the receiving of his Eliah that they might be converted by him and so prevent the evil of that day wherein he would smite with a curse those that did not prepare then to meet him This being plainly the intent of the words to raise from them a question concerning the perpetuity of the Law or hence to think to prove it in all parts unalterable is quite besides the purpose As they were given they are manifestly a command to them of that time to an observation of all the parts thereof and the meaning of them is evident thus Look not henceforth for an ordinary or continued succession of Prophets as you hitherto have had but that you may prepare your selves for meeting the Lord in that day by Malachi told you of remember duly the Law of Moses with the Statutes and Judgments thereof take that for your rule and direction whereby to square your lives and actions Necessary was it that they should remember and duly attend to that all of them for though it was delivered to them by the hand of Moses the Servant of God and therefore called his Law yet was it by God himself commanded unto him for all Israel all of it with all the Statutes and Judgements therein contained all the parts thereof By the Law some will have meant the moral precepts of the Law by Statutes the ceremonial by Judgements the Judicial Abarbinel as the Jews commonly by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chukkim Statutes will have to be understood such things for which no other reason is to be given but Gods command by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mishpatim Judgements such the reason of which was manifest But without farther enquiry into the notion of the words we take to be in the words as here put all the parts of the Law whatsoever and of what nature soever even every jot and title thereof as our Savior speaks to be comprehended inasmuch as every one of them was then when this was spoken in force not any of them completed by having had its due end And therefore by being bid to remember them they are told what was a duty necessarily incumbent on them For all of them were commanded to all Israel and they ought to observe all and not forget or neglect any of them and as this was a duty necessary to them so was it a thing that would be greatly beneficial to them So that it was the great kindness of God to call upon them to remember that which he had made formerly their duty and might in justice without farther delay or warning have proceeded in Judgement against them for their many neglects and breaches of it which by this Prophet he hath convinced them guilty of The benefits of remembring of it would have been the rectifying of them in their waies which they had greatly perverted the restraining them from and warning them to repent of those many sins which he hath convinced them to be guilty of whereby they had greatly provoked him as he hath shewed and to set them in such waies wherein walking both they and their services should be accepted by him and farther to instruct them concerning the Lord the Messiah whose coming he hath here warned them of and how to receive him and his Messenger that he would send to prepare the way before him And this especially some will have to be understood as that for which he would have them remember the Law of Moses That indeed did both point him out before hand in many types and figures and expresly command obedience to him when he should come as Deut. XVIII 15 as that place is cited by S. Peter and shewed to be meant of him Act. II. 22 and our Savior himself tells us that Moses wrote so plainly of him that if they had believed Moses they would have believed him And that the cause that they believed not his words was because they believed not the writings of Moses Joh. V. 46 47. The Law with which it may not be amiss with some to take in the Prophets as appendages for exposition thereof as our Saviour joyns them They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Luk. XVI 29 in these and other regards was plainly a Schoolmaster as S. Paul calls it which attended to would have brought them to Christ. And so the remembring of it would have been eminently beneficial to them But we look not on this only though of chief regard and including the rest as that wherein it would have been advantageous to them to have remembred the Law of Moses but with this on all the other mentioned By so doing they should have been so prepared for the coming of the day of the Lord so often before and immediatly again spoken of that it should not have for destruction come upon them and their not remembring it would as in the event manifestly it did bring it with all its dreadfull effects on them It was then Gods great kindness to call on them to remember it for their own good Yet is not that the utmost of his loving kindness That they may see his mercies never cease where men do not obstinately reject them and forsake them though they may not expect any more Prophets of an ordinary rank to warn them when they forget the Law by observing which they should prevent the terrors of his day yet that they may not have any excuse or pretence at all to say that it came on them unawares he promiseth hard before the coming thereof an extraordinary one whom he calls Eliah to endeavor even then to convert them if they would be converted So follows it in the next verse 5 ¶ Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet c. As to the connexion of these words with the former in such manner as we have said Kimchi thus notes Although I warn you to have recourse to the Law of Moses in every generation yet notwithstanding for your good I will send to you Eliah the Prophet But concerning the person who is here meant by Eliah is no small controversy and difference betwixt Expositors The Jews agree not among themselves the forementioned Kimchi with several others of them think it meant of that Eliah himself in person who lived and prophecyed in the time of Ahab King of Israel I Kings XVII c. The meaning saith he is That he will put again his soul which ascended into Heaven into a body w ch shall be created like his first body because his first body turned to earth at his Ascension every Element to its like element and after that he shall cause him to live in his body he shall send him to Israel before the day of Judgement which is the great and dreadfull day of the Lord and he shall warn both Fathers and children together to turn with all their heart unto the
and so likewise to have that notion in the title of Antiochus Epiphanes who he thinks was not called so much illustrious as terrible But this neither makes much for or against our purpose in giving the meaning To the day spoken of may well agree either of those Epithetes it was terrible and dreadfull and therefore notable and perhaps there was anciently that communication of significations between those roots in the Hebrew as to justify both 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers c. As in the former verse we had him whom God in mercy would send to them for preventing their utter destruction described by his title of Eliah the Prophet and by the time of his coming before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord so in this we have him described by his office viz. that he should turn the hearts of the father◠to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers to which are added the good effects which should be produced by his performance of that office viz. the preventing of Gods coming and smiting the Earth with a curse These words are referred to by the Angel Luke I. 16 17. with a farther explication of them and applyed to John the Baptist thus and many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a People prepared for the Lord. That these words are there referred to is manifest and the person spoken of so expresly declared to be John the Baptist called therefore Eliah because he should come in the spirit and power of Elias that there can be no reason why that should be doubted or disputed of among Christians or Elias in person or any other by that name called should be expected by vertue of them as before we have said As concerning the meaning of the words by which his office is expressed whatever they think concerning the person it will be indifferent to all to enquire They must have the same meaning whosoever they are applyed to whether by Jews or Christians For the meaning of them therefore we may look what they do or ought to agree in comparing them one with another To which enquiry it will be convenient to premise an observation concerning that word or preposition which in our Translation is rendred to and is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al viz. that it is as Grammarians observe and examples convince of divers uses and significations It signifies most usually above over on but not only so but withall to with for by near against in and other like of which examples accurre in the Hebrew Text. And according to the words with which it is joyned and the thing spoken of is the signification thereof to be discerned and distinguished Again concerning the appellations and titles of fathers and children that they are not only attributed to those that are so by nature but to others also who for other respects or relation one to another have those names given them as older people that of fathers younger that of children and so learned men or teachers are looked on as common fathers in respect to their disciples or such as learn of them or are instructed by them and the like This concerning the nature of those words being