Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 19 · Chapter 49 – Chapter 56
CAP. XLIX.
O All yee forraine nations of the world, listen unto me,1 Listen, O ye Isles, unto me, and hearken ye people from farre; the Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowles of my mother hath hee made mention of my name. your Saviour, and redeemer; The Lord, who before all times, had decreed me to be the mediator of his Church, hath accordingly performed it, and hath from my miraculous conception, and birth, set me apart to the accomplishing of this great worke.
He hath giuen power and efficacy to his word in my mouth, that thereby I may rule my Church,2 And hee hath made my mouth like a sharpe sword, in the shadow of his hand hath he hid mee, and made me a polished shaft, in his quiver hath hee hid me. and subdue my enemies; his almighty protection hath beene over me; and he hath destin'd me, from all worlds, to be a fit and perfect instrument of his service.
Then I said, I have omitted nothing on my part,4 Then I said, I have laboured in vaine, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vaine, yet surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my worke with my God. that I might doe, for the gaining of my people, the Jewes, but all my cost and paines that I have bestowed upon them, is no better then cast away; but it is mine everlasting father (with whom I am one) who gives full approbation of all that I have done; who graciously accepts of both my active and passive obedience.
So also verse 5.5 Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I bee glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
Though Israel be so obstinate that he will not reap the profered benefit of my redemption, yet my glory with the Lord shall be no whit the lesse.
Yea this is not all the honor that God my father will put upon me; for behold, saith he,6 And hee said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Iacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee, for a light to the Gentiles, that thou maiest be my salvation, &c. it were a poore matter, if thy redemption and rule should be onelyonly limited to the tribes of Israel; no, I will so extend, and advance this glorious and happie office, and worke of thine, that it shall reach unto the Gentiles, all the world over.
8 And give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages.I have given thee to renew, and establish that covenant, which is betweene me and my Church; to raise up and settle all my chosen upon earth; and to bring into my Church those which pertaine unto it, so as even the most desolate parts thereof may be furnished and peopled.
9 They shall feed in the wayes, and their pastures shall bee in all high places.Such plenty of provision will I make for my people, that the very high wayes, and dry and barren mountaines shall yeeld them abundance of nourishment, and increase.
12 Behold, these shall come from farre: and loe, these from the North and from the West, and these from the land of Sinim.From all the coasts of the earth shall the Jewes returne to Jerusalem, in figure of that generall recourse, which shall be from all the nations under heaven, to the holy Church of Christ, under the Gospell.
18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together and come to thee: as I live saith the Lord, thou shalt surely cloth thee with them all, as with an ornament, and binde them on thee as a bride doth.And now, O my Church, lift up thine eyes, and looke round about thee; Behold the multiplicity of all those nations wherewith thou art encompassed, all these shall come in and submit themselves unto thee; their number and accession shall be an excellent ornament unto thee, wherewith thou shalt decke thy selfe, as a Bride doth on the day of her wedding.
The children, which thou, O my Church, shalt have of this new supply of the Gentiles,20 The children, which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say againe in thine eares, The place is too strait for mee. since the casting off thy former issue of the Iewes, shall be so multiplied, that they shall have cause to complaine of the want of roome.
Then shalt thou have occasion to thinke; How comes it about,21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children and am desolate, a captive and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? that I am blessed with so large an issue, seeing my former brood is lost, and perished? O God, this is thy wondrous mercy, thus to comfort me in my extreme desolation, and captivity; thou, by the immortall seed of thy word hast begotten them to thy selfe; and hast nourished and bred up them accordingly, &c.
Whereas now the Princes of the world are opposite unto thee,23 And Kings shall bee thy nursing fathers, and their Queenes the nursing mothers: they shall bowe downe to thee with their face towards the earth. then, Kings and Queens shall gladly take upon them thy patronage, and protection; yea they shall in all humility yeeld themselves over to thy spirituall authority, &c.
But now your diffidence is ready to say; Is it possible that the Iewes should be taken out of the hands of so great a Monarch,24 Shall the prey bee taken from the mighty, or the lawfull captive delivered? as the King of Babylon; or the captive, which was according to the law of warre seized upon, and possessed, rescued from so powerfull a victor?
So verse 25.
26 And I will feed them that oppresse thee, with their owne flesh, and they shal bee drunken with their owne blood, &c.I will give them up to a civill and intestine warre, so as they shall be the mutuall slaughterers of each other; and that with an insatiable fury, &c.
CAP. L.
