an oath be laid upon him to cause him to fwear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house; Then hear thou in heaven," &c. The Prophet therefore informs us, that when God fhall have taken them, one out of a city, and two out of a family, and brought them to Jerufalem, at the time of the redemption, and given them fhepherds to instruct them in knowledge and understanding, and not in fin and cupidity; that then, they will not only fear the LORD, and worship him in fincerity and truth, while they are few in number, juft returned from captivity; but that even after they shall have greatly increased and multiplied in the land, they will not forget the merciful dealings of the LORD with them; as Mofes observed they would do: (Deut, vi. 25.) "When thou fhall beget children, and childrens children, and shalt have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves," &c. But they will not then do fo; for they fhall no more say, The ark of the covenant of the LORD; and which refers to the fhepherds: that is, they, the fhepherds, fhall no more terrify the contending parties; by admonishing them, to be afraid of fwearing before the ark, in which

is the covenant of the LORD; nor will come to the mind of any of the parties the felves, to fay, let us fear the ark of the c venant of God: nor will it be remembere in regard of the oath that used to be tak before it; nor fhall it be vifited for that pu pofe: nor fhall that be done any more: the no more will trespass against each other; an confequently, will not be obliged to fwear because the children of Ifrael, will all the be righteous and juft; so that, "At tha time they shall call Jerufalem the throne o the LORD:" And the confequence will be "And all nations fhall refort to it, to th name of the LORD, in Jerufalem: and they (Ifrael) fhall not walk any more after the lufting of their evil heart." And therefore, they will no more fin against each other, and confequently, they will have no neceffity to before the ark; to fwear concerning the trespass.

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The Prophet then proceeds to speak of the return of the ten tribes from the north : and the reunion of the kingdoms of Ifrael, and their joint participation in the happiness of the true Meffiah's kingdom: as in verse 18th. "In those days shall the house of Ju

dah walk with the house of Ifrael, and they fhall come together out of the north country, unto the land which I gave for an inheritance to your fathers."

&c.

The Prophet then proceeds to recount God's mercy and kindness, towards them, and the ill return that they made to fuch goodness, by their apoftafy, &c. verse 19th. "And when I said, How fhall I place thee among children, and give unto thee the defirable land, the inheritance of the glory of hofts of nations? But I faid, Thou shalt call me, My father; and thou shalt not turn afide from following me." The Supreme Being, is here reprefented, as faying to himself, when the nation was in bondage in Egypt, "How fhall I place thee as children," &c, Ye now are flaves to the Egyptians, in the lowest state of degradation; how then, can I think of exalting you to fo high a degree, as to make you children of the LORD God' But I faid, "Thou fhalt call me, my father,"

The Hebrew is by which literally fignifies upon, over, &c. and denotes that the houfe of Judah fhall then reign over the house of Ifrael; fo that they will all be governed by one head of the house of David, as foretold elsewhere, by this Prophet and others; See Chap. xxiii. 6. xxx. 9. Isai, xi. 1. &c. Ezek. xxxvii. 22. & Hofea, i. 11.

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&c. If I bring them forth from bondag adopt them for my children; and give the fuch a glorious inheritance: they, no dou will be true, faithful, and obedient childr to me, and will not turn afide from follow ing me but it did not prove fo; for, (ver 20th.) "Surely (as) a wife treacherously d parteth from her husband, fo have ye dea treacherously with me, O house of Ifrac faith the LORD." But, notwithstandin that they have thus grievously finned again me; yet, will I hear their penitent praye when making confeffion of their fins; 'ver 21ft. "A voice hath been heard upon high places, weeping and fupplications the children of Ifrael: because they have per verted their way, they have forgotten th LORD their God. (Thou didst fay) Return 0 ye backfliding children, and I will hea your backflidings. - Behold, we come unt thee, for thou art the LORD our God." W therefore are returned unto thee, as thou ha defired us; and fincerely acknowledge th vanity of our misplaced truft; verse 23d, &0 Surely it is vain (to hope for falvation) from the hills, or the multitude of the mountains verily in the LORD our God is the falvation

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of Ifrael. But (the idol) Bofheth* hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their theep, and their bulls, their fons and their daughters." And, as we have taken faft hold of their wicked ways, "We lie down in our fhame, and our confufion covereth us for we have finned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God." This being the confeffion of the Ifraelites ; they are answered as follows, Chap. iv. verfe ift. "If thou wilt return, O Ifrael, faith the LORD, unto me fhalt thou return;" Ye have no neceffity for a mediator, or mediators, to intercede in behalf of you; but ye fhall return immediately to me. "And if thou wilt put away thine abominations from before me, then shalt thou not be removed: Shalt then no more go into captivity. "But thou shalt fwear, (as) the LORD liveth in truth, in Judgment, and in righteousness; Not as ye now fwear falfely; as the Prophet

• This is fuppofed to be the idol Baal; and is called which denotes fhame: because it fruftrates, and puts to fhame all the hopes of its votaries, as mentioned in the following verfe.

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