A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. VII.

1. (YOu have heard what you should justly have said to God, and what he hath said as justly against you: Will you now hear what I or any good man might as well say of the sad estate, wherein you shall shortly be, under the raign of Manasses, a most disso∣lute and idolatrous Prince, that will succeed the good Hezekiah.) Wo is me, that I am fallen upon so unhappy an age, wherein there are few or none to be seen, that love and fear God! I am in a time like that wherein men have gathered in their summer fruits, and there are onely a few grape-gleanings left of the vintage: a time, when there is no cluster to eat: I may long, and desire with all my soul to taste some of the first-ripe fruits, (but there is none to be had.)

2. Such a scarcity of goodnesse is there in this wicked age: wherein the best men are

all dead, and taken out of the earth: there is not a just, and upright person to be found among men. They are all such as lie in wait for blood. They hunt every man after his brother, and seek his (a) utter ruine and destruction.

3. So (b) do they hunt, and lay snares with both hands, when they are to do mischief: but when they do any good for others, the very Prince, and Magistrate knows how to ask ((c) for his reward) and the judge for his bribe, and retri∣bution (from him that hath the cause to go on his side) And if a great man speak out of that wickednesse, that is in his heart (as in some false relation, at a trial before the Judge) he orders it so, that he will thereby intricate, and (d) intangle the businesse (the more to puzle those, that have interest in the thing to be de∣cided by the Judge.)

4. And (for this matter of briberie) he that is accounted the best of them, is no better then a brier (that catcheth at what can be had from all that come near it) and he that hath the name of the uprightest man is (without that reward) no kinder then a thorny hedge (that hath prickles to fetch blood out of all that meddle with it.) But, when the day comes, which

the watchmen (thy Prophets) have foretold thee of, O Jerusalem, and the time of thy visitation: then shall these men (of all other) be in great perplexity (as a just reward of that (e) intang∣ling and perplexing of causes, with their un∣just relations, and seeking after bribes.)

5. (In such a wicked age for briberie and injustice) take heed what friend you trust, and put no great confidence in (f) Princes and Ma∣gistrates. And keep the door of thy mouth from being too open in deliverie of thy secret thoughts to thy own wife, that lies in thy bosom (whence they are to be picked out.)

6. For (what is done by the rest of thy family, may be done by thy wife in time) and now adaies it is ordinarie for the son to disho∣nour his father (in disclosing of his secrets) and for the daughter to rise up (as a witnesse) against her mother, and the daughter in law against the mother in law. And a mans enemies are they of his own house as usually as any other.

7. But (be the world never so bad) I (that speak all this against these wretched times) will still look up unto God (in my hearty pray∣ers for patience and perseverance in doing good, and a happy deliverance, in due time, from the perils of a disordered state) I will

constantly wait for the God of my salvation. And I doubt not but my God will hear me.

8. (After this Prophetical discourse of my own in the foresight and contemplation of the miseries and disorders that shall happen in the reign of Manasses: you shall now hear my own Country (the Iewish nation her self) be∣moaning of her great affliction under Zedekiah, and the Babylonish Captivity; and somewhat too of their return out of captivity, under Nehemiah and Ezra. For, thus she bespeaks the Country of the Chaldeans first.)

Do not triumph over me, O thou mine enemie; When I am fallen into a low estate, I shall rise again: and, when I sit in the darknesse of a sad affliction, there shall the Lord be as a light, and comfort unto me.

9. I will patiently bear the heavy punishment laid upon me in the fierce indignation of the Lord, because I drew it upon my self by those sins, which I committed against him. This will I do, till he please to take notice of my cause, to plead for me, and to revenge the injuries, which I have received from the Babylonians. As, in his ju∣stice, I know he will do in his good time. And he will bring me out of this sad and gloomy time of affliction into the chearful lustre and glorie of my former prosperity. And, in that light, I shall once again be able to see

the (g) goodnesse of the Lord.

