þ From hence may be concluded the certainty oſfuture contin gency in God's Eye; the coming of Hanameel, was a future con- ringency, yet certainly known to God, fo as he could tell the Pro. pher he would come, # Anathoth ( as appears from Jefb, 21. 18.) was one of the Cities of the Lewitrs; herceariſerh a queſtion, how it could beſo!d to Jeremah, who by the Law might notpofleſs it, Num: 18, 20, being a Levite, Some excule it from the Commard of God, who mighr diſpenſe with his own Law, but this ſeemeth not enough, becauſe it is ſaid afterwards, 7he Right of Redemption ir thme, 2 Others therefore ſay the Lewv:tes might have fome ſmall Poſſeſhons, rhough no plowed Land; They might have Houſes and Orchards, and Gardens, in Cities and Suburbs. Bur that theſe might be ſold ſeemerh contrary to the Law, Levit. 25. 34. It is therefore rather thoughr to be meant of ſome ſmall Eſtate left to Hanameel from his Anceſtors, k Th? right of Redemption belonced ro the nex: of Kin. Lev. 25. 25. Ruth. 4. qi F
8 So:Hanameel my uncles fon came to mein tle court of the prifon, accordirg to the word of the LORD J, and faid unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that 7s in Annathoth, which #s in the country of Benjamin; for the righr of inheritance js thine, and the redemption 3s thine, buy 3z for thy ſelf; then I knew that this was the word of the LORD ms.
I Hanameel came freely, none drave, or forced him, vet he came neceſſarily as to the event, he could not but go, elſe Gcd had not rold the Prophet truth. » When I ſaw it came to paſs. knowing that God alone knew what was in M*ns hearts. and whar they would do, Iknew my former mentioned Revelation was from God.
9 And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncles ſon
even ||{eventeen ſhekels of ſilver ».
Field here mentioned to be but ſome Orchard or Garden; tho we muſt allow the price of Land ſtrangely fallen at this time, when the Enemy was beſieging the chiet Ciry ofthe Country. It ſhould ſeem they were wont there to make their Payments,more by weight than by Tale.
io And Tf ſubſcribed the evidence, and ſealed zz,
and took witneſſes, and weighed him the money in
the ballances o. o I went through with thePurchaſe,ſetting my hand to, and ſeal ing the deed, and taking Wirtnefles to it, (as is uſual )
1x So 1 took the evidence of the purchaſe, both that which was ſealed according to the law and cuſtom, and that which was open þ.
p Iris moſt probable, that uponſuch Bargains and Sales amongſt the Jews, two Inſtruments were made, the one ſealed up, to be kept by thePurchaſer, the other open, ro be ſhewed to the Jud- ges, and by them ratified, and that this was the Law and Cuſtom ordinarly amongſt the Jews upon Purchaſes ; both which Jeremy kept, the one for his uſe, the other to produce in Court for Ratifi= cation. There 1s no certainty inthe guefles that ſome otkers make why there were two Copies: Nothing appeareth but that the Pro- phet bought this lictle Purchaſe with the ſame Rites and Circum- ſtances that Men ordinarily in that: Country made Purchaſes in times of Peace, and civil order. :
Iz And I gave the evidence of the purchaſe unto Baruch the ſon of Neriah, the ſon of Maaſeiah 9, in
the ſightofHanameel my uncles ſon,and in the preſence
of the * witneſſes, that ſubſcribed the book of the pur-
priſons.
9 This Baruch ( as appeareth from Chap. 36. 4, 26. ) was a Scribe and an attendantupon Jeremieh, and one who wrote things for him and from his Mouth. r He made this purchaſe with. all che uſual Formalities ; to make it publick, he ſigned and ſealed ittefore Wit- nefles, and delivered it to Baruch, to kzep in the preſence of them all, and in the preſence of the Jews, who caſually were in the place when the thing was done, 8
13 © AndI charged Baruch before them, ſaying, 14 Thus ſaith the LORD ofhoſts, the God of Iſrae!, Take theſe evidences, this evidence of the purchaſe, both which is ſealed, and this evidence which is open, and put them in an earthen veſſel, that they may con-
tinue many days. i5 For thus faith the LORD ofhoſts, the Godof Iſrael, Houſes and fields, and vineyards ſhall be pot-
{efſed again in this land /. JS Here is nothing of any ſeeming difficulty in, theſe Verſes, but
an Earthen Veſſel, which himſelfalſo expounds,that they might con» tinue many days, that is, not defaced ;had they been hid many days inthe Earth: they would have beenrotten ; had they been a- bove ground in a Box or Cheſt, they might have been loſt, or taken away by the Soldier's plundering houſes, or at leaſt bury with fire Perſe x 5. The Prophet expounds Gods Mzaning in this Command to him, and his own Deſign, in ſo formal a buying of ſo ſmall a Purchaſe, eſpecially conſidering, that very probably, Jcren:iah was no great Purchaſer, nor very greedy of Purchaſes: Helets them know that all this was fora ſign ot rhe Truth of what God had revealed to him concerning the Peop!c's Return, though after
many days ( fixty years from this time )-and alſo of the firm | allens
only why the Prophet commandeth Baruch to put the Evidences in '
that was in Anathoth, and weighed him che money, l or ſow
xkels, and » That 1sabout 21. 25.6.4, a ſmall Purchaſe, wh'ch argues the - _
of filver.
+ Heb: wrote 7%
the book.
chaſe, before all the Jews that ſat in the court of the * See
« 2%
_— ATED. _
WINTY
Ute G4) ras
ale Dir
CREED = II ME
for » Ene gines of ſor,
® Jol 20.
Pſal:; Prov:
Ch *Ch:1
PPx6: ( 2 Fam; 23.1Ch I7: 2I.,
þ. IS .-
"Sov,
AGEL br Ubi Gif nd in. - abr
Chap. XX XII. 5
aſſent he gave to that divine Revelation. That Purchaſes ſhou! one day be enjoyed again in Judes, and Houſes, Fields, and Vines»yards in it, ſhould be again poſſeſſed.
16 Q Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchaſe unto Baruch the fon of Neriah, I prayed