a diftin&t People, but not according to their own laws, never electing their own Magiftrates, and no where enjoying the full exercife of their Religion.

At a period of their highest glory, and while they were haraffing his country, Jeremiah foretold the total overthrow and deftruction of their Enemies. And the Egyptians, the Affyrians, Macedon, and Rome, great and powerful as they once were, are every one vanifhed as a dream, their power, glory, and very names are loft, while the Vanquished and Captive Jew furvives his Conquerors, and although widely scattered throughout every Nation and Kingdom upon Earth, preferves in them all, the form of his Religion, and profeffes an adherence to it, not withftanding their Apoftafies were fo frequent, and fo often reproved, while they lived under their own Kings, and within fight of their Temple.

The Prophet Jeremiah will furprize you with the minuteness of his Predictions refpecting Ba bylon, and they were uttered at a time when that City and Empire were at their highest Glory and in all their Pride. In the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah, and fixty years before the Siege and Capture of Babylon,

the

the Prophet font his Predictions refpe&ting it, by Seraiah, to some of his Brethren in that haughty City. In his twenty-fifth Chapter, he names the exprefs time when it was to happen, he tells them by whom, the Medes; in vivid colours, he minutely describes the indolence, timidity and cowardice of the Babylonians, they would fhut themselves up in their walls. Jeremiah prophefies the Siege; the turning of the Channel of the River; the exact time, at a Grand Festival; and that the City fhould be taken by furprize. After this the Prophet foretold its total deftruction, its prefent defolate ftate, the demolition of the walls and final overthrow.

Before Zedekiah had been placed on the Throne of Ifrael, Nebuchadnezzar had carried away to Babylon many of the Jews, and Jeremiah, out of kindness and friendship, kept writ ing letters to them, whenever the tribute money was fent, defiring they would not flatter then felves with any prefent expectations of delivers ance, Seventy years Captivity must be fulfilled before their release; upon which these. fuffering Captives, diftreffed and angry at what the Prophet had told them, wrote letters back to their friends in Jerufalem, praying to have Jeremiah punished for uttering (as they fuppofed) the dic

tates

tates of the King of Babylon, and not thofe of the God of Ifrael.

A Torrent of corruption at this time overfpread Jerufalem, and Jeremiah's unwearied attempts to stem it were unnaturally and ungratefully received. The Prophet was bafely infulted by Kings, by Priests and People, and upon a prediction he had boldly uttered refpecting Jerufalem, and the Captivity of its inhabitants, Jeremiah was arrested and imprifoned. He lived to fee the fad accomplishment of his Prophefy, the City befieged and taken, its Palaces, and the magnificent Temple destroyed by fire, its numerous Inhabitants led away captive to Babylon, and at that fad and memorable period he anxioufly employed himself in adminiftering all the comfort in his power to his forrowful and defponding Countrymen; in the thirtieth Chapter he affured them they would again return; their City and their Temple would be again rebuilt; they should renew their poffeffions, their lands and eftates. So certain was the Prophet of this happy event their Restoration, that houfes and fields and vineyards fhould be again at their difpofal, that he purchases the reverfion of an eftate, to take place after they fhould have returned

from

from Captivity, the title deed to be made out to him and to his heirs. Such a purchase afforded his Countrymen a full proof of the Prophet's own belief, and expectation of their return, and was a real comfort to them, under their oppreffion and afflictions. "I weighed him the

money, even feventeen fhekels of filver, I "fubfcribed the evidences, and I fealed it, and "took witneffes, and weighed him the money "in balances."

To animate them more ftill, the Prophet goes on defcribing the general joy and feftivity, which would take place on the day of their Return, their again entering on their ancient Poffeffions, a Recovery of their long loft priviledges and enjoyments, a Reftoration to the favour and protection of God. It is very ufual with the Prophet to contraft his fubject, in order to make his addreffes more noticed, and imprefs them the ftronger, he therefore firft ftrikingly call to mind, and reprefents to them, the forrow and anguifh of that day when they would firft be led away into Captivity.

"A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentations "and bitter weepings. Rachael weeping for "her Children, refufed to be comforted, becaufe

"they

"they were not." Rachael was Jacob's beloved Wife, her Tomb was fituated between the Cities of Ramah and Bethlehem. In the melancholy journey of the Ifraelites, when they were to be carried away captive to Babylon, they were to pafs by this Pillar and Tomb of Rachael. Jeremiah, by a beautiful figure, pathetically introduces her, as rifing out of her Sepulchre, the afflicted Mother of both the Tribes, and weeping for all her Children, bewailing the dire and fad catastrophe, Sons and Daughters led away to bondage. In the felf-fame district of Bethlehem, near Ramah, when Herod butchered the Children from two years old and under, many Mothers fuffered a fecond, most afflictive blow; no doubt a voice was again heard, bitter Lamentations, Cries, and the tendereft yearnings for the innocent Victims of his Madnefs.

The many Threats and Denunciations the Prophet had repeatedly and fo boldly uttered, occa, fioned him a very long imprisonment, and it was while under confinement Jeremiah caused Baruch (his Scribe) to write from his mouth, the tenor and words of his Threatnings and Prophefies, Baruch carried them to the Temple on a folemn Faft Day, and read them audibly in the hearing of a large concourfe of People then and there affembled. In the middle of his Speech the Parch