Micah 7

WO is me All are agreed in the scope and meaning of these words that they are designed a complaint for the great scarcity of men that feared God did Justice, and loved Mercy; and so the Prophet begins with a pathetical complaint, wo is me! ordinarily this phrase is Minatory, but here 'tis Lamentation, as every eye may see, who discerns the propriety of the Heb., for I Either the Prophet in his own person, or else in the person of the good man, or by a usual figure, the Land may be brought in, complaining, that whereas 'twas once well stored, now it has few right good in it. am as when they have gathered the summer fruits All the fair, goodly, and ripe fruit gathered, none left, or none but evil fruit, such as the labourers thought not worth gathering up. So is the Harvest of Israel and Iudah too, though I and other Prophets have sown good Seed abundantly, yet goodness comes up very thin and scarce, so Isa. 24.13, 16., as the grape-gleanings of the vintage The same complaint in a like elegant Metaphor, drawn from the Vintage-gatherer, who leaves but few scattering single Grapes; So Israel and Iudah which in bringing forth good men, should have been as a fruitful Vine full of clusters, but barren they have been, and are; and good men, i. e. just, compassionate and humble men, are as Grapes after the Vintage is gathered.: there is no cluster to eat Such good mens converse would as much delight, refresh and encourage me, as a fair cluster of Grapes does a thirsty and hungry person, but there is not one such cluster.: my soul desired It speaks a vehement desire. the f st ripe fruit It is an Ellipsis or Apos opesis, and to be supplyed thus; but there was, or I found none,

The good man Who loves, and is kind to men in need, and is so from the sense of Gods goodness, and in a designed imitation of God, is Godly in the frame of his heart, and course of life towards God, and beneficent to men for God's sake. is perished Is dead and gone, and left no Heir of his godlike virtues. out of the earth Out of Israel and Iudah too, though Hezekiah was (probably) now their King.: and there is none upright An honest, plain hearted man, who thinketh no deceit, but speaketh the truth, that is, without crooked and perverse designes, such one may possibly, but not easily, be found among the people of the ten, and of the two Tribes. among men: they all lie in wait for blood This proves the Prophets charge against this people, for the good and upright man imagineth not evil against any, but it is evident that in Israel (and Iudah too) the temper of the most was sly, designing and watching to do mischief, to the ruining of Families, the murthering of Innocents, and siezing their Estates, Ahab like, 1 Kings 21. Prov. 1.19., they hunt They proceed with all diligence, craft and power, as a Hunter that has set his Toils, and is now by all his arts endeavouring to bring the prey into the Toils, that he may make his advantage by it. every man his brother Were they strangers they so hunted, 'twere barbarous, but this is inhumanely barbarous, these bloody men hunt and destroy their brethren, the Seed of Iacob, the Worshippers of the God of Iacob, their own Circumcised Brethren. with a net Which is spread before hand, and laid close; so 'tis secret premeditated cruelty and rapine, they do universally exercise against each other..

¶ That they may do evil with both hands earnestly As we render the words, their plain sense will be, that all their diligence, that with both hands they can use, is to set forward evil and mischief. Possibly the first clause might bear this Reading, Both hands are towards evil; and then the following clause thus, To do good the Prince asketh., the prince The chief Ruler who Commissioneth the Judge, and should awe him from perverse Judging, who should charge the Judges as Iehoshaphat did, 2 Chron. 19.5, 6. but contrarily here the Prince set a price upon his own Act in evil. asketh, and the judge The inferiour Magistrate Commissioned to be Judge. asketh for a reward Shameless injustice! to sell the Innocent, and condemn their cause and persons, and to acquit the guilty, and pronounce them just; for a bribe to make Gods Authority which is in them, to act so directly against it self, is abominably wicked, for Gods Authority to them is given, that they might relieve the poor oppressed, and acquit innocency, but here innocency must buy its safety, or else is sold to danger.: and the great man Either the Advocates in their Courts of Judicature, or the great men of interest at Court, who can do what he will there. he uttereth Is bold to speak plainly what bribe he will have, he makes his own demand, whereas they did (whilest a little modest) treat by others; and a servant or under-officer must make the bargain. his mischievous desire His unjust, oppressive design and purpose, knowing that his greatness and interest will bear him out in whatever violence he attempts against poor, weak and unbefriended innocence; he dares for gain set any thing forward.: so they All three, Prince, Judge and great man. wrap it up. Or twist it together, consent each to other, and jointly promote violence and bl ody cruelty.

