every where pervaded the nation, we cannot juftly be furprised that proper perfons would be extremely reluctant, and prevailed upon with great difficulty, to accept places of public truft and power, as here plainly fuppofed. No wonder that men entertain a ftrong averfion at being concerned in the affairs of government, in critical and unfavourable circumftances.

Thou haft clothing, &c. rich garments, fuitable to the dignity of chief magiftrate, and canft make an appearance becoming the character of one invested with fupreme authority. Thou haft vaft abundance and variety of raiment in thy wardrobes, fufficient for a perfon of fuch high rank, to beftow in prefents on proper occafions. Be thou our ruler: occupy the chief place, and exercise the higheft power in the ftate; point out the meafures we ought to adopt, publish the laws we ought to obey, go before us by thy example, prefide over us by thy authority, fhew us what we ought to do; and we will be obedient to thy orders, and fubmiffive to thy authority.And let this ruin be under thy hand; or according to a various reading, making a very good fenfe, "Take "into thy hand our ruinous ftate." Endeavour, if poffible, to retrieve our affairs, now in fad diforder, prognofticating our deftruction as a people: deliver, if poffible, from injuftice and oppreffion, from foreign enemies and domeftic troubles; and, in the profecution of these great and important purpofes, we will act as thy dutiful fubjects. A fenfe of imminent danger, and urgent neceflity, never fails to render men importunate for afliftance and relief. Improve this principle in your addreffes to the Almighty, by taking hold of God's ftrength; by earneftly foliciting his interpofition in your favour, that he may take under his hand our ruined ftate, and recover us from the direful effects of our apoftacy from him.

Mentioned by the Bishop of London.

7 In that day fhall he fwear, faying, I will not be an healer; for in my houfe is neither bread nor clothing; make me not a ruler of the people.

In

This verse contains the peremptory reply made to the request presented in the foregoing one, with the reafon why the propofal there made was rejected without hefitation.The perfon applied to by his friend, fhall, in the most folemn manner, decline to undertake the very difficult work to which he was invited. With elevated voice, and lifted-up hand, he fhall folemnly fwear, that he will not accept of the offer made him of being a ruler. It is doubtlefs lawful for perfons to take an oath, when their teftimony cannot otherwife be believed, and the matter is in itself of confiderable importance: for thus it is written, Deut. vi. 13. Thou fhalt fear the Lord thy God, and ferve him, and fhalt fwear by his name.' this manner we acknowledge the omnifcience of God, we confess his confummate wisdom, we do homage to his almighty power and goodness; and by thus confirming our declaration, put an end to all ftrife, respecting the matter of the oath. To give a determinate final anfwer, that would admit of no dif pute, to the entreaty of his brother, the perfon replying, invokes the facred name of God, and appeals to the avenger of falsehood, that he would not accept the office of a ruler.The Hebrew word tranflated ruler, is derived from one that fignifies to bind up; and in a figurative fenfe, to heal, as the fkilful binding up a wound, or broken member, is of great confequence toward its cure. In a metaphorical fenfe, it also fignifies a ruler or governor, because he ought to conciliate breaches, and make up differences, which arife among the people. The commonwealth of Ifrael, at the time referred to, was in a diftempered, broken condition, and needed much a healer, to bind it up; but none could be found to undertake the arduous work.

work. Perfons applied to for this purpose, peremp torily refused to comply with the folicitations they received; for which the following reafon is affigned:

