Lamentations 3

I Am the man Some understand this of the Prophet, some of the People, who were before set out under the Notion of a Woman, a Daughter, here of a man. that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath Affliction must here be taken Emphatically for eminent degrees of affliction, caused not merely from the power and malice of the Enemy, but from the wrath of God, though brought upon them by the Chaldeans who were to the two Tribes, the Rod of Gods wrath, as the Assyrians are called with reference to the ten Tribes, Isa. 10.5..

He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. Darkness in Scripture (metaphorically taken) signifies Ignorance, Sin and Misery; and Light signifies Knowledge, a state of Grace, or a state of mirth and jollity, they are both here taken in the latter sense, as light is taken, Esther 8.16. Micah. 7.8. Iob 18.5. Psal. 97.11. and also Darkness is used, Ier. 13.16. 2 Sam. 22.29. Prov. 20.19. Ioel 2.2. Ezek. 32.8. the sense is God has not brought me into a joyful and prosperous, but into a sad and calamitous estate and condition.

Surely against me is he turned, he turneth his hand against me all the day The course of Gods Providence toward me is quite altered, his hand, that is his power was wont to be with me and for me against my Enemies, is now turned against me, nor is it for a moment, or for one stroke or two, but his hand is continually against me..

My flesh and my skin has he made old, he has broken my bones I was a Virgin, young and fair, but I am quite altered, and am now as an old woman whose flesh is decayed, and my skin wrinkled; all my beauty is gone, and all my strength is gone, my bones, those in whom my strength consisted are slain and broken..

He has builded against me He has not builded with me increasing my prosperity, and protecting my houses, but he has builded Forts and Batteries and Castles, (military buildings) to batter down my Walls and Houses, Isa. 29.2, 3., and compassed me with gall and travel Or with Poison, Venom and Misery (as some translate it) and it seems more proper than gall and travel, which have no cognation one with another. We are not well acquainted with the ancient Dialect of other Countries, the sense is obvious, God had surrounded them with misery and Calamities..

He has set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old The Prophet compareth their state in Babylon to the state of bodies in the Graves, or in some Charnel house, which are places of darkness, full of rottenness and dead mens bones. Such was the state of the Iews in Ierusalem during the time of the siege before the City was taken, when Ierusalem was a most miserable place by reason of the multitudes slain by the Enemy, or by the Famine: such was their estate in Babylon, where the company of Heathens made their state, as the state of the living amongst the dead..

He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out The use of an hedge about an inclosed field, is twofold: To keep out other beasts, which belong not to the owner of the ground; in this sense God set an hedge sometimes about Canaan, Isa. 5.5. 2 To keep in those beasts that are within, thus God had now hedged them in, into a barren place where they had no pasture, but were continually pushed at by other beasts with whom they were mixed, and who were stronger than they, and they could not get out.: he has made my chain heavy God had dealt with them as with grievous Malefactors, who are loaded with heavy Chains. He had made their affliction heavy and insupportable..

Also when I cry and shout In the condition I am in, I cannot help my self, no creatures can help me, I have no hope but in God, I take the ordinary course in that case, which is prayer, I pray fervently and aloud, as those that are serious and importunate for what they desire (for shouting here signifies no more than making a loud noise, not a loud noise of Joy and rejoycing, as it mostly signifies) but he deals with me as great persons that have no mind to listen to Suitors, and shut their gates against them, he shutteth out my supplications, which made their case wholly desperate and remediless., he shutteth out my prayer m.

He has inclosed my wayes with hewen stones Wayes in Scripture ordinarily signifies mens Courses, and methods of Counsels, and actions if the term be taken in that sense here, it signifieth Gods defeating all their methods and counsels taken for their own security in the pursuit of which they met not with ordinary, but with insuperable difficulties like Walls of hewen stone., he has made my pathes crooked Nay God had not only defeated their Counsels, but had made them prove fatal and pernicious to themselves, which seemeth to be intended, by making their wayes crooked, which should have led right on to the end intended..

He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places That is, he has taken all advantages against me to destroy me..

