this day, of them. where they are, or what is become As to the tribe of Benjamin, we know that it was carried captive to Babylon with Judah; that it returned to the second temple, and was again carried captive at the deftruction of the fecond temple: and we also know that it at prefent exists, the fame as the tribe of Judah. The Prophet therefore, reprefents Rachel weeping for her children; becaufe they were carried captive: and which denotes the tribe of Benjamin. But her greatest affliction, is for the tribe of Jofeph; because he is not: because he did not return to the fecond temple; nor does fhe know any thing of him: and therefore, the Prophet fays, the refuseth to be com forted for her children, because he (is) not: i. e. Jofeph, her eldest fon. This is the reafon, that the Prophet made ufe of the fingular pronoun ' and which also accounts for the repetition of for her chil dren; • This repetition, Dr. Blaney in his new Translation of Jeremiah, has rejected with much contempt, as he says, it carries internal marks of interpolation, being not only fuperfluous, but rather perplexing the fenfe, and loading the metre." But, had he been fully acquainted with the facred Lan dren; because the lamented the lofs of both her children: but her grief was far more piercing for Jofeph; and therefore the refuted to be comforted; becaufe he was not. And for this reafon, fhe received diftinct anfwers from God, concerning each of her : Language, fo different in its idiom from all others; especial ly, the prophetic part; (into the fpirit of which, he was by no means able to enter) he would not have decided fo haftily on the word of God; contrary to all the Hebrew printed Bibles; the Hebrew commentators; the Chaldee Paraphraft, and the received reading. All which, according to the explanation here given, perfectly agree with the accent affixed under the firft by and which fhews that here is a paufe: and that She refujeth, reads downwards which makes the whole read imooth, beautiful, and affecting; without the leaft fuperfluity, or perplexity. But forfooth, it loaded the Rev. Gentlemen's Metre; ay, there is the rub. This is an unpardonable crime in the prefent Hebrew printed text: it is like the fin against the holy ghoft, never to be forgiven by the Metrical Tranflators of the Bible: and which is owing to their treating the Prophets as Poets, as writers of verfe; than which, nothing can be falfer; as I fhall fhew in the fu ture publication, fo often alluded to in this work. Since writing the preceding note, I chanced to look into the appendix of Dr. Blaney's Tranflation; and there I find that Arch Bishop Secker feemed to differ widely from the Dr. on this fubject: for he observes, "There is an emphafis in the repetition of the words. So Horace, Epiti. i. 14. 7. 8." Fratrem mærentis, rapto de fratre dolentis Infolabiliter, children. And firft of Benjamin; ver. 16th, "Thus faith the LORD, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work fhall have a reward, faith the LORD, and they fhall return from the land of the enemy:" That is, from Babylon. And, although they fhould go into captivity again; yet shall they in the end return to their own land: verse 17th. "There is alfo hope in thy latter end, faith the LORD, and (thy) children fhall return unto their own border." This is fpoken of the future redemption. Having thus anfwered her concerning Benjamin; the Prophet now proceeds to give her an anfwer concerning Jofeph, ver. 18.-19. "I have furely heard Ephraim lamenting himself (thus ;) Thou didst chaftife me, and I was chaftifed, like a fteer not broken:" And being now by this chastisement better inftructed, I thus offer up my. prayer, "Turn thou me, and I fhall be turned; for thou (art) the LORD my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented, and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was afhamed, and alfo confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth." I received reproach on reproach: for the mis conduct of my earlier days hath fixed a blot upon my character, and fubjected me to reproach; and therefore, when my present fins are noticed, those of my youth, are also remembered; and I thus receive a double reproach; being accounted as one hardened in fin from his earlieft youth. And as he was thus truly penitent, by a thorough confeffion, and fincere repentance; the LORD says, verse 20th. "Is (not) Ephraim my precious fon? Is he (not) my darling child?" That is, thou shalt no more be reproached for the fins that thou haft committed in thy mature years, nor shalt thou bear the reproach of thy youth, for thou art my precious fon: that is, when thou waft grown up, and hadst arrived to man's eftate; then waft thou a fon dear to me. And when thou waft a little child, then waft thou a fondly beloved child: "Wherefore, whenever I fpeak of him, I do earneftly remember him ftill;" It is the love I bear him, that I remember; and not his fins: "Therefore my bowels are moved for him; I will furely have mercy upon him, faith the LORD." And the consequence of this love is, that I will cause him to return VOL. II. Y from from captivity; and will gather in his dif perfed; and therefore addrefling those of the kingdom of Ifrael, he defires them to set up way marks, that they may again know the way back; for by the fame way that they went, they are to return; as in verfe 21ft. "Set thee up way marks, place thee high poles; fet thine heart toward the highway, (even the way thou wenteft; (for thereby fhalt thou) return, O virgin of Israel, (thou fhalt) return to these thy cities." And as the ten tribes were to continue fuch a long time in captivity, he fays verfe 220. "How long wilt thou move about, O thou backfliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman fhall caufe to turn about a man." By this figure, the Prophet exhorts the nation not to defpair of their redemption, on account of the superior ftrength of her enemies, who might be induced to oppofe her deliverance; for that God would fo far interpofe in her behalf, as to "create a new thing," that is, that the, who during the captivity, was as a poor weak woman, should cause to turn about, fhould |