HOw willing yee are to put off the fault,1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the Bill of your mothers devorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have you sold your selves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. and cause of your punishment from your selves, to me, saith the Lord; as if I had put you away, and cast you off, (being once my acknowledged wife) without all just reason? or (being once my acknowledged children) had sold you to my creditours; goe to then, let the bill of divorce be shewed, that it may appeare why I rejected you; and let it bee knowne how and to which of my creditors I have, upon any contract, put you over; No, ye people of Israel; ye are they who have sold your selves for your iniquitie, and for your wicked and adulterous mis-demeanours are ye put away.
Whereas ye ought to have sought me,2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? is my hand shortned at all that it cannot redeeme? I have sought you, and beene disregarded; when I came to you in my gracious solicitations, and invited and called you by my loving admonitions, you turned the deafe eare, and gave no respect unto me; What meanes this neglect of yours? am I now lesse able to help and redeeme you, then I formerly was? &c.
As I did then over-spread Aegypt with a three dayes darknesse,3 I clothe the heavens with blackenesse, and I make sack cloth their covering. so I can still (when I please) vaile the face of heaven with blacknesse, and put it into a mourning habit.
God the Father hath given to me,4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speake a word in season to him that is wearie: he wakeneth morning by morning, hee wakeneth mine eare to heare as the learned. the Messiah his eternall Word and Sonne, power to expresse him fully and exquisitely unto his people; that I should bee able to speak comfortably to the weary and distressed soules; he doth not intermit to furnish me continually with his good Spirit; but ever assisteth me with his divine and inseparable grace to all the acts of my mediation.
My God is with me, yea, He is in mee,8 He is neere that justifieth me, who will contend with me? and one with me, and I with him, so as I cannot but be borne out against all that shall stubbornly contend with me, &c.
That seeth nothing but cause of discomfort,10 That walketh in darknesse, and hath no light. and dejection without all appearance of mitigation.
Behold,11 Behold, al ye that kindle a fire, that cōpasse your selves about with sparkes: walke in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled: this shall you have of mine hand, yee shall lie downe in sorrow? all ye that out of your owne thoughts raise up to your selves imaginary comforts, not fetching true grounds of consolation frō above; make use of those your owne devices, please your selves in your owne projects; All that ye shall get at my hands, is sorrow and disappointment.
CAP. LI.
1 Look unto the rocke whence ye are hewen, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.BEthinke your selves, and look back to your first originall, consider how easie it is for me, who gave you a being from the dry and barren loines and wombe of Abraham and Sara, to revive and raise you up in your greatest distresse.
3 For he shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places, & he wil make her wildernesse like Eden.Thus shall the Lord comfort Zion, when shee is most hopelesse, he will so restore her, as that the most desolate parts of his Church shall be fruitfull, and beautifull, as the Paradise of Eden, &c.
9 Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?Art not thou he that hast pulled downe the pride of Aegypt, and discomfited Pharaoh that proud King?
14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may bee loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should faile.The captive Jewes now lying under an uncomfortable exile, shall soone addresse themselves to their returne, let them not faint under their bondage, for they shall not long continue under it.
I have put my word into the mouth of thee, my Prophet,16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, & lay the foundations of the earth. and thy fellowes, but especially into the mouth of that great and divine Prophet and redeemer of my Church; I have held my safe protection over thee, and him, that by the saving doctrine which I shall send into the world, and that mighty and effectuall worke of his mediation, I may set at peace, and settle all things both in heaven and earth, &c.
17 Thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, & wrung them out.Thou hast drunke deepe of the grievousest of Gods outward afflictions, such, as thou mightst, and didst justly tremble to tast of; even the bitterest part thereof hast thou beene forced to receive into thy soule.
18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whō she hath brought forth, neither is there any that taketh her by the hand, of all the sonnes that she hath brought up.She is left utterly disconsolate; those that should bee most deare, and most respective to her (.i. my Church) even those spirituall sonnes, whom shee hath brought forth to an outward profession, they ungratefully forsake her, and deny her their needfull offices and attendance.
Yea, those unthankfull sons of thine are involved in the same calamity with thee;20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wilde bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, and rebuke of thy people. if they would, they cannot help thee; they are caught, and intangled like some wilde bull in a royle, and so lye roaring in vaine, within thy streets; for the wrath of the Lord hath throughly seized upon them, without all possibility of redresse.
21 Therefore heare now this, thou afflicted & drunkē, but not with wine.Heare this, ye that are giddily distracted, not with wine, but with extremity of sorrow:
Behold I have taken off from thee those heavie afflictions under which thou didst justly tremble,22 Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling. &c.
CAP. LII.
