Jeremiah 17

THE sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond There is much arguing amongst those that are critical about the true signification of words, what is here signified by which we translate a Diamond; most agree that it does not signifie a Diamond (not used in ingraving) but that by the Pen of Iron, and the point of a Diamond, are meant some tools with which they were wont to ingrave things upon hard substances, it may be made in a figure resembling the claw of a Bird, as the word seemeth to import.; it is graven upon the table of their heart It is graven in their hearts they are so accustomed to sin, so inured to Idolatry, that there is no hope of any reclaiming them. For how can they that are accustomed to do evil do well?, and upon the horns of your altars Nor is it a thing done in secret, but it is written or painted, or ingraven upon the horns of their Altars, Gods Altar was foursquare, and at each corner there was a rising part made of Brass something high, these were called the hornes of the Altar. See Exod. 27.2. Ezek. 43.15, 16. Now their sin is either said to be ingraven, or published, upon the hornes of the Altar, because the blood of the Sacrifices which they offered to idols was sprinkled there, or because their Altars had some inscription upon them, declaring to what Idol that Altar was consecrated, as the Altar of Athens had.:

Whilest their children remember their altars, and their groves, by the green trees, upon the high hills This showed how inveterate they were in this sin of Idolatry, that they taught it their Children, and their Children remembred their idolatrous Altars, and the Groves, where they were wont to worship Idols by the green Trees, as they did also upon the High Hills, so their sin was derived from one age to another. Others think that the phrase rather expresseth their fondness of their Idols, and think it should be read, as their Children, they remember, &c. that is they loved their Idols, and their Idolatrous services, as they loved their Children, which also was true, yea they that made their Children pass through the fire to Molech, loved them better then their Children..

O my mountain in the field O Mount Zion, for though Ierusalem stood in a plain, yet it was at the foot of an Hill, and part of it was built upon the side of the Hill, upon the top of which Hills, were many pleasant Fields. Or O Iudah which was a Countrey full of Mountains, God calls it his Mountain, because of the particula avour he had to this Countrey., I will give thy substance, and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders He threatneth to give all the riches of the Inhabitants of Iudah, and Ierusalem as a spoil, and all the High Places where they had committed Idolatry throughout all their Countrey into the Enemies hands..

And thou, even thy self shalt discontinue from thine heritage which I gave thee In the word discontinue there is a secret promise, that they should again come and possess and inherit their Land, they should not lose their inheritance, but only discontinue their possession and occupation of it. Some learned Authours considering that the same word is here used, which is used Exod. 23.11. in the Law concerning the Sabbatical Rest, when they were to let the Land rest, and lye still, Lev. 26.34. think this text has a reference to that, and the meaning is thou shalt discontinue thy ploughing, and tilling the Land., and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies, in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in my anger, which shall burn for ever And go into thine Enemies Countrey and serve them in a Land of which thou hast no knowledge, because by thine Idolatry and other sins thou hast increased my wrath into such a fire, as shall burn for a long time, for so the word ever is oft taken, Exod. 21.6. Deut. 15.17. Psal. 89.1. Isa. 34.10..

¶ Thus says the LORD, Cursed be the man, that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD It was the great sin of this people for which they are often taxed in Holy Writ, 2 Chron. 16.7. and 28.26, 20. Isa. 30.1, 2. and 31.1, 2. when any danger threatned them for their sins, to make leagues with, and flee to forreign idolatrous Nations to help and succour them, and to repose a confidence in them and so boulster up themselves in their wicked and sinful courses promising themselves deliverance from the dangers that threatned them, by the power of their Confederates, and Allies. This sin the Prophet here reflecteth upon. That while their hearts departed from God they would yet incourage themselves, from the hoped for help of men: The Prophet from God declares that such are and shall be cursed, and mentioneth man, under the notion of Flesh, to show his frailty, and impotency to help against the mighty power and wrath of God, withal showing us. That God alone is the true object of our Faith and Confidence, as well for the things of this Life, as those of another Life, and that none whose heart departeth from God, can with any security look for any help from the Creature..

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited The sum is he shall not thrive, nor prosper but be like the Heath, by which is meant some barren Shrub or Tree, about which the various guesses of Interpreters (which the Reader that is curious may find in the English Annotations) are but incertainties, and this planted in the Wilderness too which is a barren soil, which Tree or Plant is never the better for all the moisture that comes from Heaven, nor for all the beams of the Sun; but stands in a dry and salt place, not inhabited by people. The scope is to let us know, that sinners who depart from God, and do not place their confidence in him in times of danger, but trust in creature aids and assistances, shall miss of those very good things which they might have had if they had expected them from him, from whom alone they could have been obtained..

