An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

The Prophet Jeremiah gives us this character of them, They are wise to do evil (Jer. 4. 22.) And to be wise to do evil is very ill wisdom, the worst wisdom, indeed mere folly; better be a fool, than to be but so wise: And these have it from their father, it dwells and is derived in their blood, They are the seed of the Serpent (as was touched before) and his subtlety was made the instrument of the greatest evil, the tainting of that first created innocency▪ and the overthrow of man: Now they are called the serpents seed, because they are like the Serpent; the Serpent was the subtlest of all the beasts of the field, and these (as Christ speaks of the men of the world) are wiser in their generation than the children of light; yet is but in their generation, and their wisdom lasteth but for their generation, if it last so long: Elymas (Acts 13. 10.) being charged to be full of all subtlety and mischief, is called at the next word, child of the Devil. Subtle to do mischief, is the Genius or disposition of the Devils children; and they shall have the serpents, the Devils portion: For as the serpent, who was once the subtlest of all the beast of the field (applying his subtlety to mischief) became the most cursed of of all the beasts of the field; so they who are thus the subtlest among the children of men, shall be the most cursed of all the children of men, Jer. 18. 18. we find crafty men in consultation, and under a curse. Come (say they) let us devise a device against Jeremiah, and let us smite him with the tongue; Let us devise devices, it is the same word in the text, but doubled for greater emphasis: These were their craftimasters; ⟨p. 276⟩To devise devices, notes more then ordinary skill in that black art; as to work a work (Joh. 6. 28.) notes great industry and intention of the mind in working. Some play their works rather then work their works. I must work the works of him that sent me, saith our Lord Christ, Joh. 9. 4. None ever laboured as Christ laboured, therefore his was working a work. As (I say) to work a work, notes great industry in working; so to devise a device, implies much cunning and skill laid out in devising. Now as these men would be witty above others in devising evil, so they are cursed above others in bearing evil. The Prophet gives them their load, ver. 21, 22.