Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
Ver. 1. Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together] Excutite vos, iterumque excutite. Fan yourselves, yea, fan yourselves (Tremell.). The precept is doubled, as it is likewise Numbers 3:40 2 Corinthians 13:5, to show the necessity of our doing it, as also the utility if well done; and, lastly, our crossness and averseness thereunto, together with God's exceeding great desire that it should be thoroughly done for our greatest good. Grievous things he had threatened in the former chapter; all which to prevent, he here prescribeth them a course of self-examination, and thereupon sound conversion; so true is that of an ancient, Ideo minatur Deus ut non puniat, God doth therefore threaten that he may not punish (Isidore). It is as if God should thus say, Behold, thou art in danger of destruction; is it not therefore high time to search, yea, to be serious and exact in the scrutiny? to gather thy dispersed wits together, to summon the sobriety of thy senses before the bar of thy best judgment? to consider and consult what is fit to be done in this case? to have thine eyes in thine head, with Solomon's wise man? Ecclesiastes 2:14; yea, to have thine eyes like the windows in Solomon's temple, broad inward, 1 Kings 6:4. Men's minds are naturally as ill set as their eyes; they turn neither of them inward. Lamiae or witch-like, they are sharp sighted abroad to discern other men's faults; but blind at home to take notice of their own. Nature shows no sin: What is our iniquity or our sin? said those in Jeremiah, when wrath was even breaking out upon them, Jeremiah 16:10; so Hosea 12:8. Men deal with their souls as some do with their bodies; who, when their beauty is decayed, they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses, and from others by painting; so their sins, from themselves by false glosses, and from others by excuses. But he that thus hideth his sins cannot prosper, Proverbs 28:13, he must not look for Gaius's prosperity, 3 John 1:2, but for further hardness of heart, Proverbs 28:14, and horror of conscience, Psalms 32:3. For God will not rap up men's bones before they are set, nor lap up their sores before they are searched. Wherefore search you, search you, O nation, &c. Search yourselves to the quick, sift you to the bran, lay your hands upon your hearts, thrust them deep into your bosoms, with Moses, so shall you take them out again leprous as snow, Exodus 4:6. Commune with your consciences and be still, or, make a pause, Psalms 4:4, lay a peremptory charge upon them to be true to you, and to do their office impartially, in laying open how many transgressions are wrapt up in your sins, Leviticus 16:21, in bringing them all forth to you, as they in Ezra brought forth the vessels of the sanctuary, by number and by weight, in their circumstances and aggravations, Ezra 8:34. Why should God say unto thee of thy sins, as once Samuel did to Jesse of his sons, Are these all thy children? Conscience, if not charged to the contrary, and well watched, will either lie to thee, as Gehazi did to his master; or, at least, subtract a part of thy sins, as Ananias and Sapphira did a part of the price. Search, therefore, and follow your work close, that ye may say, with Ephraim, Jeremiah 31:19, After that I was made known to myself, I repented; and, with David, I examined my ways, and finding all out of order, "I turned my feet to thy testimonies," Psalms 119:59 .
O nation not desired] As not desirable; having nothing of worth in thee wherefore any should be found of thee, or seek any further after thee. Daniel was a man of desires, Daniel 9:23. David a man after God's own heart. Moses fair to God, Acts 7:20. The saints are the desired ones of all nations, as some read that text, Haggai 2:7, ut veniant desiderati omnium gentium (Jun.). The precious sons of Zion comparable (not to silver only, as the word here used importeth, but) to fine gold, Lamentations 4:2. As for the wicked, they are all dross, Ezekiel 22:18,19, and God doth so little desire them, as that he putteth them away, or maketh them to cease as dross, Psalms 119:119, and commandeth others to do the like by them, Proverbs 25:4,5. Some take the words in the active sense, and render them, O nation not desirous; viz. to search thy ways and turn again to me. Thou that hast no mind to be dealing with thyself, or to draw nigh to me, but hadst as lief be knocked on the head as do either: Gens vacua desiderio. O nation, void of any good desires. Whereas tota Christiani hominis vita sanctum desiderium est, the whole life of a good Christian is one continous desire after God, his kingdom, and the righteousness thereof, Matthew 6:33; he followeth after it, Proverbs 21:21, as an apprentice followeth his trade, though he be not his craftsmaster. Some faint desires, luskish longings, short winded wishes, may be found in a wicked man; but they rise not up to the full height of well knit resolution for God. Like they are to meteors that are carried above the earth, but not united to the element of fire; therefore they fall and return to their first principles; like ice, which melteth in the day and hardeneth again in the night; like the sluggard in his bed, that puts out his arm to rise, and then pulls it in again, see Psalms 78:34; Psalms 78:38 .