rienced ; :thers underitand it of thoſe Atts of injuſtice and vioe Jence which were found amongſt the Pzopie, he cryed out againſt them. Others underſtand itas a denunciation of Judgment. He pro- hefied that violence and ſpoil was coming up2n tnem.u Becauſe of that ſcorn and deriſfion with which they treated him. But others think that it were better tranſlated ſurely than bceanſe,as it is in many Texts. Iſs 60. 9. and 63. 16, &c. Icis not much material which way we tran{late it, for it appearerh from 2 Chron. 36. 16. That this Peoples mocking of God's Meſſing:rs, deſpiſing his word, and miſuſing his Prephets, was one great caule of riewrarth of God coming upon them and it- is certain that Jeremy was made ſuch a ſcorn and deriſion #0 Zthemy : : 9 Then I ſaid, T will not make mention of him, nor ſpeakany more in his name . Bur his word was 1n my heart as a * burning fire ſhut up in my bones, and]
was weary with forbearing, and * I could not Fay x.
w This daily ſcorn and reproach which the Prophet ſaw himſelt expoſed unto, for preaching againſt rhe ſin and wickedneſs of the people, was aſore Tempration upon him to lay down his Imploys ment as a Prophet. He did nor ſpeak this openly, bur he ſpake ir in his heart, he had ( as he confeiſerh ) many ſuch thoughts in his Breaſt, x But heſaith he was not able t» do what he thought to do, he found in his heart a conſtraint to go on, that v hen a Revelation came at any time from God unto him, it was like a fire in his Bones which he muſt quench, by uttering what God had reyealed to him ; ro © For I heard the defaming of many, fear .on every ſide y : Report ſay they, and we will reportit & :
* all my familiars warched for my halting 4, ſaying, Peradventure he will be enriced, and we ſhall prevail againſt him b, and we {ball take our revenge 0n him c.
y The Prophet hererendereth a reaſon why he thought of giving over his work as a Prophet,his ears were continually filled with the Oblequies and Reproaches of ſuch as reproached him, and beſides, he was afraid on all hands there were ſo many Traps laid for him,
78 & EE if
ſo many Devices devited againſt him. They did nor only take all
advantages againſt him, bur they ſought advantages and z invired
others to raile up falſe Stories of him. They {ſaid to Men like
ves. Raiſe but you the Report, we will blow it abroad. a - —_ Srangers, be rbaſh rhat I might have expeRted the greateſt kindneſs from, thoſe that prerended moſt courteouſly, watched for opportunities to do me miſchief, and lay in wait for my halting. ing morethan that I might be enticed to ſpeak or
b Deſiring nothi do mane Fac which they might make marter of a collourable Ac- cuſation. c Thar ſo they might fatisfie their malice upon me.
This hath always been the genius of wicked Men ; Job and David borh made Comp/ainrs much likethis, Job 19. 19. Plal- 31. 13. and 55. 12,13, 14+ Tous it fared with Chriſt himſelf. The ſame Spie 1it which yer p-ſſeflech wicked Men, was found 1n wicked Men in 411 former times. And this oughr to be a great relief to the peo» pic of God n:ader the like meatures. to conſider that the Servants are not above their Lord, and wicked Men thus of 01d perſecuted the
Prophets.
£4 | | Chap. XMil 1x Bu: the LORD 7 with me as a mighty terrible | one « : therefore my perſecutors ſhall {tumble, and | they ſhall not * prevail e, they ſhall be grearly aſbam- Mi ede, for they ſhall nor proſper f, * their everlaſting con-* C'-ap.|| fulion ſhall never be forgotten pg. . If
T5. 20. . AR
4 The Propher recovering himſelf out of his fit of Paſſion, in» x . 7. 18. \Fnng
courageth himſeJf in his God, whom he calls the mighty and ters '3*-haP, ||
rible one, ſo declaring his Faith in the Power of God, as one able - 3 4% ||
to ſave him andjn the Promiſe ad good Will of God toward him;
therefore he ſaith, The Lord is with me, ſuch was the promiſe of God
to this Prophet, when he firſt undertook the. Prophetical Office,
Chap, 1. 8. Be not afraid of their Faces, for 1 am with thee to deliver
thee faith the Lord. . e From thence he concludeth, that though he
had many that purſued after his Life, yer' they ſhould ſtumble
in their ways of violence, and ſhould nor prevail. + « That, they
ſhould either be aſhamed of whar they had done, or be brought ro
thame for what they had done. f For p:oſper they ſhould nor, or
they ated like Fools, and did nct deal prudently for. themſelves
( ſo this word is tranſlated, 7. 52. 13.) g They ſhould come to a
reproach and ignominy, and their reproach ſhould not delike his
for a time, bur it ſhould be a laſting, perpetual reproach that ſhou!d
not be forgotten. , This was not only written for that Generation,
but for all Generations thar are yet to come; and hath been made
good in the experience of all Ages paſt. 'The-Perſecurers of God's
Miniſters have found that God hath been with his Minitters a&cor-
ding to his Promiſe, Marth. 28. 20. and that they have ſ{tumbled'ia |
their way,and-not at laſt prevailed, that they have not ated prudent» ll
ly for their own good, and the good of their Families » that-a-per« (iI8WE
petual ignominy clave to the memory of thoſe who haveibeeneme ; lit |
ployed in this Work. There ſtands to this day. a blot upon the; |
memory of them who perſecuted 1ſaiah, Jeremiah, &c. The Apoſtles;
and ſuch faithfn] Miniſters as have been fince their cine, tad | 12 But, O LORD of hoſts, tha trieſt the righte-
ous, and iceſt the rains and the hearth, ler me fee thy
vengeance on them 3: for unto thee have I opened my
cauſe &. 2 vo a da coin Te þ The Prophet had Chap. 17. 10. ſpoken unto God under this notion ; here he appealeth te him as ſuch, who therefore muſk needs ſee as well the Prophet's ſincerity, as his Enemies Malice. 5 For his Prayer againſt his Enemies, it is of the ſame- nature with what we met with Chap 17. 29. indeed this whole Verſe is the ſame: with that of David, Pſal. 58. 10. propheſying - that, the. righteous ſhould rejoyce when they ſee the vengeance which God brings on. his Enemies z bur yer the Prophet ſeems in this Petition to have ſhewed himſelf a Man ( as the Apoſtle ſpeaks of Eh:ah ) ſubje& to like Paſſions wirhs other Men, for although:God ſometimes in his Providence, cauſetla Vengeance to come upon his, and his Peoples Enemies 1n- their ſight, yer whether they may abſolutely pray for it is a queſtion. See the notes on Chap. 118. 20, 13 Sing unto the LORD, praiſe ye the LORD, for he hath delivered the ſoul of the poor, from the hand