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is Trusting in the Lord necessarily implieth also a walking close with him, and not in heart departing from him, for it is naturally impossible that any should repose a confidence in another for any good things, which that other has promised under any condition, without some satisfaction in himself, that he has in some measure fulfilled the condition upon which the promises is made. But that man that truly trusteth and hopeth in the Lord is, and shall be a blessed man..

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit The sum is, he shall be prosperous and successful in his councels, and undertakings like a Tree planted, by the side of a River, which is not affected with drought, but in a time when the leaves of Trees standing in dry mountainous places parch and wither, its leaves hold their greeness, and its colour is not altered by drought, neither does it cease from yeilding fruit, but bringeth forth much fruits when other Trees are wholly unfruitful..

¶ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked The words translated deceitful, and desperately wicked, are very variously Translated, fraudulent, perverse, supplanting, he speaks to the Jews, that they might not lean too much to their own counsels, fancies or understandings, but it is a proposition true concerning the hearts of all the Sons, and Daughters of men; there is nothing so false and deceitful as the heart of man, deceitful in its apprehensions of things, in the hopes and promises which it nourisheth, in the assurances that it gives us, &c. unsearchable by others, deceitful with reference to our selves, and abominably wicked, so that neither can a man know his own Heart, neither can any other know our hearts., who can know it.

I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings Lest these Hypocrites should pretend that their hearts were not departed from God, or should say who then can judge us if none knoweth the heart? says God though no creature knoweth the heart of another fellow creature, yet I know the hearts of all creatures, I search the secret thoughts, and counsels and designs of all my creatures, for I will judge them according to their thoughts and the secret motions and affections of their souls; according to all their wayes, and the fruit of their doings. You cannot therefore mock me, and tell me your hearts are not departed from me..

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not It is no wonder if we cannot be certain as to the sense of these words so far as they concern natural History, when we are not certain what bird it is to which it does relate, we translate it Partridge. Others will have it the Cuckow; but certain it is that it is the same word which we translate Partridge, 1 Sam. 26.20. and Cuckows use not to be much hunted after. How the Partridge is said to sit on Eggs and hatch them not, is yet a greater question. It may be occasioned so many wayes, viz. either sitting upon Wind-eggs, or being killed before the Eggs are hatched, or having its Eggs destroyed by the male Partridge or by some Dog, or other Vermine. Or its nest being found having her Eggs taken from her, that it is hard to determine which the Prophet means, of all other I lest approve of that which Hierome makes the sense, though the thing be true, (if we may believe Cassiodorus, and several natural Historians, Aldrovandus, &c) That Patriches have such a love and desire to hatch young ones, that having lost their own Eggs, they will steal the Eggs of other Partriches and hatch them, which Birds being hatched the young ones knowing the cry of their proper damms, hearing them call, leave the Partrich that hatched them, (which is one thing quoted by A d ovandus to show the sagacity of that Bird) but if this were the sense the words would be as the Partridge setteth on Eggs, and hatcheth them, but injoyeth them not, whereas they are, hatcheth them not; that is having lost them either by some man that has taken them from her, or by some Vermine or wild Beast.: so he that getteth riches, and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his days g, and at his end dye a fool So he that getteth an estate by oppression or any cousenage or unrighteous actions, shall lose it again, before he cometh to dye, and when he comes to dye, shall understand what a fool he was to take so much pains to no more purpose..

¶ A glorious high throne from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary It is much more hard to give an account of the connexion of these words with the former, then of their sense considered absolutely in themselves. Some would have them the words of the people, reckoning up another vain ground of their confidence, because they had amongst them the Temple of the Lord, which we know was what they mightily gloried in. Others would have them the words of the Prophet owning his and the good Jews confidence to be only in God, and themselves to worship God not in Groves or High places, but only in that place which he had chosen to be worshipped in, even in his Sanctuary or Temple, many other conjectures there are, but these two seem to me the most probable..

O LORD! the hope of Israel That is, he in whom alone the true Israel of God can hope. all they that forsake thee shall be ashamed Those who forsake thy Law, and that rule thou hast given them whereby to direct their conversations, first or last will be ashamed of such their disobedience., and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth And those that depart from what I have, as thy Prophet, revealed to them as thy will, shall have no portion beyond the Earth which they seem so fond of. Or their names, and memories shall vanish, and perish, and be presently extinct like words written in dust., because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters Because they have forsaken thee who art the alone certain relief and comfort of people, the fountain and original of all that good that people can hope for..

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise Most Interpreters here understand the Prophet speaking in these words to God for himself, he represents himself to God as a person wounded or sick, either with his sense of Gods dishonour by the sins of the people, or with their reproaches, or threatnings, and beggeth of God to heal him, he being he, in whose hand or power it was to heal him, and who could certainly do it. The argument is in those words for thou art my praise, he whom alone I have reason to praise for mercies already received, to whom alone I owe all my good things..

