7 The Prophet, obſerving rhe Obſtinzcy of this Peopli2 , al- ruptly turns hinſelf ro God, yer einpharncally infinuares their Incorrigibleneſs. This may refer either ro God's difcernins and knowing Truth from Falſhood, as being impollible rhar any thing ſhould be hid from him, eſzlm 11. 4. or rather ( more 2grecable to the Phraſe ) ro God's approving : And this ſome agniin tofer to Perſons , as, Men of truth fos true Mn , ſo a Man of Wiltmm for a wiſe Man, Micah 6. 9g. but cthers, betrer, r> Truth and Faithfulneſs, as that which God hath a grcat Re1tpeE& for, and Delight in, Pjz/m 51.6. and was not th be found among thete People. Though none of theſe Senles be improper, this ſeems che moſt genuine. k& They have been under ſore Grievances that God hath laid them under, yer they ſeem as unconcerned 2row, 23. 35. 1ſa 42. 25. Or it 1s probable they were griev'd ar their Sufferings, bur they have not repented, thereby to turn away the Cauſes of his juſt Diſpleaſure. Sce 2 Cor. 7. 9, 109, 1 God had not only lightly chaſtiſed them , but waſted them by ſeveral Enc- nies, as the Arian , 1/a. 10.5, 6. and 36. 1. and Pharaoh Ne cho, 2 Kings 23. 33. and the Chaldees , Syrians, Moabites, and the Ammonites, 2 Kings 24. 2. and: Nebuchaunezzar, 2 Kinrs 24. 13, Oc. All theſe he made ule of zs rhe Rod of kis Indio- nation, yet they refuſed to receive Correction. See Chap. 2. 30. A Meronymy of the Effeft ; they have profited nothing bv ir not at all reformed, 1/4. 1.5,16. Amos 4.6, 8,9,10,11. = AS as cheir Obſtinacy and Impudence, laying atide all ſenſe of Jude. ments, as pait feeling, Prov.21. 29. Zech. 7. 12, » Wiitully ket jeted Counſel, and ilighted Correction, relolving to perfift in their Obſtinacy. + ;
4 Therefore I faid o, Surely theſe are p porr; they are fooliſh : for they know not the way of the LORD,
g. Contempt of Gods Word and Prophets , |nor the judgment of .*. their GOD.
o Or, perhaps I ſaid with my felf nor ; poſſibly, that he ther ſo, bur chat he mighr thus expreſs him!clf, 2s Men wu! ro lc p Poor, low-ſpirited, or of the meaneſt rank amoens rhe Vul- gar, who underſtand bur Jittle : Eicher Mcn of greater lonorance, foim 7.49. and therefore jaid not ro know the way of the Lord (See Chap.8.7.) being better $kill'd in Fields and Vineyards cn mn the Law ; or of lets Conſcience than the better ſort 11121 be; and therefore ſaid to be fooliſh, or infiruared 3 or put won orcwfen Temptation by reatfon of their Poverty Yeu 38 7 EG + a * 4 p k SS DE AO . ale Mcthods or Ways of his Providence, the uſual minner cf lis Dealings ; ſo Judgment is to be raken here tor the func with 342 345 1 Sam, 2.13. asSIt 15 alſo Chap. 8. 7. 5 I will get meto the q great men, and will {peak unto them ; for they have r known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their GOD : bur theſe
have altogether broken the yoke, ad burſt the /{ bonds.
9 i.e, To the Nobles, both Prizce and Prizt, thir have more time to conſider theie things, have becn berczr ravohe and educated, Prov. 4. 4. Not that Jermiah had afiy berrer Fhonohrs of theſe, bur as carrying a great Probability with jr, + Had ie been only among thoſe in the forn:er Verie, jr might have own more excuſable ; bur it 1s in the very Nobles themiulves - The State is wholly corrupt from ilead to Foor, who cannot nie Ignorance, therefore the more jncexcuſible. { The are more r2- fraftary than the other, more healy ant obftine ; no Law of God is- able ro hold them, P/al. -2. 2, 3, See Lutc 10. ra. ++ There 1s not one betcer than another among them, whet "POL or rich.
6 Wherefore a 7 lion out of the foreſt ſhall Cay them, * « a wolf of che jj} x evenings ſhall ſpoil* them *
1 1 . >? - ** = 3OLI1CGT PUOUT
backſlidings are F & increaſed. t£ Nebuchaduezzar and the Chaideamn- Army from Syria and
”
Libauty, woody places, are hore pointed at under the Mzrapbe; ft; 4
of Beaſts of Prey of three kinds. The Maiignicy thar is proper to each of theſe Creatures ſhajl be pur furth in this Ba! yicnricn Army , compared, for inftzace, ro a Lim, Chap. 4.5. which notes his grear Pewer, Courage, - Pride, and injulting over h:s
i2ck the Truth. 7 Or him, I will not deſtroy it tor the fake of
Prey. « For their Greedinels and Unſutiablenefs ; ons We'f will deſtroy abundance of Sheep ; ord faid ro be the x 771,07
dt . By "XP RR <—_—_ Evening, or Deſarts, os Plains, they being the uſual iliwmmnmrs
{ls
chou haſt * ſtricken them, bur they have not & grie- *
Ry ["_
, 3 a leopard ſhall warckh over heir Cities: 124 every one that goeth out thence ſhall be corn in pie. 105 2+ ces, becaule their tranfereflio!:s are many, and Tier by
+.
- .
| Ws
2.
07S —
"i
——
CINEIET _ CON I OO ER b I
Chap. V.
the Wolf; or Evriar, becauſe then they are obſerved to be. mod ravenous, Has. 1, 8. poſſibly, becauſe lying moſt part of the day in their Dens for fear of the Huntlinen, want of Prey en- :2gerh their Hunger ar Night, and becauſe of this greedineſs to devour, the judges among themielvres are faid ro be Evening We! os, deſcribed Zeph. 3 3. They gnaw nor tae Bones till the marzo, cirher throngh Hunger or Rage. y The Chaldenn Ar- my compared to 2 Leopard , nor for irs ſpeed only, bur eipect- aliy for its Vigilancy and Subrilty ; they will be ſo vigilant, tina ſcarce any {hall eſcape, according to Verſe 16. z Heb. Strong ; Here is the reaſon why God would bring fuch a Devaſtation up- on them, becauſe rhey did, as ir were, ttrengrhen themſelves in the multirude of their Rebellions againſt him, = in 7 © How ſhall I > pardon thee for this? thy « cnil- dren have forſaken me, and ſworn by them that are b no 20ds : when I had fed them to the full, they c then commirted 4 aduitery, and aflembled themſelves by e troo03s in the harlots houſes.