66

mounts and by the fword; That are com to fight on the part of the Chaldeans, and fill them with the dead bodies of the me whom I have flain in mine anger, and in m wrath, and upon account of all the wicked nefs of whom I have hid my face from the city." But although God would thus pu nish them, yet, would he himself fave an redeem them, verse 6th. Behold, I wi bring it health and cure," That is, to Jeru falem: and concerning Judah, he fays, "An I will heal them; I will alfo reveal unt them abundant peace and truth :" And thi redemption will not be as was the vifitation of Babylon, when only a part of Judah and Benjamin returned; for at the future redemp tion, I will gather both Judah and Ifrael and will cleanse them of all their fins: ver. 7 " And I will caufe the captivity o

8.

Judah, and the captivity of Ifrael to return and I will build them as at the firft. And will cleanse them of all their iniquity, which they have been guilty of towards me; and will pardon all their iniquities, which they have finned against me, and which they have tranfgreffed against me."

great joy and happiness which the nation will then enjoy; for though Jerufalem at the defolation thereof," was fet apart as unclean*; --her virgins were afflicted, and she herself was in bitternefs;" Yet fhall it then be far

otherwise: ver. 9. 10.

"And it shall be

to me a name of joy, a praife, and a glory, among all the nations of the earth, which

I

shall hear of all the good that I do with them; and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good, and because of the prosperity that procure unto it +. Thus faith the LORD, yet again shall be heard in this place, (of) which ye fay, it (is) defolate without man and without beaft, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerufalem, (that are) defolate without man, even without an inhabitant, and without beaft; The voice of Joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that fhall fay, Praise ye the LORD of hosts, for the LORD (is) good, for his mercy (endureth) for ever; (and) of them that shall bring (the sacrifice of) thanksgiving into the house of the LORD; for I will

Or, A vagrant. Lament. i. 8. + Jerufalem.

VOL. II.

Cc

restore

LORD of hosts,

place (that is)

reftore the captivity of the land as at firft, faith the LORD." He alfo informs of the bleffing that is to attend their fh and herds, ver. 12.---13. “Thus faith Again fhall there be in t defolate without man a without beaft, and in all the cities there an habitation of fhepherds folding fheep. the cities of the hill (country,) and in the ties of the vale, and in the cities of the fout and in the land of Benjamin, and in the er virons of Jerufalem, and in the cities of Ju dah, shall flocks pass again under the hand of him that numbereth (them) faith th LORD."

The Prophet then proceeds to speak of th happiness that the nation is to enjoy durin the glorious reign of the true Meffiah; ver 14. &c. Behold, the days come, faith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have spoken concerning the hous of Ifrael, and concerning the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause to grow up unto David a branch of righteoufnefs, and he shall execute Judgment and Justice in the land. In those days Judah

Chall be faved

and Jerufalem ball dwell in

fafety and this (is) what the LORD fhall call it, our righteousness." Jerusalem will then be fo called. And in like manner, the Prophet Ezekiel fays *, "And the name of the city from (that) day (fhall be) the LORD (is) there."

He alfo informs us, that at the future redemption, there will not be any divifion of kingdoms between Ifrael and Judah, as there was aforetime; but that the Meffiah the son of David, will reign over the house of Ifrael, as well as over the houfe of Judah : verse 17th. "For thus faith the LORD,

there shall not be a failure in the line of Da-
vid of one fitting upon the throne of the house
of Ifrael." Thus much for the line of the
kings. In verfe 18th, he speaks of the line
of the priesthood. Neither fhall there be a
failure in the line of the priests the Levites
of one offering before me burnt offerings,
and to burn meat offerings, and to perform
facrifice continually." And, in order to give
force to this prophecy, the Prophet received
the following vifion; ver. 19. &c.
word of the LORD came alfo to Jeremiah,

"The

saying, Thus faith the LORD, If ye can ma void my covenant of the day, and my cov nant of the night, fo that they be not dai and nightly in their season; (Then) al fhall my covenant be made void with Dav my fervant, that he fhall not have a fo reigning upon his throne; and with the L vites the priests my minifters." By the Pro phet's making use of the pronoun Ye," is clear that he addreffed himself to the houf of Ifrael; for it is well known, that when th ten tribes, or house of Ifrael, revolted from the royal line of David, that they alfo endea voured to deftroy the facerdotal line, which had defcended from Aaron: for as Jeroboam was not of the feed of David, fo he alfo "made priests of the loweft order of the people, which were not of the fons of Levi*." God therefore tells them, that as they are not able to make void his covenant of day and night, so shall they not be able to make an eternal failure and interruption in these two lines. And although they have been greatly diminished, yet will God cause them to multiply exceedingly: verfe 22d. "As

* 1 King. xii 31.

the