observed will help us to judge of such Expositions as are given of the whole sentence The signification of the forementioned preposition which our Translators choose to give it in this place is to or unto which it often manifestly hath elsewhere as Joshua II. 8 she came up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alehem to them and I Sam. II. 11 went 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his house with many other places And it is likewise embraced by most of Interpreters but then accordingly as they apply it to fathers and children and their different understanding of what is meant by them do they differ in giving the meaning They that understand them of such as should be them together in present being whether natural fathers and children or others who might be called by that title as ours seem to do take his office so as here described to consist in taking away such discords and differences as should be betwixt them and settling peace and love and charity among them so as that their hearts should be propense and kindly affectioned one to another and they should be of one heart and one soul among themselves as it is said of the believers Act. IV. 32 and with one consent hearken to God and receive the truth preached to them So that this disposition and behaviour which it is here said it should be the work of the promised Elijah to work in their hearts may seem as a learned Jew observes contrary to that which in the Prophet Micah is described as being found among them in his time Chap. VII 6 the son dishonoureth the Father or that which on their not hearkning to him our Saviour saith should be in after times the father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father Luke XII 53 Such dissensions among them in those times here spoken of are observed to have been caused and fomented by the several Sects that were among them as of Sadduces and Pharisees and the like which had such ill influence as to banish those due respects which ought to have been betwixt parents and children superiors and inferiors or whosoever under the title of father and son may be comprehended and that love and charity which should have been betwixt all orders and degrees of men whose hearts Eliah i. e. John Baptist coming in the spirit and power of Eliah should be sent to reduce if possible to better order to mutual agreement among themselves and joynt obedience to God This seems to have been the ancientest understanding of the words among the Jewish Doctors who summe up the meaning of them in other words saying That he should be sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lehashvoth hammachloketh to compose dissention or reconcile differences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leasoth shalom binehem to make peace between them that they might all agree in the profession of one Religion and thus seem the Greek Interpreters to have understood them who instead of the second member of the sentence and the heart of the children to their fathers put for the meaning of it and the heart of a man or every one to his neighbour Against this Exposition I know not what may be excepted yet do others taking the forementioned preposition
not any or let none deal c. others making the preceding word spirit the nominative case that is and let not your spirit deal treacherously c. are waies of change so usual in the Dialect of the Scripture that none that looks into the Original thereof can raise any scruples or difficulties from it Abarbinel having considered and recited Kimchi's Exposition as likewise shewed how the opinion of those who understand that One of Adam is as he supposes to be managed most agreeably to the scope of the words viz. that the first words be taken as an objection to the Prophet that reproved them for their taking strange wives We are all the children of the first man Adam children of one Father and then none can be accounted a strange woman which is that which is said did not one i. e. the holy God at first create one man alone and the residue of the spirit was with him i. e. the rest of the spirits came forth of his loins viz. of that first Adam who was one and then that the other words be the Prophets answer to this purpose Will you make your condition to be equal or like that of the first man Adam when he was alone in the World for he did not seek ought but a Seed of God children that should serve God not following after his concupiscence as ye do and therefore it is meet that ye Take heed to your spirits c. which Exposition how clear it is I will not examine yet seeing that neither Adam nor Abraham are mentioned in the Text thinks the words are capable of another more simple Exposition which he thus gives And not one hath done it viz. not one only among you hath committed this evil So that you may say shall one man sin and wilt thou be wrath with all the Congregation as Num. XVI 22 One man alone among you hath not done this so as that to the rest their spirit is with them i. e. they keep entire their soul and spirit which shall return unto God who gave it And if it were but one alone among you I would ask him what he did seek by this marriage whether he did seek that the children which were born unto him should be a Seed of God this is not possible as long as their mother is the daughter of a strange God And seeing the matter is so that ye have all transgressed not one only of you and seeing that he that so transgresseth in this knows of a truth that his Seed will not be the Seed of God it concerns you that ye take heed to your spirit for there is nothing more precious to a man then his soul and that you keep your spirit that it break not forth after its lusts and then it will not or let it not viz. that spirit deal treacherously with the wife of thy youth Because c. This is a literal Interpretation of his words and this his opinion a learned Christian embraceth but a modern Jew who cites it having considered it prefers another of his own wherein he takes by the One to be meant Israel whom God chose to be to himself One peculiar People among all Nations a People that should dwell alone and not be reckoned among the Nations as Balaam speaks of them Num. XXIII 9 and were therefore to preserve themselves a holy People and to keep their Genealogy and offspring entire not mingled with other Nations nor making marriages with them whereby the holy Seed the Seed of God might be mingled with the daughter of a strange God So that the Prophets reproof here will run thus Did not God make Israel one Nation in the Earth and to him was excellency of spirit i. e. did not God give to Israel that one Nation an excellent spirit above all Nations and what is it that that one seeks or should seek It is a Seed of God a Seed that God hath blessed to take or in taking a wife of the daughters of Israel who are the Seed of God children of the living God and not the daughter of a strange God Therefore take heed to your spirit lest there be made a breach in that high degree and excellency which God hath imparted to you in making you one holy People separate from all other People And this Exposition he confirms by looking back to the 10 th and 11 th verses Have we not all one Father c. which he will have to import That God our God is one and he is our Father who created us to be to him a peculiar People one People of one God and if we take strange wives of the Nations of the Earth we shall deal treacherously every one against his brother and profane the holy Covenant of our Fathers our Seed which is the holiness of the Lord which he loveth There are yet other Expositions ancienter then some of the forementioned which yet because the Author from whom I take them is not yet printed as the others are and in some consideration to the Expositions themselves I put in the last place He tells us that the meaning of the words is said by more perhaps because he names no particular though the words in which he gives it are expresly Aben Ezra's to be That there is not any among you but hath done this that the construction of the words with a supply of what is to be understood may run thus There is not one of you that hath done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cedat according to the Law and his spirit or whose spirit remains to him so as that it hath not been mingled with the daughter of a strange God This Exposition though he approve not of yet it may be observable in regard that it agrees with the usual reading of the LXX or Greek Version which hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being read without an Interrogation though it is usually read with one would sound And he hath not done that which is good and there is remainder of his spirit where by he seeing it is to be asked who is meant by it it will be the readiest and plainest way to understand any one that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath not done may be meant the same as by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is not that doth i. e. not one that doth good Rom. III. 12 and so then there is not any one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Echad one that hath done good and there is a remainder of his spirit or reading the last words only with an Interrogation and is there any remainder of his spirit i. e. so as that there is a remainder of his spirit or his spirit is entire This being allowed it will be all one with that Jewish Exposition mentioned the one's supply of Cedat according to the Law well answering to the others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and if so all that I shall at present say is That then this
