Jeremiah 12

RIghteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee The Prophet begins here with a Recognition of Gods unquestionable Righteousness and Justice, in all his Providential dispensations in the Government of the World. Some read the latter part, should I plead with thee? But let it be should I plead? or, although, or, when I plead, that is, argue with thee, yet the Prophet does it not without a previous resolution to agree the Lords dispensations just, whatsoever he should say., yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments Yet says he, let me talk with thee, not by way of accusing thee, but for my own satisfaction concerning thy judicial dispensations in the government of the World.. Wherefore does the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously Wherefore does the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal treacherously, by all they, he means many of them, and is thought to have spoken with a special relation to the Priests at Anathoth, that had conspired against his life. The Prosperity of the wicked has in all times been a Riddle, and a sore Temptation to the best of Gods people; To Iob, chap. 21.7.13. to David, Psal. 37.1. & 73.2.12. & 94.3.4. Hab. 1.4, 5. Lord, says Ieremy, I know thy wayes of Providence are just and righteous, but they are dark and hidden from me, I cannot understand why thou doest this.?

Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root, they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit; thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins Here are a people that indeed talk of thee, and one that only observeth their mouths would judge thou wert near to them, and they had communion with thee, but he that observeth their lives may easily discern that thou art far from their inward parts, they have neither fear of thee, nor love for thee, nor desire after thee, nor delight in thee, nor are they obedient to thee; yet thou hast planted them by thy Power, and by thy Providence they thrive, go on, and prosper..

But thou, O LORD, knowest me, thou hast seen me, and tried my heart toward thee. Here seemeth to be something understood, viz. But Lord it is otherwise with me, I am maligned, and my life is hunted after, yet Lord thou knowest the sincerity of my heart before and towards thee, thou hast had experience of me in the discharge of my Prophetical Office, and knowest that I have been faithful in revealing to the people what thou didst reveal to me, yet for this it is they seek my life and would have my blood. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter Lord avenge me on this wicked Generation, confirm the words against them which I have from thee denounced. Concerning the meaning of expressions of this nature, and the lawfulness of putting up such petitions against those who are not only our Enemies but Gods also, see what was noted on, chapter 11. ver. 20..

How long shall the land mourn and the herbs of every field wither? For the wickedness of them that dwell therein The Prophet seems to give a reason of his former passion, and prayer against those wicked men he before reflected on, because they were the cause of the Nations Ruine, which is also asserted by the Psalmist, Psal. 107.34. A land is said to mourn metaphorically when it is brought to an ill complexion, and looketh unpleasantly, the grass and green Herbs in it being destroyed by Enemies, or Drought or Vermine.? The beasts are consumed, and the birds, because they said, He shall not see our last end Nay the effects of their wicked courses reached to the very Beasts and Birds, because they were so presumptuous as to conclude, that they should do well enough, neither the Prophet nor any other should ee their last end..

If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses That these are the answer of God to the Prophet is reasonably well agreed by the best Interpreters, as also that this is a Proverbial expression, but as to the application of it in this place, there is some difference: Some make it this. If thou dost not understand what is done by the men of thine own City, how canst thou think to fathom my dispensations of Providence in the Government of the World? but this sen e seemeth not very probable, because the sense of the Proverb seemeth to be, If thou beest not able to encounter lesser dangers, how wilt thou be able to overcome greater? I rather agree with those who make the sense this. Ieremy I have greater dangers for thee to encounter than those thou art exposed to at Anathoth, if thou beest so disturbed with them, who are but as ootmen, how wilt thou be able to grapple with those far greater Enemies which thou art like to meet with at Hierusalem.? and if in the land of peace wherein thou trustedst they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan Anathoth also seemeth to be understood by the land of thy peace, that is the land of thy friends wherein thou hadst a confidence: If thy Enemies thou hast there met with, tyre thee, what wilt thou do in the swellings of Iordan? that is in a place in which thou art like to meet with an increase of greater troubles, like the swelling of Jordan (which in Harvest used to overflow its Banks.) Many other things are said by Interpreters, both with reference to the sense of this Text, and the explication of these proverbial expressions, but the sense above-mentioned seemeth to me least strained, and best agreeing with what went before, and what follows.?

For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee The men of Anathoth, thine own Town and Country, and those of thy own Family have conspired Evil against thee secretly., yea they have called a multitude after thee Either they have exposed thee to the rage and rudeness of a multitude, or they have accused thee to a multitude., believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee Tho' therefore they give thee many fair words, yet repose no trust nor confidence in them, but look to thy self..

I have forsaken my house God by his House here understandeth the Temple, which God is said here to have forsaken with respect to his gracious manifestations in it to the People that came thither to worship him., I have left mine heritage By his heritage he means the whole body of the Israelites, called Gods Heritage not in this Chapter only, but chap. 2.7. Ioel 2.17. Micah 7.14. whom God threateneth to leave with respect to hi special Providence, by which he had taken care of them, upon which account Canaan is called the land which God cared for, Deut. 11.12. that is so cared for, as in comparison with them, he might seem to neglect all other countreys., I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies That is, he had given that nation which was once his dearly beloved into the hands or power of their Enemies..

Mine heritage is unto me, as a lion in the forest, it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it That is, the reason why my heart is alienated from them, is because they are altered, those that were as my sheep, following me their chief Shepherd, and the guidance of those Prophets and Pastors which I set over them, are be ome like Lions in the Forest roaring against me, and rending and tearing the Prophets which I sent unto them..

Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird The word in the Heb. signifies to die, or colour, and Interpreters are here divided whether to interpret it of a Bird coloured by Nature, (so our Translators understood it, and therefore have translated it speckled) or by accident, as ravenous Birds are coloured by the blood of other birds killed by them. Hence some interpret the Text as a reflection upon the Iews for their Cruelty, coloured by their oppression and innocent bloodshed. Others of their tincture by a variety of Superstition and Idolatry, the latter seemeth to me most probable because of what follows, it being what is usual and natural for other birds to flock about a strange coloured bird such as they have not been used to see, but rather to fly from, than to come at a bird of prey, that has already stained her Feathers with the blood of other birds., the birds round about are against her t, come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour But it may be understood of either, for the Iews were notoriously guilty of both, and it is God that causeth the birds to come against her, and the beasts of the field to devour..

Many Pastors have destroyed my vineyard By Pastors most here think Civil Persons, not Ecclesiastical Officers are meant; but they are divided, some interpreting it of the Rulers and Princes of Nebuchadnezzars Army, who took Jerusalem, and destroyed Iudah, called Gods vineyard, Isa. 5.1, 2. others understanding it of the Rulers of the Jews, who by their wicked Government, and as wicked Example had ruined their Country., they have troden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion, a desolate wilderness And caused God to turn the Country which he had chosen for his portion, and declared such a pleasure in, into a Wilderness, and such a Wilderness as was not only thinly inhabited, but wholly desolate..

They have made it desolate Heb. He has made it desolate, but it cannot be meant of God, for it is God that speaketh, and God is he mentioned in the next words; It must therefore either be understood of Nebuchadnezzar, the instrumental cause; or (one number being put for another) of the people or the Rulers as the meritorious cause, and in that ruful s ate into which their sins had brought it, it cried unto God., and being desolate it mourneth unto me z, the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart And one great cause of this sore Judgment upon the land, was the peoples not laying to heart, not seriously considering what God had done or was doing against it..

The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness The Prophet (as very usually) speaketh of a thing as already done, which was very shortly to be done, he says they were come up because they should come up, and no places should be so high but they should climb them; none so strong, but they should subdue them.: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land, even unto the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace The sword of the Enemy is called the sword of the Lord, because he ordereth and succeeds it, tho' the Enemy manageth it, and he says it shall be against all, of all ranks and orders, no flesh should have peace, by no flesh he meaneth no ranks, no orders of men..

They have sown wheat, but they shall reap thorns If these words be understood literally, they only signifie, that God would blast the Labours of the Husbandman, and curse them in the field. The Earths bringing forth thorns and thistles was part of the Curse for the first transgression of man: Gen. 3.18. Gods blasting the labours of Husbandmen is often threatned as a punishment of Sin. Vid. Lev. 26.16. Deut· 28.38. if it be taken metaphorically, it is expounded by the next words.: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit That they should labour in vain, all the works of their hands, all their counsels and deliberations should be of no profit, or avail unto them.: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues, because of the fierce anger of the LORD The fierce anger of God against them shall be so showed, that the returns of their labours or estates, the profits of their Trades, &c. shall be so small that they shall be ashamed of them..

¶ Thus says the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit God will not be angry for ever with his own People nor suffer the rod of the wicked for ever to rest upon the back of the righteous, for aith he for those that are my evil neighbours, the Nations bordering upon I dea, which God calls his inheritance, upon which account he calleth them his neighbours, who touched his inheritance, not so much by contiguity of habitation, but by rapacious fingers, to do them hurt, insulting over them when the hand of God was upon them, and contriouting to their affliction and misery, by helping their Enemies against them, as did the Edomites, Philistines, Moabites, &c., Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from amongst them I will also pluck them out of their Land, I will bring the sword upon them also, and they shall be led into captivity, and though they may have made some inroads upon my people and have carried away some of them into Captivity, yet I will fetch them out of their Captivity.?

And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out, I will return and have compassion on them, and will bring them again every man to his heritage, and every man to his land This seemeth not to be a Prophesie only of the Iews return into their land after the fulfilling of the years of their Captivity, but also of the bringing back of these nations after that they should be plucked up, and seems to relate to the calling of the Gentiles, but this prophesie must be limited by what followeth in the next verse, and not understood of all the inhabitants of those nations..

And it shall come to pass, If they will diligently learn the wayes of my people to swear by my name, the LORD liveth Tho these people be heathens, yet if they will leave their Idolatries, and Superstitious wayes of Worship, and learn to worship and serve me as my people do and ought to worship me., (as they taught my people to swear by Baal) And swear by my name the Lord liveth, that is, pay that Homage which they pay to the Divine Being, to me, the living and true God; owning me alone as the fountain of life, and searcher of the hearts (for there is a great Homage paid to the true God in swearing by his name only, which shows the great impiety and profaneness of other Oathes·) then shall they be built in the midst of my people Then, says God, I will bless and prosper them also, and they shall not only have a portion in the Earth but amongst my people, which was eminently fulfilled in the Conversion of the Gentiles, Rom. 11.17. they were originally wild Olives and grafted in amongst the Iews, and with them made partakers of the root, and fatness of the Olive tree..

But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up, and destroy that nation, says the LORD But for those, whether they be Iews or Gentiles, that shall continue in their Idolatrous, and superstitious courses; that shall refuse the Messias, and continue in unbelief, and go on in courses of Rebellion and disobedience (says God) I will utterly destroy that people. Thus Isa. 60.12. The nation and kingdom, that will not serve thee, shall perish, yea those nations shall be utterly wasted..