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1. The Church's miseries make deep impressions in the hearts of saints. Time was when God chose this place, and desired it for His habitation (Psalm 132:13), when it was a principal object of His affection (Psalm 87:2); when the people from all quarters of Judea resorted to it for Divine instruction (Isaiah 2:3); when of all other places it was the most precious in the repute of the saints (Psalm 137:1). But now this mountain, this stately mountain is divested of all her glory, her ordinances are polluted, her inhabitants are driven into exile, her princes are carried away captive, and all her ornaments, all her jewels, all her riches, are the spoils of Babylon, now she is as a desert, she sits solitary, she hath none to visit her but the foxes that walk about her, she is laid waste like a wilderness, and even brought to utter destruction. So that by this we are taught — That Zion may become like Shilo, the choicest places notwithstanding their more than ordinary privileges may come to ruin (Jeremiah 7:12-14; Isaiah 74:10, 11; Lamentations 1:17, 18). But why must Zion become a desolation?

(1) The Jews rested more upon the holiness of this place than upon their God whose name was called upon in this place (Jeremiah 7:4, etc.). It is the Lord, not created substances, not places, that must have the truth, the confidence of our souls. God is jealous of His glory, He cannot endure that His mercies should become our idols.

(2) The people estranged this place, and burnt incense in it to other gods, and therefore, as they fall by the sword, so their city, this Zion, must be desolate (Jeremiah 19:4, 7-9). If you pollute your temple, God will destroy your temple.

(3) The sins of the priests and prophets that belonged to this mountain were very grievous; witness their riot and excess (Isaiah 28:7), their base avarice (Isaiah 56:11), their wicked flatteries (Jeremiah 6:13, 14), their pernicious examples (Jeremiah 23:14), and their horrid neglect of their duties (Ezekiel 34:3, 4). These the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, have fetched wrath from heaven, caused God to accomplish His fury, and to kindle a fire in Zion (Lamentations 4:11, 13).

(4) The people, the inhabitants were abusive to God's messengers (Jeremiah 11:21, 22; Amos 7:10-12, 16, 17; 2 Chronicles 36:16), and pitiless one towards another (Jeremiah 2:34; Jeremiah 15:5; Micah 3:2, 3). Her sins that were more obvious to every eye, were idolatry (Isaiah 10:11, 12), formality (Isaiah 29:13, 14), hypocrisy (Isaiah 58:2-4), infertility (Isaiah 5:2, 5, 6), obstinacy (Jeremiah 18:11, 12, 17), security (Amos 6:1).

2. The Assyrians like crafty foxes.

(1) The fox is looked upon as that which exceeds in subtilty; shall I say, that faction and sedition come short of these, no, their counsels and their consultations are very crafty against God's precious ones (Psalm 83:3).

(2) The fox is not only nimble and light of foot, but usually he shuns the common roads, choosing bushy and unbeaten places for his paths, that as himself may not be seen, so that with more safety he may take his prey. Man's locomotive faculty was bestowed upon him, not that fox-like he should run to mischief, but that he should be quick to walk in the way which is called holy.

(3) These have the fox's ears, the fox's eyes, and the fox's teeth as well as his nimble feet, as they are capable of hearing the least sound, that echoes detraction, and speak reproach unto the saints, lies, not truth being the delight of their hearts (Psalm 62:4), so they look every way how to mischief you, how to get from you, how to get something to themselves, besides their teeth are as swords, they pierce where they enter (Proverbs 30:14).

(4) Whatsoever you do to the fox he still retains his nature, men may chain him, but they can never tame him; so these pestiferous wretches which annoy the Church, they resolve against conviction, against reformation (Jeremiah 2:25), with Solomon's fool, you may bray them in a mortar, but yet they will not leave their folly (Proverbs 27:22).

(5) Lastly, you know young cubs in time will prove both greedy and crafty foxes, if they be let alone; so it is with profane and schismatical persons, if they be not timely suppressed; the first will become atheists (Psalm 14:1-3), and the other heretics (1 Corinthians 11:18, 19). Here we see it adds much unto Zion's sorrows, when she lies open to the rapine of subtle and cruel foxes, and well may it. For men like foxes are bloody, deceitful, and devouring creatures. No part of God's worship can be advanced, where these have their dens in Zion. What is more destructive to shepherds' flocks than foxes?

(D. Swift.)

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KJV: For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.

WEB: For this our heart is faint; For these things our eyes are dim;