and dispersed to every corner your name remaineth or shall remain in every place The evil that I have done to you I have done for your iniquities And as I change not so ye also shall not be consumed and in the latter daies ye shall return to your dignity and shall be high above all the Nations of the Earth But Jonathan paraphraseth it thus For I the Lord have not changed my Covenant which is from of old but ye O house of Israel think that he that dieth in this World his Judgement ceaseth Thus Kimchi Abarbinel though he dissent from R. Salomo on the 2 d 3 d and 4 th verses as we have seen yet here agreeing with him as separating what is spoken in the 5 th and this verse from what is spoken in them as belonging to a distinct time and judgement as not seeing in his way how well to joyn them thus here speaks For I the Lord change not i. e. I have alwaies loved judgement and righteousness but if it be not in this World it shall be in the World to come that is it which he saith and ye children of Jacob are not consumed for although you die behold your souls remain to receive the recompence of your doings These words and opinions of these Doctors we recite not as if they conduced to the right meaning of the place for they are far from it as R. Salomo's in that what is spoken of a particular signal day and judgement in this World he expounds of that which continually did befall and still doth befall all men in their times viz. the day of death and of the immortality of the Soul which things being common to all men and before known to all the Jews cannot be the utmost meaning or conclusion of a new Prophecy directed to the Jews and particularly concerning their Nation to shew them some new thing that should betide them and satisfy that question then in their mouths Where is the God of Judgement with some new answer However that which he saith be in it self true it is not here by it self to the purpose and it seems to proceed on his former wrong supposal that ver 1. by the Lords Messenger is meant the Angell of death and by the Lord here spoken of the God of Judgement without respect to the Messiah and not to come home at all to the taking away the murmuring of the People of which he complains and shews it to be causeless and through ignorance of what he now declares to them This objection against him Abarbinel suggests to us in what he saith on the first and second verses but here where he falls in with him it stands firm against himself for here we are not as he doth to look on these words as spoken of a distinct time or persons or judgement from those that are in those former words spoken of but as concerning still the same day or time as Kimchi as we have seen well notes and all directing to some visible judgement whereby God in that appointed time should clear his Justice which they now looking on the prosperity of the wicked called in question and make manifest his immutability in his hatred of the wicked though he do not presently execute sentence on them and his love to the godly whom though he suffer to endure for a while perhaps hard trial yet he still takes care of their final preservation and will in his due time make it apparent by what shall be then visibly done by some distinguishing judgement which to the particular day of mens dying and the judgment that they shall then be brought to invisible and unknown to others so that thereby Gods love and hatred to the one or the other are not easily discerned one thing as far as man can discern befalling them and one dying as the other dieth is not so kindly appliable As for David Kimchi neither can his Exposition here take place it running as to the latter part on a false supposition which may not be granted viz. that the Lord and his Messenger who were as is evident ver 1. to come to the Temple then standing which is long since destroyed and by whom the judgement spoken was to be brought near unto them v. 5. are not yet come nor that judgment yet executed but are yet no man knows when to be expected and that the judgement with which that Nation is here particularly threatned was to be executed only on other Nations there remaining for the Jews only a triumphant return to their ancient dignity and a flourishing estate in this World which certainly are no way intimated in the words but on the contrary a destruction of all the sinners among them by a national Judgement though the godly among them were not to be thereby consumed All which hath been already so fully compleated in the destruction of that People within few years after Christs coming that to pass by what hath been done and look after things to be done not at all by God here or else where promised is to delude and not to give a true Exposition of this Prophecy From none of these Expositions therefore as we said have we certainly the right meaning of these words as to the scope of them all that we may gain by them to our purpose is a justification of the signification of some of the words as they are by our Translators rendred and particularly of the two Verbs the first in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo shaniti I change not the other in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo celitem ye are not consumed in the giving of the meaning of which R. Ab. Ezra and R. Tanchum agree with those already named only that the latter of them thinks that both of them though in the form of the preterperfect tense ought to be rendred in the signification of the future I will not change and ye shall not be consumed making the former to include a reason of the returning of Gods Providence to them as it was of old and giving for the meaning These promises shall certainly come to pass although they be deferred for a long while for no change or failing shall happen to me and likewise ye shall remain by the remaining of my Law among you neither shall you be consumed or cease to be Into which meaning we shall not further enquire he not fully expressing of it If he mean the same that Kimchi doth the same answer will serve That which we take notice of is that according to these the meaning of the first word is given by saying that God doth not or will not alter his purpose and Decree concerning his hatred of the wicked and in his appointed time bringing to condign punishment obstinate sinners or his love to the good and care of them so that however he delay the time of his evidencing these things by open judgements his Justice is not to be questioned as if he now liked or
any punishment or mischief in their persons or any belonging to them yea so far is it from that that they that work wickedness set themselves purposely to do it are set up or built as the Margin hath it for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nibnu literally signifies i. e. are firmly established like a new building saith one not likely quickly to fall or decay They flourish in their offspring say others alluding to the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ben son in respect to which the Verb that signifies building is used for to obtain children and so by ours rendred Gen. XVI 2 and XXX 3 i. e. they raise their houses and families as one paraphrases it here they are not cut off but leave a numerous posterity to keep up their name or generally they flourish and prosper more and more all things thrive and prosper with them yea farther yet they that set themselves so impudently to sin as to tempt God as if they did it on purpose to try and prove him whether he could or would punish sinners and to provoke and dare him to do his worst to execute judgement if he be a God of judgement even these are delivered and escape without any of those punishments in the Law or by the Prophets threatned against obstinate impenitent sinners These are the words or thoughts of those unsound ones in their Religion and unsincere in their practise who looking on what they saw at present and not on what should certainly in due time be made manifest for clearing Gods Justice and his perpetual love to good and hatred of evil did hence take occasion of questioning whether there were any just Judge or judgement and of repining and murmuring against Gods ordering of the affairs of men and so of contemning and setting at nought what was by the Prophets reprooving them for their sins and calling them to repentance for removing such judgements as were on them or preventing of others said unto them Who they were that said these words and when they said them and concerning whom is not particularly expressed R. Tanchum therefore as he did also c. 2.17 looks upon them as representing words which should in time to come be spoken by Israel in captivity such at least as if they did not speak or profess yet might seem to have occasion to do it And that they are here recited for reproof to them that should be impatient under the length of their captivity and forsake their Religion and speak thus in respect to what they should perceive of the prosperity of heathenish Nations notwithstanding their impiety to which is added in the following words a declaration that those that endure patiently and stick to the truth shall in the end be rewarded in the best manner as in the two following verses Then they that feared the Lord c. and then is added a mention likewise of the punishment of those that are not so affected and the punishment of the wicked injurious Nations also as he saith v. 18. and c. 4.1 then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked c. