Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 19 · Chapter 65
CAP. LXV.
1 I am sought of them that asked not for me: I am found of them that sought me not, I said, behold me, behold me unto a nation that was not called by my name.WHatsoever become of you, my late people of the Jewes, my covenant shall be made good with another nation, whom ye thinke not of; Behold, the Gentiles shall come in your roome, I am sought of them, which were before utter aliens from me, & my Church; and I am accordingly found of them, which heretofore sought me not; I called a people unto my Covenant of grace, which had before no relation unto me, either of name or interest:
2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good; after their owne thoughts.I have made continuall and important meanes to these rebellious Jewes, who yet will not be reclaimed, but walke on leudly, and stubbornly, in their owne vaine and sinfull lusts.
That sacrificeth in those groves, which they have in their private orchards; and upon their owne-erected altars,3 That sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick. according to their vaine and superstitious fancies, contrary to the charge of God, who hath confined their services, and oblations, to his Altar at Jerusalem.
4 Which remaine among the graves, & lodge in the monuments, which eate swines flesh, & broth of abominable things in their vessels:Which in devilish fashion gave themselves to the practice of necromancy, consulting with evill spirits, under the forme of the dead; and making no difference of those meates, which the law hath made abhominably uncleane.
5 Which say: Stand by thy selfe, come not neere to me: for I am holier then thou: these are a smoake in my nose: a fire that burneth all the day.Which in the pride, and scorne of their heart, are ready to say to the holy Prophets of God; admonishing them of their sinnes; Tush, I regard thee not, keepe thy counsell to thy selfe; I am holier then thou; These are tedious and noysome to me, and their proud hypocrisie is such, as shall provoke my perpetuall indignation to burne them up like an unquenchable fire continually.
Thus saith the Lord;8 Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I doe for my servants sake, that I may not destroy them all. As a man that intends to cut downe, or root up a sowre ill-fruited vine; and finding one branch of it, yeelding a kindly & pleasing grape, forbeares to destroy it; So will I doe with my people; though, in a generality, they deserve an utter extirpation; yet, for the sake of some of them, whom I have found carefull and conscionable, I have resolved not to destroy them all.
A people that shall inherit and possesse that my mountainous country of Judea.9 An inheritour of my mountaines.
And there shall bee a frequent rehabitation of the whole land of Israel, and Juda;10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor, a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. the late-desolate pastures of Sharon, and the fruitfull valley of Achor, shall bee againe put to use, and serve for the feeding, & grazing of your flockes, and heards.
But ye are they that forsake the Lord,11 But yee are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountaine, that prepare a table for that troupe, and that furnish the drinke offering, unto that number. that doe wilfully neglect my chosen mountaine of Zion, and my holy Tēple there, that offer sacrifice to a base rabble of counterfeit gods; and furnish drinke offerings to all the innumerable hosts of heaven.
Therefore will I designe you to destruction, &c.12 Therefore will I number you to the sword.
Yee have made a fashionable profession of service to me; but there hath beene no truth therein;13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, my servants shall eate, but ye shall be hungry: Behold, my servants shall drinke, but yee shall bee thirstie: behold, my servants shall rejoyce, but yee shall bee ashamed. and yee shall speed accordingly; for, behold, those that are indeed my true and faithfull servants, shall eate, and drinke, and rejoyce, and enjoy the good things of the land; when yee hypocrites, shall be held short of all these comforts, and shall be punished with shame, and want.
So verse 14.
And that name, whereof ye now vainely boast,15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name. shall no more be disgraced by you; but cōtrarily, in stead therof, your name and memory shall be execrable to all my chosen, so as when they would curse another, they shall say, So may God curse thee as hee did the Jewes; For the Lord God shall destroy thee; and call his servants, out of other nations, and by other names; even by the glorious names of Christians.
And all the earth over,16 That hee that blesseth himselfe in the earth, shall blesse himselfe in the God of truth, and he that sweareth in the earth, shall sweare by the God of truth, because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. men shall give themselves to the holy and conscionable worship of God; whether they pray, or whether they sweare, or whatsoever act of religion they doe, it shall be directed to the onelyonly true God; for God hath determined to put a finall end to the calamities of his Church, and not to see their grievous distresses any longer.
Behold, I will renew all things by the power and government of my Sonne Christ;17 For behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth: and the former shall not bee remembred, nor come into minde. the whole world shall be then cast in a new mold; the former condition, which served only for a shadow of the future, shall then vanish, and be no more of use, or remembrance.
Be ye glad, and rejoyce for ever, O ye faithfull soules, which shall receive the benefit of this happy renovation:18 But bee you glad and rejoyce for ever, in that which I create: for behold, I create Ierusalem a rejoycing, and her people a joy. for, I will give fulnesse of joy unto my Church, and will make my people eternally blessed.
There shall be a perfit age and stature in Christ; no deficiencie either in a nonage,20 There shall bee no more thence an infant of dayes, nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes: for the children shall die an hundred yeares old, but the sinner of an hundred yeares old shall bee accursed. or a decrepit estate; but all shall attaine to their due growth; the child shall not die till he be an hundred yeares old; and shall reach to an happy maturity; & those that are old, shall injoy a strong and vigorous age; Thus spiritually blessed shall they be that are in Christ; but those who are out of him, are no lesse miserable; for the sinner, though hee enjoy a long life, here on earth, yet is, and shall be accursed; the length of his dayes shall adde to the extremity of his torment.
25 The wolfe and the lambe shall feed together, &c.See Esa. 11.6.