* Plal. 38.
h 16,
20 © Behold, O LORD, and conſider to whom
and the prophet be flain in the Sanctuary of the
x That is, not to Heathen who never owned thee, nor were
and thine Heritage let thy former relation to us, and our former acknowledgments of thee, prevail with thee. y Wilt thou ſuffer,
with the fruit of their own Bodies, and that when they are very young. 7 And ſhall chy Miniſters be flain and that in thy Sanctu- ary? Any humane Bloo| polluted it, ſhall not the blood of thoſe that were the Miniſters of God be judged a pollution, and profa-
The Lamentations of F EREMIAH Chap. IT.
| 7 * He hath hedged me about that I cannot get Job 5:23” 19. 3.
eep out other Beaſts, which belong nat to the Owner of the Ground ; in this ſenſe God ſet an Hedge fometimes about Carazn, Iſa. 5.5. 2. To keep in thole Beaſts that are within, thus God had now hedzed them in, into a barren place where they had no Paſture, but were continually puſhed at by other Beats with whom they were mixed, and who were ſtronger than they, aad
FF , they could nor get out. k God had dealt with them as with grie- or ſhould ſuch a thing bz, as for Women to fatisfie thetr Hunger |
vous Malefa&tois, who are loaded with heavy Chaias. He had made their Afliction heavy ani inſupportable.
8 Alſo whenl cry and ſhout / he ſhutteth our my Prayer m.
{ In the condi:ion I am in, I cannot help my ſelf, no Creatures
nation of it ? , 21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the ſtreets, my virgins and my young men are fallen
3
thine anger, than haft killed, 4nd nor pitied 2.
4 None of what Age or Sex ſoever are ſpared; though the hands of the Chaldems have done this, yet they have been ſet on and aſſiſted by thee, and have been but the Executtoners of thy wrath and diſpleaſure. ns ' 22 Thou haſt called as ina folemn day, my terrors round about b, ſo that in the day of the LORD's an- ger none eſcaped, nor remained : thoſe that I have
{ſwadled and broughtup,hath mine enemy confumed c.
b As my People were wont to be called rogether from all parts ina ſolemn day, when they were to meet at Feruſalem from all parts of Fudea, ſo now by thy Providence my terrible Enemies, or terrible things are by thee called together againſt that Holy Ct- ty, whither thy People were wont to be called to thy folemn Worſhip. c Thou haſt made me as a great mother to bring up many inhabirants that weremy Children,and now the Enemy hath conlumed the far greater number of them.
CHAP. II.
The faithful bewail their Miſery an Contempt, 1, —— 21. They nouriſh their hope by Conſideration of the Fuſtice, Providence, and Mercies of God, 22, —— 38. They ſtir up themſelves 10 Repentance, Patience, Prayers and Confidence of Deliverance for themſelves, and Divine Vengeance on their Enemies, TH — 66.
I | Am the man a that hath ſeen afflition by the|
rod of his Wrath 6.
a Some. underſtand this of the Prophet, ſome of the People
'can help me,I have no hope but in God,[ take the ordinary cou ſe
in that cale,which is Prayer, I pray tervently and alond, as thoſe
that are lerious, and importunate for what they deſire (for ſhouting
here ſignifies no more than making a loud noiſe, not a loud noiſe
of Joy and Rejoicing,as it moſtiy ſignifies) but he deals with me as
great Perſons that have no mind to liften to Suitors, and ſhut their
Gates againſt them, he ſhutteth out my Supplications, which made
their caſe wholly deſperate and remedileſs.
9g He hath incloſed my ways with hewen ſtones z,
he hath made my paths crooked o.
n Ways in Scripcure ordinarily fignifies Mens Courſes, and Me-
thods of Counſels and Actions. It the term ': taken in that ſenſe
here, it ſtgniheth God's defeating all their Methods and Counſlels
taken for their own Security, in the purſuit of which they met noc
with ordinary,but with inſuperable dificulcjes,like walls ot hewer
ſtone. o Nay, God had noc only defeated -heir Connſels, bur had
made them prove more fatal and pernicious co themſelves; which
ſeemeth to be intended, by making their Ways crooked, which
ſhou'd have led right on to the end intended.
10 * He was unto me as a bear lying ia wait, and * Job 15,
as a lion in ſecret places p. 16.12, 3B,
þ Thats, he hath takenall advantages againſt meto deſtroy me. 7 3* = FY 11 He hath turned aſide my ways, and pulled me +." *7*
-
in pieces; he hath made me deſolate 4. q The famething is repeated in other Phraſes, which was be- fore ſaid, viz. Thar God had pleaſed by his Providence toltruſtrate all the deftgns and counſels ot the Jews, aad miſerably to deſtroy chem ; as a Lion, or a Bear (the wild Beaſts mencioned before) tear in pieces the Beaſts they prey upon. 7 12 He hath bent his Bow, and * ſet meas a mark * p for the Arrow r. | Gar | r He hath prepared himſelf for atts of viadicative Juſtice, and *
who were before let out under the notion of a Woman, a Daugh- ter, here of a nzn. b AfMiction muſt here be taken Emphatically for eminent degrees of affliction, cauſed not meerly from the power and malice of the Enemy, but from the Wrath of God, tho' brought upon them by the Chaldeans who were to the two Tribes, the Rod of God's Wrath, as the Aſſjrians are called with reference to the Ten Tribes, Iſa. lo. 5+ 7
2 He hath led me, and brought me zzto darkneſs,
but not into light c. :
c Darkne(s in Scripture ( metaphorically taken) ſignifies Igno- rance, Sin and Miſery ; and Light fignifies Knowledge, a ſtate of Grace, or a ſtate of mirth and jollity ; They are both here taken in the latter ſenſe, as light is taken, Eſther 8. 16. Micah 7.8. Fob 18. 5. Pſal. 97.11.and allo Darkneſs is uſed, Jer. 13. 16. 2 Sam. 22, 29. Prov.20. 20, Feel 2. 2. Exck. 32.8. The fenle 15, God hath not brought me into a joyful and proſperous, but 1nto a ſad and calamitous eſtate and condition. :
3 Surely againſt me is he turned, he turneth his
hand againſt me all the day 4.
' d The courſe of God's Providence toward me is quite altered, his hand, that is, his power which was wont to be with me, and for me againit my Enemies, 15 now turned againſt me, nor is it for a moment, or for one ſtroke or two, but his hend is continually againſt me.
4 My fleſh and my skin hath he made old, he hath broken my bones e.
e I was a Virgin, young and fair, but I am quite altered, and am now as an old Woman whoſe Fleſh is decayed, and my Skin wrinckled ; all my Beauty is goae,and all my Strength is gone,my Bones, thoſe in whom my ſtrength conſiſted, are ſlain, and broken.
5 He hath builded againſt me f, and compaſſed me with gall and travailg.