u 17 2 Chap. 9. An'Expofition upon the Bookof J QB.. lierf. 5,, útèd in this metaphorical fenfe, Ifa. . 15. I will maketbee ( faith theLord to the Prophet) a new thrcfhing inftrument having teetls And what thall this new thrcfhing inffrument do?thou(halt threfh- tr, a mountains,andbeat themfmall, andfhalt make the hillsas chaff. }lore is aIrophet fent with a flail or a thrcfhing inflrument,& his bufinefs is to fhreth the inountaihs,and to beat the hills:the mean- ing is, thou fhalt deftroy the great ones ofthe world,the hilla,the- mountains, thole that think themfelves impregnable or inaccef- fìblc.But.how could the Prophet threfh thefe mountains,and what was his flail ? Gideon (Judg. 8. 7.) threatens the men of Succoth, that he will tear or threfh theirflefh with the thorns ofthe wildernefs and with bryars. And Dantafcus is threatned, becaufe they threfhed. Gilead with thrJthing initrumentsofiron, Ana, 1.3. That is they put them to extrea tortures. Our Prophet could not thus torture. men. His thrcfhing inilrument having iron teeth, was only his tongue, the initrument offpecch, with this he beat thofe proud mountains to duff, tha t is,he declared they 'fhould be beaten and dLftroyed. Of Inch a mountain, the Lord by his Prophet fpeaks (Jor. 5 a . 25.)Behold I am. againJt thee,0deftroying mountain, faith the Lorr',which deJfroyeJt all the earth.'Behold,I will ftreteh out mine bind upon thee, androll thee downfrom the rocks, and make thee a burnt mountain. This mountain was the proud State of Babylon, which was oppolite to the Church of God, this devouring moun- tain fhall atlatii be a devoured mountain,devoured by fire,therefore he calls it a burnt mountain. Thus (tech. 4 7.) Who art thou, 0 treat mountain ? before Zerubbabel thoufhalt becom e a plain. The Prophet is atfured,that all the power and firength,which oppofed it felfagaini't the reformation and re- edification of Jerufalem, ïar montoa in fhould be laid level! with the ground. So we may interpret(Pfal. ttiii ft refs, I i-leeonebeti the mountains and they mom the meaning is, guijiutmen- 4.5> .vl' k 'rs,fìrmiiate when God doth but lay his hand upon great men, upon the migh- () 'oboe per-, tied of the world,he makes them fmoak or.fume,which Tome un- flant, Rab. derdandof their anger, they areprefently in a pafiïon, ifGod do DavanPfwl but touch them. Or, wemayiinderfland it of their. confumption. A fnioakingmountain will loon be a burnt mountain. In our lan- guage, tomake a man fmoak, is, a proverbial!, for deflroying of d bbduing. And betides, there are mountains (in this figurative fenfe) within us, as well as without us. The foul hath a mountain in it pelf, and is an asof the great power of . God, yea, ofan higher and
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