STirre up thy selfe, and rouze up thy drouping spirits,1 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, put on thy beautifull garments, O Ierusalem the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised, & the uncleane. O my Church, deck thy selfe with the robes both of joy, and holines; for my pure worship shall be restored unto thee; there shall be no place within thee for the invasion of thine heathen enemies, and the pollution of the prophane.
It was your owne iniquity that sold you into the power of your enemies, I took no price at all for you;3 For thus saith the Lord, yee have sold your selves for nought, and yee shall be redeemed without money. and therefore am not bound to any restitution, which might be demanded of me, but will freely deliver you.
Now therefore,5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? what have I in lieu of this miserable affliction of my people; why should I forbeare to revenge it, &c?
How welcome and pleasing are the Prophets of God,7 How beautifull upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation. who upon the mountaines of Judea preach these glad tidings of peace, and deliverance; and how more welcome are those Evangelicall teachers that proclaime everlasting salvation to all beleevers, &c?
This shall not be a thing muttered in secret; thy spirituall watchmen, the seers of God, shal lift up their voice,8 Thy watchmen shall lift up their voice, with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring againe Zion. and publish it to all the world, with joy and thanksgiving and shall be (some of them) eye-witnesses of this gracious deliverance.
The Lord hath shewed his mighty power to all the natiōs roūd about, in this rescue of his chosē people, &c.
Make your selves ready therefore, O my people,10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arme in the eyes of all the nations. to depart out of Babylon, get you forth joyfully, from the place of your captivity; and in the meane time,11 Depart ye, depart ye, goe ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, go ye out of the middest of her, be ye cleane, that beare the vessels of the Lord. keepe your selves undefiled with the corruptions of that wicked nation; and ye the Priests and Levites, that have charge of the holy things of God, see that yee sanctifie your selves, and hold cleare from all those Babylonish pollutions.
For ye shall not goe out of Babylon,12 For ye shall not goe out with haste, nor goe by flight, for the Lord will goe before you; and the God of Israel will bee your rereward. as ye went out of Aegypt, with haste, and tumult, or, as people that flee from an enemie, but in a peaceable and triumphant fashion; for the Lord shall goe before you, and follow you in so plaine a manifestation of his powerfull presence, that you shall finde no cause of doubt, or feare.
Behold that Messiah,13 Behold, my servant shall deale prudently, hee shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. by whom I shall fully restore my Church, shall worke wisely, and succeed prosperously in that glorious service; he shall be exalted and advanced above all the Kings of the earth, yea, above all the powers of heaven.
14 As many were astonied at thee (his visage was so marred more then any man, and his forme more then the sons of men.)Indeed, the outward appearance of that Son of God, was so exceeding meane, and contemptible (more then the ordinary fashion of the sonnes of men) as that those who beheld it, were astonished, to see such a majesty shrouded in so plaine and homely an outside.
15 So shall hee sprinkle many nations, the Kings shall shut their mouthes at him, for that which had not been tolde them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider.But yet, in the efficacy of his appearance, he shall be so glorious, as that, when he is graciously pleased to distill his holy word upon the nations, Kings shall stand amazed at the power of him, who worketh so mightily by it, for they shall see, and heare that which they never could have imagined should possibly have comne to passe.
CAP. LIII.
1 Who hath beleeved our report, and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed?BUt woe is me, though we bring such certaine and happy newes of a Messiah, into the world, yet, how is the incredulous world besotted, that it will not beleeve our report? what blindnesse hath darkned the eyes of men, that they wil not see the mighty power of the Godhead, in this weaknesse of humane flesh?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plāt and as a root out of a dry ground, he hath no forme nor comlinesse.For, to the eyes of men he shall seeme despicable, at the first, and by degrees shall grow up to an acknowledged perfection: He hath no lovelinesse or glory in his outward appearance, &c.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefes, and carried our sorrowes, yet we did esteeme him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.It is for our sakes that he hath subjected himselfe to al those griefes and sorrowes, which hee underwent; that he might sanctifie our afflictions to us, and deliver us from greater judgements; Yet, our unthankfulnesse will not acknowledge it, but is ready to cast his sufferings upon his owne deservings, as if God had stricken him for his owne demerits.
5 The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes are we healed.He was chastised to work our peace, hee was smitten that we might be healed.
8 Hee was taken from prison & from judgement, and who shall declare his generation? forhe was cut off out of the land of the living.He was indeed arraigned, and adjudged to a shameful and painfull death, but that could have no power over him, he was mightily rescued from it, by the power of his Godhead; and now lives for ever; neither shall or can there be any end of his eternall duration, howsoever, for the time, he was cut off from living amongst men, &c.
