13” Becauſe of the wrath of the LORD), it ihall net be inhabited, but it ſhall be wholly deiolate c: every
have lianed againſt the LORD r,, the habitation of jaitices, evea the LORD, the hope of their fa. LICKS / « |
one that goeth by Babylon, ſhall be aftonithed, and hiſs at all her plagues 4,
prerended that in 1ey had tinned,to rarh of Jod, tem ro think
a ; 0 | ©, Cha), 51.6. which 1s applied to Spiritual Babylon, Kev. 18. g. where the coming our 15 to be underſtood of a ſeparation from th-m 25
x They rejoyced ar the ruine of che 7-5, the ſame thing js | laid to rhe charge of che Edonites, Ov44i2h r2. The Ubaldomns were God's Rod ro ſcourge the Fews, bur when Men are mide uſe © of by God, as his Rod and Scourge, they oughr nor t1 py1r oft
, y, becauſe ye/are Jrown Þ far, as the heifer at graſs, and || bellow as 7
(ha Pp. ks
Chap. L,
Thall never be inhabited, neither ſhall ir be dreclt in from gene- ration to g n:ration. & It ſeemeth ta be a Proverbial Speech made ule oito expreſs the miſerable ſtate ot a place ; we had it be- foie Chap. 49. 17. applied ro Elom. It is according to the threat- ping, Dent. 28.37. See Chap. 25. 9,11. and 29. 18. and 42.18, Etch. 5.15. |
1.4 Put your ſelves in array againſt Babylon round
about e: all ye that hend the bow, ſhoot at her,! ſpare no arrows: for ſhe bath ſinned againſt the |
LORD 72.
e The Vrophet callsrothe Medes and Perſians, with thoſe who) ſhou!d cone with them to their affiſtance, to put themlelves 1n Militzry Order ready to come up againſt Baby/on. f The Perſians
FEREMIAH
(as was noted before) were very famous for the Bow, therefore he ipeaketh unto them as an Army of Archers, to ſhoot at the Baby - lonians, and to lpare no Arrows. g Becaule Babylon had finned 2gainſt rhe Lord exceedingly, as Gen. 13- 13 by their Idolatry, Luxury, and cruel uſage of the Fews, S&C-
t5 Shout againſt her round about + : ſhe hath gi- ven her hand :: her foundations are faln, her walls
* Chap. arc thrown down &: * forit :- the vengeance of the 51.6, tt. LORD /: take vengeance upon her zas ſhe hath doge, K-.18.6+ do uuto her 2.
þ Either as Soldiers uſe to ſhout when they fall upon their Ene- my, or as they uſe to ſhout and triumph when they are entred a City, or when their Enemies fly. {Either acknowledging them- ſelves overcome, and yielding rhemſelves to the power of their Enemies, or as ſome think confederating with the Ly4ians, but the t:rmer is more probable. kh That is, the is wholly ſubJued'and conquered, as if her Walls were thrown down, for litterally her Walls were not beaten down by Cyrus, for he took the City by ſurprize. 1 God is he who brings this Vengeance upon Babylon. though it be by your hands. m It1s very obſervable, that there 1s hardly any fins which the Lord fo ordinarily puniſheth in the like kind, as thoſe which are offences againſt tne Laws of Fuftice and Charity. The common fate of cruel and uncharitable Men, 1s to meet with others to do tothem, as they have done to others, un- merciful Men find no mercy. See Pſal. 137. 8, 9. Fudg. i. 6, 7. Adont Beth acknowledged God's Juſtice 12 it.
15 Cut off the ſower from Babylon, and him that
- 0:,84:%e, handlerh the || fickle in the time of harvelt z: for fear
of the opprelliag ſword, they ſhall turn every one to kis people, and they ſhall flee every one to his own land o.
n We are told that Babylon was ſo large a City, that within the| Walls of it there was much plowed ground ; or elſe the threatning imports that God would deal more ſeverely with Babylon, than Conguerors ule to do with places which they conquer, who ule to {pare and leave behind them, Plowmen, and ſuch as uſe to t11l the ground, bur in the deſtruftion of Babylon, it ſhould not be lo. 6 He ſpeaks either of ſuch Strangers as for Commerce had their
|
Abodes in Babylon, or ſuch Afliſtants as the Babylonians had got- ten apaiaſt their Enemies, who upon the coming in of the Ene- mies ſhould make as much haſt home as they could.
17 || lirael 7s a ſcattered ſheep p, the lions have
f
were rich Grourds tor feeding Cattej, therefore it 1s ſaid they ſtalk jeed on Carmel and Baſhan, 8c.
20 In thoſe days, and in that time, ſaith the LORD, the iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſoughr for, and there fhall be none : and the {ins of Judah, and they ſhall not be found w, for I will pardon them whom [
reſerve x.
w Some here reſtrain the term iniquity to zke 74clatry of the Fews, which indeed was their great fin, which God did more efpe- cially puniſh them for, and after the Captivity of Babylon, we do not read of their offending in that kind, which was according to the Prophecy of Iſaiah, I/a. 27. 9. that when God ſhould make che Stones of the Altar as Chalk-ſtones thatare beaten aſunder, the Groves and the Images ſhould not ſtand up. x But the Jaſt words teem to guide us to a larger ſence of the term zn:quity, and to point us tO another ſence of the whole former phraſe, viz. That God would no lopger puniſh the fins of the Jews, they ſhould be {ought for as to puniſhment, and not found, And thoſe words and none muſt be underſtood as if nene, they ſhall be puniſhed no more than it they had none. x For asto thoſe whom 1 ſave from the Captivity of Babylon, I will pardonthem, not that they were all exXcCuled from the ob!ization the: fins laid them under as to Eternal Death, but chat their Temporal Puniſhment was remutted to the whole Body of the Fews ; and thoſe that weretruly penitene alſo, ſhouldbe diſcharged from their obligation to Eternal Death. The obligation that fin layeth che finner under to Eternal Death may be remitted, and yet the temporal puniſhment due to them may re- main, 2 Sam. 12,13, 14, c. And on the other ſide the puniſh- ment in this Life, may be ſuſpended or remitted, and the ob- {ization fin !ayeth the finner under to Ecercal Death, may re-
MAl1!).
21 Go up againſt the land of || Merathaim y, | or, 1+
6 q ;-# 3 1." fat. © hl? ot Ip * . WE PR x $6 | * WES $ + [+508 DN 974" % S WE J & 4 5
c The fame thing was threarned againſt Baby!on, Ia. 23. 20. It! the Son, we are told by Feſephr.s, 7, 13.6. 5, 8. Theſe places
even againſt it, and againſt the inhabitants of || Pe- Kuters, of | 37
kod y, walte and utterly deſtroy after them, faith Rebels. oo the LORD, and do according to all that I have com- 5 gs "i
manded thee z.