The best Among all naught, who is lest naught passeth for best, and so must it be here, not one Good; but the lest evil man is by the Prophet called the best. of them Of People, Prophets, Judges, Great Men and Princes. is as a briar Mischievous and hurtful to all that meddle with them; and perhaps the Prophet alludes to Briars infolded in each other that shall so be devoured at last.: the most upright In the same sense upright as they are said to be best. is sharper then a thornhedge The same in different words, i. e. hurtful and mischievous to all.: the day of thy watchmen Literally taken for such as on the Watch-towers observe whither Enemies approach, the day in which they shall give the affrighting intelligence, and sound the Alarm. Or else Figuratively, watchmen, i. e. Governours, Prophets, and Teachers either good and faithful, or evil and unfaithful: The day which the true Prophets foretold would come, which faithful Teachers confirm'd, good Governours believed, fear'd, and as Hezekiah endeavour'd to prevent, will certainly overtake you, that day of evil which your sins have provok'd God to appoint. Or else that day of good, which your false Prophets have promis'd, your corrupt Princes, Judges, Great Men do expect and hope for,, and thy visitation Shall be a day of grievous punishment, by which the falshood of flattering Prophe s shall be discovered, and the Truth of Micah, and Isaiah, &c. true Prophets be confirmed. cometh i. e. Surely, speedily, and unavoidably on impenitent ones, how many or how great soever.; now When the day is come as to Samaria in its captivity, by the Assyrian Tyrant, and to Ierusalem in the Babylonish captivity, by Nebuchadnezzar; and in many other Nows intervening between the time of Micah's Minatory predictions and the full accomplishment of them. shall be their perplexity The astonishing over-whelming sorrows, fears, and confusions which shall wrack these great, notorious, and impudent Oppressors, hunters and sellers of Justice. They shall be perplexed because the sore evils foretold by the true Prophets of God shall overwhelm them, and because the peace and prosperity promis'd by the false Prophets is unexpectedly turned into troubles, desolation, and utter ruine to their State, Cities and Families..

Trust ye not in a Friend Most prodigiously treacherous were the people of that Age, and since none upright, all lay in wait for blood, and were turn'd hunters of brethren, it is but necessary caution that they trust no friendship., put not confidence in a guide Either Governour, who ought to guide, or Equal, who being of intimate Familiarity usually do guide, or a Husband, as the word imports.: keep the doors of thy mouth Watch thy words, let not thy tongue discover any secret or utter any words which may be danger to thy self or give an advantage to thine enemy. from her that lyeth in thy bosom A Periphrasis of a wife in honest times, but whether in debauched times as these are of which the Prophet did speak, it may not import somewhat like that Prov. 5.20. I will not say; a wife one may rationally suppose will never disclose a Husbands secrets to ruine him, yet such were the Treacheries of that corrupt Age that it would be imprudence to trust a Wife..

For The Prophet here gives us a reason of his advice to be wary how and whom they trust. the son Who received his being, maintenance, education and inherits the honour as well as Estate of his Father, the Son obliged by most inviolable Laws to please, preserve, and honour his Father, dishonoureth seeks to accuse, vilifie, endanger and ruine. the father Whose dishonour and loss, or ruine is also the Sons dishonour and ruine, yet unnatural Treachery will be so rise in those times, that the Father had need keep his guard upon his very Son., the daughter Whose love and affection usually more tender than the Sons towards Parents, yet will forget their duty. riseth up against her mother That bare them, that nurst them, that more than Fathers, tend, indulge and bear with them. So monstrous shall the perfidiousness of that Age be., the daughter in law against her mother in law In Consanguinity there was not any faithfulness, in Affinity much less may you expect it.; a mans enemies The worst and most perilous Enemies, who will be most ready and most able to mischief them. are the men of his own house Among Relations and Retainers, who by Law of God and Nature should have been faithfullest Friends. So it fell out through the Civil Wars of the Jews, in their Seditious, and in their calamitous days. Much like to this is that of Christ, Mat. 10.21, 35, 36..

Therefore Since times are so calamitous, and all sorts of men are so perfidious, since no sure comfort or relief from those that are nearest Relations, and should be dearest Friends. I will look As one set in a watch Tower looks round about, and diligently observes all that stirreth. So will the Prophet speaking in the person of the Faithful, the Israel of God; so did they who in Israel and Iudah feared the Lord and walked with him. unto the LORD The God of Mercy, Power, Truth and Wisdom, who can and will help.: I will wait Though he do not presently appear for me (says the Church) I will with patience expect. for the God of my salvation Who only can, and who graciously has promis'd to save his Church.: my God will hear me He does hear my cry and will deliver me..