He has turned aside my wayes, and pulled me in pieces, he has made me desolate The same thing is repeated in other Phrases, which was before said, viz. That God had pleased by his Providence to frustrate all the designs and counsels of the Iews, and miserably to destroy them, as a Lion, or a Bear (the wild beasts mentioned before) tear in pieces the Beasts they prey upon..

He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow He has prepared himself for acts of vindicative Justice, and he has made me the object of it..

He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins That is, he has made his judgments, to pierce the most inward parts of the nation; or he has mortally wounded me. In the Heb. it is the daughters of his quiver, a way of speaking very usual in Hebrew, to express any thing that comes from another as the effect either of a natural or moral cause, so sparks are called the Sons of the quick coal, Iob 5.7. and corn the Son of the floor. &c..

I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day Though some think the Prophet speakes this of himself, yet, considering he has all along spoken in the name of the people it is not probable, which makes a difficulty, how the people could be a derision to themselves? It seemeth therefore ill translated, and that it should have been, I was a derision to all people, leaving out my, that is, to all forreigners, to whom the Iews were made a derision and an hissing, there only wants the last letter in, and it is well observed by the learned Authour of the English Annotations that the like defect is to be found as to the same word, 2 Sam. 24.43. compared with Psal. 18.43. so that is not a Pronoun affix (upon which supposal our Translators go) but one of the Letters that form the plural number, the other being left out, and put for..

He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood That is, he has filled me with severe and bitter dispensations, wormwood is a bitter herb, but it is also a wholesome herb, and therefore some think that the Hebrew word should rather be translated Henbane, and that it signifies some herb whose juice is intoxicating and poisonous..

He has also broken my teeth with gravelstones, he has covered me with ashes These are but more metaphorical expressions signifying the unpleasant difficult condition into which God had brought this people. They were like men that lived upon gritty bread, more fit to break their teeth than to nourish them, they were in the state of Mourners, and no ordinary Mourners, who were wont to throw ashes on their heads, they were all over covered with ashes..

And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace Peace, here signifieth prosperity, rather than a freedom from war. Though during the siege they were far from peace in a strict sense, yet in their captivity they had that peace, but both their minds were far off from quiet, and their persons from prosperity, the Prophet owneth God as the cause of this.: I forgat prosperity They had in Canaan lived prosperously, but now they thought of it no more, nor understood what such a thing meant..

And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD.

Remembring mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall If according to our translation we read Remembring, or while I remember, these two verses contain but one sentence; in the former part the Prophet in the name of this People expresseth their despairing condition; in the latter he gives the reason of it. viz. the Peoples poring upon their great, and heavy afflictions, which he compares to wormwood and gall, two things excessively bitter, and often made use of to signifie great affliction, Psal. 69.21. Ier..8.14. and 9.15. and 23.15. R v. 8.11. But it may as well be read imperatively, Remember mine affliction, so the first of these two verses expresseth the dejection of the Peoples minds in their Captivity caused through their proneness to despair of any better condition that their angry God would bring them into. The 29th. verse is a prayer directed to God, which showed that though they were mightily perplexed, yet they were not in utter despair; and to this sense the following verses seem to incline..

My soul has them still in remembrance: and is humbled within me That is, I cannot forget them, and the thoughts of them sink my spirits..

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope This, not what was already said, that made them despair, and their souls to bow down; but this, that which followeth, concerning the Nature of God, and other good Providences. I see nothing in the circumstances of my condition to comfort me, but I see somthing in Gods Nature, and in some other dispensations of his Providence, which gives me ground to hope for better things than an utter ruine and destruction..

¶ It is of the LORDs mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not Mercy is nothing else but love flowing freely from any, to persons in misery, and differs from compassion only in the freeness of the emanation. It is not because God had not power enough utterly to have consumed us, nor because we had not guilt enough to have provoked his Justice to have put an end to our lives, as well as to the lives of many thousands of our Countrymen, but it is merely from the Lords free love and pity to us in our miseries. If God had not a blessing in store for us, how is it that we are captives and not slain as many others were during the siege?.

