house of Jehovah, which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And Jehovah, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place; but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of Jehovah arose against his people, till there was no remedy.*

In the ninth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar marched with a large army to punish Zedekiah's rebellion,† and having been directed by lot to proceed against Jerusalem, rather than the Ammonites, who had also entered into the same conspiracy, he besieged that devoted city in form.

At the commencement of the siege, the final result was revealed to Ezekiel, by the type of a boiling pot, and the death of his wife, the desire of his eyes.§

The siege had proceeded about a year, and the city was closely invested, when Jehovah sent Jeremiah to Zedekiah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, thus saith Jehovah; behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee

* 2 Chron. xxxvi. 13-16.

+ 2 Kings, xxv. 1. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 17. Jer. lii. 4.

The lot was thus, they wrote on several arrows the names of the cities they intended to make war against, and then putting them promiscuously all together into a quiver, that city whose name was on the arrow first drawn, was the first they assaulted. Prid. i. 108. May we not draw an inference from Ezek. xxiv. 18-24., that God has frequently controlled the heathen oracles and superstitions, to superinduce his own purposes?

mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah, king of Judah; thus saith Jehovah concerning thee, thou shalt not die by the sword: but thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah, lord!‡

This message so provoked Zedekiah, that he shut up the prophet in the court of the prison, which was in the palace.§

During the prophet's confinement he purchased of his uncle Hanameel, by the direction of God, a field situate in Anathoth for seventeen shekels of silver, by way of encouragement to believe in the prophecies of restoration, as well as those for destruction. And upon that occasion he offered up the following beautiful prayer: Ah, Jehovah, God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the great, the mighty God, Jehovah of Hosts, is his name, great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among men; and hast made thee a name, as it is this day; and hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; and hast given them this land, which thou didst

See the accurate, and very extraordinary fulfilment of this prophecy, fully established against the infidel Paine, by David Levi.— Letters, p. 186.

+2 Chron. xvi. 14.

Jer. xxxii. 2. Prid, i. 109.

Jer. xxxiv. 2—5.

|| Jer. xxxii. 6—15.

*

swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; and they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandest them to do; therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them: behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence, and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it. And thou hast said unto me, O Jehovah, God, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses: for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.†

To this pathetic supplication, Jehovah was pleased to return a very gracious and encouraging answer: Behold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: Is there any thing too hard for me? Therefore, thus saith Jehovah; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall take it and the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it, with the houses upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith Jehovah. For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury, from the day that they built it even unto this day, that I should remove it from before my face; because of all the evil of the children of Israel, and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their

* Engines used in a siege. Burder, O. L. No. 977.

priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the

And they have turned unto me though I taught them, rising up yet they have not hearkened to

inhabitants of Jerusalem. the back and not the face early and teaching them, receive instruction. But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

And now, therefore, thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely and they shall be my people, and I will be their God:* and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; But I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart, and with my whole soul. For thus saith Jehovah; like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land,

Those who ridicule the idea of a literal, or at least national restoration of the Jews, should inform us when this prophecy has been fulfilled.

whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for. money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south for I will cause their captivity to return, saith Jehovah.*

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of thek ings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; they come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city. Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth: and I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel† to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness, and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it. Thus saith Jehovah; again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate

* Jer. xxxii. 27–44.

"This must respect the latter times, for the ten tribes did not return with the Jews, at the termination of the seventy years." A. CLARKE.