8 O the hope of Iſrael -, Saviour thereof in
time of trouble o, why ſhouldſt thou be as a ftranger in the land: and as awayfaring man, that turneth
a ſide to tarry for a night p ?
2 That is, the object of [{rae!'s hope hein whom alone thy People Iſrael have been wont to hope;or he in whom alone I(rae! hath juſt reaſon to hope.” o Thou who haſt formerly been their Saviour in the times of their trouble, who alone canſt fave them in ſuch times of trouble,as thou haſt now brought them into. See Pſal. 9.9.#nd 46.1- p Why ſhouldſt thou be as one that re- gardeſt thy ancient People no more than a Stranger,or a Traveller who taketh no farthec care for the place, or the Houſe where he lodgeth, than for .the ſhort time that he isto ſtay or abide in 1t.
'9 Why ſhouldſt thou beas a man aſtvnied 4? as a mighty man rhar cannot fave r ? yet thou, O LORD,
+ Heb. yy #77 10 the midfc of us /} and we are + called by thy
Name is called
HMODY 08,
name t, leave us not. .*. q The Hebrew word here uſed being found in no place of Holy _—_ _— this hath given Interpreters a liberty to cranflate it vari oL II.
FEREMIAH
oully, flzepy, w2tk, affonith:d, frighted; like a Mart in ſuch dil- order through tome Paſlions, that he is able to do uvchin2, r Like a Man who in his own nature js ſtrong and mighty enough; bur through ficknels or paſſion is fo weakned, that he cannot puc torth any ſtrengch for the tuccour and relief of his Friends. { Yet faith the Prophet) thou art inthe midſt of us,that is,we have thy Temple to which thou haſt promiſed thy ſpecial Pretence, or ra- cher it is to be underſtood of the whole Land,according to what God had declared, Num, 5 . 3. and 35. 34. Defile not the Land which je ſhall inhabit, wherein 1 dwell ; for I the Lord 4well among the Children of Tjrael. t That is, we are called the Lord's People, and that not only by others amongſt whom we have that repute,but by thy ſelf. God often calleth this People in Scripture his People, his Portion , .*. Therefore he begs that God would nor leave them; he means as tothat ſpecial Providence by which he had formerly watched over them, and cared for them, and been a protection to them ; nor asto his Ordinances,and his (pecial gra- cious pretence with them in his Temple. :
10 Thus faith the LORD unto this people, « Thus have they loved to wander w,they have nor refrained their feet » ; therefore the LORD doth not accept them y; * he will nowremember their iniquicy, and
viſit their fins z.
« Here beginneth that Divine Revelation mentioned, Yr. 7.as an anſwer to the Prophet's Complaint and Prayer in the nine ncft Verſes. The ſubſtance of which is, thar for their manifold fins, he was reſolved to puniſh them, and therefore would not be any more ſ9]licized on their behalf.w They have gone aſide out or the way of my Precepts, and that out of a principle ot love and de- I12ht ; they have been fond of their Idols. x And they have per- titted in chole deviations and ſintul courſes, notwithſtanding all Counſels,and Arguments uſed with them to the contrary nothing could keep their feet in the way of my Teſtimonies. y Therefore though they pray,aod cry,and taſt,God will not accept them. 2 Bur by his puniſhment of them for their fins, he will let them know that as he hath ſeen and taken notice of, ſo he hath not forgot what they have done.
11 Then ſaid the LORD unto me #®. Pray not for
this people for the; good 4.
4 Twice before God had given the Prophet this charge, Chat, 7. 16, and It. 14. how it could conſiſt with the Pierty of Ferem:- ah, after thoſe charges to put upthe Prayer we have Yer.7,8, 9. of this Chapter. See the Notes on Ch2p. 11. 14.
12 * When they faſt, I will not here their cry 6,
I will not accept them, c but* [ will conſume them by
the ſword, and by the famine,and by the peſtilence 4.
b The like threatning we have, Prov. 2. 28. 7/4. r. 15. Chap, rt. 11. Exech. 8.18, Micah 3. 4- e Men may fo long deſpite God's Calls Ex1ortations and Counſels as their caſe may be deſpe- rate,as to the prevention of temporal Judgments by ſuch Religious
applications to God ac ordinarily have their effe&, ro preyenc
and remove Judgments. See Chap. 15. 1. Exek. 14. 14, 20. d He chreatneth to add to their plague three fore Judgments, ordina- rily accompanying one another both in Gods Threatnings,and in the execucion of them, Chap.29.17,18.and 44, &c.
13 Thenſaid 1, Ah Lord GOD / Behold the Pro- phets ſay unto them, Ye ſhall not ſee the ſword,
neither ſhall ye have famine, but I will give you -þ aſ;
ſured peace in this place c.
e We have many Complaints of this Prophet againſt falſe Pro- phets that contradicted his Prophecies, Chap.4.1o. and 23 9g. and we ſhall hereafter meet with the Names of fome of them. Cor- rupt Governments never want Prophets to their humour, though a bolder tranſgrefſion can hardly be imagined, than for Men to intitle God to their own Imaginationsand Fancies, and we ſhall
. .4
Ver. 15. meet withthe uſual Wages of ſuch Works.
14 Thenthe LORD ſaid unto me, The prophets prophelie lyes in my name}, * I ſent them not, nei- ther have I commanded them, neither ſpake unto them - they prophetie to you a falſe viſion and divi- nation, and a thing of nought,and the deceit of their own heart :
{ They did not only prophefie fa!lſhoods, but lyes, what they knew to be falſe ; for they pretended chat God had revealed ſuch
thitgs unto thern ; for admit the things they ſpake (as to-Men ) but future Contingencies,which rhighe be true or falſe,yet it was a lye 'for them ro pretend that God had told them any luch. things. The things werecertainly falſe in'themlelves,being contra- ry to God's Revelation ; but ſetting that aſide; for them to pre- tend God had revealed that to them which he had nor revealed, was a formed lye. God denieth that he ever commanded them to ſpeak any ſuch chings,or fent them upon any ſuch Ecrands, they propheſyed what came in their own fooliſh heads, and the deceits of their own hearts. ' 15 Therefore thus ſaith the LORD, concerning
the prophets that propheſie in my name and I ſenr them not, yet they ſay, Sword and famine ſhall not be in this land, by the ſword and famine ſhall thoſe
þ
prophets be conſumed g.