we escape the evil which fhall come upon the obftinate, and ftand before the Son of man.

CHA P. XX.

In this chapter, Pafbur, for fmiting Jeremiah, receives a new name, and a fearful doom; Jeremiah complains on account of the difficulties and perfecutions he met with in the discharge of his office.

NOW

I OW Pashur the fon of Immer the priest, who [was] alfo chief governor in the house of the LORD, that is, head of the course of Immer, which was now in waiting, heard that Jeremiah prophefied these things; or rather, heard him prophefy these things himself. 2 Then Pafhur fmote Jeremiah the prophet, and put. him in the stocks that [were] in the high gate of Benjamin, which [was] by the houfe of the LORD, where he continued all night, publickly exposed to the ridicule of the 3 people, in order to punish and filence him. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pafhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the ftocks. Then faid Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pafhur, but 4 Magor-miffabib, that is, fear round about. For thus faith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyfelf, and to all thy friends: and they fhall fall by the fword of their enemies, and thine eyes fhall behold [it;] thou thyself fhalt be an example of all the dreadful calamities which are coming upon thy friends and country, even fuch miferies as fhall terrify both thee and them: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and fhall flay 5 many of them with the fword. Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah, all their magazines and riches, will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall fpoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon, 6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house Hh3

fhal,

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fhall go into captivity and thou fhalt come to Babylon, and there thou fhalt die, and fhalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou haft prophefied lies; to whom thou haft promifed peace and deliverance in the Lord's name. The prophet then proceeds to defcribe the workings of his own mind, which were not very regular.

O LORD, thou haft deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and haft prevailed; I was content with my former ftate, and would gladly have declined the prophetic office; but thy command and infpiration overpowered me: I am in derifion daily, every one 8 mocketh me. For fince I fpake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; I spake earnestly, I complained of their violence and spoil, and threatened them with worse things; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derifion, daily, therefore they infulted 9 me, and derided my message. Then I faid, I will not make mention of him, nor fpeak any more in his name. But [his word] was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not [ftay ;] I had fuch an impulse on my Spirit that I could not reft; it broke out like a fire that was pent up.

For I heard the defaming of many, the reproach of many Magor-miffabibs like Pafbur, fear on every fide, that is, many perfecuting enemies, whose doom shall be like Pafbur's. Report, [fay they,] and we will report it; fet a lie a going, and we will push it forwards: All my familiars watched for my halting, [faying,] Peradventure he will be enticed and we fhall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him; they reprefented me as a traitor to my country, and as corrupted by the king of Babylon; they endeavoured to provoke me to fay fomething, for which they might accufe me. Thus was Chrift ferved. 11 But the LORD [is] with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore

He mifunderflood the divine promife; he expected he fhould have no oppreffion; but God had only promifed that his life hould be fpared. Or it may be rendered, Thou hast perfuaded me, and I was allured; and this fenfe is favoured by the next words.

therefore my perfecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they fhall be greatly afhamed; for they fhall not profper: [their] everlasting confusion shall 12 never be forgotten. But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the faith and patience of the righteous, by afflictions, [and] seest the reins and the heart, discovereft their confpiracies, while they wear a mask of friendship, let me fee thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my caufe; I leave it to thee to vindicate me; and in confidence that 13 thou wilt do fo, I add, Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the foul of the poor from the hand of evil doers. It would have been happy if the prophet could have maintained this temper; but human infirmity and corruption prevailed when he added,

14

Curfed [be] the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be bleffed; let 15 there be no congratulations, as ufual. Curfed [be] the man who brought tidings to my father, faying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad, being 16 probably the first born, and a priest. And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not; he did not lighten their mifery: and let him hear the cry, the alarm of the enemy, in the morning, and the 17 fhouting at noontide; Because he flew me not from the womb, or, because I was not flain; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb [to be] 18 always great [with me.] Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to fee labour and forrow, that my days fhould be confumed with fhame?

