LORD the heavens are my throne; the earth is my foot-ftool: where is house, that ye can build for me? a where is the place of my reft?" For as t whole heavens are all but as my thro and the earth no more than my foot-ftoo what house, or place can ye build to conta me? And thus alfo Solomon faid (1 Kin viii. 27.) "Behold the heaven and he ven of heavens cannot contain thee; ho much less this houfe that I have built?

"

The Prophet proceeds, verse 2d. "Fo all these (things) my hand hath made: an all these (things) exift (according to m word) faith the LORD. Whence, it i manifeft, faith the most High, that it is no poffible, that the redemption fhould take place on my account, that ye may build me an house; but merely in compaffion to the nation, thus long in captivity; as in the latter part of verfe 2d. "But to fuch will I have regard, to the humble and contrite spirit, and that revere my word." For the spirit of Ifrael, while in captivity, is humbled and bruifed; yet nevertheless, they revere the word of God; i. e. the Law of Mofes ; and strictly observe it, notwithftanding

tanding all the perfecutions which they have fuffered for their adherence to it, and their inviolable faith in the ftrict Unity of God.

The Prophet farther obferves, that God will do this on another account: namely, in order to be avenged of the nations for the wickedness and abominations which they have committed; verfe 3d. "He flayeth an ox (and) killeth a man: he facrifieth a lamb, (and) belieadeth a dog: he maketh an oblation of fwine's blood; (and) offereth incenfe, that (is as) the prefenting of iniquity: yea, they themselves have chofen their own ways; and in their abominations their foul delighteth." In this verse, the Prophet défcribes two heinous crimes which they have been guilty of: first, the barbarity with which they treated the nation in this long and dreadful captivity: for with the fame indifference and apathy, that they kill an ox, they flay a man of them think no more of deftroying the loft theep of Ifrael, than in breaking the neck of a dog whence, the propriety of the Propher's ufe of the Metaphors, ox, and sheep, is obvious: for the ox, denoted the king

:

and

dom of Ifrael; because the first king of ten tribes, was defcended from Jofeph: a Joseph in the bleffing of Mofes, is compa to a bull*. (See Deut. xxxiii. 17.) A the kingdom of Judah, as well as the

tion in general, are compared to sheep a lambs. (See. Ezek. xxxiv. 2. 3.

翼

&c

Secondly, for their impious, and abomin ble practices for their oblations are fwine's blood: they eat the blood of t fwine, and other beafts; and of whic they make presents to each other, as if was fome rich delicacy; and the incen they offer, is as the presenting of iniquity their prayers to mediators and faints, is a a fcene of iniquity. But, as the Gentil inight in excufe plead, that what they did the nation, could not render them criminal because God was pleased to fend them int captivity, to be punished for their fins neither ought they to be accounted culpabl for what they eat; as they had never bee adimonished by God, to abstain from an particula

This was the reafon that Jeroboam made the tw calves: See King. xii. 29. for they were made on political account; and not on a religious one, as I fhal

particular food. To this, the Prophet an-
fwers, yea, they themselves have chofen
their own ways.
The dreadful maffacres
and perfecutions, which they inflicted on
this miferable people, for no other crime,
but their ftrict adherence to the worship of
the One true God; was of their own chufing,
and not by my command, faith the most
High; for I did not command them to do it;
but their own evil and wicked imaginations
prompted them to it; agreeable to what the
Prophet fays, "Because I was (but) a lit-
tle angry,
and they helped forward the
And, as to the blood, and
other abominations, he observes, and in
their abominations, their foul delighteth:
for which reason, he says, verfe 4th. "I
will also choose their calamities; and what
they dread, I will bring upon them; because
I called, and no one answered, I spake, and
they would not hear: and they have done,
what was evil in my fight, and that, in
which I delighted not, they have chosen."
The precepts which I commanded to Adam
and to Noah, and which are binding on all
mankind, have they not observed for they

affliction."

L 2

have

Zech. i. 15.

have committed idolatry, murder, adult &c. befides the cating of blood, &c. have thus walked in their evil imaginatio and barbarously chofen to perfecute the tion, in which i delighted not,

th

The prophet in verfe 5th, addreffes hi flf to the righteous of the nation, few that revere God's word, and endeavo to obferve it, "Hear ye the word of t Lonn, ye that revere his word: your b thren, that hate you, and that thraft you ou for my name's fike; faid, Let the LORD i glorified; for we fall fee your Joy; by they will be confounded.

The real fen of this verfe, which has given fo muc trouble in its explanation, to Chriftia commentators, both ancient and modein* for want of a thorough knowledge of th facred language; I humbly conceive to be a follows. The Prophet, in addreffing him. felf to the true believers of the nation, to inform them of their future happin.fs at their restoration; and the vengeance that God will take of their enemies, fays, Have ye not obfarvel what your brethren have faid?

* Sez Bop Let's Notes on [faiah. And If thofe fa Layman, on this scrte.