Verse 1

CONTENTS

Egypt is here threatened, and Babylon is pointed to as her conqueror. In the close of the Chapter the Lord comforts his people.

Verses 1-12

At this Chapter begins the judgments of God against the enemies of Israel. The Lord hath had a long controversy with his people; but now in the midst of it, he will reckon with their foes. And first for Egypt. This kingdom must come down, and the Lord will accomplish it by the king of Babylon: thus making one enemy of Israel to ruin another. Reader! mark some of the same things in the present hour. The Lord never wants a scourge to correct when his wisdom sees it fit.

Verses 13-26

If the Reader will compare scripture with scripture, which is always the most profitable way of reading the word of God; he will find, that what Jeremiah is here engaged in, Isaiah had been before him, and Ezekiel had no less the same commission. Isaiah 66:14; Eze 30; 39.

Verse 27-28

I pray the Reader to pause over these sweet verses, and read them again and again: it is impossible to read them too often. The Lord had once before given the same blessed promises to his afflicted ones, Jeremiah 30:10-11: but such is his grace, and the exceeding riches of his grace, that he will repeat the gracious assurances. And Reader! I pray you, as you read these verses, recollect, that they belong to the Israel of God, in all ages, even Jesus's Church forever. Amidst all our unworthiness and rebellions, as in the Church's history, so in the Church's history through all ages, the Lord hath respect to his own glorious name, and to his Covenant promise in Christ. See the precious scriptures, Eze 20 and Ro 11.

Verse 28

REFLECTIONS

READER! let us pass by a thousand beauties, as they arise before us in this precious scripture, in God's destruction of all the enemies of his Church and people, to dwell upon that most blessed and gracious portion of it, in his tender mercies over his redeemed. Every part of the holy word tends to confirm what this most merciful passage so faithfully proclaims, that God's Jacob shall not finally be lost, nor his Israel forsaken. Cast down his children may be, when their sins and rebellions render chastisements necessary: but cast off they never can be; for how unworthy soever in themselves, they are beheld precious in Jesus. Oh! thou sin-bearing Lamb of God! what - everlasting love and praises will the ages of eternity bring in to thee, in an endless revenue of glory, when thou shalt have finally brought them all home, and forever secured them beyond all future possibility of danger, in thine own eternal righteousness in thy kingdom!