; but Angel,taken 4 Whereas Edom faith, We are impoveriſhed -, but in the grammarical Senfe, 7. e. Meſſenger he was, and God's Meſſen- |... .. :11 return s and build the deſolate places z - thus
ger, the laſt of Prophets ſent to Iſrael before the great Prophet Meſſiah | .. . | ; rs came. That he was Mordecat or Exra, as ſome conjeure, without faith the LORD of hoſts, They ſhall build, but I will
good Ground, or who he was, of what Tribe or Family, the Scrip- throw down ; and they {ſhall call them, The border ture gives us noaccount, and we make no gueſs. His PFophecy is of | of wickedneſs x , and the people againſt whom the Divine Authority, and ſo cited by three of the four Evangeliſts, | | ORD) hath indignation for ever y.
May, 11. Io. Mar. 1. 2. Lake oO r6. and by St. Paul, NOM He IJ» 7 Here the Prophet introduceth Edom retle&ing on its preſent low 2 T have loved d you e, faith the LOR DF : yet ye] Condition, and taking up Reſolutions of bettering their Condition 3 ſay g, Wherein haſt thou loved us þ 2 was not Eſau z | where now, as the Jews were five Years before, exceedingly ſpoiled
2» : X _ | by Nebuchadnezzar, who hath rifled our Houſes, burnt our Cities, and l 9, _— & brother ? ſaith the LORD : yo 1 loved Ja captivated our Citizens. s This ſpeaks tneir Inſolence, or ſha!l, this cob /.
: : : ſpeaks their hopes of ſuch a return as Facob's Poſteriry had atter 70 d God aſſerts his ancient Love, that which he had in many Genera- | Years, + Repair their Cities, as Feruſalem was repaired by the re- tions paſt ſhew'd; I have, time out of mind, yea, from before the | turned Captivity. u They may do ſo for a while, but ſaith God, 1 Birth of your Father Facob,and in truth before Abraham was, deſigned | will throw it down, as he did in the times of the Maccabees. x They more Kindneſs to you than to others, and from the time of Facob I | will he by their flagitious Lives,after they a little recover themſelyes, have undeniably ſhewed it. And this deſerved what I have not found | a moſt wicked People, and ſo notorious, that all their Neighbours from you, a Love correſponding ſomewhat to mine 3 but inſtead of | ſhall brand them for it, and preſage a Curſe will follow them. y They ſuch Love, ſome are ready to ſay they ſaw no ſuch thing, or to dil- | will {9 highly provoke God, that his Indignation will be kindle# pute perverſly in what it appeared. : Both Jornny — againſt chem, and will burn for ever.
and relatively, as you were in your Fathers and Progeni1tors. ctr : : Ingratitude —_—_ this foes Proteſtation, they ſhould readily hayec 5 And your eyes ſhall ſee 2, and ye ſhall ſay a, The
owned, and not put God to: avow the Love he had ſhewn them, LOKD will be magnified b | t from the border of
£ Or, And; you do querulouſly, and with Ignorance enough obje&| [ſrae] c. FHleb. fa tome, and put me on it to vindicate my Love, and expoſe your In- z You Jews whoare now returned from Captivity, and are blefſed #p91. gratitude, Wherein, or for what ? is there not ſome Cauſe? Did not | ith a rebuilt Temple and City, who are ſettled in civil and ſacred
Abraham's Love deſerve a Love for us his Poſterity ? oſt perverſe | Concerns, your Eyes ſhall ſee; ſome of you muſt needs, more will,
Pride! þ Who have been Captives, and groan'd under the Miſeries ot | 1nq all might obſerve what I have ſai d,that my Love is toward you
It all our days till of late, 15 this Love to us? 7 Since they are ſup- | whom I plant, build up, and proſper, while 1 root up, pull d0::79
poſed thus toobjeR, by cutting queſtions God will give them anſwer; | ing deſtroy your neighbouring kindred Edom. @ Ye ſhould in point
Was not Eſan Facob's Brother ? had they not one and the ſame Grand- | gf Duty, and ſome of you will take notice of it, and confeſs it.
father ? was not Abraham as near to one as to the other? did not one | z Or jet the Lord be magnified, let his Name be great, and his Praiſe
Father heget them, and one Mother bear them ? did they not lie to-| area, for his free Love to Iſrael, for his great Diſpleaſure againſt the
gether in the ſame Womb? was there not as much of Abraham and | Border of Wickednefs, for his Truth in both. c Let Tſrae! from all
Tſaac . Eſau os in Facob ? or what of a CN 200 his Borders give God this Praiſe.
outward Privilege was there 1n one more than in the other ? what- _ es ever that was, ſay might claim, for he was the eldeſt. In Eſau's 6 A ſon honoureth hs father, and a ſervant his
Perſon his Progeny is included, as appears next Verſe. &þ The youn- maſter d : * if then IT be a father e, where zs mine ho- *Luke 5, 87 Brother, and your Father, O unthankful Jews? 2 I preferr'd | nour f? and if | be a maſter, where 7s my fear g © faith 46.