The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

JEREMY.

[World 3380] [Division 351] [Iosiah 13] JEREMY beginneth to Prophesie in the thirteenth of Josiah, and by Prophesying to help forward the reformation begun, which went on exceeding slowly, not through any negligence of Josiah himself, whose heart was very upright with the Lord; but through the slackness and remisness of the Princes and people, and through the rootedness of Idolatry in them. And hence it is that Jeremy prophe∣sieth so terrible things, and so certain destruction in the very time of reformation. Josiah in the twelfth year of his reign had begun to de∣stroy Idolatry, and yet how much filth of it was remaining in his eigh∣teenth year is almost incredible, 2 King. 23.

Jeremy a young Priest and Prophet for the young King; was, Moses like, a Prophet to Israel forty years, viz. 18 of Josiah, 11 of Jehoia∣kim, and 11 of Zedekiah; and as Moses was so long with the people a Teacher in the Wilderness till they entred into their own Land, so was Jeremy so long in their own Land a Teacher before they went in∣to

the wilderness of the Heathen. The Holy Ghost setteth a special mark upon these forty years of his Prophesying, Ezek. 4. 6. where when the Lord summeth up the years that were betwixt the falling away of the ten Tribes, and the burning of the Temple, three hundred and nine∣ty in all; and counteth them by the Prophets lying so many days upon his left side; he bids him to lye forty days upon his right side, and bear the iniquity of the House of Judah forty days, a day for a year: Not to signifie that it was forty years above three hundred and ninety, be∣twixt the revolting of the ten Tribes, and the captivity of Judah, for it was but three hundred and ninety exactly in all; but because he would set and mark out Judahs singular iniquity by a singular mark; for that they had forty years so pregnant instructions and admonitions by so eminent a Prophet, yet were impenitent to their own destruction.

The Prophesies of Jeremy are either utterly undated, and so not easi∣ly, if at all, to be referred to their proper time, or those that are da∣ted, are almost generally dislocated, and not easie to give the reason of their dislocation. The first Chapter at vers. 2. and the third Chapter at vers. 6. do only bear the date of Josiahs reign, and no more mention of any other Prophesie delivered in his time expresly made, and yet there is no doubt that very much of the beginning of his Prophesie was in his time.

JEREMY I.

THIS Chapter dateth it self by the thirteenth year of Josiah, and that was the time, and this was the subject of the Prophets first Ministery; for here is laid down the general head upon which his whole Prophesie doth chiefly run, A rod and evil to come upon Jerusalem from the North. God sheweth him a plain dried withered rod, to signi∣fie the rod and stroke that God was about to bring upon the people; and when he asked Jeremy what he saw, he not only saith he saw a rod, but he can readily name the wood of which it was made, though it was withered and dry, and no ready token on it to discern of what wood it was, I see, saith he, Makal shaked, a rod of Almond: thou hast well seen, saith God, for Ani shokedh, I hasten my word to perform it. The Lord descanteth upon the word Shakedh in the Prophets answer: And since Jeremy had spoken so fully, as to tell that he not only saw a rod, but a rod of Shakedh, or of Almond, the Lord answers as fully, that he is not only about to bring a rod upon the Land, but also Shakedh, he doth hasten to perform it.

[Division 352] [Iosiah 14] Josiah goeth on in piety and in reforming, yet is not the wrath of [Division 353] [Iosiah 15] the Lord removed, partly because of the sins of Manasseh, 2 King. [Division 354] [Iosiah 16] 23. 26. and partly because the peoples reformation was but fained, [Division 355] [Iosiah 17] Jer. 3. 10. and partly because in most of them there was no reformati∣on at all.

2 KING. XXII. from vers. 3. to end, and XXIII. to vers. 29. 2 CHRON. XXXIV. from vers. 8. to end, and XXXV. to vers. 20.

[World 3385] [Division 356] [Iosiah 18] THE copy of the Law written with Moses own hand is found this year in the Temple, Josiah consulteth Huldah a Prophetess about it. Jeremy was not now at Jerusalem but at Anathoth the Town of his birth, he prophesied there till his Towns-men were about to kill him, Chap. 11. 22. and then he goeth up to Jerusalem, and the Lord before hand tells him, that he must expect rougher dealing at Jerusalem then at home: For, if foot-men had wearied him, how could he run with horsemen, &c. Chap. 12. 5. If he had been thus tired with his own equals at Anathoth, what would he do with the great ones at Jerusalem? And if in his native Town, the place of his peace, he had found so much trouble, what would he do in Jerusalems tumults? For even thy brethren and thy fathers house have dealt treacherously with thee, &c. vers. 6.

The Prophet was very young when he began to Prophesie, and spent some of his junior years in preaching to his own Country-men, but they

despised his youth; and therefore as Christ being refused by his own Towns-men of Nazareth, goeth then about all Galilee, preaching the Gospel, Luke 4. So Jeremy rejected and indangered by his Towns-men of Anathoth, goeth then abroad to prophesie at Jerusalem; where it is more then probable he was not when Josiah inquired of Huldah a woman about Moses Copy. Zephany had not yet appeared a Prophet at all, as shall be observed by and by.

Josiah humbled and afraid upon the reading of the Law, bringeth the people into a Covenant, setteth on to destroy Idolatry, and keepeth a solemn Passover.

JEREMY II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII.

[Division 357] [Iosiah 19] JEREMY in these latter years of Josiah, doth prophesie very sad [Division 358] [Iosiah 20] and heavy things against Judah and Jerusalem, and telleth plain∣ly, [Division 359] [Iosiah 21] that Jerusalem should become like Shiloh, &c. For the time and [Division 360] [Iosiah 22] order of these Chapters, the Reader may take notice of these few [Division 361] [Iosiah 23] things:

[Division 362] [Iosiah 24] 1. That whereas his Chapters from the twentieth forward, are of very [Division 363] [Iosiah 25] much and very visible dislocation, these to the twentieth do not own [Division 364] [Iosiah 26] any such thing in so visible and evident a manner as those do, nor in∣deed [Division 365] [Iosiah 27] by any closer intimation to conclude any whit certainly upon, and [Division 366] [Iosiah 28] therefore it is not safe nor solid to transpose them at all, but to take [Division 367] [Iosiah 29] them up as they lye. Nor do I see any thing to the contrary, but that [Division 368] [Iosiah 30] they lye very direct and methodically all along.

2. The thirteenth Chapter, and all that follow to the one and twen∣tieth I conceive to have been delivered in the time of Jehoiakim, and not in the time of Josiah, and that upon this ground, because in Chap. 13. vers. 18. The Prophet calls to the King and Queen, Humble your selves, and sit down, for your Principality shall come down even the Crown of your glory: which was most fully accomplished upon Jehoiakim and his wife, Jer. 22. 19. with 2 King. 24. 12. and not at all upon Josiah and his Queen; at the least not upon his Queen for ought we read of.

3. There is one particular very remarkable, that runneth along through the most of these Chapters, from the beginning of the third to the fourteenth, and that is, the mention of a great drought or want of rain, as Chap. 3. 3. & 5. 24, 25. & 8. 13. 20. & 9. 10. 12. & 12. 4. & 14. 1, 2, 3, 4. Now if this drought were in the time of Josiah [as it is mentioned instantly before the dating of a Prophesie in Josiahs time, Chap. 3. 3. 6.] and in the time of Jehoiakim [as there is mention of it presently after a Prophesie against Jehoiakim, Chap. 13. 18. & 14. 1, 2.] then it appeareth that this sad restraint of rain fell out in the last years of Josiah, and continued some of Jehoiakims time, and so these Chapters of Jeremy do most properly fall in with the latter years of Josiahs reign. In Chap. 11. 2. he seemeth to speak concerning the Covenant that Josiah had caused the people to enter into, upon the finding and reading of Moses copy, and he doth earnestly exhort the people to keep it. And it may be that phrase in Chap. 2. 31. O generation behold, or see the Word of the Lord, may have reference to that copy of Moses also; I am sure it may be more properly interpreted, as if he pointed to that; then it is interpreted by some Jews, as if he shewed them the Pot of Manna. There is only some Chronical doubt ariseth upon the eighteenth verse of the second Chapter, and that is, whether Judah had any league and reliance with and upon Egypt in Josiahs time; which, as there is no Scripture to assert; so also is there none neither to contra∣dict. And it may very well be held affirmatively, and more probable then otherways, all circumstances well considered: And what if Josiahs death by the King of Egypt were a temporal punishment, for his reliance upon Egypt?