10. And my enemie (the whole nation of the Chaldeans) shall see it, as well as I: when she shall be ready to hide her self for shame, as im∣pudent as she was, in the time of my captivity, to say unto me, Where is now the Lord thy God? (what is now become of that help, which you expected from him?) Mine eies shall see her then with comfort, when she will be ashamed to look upon me. And (when I am raised out of my low estate) then shall she be cast down, and trampled under feet, (h) by the victorious Persians, and made no more account of then the mire in the streets.

11. The time will then come for repairing of thy breaches, and rebuilding of thy walls, O Jerusalem. And at that time, (h) the proud commands of the Babylonian shall be out of date (instead of sending abroad his high edicts to other nations, he shall have one above him, [the conquering Persians] that shall over-ma∣ster and command him.)

12. About those daies, men shall begin to stock again unto thee, O Jerusalem. Some from Assyria, and the strongest Cities there. Shortly after thou maiest discover them, (i) from all parts,(k)

coming towards thee: Some from the strong∣est forts beyond Euphrates, towards that river. (and so towards thee) And in like manner from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain shall they come to thee.

17. For the countries (from whence they shall thus come to thee) shall fall to ruine, and desolation for the sinful inhabitants thereof, which shall have that fruit of their wicked works (and so many of them, for very need, be forced to repair unto thee.)

14. So be it, O Lord, for their chastisement, and for our return, and recovery of our for∣mer estate) Feed thine own people again, (as their careful Shepherd) go before them with (l) thy Shepherds hook, as the peculiar flock of thine heritage. They that have lodged long, like as in a barren, and solitary place in a wood, let them now come to feed again in as pleasant places as those of Mount Carmel, and in as rich pastures as those of Basan, and Gilead, as in the daies of old.

14. (And say to thy people, O Lord) I will show thee again as wonderful things (in mercy) as I did heretofore, when I brought thee out of the land of Egypt. And I will show as great a punishment upon thine enemies, as I then did up∣on the Egyptians.

16. So let the nations all about be confounded, at all the might, and power of the Jews. Let them lay their hands on their mouths (in silent admira∣tion) and their ears be made deaf with the noise, and fame of thy wondrous acts.

17. Like men amazed at them, so let them fall down with fear, and astonishment, and (m) lick the dust, like a serpent. Let them be forced to creep out of their secret holes, and re∣fuges (where they had hid themselves) like wormes out of the earth. And (in the complish∣ment of these things, which our prophesies have foretold) let them learn to fear the Lord our God, and stand in awe of thee, O Lord.

18. Who, among the gods, is like unto thee? that pardonest iniquity (and removest the pu∣nishment thereof, upon our repentance) and passest by many of the transgressions of the poor remnant of thy people (as one that is unwilling to take notice of them if they may be amen∣ded) For, He is not so implacable as to continue in his anger for ever (though our sins extort a punishment) His delight is rather in mercy, and loving kindnesse.

19. Therefore will he have mercy upon us (n) again. He will trample all our offences under his feet (as things he would see no more) and

cast them into the bottom of the sea, as things, that he will not care for hereafter, nor make any more account of.)

20 So, Lord, wilt thou perform the truth of thy promises to Iacob, and thy tender mercies to Abraham, and what thou hast confirmed by oath to our forefathers, from the daies of old.

Notes

• Rom. 3. 2.
• (a)

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (b)

  Supple ex praeced.
• (c)

  Supple ex sequent.
• (d)

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (e)

  Vt v. 3:
• (f)

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (g)

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saepe pro bonita••e, & miserieordia.
• (h)

  Isai. 26. 6.
• (h)

  Isai. 26. 6.
• (i)

  Nahnm. 2. ult.
• (k)

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pro protesta••e edicta mittendi.
• (l)

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (m)

  Psal. 72. 9. Isai 49. 23.
• (n)

  Revertet & miserebitur. i. iterum miserebitur (in hebraismo)
• Gen. 35. 12.