priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, who was to act in cafe of the fickness or incapacity of the high priest, and the 25 three keepers of the door : He took alfo out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's perfon, which were found in the city; and the principal fcribe of the hoft, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midft of the city, and who were the principal perfons employed in preventing Zedekiah's furrender, and 26 in profecuting Jeremiah. So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king 27 of Babylon to Riblah. And the king of Babylon fmote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

28

This [is] the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive in the feventh year, three thoufand Jews and three and twenty of the tribe of Judah, (for there 29 were in all ten thousand, 2 Kings xxiv. 14.) In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerufalem eight hundred thirty and two per30 fons: In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews feven hundred forty and five perfons; a third captivity, not mentioned elsewhere, (probably the perfons concerned in the murder of Gedaliah ;) all the perfons [were] four thousand and fix hundred.

31

And it came to pafs in the feven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth [day] of the month, [that] Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the [firft] year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of 32 Judah, and brought him forth out of prifon, And fpake kindly unto him, and fet his throne above the throne of the kings that [were] with him in Babylon, VOL. V.

Rr

33 And y In the book of Kings it is faid the twenty feventh; perhaps the orders were given the twenty fifth, and executed the twenty feventh,

33 And changed his prifon garments: and he did continu34 ally eat bread before him all the days of his life. And [for] his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life; that is, he gave him an allowance for the fupport of his family; which was an encouragement to the pious jews, and an omen of their approaching deliverance.

I.

A

REFLECTION S.

S a general leffon from this chapter and the whole book, we may obferve the fad confequences of rebellion against God, and of refufing to hearken to his word. Zedekiah would not take warning, tho' it was fo plainly and affectionately given by Jeremiah; and therefore he was involved in all this mifery; his fons were flain, his eyes were put out, and he was made a prifoner for life. The Ifraelites would not hearken, and therefore were they carried captive; their principal perfons flain; and their city and temple deftroyed. A terrible description of their mifery will be seen in the next book. See how wretchedly God's own people may degenerate; and that when they do fo, their relation to him will not fave them from ruin, but expose them to greater. See alfo how righteous and faithful, how exact and punctual, how awful and terrible, God is, in executing his threatenings. No word of his falls to the ground. May we, may all the inhabitants of Britain, take warning by this dreadful ftory! All these things happened to them for enfamples, and they are written for our admonition.

;

2. From the captivity of Jehoiachin we may observe, what furprizing scenes of providence fometimes open upon men; and what a changing world this is. First he was a monarch then feven and thirty years a prifoner; then released, and honourably fupported. God knows how to bring about fuch changes; he can debase the highest down to the duft; can take the poor from the dunghill, to fet them among princes; and give men favour in the eyes of their enemies. Those who are now profperous fhould remember the days of

darkness,

2

darkness, which may be many, that they may be humble and cautious. Those who have been long in deep affliction, should be patient and contented; not knowing what profperous scenes may be before them. It is at least certain, that all good men fhall experience a more wonderful change than this monarch did, when Chrift fhall call them from the prifon of the grave, give them the garments of praise for the fpirit of heaviness, and advance them to fit down on his throne, to be happy with him for ever.

The Lamentations of Jeremiah.

TI

INTRODUCTION.

HE Lamentations of Jeremiah were compofed foon after the destruction of Ferufalem and the captivity of Judah. They are divided into five diftinct chapters, which are so many beautiful elegies, bewailing thofe fad events.

In which Jerufalem's mifery for her fins is related, with her complaint, and confeffion of God's righteousness.

'H

O W doth the city fit folitary, [that was] full of people! [how] is fhe become as a widow! fhe [that was] great among the nations, [and] princefs among the provinces, [how] is the become 2 tributary! She weepeth fore in the night, and her tears [are] on her cheeks, like a fincere mourner when alone among all her lovers, or allies, fhe hath none to comfort [her] all her friends have dealt treacherously 3 with her, they are become her enemies. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great fervitude; because they had afflicted and oppreffed their brethren: fhe dwelleth among the heathen, fhe findeth no reft all her perfecutors overtook her between the 4 ftraits, or, in the narrow paffages. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the folemn feafts; the ways that lead to Zion, which used to be crouded on those occafions: all her gates are defolate her priests figh, her virgins are afflicted, and fhe [is] in bitterness; all 5 her mirth and gaiety are gone. Her adverfaries are the chief, her enemies profper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her tranfgreffions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. 6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts [that] find no

pasture,

pafture, and they are gone without ftrength before the purfuer; not like a hunted deer, wearied out in the chafe; but like one ready to die with hunger before the chafe began, which therefore only makes a feeble, fort effort, and then 7 drops down: a most expreffive fimile. Jerufalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miferies all her pleasant things that he had in the days of old, God's prefence, his temple, his ordinances, and prophets, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adverfaries faw her, [and] did mock at her fabbaths; or, laughed at her difcontinuing 8 them, as if he had only kept them out of floth. Jerufalem hath grievously finned; therefore fhe is removed: all that honoured her defpife her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, fhe figheth, and turneth backward. 9 Her filthinefs [is] in her skirts, it is vifible on her garments; fhe remembereth not her laft end; therefore fhe came down wonderfully; all is the effect of her fin : fhe had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: 10 for the enemy hath magnified [himfelf.] The adverfary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things, upon her rich furniture, jewels, and plate: for fhe hath feen [that] the heathen entered into her fanctuary, whom thou didst command [that] they should II not enter into thy congregation. All her people figh, they feek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the foul: fee, O LORD, and confider; for I am become vile.

12

[Is it] nothing to you, all ye that pafs, by? behold, and fee if there be any forrow like unto my forrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath 13 afflicted [me] in the day of his fierce anger. From above hath he fent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth

a A beautiful apoftrophe, much admired by the critics. The plaintiff, having no friend or companion to open his grief to, is forced to implore the pity of ftrangers and paffengers. It inti mates, that no words were neceffary to raife compaffion, it was fufficient to look on his cafe, to fee that his forrow was unequalled it intimates alfo, that he had met with little compaffion from fome that had paffed by; and that therefore he expoilulat

ed with others.