Micah 4

BUT This particle which ushers in the following promise does also bid us look to somewhat before spoken, of a very different Complexion; that was news of a Total and a long continued Desolation, but this is of a happy Restitution, which does refer both to a Temporal Deliverance out of Babylons Captivity, and to a Spiritual Deliverance out of Ignorance, Superstition and all other wayes of false Worship. This latter is the principal, the former is Typical, and so shall we consider them. in the last days Or the latter days, at the expiring of the seventy years Captivity, (near 200 years from Micah's time) as Type of the days of the Messiah's Kingdom, which are most usually call'd the last days. it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD The City Ierusalem; or, more particularly, the Mountain on which the Temple did stand, called the House of the Lord, the Hieroglyphick of the Church of Christ in Gospel times. shall be established Literally, and in the Type fulfilled when the second Temple was built by the Iews return'd out of Captivity. Spiritually and in the Antitype accomplish'd, when Christ did establish his Church by the Preaching of the Gospel, and laid the Foundations of it so that the Gates of Hell should never prevail against it, and made it this promise. in the top of the mountains e, and it shall be exalted above the hills As the mountain, or hill on which the Temple stood, was by this honoured above other mountains and hills, so shall it, after desolation and reproach of 70 years, be honoured with the Temple rebuilt upon it for Gods true Worship, whereas on other hills the Heathens worship Idols. So the Gospel Church and the way of Worship to God shall excel all modes of Religion., and people The Gentiles as Antitype,, those who came up with Israel out of Babylon said to be servants and maids, Ezra 2.65, above 7337 many, if not all, of them proselyted to the Iewish Religion and a Type, as well as first fruit of the Gentiles to be converted in the times of the Messiah. This number we are sure of; as for that Iosephus reports of 4074 of a mixed multitude, we look on with no more credit given than to his report of four millions six hundred and twenty eight thousand of Iudah and Benjamin, lib. 11. cap. 4. of Antiq. shall flow unto it Come in freely, continually, and in multitudes, which in the Type was fulfilled, partly at the return out of Babylon, and partly in after days when Darius Hystaspis favoured the Iewes and encouraged them, as Iosephus reports, Antiq. lib. 11. cap. 4. consonant with Ezra 6. from ver. 3. to the 12. and we have reason to believe that God so disposed Darius's mind to favour them, that it might occasion some to embrace the Iewish Religion. But all this Type was eminently fulfill'd in the Conversion of those multitudes we read of brought in to Christ by the Preaching of the Gospel in the Apostolical times..

And many nations This was in part, and as Type fulfilled when so many proselyted and circumcised servants of several Nations amassed in the Babylonish Kingdom left their native Countrey, and in love to their Iewish Masters, and more to the God of the Iewes and his Law, came up with them to Ierusalem and the Temple; afterwards, when the wonderful deliverance of the Iews and the advancement of their Countrey-man Mordecai in the Persian Court, brought the people and their Religion into request, and credit, many turn'd Iews, through the 127 Provinces, Esth. 8.17, were circumcised, became Proselytes of Righteousness. And in the times succeeding through the Reigns of five Kings, for 90 years the Iewish affairs and Religion continued in a tolerable good condition. In Alexanders time, and under the Maccabees, also this prophesie was partly fulfilled when Ishmaelites, Moabites, Ammonites and Idumeans submitted to the Maccabees, and by Hyrcanus his command, and with their own consent, the Idumeans were circumcised; as Josephus lib. 13. cap. 17. Antiq. This, notwithstanding the words, had a fuller accomplishment, and still shall have under the Gospel days in these times of the Messiah, to which as to the Antitype and principal mark they are levelled no doubt. shall come and say, Come So the captive Jews by Cyrus and Darius Decree released from captivity, did certainly call, persuade and encourage each other to leave the strange lands in which they had been captives, and to go up to Jerusalem, and to build that and the Temple, and to restore the Worship of God. And zealous Proselytes did, as the Eunuch Lord Treasurer to Queen Candace, came up to Jerusalem to Worship. So that we meet many Proselytes at Jerusalem. Acts 2.5, 10, 11. whither they were wont to come before the Gospel was publish'd. Now as this was a fulfilling of this Prophesie in part, so the conversion of the multitude of the Gentiles to Christ is much more eminently a fulfilling of it., and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD To the Temple at Jerusalem, Type of Christ and the Gospel Church., and to the house of the God of Jacob This explains the former passage and does, as that, respectively look to the Worship of God at Jerusalem, and in Gospel days., and he will teach us of his wayes Out of his Law both in points of Worship and Judicature, by such as Ezra, Nehemiah, by such as Zehariah and Haggai, and by Scribes acquainted with the Law of God, this to last till Elias, forerunner to Christ, should prepare his way and the Messiah should come to teach his people, and publish the Gospel of the Kingdom, by Apostles, and succeeding Preachers., and we will walk in his paths As was the duty of returning captives and as, indeed, many of them did after their return walk more exactly in the wayes of God, and especially kept themselves from Idolatry, yet this was a fulfilling of this Prophesie in Type presignifying what has been done this 1600 years and more, under the preaching of the Gospel, before Jacob only, now all Nations see the Salvation of God.: for the law shall go forth of Zion In Jerusalem and Zion is declared the only way of worshipping God before Messiah comes, and from thence the only Law of right worshipping God shall go forth, when Messiah is come., and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem An elegant ingemination of the same thing in somewhat different words which as they do respect both Type and Antitype so must be applyed, to each respectively..

