Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 45:5

5 And seekest thou great things for thy self? seek them not : for behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD : but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey, in all places, whither thou goest .

What great things Baruch was seeking is not expressed, and impossible to be determined with any certainty; they could not be honour, or riches; the time of Iehoiakims Reign was no time for any pious Rational Man, to expect any thing of that nature: He might expect to have been a Prophet, as Eli[illegible: 1 letter]ha was, who first was but a servant to Elijah. Or at least he might expect rest and protection, when others met with disturbance, but it may be the meaning is no more than, dost thou expect what none meeteth with, or is like to meet with who feareth God? never think of it.

I am bringing Calamities, and Misery upon the whole Nation wherein thou livest.

I will preserve thy life, that is all thou art to expect, and thou shalt live to see the time, that thou wilt judge that a great Booty, that thou shalt have lent thee▪ whithersoever the Wind of my Providence shall happen to drive thee. This message of God to Baruch teacheth us that God expects from his People a spirit [illegible: 1 letter]uted to his dispensations, and that they should keep their spirits low in a time of publick Judgments, not making to themselves any great promises of freedom from their share in the publick calamities of that Nation or Kingdom in which they are, but contenting themselves with such allowances as God proportioneth to them at such a time without discontent or murmuring, but blessing Cod, for any marks of gracious Providence which God in such times will please to set upon them, and being thankful for them and satisfied with them.

Marginal references: chap. 21.[illegible: 1 letter]. & 38.2. & 3[illegible: 1 letter].18.