a God's deſign, by what 1s recorded in this Chapter, is by two Types, as in two Glaſſes, to ler the People underſtand by the Pros pher, how he looked upon them, and what they were in his Eyes, and alſo what he would do unto them, and they might expett from him, ro this purpoſe he directeth the Prophet to procure himſelf a Girdle, not woolen bur {ine made of Flax, or the like, and to put it not upon his Clothes, bur upon his Loins, to lignifie, ( as ſome think ) that this people were a peeple whom God hadfmade near to him. He commands him not to put it in watery t& ſoften it, as ſome think ; Linen newly made, before it 1s wetted in water, being rough ; and this they conceive the Prophet was torbidden, for a further Type of the ſtiffneſs and roughneſs, and ſtubbornneſs ef this People. Others think,totyprfie that God was no cauſe of this Peoples rotting, and growing Corrupt. :
2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD 5, and put zt on my loins: c.
b That is according to God's Command. c And uſed it as God commanded me, never diſputing the reaſon, why God bid me do {uch a thing.
2 And che word of the LORD came unto me the {e- cond time, faying, -
4 Take the girdle that thou haſt got, which 7s upon thy loins, and ariſe, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in an hole of the rock d.
d God having commanded the Prophet to procure ſuch a Girdle as was before mentioned, and ro tye it upon his Loins, he a fecond time comes to him and commanderh him ro take this Girdle and car- ry it to Eyphratess This was one of the four great Rivers that the River our of the Garden of Eden divided it ſelf into, Gen. 2. 10, I 4s Ic was the border of the Promiſed Land, Ger. 15. 18. Dent. x: 7, 11.24. 1 Chron. 5. 9. Reuben's Lot was bounded by it. The Prophet was com- - manded to hide his Girdle, in the hole of a Rock in that River. Bur why there 2 Were there not other places nearer, where the Prophet mivht have hid it? Ir is judged by ſome, that this Command was alſo to fignific unto them, that they ſhould be carried out of their own Borders into Captivity, oi rather that they had corrupted, and were become rotten, by doing after the faſhions and manners of rhe Hea:hens, who lived on the other fide of Evphrates always but having
M E 4 A H. ( an hundred years befur2 this } Cuptivated the Ten Tribes, lived a!to on this fide of jt. |
5 So [ went and hid it by Euphrates as the LORD
commanded me e. | |
.£ Moſt think that Jeremiah did this but in a Vifian, for it was 8 very long Journey for the P:opher to take to go f om Anathnth, or Hieruſalem as far as Euphrates. fergmiah was obedient to God's Com mand, without any diſputing or 25xing God the meaning of this Ir.5 junttion to him. | | FOE IN
6 And it came to paſs after many days that the
LORD faid unto me, Arie, go to Euphrates, and taks the girdle from thence, which F commanded thee to hide there f. CREEP |
f God who had bidden the Prophet go 2nd hide the linen Girdle, after ſome conliderable time ſpeaks again to him te goand take it a- way from the place where he had lodged it. ;
7 Then LI went to Euphrates and digged, and took
the girdle from the place where I had hid it g, and behold the girdle was marred, and it was profitable for nothing hb. ,
£ Whether the Propher really made ſuch a journey,or all this was but a Viſion is very uncertain. þ When he came tothe place, or in his Viſion, he thought when he came to the place, that be ſaw all the girdle rotted, and good for nothing but ro be thrown upon a Dunghill.
8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, ſay-
1nN
9 Thus faich the LORD, Afeer this manner-will I
_ the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerufa- em 3,
z By this it appears that God commanded Jeremiah todo this, not only us a repreſentation of the rotten and corrupt ſtate ofthis People, but of his Vengeance which ſhould ſuddenly be brought upon themy though they were a proud people lifted up and ſwelled in the Opinion of themſelves, from the tavour which God had ſhewed them, in making them a People near unto him,and as it were wearing them up- on his Lows, yet they having corrupted themſelves by mixing their ftreams with the fſireams of Euphrates, corrupting them- ſelves with the Superſtitions, corruptions and Idolatries of Heathens,
and in ſome of thoſe Nations with whom, and by whoſe Example they had finned againſt the Lord. This ſente of theſe words is much confirmed by the following words.
10 This evil people which refuſe to hear my words,
them (hal even be as this girdle, which is good for no- thing &. |
k Hitherto the Prophet had yielded a blind obedience to God, dos» ing what he commanded him though he poflibly knew no other reaſon for it, but becauſe God bade him do ſo ( which is an Homage we owe unto God, though to none but him ) now God expounds himſelf what he meant co teach the . Jews by this, viz. That he did intend that they ſhould be conſumed by the People beyond the River Euphrates, as that Girdle was there marred, and he alſo ſhews them, that their own fins in diſobeying his word, and following the imaginations of their own hearts, particularly their Idolatry,' was what had brought this ſore Judgement upon them. |
11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, ſo have I cauſed to cleave unto me the whole houſe of Ifrael, and the whole houſe of Judah, faich the LORD, that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praiſe, and for a glory /: but they would not hear wn
1 Here God openeth to the Prophet, why he commanded him to put the Girdle abour his Loins, viz. to ſhew that he of his ſingular favour, had uſed the Jews as a Man uſecth his Girdle which hefaſtey- eth about his Loins, and as a Man weareth his Girdle, made up of ſome coſtly Materials for an honour and praiſe to bim, ſo God's deſign in honouring this People, wearing them as a Girdle, was, that they might bring him honour and glory, living to his praiſe, inthe obedience of his Commands, eſpecially fuch Commands as related ro to his Worſhip. m2 But they would not anſwer God's defigns, nor hearken to any Counſels of that nature which he gave them, and therefore he was reſo)ved to pluck them from his Loins, and to ſuf- fer them to rot, and conſume as that Girdle was rotted. See Pſal. $1. from Verſe 8, to the end, which the Author of the Znglijh An« notations ſaith well, is an excellent Commear on this Texte