4 My fleſh and my skin hath he made old, he hath
broken my bones e, eI was a Yirgine, young and fair, but T am quite altered, and am now asan old Woman whoſe Fleſh is decayed, & my Skin wrin- kled ; all my Beauty is gone, and all my Strength is gone, my "1 Bones, thoſe in whom my ſtrength conſiſted, are flain and broken, Ro
5 He hath builded againſt me f, and compaſſed me
with gall and travail g.
f He hath net builded with me increaſirg my proſperity, and protefting my Houſes, bur he hath builded Forts and Batteries an@ Caſtles, (military Buildings)ro batter down my Walls and Houſes, I/a.29 2, 3- Orwith Poiſon, Venom and Miſery (as ſome Tran- late it ) and ſeems more proper than gal and rravail, which have no cognation one with another. We are not well acquainted with the ancient DialeC& of other Countries, the ſenſe is obvious, God had ſurrounded them with Miſery and Calamitics.
6 * He hath ſet me in dark places,as they that bedead * Pſall 88
of o'd bh. 5, 6. hþ The Prophet compareth their ſtate in Babylon to the ſtate of Bodies in the Graves, or in ſome charyal Houſe, which are places of darkneſs,full of rottenneſs and dead Mens Bones. Such was the ſtate of the Jews in Jeruſalem during the time of the Siege before the City was taken, when Jeruſalem was a moft miſerable place by reaſon of the Multitudes ſlain by the Enemy, or by the Famine * Such was their eſtate in Babylon, where the company of Heathens
the lifz of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the fp of every ſtreet w. w The Prophet calls upon the Jews, not to be floathful in this | their very evil day, bur to riſe up from their Beds, and either at the beginaing of ths four warcies, or at the beginning of each Watch, at all times in the Night, ro betake themſelves ro God by Prayer,and that not ina cold lazy manner,vut ſo asto pour our their hearts with their words ; and he moveth them ro it, as for their ownfſake, ſo for the ſake ofcheir young Children, who every where,
made their ſtate, as the ſtate of the living amongſt the dead. *Job 2.234 7 * He hath hedged me about,that I cannot get out & 19,8.
z : he hath made my chain heavy &.
# The uſe of an Hedge about an incloſed Field, is twofold : Ta keep out other Beaſts, which belong to the Owner of the Ground; in this ſenſe God ſet an Hedge ſometimes about Caanan, Iſaiah 5. 5. 2: To keep in thoſe Beaſts that are within, thus God had now hedged them in, into a barren place where they had no Paſture, but were continually puſhed at by other Beaſts with
were ſtarved to death.
20 4 Bchold O LORD, and conſider to whom
whom they were mixed, and who were ſtronger than they, = they
_ Chap. 1II;-
> TS NY
4 1 > , I EE es err EET HT Eg ©®.
*-r05ut
A ci
ma__—c-.
5 -to « M>
ASTOR ey, er LH
| Chap. VI.
* Job 19. 16-I1a-38. 13.Hol. 5. 14. & 17. vE) 8.
F Tob To 20. & 16+ I 26
+ Heb. $0115,
+ Heb: bitterneſſes.
f| Or, rolled
me inthe
#ſbes.
f Heb. good.
lOr, re-
men bere
they could net get out. &k God hath dealt with them as with grie- vous Malefagors, who are Icaded with heavy Chains. He had made their afflition heavy and iniupportable.
8 Alſo when I cry and ſhout /, he ſhutreth out my prayer m,
I In the condition I am in, I cannot he!p my ſelf, no Creatures can help me, I have nohope but in Ged, I take the ordinary courſe in that caſe, which is Prayer, I pray fervently and aloud as thoſe that are ſerious and importunate for what they defire (for ſhouting here ſignifies no more than making a loud noiſe, not a loud noiſe of joy and rejoycing, as it moſtly ſignifies) bur he deals with me as great perſons that have no mind to liſten ro Suitors and ſhut their Gates againſt them, he ſhutteth out my Supplications, which made their caſe wholly deſperate and remedilels, |
9 He hath incloſed my ways with hewen ſtones », he hath made my paths crooked 0.
n Ways in Scripture ordinarily ſignifies Mens Courſes, and me- thods of Counſels, and Adtions; if the term be taken in that ſenſe here, it ſignifierh Gods defeating all their Methods and Counſels taken for their own ſecurity, in the purſuit of which they metnor with ordinary, but with inſuperable difficulties like Walls of hewn ſtone. o Nay God had not only defeated their Counſels, but had made them prove more fatal and pernicious to themſelves, which ſeemeth to be intended, by making their ways crooked, which ſhould have led right on to the end intended. :
10 * He was untome as a bear lying in walt, and as a lion in ſecret places p. | þ That is he hath taken all advantages againſt pne to deſtroy me. 11 He hath turned aſide my ways, and'pulled me 1n pieces, he hath made me deſolate q.
q The ſamething is repeated in other Phraſesz which was before ſaid, viz. That God had pleaſed by his Providence to fruſtrate all the deſigns and counſels of the Fews, and miſerably to deſtroy them, as a Lion, or a Bear ( the wild beaſts mentioned before) tear in pie- ces the B-aſts they prey upon. |
12 He hath bent his bow, and * ſet me as a mark for the arrow r.
r He bath prepared himſe'f for aQts of vindicative Juſtice, and he bath made me tie obje& of ir. | : ;
:2 He hath cauſedthe + arrowsof his quiver to enter into my reins s.
The Lamentations of FEREMIAN..
| direted to Ged, which: ſhewed that though they were mightily perplexed, yet they were rot in utter deſpair ; and to this FT a. tollowing Verſes ſeems to ir.cline. | 20 My foul hath chews ſtill in remembrance : andis . 7 humbled within me #2. 75 5 SS, . { Heb, s That is, I'cannor forget them, and the thoughts of them ſink boved, J my ſpirits. - | | $7 Sy + E. 21 This I Þ recal to my mind, therefore have ] T Hib- hope b. | .; noo b This, not what was already ſaid; that made them deſpair, and "_e bell their Souls to bow down; bur this, that which followorth; con- 77 cerning the Nature of God, and other good Providences. Iſeeno- thing 1n the circumſtances of my condition to Comfort me, but I ſee ſomething in Gods Nature, and in'ſome other Diſpenſations of his Providence, which gives me ground to hope for better things than an utter Ruine and Deſtru&ion. | 3 22 C* [js of the LORDS mercies that we are-not *5;y- R F Mal. conſumed, becauſe his compaſſions fail not c. c Mercy is nothing elſe but Love flowing freely from any, to Perſons in miſery, and differs from Compaſſion only in the freeneſs of the emanation. It is not becauſe God had not power enough ut-