¶ Rejoice Let it be no pleasure or matter of glorying to thee, that the day of Calamity has overtaken me. not against me Israel of God, the remnant, the faithful, which are the Church of God., O mine enemy O Assyria, Edom, or Babylon.: when I fall Into a low condition, into deepest distresses., I shall arise I shall not always lie in them, God will raise me out of them.; when I The Prophet intends the good, the few righteous ones among those degenerate multitudes. sit in darkness When Affliction, War, Famine, and Captivity as a dismal cloud shall cover us, and benight the daughter of light, when fallen as low as a captive, the LORD shall be a light shall support, comfort and deliver me, his presence and favour shall, as the Sun rising, dispel the darkness of the night. This is spoken more especially concerning Iudah. unto me. The Prophet in this verse personates the Church and brings her in bespeaking the Enemy in this manner.

I will bear Patiently, and submissively. the indignation of the LORD The just and chastising anger of the Lord in the effects of it upon me., because I have sinned against him Greatly, continually, both against his Law and Precepts thereof and against his love and the effects thereof Iudah was guilty of Idolatry, Ingratitude against God, and of injustice, unfaithfulness, and unmercifulness against one another, and these sins deserved sorer punishments then they suffered, therefore the righteous ones here justifie God, and humble themselves. until he plead my cause Against mine Enemy, for that he will er'e long do, as well as now he does plead his own cause against me. He will be as well a just Judge against mine Enemies, to avenge me on them, as he is a just God, by my sins provoked to chastise me., and execute judgment for me When that day comes, he will certainly and evidently declare his judgment to be against mine insulting Adversaries, my cruel Enemies, and that he does so punish them for my sake, as Psal. 137.7. Isa. 10.5.12. Ier. 30.8. Zech. 1.12, 15.: he The Great and glorious, the Holy and Just God, who now chastiseth me. will bring me forth to the light as a Prisoner brought out of a dark prison or dungeon into the light, is set at liberty, advanced and beautified, so shall the Church be delivered and made to prosper., and I shall behold his righteousness The truth and Riches of his promised Salvation. This made Good, partly in the Restitution of the Captivity, rebuilding of Jerusalem by order of Cyrus and Darius, and partly before this in Hezekiah's rescue from Senacherib's pride and rage..

Then In the time of this hoped deliverance, when God shall, as I expect he will, plead my cause. she that is mine enemy What Nation or people soever, whether Assyria, Edom, or Babylon, or whoever. shall see As they did when Hezekiah was Miraculously saved, and Jerusalem with him, out of the hand of the Assyrian, and as in the return out of Babylon, when the Heathen said among themselves, God has done great things for them, Psal. 126.3. it, and shame Reproach and confusion, self-condemning reflections. shall cover her Shall on all sides be cast upon her for her pride, cruelty and inhumanity against the Israel of God. which said unto me Which with insulting pride and Atheisme derided my Faith and my God., Where is the LORD thy God So the heathen either denied the Omnipresence and Omnipotence of the true God, or preferr'd their Idols above him, and as if he had been a conquer'd and captiv'd God, as well as his people were a captive people. So Psal. 115.2. and Ioel 2.17.? mine eyes The Church speaketh assured of the Truth of Gods avenging her upon her Enemies. shall behold her With delight or well-pleasedness the people of God shall see their Enemies laid as low for their cruelty against them as ever God suffer'd the Enemy to lay his people low for their sins against him, and his Mercies. So the like expression. Psal. 59.10. chap. 4.11. let. x.: now Either shortly she shall, or else when that time of full deliverance is come, the Church shall in that day rejoice in her God and say Now. shall she be troden down as the mire of the streets Be accounted and used as most contemptible and useless, the conquering Enemy shall then tread the Babylonians in the Dirt, and use them despitefully, and without more regard than that we have for the dirt under our foot, and this was accomplish'd by the Medes and Persians in their Conquest of Babylon..

