chapters, lines, and words, as the Bible contains, is a proof of most uncommon diligence and faithfulness in those who from time to time have made the copies. That here and there an error has crept in is a fact which it is useful to observe; that the mistakes of man may not be charged to the volume inspired by God, and that we may learn to venerate as divine not exactly every letter as it stands, but the substance of the revelation in the length of it, and in the breadth of it, and indeed, with few exceptions of importance, the very text that has been transmitted to our times.

In whichsoever reign this prophecy was first revealed, it was by the messengers who came to king Zedekiah that the prophet was to send to the kings their masters this counsel of the Lord, that they should submit themselves to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And this he was to signify, by making bonds and yokes, and putting them on his neck, and tendering them to the ambassadors of these several kings, who appear to have been trying to prevail on Zedekiah to join them in a league against Nebuchadnezzar. But to what purpose could it be to form a league against him, whom the Lord had determined to exalt? What can the most mighty monarchs avail, more than the most feeble of their subjects, against the fixt resolution of Him, who by his great power and outstretched arm made all things, the earth and its inhabitants, both man and beast, and who also allots its various realms to whomsoever He thinks fit?

It was with the solemn sanction of this weighty truth that Jeremiah was commissioned to warn these confederate kings of the folly of resisting the Babylonian invasion. He was to declare that God had given all these countries into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar for three generations, after which his own realms should in like manner be subdued. He was to promise a comparatively easy yoke to those who would submit peaceably to God's appointment. And charging them not to listen to false prophets, who would give them false hopes of successful resistance, he was to threaten all who presumed to resist, not only that they would resist in vain, but also that they would surely be punished by the Lord, "with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence." How foolish must we reckon those amongst these kings, who notwithstanding this injunction took measures of resistance! What foolishness is this also in us to resist God's will in any thing! He who is the Sovereign of kingdoms is no less surely the Lord of every man's lot, the Disposer of all events that happen to us all. Does He then send affliction? Let us cheerfully submit. Does He enjoin obedience? Let us readily comply. And instead of counting his commandments grievous, let us learn from the word and the example of our Saviour, that if we be but meek and lowly in heart, we shall find his yoke easy, and his burden light. See Matt. 11. 30.

Zedekiah is enjoined to submit to the king of Babylon.

12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pesti lence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. 15 For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you. 16 Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. 17 Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live wherefore should this city

be laid waste?

18 But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

19 For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

20 Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

21 Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

22 They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

LECTURE 1226.

How the purposes of God are unchangeable.

How humiliating to Zedekiah and to the people of Judah must have been the counsel here given them by the prophet, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live." What? that they who were the chosen people of the Lord, to whom He had oftentimes given victory over thousands of their enemies, and whose arms He had largely employed as the triumphant instruments of his holy purposes, in rooting out idolatry from the land, that they should now be counselled by Himself to submit to the yoke of a heathen conqueror,

this was indeed a most severe rebuke for their misdeeds, a most decisive proof of their having utterly lost his favour and protection. And to make resistance more plainly hopeless, they are warned, that unless they submit willingly they will have so much the greater hardships to endure. And as to the prophets who encouraged them to resist, these they are told prophesied falsely; and the effect of giving heed to their words would be their own more sure destruction. And whereas these false prophets had foretold, that the vessels of the Lord's house would shortly be brought again from Babylon, they had better have been praying and interceding with the Lord, that those which were still left might not be carried away. This would have been the part of true prophets. This would have shewn that they really were apprised of that which the Lord purposed to do. This would have been to take the right method of appeasing his anger, and staying the execution of his judgments.

