~An ExPOSITION sEc T. VI. Of tiMt [oucomitaut of the WttnejJes I\jlling. T/;e Nations Jeeing their dead 'Bodies, aud uot jt~jfering them to beput in graves. Sewral Swfes givw of it : Whether taken M au Office of Falloar, or an byury. A11d tvbether to be tmderftood of Friends, or Enemies , dijcujfed. NOw for that particular Cbufe that follows, That thofc of tl'e N.,tionJ, Ton$ues, and Ki11~reds~ fh."uld fee t!Jci~ dead Bodies lie, and unt jitjfu th~11J. to be pnt in Grave~, ( wh1ch IS mterpreted m a way of Favour to the Wlt– nc{]es) ; Although I think their l;ing Dead to be meant in a Metaphorical and AlluGve Senfc; yet it is exceeding doubtful unto me, whether or no this Claufe be not to be taken in m.Jiam partem, in the worfer fen(e; as rather expre!Iing inhumanity by this Metaphor, than Kindnefs and Love. And this feems to me to be the meaning of it; (whether thofe of the Nati01u, TongneJ, and KindredJ, be taken for Friends or for Enemi<I) and fo to have been here added, further to reprefent unto us the extream Milery, and defperate Calamity, inro which thefe Wime!Ic• (hall be brought, in this their Time of Trial. 1. If thefe NationJ, &c. be meant of EnemieJ; this Phrafe [thry fow aud Jitjjered not, &c. J cloth imply their feeding their Eyes with this Gght, and making it a fpeLh>:le of delight and joy unto them. For to fie or vie>v a thing, (when the Sights ~re of this nature) is in Cuch a fenCe uCed in Scripture : and implies that the Thing fecn is made a Spectacle and Gazing-ll:ock; and in the Sem and Beholders, it imports DeriGon and Triumph. Thus in Chri!t's Sufferings ( un– to which the AlluGon is) they are Gid to come out to fee him, and to mock_ at him. And Pfal. 22. 8. AU t/;ey that [fee J me do morlz at me, ( fays the Pro– phet there in Chrifl's Name ). And in the 1091/J Pjidm, ve>j24. Tbey [fow] me ( C1ys Chrifl: there (for of him is that 'Pfolm made) and j/Jdhed tbeir Head1, &c. And thus fcei,•g is uCually mentioned in this Senfe, when any Judgment is exe– cuted, to fl1ew how the oppoGte Party comes forth, and Jm , .;,Id rcjoiccth at lt. Thus when Judgments are executed on the Wickt.d, tle l{i;:J.ter'J~-J Jb.dl [ foe J and laugh at him, Pf<1l. 52· 6. So lj.i. 66. velj ult. Tie; j/J.J! [wo/z J "fOil tbe Carc,1foJ of them that have tranfgrejfed again.ft God; which JIMII brcome rm t~Morring tmlo all Flejb. And (o that other Phrafe that follows [and they jhall11ot ftffir them to be pnt 1n GravCJ J may alfo import a height of inhumanity. For, Pfd. 29. 4· when that like mifcrable deColation of the Temple, and Slaughter of the Saints (be' it either that of Antiochu1, (the Type of this) as lome think it meant) or that of the Babylonifh Captivity, as others) this Aggravation is there added unto their Slaughter, that there 1vns nom to bury then1. Yea, and that here it fhould rather be taken in fuc~ a bad fenCe, appears by this, That their Killing being an AlluGon unto Chnfl s Pa!Iion, thts Ctrcumflance IS therefore mentioned, as hcighming this Suffering of the WitnciTcs above that of Chrifl's, in this reCpect. For though his la;ing in the Grave, (as endured by him) is ncconnted a part of his HLJmiliation; yet it is noted as a Work of Humanity in Pi/ate, to Cuffcr his Body to be taken down from the CJ·ofs, and laid in a Grave; and efpecially in Jufipb of Arimatbea, who begg'd it to that end, and afterward honourably en– tombed it. This was an Office of the greatell: Charity (and therefore record– ed); which this Prophecy notes out as that which fhould be. wanting in thefc Nations and Tongues here, whether they be Friends or Enemies. And, 2. if they be taken for Friends unto theCe Witndfes, and as fuch a– mong thofe Natiom, To11gncs, a11cl Ki,dredJ, as are in heart of the f.1me Reli– gion with them, and who do in Heart refpeCl: and love them, (as the People did Chrifl); the Q,tery then will be, Whether this their 1101 fi~lfiring tbem to be b•ried, be a friendly Office? I confefs indeed, they feem to be Come diflincr Com– pany from thoCc their Enemies, who do Co rejoice over them, verf. 14. and Come fpecial
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