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the prophets, rifing up early and fending [them ;] hut ye would not hear, faith the LORD, but rather gave ear to false prophets.

Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have fent from Jerufalem to Babylon: Whereas ye have faid, the Lord hath raised us 21 up prophets in Babylon; Thus faith the LORD of hosts, the God of Ifrael, of Ahab the fon of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the fon of Maafeiah, which prophefy a lie unto you in my name, predicting your speedy return; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he fhall flay them 22 before your eyes; And of them fhall be taken up a curfe by all the captivity of Judah which [are] in Babylon, faying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; probably being incensed against them for perfuading the people not to fettle according to his orders, or fowing 23 fedition; Because they have committed villany in If rael, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have fpoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and [am] a witness, faith the LORD, tho' men cannot prove it against them.

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[Thus] fhalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehe25 lamite, faying, Thus fpeaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Ifrael; faying, Because thou haft fent letters in thy name unto all the people that [are] at Jerufalem, and to Zephaniah the fon of Maafeiah the priest, and to all the priests, in answer to the letter of Shemaiah, which was brought to Jerufalem by those who carried Fere26 miah's letter to Babylon, faying, The LORD hath made

thee

* In all probability they were treated in the fame manner as was intended for Shedrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, Dan. iii. 20, 21. One would think that it would imprefs them much to receive fuch a prophecy, and to fee it fo remarkably accomplished.

The jewish rabbins, as Grotius obferves, have a tradition that these were the two elders who attempted the chastity of Sufannah, the story of which they think to be true in part, tho' not altogether fuch as is reprefented in the Apocrypha.

thee priest in the ftead of Jehoiadah the priest, the high priest who was carried captive, that ye fhould be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man, or, in the cafe of any one, [that is] mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou fhouldft put him in prison, and in the ftocks; telling him that he had authority to punish every one pretending to be a prophet. 27 Now therefore why haft thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himfelf a prophet to you? 28 why haft thou not executed thy authority upon him? For therefore, or rather, because he fent unto us [in] Babylon, faying, This [captivity is] long: build ye houses, and dwell [in them;] and plant gardens, and eat the 29 fruit of them. And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet, tho', being a friend to him, he would not show it publickly.

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Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, 31 faying, Send to all them of the captivity, faying, Thus faith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophefied unto you, and I fent him not, and he caufed you to trust in a lie: 32 Therefore thus faith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his feed: he fhall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither fhall he behold the good that I will do for my people, faith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD; none of his pofterity fhall live to fee the end of the captivity, nor the favour God will show his people both in and after their return.

REFLECTION S.

WE may infer from hence the usefulness of let

ters; and how much we may serve God, and inftruct and comfort our friends, by writing to them, as well as converfing with them. The art of writing is an inestimable bleffing to the world; friendly correfpondence is very comfortable, and may be very useful, if our letters are feafoned with grace. This we fhould be careful of; fince, if idle words are to be accounted for, much more will idle letters, as fo much more time is spent about them,

and

and the impreffion made by them, whether it be good or bad, may be more lasting.

2. It is our duty to bring our mind to our condition, whatever it is. The Ifraelites in Babylon are commanded to act as if they were at home; to build and plant, not fearing that their masters would deprive them of their poffeffions; and to encourage themfelves with an affurance that they or their children fhould fee better days. This is an important leffon to us. Our fituations and circumftances in life are of God's ordering, v. 4. We are not to overlook, or be unthankful for, the comforts we have, because some are loft. If we are removed to a distance from our relations and friends, and grafted into new families and fettlements, let us accommodate ourfelves to them; confult their peace and comfort; and by that means we fhall promote our own.

3. How reasonable is it that we should pray for the land of our nativity, v. 7. If the Ifraelites were to confult and pray for the peace of an heathen, tyrannical, and oppreffive king and people, among whom they were fettled; it is much more our duty, by loyalty, fubjection, and every other inftance of good behaviour, to feek the peace of our native country, and the profperity of the good government we live under; to pray for our king, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead peaceable and quiet lives, in all godliness and honesty.

4. How happy are the people of God in their communion with him, and his thoughts of peace toward them! There was a way to the throne of grace in Babylon, as well as in Jerufalem. We have all access to God by prayer. Let us value this privilege, remembering the qualifications of acceptable devotion; that it is feeking God, and fearching for him with our whole heart, that is, with fincerity and fervency. His thoughts toward his people are thoughts of peace, even when he fees it beft to correct them, and tho' they may imagine that they are thoughts of evil. There is an end which they expect, even their fettlement in the heavenly Canaan, and everlasting reft there; and of this they fhall not be disappointed. But those who, like Shemaiah, rebel against God, forfeit the privileges of his people. God will do his people much good;

good; more than they can afk or think: but thofe who are rebellious against his word and commandments fhall never fee it. The end of the righteous is peace; but there is no peace, faith my God, to the wicked.

CHA P. XXX.

Contains gracious promifes of God to Ifrael, and that he would remember the covenant made with their fathers.

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HE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, 2 faying, Thus fpeaketh the LORD God of Ifrael, faying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book; because they refer to diftant events, viz. to the return of the jews from captivity, and even to Chrift's time; they will be encouragements to them in the mean while, and the events will be a proof of my foreknowledge 3 and providence. For, lo, the days come, faith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Ifrael and Judah, faith the LORD: and I will caufse them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall poffefs it.

4

And thefe [are] the words that the LORD fpake con5 cerning Ifrael and concerning Judah. For thus faith the LORD: We have heard the voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace, as the false prophets foretold. 6 Afk ye now, and fee whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I fee, not one or two, but every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into palenefs; they carry concern in their looks, and uneasiness in their behaviour. 7 Alas! for that day, the day of the deftruction of the city and temple, and the captivity of the refidue of the people, [is] great, fo that none [is] like it: it [is] even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he fhall be faved out of 8 it. For it fhall come to pafs in that day, that diftant period of fignal and providential events, faith the LORD of hofts, [that] I will break his yoke, the king of Babylon's yoke, from off thy neck, and will burft thy bonds,

and

and strangers shall no more ferve themselves of him, 9 that is, of thy poffeffions and labours: But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them; they shall adhere faithfully to true religion, and ferve the Meffiah, here called David, because he was his fon according to the flesh, the heir to his throne, and in whom the prophecies relating to David were fulfilled.

Therefore fear thou not, O my fervant Jacob, faith the LORD; neither be difmayed, O lfrael: for, lo, I will fave thee from afar, and thy feed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob fhall return, and fhall be in reft, and be quiet, and none fhall make [him] afraid; thou shalt enjoy great quietness under the Perfian II monarchy, and still more in the latter day. For I [am] with thee, faith the LORD, to fave thee: though I make a full end of all nations, of the Affyrians and Chaldeans, whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished: 12 tho' I chastise, I will not utterly deftroy thee. For thus faith the LORD, Thy bruise [is] incurable, [and] thy wound [is] grievous; it feems to be fo, and is fo, by human 13 power. [There is] none to plead, or judge, thy caufe, that thou mayeft be bound up: thou haft no healing medicines, but art like a distempered body, dying for want 14 of help. All thy lovers, or allies, have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; [because] thy fins were increased; I have treated thee with great 15 Severity because thine iniquities are great. Why crieft thou for thine affliction? why dost thou lament and expoftulate with me? thy forrow [is] incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: [because] thy fins were 16 increased, I have done these things unto thee. Therefore, or rather, yet furely, all they that devour thee shall VOL. V.

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be

This was remarkably fulfilled in the jews being kept a diflinct people, when these nations, once fo populous and mighty, were quite lost.