want of vent, thereby expreiſing the excels of his torrow, whicth in words was inexpreiiible- The like 2 Sam. 18. 33. which ſorrow of his he expreſſerh, Chop. 9.1, 19. & Heb. The walls of my heart, or my heart ſtrings. are ready. to break he may poſlibly ailude to their encompaliing the Walls of Jer/atom : Or, the proper meaning is, my Heart 1s ready to break The LXX rendereth it doth ba: or pant. 1 Is diſturbed within me, I can have no reſt hor quiet within , 706 39. 27. £49. 1.20. mM I Cannor torbear my Complaints, I am to troubled and grieved, Job 7. 11. 2.22.4. ” 7.6. I have heard in the ſpit of Prophecy : Ir 15 as certain, ac if T now heard the Tramper founding, and the alarm of War bectiizg up,
20 * Deſtruction upon deitructtion » is cryed, for the whale land is fpoiled p : ſuddenly are my tents q ſpoil- ed, and my curtains 1h a moment.
o A farther exprefion of his bitter Lamentation, redoubling his complaint ; the end of one, but the beginning of another, 9. . worſe and worſe, Deus. 32.23. Ezek., 9, 26. Good Joſiah ſlain, and four of his Succeſlors carried away, or lain, or both, 2 Chron. 36. p This is more particularly deſcribed, ere 23, 24, 25, 26. og TheEnemy makes no more of overthrowing my ſtately Cities, and magnificent Palaces, (ſometimes deſcribed by Tents, 1/1.54. 2. than if he were plundering of a Camp, or overturning of Tents made of Curtains, Chap. 49. 29. either alluding to their ancient way of living, Numb. 24, 2,5. or their Wilderneſs condition , when they abode in Tents: 9. 4, We are reduced to as mean 2 condition as then, and that ſuddenly, ere we are aware, and 1t 15s done with as mnch eaſe as overturning a poor Shepherds Cot- tage, Lam. 2. 5,6, 7ercmiah poſſibly perſonating a Shepherd, ſpeaks in the Shepherds ſite, and may here ſignifhe the deſtruction of their whole Country, even all thoſe Places and Fields where Shep- herds were wont to pitch their Tents.”
21 How lone » ſhall T fee theſtandard, and hear the
ſound of the trumpet ?
+» He ſeems to have theſe Concomitants of War, ( both of FJ«- dea, preparing for defence, and eſpecially theſe of the Enemy pre- paring for ruine and deſtruftion,) always in his Eye and Ears, Perſe 19, and bewailing the continuance of it in taking City after City, with the ſeveral fackings of Jeruſalem under her three laſt Kings, The LXX read, How long ſhall I ſ-e them flying ® reading mas a Re-
V FEREMIAH. Chap. IV
Ic. Jos! 2. 10. 30, 31. Every thing above and below ſcemed to be in a mournful poſture, wrapt up in diſmal blacknels. 24 I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled a,
and all the hills moved lightly 5.
a He proceeds in his figurative Elegancies, q. d, Behold how the Mountains of Judea tremble! A like expreſſion, Pſal. 18. 7, 8. Iſa. 5. 25. As if the very ſenſeleſs Creatures were aſtoniſhed ar the zreatnets of Goa's Anger. And he mentions theſe as being the moſt table part of the Earth, yet ſhake before him. 6 As eatily as 1f :hey were ſome very light matter, or as duſt, or feathers in 2 Whirlwind. See Pal. 114.4, 6. Or theſemay be ſaid hyperbelically co tremble, and move by reaſon of the multitudes of rrampling ind prancing Horſes and Chariots furioufly paſting over them.
25 I beheld, and jo, there was no man c, and ail the
birds of the heavens were fled 9.
c Quite depopulated and laid waſte, all either flain, or carried captive, or fled: For after the flight of Men, Women and Chil- dren into Egypt, upon the Death of Geaaliah, ſcarce a Jew was leftrin Judea. d Such Birds as are uſed ro inhabited places, that live, teed and build among Men ; (others indeed, both Birds and Beaſts would continue, which implies but the greater deſolation, and walt of the Land, as is threatned againſt Babylon, l[{a. 13. 19, 20,21,22./ Fled, either to ſeek Provitions, here being no food left for them,or frighted wirh the hideous noiſesand clatterings thar do attend Armies; as we have read, thartſuch hath been the concuilr« on of the Air by the loud clamours and noiſes of Armies, chat Birds have fallen down to the earth, Chap 9.10. Zeph.1.2,3.
26 Ibeheld, and lo, the fruitful place e was a wil- dernefs, an all the cities thereof were broken down fat the preſence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger g.
e Heb. Carmel, either properly for that part of the Land ſo called for its fruitfulneſs, or rather AppeZatively for, not only their moſt pleaſant, but moſt fruitful Lands, rhat were kept drefled and oc- cupied for food, both for neceflity and delight, Yerſe 27. 1ſa.29.17. and 33. 9. f No place left for Men to inhabir, 7a. 1. 7. g That which the Enemy cou!d not have done with all his fury and fierce- neſs, had it not been for the Anger of the Lord, which by their great provocation, they had brought upon themſelves, 2 Kings 24. 3- Jer- 9.12, 13.
27 For thus hath the LORD ſaid, the whole
end h. ey h Some expound it, neither ſhall chis puniſhment ſuffice, nor 7? **'
my fury ſtop here : I will not thus have done with them; and fo
look to what they were further to endure in their long captivity.
See Lev.26 36,39. But it ſeems rather ro be a word of comfort,
that they ſhall nor be utrerly extin&, he will preſerve a remnant,
Chap. 5. 10- 1ſa-1.9. and 24. 13. 9. d. Though I am greatly mov-
ed with anger, yet I will not be inexorable, I will remember my
Covenant, Chap.zo.11. in the midſt of judgment he will remem-
ber mercy. After 70 years Captivity he brought rhem back again.
28 For this ſhall the earth mourn, and * the hear * Ifa.5.30. vens above be black ;: becauſe I & have ſpoken it , 1 nd 50. 4: have purpoſed jr, and will not repent, neither will I curn back from it.
; Expreſſions ro ſet forth the dreadfulneſs, of the judgment. He makes the Elements ro perſonate Mourners, a ſad face of things
above and below, (a Metaphor,) and therein to ſhame the ſtupidiry of his People: & 9.4. You would not believe, either that m
fuge, for nes a Banner, differing only in the Points.
22 For my people is fooliſh /, they have not known me z, they are ſottiſh children, and they have none underſtanding : they are wife todo evil, but todogood
they have no knowledge .