s Though 'twas juſily kindled againſt all, yet 'rwas more hor ang fierce againſt the chief ſinners among them. # Officers in Church a State, who negle&ted to keep the Flock from ſiraying, who were Ring-leaders in Idolatry and South-ſaying. # The wanton, lufif, and petulant Officers among them, which like He-Goats puſh anq wound, and trample under foot the feeble Cattel, as Ezeb. 34-16, 17 theſe were more grievouſly puniſhed, Fer. 29. 22. & 39.5. x 1, Favour and Mercy. y With change of ſtare hath changed their ſheepiſh Weakneſs and Cowardiſe into Strengrth,Courape and Gal. try,like that of a goodly Horſe this appeared 1n the Maccabees Wars, z When all his Courage is ſtirr'd up, and he appears as Fob brings him forth with: Neck clothed with Thunder, Fob. 39, 19, —26,
4 Out @ of him b came forth the corner c, out of him the nail 4, out of him the battel-bow #, out of him eye.
ry oppreſlour f together. |
a Or out from him. b From Fudah,rather from the God of Fudyh, c Which in Buildings is Strength and Beauty, here 'tis the Prince or Ruler, which is in a Polity as a Corner-ſtone in Buildings. d From God the Nail which faſtens the Tents of War, or taſtens the Timber rogether in a Houſe. e All warlike Proviſions both of Men and Arms, ſynechdochically expreſs'd by Bow. f Or Officer, ExaQor, ColleQor of Tribute. It was from God that Nebuchadnezzar mightily prevailed, and in the courſe of his ViRories oppreſs'd 1/rael; and it is from God alſo that Judah is at laſt made free, grows up te ſuch Power, as to be able to cope with his Adverſaries, to beat them, and to inipoſe Tribute on them. He ers up, and pulls down as he pleaſeth, Pſi}, 60. fot.
5 «| And they g ſhall be as mighty men þ, which the battel z - and they ſhall fighr #, becauſe rhe LORD
conquer'd as Fire in the Streets. k Thus valiantly and ſucceſsfully, | Fighteth for them, and againſt cheir Enemies. m This is the Cha- raer ot the Jews Enemies,they came with armed Men,and a mighty Cavalry, as Antzochus, and orhers did, 1n which they trufted ; bur this availed httle, theſe Horſemen were contounded, beaten, or fled
refreſhing, and worth our Praiſe avd Wonder. hawey trom a beating: when God was with Fudah's Enemies, ſo they
CHAP. A.
The Prophet exhorteth the Jews to ſeek. to God, and not to idols for refuge in their diſtreſſes, 1——4- and promiſerh ſpiritual bleſſings and mercies, that God would give his church, 5 —11.
* Jer. 14. SK aye b * of the LORD rain in the time of
22, the latter rain c, ſo the LORD ſhall make cc Or, /ight-\| bright clouds d, and give them e ſhowers of rain f, to nine. every one £ grals in the held.
a It was a time of great ſcarcity with the Fews while the Temple and City lay waſte, ard the Prophets from God aſſure them *tis for negl:&ing to rebuild the Temple z to which work the Lord does ear- neit;y, ca'l by Haggat and Zechariah, with Promiſes of great Bleſſings, which forthwith God would give to them, 1f they ſet to this work 2nd ſeck the Lord by Prayer; to which Duty he doth dire& them in this Chapter, to the building of City and Temple they muſt add Prayer, ivr the Blcfſing is prepared, and ſhall be given when asked. b Jews retuined from Babylon, ſettled in your City, and returned to the worſhip of God, and ro whom many excellent Promiſesare made, you muſt pray. c Which uſually came about Spring to fill the eared Corn, and to vring torth the Grafs, to make the Trees and Plants, with their Fruit, to be full and large; this latter Rain made plenty of a)l Proviſions, and is proverbially uſed to fignifie a great Bleſſing, Hoſe. 5.3. cc By making the Vapours afcend from the Earth, he will cover the Heavens with Clouds; ſee how Fob, ch. 38. 28. doth ele- 2antly deſcribe this work of God. &d Clouds which bring Rain, and p-ur it out abundantly, when they are opened with Thunders and Lightnings, which do as it were broach the Clouds, they unſtop theſe Batties, and they are bright Clouds through the Lightnings which break from them, 7ob 28. 26. & 38. 25, 26. e The Jews his Peo- pic. f Plentiful ſhowers of Rain that ſhall farten the Earth, and make it fruitful. g None ſhall miſs it, nor the effe& of it on Corn or Graſs; Corn for Man, and Graſs for the Beaſt. Wes
* Jer.10.8, 2 For the.* + idols þ have ſpoken vanity z, and the Hab. 2:18. diviners# have ſeen a lye and have told falle dreams » ; + tieb. they comfort in vain 7: : therefore they o went their
"pt 2" way þ as a flock, they || were troubled 9, becauſe here
unſwered. W445 NO ſhepherd F's
that, &C- h Images, which before the Captivity they venerated,and at them conſulted their Idols about Plenty or Barrenneſs, and concerning fu- ture Events, Zudg. 10. 14. I/a. 19.3. i Their Prediftions were vain, nothing of certainty in them. k Southſayers and Conſulters with fa- miliar Spirits. / Forctoid Good, when all iſſued in Evil, no Good came. m' They pretended a Revclation from Heaven, but "twas a Dream of their own Head, or a Cheat put on them by the Father of Lyes. n Their Lyecs for the preſent comtort the deceived, but the Va- niry of theſe Comforts ſoon appears in the diſappointment which followeth. 2» Either they that conſulted, or thoſe who ſent them ; indeed almoſt all the Jews were thus fooliſh in conſulting, and be- lieving the Lyars, and ſo confounded at laſt, fell into all the Miſe- ry they thought to eſcape, . þ They went into Captivity into Baby- lon. q Miterably oppreſfiid and affiifted. r Without Guide or Pro- teRion, without Eccictiaſtical or Civil Governours, that would faith- tully do their Duty ; and this was one Reaſon that they were ſo affl- fed avd ciptivated,
3 Mine anger was kindled s againſt the ſhepherds 7,
behaves themſelyes, and trod down Fudah; now he is reconciled to Fudab, and fighteth for Fudah, Fudah ſhall behave himſelf, and ſucceed againſt his Enemies, as before they did againſt him.
6 Aid 1 will 1trengthen the houſe of Judah 7, and I will fave the houle of Joſeph o, and I will bring them again p to place themg; tor 1 have mercy upon them: and they ſhall be as though I had not caſt them off 5: for I am the LORD their God 7z, and will hear them y,