Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_700.lzh/6_772.TXT

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be a collection of them all together. The words may
be rendered, even tny .jewels in the datj that I shall
make {y}; or the day I shall make peculiar: distinct from
all others; meaning either the famous Gospel day,
made by him the sun of righteousness, in which so
many of his jewels are picked up, and brought in; or
the day or' Jerusalem's destruction, when Christ took
care of his jewels, and by the preservation of them
shewed that they were his, even all that believed in
him; so that not one perished that believed in him,
when he took vengeance on his enemies, that dis-
believed and rejected him. Kimchi refers this to the
day of judgment. And I will spare them, as a man
spareth his own son that servetn him; this is a favour not
granted to the apostate angels; nor to the old world;
nor to the Jewish nation; nor even to theSon of God;
but is vouchsafed to his special people: the lives of
these are spared, until they are called by grace; and
though. they are sometimes afflicted and chastised, it
is very gently, and in love; their services are accepted,
and the imperfections in them overlooked; their sins
are pardoned, and they'll find mercy at the great day
of account; they are used in the most tender manner,
not only as a son, an own son, but as an obedient
one, for whom the greatest regard is had, and affection
shewn.
Vet. 18. Then shall ye return, &c.] Either the
wickell, who will be converted {z}, as some render the
word, and will have a different view of things, and
change their minds and language; or they that feared
the Lord, who at the time before spoken of will have
a new turn of thought, and another and clear discern-
ing of persons and things, and better judge of the dis-
pensations of Providence: some that refer this to the
resurrection of the dead, and the last judgment, un-
derstand it, as Abarbinel does, of the returning of
souls to their bodies, when indeed the difference be-
tween persons after described will be very discernible;
but it seems to refer to the time of Christ's first
coming, and Jerusale m's destruction: and discern between
the righteous and the wicked; the difference between
such who are really and truly righteous, who are here
meant, even such who believe in Christ, and are jus-
titied by his righteousness; and those that are w joked,
as all by nature are: though sometimes this character
designs the more profane and abandoned, and even
professors of religiou; the difference between these is
not always easily discerned; as for the righteous, they
are not known and discerned by the world; and by
reason of afflictions, temptations, and sins, they are
apt to judge wrong of themselves; and sometimes are
so left to fall into sin, that they look like others: and
there are wicked men under the appearance of righte-
ous men, as were the Scribes and Pharisees in
Christ's time; but by the destruction that came upon
them, and the preservation of such as believed in
Christ, it was discernible who were wicked, and who
were righteous; indeed, at the last day, this difference
will be more visible; in the bodies of the righteous,
which will be raised glorious, when those of the
wicked will not; in their souls, having on the wedding
garment, the robe of Christ's righteousness, and per-
fectly holy; and in their situation, being set at
Christ's right hand, and the wicked at his left; and
by the characters that will be given of th.em by the
Judge, and the different sentences passed and executed
on them: between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not; that is, between such persons that
serve the Lord, and him only, privately and publicly,
in righteousness and true holiness, in spirit and in
truth, with faith aud fervency, with reverence and
fear, heartily and willingly, seeking his glory, without
any dependence on their services; and those that are
ungodly, or only outwardly serve the Lord, for sinister
ends, and with selfish views, and according to their
own inventions, and the traditions of men, and not
the will of God, as the Scribes and Pharisees; between
whom, and Christ's sincere disciples and followers, the
awful day, described in the next chapter, will make a
manifest difference.

This chapter contains an account of the destruction
of the wicked Jews, and the happiness of the righte-
ous by.the coming ofthe Messiah; an exhortation to
regard the law of Moses; and a description of John the
Baptist and his work. The day of Christ's coming,
reaching to Jerusalem's destruction, is compared to a
burning oven; the wicked Jews to stubble, whose ruin
would be utter and complete, ver. 1. the appearance of
Christ is signified by the arising of him, the sun of
righteousness; the manner, with healing in his wings;
the effects of which are, going forth in the exercise of
~:race.and the discharge of d.uty, and spiritual growth
nd triumph over their enemies, in which will lie the
happiness of them that fear God, ver. 2. 3. who are put
in tnind of the-law ofMoses on Horeb, vet. 4. the send-
h:g of John the Baptist under the name of Elijah,
before the coming of Christ is prophesied of, yet. 5.
and his work pointed out, w;,th the end of it, vet. 6.
Vet. 1. For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as
an oven,. &c.] Not the day of judgment, as Kimchi
and other. interpreters, both Jewish and Christian,
think; but the day of Christ's coming in his kingdom
and power, to take vengeance on the Jewish nation,
which burned like an oven, both figuratively and li-
terally; when the wrath of God, which is compared
to fire, came upon that people to the uttermost; and
when their city and temple were burnt about their
ears, and they were surrounded with fire, as if they
had been in a burning oven: and this being so terrible,
as can hardly be conceived and expressed, the word
behold is prefixed to it, not orfly to excite attention,
but horror and terror at so dreadful a calamity; which

{y} \^hve yna rva Mwyl\^ illa die quam facio, so some in Vatablus; in
diem quem ego facio peculium, Cocceius, Burkius.
{z} \^Mtbvw\^ et convertemini, Cocceius, Gussetius, so Pagninus, Mon-
tanus; conversi, Drusius, Junius & Tremellius.