greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: [their] everlast12 ing confusion shall never be forgotten. But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the faith and patience of the righteous, by afflictions, [and] seest the reins and the heart, discoverest their conspiracies, while they wear a mask of friendship, let me see thy vengeance on them for unto thee have I opened my cause; I leave it to thee 13 to vindicate me; and in confidence that thou wilt do so, I add, Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evil doers. It would have been happy if the prophet could have maintained this temper; but human infirmity and corruption prevailed when he added,

14

:

Cursed [be] the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed; let there be no congrat15 ulations, as usual. Cursed [be] the man who brought tidings to

my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him 16 very glad, being probably the first born, and a priest. And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not; he did not lighten their misery: and let him hear the cry, the alarm of the enemy, in the morning, and the shout17 ing at noontide; Because he slew me not from the womb, or, because I was not slain; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb [to be] always great [with me.*] 18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

REFLECTIONS,

TOW dreadful is the case of that man who is a terror to himself! Nothing more dreadful on this side hell could be threatened against Pashur, than to be, not only in distress, but in despair; his spirit in continual alarm and terror; his own imagination always tormenting him; and his inward terror such as he could not conceal, but which appeared in so horrible a light, as even to terrify his friends. This is the case of some sinners now; and those have reason to fear this, who set themselves against the word of God and his faithful ministers; that is, who reproach it, and deride them. If they will not hear the reproofs of God's prophets, they will hear them from their own consciences. Let it be our care to fear God, to reverence his word, and keep his commandments; then God will not be our terror, but our hope and our joy.

2. The case of the prophet was a very pitiable one; and so is the case of those ministers who meet with the like treatment now. What cruel usage did he experience! what wicked, base contrivances were formed to injure his reputation, hindef his usefulness, and destroy his life! and all this because he was faithful, serious, and affectionate in delivering the word of the Lord. Good minis

• This language showed very much impatience and ungoverned passion. This was not setting his face like a flint; and no man could be permitted by the Spirit of God to speak sich language. It is a maxim of great importance, to distinguish between those things which the prophers delivered in the name of the Lord, and the workings of their own minds; which were someti.uts irregular, and no doubt were recorded for our warning.

ters in the present day often meet with ill treatment. If they are faithful reprovers, and deliver their messages in a lively, affection. ate manner, careless hearers, and those who hate to be serious, will deride and banter them, and perhaps be glad to raise and spread evil reports of them. This is a strong temptation to them to decline their work and to preach no more; but yet they dare not do it. Let hearers be careful not to bring their ministers unto this difficulty, and lead them into such a temptation; but suffer them, out of regard to God, to themselves, and to their charge, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all plainness and fervency of spirit; and pray that the Lord may be with them to support and encourage them.

3. See how weakly and wickedly even good men will talk, when they suffer their passions to govern them. Who would have thought that Jeremiah should have uttered such words as these? What folly and nonsense was it to curse his birth day! to curse a messenger, for the sake of a kindly intended message! How bru tish and barbarous to wish his mother had died in childbed with him! This would not have been recorded by him, had he not sincerely repented of it, and intended it (as the Spirit of God no doubt did) for our caution. Thus absurdly and wickedly do men of strong passions and hasty spirits talk, when they meet with injuries and affronts. We see in the prophet how much need we all have to keep a constant, resolute guard upon our spirits; especially those whose tempers are naturally hot and hasty. Let us stifle the first risings of passion and resentment; and earnestly implore the divine help, when we are entering into temptation; because for such sinful words and disorderly workings of mind, God will bring us into judgment. Let us take the great prophet for an example, even Jesus Christ; and learn of him, who was meek and lowly in heart; and we shall find rest to our souls.

CHAP. XXI, XXII. 1–9.

This chapter is transposed, as are many of the following. They relate to events which happened in some former reign; whereas this relates to the reign of Zedekiah, when Jerusalem was besieged by the Chaldeans, the Egyptians came to help the Jews, the Chaldeans drew off their forces and raised the siege : in this interval the chapter before us was written.*

'THE

HE word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, 2 and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, Inquire,

It is an observable circumstance, that in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, and in that by the Romans, the besieging armies raised the siege for a while, and thereby gave God's faithful servants an opportunity to go out of it; as the prophet before the first, and Christ before the last, ordered them to do. This gave others an opportunity to come into the city, trusting to its strength; so that inore p.ople were destroyed by the famine, the pestilence occasion,d by it, and the sword of the enuny, than otherwise would have been thus the prophesies were remarkably accomplished.