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven c. But as to the former part of his words it cannot be made out of what is here spoken as neither out of the last verse of the second Chapter but is destructive to the right meaning of them The words being directed to them that were returned from the Babylonish captivity manifestly concern the behaviour of them now again settled in their Country which was not such as it ought to have been and therefore they are reproved for it that which is here objected to them appears to have been a sin of impatience and blasphemy against God and his Providence and Justice of which too many or most of them were guilty yet not all for while the discontented ones among them spake thus impiously of God and his Justice there were others that feared the Lord and spake among themselves otherwise as is manifest by the next words But he seems to mean it of the time of the captivity that they are now under and a future Judgement yet to come wherein he is manifestly wide of the matter and passing over the times of the Prophet and the present People of which he spake transfers the words to such times as they do not properly concern times now present and yet to come and taking no notice of that day of the Lord which was here prophesied of as then indeed to come but which is long since come would have another yet on earth to be expected if the Lord the Messiah whose coming was that day were not yet come which is the common error of the Jews which hath been already discovered and will in considering the following words be farther discovered if God permit As for what therefore is spoken by way of reproof and comfort it must be applyed to the right persons concerned therein which doubtless were in the first place those of that present time and then such as should succeed them betwixt that and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans the completion of that day of the Lords coming both before ver 2. and after c. IV. 1 spoken of Those at that present for the most part of them murmured against Gods Justice in the manner here described yet then mean while as it follows in the next verse they that feared the Lord hearing what the Prophet said spake often one to another The word often is not expressed in the Hebrew and therefore the words are by others rendred only spake one to another But our Translators thought good to supply it as being included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbaru according to what we have seen to be observed by some of the force of the Verb in this form on ver 13. What they spake is not here expressed except we render it otherwise as some do spake one to another saying certainly God hearkneth and heareth c. as if the words following were those that they spake But this seems somewhat harsh in regard that the copulative and which is in the original in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vayaksheb and the Lord hearkned is wrested to another signification It is more easy to understand it thus to be meant that as the wicked spake much among themselves so these also did but contrary things they against Gods Justice these in vindication of it believing what the Prophet said and expecting the completion of it And what they said was not in vain to them for the Lord hearkned and heard it But before we proceed to those words we may here take notice that as Abarbinel as we shewed differs in the understanding of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbar in the 13. verse so here he goes much more wide from them taking it in clean another signification from that which he himself gave it
hath been spoken on Chap. III. 1 That which is added in this verse concerns the time of his coming viz. that he should be sent before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. That day is the same which is spoken of chap. III. 2 called there the day of his coming and his appearing and vers 17. the day which the Lord shall make or according to our Translation the day wherein he shall make up his jewels and in this Chapter ver I. the day which shall come burning as an oven and shall burn up the wicked as stubble but wherein to those that fear the name of the Lord the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings and again ver III. the day which the Lord should make or wherein he should do what he had spoken so signal a day as that it may above others be called the day of the Lord as shewing more of his power and presence then ordinary daies though all his And that day we look upon as we have before shewed to be that day or time which should end in the dreadful destruction of Jerusalem so comprehending under it as we have said on ch III. 2 all the time from Christs first beginning to preach to the Jews to that destruction of them and their City And all this may be called the day of his first coming to distinguish it from that which is usually called his second coming viz. his coming at the last day to judge all the World Otherwise if we will more nicely distinguish and confine the day of his first coming to his birth and the second to his coming at the day of doom to judge the World this will be to be accounted a middle day or coming between those two as the learned D r Hammond calls it on Mat. XXIV ver 3. and Luke IX 31 for vengeance on his enemies and deliverance of his Servants But it may seem convenient to comprehend as we said all that time from his first manifestation till his executing that fearfull National Judgement on the Jews under one notion of his first coming For though that which makes these titles of great and dreadfull is most signally appliable to that day of vengeance yet all along in his preaching and foretelling and threatning them with that doom as certain to come if they continued obstinate and would not repent as if it were already present is that which may deservedly denominate this whole time a great and dreadful day to them John the Baptists words wherein he describes it and forewarns of it found no less as Mat. III. 2 where he begins his preaching with Repent ye for the Kingdom of God is at hand and ver 7. O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come and ver 10. Now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire and ver 12. where he tells them of Christs coming with his fan in hand The day or time thus described is a day of terror and that so described is the day of Christs first coming then already begun Our Saviours own preaching and behaviour while he was on Earth was likewise very troublesome to the unbelieving Priests Scribes and Pharisees their quiet by both he disturbes by continual minding them of and sharply reproving them for their sins and hypocrisy and denouncing to them many sad woes for them with severest threats ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell Matt. XXIII 33 and telling them Behold your house is left unto you desolate ver 38. i. e. the desolation of your Temple City and Nation is irreversibly at hand as certainly shall it be as if it were already done Againe when of that stately admired frame of their Temple w ch his Disciples shewed him as a thing to be wondred at he saith Verily I say unto you there shall not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down Matt. XXIV 2 and likewise that the daies should come upon Jerusalem that her enemies should cast a trench about her and compass her round and keep her in on every side and should lay her even with the ground and her children within her and should not leave in heâ— one stone upon another because she knew not the day of her visitation i. e. because she would not repent upon all his calls Luke XIX 43 44. and that generation he saith should not pass till all these things were fulfilled Mat. XXIV 34 and Luke XXI 32 within the the life time of some that there were then alive all that he said should be certainly fulfilled That time in which these and like dreadfull things were spoken by him who spake as one having authority as the People acknowledged Mat. VII 29 the Lord himself then on Earth whose words were as things done may well be called a great and dreadfull day of the Lord at least an awfull day or day to be feared as some would have it rather rendred how much more when we shall look on it as concluded before that generation was passed away within a matter of 40. years with the fearfull and total destruction of Jerusalem so that comprehending all that time both of Christs being on Earth come in the flesh wherein he threatned such destruction to the Jews and of his coming in that short space after his leaving the Earth to execute what he had threatned under the name of his first coming we say that by the day here called the great and dreadfull day of the Lord that is meant If any shall so distinguish the parts of this time as to call the time of his being on Earth the day of his first coming and the destruction of Jerusalem a distinct coming from it that which we say is that by the great and dreadfull day here meant seems chiefly to be understood that of Jerusalems destruction though we think it better to joyn both these together under the notion of one day as we have said and that which we would evince is that it is not literally and primarily meant of the day of the last Judgement as divers would have it especially they who will have by Elias to be meant Elias in person the one opinion depends much on the other A chief argument of such of them as are Christians seems that taken from the Epithet it self given to this day because it is called a dreadfull day which they say is proper to the day of the last Judgement whereas the day of his first coming is not so called but an acceptable time and day of Salvation But sure by what hath been already said it appears that the day of his first coming taken as reaching to the destruction of Jerusalem as we do take it may well so be called and was indeed so To the same purpose
