e Though the 01d World periſh'd by Water, and the Judgment was greater in irs Extent, and Sodemn deſtroyed by Fire, yet neither one or other was ſo lingring a Death. Theſe poor Jews were long dying, and felt themſelves dying. Read the Lamentations as Commentary on this Text, or Jo/-phrs's Wars of the Jews. Though in the Siege of Samaria Women ear rheir Chi:dren, yer the City was not taken, ſack'd and burnt, as Jeruſalem was atter a long Siege. f No doubt God keeps his Word, though we ſhould nor be able to ſhew how. And though the Siege of 7crnſalem under Yeſpaſian was grievous, yet not in every thing equal with this; the Romans were not ſo cruel to the Jews. g Their Sins were Abominations, and God delivers theminto the Hands ef Men that did hate, Joath, and abhor the Jews ſo much that they thoyght they could not be cruel enough againſt them.
12 Therefore h the tathers z ſhall * eat the ſons in the & mid{t of thee, and the ſons ſhall eat the fathers, and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole / remnant of
thee will I ſcatter into all the winds.
and defolate Land. # Jer. 24. and Jer. 29. 22. a Reproach or Curſe; | Men ſhould taunt at them, and in wiſhing the worſt they can, wiſh their Enemies Jike the Jews. So 'twas, Lam. 2. 15. 16.
round about thee, when I ſhall » execute judgments in thee
have ſpoken #7.
k See Yer. 14. 1 Avery Proverb among Men. m: Sinners like thee ſhall learn by thy Miſeries what they may expe& from me, and they ſhall acknowledg Divine Juſtice in all. » In higheſt degreesof Severi. ty. o I, who can do it becauſe Almighty, who may do it becauſe provoked, who will do it becauſe they repented nor, I have fpoken and will do it, as Jer. 25. 9.
16 When I ſhall p *
5 ſend to deſtroy you: and I will : increaſe the famine up- on you, aud « break your * ſtaſf of bread.
him, and fly like Arrows: or, becauſe like Arrows ſhot forth they | pierce deep and kill. » Is mortal], and deſtruCtive in its nature, s That 1t may be ſureto deſtroy and attain that efte&, I deſign it for that very end. :£ To make ſure Work againſt ſuch, I will increaſe the Famine, either by ſweeping away the little Supplies expe&ed, or continuing ic longer than ordinary : or, I willſummonin Penury as an Army againſt you. « Withdraw the ſtrengthning Property of your Bread. See ch. 4. 16.
17 So will I ſend upon you famine, and * x evil beaſts,"[s > and they ſhall y bereave thee, and peſtilence and blood:
ſhall z paſs through thee, and I will bring the ſword upon thee: I the LORD have ſpoken #.
k And this explains what is abore threatned. : No Hiftory that 1 know of does mention any thing like this; barbarous 14ins ſell one
naturally murder aged Parents, but they eat them not. & Ir may inti- mate theis doing this publickly. 1 This was verified when they were ferch'd away who were left at the Departure of the Beſiegers, and
11 Wherefore, s I live, faith the Lord GOD, Surely becauſe thou haſt » defiled my o ſanctuary with p all thy deteſtable things, and with all thy abominations, there- fore will L alſo q diminiſh zhee, * neither ſhall mine 7 eye
Temple. p Nor that all they did abominably was done in the Temple,
2 Kings 16. 10, & 23.12. 13, Their own Altars, as 4haz and Ma-
12 | *A third part of thee ſhall die with peſtilence,
From this to the end of the Chapter we have a particular and more
z As they did in
of one who is going to ſpeak, look toward them. did chap. 12.) upbraiding the Deafneſs of the Jews whom he now left to ſpeak to Mountains. Or, rather to the Inhabitants of the Moun- tains, who were ſecure in their Faſtneſſes, and great Idolaters; wh9 choſe the high Hills, &c. for Places of Idolatrous Worſhip. f The common Name to all that now remained fince the Ten Tribes were captivated by Salmanaſſer. g Declare my Judgments againſt them.
x Evil Beaſt, Heb. either the King of Babylon, which like a ravenous and inſatiable Beaſt tore and devoured all: or, literally, Lions, Bears, &c. which axe one of his four ſore Judgments, Ezgk. 14. 21. yOt your Children, Friends, and your own Life, when you fly ro Moun- tains and Caves for fear of the Chaldees, where you ſeek your ſafety you ſhall find your Death, and be torn to pieces. z Thy Laad ſhall be the common Road and Highway for Peſtilence and Blood, as the Heb. des notes, and they ſhall lodg in thy Cities in, Fer»ſalem, as if they were the appointed Receptacles for theſe Guefts,, Here are the four ſore Plagues which God waſtes Nations with, all ſent out againſt the Jews, and their Commiſſion ſigned from Heaven with a witneſs, Our ſelf. I have ſpoken it ſaith the Lord.
CHAP. VI.
The defruftim and ruine of the land threatned, fer the abominable i of 1dolatry, 1——7. Promiſes of favour t0 a remnant, 8-.--10. Tit prophet is commanded to lament the ſins and calamities of che people, IHI—14.
I ND the 4 word of the LORD & came to me, ſay-
ing F
a This Revelation or Prophecy. 6b Came in the fxth Year of 7:-
conia's Captivity on the 21ft Day (being the Sabbath-day) of the fifth
Month, a Twelve-month and Fortnight after the firſt Viſion, ch, 1. 2- and probably it came ſo ſoon as 390 Days were ended.
of f Iſrael, and g propheſie againſt them. c See chap. 2. 1. Put thy ſelf towards the Mountains in a Poſture e Hereby (as 1/«i-b
2 And ſay, Ye 4 mountains of Ifrael, 7 hear the word of the Lord GOD, Thus ſaith the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, co the & rivers to ©*
LETS
IF So it ſhall be a & * reproach and a / taunt, an » inſtruction and an aſtoniſhment unto the nations thgg are ;;,
in anger and in fury, and in furious rebukes: o I the LORD
p Iris a Meſſenger goes not till God ſends, and ever goes when he 26. Þ * ſenderh ; he ſends Cleannefs of Tecth. q Either becaufe Thunder, Ci * Tempeſts, Locufts, Blaſtings, &c. which cauſe Famine, are ſent by & 4 -
2 c Son of man, 4 ſet thy face towards the * mountains'ciþ
y
_ 6.24 oy” - --
i8:
Ila. 1 oe
Dir ; oþ [ -4
| ſend the evill q arrow of famine, 1, , 4 which r ſhall be for their deſtruction, «nd which I will zz, Þ
34 5 4
< =
*. Ns - =D
TY ds BY ad ond A ca a.
ap. VI.
and # 1 will deſtroy o your high places. |
} Ye that dwell in the Mountains, ye ſecure, fearleſs, and rude Mountaineers. i Hear and conſider what God ſpeaks againſt you, for thus faith the Lord God to you, on Mountains and Hills of. 1ſrael ve dwell and commit Idolatry. k To thoſe who either by Rivers