made war: and he took him, and laid him in irons, to carry him to Babylon. And with him he

took alfo the veffels of the temple, and seven thoufand foldiers, the fmiths and craftsmen a thousand, &c. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6. And at his departure he made Jehoiachin king in his ftead. And after he had reigned three months the king of Babylon put him down, and took him to Babylon, and made Zedekiah his brother king in his room; and it was in this king's reign that Jerufalem was taken and deftroyed; and his wickedness was the principal cause of it; for he had made a covenant with the king of Babylon in the house of God, and given him the right hand of fellowship, and fwore fidelity to him in the name of God, and that he held his crown by him, for it was Nebuchadnezzar that had made him king. After he had reigned eight or nine years he rebelled against the king of Babylon, broke his covenant, violated his oath, and hired the armies of Egypt to affift him against Nebuchadnezzar. In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar and all his hoft came against him, and befieged him until the eleventh year of his reign. And on the ninth day of the fourth month the city was broken up and taken. It was this king that cut and burnt the prophet Jeremiah's roll, written by the order of God: under him Jeremiah the prophet was put into the dungeon: he was intolerably vile, and both princes and priests followed

his example. The chief of the priests tranfgreffed very much after the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the boufe of God which he had hallowed in Jerufalem. And the Lord God of their fathers fent to them by bis méffengers, rifing up betimes, and fending; because be bad compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and defpifed his words, and mifufed his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arofe against his people, till there was no remedy. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 14, 15, 16.

The prophet Jeremiah, whom God had made an iron pillar and a brazen wall against this impious king, and all that were in the bond of iniquity with him, seems much concerned that the righteous and the wicked fhould be involved together in this common calamity to relieve the prophet's mind upon this matter, God gives him a vifion of two bafkets of figs. The fruit of one basket was vile, and that of the other excellent; the former represented the wicked, the latter fuch as obeyed the voice of the Lord. Thus faith the Lord God of Ifrael, Like these good figs, fo will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have fent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will fet mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they fhall return

unto me with their whole heart. Jer. xxiv. 5, 6, 7. It is to these that my text fpeaks, Ye that have efcaped the fword, go away, ftand not ftill: remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerufalem come into your mind. In handling thefe words, I will

1. Treat of those who escaped the fword.

2. Take notice of the prophet's watchword, and of the fecret that lay under it, Go away.

3. It is repeated, or re-enforced, Stand not still. 4. The exhortation, Remember the Lord afar off. 5. To let their city have a place in their heart. Let Jerufalem come into your mind. And I fhall conclude with comparing fome things in their case with ours, and go through my text in new teftament language.

To begin with those who escaped the sword.

God, in the midft of this furrounding calamity, had fet before the darlings of his foul a door of hope, and provided a refuge from this blaft of the terrible One, when it came as a destroying ftorm against their walls, and that was fubmitting their necks to the yoke of the king of Babylon. And unto this people thou shalt fay, Thus faith the Lord; Behold, I fet before you the way of life, and the way of death. He thut abideth in this city fhall die by the fword, and by the famine, and by the peftilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that befiege you, he shall live, and his life fhall be unto

bim

bim for a prey. For I have fet my face against this city for evil, and not for good, faith the Lord: it fhall be given into the band of the king of Babylon, and be fball burn it with fire. Jer. xxi. 8, 9, 10.

This was the touchstone and the way that God made for the obedient to escape: this was the trial There was to be no fafety in the city of God; no fhelter in the temple, the refidence of God; no protection at his altar, nor yet in a legal facrifice; no life or fafety, but by flying into the jaws of an heathen and a cruel enemy. And that which made this trial the more perplexing was, the falfe prophets which the devil fent to withstand, confront, and contradict the prophet of God; this afforded plenty of ground for halting with the fimple, who believe every word; and it ferved to confirm the rebellious in their infidelity. Jeremiah prophefied fubjection to the king of Babylon feventy years. Hananiah comes into the temple of God, and in the prefence of the priests and all the people, faying; Thus Speaketh the Lord of hofts, the God of Ifrael, faying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the veffels of the Lord's houfe, that Nebuchadnezzar took away from this place. And I will bring again to this place Feconiab the fon of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, faith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Jer. xxviii. 2, 3, 4.

God orders his prophet to put bands and yokes upon his neck, in token of Judah and other nations

ferving

ferving the king of Babylon. And they fhall ferve him, faith God; and his fon, and his fon's fon. Hananiah breaks the yoke off Jeremiah's neck, and fpake in the prefence of all the people, faying, Thus faith the Lord, Even fo will I break the yoke of the king of Babylon from the neck of all nations, within the space of two full years. Jer. xxviii. 1 1. This is the cry of, Lo, bere; and lo, there. The children of falsehood cleaved to the falfe prophet, and confpired against Jeremiah; and thofe of the truth cleaved to the prophet of God; and this manifefted the children of God and the children of the devil. Thofe who trusted in Hananiah's lie were cut off by the fword of the Spirit; the word of God was a favour of death unto death to them, for thofe were flain firft by the fword of God; as it is written, They come (that is the Egyptians and the Jews) to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I have flain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whofe wickedness I have bid my face from this city. Jer. xxxiii. 5. These trufted in a lie; and others, who knew not the voice of God from the voice of Satan, halted between two opinions, till the bread of the city was all exhausted, and the fword of war brought them to a conclufion with a witness.

But those who knew the Shepherd's voice took the warning, and obeyed the voice of the Lord; and to thefe the word of God was a favour of life unto life; they believed it, and had their life for a

prey: