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 bitterness;" Yet fhall it then be far otherwise: ver. 9. 10. "And it fhall be to me a name of joy, a praife, and a glory, among all the nations of the earth, which shall hear of all the good that I do with them; and they fhall fear and tremble because of all the good, and because of the prosperity that I procure unto it . Thus faith the LORD, yet again fhall 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 gladnefs, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that fhall fay, Praise yc the LORD of hosts, for the LORD (is) good, for his mercy (endureth) for ever; (and) of them that shall bring (the facrifice of) thanksgiving into the houfe of the LORD; for I will

• Or, A vagrant. Lament. i. 8. VOL. II.

Cc

* Jerufalem.

restore

restore the captivity of the land as at the firft, faith the LORD." He alfo informs us of the bleffing that is to attend their sheep and herds, ver. 12.---13. "Thus faith the LORD of hofts, Again hall there be in this. place (that is) defolate without man and without beaft, and in all the cities thereof, an habitation of fhepherds folding fheep. In the cities of the hill (country,) and in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the fouth, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the environs of Jerufalem, and in the cities of Judah, fhall flocks pafs again under the hands of him that numbereth (them) faith the

=

LORD."

The Prophet then proceeds to speak of the happiness that the nation is to enjoy during 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 fpoken concerning the house of Ifrael, and concerning the houfe of Judah, In those days, and at that time, will I cause to grow up unto David a branch of righteoufnefs, and he fhall execute Judgment and Juftice in the land. In thofe days Judah fhall be faved, and Jerufalem fhall dwell in fafety:

:

fafety and this (is) what the LORD fhall call it, our righteoufnefs." Jerufalem 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 fon of David, will reign over the house of Ifrael, as well as over the house of Judah : verse 17th. "For thus faith the LORD,

there fhall not be a failure in the line of David 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

66

faying, Thus faith the LORD, If ye can make void my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, fo that they be not daily and nightly in their feafon; (Then) alfo fhall my covenant be made void with David my fervant, that he fhall not have a fon reigning upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests my minifters." By the Prophet's making use of the pronoun Ye," it is clear that he addreffed himself to the house of Ifrael; for it is well known, that when the ten tribes, or houfe of Ifrael, revolted from the royal line of David, that they also endeavoured to destroy 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, fo fhall 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:

• King, xii 31.

the

the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the fand of the fea measured: fo will I multiply the feed of David my fervant, and the Levites that minifter unto me."

The Prophet then informs us, that he had another vision, by which God fhewed him the futility of the argument made use of by the free thinkers of the nation; as well as the profligate part of the priests: ver. 23 &c. "The word of the LORD came also to Jeremiah, faying, Haft thou not observed what this people have spoken, faying The two families which the LORD hath chofen, he hath even rejected them? And they have treated my people with fcorn, fo as not to confider them any more as a nation." For when the defcendants of those two families faw that the nation was carried into captivity, they imagined that they were totally rejected; they therefore took no pains to instruct the people, and to lead them into the right path; because they confidered the nation as lost in captivity, and paft redemption: but this, he affured them was not the cafe; for, (ver. 25. --26.) "Thus faith the LORD, if my covenant be not daily and nightly, the ordi

nances