John Trapp on Jeremiah 5:1

CHAP. V.

Ver. 1. RƲn to and fro] Spaciamini, ſcrutamini. Goe as many of you as ye pleaſe: the verbs are plural.

In the ſtreets of Jeruſalem] Where it was ſtrange there ſhould be ſuch a rarity of righteous ones. But the faithful City was now become an harlot, Eſa. 1.21. Like as Rome is at this day.

— Tota eſt jam Roma lupanar.

Shee had a Mancinel, a Savanorola, and ſome few other Jeremies, to tell her her own: but ſhe ſoon took an order with them. The Primitive Chriſtians called Heathens, Pagans; becauſe contrey people living in pagis, that is, in Hamlets and Villages, were heatheniſh for moſt part, after that Cities were converted, and had many good people in them: but Jeruſalem here afforded not any one, hardly.

In Polyh. If ye can find a man] i. e. A godly, a zealous man. For homines permulti, virè perpauci, ſaith Herodotus: there is a great paucity of good people. Diogenes is ſaid to have ſought for a good man in Athens with a lantern and candle at Noon-day. And once, when he had made an O yes in the market-place, crying out [non-Latin text not transcribed], Hear O ye men, and thereupon company came about him to hear what the matter was, he rated them away again with this ſpeech, [non-Latin text not transcribed], I called for men and not for varlets. Job was a man every inch of him; See the Notes on Job 1.1. So was Moſes that man of God, Daniel that man of deſires, John Baptiſt, then whom there aroſe not a greater among all that were born of woman; Paul that little man, Calvinus erat vir admirabilis. Ipſa à quo roſſet virtutem dicere virtus. Guevara. but who did great exploits: Athanaſius and Luther, who ſtood out againſt all the world, and prevailed. But not many ſuch: bleſſed be God that any ſuch. Cicero obſerveth that ſcarce in an Age was born a good Poet. And Seneca ſaith Such as Clodius was, we have enow: but ſuch as Cato are hard to be found. The Hoſt of Nola being bid to ſummon the good men of the Town to appear before the Roman Cenſor, gat him to the Church-yard, and there called at the graves of the dead: for he knew not where to call for a good man alive. God himſelf ſought for a man that might ſtand up in the gap, but met not with any ſuch one, Ezek. 22.30.

And I will pardon it] Sodoms ſins cryed loud to God for vengeance; ſo did now Jeruſalems. But had there been but a voice or two more of righteous & religious perſons there, their prayers had outcryed them. A few birds of Song are ſhriller, then many crocitating birds of prey.