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in hope that a better generation will rife out of them: as it 9 follows; And I will bring forth a feed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my fervants fhall dwell there. 10 And Sharon fhall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have fought me."

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But ye [are] they that forfake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, for Gad, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number, that is, to Meni. But because ye 11 choose a number of idols, Therefore will I number you to the fword, and ye fhall all bow down to the flaughter: because when I called, ye did not anfwer; when I fpake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choofe [that] wherein I delighted not, what was most 13 odious to me. Therefore thus faith the Lord God, Behold, my fervants, true believers in Chrift, fhall eat, but ye, unbelievers, fhall be hungry: behold, my fervants fhall drink, but ye fhall be thirsty: behold, my fervants 14 fhall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my fervants fhall fing for joy of heart, but ye fhall cry for forrow of heart, and fhall howl for vexation of fpirit. 15 And ye shall leave your name for a curfe unto my chofen; according to the proverb, He is as • He is as miferable as a jew; or the execration, God make thee like a jew :' for the Lord GOD fhall flay thee, and call his fervants by another name, that is, Chriftians; or in general it may 16 mean, that he will show them peculiar favour: That he who bleffeth himself in the earth fhall blefs himself in the God of truth; and he that fweareth in the earth fhall fwear by the God of truth; becaufe the former troubles, or when the former provocations, are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes; there fhall be an utter extirpation of idolatry, fuperftition, and wickedness, from among them.

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For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: Sharon lay to the weft, and Achor to the eaft; fo that it intimates, that the whoie country fhould be peopled and become fruitful.

It is uncertain what particular idols thefe were.

and the former fhall not be remembered, nor come into mind; the final converfion of the jews fhall be a new and 18 glorious State of things, fuperior to any before. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever, or, for the age to come, [in that] which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusa19 lem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerufalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping fhall be no more heard in her, nor the voice 20 of crying; the former occafions of grief fhall ceafe. There fhall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days for the child fhall die an hundred years old; but the finner [being] an hundred years old fhall be accurfed; (figures taken from the antediluvian State :) men fball live to a great age, and not die when they begin to grow old; he that is an hundred years' old fhall be reckoned but as a child; and if a man die at an hundred years, he shall be esteemed a grievous finner, who hath provoked God by fome aggravated offence to fhorten his 21 days. And they fhall build houses, and inhabit [them;]

and they fhall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of 22 them. They fhall not build, and another inhabit; they fhall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [are] the days of my people, they shall revive as a tree does in the fpring, and mine elect fhall long enjoy the 23 work of their hands. They fhall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they [are] the feed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them; their children fball live, shall be well provided for, and be a 24 holy feed. And it shall come to pafs, that before they call, I will anfwer; and while they are yet fpeaking, I will hear; I will prevent them with the bleffings of my 25 goodness. The wolf and the lamb fhall feed together, and the lion shall eat ftraw like the bullock and duft [fhall be] the ferpent's meat. They fhall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, faith the LORD; there fhall be no perfecution nor feverity among them, but perfect harmony and friendship; the ferpent shall not fly upon men and bite them, but appear as an innocent reptile.

P Bp. SHERLOCK understands it as referring to the fentence on the ferpent at the fall, that fatan fhall be fubdued and bound, be ftripped of his influence over the fouls of men, and the curfe of God executed upon him and his feed.

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REFLECTION S.

ET us blefs God that he hath fulfilled his promife to the gentiles. They knew not God, nor did they feek after him; but he made himself known to them; invited them to seek him, and return to him. This is the happy case of our land. O that we may be duly fenfible of the divine goodness herein. When he calls to us, let us hear his voice and learn his ways; and let not our ministers have reason to complain of any of us, that they have stretched out their hands to a difobedient and rebellious people.

