prophetsajſo find no viſioh from the LORD 8. 2:5. 6,7. with Rubbiſh. s The Bolts of the Gates are broken. and the Nobles of Judah that were not ſlain were in miſerable Cap. 26 tivity. c The Law was no more read and opened, nor was there *' any more Sacrifices offered according ro the preſcript of ir, nor any ſolemn feaſts kept according to the direction of it. 4 They had but very few Prophets amongſt them from this time to the time of the Goſpel, and very few of thoſe at this time alive had any Re- velations from God, we read only of this Prophet, Ezekiel, Daniel, and three after the Captivity, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachy. $.- 10 The elders ofthe daughter of Zion ſit upon the * Job 2. ground, and keep ſilence e : they have * caſt up duſt '* upon their heads ; they have girded themſelves with ſackcloth ; the virgins of Jeruſalem hang down their heads tothe ground e. © EY e Sitting upon the ground, keeping ſilence, throwing Duſt on their Heads, girding themſelves with Sackcloth, hanging down the Head, were all of them Poſtures and aftions and Geſtures of Mour- ners. The meaning of this whole Verſe is, that the whole City of Hieruſalew was in a very ad ftateand condition, and all perſons in itin a mournful poſture. Not the common People only, but the graveſt of their Magiſtracy and Miniſtry. Thoſe who were wont to fit in the Chairs of Magiſtracy and of Teachers. Their young Women alſo which uſed to be moſt brisk and frolick, thoſe whoſe condition was furtheſt off from ſorrow, and who were leaſt . -- diſpoſed to it, were now, all of them drownedin floods of it. {4 11 Mineeyes do fail with tears f, *® my bowels are , ng. troubled g ; my liver is poured upon the earth b, for | or, the deſtruction of the daughter of my people 3, becauſe foine. the children and the ſuckling || ſwoon in the ſtreets of the city &. | h - ; F This whole Verſe is but expreſſive of the Prophet's great affli&ti. on for the Miſeries come upon the Jews. He wept himſelf almoſt blind. g His paſſion had diſturbed his bodily Humours, that his Bowels were troubled, þ His gall lying under his Liver, upon this diſturbance was vomited up, they are all no more than Expreſſions of very great great affliction and forrow. # For. the miſeries be- fallen the Jews, he had mourned for their ſins before, and for their Plagues too which he had in proſpeR, Jer. g. 11 he now mourns for them, as being come upon them ; which mourning conſidered on- ly as for their Miſeries, ſpake no more than the Prophet's good Nature and Love to his Countrey : but conſidered as the Indication of Gods Wrathand Diſpleaſure wasalſo agodly ſorrow. k The Chil- dren and Sucklings fainted and ſwooned, either for want of Wa« ter, or Bread, or Milk in their Mother or Nurſes Breaſts during the Famine, occaſioned by the long Siege of the City, This appears in the next Verſe- " | 12 They ſay to their mothers, Where is corn and wine ? when they ſwooned as the wounded in the ſtreets of the city,when their ſoul was poured out into their
mothers boſom &. OY: Ys k The little Children ignorant of the cauſe of the failure of their
».
uſual Food called to their Mothers for it asformerly, being ready:
Blood uſe to faint, and died in their Mothers arms ; for ſo I had ra-
fence, and they would have it here ſo tranſlated,and ſo the ue ro faint and die, asmen mortally wounded for want of Spirits and
ther interpret- the Phraſe poured out their fouls, than ( as ſome, ) unter»
6Q4
Chap. |
{. 74
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z Thar is, the Gates of Jeruſalem are deſtroyed, and covered over *Pſal. 74. b Zedrkinh 9. Ezcks 7.
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If ---: 7ne LamenB®tions of F ” unfderflanding by Sutrthe deſires of th:ir Souls, for he is ſpeaking x 7 hong he as more grown Children, the Phraſe is capable
of both Senſes. : of Th Whar thing ſhall I take to wicneſs for thee? what
- - what(ball I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin mee of Zion ? for thy breach is great like
© the fſea; who can heal thee mw? ' : = Bu: m The Summ of this verſe is, That the miſerable condition of the people was both in:ompareable and incurable. There was no peo-
- ple whole miſerable condition was in any degree parallel to the mi- CO of the Jews. Ir is ſome comfortto perſons m miſery to con- ſider, that others are aad have been as miſerable as they, but the Prophet had not this Topick from whence to fetch an Argument of comfort ro the Jews ; there were none to whom he could liken them, nor was there any preſent cure for; them, their breach was
| like a Sea-breach where the waters come in with ſuch a Torrent,
-— -thit while the Tide abates, there is no making any bank or defence
| againſt them. . : :
: 2:8, "I Thy * Prophets have ſeen vain and fooliſh things
*31- forthee », and they have not diſcovered thine iniqui-
223: 16.0), to turn. away thy captivity e ; but have ſeen for
27: 14. thee falſe burdens and cauſes of baniſhment p.
29-8, 9» » Not the Lords Prophets in thee, but thoſe Prophets to whom K:13.2 you choſe rather to hearken, and whom you believed rather than * .. me, andothers ſent by God to reveal his Will unto you, came and told you idle and vain Stories, that thoſe who were carried -into
ou ſuch ſmooth and p'eaſant chings, tickled your Humours in-
of difcovering your Sins, which were bringing theſe Judg- ments upon you ; whereas they, ought to. bave dealt freely, and faithfully with you, and have made you ſenſible of your ſins, and this might have prevented your miſerable Captivity, p But they
" rather ſpent their breath in telling you falſe ſtorjgs to incourage ou in-your ſinful courſes, and ſo proved to you the cauſes of your Cntrent; or elſe they told you falſe Stories which they preten- ded to bethe cauſes of the Captivity of your Brethren, in the mean
TY the ſame Errors, till you came to be more miſcrable than thoſe that eb: paſs went into captivity before you.
>: way. 15 All thac | paſs by, * clap rheir hands atthee ; zek. 25. they hiſs and wag their head at the daughter of Jeruſa- oe. - 4g. lem 9, ſaying, 1: this the city that men call * the perfe-
AN thing (ball I liken to thee, O daughter of Jeruſalem 2?
"Y - . Captivity, ſhould after rwo years return, &c. o And by telling |
time concealing the true caules, and ſuffering you to run on in |
EKEMIAH.