They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness These compassions of God are renewed day by day, to declare the great faithfulness of God in fulfilling his many promises ma for Mercy to his people..

The LORD is my portion, says my soul, therefore will I hope in him God is the portion of his People, and they have chosen him as their portion, he has declared himself to them as such, and they have accepted him as such. This gives them ground both for Patience under his Providences, and also of expectation of good from him in their lowest and meanest state..

The LORD is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him Good is a term of a very comprehensive notion. The nature of it lieth in a sutableness to the thing or person to whom it relateth. So it signifieth profit and pleasantness. There is in God an essential goodness, which is his absolute perfection; but this Text speaketh of a communicative goodness, which floweth from him to his Creatures, and is seen in his suting their various necessities and desires with satisfactory dispensations of Providence. Though God be in one degree or other good to all, yet he is more especially good to the true worshippers of him, yet possibly not in their seasons or times when they expect or would have God show himself so to them, in this or that way, but always to those who wait for him, patiently induring trials and afflictions until God please to send them deliverance..

It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD Good here either signifies honestum, what becomes men, and is their duty; or Vtile, what is profitable, and will turn to good account to them. Hoping and waiting differ but as the mother and daughter. Hope being the Mother of Patience and Waiting, or as the Habit and Act. Hoping and Waiting being much the same, flowing from a gracious power and habit given the Soul to wait. Quietness is necessary to waiting, for all turbulen y and impatience of Spirit under sad Providences is opposed to waiting. The Salvation of the Lord refers to the outward man, in preserving or delivering us from dangers. Or to the Soul and inward man, in preserving us from, and delivering our souls out of dangers they fear, or evils they are pressed with. Now for a man in the midst of all evils to hope in God, and without turbulence or disorder in himself, to wait for a preservation from, or a delivery out of any evils is what becometh a man (a child of God especially) and will turn to a good account to them..

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth Good here must be expounded in the same sense as in the foregoing verse. It is not pleasant, but it is profitable, it is honourable, what becomes us, and is our duty, quietly and patiently to bear what afflictions God will please to lay upon us, to restrain our wild and wanton spirits when they are most prone to be too brisk and lascivious. Some by yoke understand the Law of God, called a yoke (because indeed it is so to flesh and blood) Matth. 11.29. It is not so easie to bend a neck stiffened with Age, or change an heart made hard by Custom. Solomon bids us to train up one in their youth in the way we would have them to walk; and whether God will tame us when young, by his Word or by his Rod, it is of advantage to a man: It is also laudable, and what becomes a man, early to bear the yoke of Gods Law, or to bear afflictive Providences, to have his heart betimes humbled to the Will and feet of God..

He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he has born it upon him Our English Annotations supplying That, makes the connexion clear, It is good for a man, that he sit alone, Ier. 15.17. not doing what he does to be seen of men, but sitting alone, and when he is alone, suppressing the mutinies of his Spirit and keeping his soul in subjection to God, because God has humbled him by his Rod, humbling himself to his Will..

He putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope If that may be supplied, or when (as Pagnine translateth ver. 28. the connexion of these words with the former is very fair and easie, for then those words, ver. 27. It is good that must be repeated in the beginning of ver. 28. and 29. however both th s and the former Verses let us know the duty of persons under afflictions in order to their obtaining Mercy at the hand of God, and admirably give us the Character of Persons under afflictions preparing for Mercy. They hope, and quietly wait for Gods Salvation, ver. 26. they bear Gods yoke, ver. 27. because he has laid it upon them. They sit alone and keep silence, ver. 28. and here they put their mouthes in the dust, that is, humble themselves to the feet of God, and to the Will of God; not being too confident of deliverances in this life, but if peradventure there may be hope..

He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him According to our Saviours precept, Matth. 5.39, he does not take any private Revenge, he is reproached and reviled, but when he is so he revileth not again, 1 Pet. 2.23. he is filled with reproach from others, but his mouth is not filled with the reproachings of others.: he is filled full with reproach.

For the LORD will not cast off for ever This is that which beareth up his spirits, that though the Lord may for a time estrange himself from his people, yet he will not always forsake them..

