John Trapp on Lamentations 2:1-2

CHAP. II.

Ver. 1. HOw hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud?] Heb. with a thick cloud: nothing like that bright cloud wherein he appeared to his people, as a token of his grace, at the dedication of the Temple, 1 Kings 8.10. How comes it about, and what may be the reaſon of it? Oh in what a wonderful manner and by what ſtrange means hath the Lord now clouded and covered his people (whom he had eſtabliſhed as Mount Zion) with blackeſt calamities and confuſion[illegible: 1 letter]s, taking all the luſtre of happineſſe and of hope from her, and that in his anger, and again in the day of his anger?

— tantaene animis coeleſtibus irae?

And caſt down from heaven to the earth] i. e. From the higheſt pitch of felicity, to the loweſt plight of miſery. This was afterwards indeed Capernaums caſe: but when Micah the Moraſhite prophecied,Mic. 3.12. Jer. 26.18. that Zion ſhould be plowed as a field and Jeruſalem laid on heaps, it ſeemed a Paradox, and very few believed him. Chriſt's diſciples alſo had a conceit that the Temple and the world muſt needs have one and the ſame period: which occaſioned that mixt diſcourſe made by our Saviour, Mat. 24. But Gods gracious preſence is not tyed to a place: The Ark, Gods foot-ſtool (as here it is called) was tranſportative till ſetled in Sion: ſo is the Church militant in continual motion, till it come to triumph in heaven: and thoſe that with Capernaum are lifted up to heaven in the abundance of means, may be brought down to hell, for an inſtance of divine vengeance.

And remembred not his foot-ſtool] The Temple and therein the Ark: to teach them, that he was not wholly there included; nieither ought now to be ſought and worſhipped anywhere but above. Surſum corda.

Sept.Ver. 2. The Lord hath ſwallowed up all the habitations of Judah] [non-Latin text not transcribed], as the ſea ſwalloweth up a ſhip; as an earthquake ſwalloweth up whole town-ſhips: as fire ſwalloweth up fuel, or as Moſes his ſerpent ſwallowed up the Sorcerers ſerpents.

And hath not pitied] This was worſe then all the reſt. Iſa. 47.6.

He hath thrown down] Not ſhaken them only and ſo left them ſtanding; but utterly ſubverted them, and that in great diſpleaſure, Deo irritato, & irato, God ſet on the Chaldees, and was the Author, not of their evil will, but of their work.

He hath brought them down to the ground] Though for their height they ſeemed to threaten heaven.

He hath polluted the Kingdom and the Prieſts] Which were held holy and inviolable: Profanavit regnum coeli, ſay ſome Rabbines here, He hath profaned the Kingdom of heaven: for ſo they accounted the Commonwealth of Iſrael; which Joſephus calleth [non-Latin text not transcribed] a God-government. But now God had diſpriviledged them, and caſt them off as a thing of naught.