¶ And he God by tho e Governours, High-priests and Prophets (taking his word for their Rule) set up of God, Types and Servants of the Messiah, who in due time and in a fuller accomplishment of this Prophesie shall by himself during the days of his dwelling in flesh, and by his Spirit, and Word, and Officers he has appointed, unto the end of the Word. shall judge Judge, rule persons, determine controversies, appoint Ordinances, inlighten minds, convince sinners, and convert them, as Psal. 2.8. among many people As the knowledge of God, and the worship of God after the Restitution of the Captivity was somewhat more extended by the coming in of many proselytes, as is noted ver. 1, 2. and this as Type prefiguring the largeness of the Kingdom of the Messiah or the Gospel Church, so when Christ set up his visible Kingdom, and commissioned his Apostles, it was Matth. 28.18, 19. to teach all Nations. and rebuke strong nations afar off By the captive Jewes he did convince some of those mighty Nations among whom the Jewes did live 70 years, and though they were far off from God, his Law, his Temple, and true Worship, he brought them over, they were made proselytes to the true God, so now much more is this fulfilled in the turning the mighty Nations, the Roman Empire and many other Nations from dumb Idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, 2 Thes. 1.9, 10.: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks All that do heartily Embrace the Gospel shall be of a peaceable disposition both in their private and publick capacities, and shall, as much as in them is, follow peace with all men. They shall gladly see Wars cease and turn their weapons of war and slaughter into instruments of Husbandry. Isa. 2.4.: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation Wh ch receive and obey the Gospel shall not, unless necessitated to it, enter into a course of War and bloodshed., neither shall they learn war any more To make it the employment of their life for their maintenance, or the chosen way to Riches and Honour..

But they The redeemed of the Lord, redeemed from Babylonish Captivity, and brought back into their own Land, the Type of a greater Redemption by Jesus Christ. shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree The planting Vines and Figtrees was one part of that Husbandry which the Iewes made great profit by, to this Husbandry they were much addicted in times of peace, 1 King. 4.25. and when Peace, Security, and Riches or Plenty are promised, among other wayes of expressing it, this is one, so Zech. 3.10. So in the Type, the Iewes re urned, (whilst they walked in the wayes of the God of Iacob) did enjoy safety and plenty, as Ezek. 34.25, 26, 27, 28, and 36.8, 9. &c. This was made good in the Gospel days more universally and fully, both in outward and inward peace under the Messiah., and none shall make them afraid Those that were once enemies shall be friends, the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid, Isa. 11.6, 7, 8, 9. These Proverbial allusions do assure us, that they who are redeemed out of Babylon, and the servitude of sin, should enjoy their own with great safety and security, which literally was performed to the returned, resetled Captives, and spiritually or mystically is made good among those that are redeemed by Christ, and who do embrace the Gospel.; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken it. This gives us the greatest confirmation and assurance of the future accomplishment of the prediction and promise; the Merciful Wise, Faithful and Almighty God has spoken it, he has promised it, whose word spoken, commanding it should be, can make their state what he says it shall be.

