c Here the Prophet doth not ſo much expreſs his own Sorrow, though that be great, as perlonate the Sorrow and Complaint that the Land, i.e. the People of the Land, manifeſt, or at leaſt oughe to do; which becauſe they do not; cauſeth no little grief In the Prophet himſelf, who cannot but be affeted with their condition, which he calls not only a hurt, but a wound, and both of them ve- ry grievous. d Or -rather, but I better conſider it, and faid within my ſelf, I were as good be filent. It is indeed a greif grie- w045 in it felt, and grievous that I muſt ſmorher it, and uot com- plain, but it is my duty to bear it patiently. There is in this ex- preſſion a double neceſlary preparation to Repentance, v/F. I. An acknowledgment that they had deſervedly brought the Judgment upon themlelves, and that therefore, 2. They would patiently bear it; and it doth imply ſomething of their ſtupidity, q. d. We could not have imagined the damage could have been ſo very great, but now we ſee how it is : We will patiently bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe we have ſinned again#t him. If this be not the mean- jng,then it is a further obſtinate perſiſting in their Rebelling, 9.4. Seeing it muſt be ſo, truly it is very grievous, but I am bound now to bear it, and rub through it as well as I can: A further perſiſting in their Pertinancy : Bur 1 incline moſt to the former Sence.
20 My tabernacle is ſpoiled, and all my cords are e broken; my children are gone forth of fme, an they are g not : there is none to ſtretch torth my tent
h any more, and to ſet up my curtains.
e He ptoceeds in his proſopopeia to bring in the Land, or the Inhabitants thereof enumerating their Calamities, and by a Meza- phor ſets out the overthrow of the Land of Feruſalem, by the breaking of the Cords of a Tabernacle, the uſe whereof is to faſten it on every fide to Stakes in the ground, which Cords being broken the Tabernacle falls, implying all the ſupports of City and Country were gone, nothing but deſolation to be expected. See Chap. 4120. f Either the Inhabitants of the Land ; or the leſſer Cities, being frequently called Daughters, viz. the Chaldeans have ſnatched them away from me, and carried them into Capti- vity. g Of the phraſe and meaning of it, ſee Chap. Zr. 15. h7.e. 'Tis irrevocable, I am without all help either for Defence or Beau- ty, or any thing to regain my priſtine ſtate; which he chuſeth to deſcribe here by continuing this Meraphor (rather than any other) of a Shepherds Tent ; poſſibly inſinuating the ground of it to ariſe principally from their Paſtors, the neglect both of their Civil and Ecclefiaftical Governours, which the next Verle favours.
21 For the Paſtors are become brutiſh, and have not ſought ; the LORD &; therefore they ſhall not /
proſper, and all their flocks ſhall be m2 ſcattered.
. # Not that the Prophet takes off all blame fromthe People, but that he layeth itchiefly upon the Rulers of Church and State ; for {ois Paſtor taken frequently. See Chap, 36, 1, 2, 3- k Not ſought unto him, and taken him into their Counſels. ! The Prophet gives the reaſon why nothing went well with them, namely, becauſe there was no regard had to Godljneſs, without which we cannot expect a bleſling upon any thing. m 2. e. All that have been com- mitted to their care, ſhall be carried unto Babylon, and divers of them diſperſed abroad into ſeveral Countries for their ſakes.
22 Behold, the noiſe of the bruit is come, and a
.great commotion 7 out of the north-country * o, to - makes the cities of Judah deſolate, anda den of dra-
£0NnsSp.
7 The Prophet had divers times ſounded thisalarm in their ears, bur to very little purpoſe; his words ſeemed but as idle Tales;they believed him not: He ſpeaks of it partly, as one conceiving what
. dreadful Commorions and Concuſfions would be upon the Land by
the clattering of Arms, pranci ing of Trumpets, and ratlin Earth to ſhake under them,
ngs and neighings of Horſes,ſound- g of Charriots, making as it were the ] waen that vaſt Army of the Chaldeans ſhould furiouſly break in upon them : Parth, inftauating an An- zitheſts oppoſing the voice of God's Prophets, ( that had ſo often ipoken of this,bur they would not hear)againſt this dreadful note, which they could not but hear, and lee, and feel coo. Sothat they
SEREMIAH
that would not learn of God's Prophets, ſhall be ſent to harder Maſters, that ſhall reach them in a manner as Gi4esn did the Men of Succoth, Fudges 8. 16. 0 See Chap. 1. 10. and 5. 15. p See on Chap. 9.11.
rect his ſteps r. b The Prophet finding that all he could ſay prevailed nothing
to God, r How fartheſe words concern Pelagianiſm, or Free-will,
either one way or other, or whether at all, concerns not this Com-
ment ; they ſeem /{rerally to be the words of the Prophet, relating
either to himſe/fand other Holy Men, g. 4. It is not in our power,
neither do we preſume to ſtop this Decree of thine againſt Fudez ; orelle to the Enemzes in general, or Nebuchadnez3ar in particular, q. d- We know all their Marches and Defigns are of thine appoint ing, and all their Atchievments of thine Ordering : Ic is thy Pro- vidence that directs every ftep they take againſt this Land, withour whom no Counſels ſhall proiper ; who alone turneſt Mens Hearts
which way thou pleateſt, Prov. 21. 1. who canſt bring Men on,or
turn them back ; as thou ſeeſt good, Tſe. 37. 29. ſo that no Mans way 1s properly his own, to give them what ſucceſs he will ; or
to the People, whereby he doth tacitly infinuate, that all the Coun-
ſels and Meaſures they think to take, whether by their own ſtrength at home,or Confederacies and Alliances abroad will avail nothing; however they may think to eſcape by ſome Devices, or Stratagems of their own, it is to no purpole, God can overturn all in a moment, when Men think their Counſelsare ripe, and they wantnothing but execution;or laſtly,as others think, this is by way of petition, q. d. Lord we know it is not in our power to divert theſe Judgments that are coming upon us by the Chal4zans, bur thou canſt moderate, and limit them as thou plealeſt, ſeeing all their Deſigns are ordered by thy Providence, they cannot do any thing againſt us without thy permiſſion ; this the next Verle leems to favour.
ment f, not in thine an to nothing.
Chap. Xt.
234 O LORD, q I know that the ® way of man* Prov.re. z5 not in himſelf; zx zs nor in man that walketh to di- 71. & 20-
24.