the Prophecy on what occasion or for what reason I know not One saith it was done in imitation of the superstition of the Jews and to conclude the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all might end in good words or words of a good sound The superstition of the Jews w ch he mentions is this that whereas the last words here and smite the Earth with a curse sound harsh in their ears and seem to bode evil that they might conclude with something more pleasing they repeat the words going before again after them viz. Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers or at least some of them so as still to leave out the last harsh words which conclude with a curse The like do they do in some other Books for the same reason as at the end of Isaiah and of Ecclesiastes and the Lamentations in which after the last verse they repeat again the verse going before it And for warning thereof casting the initial letters of the names of these Books viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I T K K into an artificial word so as to be a signal or memorial of them I standing for Isaiah T for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tereasher i. e. the twelve minor Prophets of which Malachi is the last and the first K for Kinoth i. e. Lamentations the second for Koheleth i. e. Ecclesiastes they usually write or print that signal together with the words w ch they would have to be repeated all or some of them How ancient this custom was among them I know not it savors of the humor of those of ancient times among them who said to Gods Prophets prophecy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things Isaiah XXX 10 They seem to think that the putting away from them the mention of the evil day that they might go on in their sins in security should secure them from it so inverting and frustrating to themselves Gods gracious method who that they might not perish in their security caused those words in the last place to be inculcated to them that so they might sink deep into them and work in them repentance whereby alone the evil mentioned might be prevented whereas their refusing to give that attention to them would pull it on them to their unavoidable destruction as in the example of these here spoken to it manifestly came to pass so as to be for caution to all in like kind As for the present place some are of opinion that the Jews do here repeat those words Behold I send you Eliah e. to strengthen themselves in their opinion and hope that the Messiah is not yet come but is to come If so or out of what respect soever they do it we have from the Messiah himself what to oppose to them and adde to what they would conclude with viz. But I say unto you Elias is come already and they knew him not but did unto him whatsoever they listed The Messiah also is already come and they would not know him neither but rejected him and despitefully used him for which their obstinacy that great and terrible day of the Lord is also come upon them and he hath smitten the Earth i. e. them and their Land with such a curse so terrible a destruction as makes good all that is here spoken and shews that not one word of this Prophecy is fallen to the ground but hath had its full accomplishment on them so that now they remain an ensample to all others that shall despise or neglect the means of grace offered to them as they did and putting far away the evil day will not whiles God gives them space know the things which belong unto their peace nor think of the time of their visitation For how shall any that reject the counsel of God against themselves as they did any People or Nation but expect to be smitten with the like curse as they were even in this World how shall the just God which spared not that his chosen Nation his once peculiar People the Seed of Abraham his friend spare others guilty in the like kind So that though these words were fulfilled in that destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation the People then peculiarly spoken to and intended yet may all others see in them what may concern them also even in this World But if it should so please God that any obstinately wicked and impenitent People should escape the like judgement in this World yet besides that prime and literal meaning of the words already as we said fulfilled on them we cannot but by them be put in mind of that more great and terrible day of the Lord and look on it as by this typified the judgement of which none either whole Nations or particular persons that ever lived shall escape and which shall unawares seize not on any one Land only but on the whole Earth and all therein yea and the Heavens too with greater terror then that by which this concerning the Jews is here v. 1. or elsewhere described or can by any words be expressed Wherefore seeing what God hath done and being thereby warned and by his word certainly assured what he will do what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness as S. Peter will teach us to infer looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God All those admonitions to the Jews and all Gods methods toward them for preparing them for that day of his coming here mentioned equally concern us in respect of that other day of his coming by it typified and it will be necessary for us to apply them to our own concerns and to make use of them to our selves without expecting of another Elias to be sent to forewarn and convert us We have not promise of any and it would be to no purpose to have any We have Moses and the Prophets we have the admonitions of John Baptist and Christ himself and the example of the miscarriage of the Jews for not hearkning to them and if we will not hear and be warned by these neither will we be perswaded if Elias or John Baptist should rise from the dead or Christ should come again in the flesh among us to convert us Sufficient to us to make us to prepare our selves for what we are certainly to expect or leave us without excuse are those admonitions of his extending to all Generations Watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come Matt. XXIV 42 and again v. 44. Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh There is no generation which can assure themselves but that in it may be made good as to that other day
have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say Wherein have we wearied him when ye say Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of judgment Ye have wearied the Lord with your words c. A Jewish Doctor notes this to be another Section and the things therein spoken to belong to the time to come and so some others make it the beginning of a new Chapter as not having dependance on the preceding words but referring rather to what follows in the next Chapter in which is an answer to the doubts they raise and a vindication of Gods justice which they seem here to call in question yet may there well enough be a connexion made between them and the preceding words too if we look on them as a defence of their obstinacy in not hearkning to God or the Prophet in his Name reproving them for such faults as have been hitherto mentioned for that there seemed to them no such care taken by God of what men did when they saw those that did otherwise then he commanded yea more plainly wicked and disobedient to prosper as much or more then others that made more conscience of their waies and therefore there was no necessity to them of amending their waies or ceasing to do what they did Or as Abarbinel makes the transition from the former words to these that after he had reproved them for their evil deeds both Priests and People he here proceeds to reprove them for their words and thoughts which were even worse and more wicked then their deeds in that the wicked ones of that generation did return in answer to the reproofs of the Prophet There is neither judgement nor Judge God hath left the Earth His reproof of them therefore for this he gives saying Ye have wearied the Lord with your words Here is by several of the Jews noted as well as by others that this is spoken figuratively according to the language of men or in such as is passable among men but cannot be properly said of God who cannot be wearied It denotes that their words were such as would weary any man in autority and provoke him to anger and so did provoke God to deal so with them as that by the effects they might judge him to be weary of hearing from them such words and could no longer endure them which is that which the Greek expresses by rendring it who have provoked the Lord to wrath Rabbi Tanchum thus expounds it Ye have caused a restraint of his care and providence or caused him to withhold his providence from ordering your affairs by doing such things as he cannot bear according to what is said I cannot away with it c. Isa. I. 13 and again I am weary to bear them v. 14. Abarbinel thinks there is no necessity of making any Metaphor or figure in this speech but that it may be understood not that God was wearied by their words but that they in saying what they did did ascribe to him weariness and impotency and defect in his power and providence for if he did not know what wicked men did or did not regard it or would not or could not hinder or punish it this would argue him weary impotent and deficient Which of the two waies of