Jeremiah 4

Jeremiah 4:1-3

The true first verses, as the foregoing chapter, are directed to Israel, the rest of the chapter concerns Judah and Jerusalem. 1. They are called to repent and reform, ver. 3, 4. 2. They are warned of the advance of Nebuchadnezzar against them, and said that it is for their fate, from which they are again rebutted to with themselves, ver. 5—18. 3. To affect them the more with the prurings of the definition that was coming, the prophet himself bitterly sincerely is, as a reduction of the world to its first chaos, ver. 19—31.

1. If thou wilt return, O Israel, faith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shall thou not remove. 2. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth: in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness: and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

2. Israel had made penitent professions of returning: God accepts them, and directs them in the way.

If thou wilt return, O Israel, faith the Lord, return unto me, or, if thou wilt return unto me, thou shalt return; either is them immediately execute their purpose; or it is promised that, on their doing so, God will bring them back from their dispersion; and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, all their idolatrous practices and images, then shall thou not remove into captivity again; or, if thou shalt not move to and fro, be fickle and wavering, but steadfast in their adherence to God, then his blessing would be upon them. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, making no more mention of their false gods, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; solemnly, and with strictest regard to truth. And the nations shall bless themselves in him; being called into communion with God’s Israel, and counting themselves happy in the pardon, grace, and glory, revealed in the Redeemer: and in him shall they glory, renouncing all other confidences, and glorying in the fulness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Note, (1.) They who truly turn to God must put away all their abominations, and no allowed sin be spared. (2.) An oath is an act of religious worship, and therefore to swear by any creature is blasphemy against God. (3.) Every oath should be taken in truth, with scrupulous adherence to it, asserting nothing of which we have not the fullest assurance, nor promising might we do not really intend to perform: in judgment, when called upon before a magistrate; or solemnly, not rashly, or in common conversation, but where the importance of the subject makes such an appeal to God lawful: and in righteousness, that justice may be done, and God glorified.

3. For thou faith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fellow ground, and show not among thorns. 4. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the forefaction of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my

fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

v. 3, 4. The prophet, having discharged his message to the men of Israel, and set forth their repentance, here addresses himself to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, whom he would provoke to jealously by their example, and excite to the like repentance. We have,

1. Their Duty. This is represented to them by two familiar images. (1.) Break up your fellow ground, and sew not among thorns. Not that of their own ability they could do this. What God calls them to, he would enable them by his grace to perform. This is a striking image of man’s natural heart, bringing forth to fruit to God, barren of all grace, hard and competent; unfenced, where every lawless appetite ranges uncontrolled; overgrown with the brism and thorns of sole and corrupt affections; and therefore nigh unto burning, Heb. vi. 7, 8. This fellow ground must be broken up before it can produce fruit; and this is done by the word of God, convincing the sinner’s conscience, and opening his heart to receive the lead of the gospel, as the plough divides the soul, Heb. iv. 12. and the brism and thorns being rooted up, the seed is not choated, but brings forth fruit unto perfection. (2.) Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the forefaction of your heart. They placed great dependence on circumcision: but without the circumcision of the heart, and cutting off their corrupt affections, that which was outward in the flesh signified nothing. Note, All inflections and forms, however strictly adhered, can profit us nothing, if the Spirit and power of Godliness be wanting within: nay, they serve but to delude and deceive the soul that trusts in them.

2. Their danger great and imminent. Left my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Delays are dangerous. To day, whilst it is called to day, they are warned not to harden their hearts. Note, (1.) It is sin that provokes God’s wrath, and kindles the unquenchable flames of hell. (2.) Nothing is to terrible as falling impatient into the hands of that God who is a confining fire. (3.) The moment of delay God affords us should be eagerly firmed, before the flames kindle round us; for then it would be too late to call or return.

3. Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and lay, ‘Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. 6. Set up the standard towards Zion: ‘retire, stay not; for I will bring evil’ from the north, and a great destruction. 7. The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land delobate, and thy cities shall be laid waite, without an inhabitant. 8. For this ‘gird you with sackeloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us. 9. And it shall come to pass at that day, faith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes: and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. 10. Then said I, Ah LORD God, ‘forely thou hast greatly deceived this people, and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul. 11. At that time shall it be said to this people, and to Jerusalem, ‘A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse. 12. Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them. 13. Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: ‘his horses are swifter than eagles: wo unto us, for we are spoiled. 14. O Jerusalem, ‘wath thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayst be saved: how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? 15. For ‘a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim. 16. Make ye mention to the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah. 17. As keepers of a field are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, faith the LORD. 18. ‘Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee, this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter; because it reacheth unto thine heart.