But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies But though as a prudent Parent he may see reason to cause grief in, and to afflict his own people, yet as a tender good Father, that pitieth his children in Misery he will have compassion upon them, having not only mercies, but a multitude or abundance of Mercies..

For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men In the Hebrew it is he does not afflict from his heart, that is with pleasure and delight; or (which seemeth the best sense to me) not from his own mere motion without a cause given him from the persons afflicted. Hence Judgment is called Gods strange work; showing Mercy is his proper natural work, which floweth from himself without any cause in the Creature. Judgment is his strange work to which he never proceedeth but when provoked, and as it were forced from the Creature, whence it followeth that he cannot delight in it..

To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth Here are three things mentioned, of all which it is said, that God approveth them not, neither all, nor any of them. The first is to crush the prisoners of the earth, he has power to crush all men in the world, they are his prisoners, and cannot fly from him, but he delighteth not in it, some think it spoken with special reference to the Iews who now were all Captives..

To turn away the right of a man before the face of the most High A second thing which it is said God approveth not, is turning away the right of a man before the face of the most high. Some, by the most high understand God, and make the sense to be in the sight of God. Others think that a Superiour Magistrate is understood, who Eccl. 5.8. is called the Highest; and that seemeth the most probable sense. The turning away the right of a man before them, signifieth the use of any arts to deprive them of their just right by misrepresenting their cause aspersing their Persons, &c..

To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not The third thing mentioned is the subverting a man in his cause, either by art, and Rhetorick, making it to appear bad when it is not so, or by mere Will and Power overruling it contrary to right and justice..

¶ Who is he that says, and it cometh to pass, when the LORD commandeth it not The sense of these words is doubted by none. That nothing cometh to pass in the World, but by the disposal of Divine Providence either effecting it by an immediate influence, but to what end these words are brought in this place is not so generally agreed. Some think they are brought in to check the Blasphemy of some that spake of what had befallen the Iews as a thing which God had no hand in. Others think they are brought in as expounding that term that went before, The Lord seeth not. Though God does not approve of sinful actions, nor incline any mans Heart or Will to them, yet God has an hand in the permission of the most cruel and unjust actions, which he could easily hinder. I should rather incline to interpret them as an argument brought by the Prophet in the name of the People of God, arguing themselves into a quiet submission to the afflictive Providences under which they laboured from the consideration of the Superior hand of God in them, as Christ told Pilate, Thou couldst not have had any power against me, if it had not been given thee from above: Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord has not done it, Amos 3.6..

Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good In the Heb. the form of these words is interrogatory, as much as if he should say does not evil come out of Gods mouth from his direction and command, and from his Providence, as well as good? He speaks of evils of punishment, judicial afflictive dispensations; so it agreeth with Iob 2.1. Amos 3.6. It is no reproach unto God to make him the Author of his own punishments, though we call them evil.?

Wherefore does a living man complain This verse admits of various senses, caused from the various interpretation of the Hebrew word which we translate complain, which also signifies to mourn or grieve, so some render it; why does a living man grieve or vex himself? but the word is noted most generally to signifie complaining or murmuring.? a man for the punishment of his sins The word also which we translate Sin, sometimes signifieth that oblique act which we call sin; and those who interpret the former word grieve or vex, thus understand the word translated sin, supplying some such words as these, Let him mourn for his sin? why does he mourn for his afflictions and plagues, let him rather spend his Tears upon his sins. But the word also signifies the guilt of sin, or obligation to death, which it layeth men under, sin lieth at the door, Gen. 4.7. so also Gen. 20.9. and also any punishment brought upon men for sin, Gen. 4.13. where we translate it punishment. This sense our translators follow. The Prophet then in the person of the Iews, checks himself in his complaints for their punishments from the consideration, that nothing had befallen them, but what was the just reward of their sins.?

