the inhabitants thercof as Gomorrha-.v, | : {The word ſignifies fi!thineſs, ſtench, or an abominable thing, Things every whit az bad, in ſome kind worſe, than what I ſaw in the Frophers of the Ten Tribes. t They commit not Spiritual Adul- tery only, bur Carnal Adultery 3 they are Whoremongers. « And they make it their butineſs ro inſtill talſhoods inro people,and en- title me to them, and this 1s their Trade ; nor a tingle ac, bur their ordinary practice. w This 1s the great aggravation of the tin of thoſe that occupy the place of Spiritual Guides, that they er- courage profane Men,cither by their talle Docrine,cxtenuaring 11n, and putring a fair gloſs upon them z or ar leaſt by thelr meal) Mouths fearing cr forbearing to tell Sinners of their wicked Cour- tes 3 Or by their wicked Examples, the moſt of people thinking they may do what their Teachers do,by which means Styners 1n- ſtead of being brought to a ſenſe of their fins and a repentance for them, are kardned 1n their wicked Courſes. Xx By this means al! of them. either of their Prophets and Prieſts, or all of the People, { the firit ſeemeth chiefly here intended ) are become ro me as contemPrible and abominable as the people of Soom and Gomorrha. Ti;ough they were the Sons Aaron,and of the Prietily Order, yer livig lewd lives, and ating quite contrary to the end of their Holy Calling, God declares himſelf ro va.ue them no more than as the vile{t of Men.ſuch were the Sedomites. Or by thoſe words Gcd rireatens ther he world deſtroy them with as notorious a deſtru- £t10:1, 4s he deſtroyed SoJom ard Gomorrha, Thus the Compariſon 35 uſed, 7[2, 1. $, and coaſcnant to this are the words 1n the next Verie,
FEREMIAHE
gation to deceive himſelf. d They preterd to Vificrs.i} at Ced hath revealed his Mind to them, 1n the ſame vay as he uteth to reveal imſelf ro true Prophets ; but there 1s no fuch thing ; it is bur a fiction of their own 3 cur Lord, Mat. 7. 15. gives us the ſame way to know falſe Prophets, Ver. 20. By their ſyaits you ſhall bnow theme | er their exrernal Miſſion be whar, and which way jt will, if what they teach agree nor with the revealed Will of God. they are falſe Prophers. Manv of theſe. Pricfts were regularly erough deſcended, and the Prophers regvlarly enough educared and conftirured, yer by this ſhewed themſelves falſe Prophets, that whar they publiſtcd was not from God, nor agreed with his revealed Will; therefore che people were under no Religious Obligation ro hearken to chem. 17 They ſay ſtill unto them that deſpiſe me, The
tion of his own heart f, No evil ſhall come upon you.
e Lewd and corrup: Miniſters are an hatred and abomination in the houſe of the Lo:d,ro a'l terious good People, and are there- fore obitged to make rnemielves a Party of thefe thatare like rhemſec!ve; whote favour tiey cannot have without indulging them !n ther Lults, Hence they prophefie Peace to the vileſt and wort of Men, who have no patience of being daily alarm'd with hear- ing of the Wrath of God due, and like ro come upon them for their fins. f Hence they promiſe good to thoſe thar walk accord-
ng to the Counſels of their own heart 3 that is, firifully ; for Gez.
5. 5. Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart, is only evil, and car continually : Hence a finful courſe 1s very often expreſſed in Scripture, under this Norion of walking afrer the Imaginations of our own heart; as Deut 29.19, but it1s moſt in prophecy ; 7ide Chap. 3.17. and 7. 24.and 5,14. and 13. 10.and 16, 12. and 18. 12, Hence a Religious walking is called a Self-denying. None have a worſe guide of their actions 1n theirlapſed ſtare, before Regencra- tion, than their own hearts,
13 For * who hath ſtood in the || counſel! of the *Job x 5.8. LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word ? || Or,ſt61 #7.
who hath marked his word, and heard it o.
g Who beſides us hath known the counſel of the Lord ? Arro- gating to themſelves a fellowſhip, and acquaintance with the Mind and Will of God. Or, (which I ſhould rather judge the ſence ) Which of thoſe Prophets, that propheſie ſuch terrible things againſt th1s Ciry 15a Privy-Counſcllor ro God ? The words ſeem rather to ve the words of the falſe Prophets, either arrogating to themſelves a peculiar acquainrance with God and fellowthip with him, from whence chey knew his Mind, or mocking at Jeremy, and other true Prophets as arrogating to themſelves ſuch a knowledge of the Mind and Counſels of God, as indeed they had nor, then (as ſome think) the words of Jeremiah denying them to have ftood in God's Counſels, or to have known his Mind and Will. This in all Ages hath been the praice of corrupr Prophets and Miniſters to charge thoſe Servants of God, who have faithfully publiſhed the Will of God againſt Sinners, as making too bold with God's —_ Counſels, rhough they publich noching but God's revealed Will.
15 Thcrefore thus ſaith the LORD ot hoſts con-
*< }ap. 2 cerning, the prophets y, Bchold, I will feed them *.
t.&5.15.with wormwood z, and make them drink the water ; Oi, H
it
titt,
CL 1 ay. =.
3.
i 4.
th9ne s ”
of 2all : for from the prophets of Jeruſalem is || pro- fanen<ſ gone forth into all the land 4.
y Under che re; m P:; ophers,he comprehendeth all the Ecclefia- tical Guides of Fernſalem ar this rime, whether Prie/?s of Pro-; phets, = He threatens to feed them with wormwood. Some think” the word 1s better tranſlated Poyſon; by 1ormwood, or poyſon, and the water 0! Ga#, he threatens great and faral Judgments that he wovld bring upon them. «a And he giveth the reaſon why God would dcal fo {everely with that Order of Men, who ſeemed by rheir Office and Imployment to have the neareſt Relation ro him- {cif becauſe rhey were the Fountain of wickedne(s, thoſe from whom wicked:,efs flowed out over the whole Land. Thus was et- ther by their conniving at wicked Mens fins,for fear of diſpleafing