is no other than the chriftian covenant; for there will be no diftinction between them and other christians in that day, except their fettlement in their own land. This covenant then God makes with us; and every clause of it deferves our attention. He will write his laws upon our hearts, will enable us to understand them, and difpofe us to conform to them, as a copy to the original: he will teach us by the clear difcoveries of his gofpel, and the labours of his minifters; and alfo by the influences of his fpirit: for the best interpreter of fcripture, Jefus Chrift, explains this promife, of immediate divine teaching. The great obftacle to divine illumination, fanctification, and comfort, is fin; it is therefore promised, that fin fhall be pardoned. We have full affurance of this under the gofpel. Let us rejoice and be thankful that we are under this covenant of grace; be ever mindful of it; heartily comply with the terms on which these bleffings are promised; and earneftly pray that God would thus pardon, teach, fanctify, and fave us.

2. From the continued providence of God in the support and government of the univerfe, we may affuredly argue, that his promises will be fulfilled. He lights up the fun and the moon; manages this wide, unmeasurable world; rules the fea; keeps every thing in its proper place, and every creature in its proper office; he can therefore do any and all of thofe wonderful things which he hath promised. He hath preferved the jews a distinct people, notwithstanding the trouble and perfecution they have every-where met with; so that they are not loft among the nations; while whole communities that have enflaved and perfecuted them, have been fo. He has fupported the world for the fake of the church, and for the execution of his purposes; therefore we may be sure that the jews shall be restored, and the gospel spread over the earth. Let it be our hearts' defire and prayer, that Ifrael may be faved; and let us in the mean time hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful who hath promifed.

CHAP.

CHA P. XXXII.

In which we have an account of Jeremiah's imprisonment; his complaint to God; the prophecy of the captivity is confirmed; and the promife of a gracious return.

I

HE word that came to Jeremiah from the

TH

LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which [was] the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, and one year before the destruction of Jerusalem. 2 For then the king of Babylon's army befieged Jerufalem and Jeremiah the prophet was fhut up in the court of the prifon, which [was] in the king of Judah's 3 house. For Zedekiah king of Judah had fhut him up, faying, Wherefore doft thou prophefy, and fay, Thus faith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he fhall take it, and 4 fo difhearten the people from defending it; And Zedekiah king of Judah fhall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but fhall furely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and fhall fpeak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes fhall behold his eyes; 5 he fball fee him look with fierceness and indignation; And he fhall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there fhall he be until I vifit him, or his pofterity, faith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye fhall not profper.

4

6 And Jeremiah faid, The word of the LORD came 7 unto me, faying, Behold, Hanameel the fon of Shallum thine uncle fhall come unto thee, faying, Buy thee my field that [is] in Anathoth, which was three miles from Jerufalem, fo that it was now in the power of the Chaldeans: for the right of redemption [is] thine to 8 buy [it.] So Hanameel mine uncle's fon came to me in the court of the prifon, according to the word of the LORD, and faid unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that [is] in Anathoth, which [is] in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance [is] thine, and the redemption [is] thine; buy [it] for thyfelf. Then I knew that this [was] the word of the LORD, and done

by

9 by his fpecial direction. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's fon, that [was] in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, [even] seventeen fhekels 10 of filver; about forty fhillings. And I fubfcribed the

evidence, and fealed [it,] and took witneffes, and II weighed [him] the money in the balances. So I took the evidence of the purchase, [both] that which was fealed [according] to the law and cuftom, and [that which was] open; the original and counterpart, or, the deed of affignment that was fealed, and the certificate of the wit12 nefes: And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the fon of Neriah, the fon of Maafeiah, in the fight of Hanameel mine uncle's [fon,] and in the prefence of the witneffes that fubfcribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that fat in the court of the prifon.

13 14 And I charged Baruch before them, faying, Thus faith the LORD of hosts, the God of Ifrael; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is fealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen veffel, that they may continue many days; may be hid under ground for greater fecurity, and 15 produced after the captivity. For thus faith the LORD of hofts, the God of Ifrael; Houfes and fields and vineyards fhall be poffeffed again in this land.

16

n

and

Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchafe unto Baruch the fon of Neriah, I prayed unto 17 the LORD, faying, Ah Lord GoD! behold, thou haft made the heaven and the earth by thy great power ftretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for 18 thee: Thou fhoweft loving kindnefs unto thoufands, and recompenfeft the iniquity of the fathers into the bofom of their children after them: the Great, the 19 Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, [is] his name, Great in counsel, and mighty in work, or execution: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the fons of men:

n

to

Jeremiah, did as God commanded him, but he wanted to understand this myfterious providence; perhaps he thought that the threatening was revoked, and therefore prayed to God for an explanation.

to give every one according to his ways, and according 20 to the fruit of his doings: Which haft fet figns and wonders in the land of Egypt, which are remembered, [even] unto this day, and in Ifrael, and among [other] men, the nations round about, and haft made 21 thee a name, as at this day; And haft brought forth thy people Ifrael out of the land of Egypt with figns, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a 22 ftretched out arm, and with great terror; And haft given them this land, which thou didst fwear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and 23 honey; And they came in, and poffeffed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing, comparatively, of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou haft caufed all this 24 evil to come upon them: Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the fword, and of the famine, and of the peftilence and what thou haft fpoken is come to pafs; 25 and, behold, thou feeft [it.] And thou haft faid unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money; and take witnesses; for, or altho', the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and therefore I have no prospect of enjoying it.

26

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, 27 faying, Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh Is there any thing too hard for me? I can easily 28 furmount all the difficulties thou forefeeft. Therefore thus

faith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchad29 nezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, fhall come and fet fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incenfe unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, in the most 30 open, audacious manner, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Ifrael and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth; for the children of Ifrael have only provoked me to anger

31 with the work of their hands, faith the LORD. For this city hath been to me [as] a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it, from Solomon's time, when it was beautified and completed then their idolatry began, and has continued even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face; 32 therefore I will withdraw my protection from it, Because of all the evil of the children of Ifrael and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and in33 habitants of Jerufalem. And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rifing up early and teaching [them,] yet they have not 34 hearkened to receive inftruction. But they fet their

abominations.in the house, which is called by my name, 35 to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which [are] in the valley of the fon of Hinnom, to caufe their fons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to fin.

36

And now therefore thus faith the LORD, the God of Ifrael, concerning this city, whereof ye fay, in the language of despair, It fhall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, to be destroyed by the fword, and 37 by the famine, and by the peftilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them them again unto this 38 place, and I will cause them to dwell fafely: And they 39 fhall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, a new heart, no more divided between God and idols, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their child40 ren after them: And I will make an everlasting cove

nant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, 41 that they fhall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them