For This is either a reason why they should be so safe, or else a declaration of their resolution to take this course, that it may be so with them, and so the Hebr. Particle may be rendered certainly. all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and * we will walk in the name of the LORD our God, for ever and ever Unchangeably, through the succession of Ages among the restored Iews, and the redeemed Gentiles.. It is a received rule, that they ought, and 'tis a constant practice with the Nations they will pray to, depend on, and serve their Gods, and think by this course to receive their expected Blessings; they are constant to their Gods, Ier. 2.11. Seek the Lord, embrace his Law and Worship, wait on him as the fountain and giver of all good, as he is the Lord who can give us Vines and Figtrees, and can give us safety under them, as he is our God, and engaged by promise to do all this for us, in his name we will walk, and so shall we be safe and enjoy all good from him; we will have no other lovers, nor go after them, though we have done so, Hos. 2.6, or 7. This was in letter, and in part fulfilled, when upon their return out of Captivity they did abandon all false Gods, and worshipt God alone. And 'tis fulfilled more eminently in all the Israel of God, who turn from dumb Idols to serve the living and true God.

In that day, says the LORD Called verse 1. last, or latter days, let. b. Vid. in the day wherein I shall restore my captived people, and in the day I shall redeem mine Elect., will I assemble First, and in part by the Edicts of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes for the release of the Captives, their return to Jerusalem, and for the rebuilding the Temple, and for restoring the worship of God; But more fully by the Preaching of the Gospel, publishing Salvation by Christ, to whom the gathering of the Gentiles was to be, Gen. 49.10. her that halteth Vid. Zeph. 3.19. weakened with the hard usages of oppressing conquerours; who were as lamed ones, unable to walk, such were the impoverisht Jewes in the Babylonish captivity, utterly unprovided for so long a Journey, and its likely, they were unresolved too, whether to go or not go, halted between a desire of going, and a fear of the difficulties that would unavoidably attend their poverty. Now the bounty and favour which God moved in the Persian Kings toward the Jewes, was such, that these poor were encouraged to set forward on the Journey. This word is to this day fulfilled, in that Christ does by the power of his word and spirit make his people a willing people, determines their resolution, and enables them to perform it, and to give up themselves to God., and I will gather her that is driven out In this phrase, I will gather, does God by Ezek. 28.25. promise the recovery of his people from Captivity, and so does Jer. 31.8. almost in the same manner promise the restoring of Captive Judah. Here they are said to be driven out, i. e. of their own Land, into a strange Land, where they are Captives, Jer. 8.3. and 16.15. and 23.3. and 24.8, 9. and 29.15. and Ezek. 4.13. The Lord will by his power and goodness gather those whom Nebuchadnezzar scattered through his Kingdom, and Christ will much more gather to his fold those who were Captives to Satan., and her that I have afflicted This in the letter refers to wasted and impoverished Israel, on whom God laid an affliction of seventy years..

And I will make her that halted See this phrase opened, Zeph. 3.19. and in this Chapter the 6th. verse, let. l., a remnant Which as they were preserved for a seed, so they should as fruitful seed take root and increase, and continue to the coming of the Messiah., and her that was cast far off That was cast off by God, and by the ha ds of Babylonians were carried away captives into remotest parts of the Babylonish Kingdom., a strong nation So the Jewes did grow up in multitudes and strength, as appears by the Jewish Wars, which were by them waged in the days of the Maccabees.; and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion The true God, Lord of Heaven and Earth shall be their God alone, him they shall obey in his Worship, Law, and Temple in Jerusalem., from henceforth even for ever i. e. To the end or period fixed for the Mosaic and Legal Institutions, for a very long time, not simply for ever. This was partly fulfilled to this people in their return, and reestablishment in their own Land, and in Jerusalem, but the final, full and eternal accomplishme t hereof, is now fulfilling, and shall continue so, under the Messiah, till fulfilled in the gathering all the Elect to Christ in Grace on Earth, and in Glory in Heaven..

