.11411111M CAP.1. beJ e the Captivity. 997 the reft were carried away) had leave granted to remain in their own country. This comfort is declared by the fimrlitude of an ap- ple tree, which is but a low tree, neither in length of body or in farre fpreading of limbs may it compare with many others , yet her fruit excellethmany others in profit and pleafantneffe. The fimili- tudes are alwayes fitted to the times and the divers conditions which the Church enjoyeth, This apple tree betokeneth Gedaliah whom Nebuchad-nezzer made governour over the people which were left in the land, x King.25.. 22. He was low in regardof the tallneffe of the former Kings, or of thofe high cedars which flourilhed in the Babylonian mountains, yet in fhadow he was very pleafant , and in fruit wholfome , fo that all the fcattered Church flocked under his covering, chiefly when he had joyned the Prophet Jeremy to him, Jer.4o.For nowwere the cederbeams& the firre crafters broken,and no leave granted to remain, no not in the rubbifhof the city. They dwelt at Mizpah in the open fields, or at tuft under the fhadow of trees. As alto the prophet Micha foretold,Chap.4i. ro. Johann and the other Captains fo rejoyced in this fhadow , that they difclofed the treafon of Ifyrmael defirous to prevent his wicked purpofe with jolt punifhment , Ier. 4o. 13.14. &c. Verf. 4. He brought me into the wine-feller, and love Was hùbanner aver me, Such was the conditionof the fmall company remaining. The o- ther captived multitude were kept in the enemies country7o.yeers : as it is declared in thefe four verfes. He brought me (faith the) into the winefeller, that is a place under ground , where wine is laid and kept forufe,as if the fhould fay he brought me into a forrowfull and darkhole as it were into a cave, and a place underground , where notwithftanding I found wine laid up,which was no leffe appearance of his love towards me, then the enfi.gne or Banner carried before the fouldiers is wont to be a ligne of the captaines prefence. This wine-feller was partly Babylon , whither thepeople were carried away by ebuchadnezzar : and partly Egypt , whither the reft went oftheir own .accord whenGedaliah was (lain. Ier. 41. Neither did the Church want comfort in thefe miferies , whole prifon was furnilhed withwine. For the word of the Lord,( which is many times compared to wine ) was plentitùll in this prifon : and the love thereof as confpicuous, as the Banner carried before the Army in the time of .warte., Jeremiah fending lacers to thole that were carried awaybegan this wine unto them : [hewing them of the prefperity whichGodwould give them in the land of their captivity. Ddddddd 2
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