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desolation of their country, and so obstinately continued in their sins, that they hearkened not to what Jeremiah had spoken to them in the name of the Lord. They even proceed to such excess of rage and impiety, as to tell him, that since they had left off sacrificing to idols, they had met with nothing but misfortunes; that this had brought upon them war and famine; and therefore they were resolved to continue to worship false gods. This is an example of desperate wickedness, and most horrid impiety, especially in people that knew God, and had lately felt the weight of his judgments for falling into idolatry. But when men have once forsaken God, they grow continually worse and worse, and so hardened, that adversity itself cannot tame them; and therefore God, seeing they are incorrigible, forsakes them utterly. Thus it happened to those unhappy Jews who retired into Egypt; they were destroyed with the Egyptians, by war and famine, as Jeremiah and the other prophets had foretold; Nebuchadnezzar conquered the king of Egypt and the Jews, who thought to find a refuge in that king's dominions, perished there in a miserable manner.

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CHAPTER XLV.

THE Lord comforts Baruch, who lamented for the hardness of the Jews; and promises to take care of him, when the city of Jerusalem should be taken by the Chaldeans. This should be referred to the time preceding the destruction of that city, and to the thirty-sixth chapter of this book.

Reflections.

WHAT is here to be observed is, that the servants of God ought not to abandon themselves to too much sorrow, nor be discouraged, when their ministry is rejected; but always discharge the duties of their calling, in full assurance that God will be their pro

tector.

CHAPTER XLVI.

Jeremiah foretells, that the Egyptians should be twice defeated by the Babylonians; first at Carchemish on the river Euphrates, where Pharaoh Necho was conquered; and then afterwards in Egypt itself, where Nebuchadnezzar carried war and desolation, in the time of Pharoah Hophrah. Jeremiah also foretells that the Jews should return from the captivity. These predictions were made before the destruction of Jerusalem.

Reflections.

THE predictions contained in this chapter were exactly accomplished, Nebuchadnezzar having twice defeated the Egyptians; once near the river Euphrates, in the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah; and the next, when he marched into Egypt, and subdued it, and carried the inhabitants into captivity, after he had taken the city of Tyre, which happened after the taking of Jerusalem. By this means God was pleased to punish the Egyptians, and at the same time to chastise those Jews who took shelter in that country, contrary to the command of God, since a great number of Jews perished in that war. ever it must be observed, that the prophet foretells, that after this, Egypt should be inhabited; and, indeed, the Egyptians did return into their own country, as Ezekiel expressly declares. Lastly, We here see, that God comforts the Jews, promising to restore them, and destroy the nations who had oppressed them. Thus we see that God, amidst all the changes and revolutions that happen in the world, is ever the preserver and protector of his church.

CHAPTER XLVII.

How

Jeremiah foretells, that the Babylonians should subdue the Philistines, Tyrians, and Zidonians.

Reflections.

THE Philistines, as well as the Tyrians and Zidonians, were conquered and subdued by Nebuchadnezzar; God having determined to punish them for the injuries done to the Jews.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

Jeremiah denounces the woes that were to fall on the Moabites. He foretells that Nebo, Kirjath-haim, and Heshbon, and other cities here mentioned, should be destroyed, and they carried into captivity; but that they should be restored.

Reflections.

THIS chapter contains a very particular detail of the calamites that were to come upon the Moabites in all their cities, and throughout their whole country; which is exactly conformable to what the prophet Isaiah had foretold before, as we read in the 15th and 16th chapters of his prophecy. All this was fulfilled soon after the taking of Jerusalem, when the Chaldeans came and ravaged that country. We learn from this chapter, that their idolatry, their insufferable pride, and the insults they had offered to the Jews, drew upon them the severe effects of the Divine vengeance.

CHAPTER XLIX.

THE prophet denounces the judgments of God against the Ammonites, the Edomites, the Syrians, the Arabians, and the Elamites.

Reflections.

In this chapter we see, that when Jerusalem was assaulted and taken by the Chaldeans, and the Jews carried into captivity, God poured out his judgments the nations here mentioned. God treated them thus, because they had very much injured his people; and to convince those idolatrous nations, that the God

upon

whom the Jews worshipped was the only true God, and the supreme Lord of all things. And that it might be past doubt he was the dispenser of all these events, he was pleased his prophets should foretell them beforehand, and commit their predictions to writing; and the exact completion of these prophecies prove the divine authority of them.

CHAPTER L.

THIS chapter declares that the idols of Babylon, whose names were Bel and Merodach, should be destroyed; and that the Babylonians should be destroyed by the Medes and Persians, after they had oppressed the Jews, and other nations mentioned in the foregoing chapters; and that then the Jews would be set at liberty, and return into their own country.

Reflections.

THIS prophecy foretells two considerable events; the destruction of the Babylonians, and the deliverance of the Jews. As to the first of these events, it is to be observed, that after God had chastised the Jews, the Egyptians, and other nations, whose ruin Jeremiah had foretold, by means of the king of Babylon; the Babylonians themselves were punished in their turn, and fell under the dominion of the Medes and Persians. God thought fit it should happen, as Jeremiah foretold it would, to prove that the gods of the Babylonians were but false gods, to confound their pride, and to punish them for their injustice and tyranny, and particularly for reviling the true God, destroying his temple, abolishing his worship, and oppressing his people. The other event taken notice of in this prophecy, is the deliverance of the Jews, which happened at the same time; they being set at liberty by Cyrus king of Persia, after he had taken Babylon, and were afterwards protected by the successors of that prince. In the completion of these two predictions of Jeremiah, let us acknowledge the

truth and divinity of these prophecies, and at the same time the power of God, his justice and love to his people. Lastly, God revealed these things to Jeremiah, and would have the Jews informed of them, in order to support and comfort them when they were going to fall into the hands of the Chaldeans.

CHAPTER LI.

THE prophet continues to foretell the destruction of Babylon and the Babylonish empire. He says, that after God has chastised several nations, and especially the Jews, by means of the king of Babylon, that city should be taken; that the Babylonish monarchy should be destroyed; and that then the captive Jews should be set at liberty, and return to Jerusalem with joy. This prophecy Jeremiah gave in writing to Seraiah one of Zedekiah's principal officers, who was going to Babylon with a message from the king his master; he ordered him to read it as soon as he arrived there, and when he had done reading it, to fasten it to a stone, and throw it into the river Euphrates: thereby to express the certainty of the destruction of that city.

Reflections.

THIS very remarkable prophecy, which was fulfilled threescore years after it was first made, is an exact prediction of the taking of Babylon, and of the several circumstances attending that memorable event. Jeremiah says, that great city would be taken by the Medes and Persians after a long siege; that though the inhabitants of Babylon thought themselves secure in the strength of their city, and the advantage of their situation, since it was surrounded by the waters of the river Euphrates; yet the enemies should enter in, after they had turned the course of that river, and dried up the other waters that were about the city. He adds that the king of Babylon should not hear the news, till the enemies had entered the city at one end: and that this should come upon him, when he was in the height of joy,