6 Therefore "behold, the days come, ſaith the LORD, that this place ſhall no more be called To- phet, nor the valley of the ſon of Hinnom, but the valley of ſlaughter wm.
5 They have builr alſo the high places of Baal, to byrn their ſons with fire for burnt-ofterings unto Ba-| al &, which | commanded not, nor ſpake zt, neither came ft into my mind /.
b This, a::d the following Verſe, contain another great Sin of this People, with the Puniſhment which God proportionerh to 1t- The Sin in the general was Idolatry, but a moſt barbarous Spectes of 1t, menrioned allo Chap. 7.31. and 32. 35. where 1t is aid. they made their Sons and their Daughters paſs through the Fire to Aolech; the place where they did it 1s called Topher, Ver. 6. of which alſo mention 1s made Iſa. 3o. 33. Chap. 7.31, 32, 33. For the opening of chis Tex:,as allo of rhoſe other Texts that men- tion this Idolatry, we muft open what 1s meant by Baal, aoloch. Toj1:it, and the Valley of the Son of Hinnm. There 15 no doubr hut 3Baal, and Molrch, or Moloch, figaifie the ſame thing; Baazl fipniftetn a Lord, Molech a King. They ordinarily called rheir Idols by theſe Names; as alſo Malcbam, Zeph, 1.5. upon which account God would not be called Baal, Hoſ. 2. 16. though he was called Jehovah, Elohim, and Aconai, all which ſignified Lord, as Baal did. Both Baal and Maltch ſeem common Names to all Idols, There was more than one Ido] in the Houte of Baal. 2 Kiizs 10. 25, The Ammonites called their principal Idol Ailcom and M6(cth, as appears from 1 Kings I1.5. 2 Kings 23. 33. Tochis Idol rhey ſacrificed rheir Children, Ir was a very an- cient Idolatry, as appeareth by the very early Law of God, a- gainſt ir, Lev. 20, 3,4, 5. Som? ſay it was derived from Sa- *,rn, whom they made. contemporary with Debora and Barah , who, ro appeaſe the Gods in imminent Danger, ſacrificed his Son. Others ſay, it began in the time of Serg rhe Father of Nahor, of whom we read G22. 11. 20. and thar it had its Origi- na! from the Devil, ſpeaking our of the Belly of ſome dead Per- fons, commanaing this Homage, poſſibly 1n Imitation of God, who Ger. 22, 2. romy 4brian's Obedience, commanded him to offer up 1/2425 up53 the Mount aoriah, We muſt know there were other Sacrinices they oftered ro Baa!: They burnt Incenic to Bal, 2 Nivgs 23. 5. Toy offered Satrifiies and Bunt-| afſirings «f Brats, 1 Kings 18+ 55, 2 Kings 15. 24. only 1n {ore |
» For this God, by his Propiiet threatnerh, tha: this Place an- ctenrly, in Foſh4a's rime called th? Valley of the $03 of Hinzom, and more lately Taphet, from the Noiſe of Drums and Tabrets there, whilſt Children were burning, ſhould have a new Name, and he called the Yallzy of S{2yghter, from the multitude of dead Bodies, which upon the raking of the City ſhould be ſlain and thrown into this Valley. Ir was expounded Chap. 7. 32, 33. For
| they {hill bury in Tophet till there be no place; And the (are
caſſes of this peaple ſhall be meat for the Fowls of the Fheauen, and for the Bzaſts of the Earth, aud none ſhall fray them away.
7 AndT will make void the counſel of Judah and Jeruſalem 1n this place z, and I will cauſe them to fall by the ſword b2tore their enemies, and by the hands
of them thar ſeek their lives : and * their carcaſſes * Chap: will I give to be meat tor the fowls of the heavens, 7 F- an
and for the beaſts of the earth.
z Tn this place, amongft others, I wiil make void all the Coun- ſels thac the Men of F:42h and the Inhabitants of Hitru(z!em have taken to eſcape my righteous Judgments. I will fruſtrace all their licrle Arcs and Defiens to avoid the Dint of my Judg- ments. I will cauſe them to fall by the {word hefore their Ene- mites, o as there ſhall be no way of eſcape. for them,
8- And | will make this city * deiolate, and an* C}
hifſing : every one that palleth thereby ſhall be aſto-
iſhed and hiſs, becaule of all the plagues thereofo, 20d43-12: o This 1s no more than we mer” with before, Ch.1>, 18, 15, 204 59 and ſhall again mcer with; Mens Honour and Repuration is or- 13:
dinarily very dear to cher, it was eſpecially ro the ]:ws, who valued themſelves mach uvnon the Reputation their Ciry and cheir Temple had, and rhe Sc cvricy they promiſed themſelves from their right in che Holy city and [,134, God tells thern, he wYl make chem as much a Scorn 2nd Reproach, as ever they vere for an Honour or Pratic; as grcar a Wondermet:: ſr the \" E.1 hl
ach and Vengcance he wou'd exccure ppor 5]
t trails, at
A
Chap. XI
and 34.20
[FY) I. ——_ =
[V1]
, Chap. XX.
+ Heb. be city, as 9c breaketh a potters veſſel, that cannot Þ be
healed.
g
* 2 Kings phet w, becauſe of all the houſes upon whoſe * roots
23. I2.
29. I8.
* Chap.
17. 23.
SEREMIAH
. ' ef f Ay _ »a(] } 1p ta of 2 + » y 4 been in tae foariſh'ng ſtate for the Mercies which he beſtowes j & The court of Immer was the ſixteenth courſe of the Prieſts,
upon them. 5 | Bi o And I will cauſe them to eat the fleſh of then ſons, and the fleſh of their daughters, and they ſhall eat every one the fleſh of his friend in the fiege and ſtrairneſs, wherewich their Enemics, and they that ok their lives, ſhall ſtrairen them p. : Theis are the miſerable effe&s or contequents of the Famine, with which God had often before threatned them ; the juſt tul- filling of God's word chreatned, Lev. 26. 29- Deut. 28. 43. and the accompliſhment of which our Prophet hath recorded, Lam.
as we read 11 1 Chron- 24. 14. Paſhur was his Son,that is, deicend-
ed from him through many Generations. 6 Ir is neither much material for us to know, nor very eafie todetermine in v hat fenle
'
he 15 called the chief Governour of the Ter;le, whether he was Do-
i puty to the High Prieſt, or the head of his con; fe, which at that
; time waited 11 the Temple, or had fome p!zces as Cart rin of ihe Temple, to take notice it any Ditorders ſhould be commi-ted there, contrary to the Law. Certain it is he was no Hiph Priett.
| for then he could not have been one of the courte of Immer. c Ee
; ther he heard Feremiah himſelf (which is mol? probab!s} or {ome
body told him what Feremiz» had proplefied wihe Temp!e
which was within his charge, and jurildiction,
Song 7 Topher, till there be no place ro bury P.
4. 10
2 Then Paſhur {mote Jeremiah the proper &,