@ The Petition is of the ſame nature as before a petition for mer- ,, g cy as the produ&tt of that piry and compaſſion which extream miſery * DR ; begets in good Souls ( and is aſcribed unto God though found in : him in a much more perfe& degree, Pſal. 78. 38. ar.d 86 35. and feek.o.ce: 111.4. ) through the eyes affetting the heart. b The argument OMP the Propher uſcth is drawn from the miſery this people was now in, which he expreſſeth meraphorically, telling us their Bowels were troubled, their Heart turned, ſignifying the more inward di. ſturbance of their mind; or more plainly, and that both generally ſaying they were in diſtreſs, and more particularly by the great Judgments of the Sword, and Famine, the Sword in the Field, the Famine in the City ; unleſs the Sword alone be meant both with. out and within the Gates of the City. In all this the Church juſti- fieth God, confeſſing this was bur rhe righteous produt of her ſin, by which, ſhe having formerly ſubjeQed her ſelf to God, had grie- vouſly rebelled ; for as-all Men are born Subje&s ro God, ſo by their ſins they are become Rebels, ſo it 1s a great aggravation of Mens Rebellion againſt the Lord, when they have formerly taken an Oath of fealty tothe Lord, and as Moſes ſaid, avoucked the Lord as their God.
21 They have heard that I ſigh c, rhere is none to comfort me 4: all mine enemies heard of my trouble, they are glad that thou haſt done ite : thou wilt *bring * 7g, 13; the day rbat thou haſt || called, and they ſhall be like un- &c. Jer. to me f. 46. & Co
c The Nations contiguous to me, Ezypr, &c. thoſe that before ! Or, £r0« courted me, as pretended Friends have been no ſtrangers ro my bit-= clarmeas ter afflitions, that have brought forth ſighs from me. 4 Burt there
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i5none of them can or will comfort me, but give meover as in a deſparate caſe. e The Edomites, Obad. 1. &c. and Moabites and os ther Heathen Nations, with whom I have had hoſtility, they are glad at the great miſery that hath befallen me. f Burthou haſt de- clared thy pleaſure for their deſtruftion alſo, and haſt by me pre- claimed it, Jer. 49. and 5o. and thou ſhalt in thatday bring them into as ſad a condition as the Church of the Jews are now in- Ag they ſeldom in themſelves feel thoſe Miſeries, which they have fele and compaſſionated in others : So Men hardly eſcape ther own thare at laſt in thoſe evils which they have rejoyced to ſee brought upon God's people. |
22 Let all their wickedneſs come before thee : and do unto them as thou haſi done unto me for all my tranſ- + greflions: for my ſighs are many, and my heart is faintg.
£ This Verſe 1s another prophetical Curſe or Imprecation, ſeve- ral of which we meet with in Holy Write, P/al. 109, 6, 7, 8, g. and 137. 8. Fer, I1. 20. and I8. 23. and in many other Texts, which would inclineus to think that our Saviour's Precept, Matth. 5. 44- to pray for thoſe that perſecute us, backed by his own Example, Luke 23+ 34+ and Stephen's, Afs 7.60. is either to be interpreted of praying for the forgivenneſs of their fins, ( we ouglit to deſire the e- ternal Condemnaticn of none : ) orto be reſtrained to ſuch as are our perſonal Enemies, not the common Enemies ofthe Church of God. Our Saviour's Precept moſt certainly is not to be ſo Inter- preted, bur that we may lawfully pray for ſuch Evils to the impla- caple Enemies of the Church, and people of God as may reſtrain and weaken their hands, and put them out of a capacity of waſting the Lord's Heritage ; we are only obliged by ir to wiſh well to their Souls, and to deiire no evil againſt them outof private Revenge or
Malice, but only out ofLove to Ged, 2nd Zeal for his Glory ; bur for
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LES _ TI ITED
Chap. II.
for their outward Proſperity in their Courſes of Enmity we ought no more to pray, than againſt their eternal Salvation ; for this were to beg of God to Encourage his Enemies in their, enmity againſt him. And though Jeremiah were a greater Prophet than any of us can pretend, and had Revelations of Particular future Contingencies which we have not; yet every one may prophelie a ruine to the Enemies of Gods Church and People, and ſuch as re- joyce in their ruine ; God never uſing a Rod againſt his People, which he doth nor at laſt burn,nor ever countenancing Inhumanity in any ,but much leſs when it is rooted in a malice againſt himſelf, and his intereſt in the World. CHAP. IL Jeremiah lamenteth the Miſery of Jeruſalem ; and its Carſes ; and therr Enemies derifugn, 1 17. An Exhortation to true Sorrow aud Repent- ance, @ fervent Prayer 18 =m— yz, : Ow hath the LORD covered the daughter of Zi- on with a cloudin his anger 4,and caſt down from heaven to the earth the daughter of Iſrael b,and remem- bred not his footſtool in the day of his anger c'!
a Ir hath been formerly obſerved that great States and Kingdoms are often in Scripture expreſſed under the notion of daughters, Pſal. 137. 8: Iſa. 47. 1. 5. Lament. 4. 21, 22. Jer. 46, 11.1ſa. 10. 30. the meaning is, how hath God obſcured all the beauty and glory of the Church and State of the Jews. b Thar is,thrown them down from the higheſt pitch of Glory and Honour, to the meaneſt degree of Baſeneſs and Servitude. c The Earth is called the Lord's Foot- ſtool, Iſa, 66. 1. Matthe 5. 35. LAFs 7.49. buthere plainly the Tem- Ple is underſtood, called Gods Foot-ſtool, 1 Chron. 28. 2. and the whole Temple ſeems rather to be underſtood,than the 4rk,for we read of no indignity offered tothe Ark by the Chaldeans,more than to any other part of the Temple; God had tuffered the Chald:ans to burn the whole Temple, and it may juſtly be doubted whether thole other Texts that mention a-worſhipping at Gods Foot-ſtool, Pſal. 99, 5.: and 132. 7. be not to be underſtood of worſhipping in the Temple for it was not the privilge of all the Jews to come {o near the Ark as to worſhip before that : The reaſon of the complaint is Gods per-. miſſion of the Chaldeans to burn the Temple. See Fer. 52. 13.
2 The LORD hach ſwallowed up all the habitation
of Jacob, and hath nor pitied 4d: he hath thrown dowa
+ Heb. 172a4 to.
p dah e : he hathtbrought them down to the ground : he rouch.