¶ Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD Scoffing at me as if I had threatned them in thy name without any order or direction from thee as the scoffers mentioned by Peter, said 2 Pet. 3.4. where is the promise of his coming. This has ben the practice of all wicked men hardned in their sinful courses, and resolved to go on, to put the evil day far from them, and to scoff at all denunciations of Gods judgments, Isa. 5.19, Amos 5.18.? let it come now Daring the vengeance of God and challenging God to damn them, or to execute the vengeance with which he threatneth them..

As for me, I have not hastned from being a pastor to follow thee That the words contain the Prophets appeal to God upon some reproaches cast upon him by this wicked people, as if he had thrust himself into the Prophetical Office is evident, and reasonably well agreed by Interpreters, but they are divided about the sense of the word: which yet always in Scripture signifies to make haste, or to urge, or press, the sense seemeth so be this. Lord! as I did not seek the office of a Prophet, so when thou wert pleased to call me to it, I did not decline to be a Pastor after thee., neither have I desired the woful day thou knowest Neither (says he) have I desired to be a Prophet of these sad tidings, those woful miseries which thou hast made me thy messenger to foretel., that which came out of my lips was right before thee I have spoken nothing but what was right in thy sight being what thou commandest me to deliver as from thee, and so I know was right in thy sight..

Be not a terror unto me Though these rebellious wicked men afright and terrifie me, yet Lord be not thou a terror to me, own and defend me as thy Prophet. thou art my hope in the day of evil For thou alone art lie in whom I place my hope and trust in a day of trouble..

Let them be con ounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction That is with abundant destruction, concerning these prayers of the Prophet against his Enemies, see the Notes on chap. 11.20..

¶ Thus says the LORD unto me, Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem Most think that here begins a new prophesie, and therefore this verse should have began a new chapter The Prophets were often commanded to publish such Revelations as they had from God, either at the gates of the City or the gates of the Temple, chap. 7.2. and 19.2. It is not agreed what this particular gate was, at which the Kings of Iudah were wont most ordinarily to come in, and go out, but the Prophet was also commanded to publish it in all the gates of Ierusalem, that all might take notice of it..

And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates The word of the Lord equally concerneth the highest, and the lowest, the greatest Princes as well as the meanest subjects..

Thus says the LORD, Take heed to your selves The Hebrew is, take heed to your Souls, intimating to us that the Sanctification of the Sabbath is a great thing, wherein the welfare of our Souls is concerned., and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.

Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers This command for the sanctification of the Sabbath, was given Exod. 20.8. repeated chap. 23.12. and 31.14, 15. Levit. 19.3. and 23.3. Deut. 5.12, 15. Ezek. 20.12. the bearing of burdens forbidden was such as was for profit, for in some cases it was lawful to carry burdens for the saving the lives of Men, or Beasts, and some learned men justifie the poor sick man carrying his bed when he was cured, not only from the command of Christ alone who could authorize him to it, though against the rule of the Law, but because he had no further occasion himself to be there, and was not obliged by the Law of the Sabbath to leave his bed behind him, himself going away, but no unnecessary burdens, no trading burdens might on the Sabbath day, be either carried out of the gates of the City, or out of the gates of any of their private houses..

But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ears, but made their neck stiff that they might not hear, nor receive instruction The Jews were a very covetous people, and their covetousness as well as their other lusts, were temptations to them to prophane the Lords Sabbath, Neh. 13.19. Ezek, 20.21..

And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, says the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day to do no work therein.

Then shall there enter into the gates of this city, kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots, and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city shall remain for ever.

And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt-offerings, and sacrifices, and meat-offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise unto the house of the LORD The sum of all these three verses is, that if they would sanctifie the Lords Sabbath, they should either continue in, or be restored unto their ancient Civil, and Ecclesiastical order, they should have Kings and Princes in their former order and splendor, and men should come from all parts of the Countrey bringing their usual Sacrifices and Offerings to the Temple, and those of all sorts. Some think this promise is to be understood Sy e d chically one principal part of the Law of God, and such a one as was in their power to obey, being put for the whole Law of God. Those who desire to be satisfied in the niceties as to the terms and places here mentioned may find satisfaction in the English Annotations upon this verse. The general sense is no more, then that both their City and their Temple, their Civil and Ecclesiastical State should continue, and flourish in that order wherein it was..

But if you will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched A threatning quite contrary to the former promise upon their acting contrary to the duty to which that promise was annexed. God would destroy their City, it should be burned with fire, and the highest and noblest structures should be burned and though the hand of the Enemy should do this, yet God should order them to do it, so as it should be a fire of his kindling, and therefore not like to be quenched, till it had effected that thing for which God so kindled it..