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no less in my hand to overrule, than the clay is in the hand of the potter: Is it for you, to take upon you the contriving of the events of things? Is not this work proper only to me? Shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?

XXIX. 17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

However your secure hearts may suggest to you, it shall be very shortly, that I will make these strange alterations in the world: woody forests shall be turned into fruitful and plain fields; and those fields, which were lately fruitful, shall become a wild desert forest.

XXIX. 18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

But, notwithstanding these judgments, I will be gracious to mine own remnant; and will open their cars, that they may hear, and enlighten their eyes, that they may see the things belonging to their peace.

XXIX. 21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

Those cruel men, that are ready to take the utmost advantage against a man, for but a word speaking; and lay twigs and snares to catch the prophet, which openly reproves sin; and disgrace the upright and conscionable, causelessly.

XXIX. 24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

They, that before carelessly mocked at the prediction of these denounced evils, shall now come to understand the truth of them.

XXX. 1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit; that they may add sin to sin:

Woe to these rebellious Jews, saith the Lord, that will be consulting with flesh and blood, in their affairs; and hiding their plots, as if they could keep them from mine eyes; and secking other protections, than my Spirit hath suggested unto them: they do herein but add one sin to another :

XXX. 2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh ! That, without ever asking counsel of me, go to crave aid and succour of the Egyptians, and make account to strengthen themselves with the forces of Pharaoh.

XXX. 4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

For, no mean men, but the very princes of Judah were sent as ambassadors, to the furthest parts of Egypt, to treat with them upon this business.

XXX. 5 They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach. But the end of that ambassage is but shame and disappointment; for it will appear, that those Egyptians shall not be able to help them, yca, that their assistance shall turn to a reproach and disadvantage unto them.

XXX. 6 The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fierce flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

The sad tidings, that are sent to the men of Judah, under the name of those beasts, which shall be sent by them with presents into Egypt; even into Egypt, which hath been of old a land of trouble and anguish to Israel; from whence ravenous and venomous beasts have wont too frequently to annoy and endanger all passengers; yet thither will the men of Judah needs carry their rich gifts, upon the backs of asses and the bunches of camels, to fee a people, that cannot, that shall not avail them.

XXX. 7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no pur pose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.

The Egyptians' help shall be utterly in vain; and therefore have I earnestly warned and admonished the people of Judah, that their best strength had been in sitting still, and trusting to their God, without the employment of these untrusty assistants.

XXX. 10 Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.

Prophesy to us those news, that may please us; and tell us plausible tidings, how false and deceitful soever.

XXX. 11 Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Let not the Holy One of Israel trouble us any more, with these harsh and unwelcome prophecies.

XXX. 13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

Your state shall be, for this iniquity of yours, like to the case of a riven wall, whereof one part is ready to fall from the other; which buncheth out in the rupture thereof, as continually threatening a certain ruin, that shall come suddenly upon it, and, in the fall, a breaking in pieces.

XXX. 14 And he shall break it as the breaking of the potter's vessel that is broken in pieces.

Thus are ye, and thus shall ye be: yea, he shall yet break you into smaller sherds; even like to the sherds of a broken pitcher.

XXX. 15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Thus saith the Lord; Did not I tell you, that your safest and

surest way was to call back your messengers from Egypt, and to rest quietly and confidently upon the assured protection of your God? yet ye would not do so; but would needs follow your own projects.

XXX. 16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; there fore shall ye flee.

No, said ye; we will send speedy messengers to our neighbour princes, and will trust to their aid; therefore shall ye make as much haste to flee before your enemies.

XXX. 18 For the LORD is a God of judgment.

For the Lord is a God, full of merciful moderation in the proceed ings of his judgments.

XXX. 20 Thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

Thou shalt enjoy the presence of thy priests and prophets:

XXX. 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.

And God shall bless thee with pure and wholesome doctrine; directing thee in the way of truth and holiness; saying to thee, upon all occasions of thy doubts or temptations, This is the way, walk

in it.

. XXX. 22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold.

Thou shalt then, in a holy indignation conceived against thy former idolatry, defile and deface all the ornaments and appurtenances of thy late images, of silver and gold.

XXX. 23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal.

Upon which act of detestation of that idolatry, God shall bless thee with a sensible benediction: he shall give sweet and seasonable rain to that seed thou hast sown.

