6 The Prophet in this,and the following Verles, is brought inas one appointed of God to quiet and comfort the Rachel betore-men= tlonec, calling to her to quiet ner ſelf, and not to mourn lo excel- tively, tor God would recompenle her for her Aflictions, which as here unCeritood by the Term Work ; ( as ſome think ) but the Heb. Word ?UD pogni!, is hardly found in Scripture taken for At- fiction 3 Others therefore apply jt to Rachel, for whole Piety-{ake God wouid fhew Mercy to her Children,as a Reward of Grace,tho' not of Debt. The beſt Interpreters think that the Terms of Wecri and Reward are here uſed only to expreſs the lucceſſion of a comtortable State to their mileravle State in Captivity, { as the Wages ule to follow the Work) which ſhould make them amends tor their long time of Affliction ; and lo it is expounded by the laſt Words of the Verſe.
17 And there is hope in thine end, ſaith the LORD, that ty children ſhall come again to their own bor- der p.
2 Aad again here, where, by end, is meant the end of the ſe- ven!y years, and the words are but a repetition of the Promiſe of the return of the Fews out of the Captivity of Babylon, of which tne Prophet had often before afſured them,and here only repeats it as an Argument why they ſhould not be immoderately atHiCted ; tor tet Affliction was not endleſs,nor their Captivity tor ever ; they ſhould return again into their own Land.
18 [have ſurely heard Ephraim q bemoaning him- ſelf 1hizs, r Thou haltchaſtiſed me, and [ was chaſtiſed
* 6 as a Bullock unaccuſtomed zo rhe yoke 5.* turn thou me, * Fat. 5:
and I ſhall be turned ?, for thou art the LORD my ** God #.
9g The Prophet in this Verſe ſheweth the change that ſhould bs wrought in the hearts of the Ijraelites preceding this turn out of their Captivity. God had made an ancient Promiſe to this People in their Enemies hands, Levit. 25, 40, 41. If they ſhall confeſs their Iniquity, and the Iniquity of wheir Fathers, with their trelpaſs which they treſpaſſed agairjt me, and that they allo have walked contrary unto me. 4te And that alſo I have walked contrary un- '0 them, ard have brought them into the Land of their Enemies ; if then their uncircumciſed hearts be humbled, and they then at- cept of the Puniſhment of their Iniquity. a2, Then will I ye« member my Covenant with Jacob, and alſo my Covenant with tfaac, and aijo my Covenant with Abraham, will I remember, and I will remember the Lind, The Lord to ſhew his Faith- zulets ro his Word, and allo to mind them of what muſt firſt be done before the aforementioned Promiles could be fulfilled, and made good tothem; and to quicken them to their Duty, ſpeaks of a thing yet to come as of a thing paſt, foretel]ins that betore their Deliverance ſhouid come he ſhould hear Ephraim, that is,the Ten Tribes,or rather,thoſe of all the twelve Tribes that feared the Lord, r Bemoaning, or Bewailing their miſerable State, or Them- ſelves, both for That,and their Sins,which had Srought them into
ceaſed to be jn that happy Eſtate they were in before. 5. Becaule they think that this is 1&ie propounded asa Sign of his Coming,
fuch a State, and acknowleaging not only what God had done unto them ; that it was he w'10 had chaſtiſed them and that juſtly.
, Fr = "hp - ' P þ 7 AO PAT. A. upon whoſe Coming thete Promiles of Felicity to the 7:w+ ſhould ; 9", 5 they were as wanton Bullocks not uſedtothe Yoke, which
be {wihilled, Tagſe realons are not unantwerable; tor Muthew may apply it only by way of al/4ſion, ſpeaking of ſuch a Provi- tence, when iuch a thing ſhould happen as happened betoie ; in which Sence particular Texts of Scripture, are in Scripture often 741d to be ſuif7ed, thoug! they had their fulfilling before. 2 Ry
c2l here doth not fignifhe a fing ls Perſon, no, nor a particular Sex, but 1s broug!.t in as a common Parent, lamenting the loſs of her Otf-tpring. 3. Ramah was indeed near Berhlehem, but it was a City in che Tribe of Benjamin, Fol. 18. 25, 1Kings 15.17. Ra- ebet vas buried betwixt it ard Bethlehem, Gen. 35. 19. 1 Sams 10. 2. and1t was allo the place where Nebuzaraden, atter he had taren Hizruſalemdiipoied of his Priſoners, as we read, Chap.q0.1. 4. Thougathe greater part ofthe Fews were not flain, but carried into Captivity ; yer doubtleſs many were ſlain, and thoſe left alive wer? not a5 to her, being now carried out of Canazn intoa ſtrange Land, 5. Although the Promites in this Chapter, made to the Feros, were more eminently and fully made good under the Kingdom of Chit; vet it may be doubted whether any of theſe Promiſes were prim3i1ly, and ſolely falfilled to them under the Kingdom of Chriſt, but literally, betore that time, though more fully and largely then. In Ramzh therefore a Voice was heard; that is in Candan, and particularly in Ramah, where Nebu aradan, chap. 45. 1. ifpoſed of the Pritoners he had taken, ſetting ſome at li- berty (as Feremiah 1n particular) ordering others to Death, and carrying the reſt away to Babyl9n, which c:ulted a bitter weeping
ordinarily are very unruly when they are firſt put into it, but by uſe are more quiet under it. # And praying to God, that he would both change their Hearts, and alfo their ſlate ; for without him ic could never be done, and by him it would be done ealily., u And to this purpoſe laying a claim to God as their God, and owing him as their God, promiſing him that though othek Lords had ruled over them, yet hereafter he alone ſhould be ownes, acknowledged, worſhipped, and obeyed by them,
[9 Surely after that T was turned] repented , and after that I was inſtructed, I fmote upon my thigh x: I was aſhamed, yea, even confounded, be- cauſe I did bear the reproach of my Youth yy.
w We muſt conſider that we are not in an Hiſtory or Narratiof of things done, but ina Prophecy fore-telling what ſhould come to paſs, The Prophet foretelleth, that before this promiſed Del;- verance ſhould come, the Iſraelites ſhould be in another Temper, that thelr uncircumciſed hearts ſhould be humbled, they ſhould accept of the Puniſhment of their Sins, confeſs God's Juſtice and Righteouſneſs, and their own Wantonnels and Unrulineſs, pray unto God tochange their hearts which would never elſe be chang- ed, and change their conditions, which would depend upon that change of their hearts,laying claim to God as their God, who had promiſed, Deut. 3o. 1, 2. that when the Bleſlings and the Curſes