Let us search and try our wayes, and turn again to the LORD Seeing God does not grieve us willingly, nor delight to crush us though we be his Prisoners, and seeing the hand of God is in these things upon us, and that justly to recompense our iniquities into our bosoms, instead of murmuring and fretting against God, which is not reasonable, nor will be of any profit to us, Let us examine our thoughts, words and actions and consider what they have been, and reform, and turn again to the Lord, by aposta izing from whom we have brought these evils upon us..

Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens Let us apply our selves unto God by Prayer, often expressed under this notion in Scripture from that gesture ordinarily used in Prayer: and let us not do it in hypocrisie, but joining our hearts with our hands, praying seriously and fervently..

We have transgressed and have rebelled, thou hast not pardoned The Prophet does not dictate words, but sense to them; teaching them the matter of their Prayer first by way of confession. Sin is called a transgression because it is going aside from the way of Gods precepts, it is called Rebellion, because it is an act contrary to that Allegiance and duty, which we owe unto God, and the Covenant we have made with him. By pardoning here is meant, the discharge of the guilty persons from the temporal punishment due for sin (as it is often taken in Scripture) so it signifies, thou hast plagued us according to the just desert of our sins..

Thou hast covered with anger Either thou hast covered thy self with anger, or covered thy own face with anger so as not to look upon us to move thy pity, or (which is more probably the sense) thou hast covered, that is overwhelmed us with thy wrath., and persecuted us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied Thou hast pursued us to a fatal ruin without showing us any pity..

Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through God had covered them with wrath, overwhelming them with afflictions so as they had no way to escape; and whereas in this distress they had nothing else to do, but only to apply themselves to God, he had hid his face from them, so as they could get no comfortable fight of him, he was as one covered with a Cloud that could not be discerned through that opacous body. What is meant by this cloud, whether, his fixed resolution to punish them, or his fresh remembrance of their sins, or his just will to be revenged on them, seems too curiously inquired. The Phrase is a metaphor, and signifies no more than that God would not hear their prayers in their distress..

Thou hast made us as the off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the people That is, thou hast made us to all Nations extreamly contemptible, so as they value us no more than the sweepings of their Houses, or the most vile, refuse, and contemp e things imaginable..

All our enemies have opened their mouths against us That is, to mock, scoff, and reproach us..

Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction All manner of misery was come upon them. They were seized first with fears and terrors, going to escape these they fell into a snare, or (as it is in the Heb.) into a pit, out of which they could not get, they were wasted, made desolate and destroyed..

Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission The Prophet was deeply affected upon the prospect of this evil before it came, Ier. 9.1. and was now much more affected when he saw the judgment was come, he wept plentifully and constantly, as for their sins which had brought these judgments upon them, so for the judgments themselves as indications of Gods displeasure and wrath against them for their transgressions..

Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven That is, until the Lord shows me some favour. See the Notes on chap. 1. ver. 9..

Mine eye affecteth mine heart, because of all the daughters of my city The eye and the ear, are those organs of the body, by which the soul exerciseth its senses to bring in all objects whether pleasant or sad to the understanding to judge of them, according to the judgment of which upon them it is affected, with joy or sorrow, desire or aversation, &c. and the eye is the chiefest of these because its evidence is more certain, and less subject to deceit. The Prophet, and most of the Iews were eye-witnesses to the Evils which had befallen the Iewes, and which at present were upon them. So as their hearts were the more affected. The word translated affect, is by some noted to signifie to waste and consume, which are the effects of a deep affecting the heart with sad and miserable objects. Our Margent tells us, that it may be also read more than all the daughters of my City; according to which the sense is, that he was more affected with the state of Ierusalem, then the tenderest woman that had lived in it; but it is as well, if not better in this place rendred causally; showing the reason of his deep affliction, viz. all those miseries he had seen fall upon all the Iewish Nation, or upon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem..

Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird, without cause As Boys beat a Bird from bush to bush, suffering it to rest no where, so mine Enemies to whom I gave no cause pursued me..

They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me Dungeon seemeth not to be here taken literally for the lowest and nastiest place in Prisons, which probably was the portion but of a few of the Iewes; but metaphorically for the lowest and saddest condition of misery. Their Enemies had brought them into the deepest Miseries to the cutting off of their lives, and as men use to roll great stones upon the mouthes of Dens and Pits, where they have shut up Persons to make them sure from escaping out, so their Enemies had dealt with them, doing what ay in them to make their condition remediless and desperate..

