fon of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the 9 words of the LORD in the LORD's houfe. And it came to pafs in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Jofiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, [that] they proclaimed a faft before the LORD to all the people in Jerufalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerufalem; perhaps for the removal 10 of that drought mentioned, chap. xiv. 1, 2. Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the fon of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD's houfe, in the ears of all the people; probably out of fome window or balcony, that the people in the courts of the temple might the better hearhim.

X

When Michaiah the fon of Gemariah, the fon of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of 12 the LORD, Then he went down into the king's houfe into the scribe's chamber; and, lo, all the princes fat there, [even] Elifhama the fcribe, and Delaiah the fon of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the fon of Achbor, and Gemariah the fon of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the fon 13 of Hananiah, and all the princes. Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.' 14 Therefore all the princes fent Jehudi the fon of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the fon of Cufhi, unto Baruch, faying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, 15 and came unto them. And they faid unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read 16 [it] in their ears. Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and faid unto Baruch, We will furely tell the

* This was

king

near a year after the former command; he had probably been reading it to felect companies all this time.

Michaiah feems to have done this from a good principle, as his father had lent Baruch the chamber to read out of; he went to the fecretaries office, and told them of it; they perhaps being too busy to attend the temple fervice on a faft day.

4

.

king of all these words: impressed with the predictions and threatenings, they refolved to tell them the king, as they 17 could do nothing without him. And they asked Baruch,

faying, Tell us now, How didft thou write all these 18 words at his mouth? Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, 19 and I wrote [them] with ink in the book. Then faid the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah, and let no man know where ye be; thinking that the book would provoke the king, and having a regard for Jeremiah and Baruch, they advised them to hide themfelves.

20

And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king. 21 So the king fent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elifhama the fcribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all 22 the princes which ftood befide the king. Now the king fat in the winter house, in the ninth month: and [there was a fire] on the hearth burning before him. 23 And it came to pafs, [that] when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, or rather, columns or paragraphs, that he cut it with the penknife, and caft [it] into the fire that [was] on the hearth, until all the roll was confumed in the fire that [was] on the hearth; a high affront to God, and a declaration that he defpifed his pre24 cepts, and defied his threatenings. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, [neither] the king,' nor any of his fervants that heard all these words, as they ought to have done, and as Jofiah did in the like case. In verfe fixteenth it is faid they were afraid; but, being under the influence of the king, they began to think as he did, at 25 least to show no fear before him. Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made interceffion to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would 26 not hear them. But the king commanded Jerahmeel

the fon of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the fon of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid VOL. V.

N n

them;

27

them; God fo ordered matters that they were not discovered. Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which 28 Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, faying, Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the 29 king of Judah hath burned. And thou fhalt fay to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus faith the LORD; Thou haft burned this roll, faying, Why haft thou written therein, faying, The king of Babylon fhall certainly come and deftroy this land, and fhall cause to ceafe from thence man and beaft? intimating that this was 30 the fubftance of the whole. Therefore thus faith the LORD. of Jehoiakim king of Judah, He shall have none to fit upon the throne of David and his dead body shall be caft out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the 31 froft. And I will punish him and his feed and his fervants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.

32

Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the fcribe, the fon of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added befides unto them many like words.

I.

"W

REFLECTION S.

E are here fhown the end for which the fcriptures were written, and minifters preach, v.3—7. It was by divine appointment that the fcriptures were written; and they are to be publickly read and explained, to engage men to confider, and repent of their evil ways. It is a great encouragement to repentance that God will forgive their iniquity; tho' without it he will not. For this end

minifters

z Which Jofephus fays was the cafe. There is a great difference between that climate and ours; a river there, is fometimes frozen over in a night, when the preceding day is very hot.

minifters are to preach the word: and if, as in the cafe before us, they repeat the fame fentiments, exhortations, or even difcourfes, it may be useful, that they may be better known, confidered, and remembered. They have a divine pattern for fo doing; and perhaps, thofe curious hearers, who are most ready to complain of it, need it most. The end of preaching is fo important, that there is need of line upon line, and precept upon precept, to fave men from fin and deftruction.

2. How vain are all the outward fhows of piety, while the power of it is wanting! These finful people proclaimed a faft, while they went on in their trefpaffes. These courtiers fhowed fome reverence to the word of God at firft, fome refpect to the prophet and his fecretary: but the good impreffions quickly wore off. When they faw how light the king made of the threatenings, they began to think there was nothing in them; they contented themselves with afking impertinent questions about the manner of writing the prophet's fermons, while they were not wrought upon by the fermons themselves. So eafily do men deceive themfelves in the moft weighty matters. How careful fhould we be that we hear, confider, and obey the commands of the Lord, and tremble at his word.

3. How lamentable is the obftinacy of finners when it leads them to despise the word of God. What horrible infolence was the king guilty of in burning Jeremiah's prophecy! What impatience under reproof! What an affront to God! He fhowed a steady determination not to comply with the command, and expreffed an impudent defiance of the threatening: thus he hardened his own heart, and fet a bad example to his courtiers and people. But obferve how the chapter concludes: the fame words were written in another book, and there were added unto them many like words. Men may burn the bible, but not one tittle of it shall fall to the ground. Its threatenings ftand in full force, and shall all be executed upon the difobedient; who only prepare heavier judgments for themselves, by their contempt of God's word and commandments: for it is as true of its threatenings, as of its promises, that the word of God liveth and abideth for ever. CHAP.

Nn 2

A

The Egyptians having raifed the Chaldean fiege, Zedekiah fends to Jeremiah, who prophefies the return of the Chaldeans, and their villory; upon which he is beaten and put into prison. I ND king Zedekiah the fon of Jofiah reigned inftead of Coniah the fon of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, in the room of his nephew, and had taken of him 2 an oath of homage. But neither he, nor his fervants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah. 3 And Zedekiah the king fent Jehucal the fon of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the fon of Maafeiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, faying, Pray now unto the LORD 4 our God for us. Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into 5 prison. Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that befieged Jerufalem heard tidings of them, they raised the fiege and departed from Jerufalem.a

6

Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet 7 Jeremiah, faying, Thus faith the LORD, the God of Ifrael; Thus fhall ye fay to the king of Judah, that fent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, fhall return to 8 Egypt into their own land. And the Chaldeans fhall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and 9 burn it with fire. Thus faith the LORD; Deceive not

yourselves, faying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart 10 from us: for they fhall not depart. For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained [but] wounded men among them, [yet] fhould they rife up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire; God will find inftruments

Zedekiah had broken his league with the king of Babylon, and entered into an alliance with the king of Egypt, and the Egyptians came to help him; upon this the Chaldeans left Jerufalem, and went to face the Egyptians; in which having fucceeded, they came again to the fiege.