4. AT that time, faith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their graves. 2. And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the lofty of heaven whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have fought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3. And death shall be chosen rather than life, by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, hath the LORD of hoffs.

In the derafful desitations before described, the unburied corpses lie exposed; here these savage invaders suffer not the dead to enjoy quiet repose.

1. The graves and sepulchres of Judah’s kings and princes shall be opened, either thus’ covetousness to search for treasures; or to show insult even to their allies; or as a just judgment of God, who suffered the bones of the kings, priests, prophets, and people, who had so rebailed against him, to be exposed with infamy before those luminaries of heaven whom they had worshipped, loved, served, and fought; they had walked in the most abominable idolatries, and set up these to their gods, as if their favour was to be desired, and their blessing to be obtained: foolish and impious the service! and now it appeared so, when they could not afford the least help, nor so much as collect their scattered bones, spread for dung upon the face of the earth, v. 1, 2. Note, In the day of judgment the sinner’s loathsome carcase will be more shamefully exposed, fix. lavi. 24.

2. Death, the most dreaded of human evils, now shall be covered; not that it hath left ought of its horrors, but because life is become intolerable; not from a hope of happiness in the exchange, but from despair of risk or este-below. The survivors of this evil family, for to so small a number will they be reduced, shall be so harassed and consented in every place whither they are driven, that they shall look with envy on those who have perished by famine and the sword, and count their lot more eligible than their own, v. 3. Note, That case is ter-Vol. II.

rible, indeed, when life becomes a burden, and the finder is kept to prefer fleringling and death.

4. Moreover, thou shalt say unto them, Thou faith the LORD, Shalt they fall, and not arise? Shalt he turn away, and not return? 5. Why then is this people of Jerusalem hidden back, by a perpetual backfinding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 6. I hearkned and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repeated him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horfe ruffeth into the battle. 7. Yes, the florik in the heaven’s knoweth her appointed tirren, and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow observe the time of their coming, but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. 8. How do ye say, We are wife, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it, the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9. The wife men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken; Lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD, and what wisdom is in them? 10. Therefore will give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one deserts falsely. 11. For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. 12. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall, in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, faith the LORD.

Jeremiah 4:4-12

Never was people so insinuated to their ruin.

1. They persevered in their evil ways. In general, when a man fails, he decks immediately to recover himself; and if he loses his way, he is solicitous to return into the right path, v. 4. Why then is this people of Jerusalem hidden back by a perpetual backfinding? and instead of any desire to amend, they hold fast deceit; obstinate against every means of conviction, they refuse to return. Note, (1.) They who backfiske from God, wonder endlessly and perpetually, unless his grace plucks them from ruin. (2.) Nothing is so great a deceit as sin; it promises so much enjoyment, and ever produces so much misery.

2. They disappointed God’s expectations from them. He patiently waited and hearkned, if so he they might at last be prevailed upon to change their note, and learn the language of penitence: but not one spake might, nor reported of his wickedness, reflecting with shame upon his conduct: but just the very revuade; they urged on their mad career in sin with such determined waywardness and fearlessness, as the horfe ruffeth into the battle. Note, (1.) God is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come unto repentance. (2.) The first step to real penitence is serious reflection upon the evil of our past ways, What have I done? (3.) The daring sinner that mocks at the terrors of the Lord, as chimeras, and fearless rushes into the depths of iniquity, will find them fearful realities, and that half was not told him.

3. They were more stupid and irrational than the fowls of heaven, whilst they made the highest pretensions to wisdom, v. 7—9. The birds of passage by inflicted know the proper season for their coming and going, and how to direct their flight; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord; neither how to improve the calls of mercy in God’s word, nor the corrections of affliction, nor his visitations on others, and yet they say, We are wife, and the law of the Lord is with us. How shameless their pretensions! when their whole conduct appeared so contradictory. In vain had they the law, and the pen of the scribes to write out copies or comments upon it; their expositions were false, or at least they paid no regard to them, if true. Their wife men themselves are confounded at calamities they could neither foresee nor avert: nor can it be wondered, when, is! they have rejected the word of the Lord, sent by his prophets; and what wisdom is in them, when they reject the counsel of God, and refuse to be instructed! Note, (1.) Many enjoy plenty of means, have libiles of ministers, and yet are never the wiser for them. (2.) Whatever pretenses to wisdom they may make, who reject God’s revealed word, they will be confounded in the day of judgment at their own egregious folly.

