CONTENTS This Chapter in its opening, seems to contain a prophecy of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, and which took place after our Lord's return to glory. Under the figures of two staves the Lord teacheth concerning his Church.... [ Continue Reading ]
Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. 2 Howl, fir-tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty is spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down. 3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds: for their glory is spoiled: a voice of... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich; and their own shepherds pity them not. 6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: bu... [ Continue Reading ]
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear: so they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter... [ Continue Reading ]
Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. The cutting asunder of the other staff Bands, may serve perhaps to shew, that there can be no lasting amity in the mere obligations of the law. Judah will vex Ephraim, and Ephraim Judah, No... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat th... [ Continue Reading ]
REFLECTIONS. Reader! how awful this Chapter begins, and how awful it ends. The doors are to be opened, to burn the whole dwelling that reject Christ; and the foolish shepherd, and the idle, that direct men from Christ, are to beset forth awful, and tremendous examples, of suffering vengeance from G... [ Continue Reading ]