expounding this word we take will not be much material nor make any difference in the sense or coherence with the following words But there is no reason to depart from the first and more followed way The Prophet thus reproving them as faulty in this kind they are represented as impudently denying themselves so to be or to have spoken any words that should be so offensive Yet ye say wherein have we wearied him or according to the other way whereby have we attributed to him weariness or impotency Or if we interpret the words as others to include a supposition of what he knowing their evil thoughts saw they would be apt to say If ye shall say Wherein c. He gives them an answer in which he declares what it was they said or thought to the affronting of God and highly provoking him when ye say Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of Judgement It is easily supposed though not exprest that they seeing the prosperous condition of some openly wicked men not only of the idolatrous Nations as some would have it but among themselves also they being preferred in dignity above others and florishing more then themselves who in their own conceits were much better deserving took thence occasion of uttering these blasphemous words contrary to what the Prophets affirmed concerning God's Justice and Judgments on sinners thus retorting and contradicting them It is not certainly as you say but on the contrary such as do evil are good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them it so appears by their prospering and where then is the judgement of that just Judge that you tell us of which yet R. Tanchum thinks not to imply that they utterly denied the being of such a Judge for then it would not have been added And where is c. but spoke by way of contradiction to what they heard from the Prophets as a proof of God's slow proceeding in his ordering and disposing of things And in giving this sense he takes the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O or to be as if it were the Copulative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ve and. By others he saith the meaning is thus given as if they did say thus or thus sometimes every one that doth evil is good in the sight of God and he delighteth in them at other times where is the God of Judgement and by others If it be not so as we say where then is the God of Judgment In these waies of exposition by him given is comprehended most of what is said by other Expositors ancient and modern they following the same way in construction of the words But a late learned man thinketh it more convenient and agreeable to the nice rules of Grammar to render the former words when ye say every one that maketh evil or the evil to be good i. e. with him that saith of evil or of him that is evil that it or he is good in the sight of God God is delighted or he that so saith is acceptable to God But this doth not make much difference as to the scope or intent of what blasphemy they are charged with viz. that they should make God a favorer of wicked persons He differs from others likewise in his opinion concerning the rendring of that particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O which is rendred or and R. Tanchum would have rendred And as he saith it elsewhere signifies viz. Lev. IV. 24 and and 28. and would have it to be taken
asunder of soul and spirit c. and called a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts which spared no sin or sinner and of the efficacy of his grace and spirit working on the obdurate hearts of men and the like which may be added to what hath been said as the words seem to require it should Otherwise I suppose the way that we have taken to give a fuller and more proper meaning of the words and such as will be of more use in dealing with the Jews to convince them that all here spoken hath been fulfilled all those calamities those pangs of the Messiah which they expected that the coming of Messiah should be accompanied with did accordingly seize on them in that day of his coming including the time as we said from his preaching to the destruction of the Temple brought on them by their obstinacy in refusing to hearken and turn to him and so what is here said to intimate what is more fully declared by Christ in the Gospels concerning that time The other Exposition alone perhaps will not gain much from them As to the expression here used it may be compared with several others in the Scripture So as Aben Ezra and Kimchi will with what is said Zach. XIII 9 where God saith I will bring the third part through the fire and I will refine them as silver is refined c. as likewise Isa. I. 25 I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin and Ezech. XXII 18 19 20 21 22. as they gather silver and dross and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace and blow the fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in my anger and melt you c. v. 20. as silver is melted in the midst of the furnace so shall ye be melted c. v. 22. and Luk. XII 49 I am come to send fire on the Earth c. and II Thess. I. 8 where he speaketh of a time when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire c. with other like places Which what judgements they concern will not be to our purpose at present to enquire but only thus much that it is usual to compare Gods severity in proceeding against sin to such purging and refining fire which melts and tries the whole mass but purifies the good and refines it and separates and consumes the dross So those judgements often fall promiscuously on all both good and bad but the end is different and when the wicked are destroyed the godly are only purged and made more precious in the sight of God yet so as that in regard of that severe examination and trial which they shall endure even in respect of them also it may justly be asked who may abide the day of his coming c. According to the same notion he adds in respect of the present trial here spoken of 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver c. R. D. Kimchi as before so here also what ours and others attribute to the person of the Lord takes as spoken of the time called the day of his coming thus giving the meaning of the words As a Judge that sitteth to judge the People and to distinguish the offender from the innocent so shall be that day which shall refine and cleanse the silver and take away from it the dross or refuse and they are the wicked But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifying to sit may seem more to agree to the person then time though it make not much difference in the meaning And it cannot be here strictly taken in the notion of sitting however it be attributed to the person but rather to signify his set purpose and resolution of so doing as one that fits to a work He shall set aside all other works that he may be as a refiner saith R. Salomo scarce warily enough inasmuch as one work hindreth not him from attending to others except we take his meaning to be that he shall so fully do that business as if he attended wholly to it The Chalde renders it He shall be revealed or reveal himself to melt and cleanse as a man that melteth and cleanseth silver He means saith R. Tanchum he shall try and cleanse Israel or the People as silver i. e. as silver is cleansed and purified or he shall sit as one that refineth silver The letter or particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 C which is a note of similitude being in either way omitted because the meaning is clear And he shall purify the Sons of Levi and purge them He shall cleanse them as silver that is tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times Psal. XII 6 The Sons of Levi. Of the Priests who were the Sons of Levi we have in the former Chapters heavy complaints that they in nothing performed their duty aright but profaned Gods holy Name his Altar his Offerings and Service and adulterated and violated his Law of them therefore seems here particular mention made and promised or denounced that he would take them who should have directed and been examples of good to others but were wholly corrupt and ill examples to them in the first place into a strict examination and reform what was amiss in his worship and their performance so far that he lothed their offerings that hereafter he might in an acceptable manner be worshipped and have offerings offered to him in righteousness such as should be pleasing to him But who are meant by the Sons of Levi is not well accorded by Expositors Who of old were called by that name is manifest but now the outward part of Gods Service being altered the persons also by whom it is to be performed ought to be so too though under the same name set forth The change of the Law and the change of the Priesthood or Ministers necessarily accompany one the other Heb. VII 12 By the Sons of Levi here therefore some understand in general all Christians who are all in Christ made a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ I Pet. II. 5 all Priests unto God Rev. I. 6 and v. 10. or the whole Church by naming the Levites who were anciently the chief part thereof Others understand the Priests or Ministers under the new Testament who succeed under the Gospell in the place of those under the Law as the Apostles and Disciples of Christ and their Successors Others the Sons of Levi properly so called or the race of Aaron according to the flesh of whom this is verified in regard that many of them by the power of the word
