£ The laſt words of the Verſe probably give us a reaſon of the former: They were no Native J:ws, but Scrangers amongſt chem who commonly are envied, when they arc obſerved to thrive roo much or to live ſplendidly ; and that envy of the Natives of the place where they ſojourn, expoſerth chem to their Hatred and Malice, ſoas their Lives are made uneaſie to them, J9n2445 cthere- fore cautions his Sons to avoid rheſe 1nconventencies, by a thrifcy, ſober, laborious life, to which they had been bred, in keeping Flocks, and to avoid any thing might expoſe them co Envy, or Hatred, or Malice of the People amongſt whom they were come ro ſojourn.
8 Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the ſon of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, nor our ſons, nor our daughters.
9 Nor to build houſes for us to dwell in : neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor ſeed.
10 But we have dwelt intents h, and have obey- ed and done, according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
þ Moveable Habijtations, which they could with little labour remove from place to place, as they had couvenience to feed their Flocks; this was their ordinary way of living uncil neceſliry compelled them to come and live in [eruſalem,
11 Butit came to paſs when Nebuchadrezzarking of Babylon came up into | the land z, that we faid, Come, and let us go to Jeruſalem, for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of
the Syrians ; So we dwell at Jeruſalem.
- 3 When the Cha/dean Army came inco the Land, they ſaw there would be no quier abode for them any where bur in ſome forrified place, The Syrians joyned with the Chaldeans in this War, as we read 2 King. 24- 2. This they tell the Prophet wasthe reaſon why they who never uſed to dwell 1n Cities, nor fixed Houſes, came ro dwell at Jeruſalem, to prevent being deſtroyed by the Foragers for theſe Armies-
i2 Þ Thencame the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, ſaying,
13 Thus faith the LORD of hoſts, the God of Iſrael, Go, and tell the Men of Judah, and the in- habitants of Jeruſalem, W1ll ye not receive inſtruci- on to hearken to my words ? faith the LORD.
14 The words of Jonadab the ſon of Rechab, that he commanded his ſons not to drink wine, are per- formed ; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their fathers commandment : notwithſtanding I have
ſpoken unto you, * riſing early, and ſpeaking, but * Chap, 7, ye hearkened not unto me. 13. 25.
5 I have ſentalſounto you all my ſervants the prophets, riſing up early and ſending them, faying, * Return ye now every man from his evil way, at
. Ii, amend your doings, andgo not after other gods to *
ſerve them, and ye ſhall dwell 1a the land which I have
Chap. XXXV.
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Chap. XXX V.
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42b rhe ſon Church ; Whether the Promiſe relates tothe abiding of Jonadab's of Rehab roFamily when many Families of the, Jews were quite rooted out, fland, 8c, cur off, and extin; or to ſome ſpecial favour that God would
have given to you,and to your fathers -
not inclined you ear, nor heakened to me &.
hk God in this Revelation of his Mind to the Prophet, expound- eth to him why he had ſet him to bring the Rechabites into the Temple, and commanced him to ſet Wine before them, and 1n- vite them todrink of it, viz. that by thelr refuſal of doing ac- cording to the invitation, in obedience to their Father Fonadab, he might convince the Fews of their Difobedfence to his Com- mands, though God's Commands were more advantaged, than the Commands of Fonadab, in that, 1. Fonadab was bur an' earthly Parent, and ſohad no abſolute univerſal Soveraignty over his Children > but God was the Lord of hoſts, the God of Tjrael. 2. Fo- nedzb's Commands, was not for the performance of any mora! Duty, but the doing of a thing which they might do, or leave undone: God required of them what was but their moral Duty, ad for which was the higheſt reaſon. 3. Jon«deb's Command had no promiſe annexed, God's Precept had a promiſe anrzexed, yet they had not yielded him that obedience which the Sons of Jana- dab had yielded him : He was the Father, but where was his Honour .
16 Becauſe the ſons of Jonadab the Son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their Father; which he commanded them, but this people hath not hearkened unto me 3
17 Therefore thus ſaith the Lord God of hoſts, the God of Iſrael, Behold, I will bring upon Judah, and upon all the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, all the evil that I have pronounced againſt them : becauſe I have ſpoken to them, and they have not heard, I
called unto them, and they have not anſwered /.
1 This is but the ſame Threatning confirmed, which we have often met with before, concerning the ruine of this People ; only the meritorious cauſe of it is further amplified ; their not paying that Homage to God which thele Rechabites paid to an Earthly Parent, and had been ſteady in the Payment of, now for three hundred Years together.
13 And Jeremiah ſaid to the houſe of the Rechab- ites, Thus faith the LORD of hoſts, the God of Iſrael, Becauſe ye have obeyed the voice of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he hath commanded you.
19 Therefore thus faith the LORD of hoſts, the God of Iſrael, * Jonadab the ſon of Rechab ſhall nct
want 2 man to ſtand before me for ever m. m For ever, here fignifies the ever of the Jewiſh State, or