John Trapp on Jeremiah 7:16

Ver. 16. Therefore pray not thou for this people] For I am unchangeably reſolved upon their ruine: and I would not have thy prayers (thoſe hony-drops) ſpilt upon them. Their day of grace is paſt: their ſins are full, the decree is now gone forth, and it is irreverſible; therefore pray not for this deplored people: there is a ſin unto death: and who knows but their ſin was ſuch? ſure it is the Prophet was ſilenced here, and that was a ſad ſymptom.

Neither lift up cry] Verbum aptum precibus est: lift up is a very fit expreſſion, and the word rendred cry comes from a root that ſignifieth clamare voce contentâ & efficaci, to ſet up the note to ſome tune, as we ſay.Ranan, unde ranae, ut aliqui volunt.

Neither make interceſſion to me] Interdicit ti ne intercedat. Here and elſewhere God flatly forbids the Prophet to pray; See chap. 14.7, 11. and yet he is at it again, ver. 19, 20, 21, 22. So Exod. 32.11, 12, 13. Let me alone, ſaith God. The Chaldee there hath it, leave off thy prayer, but Moſes would not. Theſe were men of prayer, and could truly ſay of themſelves as David once did, Pſal. 109.4. but I gave my ſelf to prayer. Where the Hebrew hath it, But I, prayer: as if he had been made up of it, and had minded little elſe. The Lord alſo, they knew, was a prayer-hearing God, Pſal. 65.2. O thou that art hearing prayers, (ſo the Hebrew hath it) alwayes hearing ſome, and ready to hear the reſt. Our God is not like Jupiter of Creet that had no cares: nor as thoſe other heathen-deities of whom Cicero ſadly complaineth to his brother Quintus in theſe words, I would pray to the gods for thoſe things, but that they have given over to hear my prayers. Jeremy could upon better ground pray, then ever he in Plato did, [non-Latin text not transcribed], &. In Engliſh thus, Great God, the good thou haſt to give,Plat. in Alcibiad. Whether we ask't or no, Let's ſtill receive: no miſchief thrive To work our overthrow.