9 And hee made his grave with the wicked, & with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.He was given up into the hand of wicked and violent men, to be by them put to death amongst malefactors; although he had done nothing amisse, neither was any guile found in his mouth.
Yet it pleased God the father to humble him, and standing in our stead,10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to griefe, when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sin, he shal see his seede, he shall prolong his daies, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. to hide his face from him, but with an intention of much glory to him, and happinesse to his Church; for, when thou, O Lord, shalt cause his life to be offered up for the satisfaction of our sins, he shall, by the efficacy of his blood, raise up a plentifull issue to his Church, and shall be everlastingly glorified, and worke happily for the good of his chosen; effecting all that which God hath determined for the salvation of mankinde.
He shall see, and feel the happy successe of his labours,11 He shall see of the travell of his soule, & shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant iustifie many, for hee shall beare their iniquities. and sufferings, and shall finde abundant comfort and satisfaction therein, herein shall many, yea all that belong to Gods election be justified, in that this righteous and perfect Saviour is knowne, and apprehended by them; and in that they are knowne and accepted of him, for he hath undertaken to satisfie for all their iniquities.
Therefore,12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoile with the strong, Because he hath powred out his soule unto death, & he was numbred with the transgressours, & he bare the sinne of many, and made intercession for the transgressours. after he hath overcome the sharpnesse of death, I will honour him with a glorious triumph; wherin he shall, according to the manner of great conquerors, divide the spoile of his enemies; insulting over death, grave, and hell, because he hath beene obedient to the death, yea the death of the crosse; and was hanged on the tree of shame and curse, betwixt two malefactors; and upon that crosse bore the sin of all those that pertaine to him; and, both at his death, prayed for his persecutors and tormentors, and at my right hand makes perpetuall intercession for his Church.
CAP. LIIII.
REjoyce, O thou Church of the Gentiles,1 Sing O barren, thou that didst not beare, break forth into singing, and cry aloude thou that didst not travell with childe, for more are the children of the desolate then the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. which wert before utterly barren, and fruitlesse, yeelding no children to God; for now, the children of thee which wert not formerly regarded, as my spouse, are more then those of the Church of the Jewes, whom I professed to love and respect.
So also verse 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Well may I compare the great inundation of thy sorrow and affliction, to the deluge in Noahs time,9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth, so have I sworne, &c. wherewith the earth was overspread; and, as I then swore, &c. so have I now sworne that I will never give my Church over to any utter vastation.
O thou my poore distressed Church,11 Oh thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours, and lay thy foundations with Saphires which now seest no cause of joy, or mitigation of thy sorrow; comfort thou thy selfe with the expectation of what blessings I have laid up for thee; for how despised soever thou now seemest, I will exceedingly adorne, and beautifie thee.
12 And I will make thy windowes of Agats, and thy gates of Carbuncles, & all thy borders of pleasant stones.I will make the Evangelicall Church far more glorious, then that which was under the law, there shall nothing be wanting that may set forth the beauty, and majesty thereof.
13 And all thy children shal be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children.God will by the gracious illuminations of his spirit teach his will unto thy children; and shall by miraculous gifts upon them, testifie the descent of his holy ghost; and thy true and faithfull children shall enjoy a sweet and unspeakable peace in their consciences.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake.Yet shalt not thou expect such a quiet condition, as may be free from all hostility, and opposition; no, there will be enemies banding together against thee, but without all successe from me; they shall faile and miscarry in their designes against thee; for that I have undertaken thy protection.
16 Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coales in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his worke, & I have created the waster to destroy.It is my Almighty hand, that moderates, and overrules all those powers; that set themselves against thee; Are weapons the instruments of thy hurt? Behold, I have made the very smith that makes them, and the arme that useth them to destruction.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee, shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in Iudgement, thou shalt condemne.Men may devise meanes to doe thee harme, but they shall not prevaile against thee; and those malicious tongues that stirre against thee, to accuse, and reproach thee, shall be shamed, and convicted by thee, &c.
CAP. LV.
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come yee to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eate, yea come buy wine & milke without money, and without price.HO, every one who is humbled under the conscience of his owne wants, and unworthinesse, let him now, under the raigne of grace, and the powerfull kingdome of Christ, have recourse to his gracious Saviour, and let him freely and fully partake of all spirituall comforts and blessings, whereby his soule may be refreshed and saved.
2 Wherefore doe yee spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eate ye that which is good, &c.Why doe you, O ye vaine sons of men, spend your labour, and cost, upon the search and pursuit of those comforts, which have no true and solid contentment in them? give care unto me with all diligence, and furnish your selves with those graces, which shall bee sure to nourish you up, unto eternall life.