In the day that thy walls O Ierusalem, the days shall certainly come, that thy Walls overthrown and rased by the Babylonians shall be rebuilt. are to be built Which was first in part fulfilled under Cyrus, but more fully under Darius Hystaspis, and Darius Longimanus who commission'd Nehemiah to repair the walls of Ierusalem., in that day shall the decree Either the Decree of Artaxerx s, who is also called Cambyses, and who forbad the building of the Temple, or else the Decree of Darius Hystaspis reviving Cyrus his Decree for the return of all the Iews that would return. be far removed For ever cease if referr'd to Cambyses Decree, this shall no more hinder, or else shall be dispersed far and wide among all the Provinces, if you mean Cyrus Decree that all may return.. These words are variously expounded, but the plainest, and most suiting with the Letter and History to me seems to be this.

In that day After the Jews return out of Captivity, and Jerusalem rebuilt. also he He who is of Jewish Race, and proselyted Gentile. shall come even to thee O Jerusalem seat of Gods solemn worship, Type of the Gospel Church, restored to thy promised Glory. from Assyria In which many Israelites were found Captives when the Babylonian Kingdom swallow'd up the Assyrian, and were continued in that servitude by the Babylonians till the Medes and Persians overthrew the Babylonians, and proclaimed a Release to all captive Jews, then from Assyria did captive Israel, i. e. some of them, go up to Jerusalem., and from the fortified cities In which 'tis probable many Jews were kept for servile works, Salmaneser did place the captivity of the Ten Tribes in the cities of the Medes which for ought I know may be the cities here spoken of., and from the fortress One mention'd for all the rest, and I suppose these fortresses might be frontier Garrisons made for defence of the countrey, where the Jews were in policy placed by the Assyrian, from these places and through all the Countrey even to the river To Euphrates or Ch bar where also were of the captive Jews, and from sea to sea From the Caspian to the Persian and to the Midland Sea., and from mountain to mountain On which many of the dispersed Jewes did in all likelihood settle themselves in process of time for security and retirement, as the persecuted Waldenses and Albigenses settled in the Mountainous parts bordering on France, Savoy and Italy. Or from Mount Taurus to mount Libanus or Carmel. In brief from all parts of their captivity they shall return to their own Countrey, a singular Type of the Redemption of the Church by Christ, the bringing in the Gentiles, and enlarging the Messiah's Kingdom..

Notwithstanding Heb. And, but well rendred here Notwithstanding, viz. these promises of Restitution, and gathering in the dispersed Jews, &c. which took not place till more than 200 years after they were first made by the Lord to his People accounting thus 133 years from the captivating of Samaria, to the captivating of Jerusalem, 70 years the Babylonish captivity lasted, to which add the years to Darius Hystaspis er'e the Temple was built and the years to Darius Longimanus er'e the City was built and the walls repair'd, 'twill amount to a considerable sum of years. the land Of Canaan. shall be desolate Laid so by Salmaneser, Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar in the ruins of this last 70 years., because of them The sinful Jews. Which now in Micah's time did, or hereafter shall dwell in it. that dwell therein In Canaan.: for the fruit of their doings As punishment for their evil doings..

¶ Feed That this verse contains good tydings to the people of God, both to his antient people Type of his Church in Gospel days, and to the Church of the converted Gentiles, is agreed on all hands, for they are either a direction and command to those God does appoint by office to be Shepherds over his Flock, or a Prayer to God that he would please to take the care of them, which does include somewhat more than the bare Petition for the blessing. Or it is a Prediction of what shall be done for them after their return out of Babylonish captivity, or a Promise made to assure and comfort them during their captivity. Feed, so Christ directs his Officers, or God appointeth Christ to do this or so the Prophet for the people, or the people for themselves pray to God that he would be their shepherd and feed them. Or the Prophet does in the imperative, instead of the future, tell them what shall be, which is a promise express enough for their support and comfort. thy people Literally Israel after the flesh return'd out of captivity. Mystically the whole Israel of God redeemed out of a worse captivity; both a people peculiar to God through Grace by covenant, and through Christ. with thy rod In allusion to the usage of shepherds who guided their sheep by a pastoral staffe; the peculiar and gracious Providence of God over his sheep is hereby expressed, and desired or promised., the flock of thine heritage They are as sheep weak, not able to defend, or provide for themselves, a Flock of innocent ones compar'd with their Enemies, and however they have been scattered they are thine Heritage still, which thou O Lord hast purchased of old let them be so still, and do thou both possess, rule, feed and preserve, Deut. 4.20. and chap. 32, 9. Psal. 100.3., which dwell solitarily in the wood Feed, graciously protect and guide those that in their present captive state are solitary, compassed with dangers from wild beasts, so thy people are in danger by cruel Enemies, worse than wild beasts., in the midst of Carmel A fruitful place and well inhabited whether you take it for Carmel which Elijah frequented, or where Nabal dwelt, and where was rich Pastures and safe feeding.: let them feed in Bashan A place of note for fruitfulness in Canaan. and Gilead Equal with any of the other for plenty and safety., as in the days of old Before the sins of the people caused their captivity own them for thine and prosper them, O Lord, in their own land, a much like promise or prediction you have, Jer. 50.18, 19. and Ezek. 34.25..

