OF AN I R 0 N Y. Book I. Pitch of Knowledge, as to know how God laid the Foundations of the Earth, and made all Things of Nothing, Verfe 20. that thoujhouldejl take it (viz. the Way where Light and Darknefs dwell, as Ver(e I 9·) at the Bound thereof, and that thou jhouldejl know the Way to the Paths tbereof. This is an ironical Conceffion, refulting fi:om the \<Vords of the third Verfe, I will ajk thee, and thoujhalt make me know, &c. Ifa. xvii. 3· 'l'he Fortrefl alfo jhall ceafefronz Ephraim, and the Kingdom from Damaf– cus, and the Remnant of ~)'ria : 1hey foal/ be as the Glory of the Children of lfraeL Je· rome in his Comment fays, that Glory is by an Irony here put for Ignominy and Difgrace. Ifa. xxix. I. Addye rear to rear, !et them kill Sacrifices, llpon whichLuther fays, *that the Prophet mocks them, as if he had faid, go to, proceea in your Sacrifices ftoutly, it ihall happen, that you together with your Sacrifices ihall periih. See more Examples, Ifa . Jvii. l ·l. Jer. vii. 2 r.-xi. 15.-xii. 7.-xxii. 20-. 2 Kings xxiv. 7· Jer. xxii. 23. It is faid, Ezek. xx. 39· 0 Houfe of Ifrael, thus faith the Lord God, fave ye e·very one his Idols, and hereafter a!fo, if )'e will not hearken unto me- Here is an ironical Abdica– tion or Cafting, wherein tacitly they are invited to the quite Contrary, viz. true Piety and the Worihip of God. Ezek. xxviii. 3· Behold thou artwiferthan Daniel: there is no Secret that they can hide from thee. This is an ironical Hyperbole, by which the Prince of'I")'rtiS is checked. For Daniel at that Time was accounted thewifeftof Men, becaufe of the moft excellent Gifts that God gave him, fo that it grew to a Proverb, &c. So that it is only fpokcn with Refpeft to the Opinion or Efteem that King had of himfelf, which by this Irony is reproved. In Amos iv. 4, 5· is an ironical and farcajlic Exhor– tation, as appears by the Conclufion, Verfe 11.. where they are advifed to prepare to meet their God. He ·alludes to the Law of God, Deut. xiv. 28. of Tythes: And Lev. vii. '3· The Ofrering of Leavened Bread, which the Ifraelites in their impure Wor· ihip of Idols did imitate, &c. See Nab. iii. 14. Draw the Waters, for the Siege, fortify thy jlrong Holds : Go into Clay, and tread the Niortar, make jlrong the Brick Kiln. An ironical Exhortation to the Enemy, intimating that whatever they attempted to fecure themfelves would be in vain, Zech. xi. '3· A goodly Price that I was prized at of them, &c. this was an ironical Speech of Chrijl concerning the Price for which Judas fold him. Matth. xxvi. 45· Chrijl commands his Difeiples to jleep on, and take their rejl, when he means the Contrary, it being then rather a Time of Watchfulnefs, becaufe he was then to be betrayed, and it was therefore a more feafonable Time to learn more hea– venly Inftruftion before his leaving them, Matth. xxvi. 50. And Jefus faid unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? This is an Irony, for he was his treacherous Enemy. Mark vii. 9· Full well;•e reject (or make void) the Commandment of God, that is, very wickedly. See more Luke xi. 41. John iii. 10. and vii. z8. with viii. I4· In the Speech of Saints there are Ironies, as David's Speech to Abner, Art thou not a Man? (we tranfiate it valiant Man) and who is like to thee in Ifrae!? wherefore then hajl thou not kept thy Lord the King? &c. His Meanmg is that he behaved him– felf cowardly and bafely in not preferving the King as he ought, 1Kings xviii. 27. Elijah mocked Baal's Prophets, bidding them Cry aloud, becaufe their God may pojjibly be talking, purfuing, journeying, or jleeping, and Jo jhould be awaked; this is a moft cleac and evident Irony, as if he had faid, that he is neither a God, nor living,. nor capa– ble of Operation. The like Irony we read, 1Kings xxii. I 5· where Micaiah bids Ahab go and profper,.&c. although he knew that he lhouldnot profper. So 2 Kings viii. 10. Go ja)' unto hzm, thou mayejl certainly recover, howbeit the Lord hath lhewed me, that he fiJall furely die, this is an Irony to delude an impious King, that was Enemy to the People of God. Job xii. 2. No doubt but ye are the People, and Wifdom jhall die with )'OU, this is 11 Jarcajlic Irony, as if he had faid, ye take upon you to be the Wifemen, in Comparifon of whom I am as a wild Afs's Colt, Job xi. 12. And think when you die, Wifdom ~ 'rcm•3•fo!.)56.inExplir.h.l. muft
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