¶ And thou, O towre of the flock Some refer this to that Tower Edar, in the Neighbourhood of Bethlehem, built there for the Shepherds convenienter watching over their flocks. The Prophet may possibly allude to this. In the Church Christs flock, there is a Tower built for defence of his flock, but 'tis that name which is a strong Tower, to which the righteous run, and are safe. But there was a Tower of this denomination in Jerusalem, through which Tower the flocks of Sheep were driven into the Sheep Market, this one Tower by Synechdoche put for the whole City Jerusalem., the strong hold of Ophel, as 'tis Hebr. and perhaps were better rendred a Proper name of that impregnable Fort, 2 Chron. 27.3. another considerable part put for the whole. the daughter of Zion Or, O Daughter of Zion, so 'twill be an explication of what the Prophet before meant by the Tower Eder and Ophel, i. e. O Zion, O Ierusalem, both in the Typical, and in the Mystical sense., unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion The former dominion, not in outward splendor, but because the Government and supream Dignity among this people was restored (after seventy years captivity) to the former Royal Family, and continued in it till Shiloh came. This in the Type was fulfilled upon the settlement, under Zerubbabel and his Successours; but the whole Antitype concerns the Messiah's Kingdom, and the Gospel Ierusalem, and is fulfilled in the Spiritual Glory of it. Christs Kingdom is the antient, supream and most glorious Kingdom, and by his redeeming us from Bondage of Hell, is set up, and shall be continued firm and unmoveable, more then Eder, Ophal, Zion or Ierusalem Typical, as Luc. 1.32, 33. and more large then ever David's or Solomon's Kingdom, Dan. 7.14. and therefore greater in Glory, for Christ is King of Kings, Rev. 17.14. and 19.16. This Spiritual Kingdom came first to the Iewes, Act. 13.46. It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. The Gospel was to be Preached first to the Daughter of Ierusalem. There the Preacher of Repentance and Remission of sins was to begin, and thence they were to publish it to all Nations, L k. 24.47. This Text, and such like, the blinded Iew does take in a literal sense only, as if it promised a Temporal Dominion over all Nations, and Worldly Kingdom to the Messiah, in which they expect a large share; but what is literal, and concerned the Iews alone, was limited to them that came out of Babyloni Captivity, and has been fulfilled to them., the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now Now that I have from the Lord promised such great good things to you, after the seventy years Captivity, and in the days of the Messiah. why dost thou cry out aloud As if this case were desperate, or as if it would be ever night with thee, or as if thy hopes would not outweigh thy fears, or thy future Joy would not counterballance thy present griefs.? i there no king Thou hast lost thy King Zed kiah, and now art become Tributary, but thy God, thy King is with thee, and will be with thee to preserve, restore, establish, enlarge, enrich, and to beautifie thee with Salvation, and to reign over thee in Mount Zion for ever. Verse 7. Thy loss at present is great, but thy future advantage may well stop these outcryes. in thee? is thy counsellor perished Hast thou none among thy wise Counsellors left in thee? Has Nebuchadnezzar cruelly slain all he took of them, and are the rest fled? Yet the wonderful Counsellour is with thee, does consult and resolve that thou shalt not be undone, and perish for ever. Messiah, the wisdom of his Father, has the conduct of thy sufferings, deliverance and re-establishment, in which thou mayest at last glory.? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail This great distress of Spirit appears by thy outcryes, like t ose of a woman in travail, of which no great reason can be given, all things considered. No more then a Woman at her full time, and bringing forth the fruit of her Womb, to the present increase, and future honour of the Family; whose pains end in joy, Iohn 16.21..

