your solemn fasts; for I will turn all those fasts of yours, both that, which you keep in the fourth month, in memory of the breaking down of the wall of Jerusalem; and that, which you keep in the fifth, in memory of the burning of the Temple; and that, which ye keep in the seventh, in memory of the murder of Gedaliah; and that, which ye keep in the tenth, in memory of the first siege laid to Jerusalem, all these will I turn to joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts unto the house of Judah; therefore, be ye careful to carry yourselves holily, justly, peaceably, before your god.

VIII. 20, 21. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts.

And more than so: I will give a happy increase to my Church: many people and nations shall be added unto it; and shall cheerfully join together, and encourage each other in my service, both by their hearty counsels and examples. So also verse 22.

VIII. 23. In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

In those days it shall come to pass, that the Gentiles shall be added to the Church; in such number and zeal, as that many of them shall resort to one well-informed convert of the Christian Jews, and shall desire to be taught by him in the truth of godliness.

IX. 1. The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD.

The heavy message, that God sends to those cities and countries, which have offered cruel violence to his people: in particular, this errand of judgment shall light upon the region and city of Damascus; which shall be accordingly executed upon them, since the eyes of the neighbour nations round about, but especially of all the tribes of Israel, are earnestly intent to expect this revenge from the hand of the Lord.

İX. 2, 3. And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise. And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, &c.

Neither shall Hamath be freed therefrom; nor Tyrus and Zidon, though they be crafty and subtle enough, to use all human power and wit, for their own safety and evasion; and

though Tyrus have built strong holds for her defence, and have heaped up great treasures of wealth.

IX. 4. Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

But the Lord will send an enemy against her, even Alexander of Macedon, which shall subdue and vanquish her, and defeat her power by sea, and she shall be consumed with fire.

IX. 5. Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

The confederate cities of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, shall see it, and fear; for that confidence, which they had put in the strength of the Tyrians, shall now disappoint them, to their shame and loss; for Gaza shall no more have a king, nor Ashkelon an inhabitant.

IX. 6. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

And Ashdod shall be inhabited by a people, not her own; and I will, in all these territories, pull down the pride of the Philistines, by stripping them of their dominions.

IX. 7. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.

And I will, by this means, so humble them, that they shall be no more bloodily minded toward my people; and shall grow up to a religious care of avoiding all legal pollutions: and those that remain of them shall be conscionably devoted unto God; and shall become friends and patrons of my people, within my Church; yea, even those of Ekron shall so have a part in my Church, as the Jebusite hath in the material and outward Jerusalem.

IX. 8. And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more : for now have I seen with mine eyes.

And I will protect and defend my Temple, as it were by a camp pitched about it, against any enemy whatsoever, that shall offer any violence against it; for I have well noted and pitied thy late affliction.

IX. 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Rejoice greatly, O ye inhabitants of Zion; and shout for joy, O ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; for ye shall see the Messiah, the Everlasting King of the Church, coming personally

into your streets: he is just, and righteous, and brings salvation with him to all believers: and, withal, he is lowly and meek; not making his approach in a royal, pompous, and majestical manner, though he could command all the glories of heaven and earth to attend him, but in a mean and homely fashion, riding upon an ass, with her colt following her; even like to him, that came to take upon him the estate of

a servant.

IX. 10. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

I will draw my Church to a happy accordance, so as both Jews and Gentiles shall be linked together in the bonds of peace: there shall therefore be no more need of your chariots, O Israel; or of your horses, O Judah; or of any weapons of war; for the common Saviour of both shall unite them together, and shall extend the bounds of his spiritual dominion, all the world over.

IX. 11. As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. As for thee, O Zion, whose covenant with me is made and confirmed by the precious blood of the Messiah, in that new and everlasting Testament, I do herein give thee a type of thy future deliverance from all thy spiritual miseries, in that, I have brought forth thy captives out of the miserable captivity of Babylon, wherein they were woefully distressed.

IX. 12, 13. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.

Return ye then to the forts of Zion and Jerusalem, O ye hopeful captives, that are yet remaining in Babylon; for I do this day declare unto you, that I have prepared blessings for you above your expectations: and, whereof this is a type, turn ye into my Church, all ye that pertain to mine election, out of the world, wherein ye are held captive; and know, that I have prepared happiness for you, above the thoughts and desires of your hearts; but, in the mean time, I shall make some warlike use of Judah and Ephraim, and raise the forces of Jerusalem, against the Grecians and Syrians, wherewith they shall be vexed; and will give good success to their courageous and well fought battles.

IX. 14. And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: &c.

And the Lord shall give good proof of his gracious protec

tion of them, and shall manifestly shew that he fighteth for them from heaven.

IX. 15. The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones: and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altars.

They shall subdue their enemies afar off, as with sling stones, and with other killing engines of war; and they shall rejoice in their victory, and shall feast for joy, and shout out in their triumphs, as men filled with wine; and shall, in the cheerfulness of their hearts, offer store of sacrifices of praise unto God, so as, both the bowls of the temples and the horns of the altar shall carry an abundant testimony of their frequent devotions.

IX. 16. For they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

And, however they have been formerly despised and trod upon, yet they shall now be advanced to such honour, that they shall be as the precious stones of a royal crown, or as an ensign which is lifted up with honour over the heads of the people.

IX. 17. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

For, how great is the blessing, how great is the beauty, wherewith God shall, upon those victories, grace and adorn his people! There shall be prosperity and plenty, every where amongst them; so as the young men shall be full fed with feasts, and their very maids shall be refreshed with new wine: all sorts and ages shall have cause to rejoice in their God.

X. 1. Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.

Ask ye of the Lord rain, in the due season thereof, even the latter rain for the filling up of the fruits of the earth; so the Lord will, according to his promise, hear you, and give change of weather; causing the clouds to lead in store of rain, such as may plentifully water the earth, that it may yield store of grass in every field.

X. 2. For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in rain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

It is the Lord, that must help you: as for your idols whereto ye have hitherto trusted, they have vainly deluded you; and your wizards have abused you, in false visions and dreams, and have pretended to give you those comforts which have failed

you in the issue: therefore, both they and you were driven into captivity, as a flock of sheep into the fold; and found no protection, but rather much discomfort and misery, because of the want of a shepherd to guide and defend you.

X. 3. Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.

Mine anger was kindled against the false prophets, and wicked rulers of my people; and I punished those (rather goats than bell-wethers) which led my flock out of their way for the Lord of Hosts hath sharply chastised the people of Judah; and hath designed them to hard conflicts, even as some stout horse is made for the day of battle.

X. 4. Out of him came forth the corner; out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.

From his decree came forth all the plots of the siege: the tents pitched before their walls, the weapons of war which were used in that assault, and every oppressor that offered violence to them, did but execute his just pleasure upon them. X. 5. And they shall be as mighty men, which tread down their enemies, &c.

But this sad condition of theirs shall not last always; for the Lord hath determined happy success and victories unto his people: they shall be as mighty men, which tread upon their enemies, &c.

X. 8. I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. And I will, by the voice of my word, call them together into one Church; for I have redeemed them: and they shall multiply exceedingly.

X. 9. And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.

And I will so dispose of them, that they shall be sent all the world over, for the gathering of my Church; even as the seed is cast into several furrows of the large field, for a more plentiful increase and they shall publish my Gospel in remote countries; and both they, and the children whom they beget unto the faith, shall live, and turn to their God and Saviour.

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X. 10. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.

And I will gather my Church out of all the coasts under heaven, out of Egypt, and Assyria, and all other countries; and, in type thereof, I will fetch up my people the Jews, from