This language showed very much impatience and ungoverned paffion. This was not fetting his face like a flint; and no man could be permitted by the fpirit of God to fpeak fuch language. It is a maxim of great importance, to diftinguish between thofe things which the prophets delivered in the name of the Lord, and the workings of their own minds; which were fometimes irregular, and no doubt were recorded for our warning.

1.

H

REFLECTION S.

OW dreadful is the cafe of that man who is a terror to himself! Nothing more dreadful on this fide hell could be threatened against Pafhur, than to be, not only in diftrefs, but in despair; his fpirit in continual alarm and terror; his own imagination always tormenting him; and his inward terror fuch as he could not conceal, but which appeared in fo horrible a light, as even to terrify his friends. This is the cafe of fome finners now; and those have reason to fear this, who fet themfelves against the word of God and his faithful minifters; that is, who reproach it, and deride them. If they will not hear the reproofs of God's prophets, they will hear them from their own confciences. Let it be our care to fear God, to reverence his word, and keep his commandments; then God will not be our terror, but our hope and our joy.

2. The cafe of the prophet was a very pitiable one; and fo is the cafe of those minifters who meet with the like treatment now. What cruel ufage did he experience! what wicked, bafe contrivances were formed to injure his reputation, hinder his usefulness, and destroy his life! and all this because he was faithful, ferious, and affectionate in delivering the word of the Lord. Good minifters in the prefent day often meet with ill treatment. If they are faithful reprovers, and deliver their meffages in a lively, affectionate manner, carelefs hearers, and those who hate to be ferious, will deride and banter them, and perhaps be glad to raise and spread evil reports of them. This is a strong temptation to them to decline their work and to preach no more; but yet they dare not do it, Let hearers be careful not to bring their minifters under this difficulty, and lead them into fuch a temptation; but fuffer them, out of regard to God, to themselves, and to their charge, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all plainnefs and fervency of spirit; and pray that the Lord may be with them to fupport and encourage them.

3. See how weakly and wickedly even good men will talk, when they fuffer their paffions to govern them. Who would have thought that Jeremiah fhould have uttered fuch words as thefe? What folly and nonfenfe was it to curse his birth day! to curfe a meffenger, for the fake of a kindly intended meffage! How brutifh and barbarous to with his mother had died in childbed with him! This would not have been recorded by him, had he not fincerely repented of it, and intended it (as the Spirit of God no doubt did) for our caution. Thus abfurdly and wickedly do men of ftrong paffions and hafty spirits talk, when they meet with injuries and affronts. We fee in the prophet how much need we all have to keep a conftant, refolute guard upon our spirits; especially those whofe tempers are naturally hot and hafty. Let us ftifle the firft rifings of paffion and refentment; and earneftly implore the divine help, when we are entering into temptation; because for fuch finful words and diforderly workings of mind, God will bring us into judgment. Let us take the great prophet for an example, even Jefus Chrift; and learn of him, who was meek and lowly in heart; and we shall find reft to our fouls.

CHA P. XXI. XXII. 1-9.

This chapter is tranfpofed, as are many of the following. They relate to events which happened in fome former reign; whereas this relates to the reign of Zedekiah, when Jerufalem was befieged by the Chaldeans, the Egyptians came to help the Jews, the Chaldeans drew off their forces and raised the fiege: in this interval the chapter before us was written.

e

I THE

• It is an obfervable circumftance, that in the deftruction of Jerufalem by the Chaldeans, and in that by the Romans, the befieging armies raifed the fiege for a while, and thereby gave God's faithful fervants an opportunity to go out of it; as the prophet before the firft, and Chrift before the laft, ordered them to do. This gave others an opportunity to come into the city, trufting to its ftrength; fo that more people were deftroyed by the famine, the peftilence occafioned by it, and the fword of the enemy, than otherwife would have been; thus the prophecies were remarkably accomplished.