Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 18

2 Arise, and go down to the potters house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words .

It is likely there was but one Potter near the place, or at least that there was one more noted, and eminent then the rest to whose house the Lord here sendeth the Prophet intending there, further to tell him his mind what he would have him publish as his mind and will to this people.

3 Then I went down to the potters house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheeles .

Ieremy yields a present and free Obedience to the command of God, though he did not know Gods meaning in it, and findeth the Potter at work, upon wheeles or frames which he formed his Clay upon, to bring it into that form which he desired, For the true form of those frames or instruments it is hard to assert any thing such kind of instruments differing not only according to several Countries, but according to the several fancies of workmen, getting frames or engines made fitted to their own fancies and purposes.

Marginal references: Or, frames, or seats.

4 And the vessel that he made of clay , was marred in the hand of the potter, so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it d.

That which we read of Clay may be read (as our margent tell us) as Clay; that is while it was yet Clay it was spoiled in the Potters hand, so as he did not think fit to go on with his design as to the form of the vessel, but made it into another form such as he liked best.

Marginal references: Or, that he made, was marred as clay in the hand of the potter.; Heb. returned and made.

6 O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this potter ? saith the LORD: behold as the clay is in the potters hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel .

God now expoundeth to the Prophet his design in bidding him go to the Potters house, it was to instruct or confirm him, in the power that he had over his creatures.

For saith he as is the clay to the Potter, so is the house of Isra[illegible: 1 letter]l (and indeed so are all the Sons and Daughters of men) unto God, God hath the same power over them, that a Potter hath over the clay and a greater rig[illegible: 1 letter]t to do what he pleaseth with them, then any Potter hath relating to the clay; the clay is but the Potters purchase not his creature, but man is Gods creature. God by his Prophet Isaiah made use of the same similitude, Isa. 45.9. So doth the Apostle, Rom. 9.20. That God hath an absolute soveraign power to do what he pleaseth with the work of his hands, can be denied by no men of sense, whether God useth this his soveraignty in the eternal punishment of sinners that is, another thing, he hath a soveraign power, but he acteth as a just judge rendring to every man according to his works.

Marginal references: Isa. 64.8.

7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it .

God thus speaketh concerning Nations, and Kingdoms more immediately in his word, or more mediately by his Prophets and Ministers, he told Ieremiah, Chap. 1.10. that he had set him over Nations, to root out, and to p[illegible: 1 letter]ll down.

8 If that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil , I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them .

If that Nation leaveth off those sinful courses, which I have by my Prophets threatned with judgments.

I will also turn from the methods of my severe Providence which I had resolved in case of their impenitency to proceed in against them. There is a difference betwixt Repentance in man, and Repentance as it is attributed to God, Repentance in man must be, not onely a change in action, but a change of Heart; Repentance as attributed to God, never signifieth a change of Heart, or purpose or counsels, but onely a change in action, an alteration of the course of his Providence. Hence God in Scripture is said to Repent as in this Text, and Ionah 3.10. And it is also said of him that he is not as man that he should lye or repent, Num. 23.19. 1 Sam. 15.29. God never changeth his counsels, or purposes, though he often varieth his actions of Providence, according to the behaviours of his creatures.

Marginal references: Ezek. 18.21. and 33.11.

10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said that I would benefit them

Speaking verse 9. and repenting verse 10. must be understood in the same sense as in the two former verses. The reason of this is because in all Gods threatnings and promises of this nature there is a condition either expressed or understood, Gods threatnings of evil must be understood with this condition unless men and women repent and turn from their evil wayes: and his promises of good must be understood with this condition, if those to whom they are made be a willing and obedient people, and keep in the way of the Lords Statutes.

11 ¶ Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Behold I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways, and your doings good .