According to the days You Jewes do often reflect on the wonders your fathers saw in Egypt some hundreds of years since, and some of you think that such wonders would both establish your hope and engage your obedience for ever to God, you pray that you may be fed as in days of old; It shall be so according to what I have done, I will again do. of thy coming out of the land of Egypt There I slew the First-born er'e they would let thee go free; that stroke of the Angel I will parallel with the destruction of S nache ib's host in one night, and so I will preserve my people and city. Pharaoh and his host were drown'd in the Red Sea. And the Babylonish Kingdom shall be swallowed up by Medes and Persians to make way for my Ransom'd ones. will I show unto him The person changed, as is usual in Scripture. marvellous things As indeed the rescuing Ierusalem from the Assyrian power was marvellous, and the bringing Israel out of Babylon was a marvellous work of God stirring up the spirit of Cyrus and Darius and others to release, and set free, nay to furnish this captive people with necessaries for their Journey, and for the work they were to do. So Psal. 126.2. 'twas a work all wondred at, by those passages, Jer. 16.14, 1. and 23.7, 8. it seems more wonderful, but the great Redemption by the M ssiah here typified is a most wonderful fulfilling of this.. These words are by all look'd on as the answer made to the Prayer made in the 14th. verse.

¶ The nations The Heathen, Enemies to the Jews, as Psal. 126.1, 2, 3. shall see and be confounded Amazed at what they see and know done amongst these Nations for the deliverance of his People. The Enemy shall neither be able to bear the sight, nor deny the certainty of the thing; it will make them enviously look on the prosperity of the good and godly among the Jewes. at all their might y: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf As men seldom fail to hear the first report of what they desire, and as seldom open their Ears to that they like not; so shall it be here, though they will not speak of it, nor desire others should speak of it, yet they should to their great grief, see their poor Captives raised out of depth of shame to the height of honour, from a contemptible remnant to a mighty Nation. As this had its Typical complement in the reduction of Israel out of Babylon, so it had its Anti-typical completion in our Redemption by Christ. As 1 Cor. 2.9..

They The proud and cruel Enemies of Israel, the Babylonians. shall lick the dust In the most submissive, servile manner testifie their su ection, promise to serve and honour the Jews released out of Captivity, it is an expression which alludes to the servile manner of those Eastern complementers, Psal. 72.9. Isa. 49.23. and was fulfilled in the days after the return when the Kings of Persia favoured the Jews, and (as manner of Courtiers is) in compliance with their Kings the Grandees forwarded the prosperity of the Jews, as may easily be conjectured from the 6th. and 7th. chap. of Ezra. like a serpent Condemned to eat the dust and perpetually to crawl on the dust, it seems to intimate the perpetuity of slavery and subjection that the Enemy should fall under, and that it should be on them as a curse like that on the Serpent., they shall move out of their holes So the strong-holds, and fastnesses of the Babylonians who kept Israel in Captivity are called. like worms of the earth Which do with trembling and haste wriggle themselves out of their holes, when the earth is shaken about them, or as when Ants tumultuously in their fright run about from the Ant-hill scattered with the foot, so should these Enemies of Israel fly out of their Holds, and leave them to conquering Persians, as Isaiah foretold chap. 45.1, 2, 3, 4.: they shall be afraid A panick fear, expressed by the loosning of the loyns of Kings Isa. 45.1. so did the conquering Cyrus proceed in the course of his victories, as Isai. 41.2, 3. God strengthned his arm, and left the heart of Babylonians sinking within them. of the LORD our God Who did powerfully work for Cyrus in order to the delivering us out of Captivity. It was our God (says the Prophet in the person of Israel) for his promise sake made to us, who did those great things by Cyrus and for us., and shall fear because of thee So that the name of Jews, their power, and greatness shall be terrible to their Enemies..