Be in pain, and labour to bring forth It may be read, Thou shalt be in pain, and thou shalt labour, &c. so it will be a prediction of the troubles, sorrows, and dangers that they shall meet with in the Wars against the Babylonians, and in their Captivity under them., O daughter of Zion All the house of Iudah, particularly you that dwell in Ierusalem and near mount Zion., like a woman in travel Whose sorrows are very sharp, but somewhat mitigated by expectation of a good delivery, and the birth of a living child, let your hopes so mitigate your sorrows too.: for now E're long, within a few years you will see or hear that Israel is carried Captive, (which Micah lived to see,) this may be admonition, it is certainly a token that you shall be Captives too, and this came upon them one hundred and thirty years after, when in Zedekiahs time the daughter of Zion was deplorably wasted, conquered and captivated by Nebuchadnezzar. shalt thou go forth out of the city Forced thereto by the prevailing power of the Babylonians, who took Zedekiah and those that accompanied him when they stole out of the City, these did go out when they could keep in it no longer., and thou shalt dwell in the field As conquered, made prisoners, and held so in the Fields under a strong Guard untill all the conquered were brought together, that they might in one body be led away. In their journey to Babylon they were forced to lodge in the Fields, also exposed to all the inconveniencies of heat in the day and of cold in the night, weary, hungry, thirsty and faint near to death., and thou shalt go even to Babylon O daughter of Zion thou shalt certainly be carried Captive to Babylon, where thy dwelling shall be little bettered, thou shalt dwell by the River, without the City., there shalt thou be delivered By Cyrus first, and by Dari s Hystaspis next, and by Artaxerxes in Nehemiahs time, all this as Type of a greater deliverance,: there the LORD The Everlasting God, thy God, whose servants the Persian Kings that favoured the Jews were, and by whose motion they did incline to release them. shall redeem The Heb. word points out a Redemption by the next Kinsman, and so fairly minds us of the Messiah the great Redeemer of the Church. And to him and the Redemption of the Church by him do these deliverances ultimately and principally point. thee from the hand of thine enemies Who would have detained the People of God longer in slavery, or who would have hindred the Rebuilding of the Temple, and the re-establishment of the Worship of God, proportionably to this Type does the Antitype answer, Luk. 1.74, 75..

¶ Now i. e. Ere long, the time is near at hand. also many nations Many for number and great for name, mighty in power, all that were at that time confederate with, or feudatary to Senacherib King of A syria or else to the King of Babylon. are gathered against The present tense for the future, in the Prophetick stile, to express the certainty & the nearness of the judgment, they will all of them assemble and come up against Iudah and Ierusalem, as Sennacherib did when he besieged Ierusalem, or as Nebuchadnezzar did when he took it. thee, that say Propose it as their design, hope for it as their end, and boast of it as easie., Let her be defiled Let us use her contemptuously, tread her under foot as a common and polluted thing, let us destroy her with such spite and scorn as a defiled thing deserveth. So the phrase 2 Kin. 23.8. let her be polluted with blood, and without respect to her former holiness let us enter, sack and destroy her Temple and Palaces., and let our eye look upon With delighting our selves in the ruine, let us feed our envious revengeful eye. Zion Upon Ierusalem the Royal Palace, and the sacred Temple buried in their own rubbish..