Waters flowed over mine head Afflictions often in Scripture are called waters, Isa. 28.17, 18. and 59.19., then I said, I am cut off That is, I am utterly undone, there is no hope for me..

¶ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon That is, out of my deepest affliction, as Ionah out of the elly of Hell, Ionah 2.2. I cried unto God, and called upon him for mercy..

Thou hast heard my voice I in former great afflictions applied my self unto thee, and thou didst hear me., hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry Show me now the same favour. Our former experiences of Gods goodness to us in hearing our Prayers, ought to hold up our hands in prayer, and beget a confidence in us that we persisting in our duty, shall find God the same God, yesterday, this day, and for ever..

Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee There was a time when I was in distress, and called upon thee, and thou didst draw near unto me. God is never far off from any of us, as to his essential presence; nor is it possible that he should, for he filleth all places. But he is said to be near us or far off from us, as he manifests or does not manifest his goodness to us by acts of gracious Providence; of that drawing near the text speaketh. God being infinite in goodness and mercy, is spoken of as absent from those persons and places, where he is not showing mercy, and present only there where he shows forth his goodness, and to be drawing nigh to them to whom he beginneth to show Mercy.: thou saidst, Fear not Thou didst incourage me formerly upon my prayer..

O LORD, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul Thou hast been wont to take my part against my Enemies, not like a Lawyer by word of mouth, but actually and really pleading my cause., thou hast redeemed my life Thou hast saved me from many a danger which looked fatally upon me..

O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong Thou hast a perfect knowledge of mens perverse, and unrighteous dealings with me at this time., judge thou my cause Do thou judge betwixt me and mine Enemies, and deal with them according to what shall appear just to thee..

Thou hast seen all their vengeance Thou hast been a witness to all their fury and rage., and all their imaginations against me And all their malicious and bloody contrivances against me..

Thou hast heard their reproach O LORD! and all their imaginations against me What ever knowledge men get of things done from their Eye or Ear, thou hast from thy omnisciency, thou knowest not only their malitious actions, but words and thoughts..

The lips of those that rose up against me and their device against me all the day That is thou hast observed and noted the motions, or products of my Enemies lips, and their secret devices, before they came out of their lips..

Behold their sitting down, and rising up, I am their musick That is at all times when they sit down, and rise up I am their song. Though probably the words have a special reference to their sitting down at Feasts, and at their merry meetings, I am all the subject of their discourse, they spend their time in mocking and scoffing at us, and at Ierusalem we are they that make them sport..

¶ Render unto them a recompense LORD, according to the work of their hands These three last verses are all but the same general petition, though expressed in various phrases, the Prophet had prayed verse 59. that God would judge his peoples cause, here he prayeth that he would also judge his Enemies, he only desireth justice against them, a recompense of the work of their hands..

Give them sorrow of heart The word translated sorrow of heart is found no where else in Holy Writ, which makes a certain particular explication of it to be difficult, and has given Interpreters a strange liberty in translating it, shield, sorrow, and grief, obstinacy or hardness of heart, perplexi y, abjection or breaking of heart; the best guides we have to direct us in the sense of it are. 1 The other things joyned with it, persecution, destruction, a recompense according to their works, so that some afflictive evil of an heavy nature is certainly signified by it. 2. The Analogy of Faith which restraineth us from wishing or praying for spiritual or eternal evils against our worst Enemies, it therefore probably signifies, such perplexity of mind, and breakings of mind as commonly attend a state of great affliction., thy curse unto them.

Persecute them and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD Bring them to a temporal ruine and destruction. How far such petitions are lawful we have before showed, in our Notes on Psal. 69.22, 23, 24. &c. and 109.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. &c. Ier. 11.20. & 15.15. See also chap. 1.22. It is hard to interpret all passages of this nature which we meet with as Prophesies, though some of them are so, and others may be both Prophesies and Prayers..