The Lord fixeth a particular application to the more general doctrine which he had before delivered. God had told this people, that though he had by his Prophet denounced his wrath, and anger, and threatned to pluck them up and destroy them, yet if they turned from their sinful courses, he would shew mercy to them, and alter the course of his Providence. Now he tells them, that this was their case, God had a work upon the wheel against them, and was framing evil against them, and bringing ruine upon them, therefore it was their wisdom, now to return from their evil wayes, and to make their doings good; those who think that these exhortations are vain, if man hath not a power in himself to turn from his evil way, ought to consider, that none denieth, that man hath a power in himself by vertue of that common grace of God which he denieth to no man, to turn from such evil courses as were before mentioned, viz. not to carry out burdens upon the Sabbath day, not to bow down to, and worship idols, but to worship the true and living God according to the prescription of his Word. In short there is no man but hath a power to do much more then he doth do, and so much as may serve to avert temporal judgment, and although no man without special Grace, beyond the outward means of grace, hath a power to do whatsoever God requireth in order to his Salvation, yet he hath a power to do so much, as if he doth, no instance can be given of any to whom, so doing, God denied his special Grace, inabling him to do whatsoever God requireth of him in order to Eternal Life.

Marginal references: 2 Kings 17.13. Chap. 7.3. and 25.5. and 26.13. and 35.15.

12 And they said , There is no hope p, but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart .

For we are resolved to run on in our former race. It cannot be imagined that they should call the imaginations of their own hearts evil, unless it were in derision. The sum of what they said was this, Ieremy thou hadst as good say or do nothing, as talk to us, we are resolved upon our course, and if thou callest our hearts evil we cannot help that, according to the purposes, counsels and thoughts of those our evil hearts we are resolved to steer our courses, we will not be guided by thee.

There is no hope of us, thou dost but labour in vain in talking to us.

Marginal references: chap. 2.25.

13 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Ask ye now amongst the heathen, Who hath heard such things? The virgin of Israel, hath done a very horrible thing .

God was moved at this desperate obstinacy and hardness of this peoples hearts, he appeals to the World whether ever any Heathens behaved themselves so toward their Idols which were no Gods, as this people had behaved themselves towards him. He calls Israel a Virgin, it is a term given to Zidon, Isaiah 23.12. and to Babylon. Isa. 47.1. The horrible thing which they had done, was their forsaking God, their God a thing not usual amongst the Heathens, as God tells them, chap. 2.11.

Marginal references: 1 Cor. 5.1.

14 Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon, which cometh from the rock of the field ? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken ?

The Margents of our Bibles will let us know, that there is som variety in the opinions of the most learned Interpreters as to the sense of these words, the general sense is plain, and obvious, that it is a foolish thing for men to forsake God who is the fountain of all good, and refreshment, and what men do not use to do with reference to poor creature comforts not to be named with God, but for the Grammatical sense of the words it is not so obvious. The vulgar Latin Translates them, Shall the Snow of Lebanon [illegible: 1 letter]ail from the Rock of the Field? The Septuagint, shall the dugs fail from the Rocks? Or the Snow from Lebanon. The Syriac Version followeth them. The Arabick Version Translateth it, should the Snow fail from the mountain of Breasts, and from Lebanon, The Chaldee paraphrast thus glosseth, Behold as it cannot be, that the Snow water should fail from Lebanon. Pagnine seems to make Lebanon the Nominative case, and renders the sense thus, shall Lebanon leave the Snow from the rock of the Field. Our Translators supply these words a man and so make that the Nomin[illegible: 1 letter]tive case, and make Lebanon the Genitive case. Lebanon was a mountainous place in which were rocks, it had also fruitful Vallies, Snow fell upon those Rocks, and upon a thaw ran down into the lower places and was grateful to them as it moistned them▪ and made them more fruitful▪

The latter part of the verse seems as hard. Pagnine Translates them. Shall other cold flowing waters be forsak[illegible: 1 letter]n? The vulgar Latine, or can the other cold flowing waters be plucked up? The 70 and the Syriack, or shall the water fa[illegible: 1 letter]l, violently snatched up, or taken away with the wind? The Arabick, or should the forreign cool waters desist? The Chald. paraphrast glosseth, so the rain waters that come down, and the waters of the fountain that spring shall not fa[illegible: 1 letter]l. In this great variety it is very hard certainly to assert the particular sense of these phrases, the knowledge of which depends upon some affections, or customes of those places which we are not so well acquainted with. The next verse is the best guide we have, where the sin laid to the charge of this people, is their forsaking God, which sin is here aggravated by this Topick. That reason teacheth men not to forsake a greater good for a lesser, though that greater good were but a poor creature comfort not to be compared with God. This is the general sense scope and summe of this verse. So as we shall not need be very sollicitous to be able to assert the particular Grammatical sense.

