have a care of Religion, and particularly take care of perſons, who being mad or phrenetick, make themſelves Prophets. p The Priecfts had a power to. reſtrain ſuch perſons by impriſoning them, or put= ting them zn rhe Srocks, by which: moſt agree a pasticular puniſh= ment 1s expreſſed, but for the nature and way of it, -it is not deter- mined. Thole who in ſo i-certain a thing, have a mind to read what hath been ſaid, may find it both in Mr. Pool's S;nopſes Critico= rum,and the Eng ijþ Anmorations upon this verſe, but the Learned Au« thor of them reciting what Authors have ſaid, concludes it at laſt not with any certainty to be determined. - 27 Now theretore, why haſt thou not reproved Je- remiah of Anathoth, which maketh himſelf a propher to you 9. | | 7 He means it of an aQiive real Reproof, as appears by what went before, he would have had Jeremiah impritoned, or- put to that puniſhment which they called the Stocks, the nature of which wecannot determine, concluding him to be but a mad Man, and one who was not made a Prophet by any immediat miſſion from God, but had only made himlelt a Proper. p 28 For therefore he ſent unto us i» Babylon, ſaying, This captivity is long, build ye honſes, and dwell in them, and piant gardens, and ear the fruit of them ». | r The matter of fa&t was true, as appeared Yer: 5, 6. but it was falſe that it was the effeQ of Phrenzy, or that he ſpake this of his own head, withour commiſſion from God ; for he wrot nothing of this nature, but by order from God, as appeareth from ver. 4. where he began his Letter with ; Thus ſaithrhe Lord of Hojis the God of Iſrael. 29 And Zephaniah the prieſt read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet /: | ſ It is incertain whether Zephaniah did this out of kindneſs to Je- remiah, for we read he was tent to Jeremiah upon Meſlages, Chap: 21: 1. and 37: 3. from the K:ng, or becauſe he would not appre- hend him, before he heard him, and ler him know that he did no- thing againſt him, but upon information, &c. 39 Then came che word of the LORD unto Jere- miah, ſaying, F 31 Send co all them of the captivity, ſaying, Thus ſfaich the LORD, concerning Shemaiah the Nehela- mite, becauſe thatShemaiah hath propheſied unto you, and I ſent him not, andhe cauſed you to truſt in a lier. £ This is the great miſchief of falſe Teachers, they are the cauſes of peoptes truſting in lies, and fiom hence the fins of falſe Prophets
are ordinarily aggravated- . | NE 32 Therefore thus faith the LORD, Behold I will
puniſh Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his ſeed «: he ſhall not have a man to dwell among this people w nei- ther ſball he behoid the good that I will do for my peo- ple, faith the LORD x, becaufe he hath taught rebelli- on againſt the LORD y.
# Puniſhmeants of this life ordinarily are extended to«the Children of linful parents, for the Parents ſake, who are punithed in their Chil- dren, being Res parentum. a conſiderable part of their Parents Goods and portion. w He and his whole poſterity ſhall be rooted out, x And neither he nor they fhall live to the timg of my peoples re- turn from the Captivity of Babylon. y Becauſe by the fajſhoods which he hath taughr, he hath been an inſtrument to make people diſobey the Commands of God. We had the ſame clauſe, chap. 28. 16 and ſuch a kind of Threatning we find Amos 7: 17. denounced by thit Prropher againſt Amaſiah the Prieſt of Bethel, forbidding him to propheſie at Berzel, becauſe it was the King's Court and Chan pel. To obſtrut the Revelation of God's Will to people, or ra publiſh whar is centrary to it, to ſeduce people from believing it, or Yie!'d obedience, are both crimes that have been, and will be of fatal conſ<quence to them and their Families, who are ſo hardy as ro incur the guilt of them.
C HAP XXX. 0 God ſheweth Jeremiah the del-v:rance and return of the Jews, 1——9. He comf:rieth Jacob, 10 i'7- Their return ſhall be gracious, Wrath on the wicked, 18——=24. | | HE word that came to Jeremiah frem the LORD, ſaying #, LE Tos
a This Title is thought to extend to all we have, both in this and the next chapter, both which moſtly conſiſt of comfortable pro- miſes of the Reſtauration of this people, and teacheth us what ought to be the matter of our Sermons ; we ought to ſpeak nothing for ifle to come from the Lord, which all DoCtrine doth,that is bottomed on Scripture, though opened, & made more plain and inte! ligible by words formed in our own minds.
6 L 2 2 I hus
4
9:1 1. Aus | |
20. 2,
Chap. XXX. 7 12 KR {> 2 Thus ſpeaketh the LORD GOD of Iſrae!, ſaying, Write thee all the words that I have tpoxen unto thee in a book 5.
b It is uncertain whether this was a Command from God to Je- remiah to record all the Reve'arions which Goi had made to him, or only the Revelation contained in this, and theio;:lowing Chap- ter, which coafilts chiefly of promiſes of the Peoples reſtauration,
not be forgotren, bur be ar hand for the People co read during their Captivity: to keep up their {aith and hope in God. A Book 1n the Heirew Diale&, fignifierh any Parchment or Ro!l; God would have them recorded ro teſtific his Trath, a2d the T'cuch of the Prophet when chey ſhould ſee the things accompliſhed.
2 For lo, the days come, ſaith the LORD, that I
will brinz again the captivity of my people Ifrael and Judah c, faich the LORD, and I will cauſe them to re- turn to theland that gave to their fathers, and they ſhall poſſeſs it -.
c The reaſon why God wonld have the Prophecy written, was
for a memorial of God's T ruth in hi» Pronuies, | turned asto the Body ofthe Peop!e, butchole of the Ten Tribes
he Promiſes, Chap. 3- 12. 14.& 23. 3- & 31+ d I: is uncertain whether this promite of and were fuifilled in thoſe tew of the
ſe of Judah, after they