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from under thefe heavens; their idols fhall perish, as the 12 antient idolatry has done. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wif dom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion; confequently, his wisdom and power infinitely exceed 13 theirs. When he uttereth his voice, [there is] a multitude of waters in the heavens, clouds and rain, and he caufeth the vapours to afcend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures, as if it was laid up 14 in fome secret storehouses till he had occafion for it. Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge, or, for want of knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falfehood, and [there 15 is] no breath in them. They [are] vanity, [and] the work of errors, men make them and worship them, because they have wrong notions of God, in the time of their vifitation they fhall perish, their idols are not able to help 16 them; they and their gods fhall perish together. The portion of Jacob, that is, Jehovah, who hath chofen Jacob for his portion, [is] not like them: for he [is] the former of all [things;] and Ifrael [is] the rod of his inheritance; he divided their inheritance by a line or rod: the LORD of hosts [is] his name.

17

Gather up thy wares, or effects, out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortrefs, ye who dwell in Jerufalem and Sion, or in other ftrong places, and think yourselves fecure; 18 for thus faith the LORD, Behold, I will fling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find [it fo;] behold, I will fend the king of Babylon against you, and ye shall be all deftroyed or carried away at once; ye fhall furely find it as I have threatened. The people are then introduced as lamenting their calamity.

19 Woe

This verfe was not written in the Hebrew, but the Chaldee language, that the captives might tell the Chaldeans in their own language, of their faith in Jehovah, and remonftrate against the folly of idolatry. Dr. BLAYNEY thinks this verfe interrupts the course of the argument, and that probably fome publick teacher, during the captivity, deducing it by direct inference from the prophet's words, had it inferted in the margin, for the reafons mentioned above.

19

Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I faid, Truly this [is] a grief, and I must bear it; 20 this denotes a fullen, not a fubmiffive filence. My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken; an allufion to their dwelling in tents: my children are gone forth of me, and they [are] not; they are flain, difperfed, or carried captive, to return no more: [there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to fet up my curtains. 21 For the pastors, the princes, governors, and priests, who fhould have guided the flock, are become brutish, and have not fought the LORD: therefore they shall not 22 profper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. Behold, the noife of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah defolate, [and] a den of dragons.

23 O LORD, I know that the way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his fteps; as if he had faid, It is neither in our enemy's power to opprefs us, nor in our own to deliver our felves without thy 24 providence. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment,

with mercy and moderation; not in thine anger, left thou 25 bring me to nothing. Thou wilt Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name, but afcribe their fuccefs to their idols: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and confumed him, and have made his habitation defolate.

1.

TH

REFLECTIONS.

HE people of God have need of great caution that they do not learn the ways of finners, when they live among them, The Ifraelites are exhorted not to learn the ways of the heathen. To confult aftrologers, ftargazers, and conjurors, is learning the ways of the heathen, and very wicked in those who profefs to believe the providence of God. To be difmayed at lights in the sky, comets, eclipfes, or any extraordinary appearances in the heavens, is very unbecoming thofe who profefs to know God,

'An old english word, which fignifies clamour, or alarm.

God, and who enjoy his gofpel. Let us reverence him and his providence, and guard against all fuperftitious obfervances and fears; for they are difpleafing to God, as well as mifchievous to ourselves.

2. Let us obferve how infinitely fuperior the name, wifdom, and power of the Lord are to idols, which are all vanity and a lie. We ought to entertain the highest and most honourable thoughts of him. Let us reflect upon his infinite goodness and glory, his power over all nature, his command over all the elements, and his goodness to the whole creation. The variety of storms and changes of the weather, prove his being and providence. All the wisdom and fkill of men are derived from him. Who then would not fear him, and feek his friendfhip. Let the people of God rejoice in him, be fully fatisfied, and think themselves happy in having him for their portion; for happy indeed is the people who have this great and glorious Being for their God.

3. We may learn what our behaviour fhould be under affliction, v. 19. It is very common to fay, I cannot help it, and must do as well as I can;' without any regard to God and his providence. Let us own his hand in diftrefs; refolve to bear it patiently and cheerfully, because God does it, and will overrule all for our good. But it is perfectly confiftent with this patience, to pray that God would moderate his ftroke, correct us with judgment, and in mercy; not in angry feverity, for who then could stand before him? and especially to pray, that he would not deal with us after our fins.

4. We have here the character of the heathen. They are spoken of as nations; and families are reprefented as constituent parts of them. The heathen know not God; take no pains to trace and reflect upon his being and perfections. How lamentable is it, that fo many who are called by the christian name, with all their advantages, are willingly ignorant of him. They fay to God, Depart from us. are many families in this land that call not on his name, do not use family prayer, have no appearance of religion in their houses, and therefore are as bad or worse than heathens. Upon fuch, whatever wealth and finery be in their

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houfes, God's fury will be poured out; and well may the heads of prayerlefs families tremble to think of it! To avoid this dreadful fury, and fecure the divine bleffing, let them refolve with Joshua, that whatever others do, they and their houfes will ferve the Lord.

CHA P. XI.

In order to reclaim the people, their attention is here called to the covenant made with their fathers.

I

2

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HE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, faying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and fpeak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants 3 of Jerufalem; And fay thou unto them, Thus faith the LORD God of Ifrael; Curfed [be] the man that obey4 eth not the words of this covenant, Which I commanded your fathers in the day [that] I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, out of their heavy afflictions, faying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: fo fhall 5 ye be my people, and I will be your God: That I may perform the oath which I have fworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as [it is] this day. Then anfwered I, and faid, So be it, O LORD, I, for my part, confent; as if he had faid, Whatever they do, I will be obedient; or rather, it may express the readiness with which the people confented to the covenant at first; all that the Lord hath spoken we will 6 do, Exodus xix. 8. Then the LORD faid unto me, Pro

claim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the ftreets of Jerufalem, faying, Hear ye the words of this 7 covenant, and do them. For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day [that] I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, [even] unto this day, rifing 8 early and protesting, faying, Obey my voice.

Yet

they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this cove

nant,

nant, all the threatenings denounced in it, which I com9 manded [them] to do; but they did [them] not. And the LORD faid unto me, A confpiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerufalem, to introduce idolatry and banish true religion: Some Steps toward a reformation were taken in Jofiah's time, but 10 they are now relapsed into their former idolatry: They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to ferve them: the house of Ifrael and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

II

Therefore thus faith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they fhall not be able to efcape; and though they fhall cry unto me, I will not 12 hearken unto them. Then fhall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerufalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incenfe: but they fhall not fave 13 them at all in the time of their trouble. For [according to] the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah, and [according to] the number of the streets of Jerufalem have ye fet up altars to [that] fhameful 14 thing, [even] altars to burn incenfe unto Baal. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear [them] in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble; I am determined not to hear; Ifee they are incorrigible, therefore 15 I would not have thy prayers be loft. What hath my beloved to do in mine houfe, [feeing] the hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flefh is paffed from thee? thy facrifices fhall not be acceptable; or rather, • Shall vows and holy flesh be allowed to come from thee?' › when thou doest evil, then thou rejoiceft; when thou art 16 malignant, shalt thou then rejoice? The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, [and] of goodly fruit; he expected fruit from thee, but as thou art unfruitful, therefore with the noife of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken; 17 thou shalt be utterly ruined by the Chaldeans. For the VOL. V. F f LORD

• Dr. BLAYNEY.

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