"For thus saith the Lord of hosts," so the true prophet Jeremiah goes on to declare in the most solemn terms, concerning the residue of the holy and precious things, which remained in the temple and palace at Jerusalem, "Yea, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel," "They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the Lord; then will I bring them up and restore them to this place." And yet fixt as was this purpose, and so solemnly declared, Jeremiah would account it consistent with true piety to intercede with God to alter it. This may shew us how greatly we mistake, if we so construe the firm resolves of the Almighty, as to suppose Him ever inaccessible to prayer. It is true, that as Balaam testifies, He" is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent." Num. 23. 19. It is true that in man change of conduct often proceeds from changeableness of mind. But it is not so with God. He, who is always minded to be just and good, holy and merciful, may consistently with the firmness of his wise purposes adapt his dealings to the conduct of his reasonable creatures. He may resolve to destroy, or to give up to destruction; and yet be willing to hear his people when they pray, He may have decreed the punishment of transgression, and yet be ready to spare transgressors who repent. What an encouragement to repentance! What a warrant for perseverance and confidence in prayer! And what a profitable example for our own guidance, in all our behaviour to each other, to be at once firm in purpose to do right, and patient, forbearing, and compassionate, towards them that do wrong!

Lord, help us to conceive aright of all thy attributes; and to know Thee as Thou art, not only almighty, but altogether righteous and good! Lord, help us to learn, from thy gracious dealings towards thy sinful creatures, what manner of persons we ought to be in all our behaviour to each other!

The false prophecy of Hananiah; and his death. 1 And it came to pass the 9 The prophet which prophesisame year, in the beginning of eth of peace, when the word of the reign of Zedekiah king of the prophet shall come to pass, Judah, in the fourth year, and then shall the prophet be known, in the fifth month, that Hana- that the LORD hath truly sent him. niah the son of Azur the prophet, 10 Then Hananiah the prophet which was of Gibeon, spake unto took the yoke from off the prophet me in the house of the LORD, Jeremiah's neck, and brake it. in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, 2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

LECTURE 1227.

That death proves the truth of the word of God. What a manifestation of his power did God in this instance vouchsafe to the Jews. How unanswerably did He hereby prove to them, that the words spoken by Jeremiah ought to be regarded as spoken by Himself! And yet we know that this stiffnecked people refused to listen, and resolved to resist. They gave ear only to those who spake like Hananiah, whose words the true prophet pronounced to be false. For the fact was, that these words were according to their wishes. They were glad to be told that the yoke of the king of Babylon was broken, and that the holy vessels of the temple would soon be restored, and that their king Jeconiah and all the captives would return to Jerusalem in peace. The people willingly believed these tidings, because they wished them true. Jeremiah also wished them true, and yet he did not believe them. He had been inspired to prophesy the contrary. And he boldly appealed to the event, as sure to shew which had prophesied aright. Let us learn so to controul our wishes that they may not unduly influence our judgment. Let us be willing to believe truth though it be unwelcome. Let us be resolute to reject falsehood, however artfully adapted to gratify our wishes, to humour our prejudices, or to indulge our evil propensities.

It is expressly recorded that "Jeremiah went his way," when Hananiah had taken from his neck the yoke symbolical of subjection, and had broken it, and had boldly predicted, that so would the Lord within the space of two years break the yoke of the king of Babylon. This retirement of the true prophet serves to shew us that his prophecies which followed were not spoken under the excitement of anger, but under the guidance of the Spirit of God. They who minister in God's name ought to be as far as possible above even the suspicion of evil motives in that which they do as his servants. And that which is his doing cannot possibly be evil. Wrath and vengeance when ascribed to God mean not passions like to ours, but signify the exercise of attributes altogether holy, just, and good. And it could not but be a righteous thing in Him, who rules supreme over all, to put yokes of iron instead of yokes of wood on the necks of the nations subjected to the king of Babylon, and to sentence Hananiah, for his false pretences, and rebellious teaching, to die within the year then passing. "So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month." Death proved in him the truth of Jeremiah's words. Death proves the truth of Scripture in all mankind. We die, as God has sentenced that die we must. And after death we shall find it true, as He has told us, that we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Oh that we may now act upon a firm belief in the truth which it will then be impossible to doubt! Oh that we may not be then first convinced of the reality of things unseen, when it will be too late to profit by our convictions !