Who is a God like unto thee Some observe that El here used signifyeth the Mighty God, and so render it thus, the French le Dieu fo t, none but the Sovereign Mighty God can, or does forgive iniquity, it is a Flower of the Crown of Heaven, Exod. 34.6, 7. and Numb. 14.18. and Mark 2.7. This Interrogatory and admiration is a strong Negation., that pardoneth iniquity Taketh away the guilt, and punishment too by his pardon., and passeth by A form of speech used amongst us when we promise not to pursue an offence, or not to exact the punishment of it, or as if we either saw it not, or voluntarily winked at it, being resolv that we would not make it a cause of quarrel or breach. the transgression It will not suit our brevity to enquire the difference between iniquity and transgression, or whether they are here Synonymous, and explicatory of each other, God passeth by the forfeits we make and strips us not of our mercies. of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever Though in his just displeasure God did send them into Captivity, yet because he does not retain his anger for ever, their Captivity shall not be for ever, he will chastise his remnant but not consume them, Zech. 1.3., because he delighteth in mercy All from the exceeding riches of his mercy, it is his delight to show mercy, and we need enquire no farther, our God is so wonderfully merciful that 'tis his pleasure to shewmercy, and if a man sometime may give this as a reason why he does a thing, surely our God may well expect that we should acquiesce in this account of his doing so. He delighteth to do it, Psal. 103.8, 9. Isa. 43.25. and 57.16. Ier. 3.5, 12. Rev. 4.11.. Lest what has been spoken of this wonderful change in the affairs of the Jews, should on one hand be thought to be made for the Righteousness or worthiness of this people. Or else on the other hand should seem too great to be done for a sinful people, and so any should doubt whether it should be done at all, the Prophet in this and the two following verses proposeth the ground of all this laid on the unparallel'd grace of God toward his people, who pardoneth their unrighteousness, and then of free Mercy delivers them from their afflictions, and distresses, changing their darkness into light.

He will turn again Spoken after the manner of man who in his anger went away resolved to right himself, but on second thoughts laying aside his Anger turns again to be reconciled and forgive. So the next words explain these., he will have compassion upon us With tender bowels he will show himself gracious to us, Ionah 3.9.: he will subdue As our Enemies and his, God will break the power, abolish the dominion of sin which whilst it reigned provoked God and undid us, it polluted and ruined us, but God will pardon the guilt and abrogate the Law of sin and so restore his people suitable to that Ezek. 36.29. to 34. our iniquities, and thou Here is an Hypallage of the person from the third to the second person, yet without any lessening the sense in strength or clearness. wilt cast all their sins A usual expression in Scripture to set forth the full and eternal pardon of sin, here 'tis emphatical All their sins, into the depths of the sea Whence ordinarily we account things, can never rise or be found more..

Thou O God of Mercy, Wisdom, Power and Faithfulness, who ever are honoured with being thine instruments and servants in doing somewhat herein, the work is thine, thou wilt raise up a deliverer, Cyrus shall be thine anointed to do this great work. wilt perform Give Heb. actually bestow what thou hast in Mercy promised. the truth Nothing certain as the Word of God, it is the truth by way of eminency, his promise is yea and amen. to Jacob The posterity of Iacob, he was that plain hearted man who gives now name to all the upright and honest among his seed which God will never finally cast off, though n w carried Captive they shall be restored, rebuilt and re-established shall flourish, as verse 10, 11, 12. and this as they are a Type of a more gloriously redeemed people., and the mercy It was mere grace in God to promise Abraham and his Seed such excellent priviledges which Abraham's natural Seed did inherit, but both this Seed, and this Mercy, lookt beyond the natural descendents of Abraham, and beyond their return to the Land of Canaan whence they were carried. The Mercy to Abraham was that in his Seed all Nations should be blessed, Luk. 1.54, 55. and 68. and holpen. to Abraham Not only as Father to Israel after the Flesh, but to him as Father of the faithful., which thou hast sworn Not that there was on Gods part any need of such confirmation but that on our part all doubt might be removed, and we by the immutable things of God might have strong consolation, as Heb. 6.18. unto our fathers Because this Mercy was frequently repeated in the promises to the Fathers after Abrahams time, by which promises a Mercy to be perpetuated in Abraham's Seed till the Redemption of the Israel of God by the Messiah (of which all temporal deliverances of Israel were figures) should be effected. from the days of old Ever since Abrahams days and Gods gracious adopting his Seed to be the peculiar people of God, into this we do, as Israel did, resolve our assurance of final deliverance, Amen..