2. We may observe, how offenfive spiritual pride is to God. A black character is here given of the Jews, and no part of it is reprefented to be fo offenfive to God as their hypocrify and felf-conceit, which generally go together. This is illuftrated by our Lord's reproof of the pharifees, They trusted that they were righteous, and defpifed others; looked upon all who did not observe their fuperftitions, as un clean. A temper much refembling this is too common among christians, which discovers itself in their unreasonable attachment either to fome peculiar notions which they term orthodoxy, or to fome unfcriptural rites, in which they place the whole of religion; and are too ready to fay to others, We are holier than you. But fuch a temper as this is highly difpleafing to God, v. 5. Thofe are often, yea, generally, the most unholy, who think themselves most holy. Let us beware therefore, left, being lifted up with pride, we fall into the condemnation of the devil.

3. We fee what a difference God makes and will make between his fervants and his enemies. This difference is here specified, and their refpective conditions are fet one overagainst the other. His fervants have comfort in their earthly enjoyments; true peace, pleasure, and joy; and they are really honourable. While his enemies are strangers to true pleasure; are, and will be, contemptible. Let God's servants therefore be thankful for his grace manifefted to them; and let his enemies tremble to think, how much worse their state will be hereafter, when the righteous fhåll be comforted, while they are tormented.

4. When

4. When God is doing great things for his church, it becomes us to observe and rejoice in them, v. 18. He is able to do great things for them; as great, as making a new heaven and a new earth; and he will do it in his time. He will rejoice over his people himself; and it becomes us to rejoice with them, and take a part in their pleasure and gratitude. In the mean time, let us rejoice in the affurance and profpect of this happy period, and in every inftance in which religion revives, and there are added to the church fuch as fhall be faved.

CHA P. LXVI.

This chapter confifts of two parts; v. 1-7, is a reproof to the jews for laying fuch a ftrefs on the temple and temple worfhip in Chrift's time, with an intimation that God would change it. In this view Stephen quotes it, Alts vii. 49, 50.

HUS faith the LORD, The heaven [is] my

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throne, and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where [is] the place of my reft? where is the temple that fuits my majesty, and where I may take up my rest without any 2 thought of a departure? For all thofe [things] hath mine hand made, and all thofe [things] have been, or rather, are mine, faith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite fpirit, and trembleth at my word; who possesses habitual humility and ferioufnefs, and revereth my word. Without 3 this devout temper, He that killeth an ox [is as if ] he flew a man; he that facrificeth a lamb, [as if] he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, [as if he offered] fwine's blood; he that burneth incenfe, [as if ] he bleffed an idol; the facrifices of the unbelieving jews will not be acceptable to God, but very provoking to him. Yea, they have chofen their own ways, and their foul delighteth in their abominations, or, their fuperftitions. 4 I alfo will choose their delufions they shall be flaves to tradition

This was one of the facrifices ufed by the heathens at the death of their friends, as mentioned by Homer.

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tradition and be deluded by falfe Chrifts, and will bring their fears upon them; probably the Romans, for fear of whom they crucified Chrift, because when I called, none did anfwer; when I fpake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose [that] in which I delighted not.

Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that caft you out for my name's fake, faid, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they fhall be 6 ashamed. A voice of noife from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompenfe to his enemies; to the unbelieving jews, who shall be left to perish in the destruction of the city; while the chriftians, being warned by Christ, shall fly to the mountains and be fecure. The remainder of the chapter refers, I think, to the glorious flate of the jews in the latter day.

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Before the travailed, the brought forth; before her 8 pain came, fhe was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard fuch a thing? who hath feen fuch things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth, to produce fruit in all its perfection, in one day? [or] fhall a nation be born at once? without growing up, without any pain and difficulty, or any ill accident? for as foon as Zion travail9 ed, the brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? faith the LORD: fhall I cause to bring forth, and shut [the womb?] faith thy God; Shall I disappoint the expectations of my people, and fail to perform my work, when every thing is ripe for execution? Then follows an address to gentile chriftians, who had mourned over the calamitious ftate of the jews for 10 many ages. Rejoice ye with Jerufalem, and be glad

with her, all ye that love her, rejoice for joy with her, 11 all ye that mourn for her: That ye may fuck, and be fatisfied with the breafts of her confolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory, or ftores; as if he had faid, That ye may be

edified

This is addreffed to the believing jews, who were excommunicated under a pretence of zeal for God, and perfecuted in every city to which their enemies had access.

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