Marginal references: Or, my fields for a [illegible: 1 word], or, for the snow of Lebanon: shall the [illegible: 1 letter]u[illegible: 2 letters]ing waters be forsaken for the strange cold waters.

15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burnt incense to vanity , and they have caused them to stumble in their wayes from the ancient paths to walk in paths, in a way not cast up .

Forgotten and forsaken are much the same thing differing onely as the cause and the effect, for if men remembred God as they ought to do they would not forsake him.

By Vanity he means Idols, which are called vanity, not only because they are in themselves nothing of what they are pretended to be, and because the worshipping of them is an high degree of sin which is often called vanity in Scripture, but because the service of them is of no use nor profit, or advantage, and any expectations from them are idle, and vain for which there is no ground at all.

Whether the false prophets or the idols are here said to cause them to stumble by receding from the ancient paths is incertain. The words may either be translated paths of Eternity or paths of Antiquity, the most and best t[illegible: 1 letter]anslate it aswe do quod v[illegible: 1 letter]rum primum the ways of truth are the most ancient ways. The ways wherein Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob and all the ancient Patriarchs did walk.

To walk in paths in or a way not cast up not fitted for Gods people to walk in, Prov. 15.19. The way of the Righteous is said to be a way madeplain, Heb. raised up as a causey, wicked men in opposition to these wayes are said to walk in a way not cast up.

Marginal references: chap. 2.13, 32. and 3.21. and 13.25. and 17.13.; chap. 6.16.

16 To make their hand desolate, and a perpetual hissing : every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head .

Not that this was finis operantis their end which they aimed at, none wisheth ill or doth any thing designedly to bring evil upon himself, but it was finis operis the end these courses would certainly issue in, they would bring the land of Iudah to desolations, and to be a reproach.

So as strangers that were wont to admire at the prosperity of this people, above any other people, should stand astonished, and wag their heads at them in scorn and derision.

Marginal references: chap. 19.8. and 49.13. and 5[illegible: 1 letter].13.

17 I will scatter them as with an east-wind before the enemy : I will shew them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity .

The East-wind is (or was at least in those parts) the fiercest wind; as the East-wind scatters the Chaff, so saith God I will scatter them.

And when they shall be in great calamity and misery I will not hearken to them, I will not turn my face to them, or shew them my face, but I will turn my back upon them, I will not regard them crying, nor hear their Prayers.

Marginal references: chap. 13.24.

18 ¶ Then said they, Come, let us devise devices against Jeremiah : for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet : Come, and let us smite him with the tongue , and let us not give heed to any of his words .

This faithful dealing of the Prophet with them, did only inrage them (as is usual) against the Prophet, they plot against the Prophet, how to be revenged on him, because he would cross their humours, and would not prophesie as they would have had him.

We have the Church on our side, the Regular Priests and the Prophets, they know Gods mind as well as he; for there is a promise that the Law shall not perish from the Priest, nor the word from the Prophet: We have Priests and Prophets, they tell us other things then this Ieremy doth.

Let us smit[illegible: 1 letter] him with the Tongue, expose him, by railing on him, telling lyes about concerning him, representing him to be what we know the people hate, abusing him to his face, informing against him, or in the Tongue, let us silence him, command him to speak no more; or for his Tongue, for prophesying at this rate;

And for his words let us not value them at a rush, nor at all regard them.

Marginal references: chap. 11.19.; Mal. 2.7 John 7.48, 49.; Or, for the Tongue.

19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me .