XXX. 24 Shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

Thy very cattle shall be full fed, even with well fanned and pure grain.

XXX. 25 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

Even upon the dry and barren hills, which are wont to be parched with a droughty heat, shall springs of living waters break forth, which shall flow forth into clear and plentiful rivers: so will God have this land of his to be richly refreshed, even then, when the towers of the enemies shall be ruined and demolished.

XXX. 26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

And so glorious shall that restitution of the Church be, as that the estate thereof shall be seven times more bright and beautiful than it was before; and whereas, formerly, God gave illuminations to men in a weak imperfect degree, like to the light of the moon,

now he shall give them clear and perfect, like the sun; and if any were clearly enlightened before, now they shl be raised to a height of knowledge, sevenfold more: and this shall be in the days of that blessed Gospel of peace, wherein God will bind up and heal the wounds of his afflicted ones.

XXX. 27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from fur, burn, ing with his anger.

In the mean time, behold the power of the Lord shall manifest itself, in grievous judgments upon the Assyrians, and those other banded enemies of his Church; so as, they shall see and feel him coming against them in a terrible manner, burning with anger.

XXX. 28 To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. To sift the nations with that sieve, which shall descry their vanity, and cause their utter dispersion; and that bridle of correction, which is wont, in the mouth of tractable creatures, to guide them and keep them in order, shall, in his judgment upon these stub born enemies, be an occasion of their erring out of the

way.

XXX. 29 As when one goeth with a pipe to come into the moun tain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.

As when a man goes, with a holy triumph and melodious exultation, up to the temple of God, in a holy solemnity.

XXX. 30 And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm.

And the Lord shall let the world see, that this revenge upon the Assyrians is his own work; which he shall declare, both by his fearful thunders out of heaven, as also by that dreadful execution which his powerful arm shall perform amongst them.

XXX. 31 Which smote with a rod.

Which was a cruel scourge unto other nations.

XXX. 32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon it, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

So shall the Lord smite him again, and smite him soundly and deep, so as the prints of his staff shall be seen upon him; and, wheresoever the Lord shall lay this heavy hand upon him, the judgment shall be entertained with the joy and acclamation of all his oppressed neighbours, as a benefit to themselves; and, in all his terrifying battles, will the Lord, with his staff of vengeance, fight against him.

XXX. 33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

For God, from the foundations of the world, hath ordained a place and state of torment, for his wicked and reprobate enemies; yea, for the proud king of Assyria, and all those cruel tyrants, which do here oppress his Church, hath God prepared a woeful and inconceivably dreadful damnation, in hell fire; which is poorly represented in that hideous valley of Benhinnom, wherein,

with much shrieking and horror, the bodies of men are consumed in the fire; but alas, what is that flame, to this unquenchable one, which is kindled by the breath of the Lord, as with streams of brimstone; and therefore never can go out, never can be abated?

XXXI. 2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words.

Yet, they shall find, that, though they vainly hoped to hide their counsels from the Lord, they shall have to do with a God wiser than themselves; who will resolutely bring evil upon them, and not retract it.

XXXI. 4 So shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

The Lord will no more forbear to fight for Zion against the Assyrian, than a lion will forbear his prey for the voice of a shepherd. XXXI. 5 As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem.

Yea, as we see some fowls, in a care to preserve their young, fly about the head of him that is climbing up to scale their nest, so careful is the Lord to defend his Jerusalem.

XXXI. 8 Then shall the Assyrian full with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him. The Assyrian shall fall by the sword, not of a mighty man, but of a mighty angel; and the sword, not of a mean man, but of a spiritual executioner shall devour him.

XXXI. 9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

And Sennacherib shall pass over to Niniveh his strong hold, for fear, and with shame; and his princes and captains shall be afraid to gather any more under his ensign; saith God, who, dwelling in his temple at Jerusalem, sends forth from thence his just vengeance upon his enemies.

XXXII. 1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

Behold the Messiah, the true King of his Church, shall reign in righteousness; and those, who shall have the administration thereof, under him, shall rule in due equity and moderation.

XXXII. 2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

And that man, God and Man, shall be a sure refuge to his elect, in all their distresses and calamities; and shall be a gracious refreshing to them, even as a clear river, in a dry wilderness, is to the thirsty traveller; or as the shadow of a great rock, in a hot scorching season and climate, is to the weary passenger.

XXXII. 5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

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