tixnſelves while they ſo finely deceive you, pretendinf love 1n their |
Feaſting with you,when they do it only to gratife their Appetites ; or ſporting themſelves, and making merry with whiat they have cheated you of. 6 Viz. In your Feaſts of Charity, with the ſpecious Pretence of which they covered their Nauzhtineſfs.
I14 Having eyes c full of || adultery 4, and that” Cannot cealz trom {11 e, beguiling * unſtable touts f : an heare taey have exerciſed g with coverous practi- ces h: curſed Children 7.
c He ment'o1s tie Eyes, both becauſe they fet in the Obie of Luſts into the Heart, 7ob 31. 1. Matt. 5. 28. and becaute the Sins of Luſt in the Heart appear eſpecially in the Eyes, Gen. 29. 7. Prov. 6. 25. d Fall of an Adwlter?ſs,which either may be an Hebra:fmm, the Concrete being put tor the Abficat, as drunken for Drunken- neſs, and thirſty for Thirſt, Dent. 2g. 19. or it may be a ppoverti.! Expreſſion of the wretchedneſs of ſuch Mens Hearts, when they ſtill carried an Adquliterefs in their Eyes. e Never fatisfed with looking upon, or {till looking about for ſuch Objetts as might en- Hame their Luſts, or ſtill ſeeking with wanton Looks to entice others to Folly. * Either alluring them by their Wantonnefs to embrace their falſe Do@rines, promifing them Pleaſures and carnal Liberties, wer, 18. Or enticing them to Lewdnefs, by inftilling talſe Doctrines into th:m, which tend to Licentiouſnefs. f Thole that were not well-grounded in the Faith and Dottrine of Holineſs, who might therctore eaſily be drawn atide. g An Heart wholly intent upon getting Gato, accuſtomed to it, and skilſul in it. þ The word is in the Plural Number, to ſhew, that theſe Seducers had feveral Arts and Ways of exerciſing their Covetouſneſs. 7; Gr. Children of the Curſe, It may be taken either atively, for ſuch as were Cauſes of 4 Curſe, brouzht a Curſe with them ; or paſſively, for ſuch as we re worthy of a Curſe,or obnoxious to it ; as Children of Wrath, Epheſ. 2.2.
15 Which have forſaken the right way 4, and are
gone aſtray /, following the way of * Baliam z the +
Jon of Boſor 7, who loved the wages of unrighteouſ: nels 0. k The way of Truth, ver. 2. 7. e. the way of Faith and Holineſs,
which is the only right way to Happineſs, / Into the By-paths of
Error. There is but one rizat way, and many wrong, in which they wander that leave the rizht. He ſeems to allude to Balaam, Numb, 22. who left the way of God, which was to be obedient to God, and not go beyond his Word, ver. 18. and ran into the way of Sin, when he went with Balak's Meſſengers to curſe God's Peo- ple; and therefore his way is ſaid to be perverſe, ver. 32. m &. In reſpett of their wicked lives : For, as Balaam was Diſobedient to God, and againſt his Command, went to Balah ; ſo thcfe Mea forſook the way of Truth preſcribed by God in his Word. 2. In reſpe& of their falſe Doftrine, Balaam taught Balub to entice the Children of Jae! to commit Fornication, and eat things ſacrificed unto Idols, Rev. 2.14. and theſe tauzht Men to commit Lewd- neſs, and indulge themſelves in their Senſualities; 3. Clietly in reſpett of their Covetouſneſs, as follows. n Either this is the Name of his Country called Pethor, Numb. 22. 5. and by change of two Letters, P into B, and Th into /, (frequent in the Syriach Language) Beſor, or Boſoy : Or, the Name of his Father, called Ber, in Numb. having two ' Names, unleſs the Apoſtle call him 87 in alluſion to Baſar, Fleſh, as being of a fleſhly Mind, as the falſe «- herc were. Thus Bethel was called Beta, i. 4.15. al Beelzet;b called Beelzebul, the God of Dung. Matth. 19. 25. 9 The Reward which Balak offered him for an uprighteous att, viz. the curſing of God's People.
16 But was rebuked * for his iniquity, The dumb als ſpeaking with mans voice, forbad p the madneſs q of the propher 7.
* Not only by the Anzel's ſpeaking to him, but by the Afs's, as follows. p Not in expreſs words that we read of, but the Afs's ſpeaking with humane Voice, diſcerninz the Angel before Baluam did, and going back, when he, carried out by the power of his Covetouſneſs, would needs go forward, were fo prodipious things as might ſuificiently convince him of his Sin, in going to Balak, contrary to God's Command at firſt given him; and it was-no ſmall Diſhonour put upon him, that he wiio would not hearken to God, ſhould have an Afs for his Teacher. q In going againſt God's Com- mand, and to curſe thoſe who, God had told him, were bleſled. O-jeet. Balaam had leave given him to go with Balak's Meſſengers, Num. 22. 20. and refuſed Balak's Offers, ver. 18. Anſw. Rplaam did not contemn the Gifts offered, but had a Defire after them, as appears by his enquiring of God the ſecond time, ver. 19. though God had fally revealed his Will to him before, ver. 12. 2ſy. God bad him go, that he might bleſs the People, wer. 12, compare with 20, whereas he went not out of a reſpe& to God's Anſwer, but out of a covetous Mind, and a Defire to curſe 7rae!, as appears by Fofh. 24. 9, 19. and by the curſed Counſel he gave, Numb. 25. 1.
. compare with 31. 16. and Rev. 2. 14. r Balaam is called a Pro-
phet here, either, 1. Becauſe he pretended to be ſo: Thus the falſe Prophets are ſometimes called abfolutely Prophets, Fey. 6. 13. and 26. 7,8, 11, Or, 2ly. Becauſe he really was a Prophet, though a wicked and covetous one; for he enquired of God, and had An- ſwers from him, Numb. 22. 8,9, 10, 18, 19. and Moſes favs ex- preſly, that the Lord put a word in Balaam's Mouth, Chap. 23. 5s, 16. and that Prophecy concerning the Meſſiah, Xumb. 24. 17. could not but be of God ; yet it 1s probable, that Ba/aam, out of Cove- touſneſs, might ſometimes uſe Divination ; nay, it is plain in ſome caſes he did, Numb. 24. I.
17 * Theſe are wells without water /, clouds that * ſude 1.
are carried with a tempeſt 7, to whom the milt of
darkneſs z is referved for ever.
{ He compares Seducers, 1. To Well without Water + Pecauſe a3 2 Well invites a Traveller to it, 1:1 hope of quenching his Thirft, but begng without Water, mocks his Expettation 5 fo faife Teachers making a ſhew of true Wiſdom, and faving Knowledge, driw Men to them, bat being deſtitute of ir, delude them, and make them no wiſer than they were. t 2, To Clos, &c, becauic az Clouds
many
Gr.nn 4+
' J ” , - EATEN] 45>
T2.
Chap, H.
hb ae, OW TT
* Tude 15.
> Acts =
þ - Hebd.5.4. & 10. 25
* Luke 12, $7, 48.
* Prov. 25.