Zedekiah's rebellion. The spoiling of God's house.

1 Zedekiah was one and twenty the land of Hamath; where he years old when he began to reign, gave judgment upon him. and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

the vessels of brass wherewith the height of one pillar was they ministered, took they a- eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.

way.

19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candle-sticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

20 The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 21 And concerning the pillars,

22 And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.

23 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about. LECTURE 1269.

The peril of wilfully doing evil in the sight of the Lord. From the concluding words of the previous chapter, it appears, that the one before us was not written by Jeremiah. It is supposed to have been added by Ezra, partly with a view to shew the accurate fulfilment of many of Jeremiah's prophecies, and partly to prepare the reader, by a summary of the evil brought upon Jerusalem, for the Book of Lamentations following. It is here stated, that "through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon." This awful doctrine, that God gives up wicked men to a reprobate mind in judgment for their sins, however unwelcome to our pride, is frequently suggested in God's word. It was because he did evil in the sight of the Lord that this anger of the Lord thus took effect upon him. It was because the Lord was angry with him for his sins, that he was led to rebel against the king of Babylon, was besieged in Jerusalem, and after flying from the city, when for famine it could hold out no longer, was taken captive, and most cruelly punished by the tyrant against whom he had rebelled. Hence also it came to pass that the temple at Jerusalem was burnt down, and the walls were demolished, and the holy vessels of the sanctuary broken and carried off to Babylon. He, to whom all these things were consecrated, spared none of them in his anger against sin. Let not sinners then think that he will spare them either, unless they repent, and their sins are blotted. Consecrated they may have been to his service. But so much the greater is their sin, so much the more awful is their case, if they wilfully do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord.

The people are taken captive. Jehoiachin is set free. 24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

25 He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.

26 So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

28 This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty :

29 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away

captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: 30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

31 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, 32 And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,

33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.

34 And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

LECTURE 1270.

Of cherishing a good hope of God's mercy through Christ. Three different occasions are here mentioned on which numbers of the Jews were carried off either to death or to captivity, both during the siege, and after the destruction of Jerusalem. And at other periods there were many more carried away, besides those who are here made mention of. But the record of these numbers serves to shew us how exactly the account was kept. And it may well bring to our remembrance these words of Jeremiah : "Such as are for death, to death, and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and

such as for the captivity, to the captivity." Ch. 15. 2. The lot of each fell out in order, according to the appointment of the Lord. And in all the confusion of that awful period, there was with Him no uncertainty or change, as to who should fall by the sword in battle, who perish by famine in the siege, who be put to death by the conqueror, and who carried away into captivity. So will it be also at the end of the world. The Judge of all men will lose sight of none. The sins of the most secret offenders will surely find them out. And amongst the millions of millions of mankind then to be gathered together before Him, there will not be one who will not receive a just sentence according to God's word.

Amidst all the prophecies of terrible things which we meet with in Jeremiah there is frequent mention of the restoration from captivity, a type of the redemption of mankind through Christ. And at the conclusion of the book, after this sad narrative of the siege, the famine, the overthrow of Jerusalem, the burning of the temple, the spoiling of the consecrated things, the slaying and carrying away of the people, and the imprisonment of their afflicted king, there is mention of an act of grace and mercy on the part of one of the worst of the Babylonish monarchs. Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison." Here therefore let us thankfully reflect, if sinful men can feel compassion for each other's sufferings, how much more will the merciful and righteous God be apt to pity his afflicted creatures for the sake of Jesus Christ! If an idolater, on the throne of Babylon, could speak kindly to his long imprisoned captive, and treat him with the respect due to the throne which he had lost, changing his prison garments for robes of royalty, and supplying him with all things needful until the day of his death, how much more may we confidently hope, that the God of heaven and earth will from his dread judgment seat speak kindly unto us, changing these bodies we are clothed with from mortal to immortality, enthroning us in heaven, and there giving us at his right hand pleasures for evermore!

Thanks be to Thee, O God, for the many proofs and tokens of thy grace and goodness, given unto us in thy word, and in thy works! Thanks be to Thee for shewing us, how good a thing it is, even in sinful men, to be merciful and kind; and for thereby leading us to think, how much more it is according to thy attributes, in the midst of judgment to remember mercy, and to be ever willing to forgive!

Jeremiah bewaileth the calamity of Jerusalem.
before the pursuer.

1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. 5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. 6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength

7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.

8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction for the enemy hath magnified himself.

10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.

LECTURE 1271.

How we must mourn, in order to be comforted.

The Lamentations of Jeremiah express the grief of God's ancient church, under the heavy burden of affliction which the sin of man had provoked, and which the justice of almighty God had laid upon his people. And in estimating the amount of this distress, we must not reckon as if it were no more than that Jerusalem had been taken by siege, and the people either slain or taken captive. Great indeed was the amount of misery hence arising. And hard