place be understood the thing is known and manifest and therefore both Munster and the Tigurin Latin Version instead of what ours render neither shall your Vine cast her fruit before the time in the Field c. translate it neither shall he i. e. the devourer make your Vine barren or unfruitful to you in the Field and to that doth that Exposition of Abarbinel which we have seen seem to encline The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teshaccel is of that form as that it signifies sometimes to cause to make abortive to deprive of and the like in an active sense as Deut. XXXII 25 The sword c. shall destroy or bereave and Ezek XIV 15 If I cause noisom beasts to pass through the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veshiccelattah and they spoil it or bereave it And in the same sense Hos. IX 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shiccaltim I will bereave them to omit other examples And sometimes again in an absolute sense viz. to be abortive to be deprived of or cast fruit before it be perfect as Gen. XXXI 31 Thy Ewes and thy she-Goats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo shiccelu have not cast their young or been abortive and Job XXI 10 Their Cow calveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Velo teshaccel and casteth not her Calf Those therefore mentioned take the Verb in the former signification ours and most others both Jewish and Christian Expositors in the latter to which we the more incline because otherwise here will be a change of the Gender in the Verb speaking of the same thing for that in the word destroy is masculine but here is feminine so that they seem one to agree with the first Noun Locust which is of the masculine Gender and the other with Vine in the feminine however such change of Genders may be admitted and seeing though the Locusts destroy not the Vines yet there may be other means as Blasts or Blights and hurtfull Winds and like causes whether from within or without which may make them loose or cast their fruit before it comes to maturity even after a great shew and likelyhood of plenty from hurt by all such causes whether from such devouring creatures or any other means God here promiseth to secure them upon their turning to him and to give them both the encrease of the Earth and fruit of the Vine and so all necessary things in such plenty and perfection that all Nations seeing Gods great goodness shewed unto them shall call them blessed For ye saith he shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erets chephets a delightsome Land or Land of delight or desire worthy to be desired saith the Vulgar i. e. as some will a Land that men would desire to live in So R. Tanchum a Land to be desired and chosen for its pleasantness and excellency to the same sense that it is said which is the glory of all Lands Ezek. XX. 6 15. Others with Abarbinel understand it a Land of desire or well pleasing to God i. e. such as he takes delight in and shews extraordinary respect and favour to both to the People and the Land as Aben Ezra as he saith elsewhere of Zion that she should be called Hephzibah Isa. LXII 4 i. e. my delight is in her because saith he the Lord delighteth in thee and the comparing that place with this seems to make for this Exposition and it will be well illustrated by what is said Deut. XI 12 a Land which the Lord thy God careth for or seeketh the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year viz. to give it its rain in due season the first rain to make it spring up and the latter rain to bring it to perfection and so to preserve the fruits of the Earth that they might gather in their corn and their wine and their oyl v. 14. which is the same care and the same blessing that is here promised This Exposition the Syriack follows rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar'o detzebyoni A Land of my delight good will or pleasure i. e. to which I bear good will or have good liking to The Chalde likewise taketh it in rendring And all Nations shall praise you because you dwell in the Land of the House of my Majestatick presence and do therein my pleasure He suggests therein a double meaning or respect to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chephets as first that they or their Land should be called a Land of delight or good will because God delighted to dwell in it and secondly because the Inhabitants thereof did the good pleasure of God and delighted to do his will and therefore he delighted in them and to do good to them as appeared by his extraordinary blessings poured out upon them more then on other People which they should all acknowledge and call them blessed for it so saith the Lord of Hosts of all the Hosts of Heaven and Earth who hath power and command of all and therefore so shall it certainly be as he saith 13 ¶ Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say What have we spoken so much against thee 14 Ye have said It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts 15 And now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered 16 ¶ Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord. These words may be coupled with the former as if they were a complaint of the Jews stubbornness that though God had reproved them for their sins such as have been expressed and by some judgements warned them of his displeasure for them and likewise had invited them to repentance and promised upon their repentance to remove those judgements and turn the curse with which he had cursed them into a blessing yet this was so far from working in them repentance that they grew more and more insolent and instead of acknowledging their faults and ill deserts proceeded in speaking against him and his justice as if he inflicted on them worse then they deserved not accepting of any service from them and mean while seemed to favor those that were notoriously wicked and tempted him and despised him and so set at nought what by the Prophets was spoken to them for their good Wherefore he proceeds farther to reprove them and mind them of the ill consequents of such their ill behavior which shall be occasion of more heavy judgements and final destruction as between this and the end of the Chapter he shews Or we need not
main matter of timing things yet what he saith applied to the right time will illustrate and confirm what we look on as the truest way of expounding them viz. that literally and primarily they describe to us a day wherein God would proceed in judgement against the Nation of the Jews for making a discrimination betwixt the righteous and the wicked which because it was at that present when this Prophet lived and spake to them not so discernible they took thence occasion to question his Justice and spake stout words against him saying It is vain to serve God c. and where is the God of Judgement That day it appears c. III. 1 2. should be at or by the coming of Christ and by his coming is meant as we have shewed his coming in Judgement to them at the destruction of Jerusalem In that our forecited Author is out that he thinks Christ not yet come and so that day not yet come whereas we as the truth is look on both as already come and that being granted then we say that in that he is right that here is described a day of discrimination to be made in this World as there was then made by the terrible destruction of the wicked among the unbelieving Jews and gracious rescue and deliverance of those that believed in Christ but withal that by the wonderfull wisdom of God that coming of Christ to judge them then is so described as to set before our eies another coming of his to judge all the World at the last day wherein shall be made a perfect separation between the righteous and the unrighteous those being received into joy and glory and perfect happiness in the presence of God and the Sun of righteousness the Lamb that shall be their light the other adjuged to perpetual burnings worse then of an oven or furnace to everlasting shame and contempt and misery however in this World they thought themselves happy set up and delivered The first of these daies is here properly described in such figurative expressions as necessarily suggest to us the condition of the second and cannot but put us in mind of it To either of them is appliable what is said in the next words In the day that I shall do this or according to the letter and as the Interlineary Latin here renders as likewise some others in the day that I make or shall make The same expression which we had before c. III. 17 and is an expression also elsewhere used This is the day which the Lord hath made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that title may well be applied to such a peculiar signal day wherein God hath done some extraordinary thing either for good or bad for punishment to his enemies or Salvation and deliverance to his Though he made all daies yet such a day might seem of a new make or singular creation and be singularly attributed to him as its Maker And such may well be called the daies of Christs Incarnation his preaching the Gospell his Resurrection his coming to Judgement against the Jews of that generation which all may be according to what we have before said looked as on one day the day here spoken of especially the last act mentioned and here peculiarly pointed out wherein was brought a terrible destruction on his enemies and wonderfull deliverance to his friends and for the same reason may the day of the last Judgement be so likewise called which as we said may well be looked on as here pointed out though not primarily meant as some seem to take it with omission of the other In this day that they might know what he had