3

I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works which he did for our fathers, that he may go up from us.

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedeki4 ah: Thus saith the Lord GOD of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that [are] in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and [against] the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city; your weapons of war, instead of wounding the enemy, shall hurt yourselves, as if a strong wind 5 should blow back your arrows into your faces. And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath; it shall 6 plainly appear that I am on your enemies' side. And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they, that is, 7 many of them, shall die of a great pestilence. And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy; Zedekiah's life shall be preserved, but his sons and great officers shall be

slain.

And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death, how you may escape with your lives, or otherwise you shall be slain; 9 therefore choose the least of two evils. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a 10 prey; he shall think himself happy if he escapes with his life. For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

11 12

And touching the house of the king of Judah, [say,] Hear ye the word of the LORD; O house of David, thus saith the LORD: Execute judgment in the morning, referring to their setting early in the morning in their courts, and deliver [him that is] spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench [it,] because of the evil 13 of your doings. Behold, I [am] against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, [and] rock of the plain, saith the LORD;* which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into 14 our habitations? But I will punish you according to the fruit of

The people were proud of their fortifications; part of Jerusalem lay in a valley, but mount Zion, which was their fortress, stood upon a rock; and they counded in its strength, as its ancient inhabitants the Jebusites had done.

1

your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it; your numerous stately buildings, which are like a forest, shall all be destroyed.

CHAP. XXII. Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house 2 of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that 3 enter in by these gates: Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent 4 blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his 5 servants, and his people. But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a 6 desolation. For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house, of Judah; Thou [art] Gilead unto me, for wealth and plenty, [and] the head of Lebanon, for stateliness and magnificence: [yet] surely I will make thee a wilderness, [and] cities [which] are 7 not inhabited. And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons, that is, hervers with axes in their hands: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast [them] into 8 the fire. And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? he once delighted in it, but 9 now it is burned and destroyed. Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

1.

W

REFLECTIONS.

E must not complain when things are bad with us, because they may mend. Jeremiah was in a very fretful, uneasy situation at the conclusion of the last chapter. Here we find him applied to by the king; an honourable message was sent him, and great respect shown him. Let us therefore not despair when our troubles are great and heavy, but hope for better days; continue to honour God, and then he will honour us.

2. Those who despise God's word and ministers in their prosperity, will be glad of their help in the day of affliction. This was the case with Zedekiah and his people. Jeremiah had preached to them in vain, and they had not humbled themselves at the word of the Lord; but now they desire the prophet to inquire of God for them, and to pray for them; but the answer is a prediction of vengeance. Those who affront or forget God, when all goes well and smooth, will be glad of his help, and fly to him in the day of trouble: especially those who put the evil day far from them.

Because

he hath done wondrous works for others, they hope he will do the like for them but yet they will not imitate their good example; and therefore they have no reason to expect it. Let us be ambitious to secure the divine friendship, by obeying his word and hearkening to his ministers; then will he make our prosperity safe and comfortable, and be our support when trouble cometh upon us.

3. See how vain all opposition to God is, and how necessary it is that we submit to him. This people trusted in the strength of their city, and insolently said, 'Who shall enter our habitations?' but God threatens to set his face against them, and to be their enemy; and then no fortification nor power could save them. Thus confident are the hopes of sinners. But if men will rebel against the Most High, he will fight against them, v. 5. and who can tell the power of his anger? Let us therefore take hold of his strength, and be at peace with him. He sets before us the way of life and the way of death very plainly let us then submit to him, obey his word,

and live.

4. The great design of all these dispensations of Providence, was to promote righteousness. In all the messages of Jeremiah and the other prophets to the people, this is insisted on, that they put away their iniquities; the reigning vices of the times; that they execute judgment and righteousness; do no wrong, but behave in an upright conscientious manner. The intention of all God's precepts and threatenings is to promote righteousness. This shows of how much importance it is in his sight; how necessary to secure his favour, and the prosperity of the nation. Let us therefore follow after righteousness; for the righteous Lord loves it, and it shall be well with those who practise it.

10

CHAP. XXII. 10, to the end.

The judgment of Shallum, of Jehoiakim, and of Coniah.

WEE

EEP ye not for the dead, for king Josiah, who was slain in battle, neither bemoan him: [but] weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his na11 tive country. For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum, or Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; 12 He shall not return thither any more : But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.*

13

Wo unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; [that] useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work, but de

Pharaoh had carried him captive into Egypt, and made Jehoiakim Lis brother king in his stead; to whom the next words belong.