4. For their sins they shall suffer. Their sins are before charged on them, chap. vi. 13—15. Love of filthy lures, most scandalous in those who are so preach, and be examples to others of deadness to the world. Infanterity; their professions were false, and their doctrine disinclined, tending to lull the sinner’s soul into fatal security, instead of stealing him to a sense of his danger; and daring impudence, that knew not to blush, though convicted of their lies, and upbraided for their

Jeremiah 4:5-18

The judgments coming upon Judah and Jerusalem are foretold, as an awakening motive to their speedy repentance.

1. The alarm is spread through the land of the invading foe coming from the north, and they who are dispersed in the country are called to flee his safety to the defenced cities; slight being thought their only resource where resistance was van, v. 5, 6.

E. c. 2. The

Jeremiah 4:19-31

Before Christ Set.

2. The approach of the Chaldeans, with Nebuchadnezzar at their head, is described by a variety of images, expressive of the great defraction and ravages which would enlist. As a law, v. 7, pinched with hunger, fallers furiously from his thicket on the defenceless flocks, to herce, to cruel, would the king of Babylon come at the head of his armies, the defrayer of the Gentiles, and now of the Jews, to spread desolations on every side; as a dry wind, sharp and piercing, violent and raging, that, instead of flaming or cleansing the grain, would sweep with reinflicted fury all before it, v. 11, 12. Thick as cloud they advance, and twirl as the wilchwood: their berets are fusifer than eagles; and therefore flight as impracticable as opposition was vain. From Zion, the most northern border, the first alarm is spread, v. 15: that the nations may hear who were to drink of the fame cup, and especially Jerusalem, against whom this armament is intended, behold watchers come from a fair country, or belayers, threatening ruin to all the cities of Judah; and shouting, as confident of victory, v. 16. As keepers of a field, who guard the corn, and prevent all entrance into it, so should their cut off from Jerusalem all Gipshen, and suffer none to escape. See 2 Kings 1.20 v.

3. The cause of these judgments is their sin. They half been rebellious against me, soith the Lord, v. 17. Thy way and thy doings have prepared their things unto thee: they had none to blame but themselves for what they suffered; it was the just recompense of these iniquities: this is thy wankership, the fruit of it, brought it to bitter, both the sin and the punishment; because it reacheeth in the heart, a mortal blow, an utter destruction. Note, (1.) Whatever we suffer, we have only ourselves to blame; our sins are our tormentors. (2.) If we feel not the bitterness of sin to myne of it, we shall feel the bitterness of the punishment when repentance will come too late.

4. If the terrible consequences of these judgments are described, Their hearts fall them. The king and princes, that should have reused the people to a brave defence, have left all spirits, and cannot conceal their coward fears; the people, whose office it was to animate them to the battle, are themselves affomished, and unable to sound a blast from the silver trumpets; and the false prophets, who had deceived them with visions of peace, are dumb with horror and amazement. Every warrior is sunk in defiance, every face gathers blackneck, and one universal geese is heard, we write us, for we are spoiled, v. 13. In vain then will they plead themselves with foothills, lament and insult; their desolations are determined, and the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back; the decree of their ruin is gone forth, I will give sinuous enough them, and their destruction is inevitable, because the sacrifice of their iniquities is full. Note, (1.) A state of guilt makes men cowards. (2.) Wicked priests and false prophets, who deceived the people with visions of peace, in a judgment-day will find God’s service around them.

5. The prophet laments the deceptions of the people through their false prophets, v. 10. to believe whose lies God in just judgment gave them up, which was among the forest of their visitations. They had promised them peace; but may the forest reached unto the soul, drenched in the blood of the Suis. Note, (1.) Among the heaviest curses of God this may be justly reckoned, which he gives up the heart to devotion, and suffers the blind to land the blind. (2.) The faithful ministers of God behold with deep concern those who pretend to be teachers of God’s word reading their false doctrines, and baling the fruits of sinners into a fatal security, endeavouring to prejudice them against the truth, and prevent every unpleasant imposition which the zealous and wise preachers seek to make upon their hearts.

6. He seeks to foreth them as a brand from the burning. O’ Torydodors, with their heart from thy wankership, that they may be saved. He deals faithfully; not as the false prophets, gloffing over their iniquities, but charging them home upon their confessions. Their heart was wicked; these the deep rest of butterness lay; and from that they must be cleansed, if they would be loved. And he expoundates on the folly and danger of delaying their repentance, How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? too long had they done so; ‘was high time to awake out of sleep, the judgments of God were hurrying on; in a moment it would be too late to prevent them. Note, (1.) Whilst wickedness continues indulged in the heart, there can be no salvation hoped for. (2.) There is but one fountain that is capable of washing the sinner’s heart from his iniquities, and that was opened in the Redeemer’s side, of blood and water: blood, to pardon the deepest guilt of sin; water, to purify from every stain of corruption. The pardoning and sanctifying grace of Jesus are inseparable. (3.) Vain thoughts are sinful; and if our hearts are not purged from these imaginations, our ways will be quickly pervade. (4.) When we consider how short our life is, how much is past, how uncertain the moment yet to come, it should be an awakening admonition to feize the present man, and seek to God to day, whilst it is called to day.

