THE PROPHECIES OF JEREMIAH. The tuneless harp, that once with joy we strung, Our hard oppressors, to increase our woe, But how, in heathen chains, and lands unknown, My hand shall perish, and my voice shall cease. There is no connected account of the events which took place among the Jews during their captivity in Babylon, but the historic and other notices in the sacred books, supply sufficient details to enable us to take a general view of the subject, with a few additional particulars; these, with the events which followed the return of the Jews to their own land, form the subject of the present volume. We are thus led back to the beginning of the captivity, which was some years before the destruction of Jerusalem. It had been repeatedly foretold by the prophets, and its continuance for seventy years was stated by Jeremiah, ch. xxv. 11; xxix. 10. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon This period is to be dated from the third year of Jehoiakim, B.C. 605, when, as already mentioned, the first party of nobles and useful artificers were removed to Babylon. The duration of the captivity was also 22 22 JEREMIAH'S WRITTEN PROPHECIES stated by Jeremiah, in a letter which he sent to the captives in Babylon, soon after the second division had been carried thither, B.C. 597. The Jews in that city were unsettled in their minds, some false prophets having promised a speedy return to their own land. In a vision, recorded Jeremiah xxiv., the prophet saw the representation of two baskets of figs; one contained good, the other bad fruit. He was told that the good figs represented the captives then in Chaldea, who would be brought back to Judea, who should be the Lord's people, and he would be their God; while the bad figs represented the Jews then remaining in Judea, upon whom the sword, the famine, and pestilence should be sent, till they were consumed from off the land given to their fathers. In this letter the captives were directed to set their minds at rest; and the counsels given show that they were treated as colonists. They were especially directed to seek the peace of the city whither they were carried captive. Many of the Jews were not disposed to believe the communication sent by the prophet. They caused Shemaiah to write to Zephaniah, the Sagan or second high priest at Jerusalem, complaining of what Jeremiah had written. Upon this a severe judgment to come upon Shemaiah was denounced, also upon the false prophets. It appears that Nebuchadnezzar, finding that these deceivers had kept the Jews in an unsettled state, caused Zedekiah and Ahab, two of their number, to be burned; see Jer. xxix. 22. Another written communication from Jeremiah to the Jews at Babylon is recorded. In the fourth year of Zedekiah, that monarch proceeded from Jerusalem to Babylon, apparently to pay tribute, and to do homage, accompanied by Seraiah, when the latter was charged with a book or roll containing the prophecy against Babylon, which is written in Jeremiah l. and li., where, in most powerful and animated language, the prophet foretells the destruction about to come upon Babylon. This prophecy was fulfilled to the letter; the fulfilment is witnessed at the present day by those SENT TO THE JEWS AT BABYLON. 23 who visit the desolate heaps, which are all that now remain of "Sheshach, the praise of the whole earth," but in which no living soul now remains: it is desolate for ever. This, and other written records of prophecy, show that even in that day the warnings and consolations of the prophets were delivered in writing, as well as by word of mouth. That was the appointed course in ancient times; but since the invention of printing, the written message goes forth with vastly increased power. In addition to the Bible records, many thousands have been impressed by the written and printed words of God's messengers, who never could have known those truths, had they only gone forth as spoken and swiftly passing words, uttered by the lips. Leighton and Baxter were very highly gifted, and especially blessed by the numbers converted under their ministrations when preaching by the voice; but have they not been still more blessed as preaching by the pen, and the press? Let us then recognize the hand of God in every appointed means of usefulness, and seek to avail ourselves thereof, without limiting his power, or giving undue preference to any one means which he is pleased to bless, or exalting it at the expense of another. a Seraiah was directed to read the book at Babylon. There was not at that time any printing press by which copies might be multiplied, so that in a few hours the whole message could be conveyed to every abode of captive Jew, for his deliberate perusal and serious reflection. When the words of the prophecy had been made known, Seraiah was to bind the book to a stone, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, that its disappearance might be a sign of the destruction about to come upon that proud city. "Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I (the Lord) will bring upon her." The glowing language of this remarkable prophecy carries us forward to the destruction of the New Testament Babylon, predicted in the Apocalypse, Rev. xviii. There we read of a mighty angel casting a stone, like a great millstone, into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." These awe-inspiring portions of holy writ call our attention to the fatal system of popery by which the bodies and souls of men have been so long enslaved. Remember the awful invitation, " Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her." Mark one cause assigned; "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." In following the history of the captive Jews, our attention may be first directed to Daniel and his companions. When taken to Babylon, they were youths, probably about eighteen years of age. Nebuchadnezzar ordered that they should be instructed for three years in the Chaldee language and learning, to qualify them for official duties in the court of Babylon; thus fulfilling to the letter the prophecy by Isaiah to Hezekiah, respecting the descendants of that monarch; "Of thy sons shall they take away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon,” Isa. xxxix. 7. It was intended they should be brought up so that they should forget their father's land, and their father's God. The names of these four Jewish youths were therefore changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, heathen appellations instead of names, all of which had a reference to their Lord, the true God. They were to be habituated to the heathen customs, their sustenance was to be regularly supplied from the provision made for the royal household. This would be in some measure connected with offerings to idols; it would include food forbidden to the Jews, regarded as defiled by those who strictly observed the law as given by Moses. Daniel and his companions were influenced by the fear of Jehovah; they refused to partake of the food thus provided for them, though well suited to gratify the sensual appetite. They desired that they might AND HIS COMPANIONS. 25 25 have vegetable food and water only, instead of the luxurious costly diet and wine offered to them. Melzar, the superintendent, hesitated lest their health should suffer from their spare diet, so as to cause him to be blamed; but, after a short trial, their health was found improving instead of suffering by the change. The Hebrew youths were then permitted to use the diet they preferred; they were not negligent as to the studies they were directed to pursue, but were enabled to make such progress as to surpass the learned Chaldeans themselves. It is expressly recorded, that their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat," though the superintendent had feared the contrary. We know that "favour is deceitful and beauty is vain," Prov. xxxi. 30, when valued for itself or for worldly purposes; yet still, like every earthly endowment, it may be, as it was in this case, caused to promote God's work. There is, however, much need for watchfulness and prayer; for beauty often ensnares both the possessors and those attracted thereby. The history of Daniel and his companions is very instructive to young persons. It shows the vast importance of avoiding sinful compliances, and of being careful not to partake of the sins of those around us. We also may learn the great advantages to be derived from being indifferent to the pleasures of appetite and sense. A moderate diet is ever found best to strengthen for labour, whether of the mind or of the body; but thousands upon thousands destroy themselves, both soul and body, by indulging their appetites : even in this life, temperance brings a great reward. From these particulars, we may observe how especially the hand of God was marked, in the promotion of the Jews who were first selected to fill offices in the land of their conquerors. From Daniel to Nehemiah, they were all servants of Jehovah, men of piety and devoted spirit. D |