For in my boufe is neither bread nor clothing, &c. It was customary in Eastern countries, where fashions did not vary as among us, to collect immenfe quantities of clothes and provifions, not only for the perfon's own use, and that of his family, but for prefents upon proper occafions. This appears plainly, from the facred writings, to have been the practice among the Jews; of which there are feveral defcriptions, and to which there are fome allufions. This, as a celebrated writer obferves, explains the meaning of the excufe made by him that is defired to undertake the government. He alledges, he hath not wherewithal to fupport the dignity of that ftation, by fuch acts of libe rality and hofpitality as the law and cuftom required of perfons in high rank. He therefore requefts, that there might not be any farther propofal made to him of this kind. The fulfilment of what we have been confidering, feems to have taken place in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, after the carrying away of Jehoiakim; which, fo far as we learn from fcripture, perfectly agreed to the deplorable state of the Jewish nation at that period.From hence we learn, that as in times of national profperity men are commonly ambitious of obtaining power and preferment, fo in calamitous feafons places of eminence and truft are often refused, and filled with difficulty. There are fometimes diforders in the ftate, like certain diseases of the body, which defy the skill of the most eminent phyficians, which no perfon will undertake to reme dy, when one dangerous fymptom appears after ano. ther this gives rife to defpair, which accelerates approaching ruin.

8 For Jerufalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen : because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

Thefe

These words may be confidered as a vindication of the divine procedure toward the people of Judah. The defcription of their calamitous condition, in the first part of the verfe, is fhort, but affecting.Jerufalem, once the joy of the whole earth, beautiful for fituation, highly favoured of Heaven, a flourishing, populous, renowned city, is become a heap of ruins; and the inhabitants of Judah, formerly poffeffed of the most diftinguished privileges, is divefted of all their dignity, and reduced to the moft depreffed condition. Much having been already faid on this mourn ful fubject, I only remark, that as the rod of affliction hath a voice which ought to be heard by those whom it fmites, fo it ought likewise to be attended to by those who hear of its stroke, that from thence they may derive instruction. The ruin of Jerufalem, and the fall of Judah, are recorded for our admonition; not merely for our information, but for our learning. Let us not then think it fufficient, that, with the many, we reproach that people for their fins, the procuring caufes of their defolation; but let us endeavour to reap benefit to ourselves from their calamities, and to learn wisdom and obedience from their folly and undutiful conduct.This defcription did not correfpond with the state of Jerufalem and Judah at the time this prophecy was delivered, for then they were in a flourishing condition, but with what it fhould undoubtedly be at the period the prediction received its accomplishment, in the days of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah; and to intimate its certain fulfilment and fpeedy approach, the prophet fpeaks as if this had been their prefent condition.The reafon of this ruin and fall is affigned in the following words:

Because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. The tongue is the chief instrument of fpeech, which communicates to others the images of the mind, and fentiments of the heart. When employed in fpeaking, it commonly discovers the difpofitions of which men are possess

ed;

ed; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh. Hence our prophet obferves, The vile perfon will speak villany:' and the apoftle John, defcribing the character of worldly men, thus fpeaks, They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world; for they have nothing elfe to speak of. People acting under the influence of the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, feldom fail to express their oppofition to the purity of his law, the difpenfations of his providence, the admonitions of his fervants, and the benevolent defigns of his grace. On this wicked practice was founded the bitter complaint which the Moft High brought against his people, by the prophet Malachi; Your words have been stout against me, faith the Lord .' To this heavy charge they reply, What have we fpoken against thee?' To check their infolence, the Lord informs them, that their words were stout against him, in as much as they had faid, 'It is vain to serve God, and keep his ⚫ ordinances.' Such alfo feems to have been the finful practice of Judah, for which they were to be feverely punished. Befides, their doings alfo were against the Lord. Their words and actions exactly corresponded, discovering their oppofition to God, against whom they acted in direct hoftility. Though they profeffed to love and honour him, they trampled on his facred authority; they counteracted his bleffed will; they defpifed his ordinances, and tranfgreffed his moft juft commandments; and notwithstanding fevere corrections, they continued incorrigible in their fins.

To provoke the eyes of his glory. The eye is that curious organ of the body whereby objects are perceived, and knowledge is conveyed into the heart. In reference to its extenfive usefulness to men, eyes are afcribed to God in fcripture, to intimate his perfect knowledge of all things, and ftrict acquaintance

Ifaiah xxxii. 6.

+1 John iv. 5.

Mal. iii. 13.