Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_700.lzh/6_726.TXT

Text File | 1994-11-26 | 6KB | 119 lines

joyful sound: or, shall make fruitful d ;. it causes them
to grow and increase, and makes them fruitful in every
good word and work: or, shall make them speak elo-
quently {}; or cause them to put forth the fruit of their
lips, in giving thanks to God for the abundance of
grace bestowed upon them: or, shall make them. sing {f},
as others; in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
This new wine may be interpreted of the gifts and
graces bestowed in great plenty on the day of Pente-
cost, both on .sons and daughters, on servants and
handmaids, whereby they prophesied, and saw visions,
Acts ii. 16, 17. see Ephes. v. IS, 19.
THIS chapter is a prophecy of the conversion of the
Jews in the latter day, when the fulness of the Gentiles
is brought in, spoken of in the preceding chapter. It
begins with an exhortation to ask- rain of the Lord; de-
nounces wrath upon his enemies; and consists of va-
rious promises to his people. The exhortation to ask
rain is in vet. 1. to which encouragement is given leon.
its being of the Lord, froth his willingness to grant
it, and from the fruitfulness occasioned by it. The
vanity of idols, and idolaters, who can't give it, is ex-
posed; and the distress and confusion they were thrown
into is observed, ver. e. The anger of the Lord
against the principal of them is declared; and his gra-
cious visitation of the people of the Jews, whom he
will honour and glorify, is taken notice of, yet. 3.
from whom the Messiah sprung, than which a greater!
glory can't be enjoyed, ver. 4. and then follow various
promises, relating to them; as of victory over their ene-
mies, through the presence of the Lord with them,
ver. 5. of strength and salvation to them, as owing to
his free grace and mercy, ver. 6. of inward spiritual joy
in .them and theirs, yet. 7. of their effectual vocation
and spiritual increase, in consequence of redeeming:
grace, ver. 8. of their having a nam, e and a place in
Gospel churches, where they'll remember the Lord,
and live with their children, being converted, ver. 9.
which conversion of theirs is represented in terms al-
luding to their deliverance from Egypt and Babylon,
ver. 10, 11. and the chapter is concluded with a pro-
mise of spiritual strength, so that they shall continue
in their profession of faith in Christ, and persevere
therein to the end, ver. l2.
Vet. 1. Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the
latter rai,t, &c.] There was the former and the latter
rain, of which see Hos. vi. 3. Joel ii. 23. The former
rain was in autumn, a little before or about seed-
time; the latter was in the spring, and a little before
 harvest, which is here referred to. So Hesiod {g} calls
those rains the autumnal and vernal rains; and between
these two rains there was seldom any more. Jerom
· says {h} that henever saw in the eastern countries, espe-
cially in Judea, any rain at the end of the month of
.June, or in July; and now, at Aleppo, a little more
northerly, for three or four months after May, they
have scarce so much as any dew upon the ground, as
· Pemble on the place observes. So Dr. Shaw says {i},
,little or no rain falls in this climate (of A!giers and Tu-
nis}, during the summer-season; and in most parts of
the Sahara, particularly in the Jereede, they have sel-
dom any rain at all. It was likewise the same in the
holy land, Prov, xxvi. 1. where rain is accounted an
unusual thing in harvest, 2 Sam. xxi. 10. where it is
also mentioned, from harvest till rain dropped on them;
i.e. their rainy season fell out, as in Barbary, in the
autumnai and winter months.--The first rains (he ob-
serves) fall here some years in Set}tember, .in others a
month later; after which the Arabs break up their
ground, in order to sow wheat, and plant beans: tiffs
commonly falls out about the middle of October.--If
the latter rams fall as usual in the middle of April, (in
the holy land we find they were a month sooner, Joel
ii. 23,) the crop is recko,ed secure; the hat.vest coming
on in the latter end of May, or in the beginning of
June, according to the heat and quality of the pre-
ceding seasons: wherefore, since there was so little rain
fell in these countries, and particularly in Judea; if
these former and latter rains failed, a scarcity followed;
for, for want 6f the former rain, the earth was hard,
and not easily ploughed up; and for want of the latter
the corn withered away in the blade, and did not ear,
at least did not produce ears plump a, nd good; so that
these rains were great temporal blessings, and to be
asked for, as they were by the Jews, when they were
wanted; and for which they appoi,ted fasts {k}, and
were emblems of spiritual blessings here designed; for
rain here is not to be literally understood, but mysti-
cally and spiritually; and designs either the love and
favour of God, and the comfortable discoveries of it;
see P.rov. xvi. 15. and xix. l2. which may be compared
to rain iu its original; it is from above, from on high,
it comes fi'om heaven; it is not owing to any thing in
man, but to the will of God; and is distinguishing, as
rain falls on one city, and not on another; in its ob-
jects, undeserving persons, as rain is sent on the just
and unjust; in its manner of communication, it tarries
not for the will and works of men; it comes at times
in great abundance, and the discoveries of it are to be
asked for; in its effects, it softens and melts the heart
into evangelical. repentance; it cools and extinguishes
the flaming wrath of a fiery law in the conscience; it
refreshes and revives the drooping spirit, and makes
the barren soul fruitful: or the blessings of grace in ge-
neral may be meant; these are from above, depend on
the will of God; are to be sought after, and asked for.;
are free-grace gifts; are given largely and plentifully,
and make fruitful: or the coming of Christ in the flesh

{d} \^bbwny\^ germinare faciet, Montanus; progerminare faciet, Burkius;
foecundabit, Castalio; dicitur de virginibus spiritualibus, quae sunt
fructus multi evangelii, Zech. ix. 17. Stockius, p. 654.
{e} Facundas faciet, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tarnovius.
{f} Cantare faciet, Pagninus, Drusius; so Ben Melech.
{g} Opera & Dies, l. 2.
{h} Comment. in Amosiv. 7. fol. 39. F.
{i} Travels, p. 136, 137. Ed. 2.
{k} Misn. Taanith, c. 1. sect. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.