29 Their roaring fhall be like a lion, they fhall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar and lay hold of the prey, and fhall carry it away fafe, and none fhall deliver it.

The boldnefs and fortitude, the ftrength and contempt of danger, the ferocity of difpofition, and love of prey, poffeffed by the people who were fent against the men of Judah, are here reprefented by a strong comparifon. Befide vigilance, labour, difcipline, activity, and military weapons, fortitude, bravery, and the love of glory, are highly neceffary to fuccefs in war. Thefe qualifications the armies fpoken of, were to poffefs in an eminent degree.Their roaring was to be like that of a lion. The great noife they were to make, when feizing upon their prey, is fignificantly compared to the roaring of a lion, which is faid to be the flrongeft, and among the fiercest and most rapacious of wild beafts. So loud and tremendous is his roaring, that fome have affirmed, that the other beafts of the forefts tremble and fall down at the hideous noife, which renders them an eafy prey. Wicked tyrants, powerful and cruel men, are frequently compared to lions in fcripture, because they refemble thefe creatures in their rapacity, love of prey, and other favage difpofitions. As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, fo is a

wicked ruler over the poor people *. And in the verfe before us, the hideous noife made by fierce and inflexible troops, when fpreading defolation through Judea, and feizing upon the fpoils, is foretold to refemble the roaring of the lion, and that of the young lions. To intimate their fuccefs in pillaging that devoted country, it is added, They shall carry away the prey fafe, and none fall deliver it. There were many among the men of Judah who had fpoiled and oppreffed the poor; and, therefore, as a juft recompence of that, and their other enormous crimes, thofe who

Prov. xxviii. 15.

were

were to be employed in executing upon them righ. teous judgment, were to carry away their spoil as a prey. Nor were there to be any deliverer, to refcue out of the hand of their victorious enemy, the spoils they had gathered among the vanquished. Bleffed God, defend us from the horrors of war, and preferve us from becoming a prey to our enemies; and, above all, fave us, we beseech thee, from thofe tranfgreffions which expofe to thefe dreadful calamities.The predictions contained in this, and the two foregoing verses, were remarkably verified at the invafion of Judea, by the Affyrians: concerning whom the Lord thus fpeaks, by the prophet Jeremiah; Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Ifrael, faith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ⚫ ancient nation, a nation whofe language thou knoweft not, neither understandeft what they fay*.' Afterward thefe predictions were more fully accomplished by the Romans, who excelled all other nations in military difcipline, in expedition and bravery; and, in various refpects, resembled a lion, to which they are here compared. All the circumftances mentioned, have a remarkable correfpondence to thofe which attended their march into Judea, when they fpread univerfal defolation over all that land.

30 And in that day they fhall roar against them, like the roaring of the fea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and forrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

The prophet concludes this prophecy, by reprefenting the diftrefs and anguish with which the foretold calamities fhould be accompanied. The invafion of the land of Judah, and the facking of the city Jerufalem, was to be attended with defpair on the part of the befieged.In that day. In that remarkable period in which the above-mentioned predictions were

# Jer. v. 15.

to

to be accomplished, the mournful fcene, defcribed in this verse, was to be exhibited. The great and powerful armies which were collected by divine command, were to march into Judea with irresistible impetuofity, and an awful noife, refembling that of the fea after a hard gale of wind. The noife made by a great military force, is fignificantly compared to the roaring of the fea, Jer. 1. 42. where the army of Cyrus is foretold to have a voice like that noify element. The comparison is truly fublime, and ferves to affift us in forming proper ideas of the subject of which the prophet speaks.

And if one look unto the land, behold darkness and forrow. Did any of thofe who furvived the general deftruction of the Jewish nation, look toward the land they once poffeffed as their inheritance, they could fee nothing but darkness, distress, and grief, the miferable effects of the deplorable condition to which it was re duced by complicated calamities. Memorable are the words of our Saviour to this purpose: Upon the

earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the fea ' and the waves roaring; mens hearts failing them 'for fear, and for looking after thofe things which are coming on the earth Feeling the ftings of confcience, and the most bitter remorfe, arifing from a fenfe of guilt; perceiving themfelves to be the ob jects of divine difpleafure, the contempt and reproach of the world; every thing would appear difmal, and prove a fresh occafion of forrow.

And the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. Great public calamities, and their effects, are defcribéd, by the prophets, as if the order of the univerfe was reverfed, as if the ordinances of heaven and earth were changed. A remarkable inftance of this you will find recorded, Jer. iv. 23. and following verfes; where the prophet elegantly reprefents, in beautiful, figurative language, the difmal confequences of the

Luke. xxi. 25, 26.

land

land of Ifrael being fpoiled. I will read to you the paffage, being one of those I much admire, as peculiarly fublime. I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form and void: and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wildernefs, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the prefence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.' The words before us, like thofe which I have now read, intimate the great and affecting alterations which were to be made by the judgments of God upon the Jews; and, therefore, to give them a juft interpretation, they must be explained in their metaphorical sense. In this view, by the light which was to be converted into darkness in the Jewish hemifphere, is meant the glorious prerogatives which they enjoyed; and the most eminent perfons in their church and ftate, who, in prophetic language, are called the fun, the moon, and the ftars, which enlightened, directed, and comforted the people. The glory of God, which filled their temple, and illuminated the church, was removed. The ceremonial law, which afforded them a lively reprefentation of future good things, was abolished, and ceafed to give them farther light.

The doctors and teachers in their church were greatly degenerated, and their light was nearly extinguifhed. The honour of their law, and the glory of their priesthood, were covered with obfcurity. Thus the light was darkened in the heavens thereof. To this forlorn ftate the Jewish nation. was reduced, after its overthrow by the Romans. The hiftory of that people verifies the truth, in general, of all the prophecies; and particularly the predictions we have now been confidering, in which God gave them timeous advertisement of approaching calamities. These were not inflicted until a confiderable time after they had previously received repeated warn

ings of their approach. The Lord of hofts ordered the trumpet to be blown long before he called the nations forth to battle; and commanded his fervants to inform the men of Judah, that defolation and deftruction, darkness and forrow, would overtake them, did they perfift in their evil ways. Notwithstanding these faithful admonitions, they went on from evil to worse, until wrath came upon them to the uttermoft, on account of their many aggravated iniquities.

Hence we learn, that the profperity and happiness of the most flourishing kingdoms upon earth is not per petual, but fubject to change; that the wickedness of a people provokes God to turn a fruitful land into barrennefs. This it is which darkens the light in the heavens, and reverfes their former condition. Would we then endeavour to perpetuate our felicity as a -nation, let us bring forth fruit unto God, correfponding to the inestimable advantages we enjoy.

To conclude, let the word of God dwell richly in your hearts, and hold it forth uniformly in your lives. Add commentary to commentary, expofition to expofition. To the comment I give you in words, as the fruit of my ftudies, add your comment of good works, as the effect of your knowledge and faith. To my expofition of this prophecy, executed at the expence of much time and labour, add your expofition, by the fanctity of your lives, and purity of your manners. In this manner, grant me, I befeech you, fimilar occafion to glory on your behalf, with that which the apostle Paul acknowledged the Corinthians had given him, in these memorable words; ' Ye (faith he) are our epiftle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: for as much as ye are manifeftly declared to be the epiftle of Chrift, miniftered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God: not in tables of ftone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.'

2 Cor. iii. 2, 3.

PRELIMI.