7. ¶ My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at + my very heart, my heart maketh a noise in me, I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the forest of the trumpets, the alarm of war. 10. De-steuction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is

spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. 21. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22. For my people it foolish, they have not known me, they are foolish children, and they have none understanding: ’they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 23. ‘I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void: and the heavens, ‘and they had no light. 24. I beheld the mountains, and lo, ’they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. 25. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and ‘all the birds of the heavens were fled. 26. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down; ‘at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. 27. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; ‘yet will I not make a full end. 28. For this shall the earth mourn, and ’the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. 29. The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen, and bowmen, ’they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein. 30. And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothed thyself with crimson, though thou deckelt thee with ornaments of gold, ’though thou tenest! thy I face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair, thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. 31. For I have heard a voice ‘as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion: that bewaileth herself, ’that бросadeth her hands, saying, Who is me now, for my soul is wearied, because of ‘murderers.

With deep concern and anguish the prophet beheld the miseries coming upon his people: his bowels yearned over the distress of his country, and his heart shrouded with bitter anguish.

1. For their sins: My people is foolish. This is the character God gives them; for sin is the greatest folly. Yet not abandoned: he acknowledges them for his people still, though they have not known me. In many and in我们的 they had moved him, but had no experimental knowledge of him as their God. They are foolish children, stupid and unshakable; and they have no understanding, respecting their true happiness, or the means of attaining it. They are wise to do evil; cunning to contrive and accomplish their fistful schemes; a wisdom which is their curse; but to do good they have no knowledge, nor desire to know; their inclination is arent to it. Such is the character of every natural man, till God takes away the blindness, and cures the perversion, of his heart, by bestowing on him the wisdom and grace which come from above.

2. For their sufferings; and these are enlarged upon and strongly described. The trumpet spreads the abuse of war, v. 19. Swift and sudden the destruction spreads, and, successive as Job’s messengers of evil, the dreadful rulings fly, of one city taken after another, till the whole land is spoiled, and all the country where the Shepherds pitched their tents ravaged, v. 20. no end of the calamity appears. The banners of the invading foe are displayed, and their warlike instruments are heard on every side, v. 21. The country, utterly wafted, appears like the first chaos, when the earth was without form and void, and darkneck upon the face of the deep; or it may be applied to the utter confusion of their affairs, political and ecofedistical: and the heavens, as if unwilling to look upon their abominations, veil their bright luminaries with darkness: or to darkened and bewildered were their kings and princes, not knowing what course to take, v. 23. The mountains trembled and the hills fled before the face of the offended God; such terrors seized the most flour-hearted warriors, v. 24. Universal desolation seems to reign through that once populous and fruitful land: the cities, without an inhabitant, lye in ruins; the country is wafted and barren as a rock; the very birds are fled, no food remaining for them: and all this arising from God’s fierce anger, which is itself the heaviest part of the judgment, v. 25, 26. And this is not the side with one city or part of the country, the whole is utterly ruined, v. 27, 28. Affrighted at the horsemen and bowmen, they file to rocks and thickets to bide themselves: the cities are defeated and destroyed, and not a living food, remains in them, v. 29. and, but for one word of mercy, v. 27. they might expect a total extirpation, and their very cause to be bloated out from under heaven: but God will not make a full end, a remnant shall escape. Note, (1.) These awful images of Judah’s destruction give some faint description of that great and terrible day of the Lord, when his wrath shall finally be poured out on the anguish, the bowmen be defeated, the earth hunts up, and all created nature return to its original chaos. (2.) Whate-

(1) In all God’s judgments below some mercy is mingled with vengeance; but hereafter there will be judgment without mercy.

2. Their sufferings are remedied. God will not help them; they cannot deliver themselves; and their human confidences will fail, and leave them in despair. If the earth mourn, and the heavens are black with storms of wrath, ’tis because God hath broken their doom. His purpose is fixed; his business irrevocable: since they refused to repent of their sins, he will not repent of his judgments for them, v. 28. He being against them, what can they do, whither can they go. Their own force is insufficient to resist the invading fire, and as vain their hope in their confidences. Though like a prostitute, that by painting and dress for a general, he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it, and he will not be able to do it.