said should certainly come to pass he adds his solemn confirmation Saith the Lord of Hosts He who hath all power in his hand at whose beck are all Creatures in Heaven and Earth as ready Ministers to execute his pleasure and therefore can make good whatsoever he saith and who is true in his sayings and will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth he hath said it the mighty the faithfull God hath spoken and who shall disannul it he hath said it and it is therefore as certain as if it were already done According therefore to what he said did that day come on the Jews the People here spoken to in the time appointed and all those things here foretold come to pass And as certainly shall that other day here as we said typified or intimated come on all the World in the time appointed for it because the Lord of Hosts hath though not expresly here said it yet not obscurely intimated and elsewhere more plainly said it so that all must expect that as certainly to come on them all as they have seen the former already to have come on the Jews They deny it indeed to have been yet come on them and would have it to signify some thing to come not on themselves but on their enemies but it is because they wilfully shut their eies against that which all the World besides hath seen and with amazement acknowledge it A strange thing that that terrible destruction of their Country and Nation such as was never yet parallel'd by any thing that happened to any Nation besides nor can be out-done by any thing imaginable but the day of general Judgement and conflagration of all the World which it not obscurely represented should work no more on them Our prayer for them therefore must not be in their own words that God would hasten the coming of that first day that so they might with better preparations expect the second but that he would open their eies to see and incline their wills to acknowledge that to have come upon them which God here threatned and so be turned and brought near to Christ for rejecting whom was all that came on their Ancestors and themselves ever since that so what shall come to pass of that last coming of his may not be so terrible to them but he then may appear to them as the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings to their Salvation who before came in flaming fire as a burning oven to destroy them who would not receive and obey his Gospel So shall they prevent by their repentance the evil of that day though their Ancestors would not though by God warned seek to prevent the evil of the other would not I say for though God here shews the certainty of the coming of that day by saying saith the Lord of Hosts and he knew what they would do yet that it implied a condition of their persisting to do as they did and that by their repentance and change of their waies it might have been prevented appears by what he adds not certainly to no purpose to move them to it by bidding them to remember the Law of Moses c. and promising to send Eliah to seek to convert them lest he should come c. to whom if they would not
so far as that we cannot but look on him as the person here designed and have not reason to expect any other for making good as we have before said this here spoken What this last Rabbin adds They that will not be warned by his admonition shall be consumed and perish in the wilderness of the People or at the day of Judgement in the Land of Israel doth only shew that he knew not well what to say as to the curse or destruction here spoken of when or how it should be not willing to understand it of that destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans on their rejecting both John's and Christs admonitions which it is as we have before shewed evidently meant of He knows not on what to fix and so speaks at random that which signifies nothing and leaves the Reader in a maze But if it be applied to that all will run clear not so if to any other For against that which as we have seen many concurre in that it should be meant of the day of doome at Christs last coming to judge the World the form of the expression as is by some observed affords an evident argument lest I come saith the Lord and smite c. that shews that this judgement might by their repentance and conversion be prevented which is confirmed by what our Saviour saith Matt. XXIII 37 38. and Luke XIII 34 35. that therefore their house was left unto them desolate because they would not be gathered when he would have gathered them nor be brought to repentance by his call and that all those evils and a terrible destruction came upon them because they would not know the things that belonged to their peace nor the day of their visitation when they were told of them both by John and himself Luke XIX 42 and 44. But that general Judgement is a day that cannot by any means be prevented but shall in Gods appointed time certainly come so that lest I come cannot be applied to that For certainly he will come without any peradventure As for the explication of the word earth viz. that by it is here meant the Land of Judea the People spoken to and of and not the whole Earth in general is evident That it is in that restrained signification for the Land of Israel and Judea peculiarly often used both in the Old and New Testament is a thing so confessed as that there is no need farther to insist on it Abarbinel seeming to take it more generally thence infers That the destruction that is here spoken of should be of things generable and corruptible such as are on the Earth not of the Heavens and the Hosts thereof or things therein so as it was at the universal Deluge when God destroyed every living substance In summe all only that was in this lower World What he aims at in this inference he doth not farther explain if he would have it that at the end of the World only the Earth and the things that are therein should be destroyed we have to oppose against him that constantly professed truth that as well the Heavens as the Earth are reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement as S. Peter speaks II Pet. III. 7 and shall be dissolved therewith but otherwise if there be weight in his way of argument it will make for our purpose viz. that the day here spoken of is not that day of the last Judgement because it is a day of such destruction as was to be executed on Earth only and therefore in this World viz. as we have all along said the destruction of Jerusalem By the earth or land will easily be understood by a most usual notion Ahlol ardi the People of the Earth or inhabitants of the Land as an Arabick Translation done by a Jew hath it together with the Land it self They that expound it earthly minded men such as follow earthly things and will not make use of the time of grace and embrace Gods Salvation offered to them say what is true but seem not to give the full latitude of the word Such of the People only were destroyed and those that turned to God were saved yet for the sake of the many obstinate rebels was the Land together destroyed and made desolate As for the last word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherem which is rendred a curse it may be likewise as it is by several rendred destruction or utter destruction So R. Tanchum saith he means an universal destruction according to the sense of the verb in that place Num. XXI 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veheeharamti then I will utterly destroy their Cities and so do our Translators in Zacch XIV 11 render the same word that they render here a curse by utter destruction and the same verbe that Num. XXI 2 they render I will utterly destroy do they render Micah IV. 13 I will consecrate and Levit. XXVII 28 29. the nown the same that is here used is rendred a devoted thing and Deut. VII 26 a cursed thing So that looking into the Scriptures we shall find the root of this word to have these significations of cutting off or destroying and cursing and consecrating to omit another notion in which it signifieth a net The prime signification seems to be that of cutting off or destroying which appears in the other two in that of cursing which is a devoting to destruction manifestly and not obscurely in that other of devoting or consecrating inasmuch as that is a cutting off as it were and taking out of the way from common use that which is so devoted In this place it is manifest that they that render it curse mean the same with those that render it destruction not such a lighter curse for correction as is spoken of ch III. 9 but a curse ending in a final excision and utter destruction For what is here meant by what is threatned the event and manner in which it was fulfilled on them to whom it was spoken makes evident The generality of the Jews having rejected the admonitions of John Baptist who was sent to warn them to flee from the wrath to come by embracing Christ and his doctrine whom they not only refused but procured to be crucified and pulled on themselves a curse by saying his blood be on us and on our childhen God seconded it with his curse and sent on them that curse which ended in that fearfull destruction of them and their Land from which they could never recover and which makes undeniably manifest to all the World that this Prophecy had its full accomplishment in them and in vain do they seek to elude it Thus here ends this Prophecy in the Hebrew Bibles and all that follow them but in many Copies of the Greek the verses are so transplaced as that the fourth verse being taken out of its place is put after this viz. Remember the Law of Moses c. and so made to conclude