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. XIV.

1. BUt, before these things come to passe, there is a sad day of the Lords wrath coming on, that will more particularly touch thee, O Jerusalem. For (a) they of the Gen∣tiles shall make havock of all the Countries a∣bout thee, and make division of those spoiles, in the middest of thy land.

2. And I will muster up all sorts of people to fight against Ierusalem, and by their forces the Citie shall be taken: upon which advantage, the (b) houses shall be plundered, and the wo∣men ravished. And the one half of the City shall go out, and deliver themselves up, as Captives, for very fear and famine: but as for the rest they shall show themselves more valorous, and religious in defense of their Temple: they shall neither be iusticed, nor forced out of the Citie.

3. After this the Lord Himself (that suffer∣ed these Nations, for a time, to come thither, and show their spite and furie against Jeru∣salem)

shall appear for his People, and fight against those barbarous Nations as he hath often heretofore (at the red Sea, and elsewhere) showed himself the Lord of Hostes, and, in our defense, chose himself a day of Battle, and Victory.

4. In that day shall the feet of (c) him that shall be leader of those Nations against Jeru∣salem, stand upon Mount Olivet (which hath the prospect of the East-part of the Citie) that he may thence spy out a fit place, wherein to pitch his camp. And, by his command, they shall dig so much toward the East, and West of that Mountain, that it shall seem to have a great cleft, and rupture in the middest. Which earth, being so digged; and removed from thence, to be used for severall military designes, against the North, and South part of the City, there shall seem to be a very great Valley, made out of that, which was before a great part of the Mountain.

5. Then shall you flee, like men affrighted at the valley made as it were in a mountain: For that valley so made out of the mountain shall reach as far as Asel (the place that hath the name from the (d) vicinity of that Mount)

Even so shall you flie from the sight of this vast rupture, as you fled from the great Earth∣quake, (e) which made such a rupture in the same mountain, in the dayes of Vzziah, King of Iudah. But then shall the Lord, my God, the Lord of hosts himself, come to your defense, and all his heavenly Host of holy (f) Angels with (g) Him.

6. But, in that day of their trouble, and affrightment (before the Lord shall thus ap∣pear) there shall be no light of comfort, and refreshment: but cold, and quaking horrour (fear, and astonishment.)

7. But this shall be as one day (or a time) whereof God hath determined in his foreknow∣ledge, and speciall providence: and which I cannot well tell, whether I should call it a Day, or a night. (For, the Day is a time of com∣fort, but this shall have none: the night is a time of rest, and quiet, but this shall have none) Yet it shall come to passe, toward the Eve and expiration of this sad time, that (when you would think your Sun is setting, and the hope and joy of your life quite vanishing a∣way) then shall arise a new glimpse of reco∣vering your former happinesse) for you shall

espie a light of comfort and joy, appearing to you, (g) in the approach of those Angels of light, that God shall bring for your succour.

8. Then shall come a time of Peace, and works of Peace. You shall then have Aquaeducts, and usefull passages for running water made from Ierusalem: (h) some of them towards the East∣ern Sea, (the lake of Asphaltites) and some of them towards the Western, or Syrick Sea. And they shall be constant supplies of water, for your ordinary occasions, as well in Summer, as in Winter.

9. And then shall of Judaea be free from the imperious commands of forrein Nations, as when the Lord vouchsafed to stile Himself your King, and you his People. So shall you then be in all your land under that one gracious Lord, whose name, and his onely is honoured in Judaea (no Usurper having power over you.)

10. This time of Peace shall make you po∣pulous, All the places about Iudaea shall be com∣passed about with inhabitants: even in the plaines, and more desert places (that have not yet been inhabited) from (i) Gibeah of Ben∣jamin,

in the Northern borders, even unto (k) Rimmon, that lies as far South of Jerusa∣lem. And (with the addition of her higher Towers and Walls) Ierusalem shall seem to lift up her self higher, and glory to see her self so fully, and richly inhabited, in her own place, (l) from the gate of Benjamin (which leades into the Countrey of Benjamin toward the North) and so to the (m) old gate (on the West) and to the (n) corner-gate (that hath so many Towers jetted to the East) and thence all along from the Tower of Hananiel (which (o) bounds the South of your Citie) as far toward Sion, as the place, where the (p) Kings wine-presses were wont to be. And there also shall you have some buildings raised up for your new inhabitants.

11. And they which shall then inhabite it; in so populous a manner, shall find that there will be no more such miserable destructions, as have formerly been in that place: but Ierusalem shall be inhabited in safety, and security for a long time.

12. And these shall be the plagues, wherewith the Lord shall smite all the people, that have

come in hostile manner against Her. (q) Such a fearfull famine and sicknesse shall he send amongst them, that, their flesh shall consume away, while they stand upon their feet: their eyes shall consume away, while they are in those strong holds, wherein Nature hath placed them for better use, then from thence to watch the mischief of others, that were better than them∣selves: and their tongues shall moulder away, while they are in their own wicked, and blas∣phemous mouths. So that they shall walk a∣bout, like living carcases, and ugly noisome spectacles of misery, and memorandums of di∣vine vengeance,

13. And somewhat else shall happen in those dayes, as an addition to their sorrow. For, great tumults, and combustions will God raise among them, in those hurries. Every man shall be willing to lay hold of his neighbour, and by their joynt-hands engage him, (r) to be faith∣full, and secure unto them; but that hand of fidelity (as he took it) shall deceive his trust, and be one of the first hands, that shall be lift up against him.