3 Even the sure mercies of David.Even those blessings and mercies which by my promise, and covenant I assured unto David my servant.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witnesse to the people, a leader and commander to the people.Behold, I have ordained this successour of David to be a perfect mediator of the new Testament, for the behoof of my people; to be the head, and leader of my elect.
Behold thou shalt call the Gentiles,5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee, shall run unto thee. which were hitherto unregarded of thee, to be thy Church; those that have hitherto walked, as without God in the world, shalt thou now convert unto thee, &c.
However ye may fondly measure me by your selves,8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your waies my waies, saith the Lord. ye shall finde my thoughts and disposition is not like to yours, implacable in cases of offence, neither are my proceedings like yours.
For ye, O my people the Jewes,12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace, the mountains and the hils shall breake forth before you, into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. shall goe forth of your Babylonish captivity, with joy, and be led peaceably forth, towards your owne land; and all the creatures of God shall (as it were) rejoyce in your deliverance, and applaud your comfortable returne.
And whereas, before, your land was annoyed with men, that were harmfully troublesome, and cruell,13 In stead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and in stead of the brier shall come up the mirtle tree, and it shall bee to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting signe that shall not be cut off. like thornes that are ready to …eare every passenger, now it shall be planted with persons inoffensive, and beneficiall, such as yield a pleasant and comfortable shade, and profitable use unto men; and this change shall be to the everlasting praise of God, and for a memoriall of his never-fading goodnesse to his Church.
CAP. LVI.
ANd now,1 Thus saith the Lord; Keep ye judgement, and doe justice, for my salvation is neere to come, and my righteousnesse to bee revealed. that ye may be worthy of this high calling of God, doe ye approve your selves carefull to performe all acts of charity, and justice one to another; so shall ye be capable of that deliverance, and salvation, which I have determined unto you.
Neither let the man who is sensible of his owne defects and unworthinesse, say,3 Neither let the Eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. Behold I am not a man meet to receive grace from God.
For thus saith the Lord unto those selfe-dejected soules,4 For thus saith the Lord unto the Eunuches that keepe my Sabbaths & choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; who yet make conscience of keeping my Sabbaths, and desire to be approved of me, in those things which I have required, in an honest, and humble simplicitie.
Even to them will I be gracious, above their desire,5 Even unto them will I give in mine house, and within my walls, a place & a name better then of sons and of daughters, I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. and expectation, I will honour them in my Church, and more then supply unto them, those blessings, whose want they so much bewailed; and I will give them a blessed, and lasting memory amongst my Saints.
Those, who are the sonnes of them which are aliens from the common wealth of Israel, that yet are now,6 Also the sons of the stranger that joyne themselves to the Lord. by an holy profession joyned unto the Lord, &c.
7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountaine, and make them joyfull in my house of prayer.Those will I gladly admit into thy Temple, and into that Church, whereof the Temple is a figure, and give them true spirituall joy in my service, &c.
8 The Lord God which gathereth the out-casts of Israel, saith, Yet will I gather others to him, besides those that are gathered unto him.The Lord God, whose onelyonly grace and mercy it is to gather together his dispersed Church, saith; Yet will I also gather the Gentiles into the fold of Christ my Sonne; besides those which doe already professe his name.
Yet before there be roome for these comfortable promises,9 All yee beasts of the field, come to devour, yea all ye beasts in the forrest. yee must make account of great calamitie, to befall my people; Come therefore, all yee beasts of the fields, and forrest, ye savage Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, and the rest, and for the time make havocke of my flocke.
10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumbe dogges, they cannot barke: sleeping, lying downe, loving to slumber.Alas, the watchmen of my people, their spirituall overseers, are altogether blinde, and ignorant, & not so only, but as they are blind, so they are dumb also, not opening their mouthes, to give warning of the dangers of my people, and the judgements which are imminent over them; even like unprofitable dogges, which being set to keepe the house, have no tongue to barke, nor eyes to see, but lie sleeping in a corner to no purpose.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogges, which can never have enough;Yea, as they are blind, and mute, so they are also ravenous, and devouring; their appetites is ever craving and insatiable, &c.
12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, & we will fill our selves with strong drinke? and to morrow shall bee as this day, and much more abundant.And besides all these, they pamper themselves, and flatter the security of my people; and are ready to say; Tush, however the Prophets foretell these grievous things, let us make much of our selves; and eate, and drinke, and be mery; These sad events shall not happen; wee shall in the times to come, speed as well, as wee have done, yea better, and more happily.