The several following verses to the end of this Chapter, contain the Prophets Prayer by way of appeal to God against these wicked men, (Lord saith he) though they are resolved to take no heed to my words, yet do thou give heed to them, and do thou take notice of those men that contend with me. Take notice of what they say, not to confirm, but to cross their desires, and to be revenged on them for them.

20 Shall evil be recompensed for good ? For they have digged a pit for my soul : Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them , and to turn away thy wrath from them .

To requite good for evil is divine; God maketh his Sun to shine, and his Rain to fall upon the just and unjust. To requite evil for evil, or good for good, is but humane, what the Nature of reasonable men prompt them to: But to requite evil for good is diabolical, and the character of those that are the children of the evil one.

Lord saith the Prophet, these men have done thus, they have laid snares for my life.

Though thou knowest, that as a Prophet I stood before thee, both preaching and praying for their good.

Their wrath is kindled to a great height against me, and thou knowest my business was both in my preachings to them, and prayers for them, to turn away thy wrath from them. Lord remember this both for good to me, and for vengeance upon them.

21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine , and pour out their blood by the force of the sword, and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows, and let their men be put to death, let their young men be slain by the sword in battle .

A dreadful imprecation, we met with more of the same nature, chap. 11.20. and 15.15.17, 18. We find also several such imprecations in the Psalms, Psal. 35.4. and 40.14. and 69.22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28. and 109.6, 7, 8, 9.10. &c. Hence a question is raised, whether it be lawful for Gods Servants to pray for evil against their Enemies. That which makes the doubt is Christs command to us, to pray for them that persecute us, Matth. 5.43, 44. His own example, and Stephen's, Acts 7.60. See the notes upon the aforementioned Texts. It is doubt[illegible: 1 letter]ess our duty to pray for the conversion, forgiveness, and Eternal Salvation of our worst enemies; so Christ prayed, and Stephen; but neither of them prayed for their outward prosperity in their persecution and rage, and without doubt we may pray against Gods enemies, that God would tye their hands, weaken their power, confound their devices.

For such other particulars as are mentioned in this verse, and the beginning of the following verse, and such as David mentions, Psal. 69. We must know they were both Prophets, and did but pray to God to do that thing which God had revealed to them he would do.

Marginal references: Heb. pour them out.

22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them, for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet .

That is, let the enemy break into their houses, which are in an ordinary course of Providence, mens Castles and Sanctuaries, and cause such shri[illegible: 1 letter]ks as use to be heard in such cases, for their malitious seeking my life by all secret practises.

23 Yet LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me : forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight , but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger o.

Lord thou knowest I do not charge them falsly, though their counsels have been secret against my life.

Obj. Will some say, doth Ieremy here pray for the eternal damnation of his Adversaries? is this lawful? Sol. I do not think this is to be granted lawful, being so highly against charity: Nor that Ieremy in this is to be excused as a Prophet, for even Prophets had no such Revelations, but I take these phrases to be expounded by the next words, let them be overthrown before thee, and that all which the Prophet prayeth for is Gods shewing some temporal displeasure and vengeance against them, for forgiving, and not forgiving sin, doth not alwayes in Holy Writ signifie the discharging or not discharging the persons from the obligation to eternal death, under which sin layeth the persons, but sometimes the discharging or not discharging of them from the punishments in this life, to which sin doth expose the sinner, and all Ieremy's meaning is; that however it should please God to deal with these wicked men as to their Eternal State, yet he would so far no[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 letter]orgive, not blot out their sins, but that he would set some mark of his vengeance on them in this life, for their treachery and ingratitude to him. Whether we in it consider Ieremy as an ordinary supplyant in this cause, praying in Faith, or as a Prophet, foreknowing what God would do, it ought to lay a law upon all to take [illegible: 1 letter]eed of being mischievous, and treacherous to others. It is seldom but God before they dye repayes such men into their own bosom, especially if it be against any who are Gods Ministers or people; and that for their speaking to, or doing before them the will of God: It is a sin seldom escapes without a temporal vengeance, and if such men be saved at last, it will be as through Fire. God will mind them that he hath said, Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm. 1 Chron. 16.22. Psal. 105.15.

Marginal references: Heb. for death.