14. An•• (which is the worst of it) such deceit, and contention shall not be onely

amongst them, but even Iudah too shall pick quarrels against Ierusalem. And a means to tempt them to this, will be the wealth of all the Heathen round about them, that shall be gathered to this place: great abundance of gold and silver, and apparel, that shall be in the tents of the Enemy.

15. While that plague of war, and famine, that is amongst them, will breed as great a mortality among the horses, aad mules, and asses, and all the beasts in their tents, which shall be like another plague among them.

16. But, these afflictions, and your mira∣culous delivery shall prove good instructions to many, that shall be left of those Nations, that marched against Ierusalem. For (in acknow∣ledgement of Gods Justice upon themselves, and his miraculous protection of that place) thither will they resort from year to year (being made your Proselytes) to tender their worship before the King of Kings, and the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (at least) as you do: that falling out in a time more sea∣sonable for the undertaking of long ••urnies to Jerusalem.

16. And while they do so much (that are but Proselytes) they read a Lecture of more readinesse to be required in you. Therefore

whosoever of the Families of this Land, shall not come up to Ierusalem (out of those coun∣tries into which they are dispersed) once a year, at least, to bear a part in the divine service of the great King of Kings; and Lord of Hostes, no showre of Divine fa∣vour, shall be expected to be powred upon them.

18. As, for instance, if those Jewish Fami∣lies that are in Egypt, shall not make that ascent, and approach hither, neither shall that showre of his favour be upon them: but, in∣instead of that, some plague ra••her with which the Lord will strike all those people, that will not come up, to keep so much as the Feast of Tabernacles (after they have ta∣ken upon them the profession of his Name.)

19. This shall be the punishment of those Professours of the Jewish Religion, that live in Egypt, or among any other Nations, and will not come up to the solemn Feast of Tabernacles, and then, at least, bear a part in the publick service of God, in that place, which he hath chosen for that purpose.

20. In these dayes of the strict observance of the worship of God, great additions of prosperity shall be heaped upon this People (and specially upon the place of Gods ser∣vice)

by rich presents from forrein Nations. Then the bridles of the war-horses, and the rich ornaments about them, shall be offered as a holy thing to the Lord, and so come in∣to the Treasurie of the Temple, as a Testi∣monie, that they acknowledge the victo∣rie, in which those horses were employ∣ed, is to be ascribed to God onely (though they seemed to guide and direct the Hor∣ses, with the bridle in their own hands.) And not in this way of acknowledgement onely, but many other waies too, the offer∣ings shall be so rich, and frequent, that the pots in the Lords house shall be as (s) numerous, as the bowles before the Altar, (whereof you have greater plenty, than of any one vessell about the Temple, be∣cause of the severall uses, to which they are of necessitie required, both in the offer∣ings, and in receiving the blood of the sacri∣fices.)

21. And, not those pots onely in the Temple, but (by reason of the great abun∣dance of sacrifices, in those dayes) every pot in Ierusalem, and in Iudah will commonly be hallowed to that use, which those in the

Sanctuary are employed in, for that service of the Lord of Hostes: that all they that bring their Sacrifice, may take of them, and seeth their meat in them (with which, after the Sacrifice, they use to entertain the Levites, and their Friends, whom they invite to the Feast) And in those dayes, as you shall have such store of Proselytes, about the house of the Lord of hosts to help and encourage you in the service, so you shall have no Cananites there, to draw you from the service of the true God, (So shall you be all holy, and clean, without mixture of prophane, and idolatrous people, (t) as was prophesied long before. And withall, you shall therein give a type of that happinesse, which the whole Church shall have, (u) in the last day.)

Notes

• (a)

  Ex v. seq.
• (b)

  temp. Maecab, 2. Maccob. 6.
• (c)

  Elleipsis nomini••; hic Ba••chid••••, intellige.
• (d)

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

  Amos 1. 1.
• (f)

  Sancti pro Angelis, ut Dan. 8, 13.
• (g)

  Muta∣tio personae Hebraeis familiaris:
• (g)

  ex fine v. 5.
• (h)

  hebr. half of them, vide c. 13, 8.
• (i)

  1, Sam. 13, 2.
• (k)

  Josuah. 15, 21, 32, & 19, 7.
• (l)

  Jer. 37, 13.
• (m)

  Nehem. 3, 6.
• (n)

  2. Paral. 25, 23.
• (o)

  Nehem. 3, 1.
• (p)

  Cantic. 8, 11.
• (q)

  Maccab. 13, 49.
• (r)

  Prov. 6, 1••
• (s)

  Elloipsis adjectivi, •••• c. 10. 3.
• (t)

  Isai. 35, 8. Ioel. 3, 17.
• (u)

  Apoc. 21, 27, & 21. 15.