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7 eth within our borders. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midft of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the fhowers upon the grafs, that tarrieth not for a man, nor waiteth for the fons of 8 men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the

Gentiles in the midft of many people: as a lion among the beafts of the foreft, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

The words, therefore will be give them up, &c. in ́ the third verse, have reference to the firft and fecond verfes, Now gather thyfelf in troops, O daughter of troops (or robbers), by which fome underftand the Roman ftate, which were robbers of mankind in general, who laid fiege against them, and fmote the judge of Ifrael with a rod upon the cheek; notwithstanding which, the ruler who fhould come out of Bethlem Euphratak, fhould give them up no longer than until the time which fhe that travaileth hath brought forth; and the remnant of his brethren fhall return unto the

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• of Salmanaffer and Sennacherib still fresh in their minds: and perhaps thofe nations were then at the devotion of the Af Syrian, and no fmall part of his army, as they used to be of the Saracens, when they ruled in thofe parts. Howfoever, by this name, he pointed to a northern enemy, whatfoever the nation fhould be that should then empire it in those parts, as the Affyrians did, when he prophecied. For Affyria is defcribed by that fituation, Ifa. xiv. 31. Jer. i. 13. and iv. 6. Zech. ii. 6.'

MEDE, B. IV. Epift. XLI. children

children of Ifrael. By the Affyrian, who fhall come into their land, and tread in their palaces, is not meant the Affyrian empire at that time fubfifting, which was never laid wafte by the fword of Ifrael, or any fhepherds or princes by them. raised up against it; but thofe who fhould poffefs the land of Affyria in the latter days, and fhould oppose the Restoration of Ifrael. By the Affyrian, therefore, I take the Turkish empire to be intended; among whom the remnant of Jacob are to be as a lion among the beafts of the field, &c.

XXVI.

MICAH vii. II. In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day fhall the decree be far re12 moved. * In that day alfo he fhall come even to thee from Affyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortrefs even to the river, and from féa to 16 fea, and from mountain to mountain.-The nations fhall fee and be confounded at all their might they fhall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears. 17 fhall be deaf. They fhall lick the duft like a fer

pent, they fhall move out of their holes like worms of the earth they fhall be afraid of Jehovah our 18 God, and fhall fear because of thee. Who is a 20 God like unto thee, &c.-Thou will perform the truth to Jacob,and the mercy to Abraham,which thou haft fworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

What this was that was fworn unto Abraham, I have above fhewn t, viz. That the land Abra

*In TINDALE, The law fhall go abroad. D 4

Article I.

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ZEPHANIAH prophefied in the days of Jofiah, about the year before Chrift 630.

XXVII.

ZEPH. iii. 8. Wait you upon me, faith the Lord, until the day that I rife up unto the prey : for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may affemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth fall be devoured with the fire of my jea19 loufy.Behold, at that time, I will undo all that afflict thee, and will fave her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out, and I will get them praise and fame in every land, where they have been 20 put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, faith the Lord.

The day referred to in the 8th verfe is plainly the fame time which is fpoken of in the two laft verfes; and alfo in all the intermediate verfes, which I have omitted, to avoid prolixity, and not because they are any ways foreign to my defign. The return from captivity here mentioned, is evidently future; because the Jewish nation have not yet been made a name and a praife among all people

people of the earth; but rather a reproach: neither can it relate to the return from Babylon, because it is faid, ver. 15. that they should not fee evil any more.

XXXXX

XX

JEREMIAH began to prophecy in the days of Jofiah, king of Judah, about the year 629, before Christ.

XXVIII.

JER. iii. 16. It fhall come to pass when ye be multiplied and increased in the land in those days faith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither fhall it come to mind, neither shall they remember it, neither fhall they vifit it, neither fhall that be done any more. 17. At that time they fhall call Jerufalem the throne of the Lord, and all the nations fhall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerufalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of 18 their evil heart. In thofe days the house of Judah

shall walk with the house of Ifrael, and they shall come together out of the land of the north, to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

XXIX.

JER. xvi. 14. Therefore, behold the days come, faith the Lord, that it fhall no more be faid, The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Ifrael 15 out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Ifrael from the land of

the

the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

XXX.

JER. xxiii. 3. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them AGAIN to their folds, and 4 they fhall be fruitful and increafe. And I will fet up fhepherds over them, which shall feed them, and they fhall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither 5 fhall they be lacking, faith the Lord. Behold, the days come, faith the Lord, that I will raife unto David a righteous branch, and a king fhall reign and profper, and fhall execute judgment and justice 6 in the earth *. In his days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael shall dwell fafely and this is his name whereby he fhall be called, Jehovah our Righteouf7 nefs. Therefore, behold the days come, faith the Lord, that they shall no more fay, The Lord liveth which brought up the children of Ifrael out of the 8 land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth which brought up, and which led the feed of the houfe of Ifrael out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them, and they fhall dwell in their own land.

* This 5th verfe is generally applied to the coming of Christ, and fo indeed it ought to be: but then it is plainly his fecond coming that is here intended, as appears from the very next words, In his days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael fhall dwell fafely, &c. which is not true, if applied to the first coming of Chrift. For foon after that, they were so far from being faved, or dwelling fafely, that they underwent a terrible deftruction.

XXXI.

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