But they The gathered confederate Nations, Zions Enemies. know not Neither discern nor consider. the thoughts of the LORD The design of the holy, just, gracious and faithful God who is God of his people, of Israel, who will humble but not extirpate, who will purifie by, but not consume in, the Furnace; Gods thoughts to Israel is to give him an expected end., neither understand they his counsel The same thing in somewhat different phrase, this elegancy ever is added to confirm the thing foretold.: for he shall gather them By his secret, just, and effectual providence disposing all things to facilitate their gathering together, that they shall do, and yet God also shall do it, he as the first cause, they as the second, he moves according to his own pleasure, they move as they are second and dependent Agents, they shall as a fire purge out the drosse, or a wind blow away the chaff and lightest Corn, which is that God intendeth, but they consult only to extinguish the people, to cut them off that they be no more a Nation. as the sheaves into the floor A plain and very intelligible simile. The Husbandman gathers the sheaves into the floor to thresh them; so God gathers. i. e. in due time he will do this and bring his Enemies, and his Churches Enemies together that they may be bruised, broken and destroyed utterly. This seems to look to Sennacheribs gathering his power against Ierusalem, and the circumstances ell enough suit this, yet is not this to be confined or restrained to Sennacherib, but perhaps to the slaughter made on the Enemies in one hundred twenty seven Provinces in Esthers time, looking to somewhat that is farther off, indeed running through all ages of the Church, and shall be finally accomplisht in the ruin of the Antichristian Kingdom, then shall that of Zech. 12.3. be fulfilled, when though all Nations gather themselves against Ierusalem, yet 'tis that they may be cut in pieces, when the Vine of the Earth shall be gathered into the Winepress of Gods wrath, Revel. 14.19, 20. and chap. 19.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21..

Arise This imperative may be read in the future tense, and so be an express promise, it is however an implicite promise made to the Daughter of Zion, the Jewish Church, Type of the Gospel Catholick Church, that she shall be raised out of a captive, low and oppressed state, and this shall be by the reviving power of her God. and thresh So in a decorum to the Metaphor ver. 12. used to express the gathering of the Enemy into the floor to be broken the future strength of the Church employed successfully, (more by the arm of her Redeemer then her own) in the subduing and breaking her Enemies is here foretold and promised, as 'tis also Isa. 41.15. Christ will thus punish his Enemies, so Babylon Typical as threatned Ier. 51.33. was beat to pieces, and so shall Antitypical Babylon in due time be broken as straw that is thresht into smallest pieces like chaff., O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn Iron Some taking this for the horny part of the hoof of the Oxe which did tread out the Corn, make it to be in sense the same with the hoofs made brass, but they that take it as our Version does for the horn properly taken, with which the horned beasts do push and thrust down, break or wound, do express the power and strength of the Church firm as Iron to beat down her Enemies., and I will make thy hoofs brass By this figurative speech is the strength of Zion expressed, by which she treads under foot, and breaks the power of Enemies into pieces that it shall never be repaired, as straw that is thresht in the floor and broken like chaffe., and thou shalt beat in pieces In the times after the rebuilding of Ierusalem the Jews grew to such strength that in their Wars they did especially in the Maccabees times break their Enemies in pieces. But here is a mystical and spiritual sense of these words, as they refer to the Messiah's Kingdom in which he will break hard hearts by the power of his word, and convert sinners to himself. And by the power of his Almighty arm will defend and support his own subjects, whilst he does by invincible strength throw down and trample into dust his and their Enemies, and this power he has sometimes evidently exercised already in the various deliverances he has wrought for his people which stand recorded in the Church Histories, of this strength you may truly say what is reported of the inscription in the cross appearing to Constantine. In this thou shalt conquer. many people Such as were Enemies in disposition and carriage towards the Jews though Neighbours in their cituation, these were both many and mighty Enemies, such Christs Church has to contest with, and such Christ will conquer for his Church, for he 'tis who goeth forth conquering and to conquer, Revel. 6.2. And all his Enemies shall be made his footstool, Psal. 110.1.: and I will consecrate Some refer this to the Church, and so it may well enough be applyed. The Redeemed of the Lord should by their own act and deed become the Lords. Others refer it to the Lord, he will consecrate, its best, but both together the Lord will, and therefore the Church will, God requires it, they consent to it. their gain The spoils of their conquered Enemies, what they get out of their hand. So the Tabernacle was enricht with the spoils of Egypt, and the Temple built with that which David did dedicate of the spoiles of Enemies; and Persian bounty built the second Temple. unto the LORD To the true God, for his honour and in his service., and their substance Their power, glory and wealth, all they have and are. to Zech. 4.14. nd 6.5. the LORD of the whole earth With humility and low thoughts of all we do as done to him that does not need it, being Lord of all..