I.

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REFLECTION S.

1

HAT a bleffing is the gofpel, that brings light, joy, and liberty to the nations. Without it the world was in darkness and danger; but when the fun of righteoufnefs arofe, a glorious light fpread itfelf; and men are guided by it in the way of truth, peace, and happiness. The burden of grief and guilt is taken away by the word and fpirit of God, the yoke of fin and fatan is broken, and they become free. No wonder this occafions great joy; efpecially when the Gofpel comes with power on particular fouls, and produces these bleffed effects.

2. A glorious idea is here given us of the perfon, offices, and government of Chrift, which it is proper and comfortable to reflect upon. He is wonderful in his perfon and offices; a counsellor, as he difcovers the most important truths, and the gracious purposes of God; a mighty God, able to fave unto the uttermoft; the father of the age, the greatest friend and benefactor to it; and he is the prince of peace, whofe administration is righteous, peaceful, and happy; and whatever oppofition may be made to it, it fhall increafe and profper, till it terminates in everlasting glory of his government and peace there fhall be no end. Let us reverence this glorious prince, and magnify the Lord of Hofts, whofe pity, love, and zeal have performed all this for us.

3. We are taught the defign of affliction. God fmites us that we may turn to him, and feek him with fincerity and fervour. If this end be not answered, his hand will be ftretched out still to correct us more heavily. Let us therefore humble ourselves under his mighty hand, and comply with the defigns of his providence, that the stroke may be turned away from us, and our afflictions be fucceeded by hope and joy.

4. We fee the fad confequences of continuing unreformed by the judgments of God. ch. x. 3. A day of vifitation will come a day of judgment and ftrict enquiry into our conduct, and the principles on which we have

acted;

acted; and a day of defolation to the impenitent, when no -place fhall be found to which they may fly; all their glory fhall vanish, and they fhall find it no more.

It becomes us all seriously to think of this day of vifitation, and secure a refuge in Jefus Chrift; that we may obtain that falvation, which is by him unto eternal glory.

CHA P. X. 5, to the end.

We have here an account of the defign of the Affyrians in invading Judah, and God's defign in permitting it; and alfo a prophecy of their deftruction, and the deliverance of God's people.

5

Affyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation; the Affyrian monarch is my inftrument; my anger against Ifrael gives 6 him all his power. I will fend him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the fpoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the ftreets; the Ifraelites are hypocritical, they are not hearty in Hezekiah's reformation, nor fincere in their prayers and profeffions; therefore the Affyrian fhall plunder their country; and strip them of their wealth. Howbeit he meaneth not fo, neither doth his heart think fo; he does not intend to do my will; but [it is] in his heart to deftroy and cut off nations not a few; to enlarge his dominions, 8 and gratify his ambition. For he faith, [are] not my *princes altogether kings? have not I many princes tribu

tary to me, and are not my courtiers and officers as great as 9 kings? [Is] not Calno as Carchemish? [is] not Hamath as Arpad? [is] not Samaria as Damafcus ? are not the cities of Judah as easy to be taken as those I 10 have already conquered? As my hand hath found the

kingdoms of the idols, and whofe graven images did II excel them of Jerufalem and of Samaria; Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, fo do to Jerufalem and her idols? as my hand hath deftroyed

kingdoms

kingdoms and cities whofe gods are reckoned more power12 ful than Jehovah, shall I not as easily deftroy Judah ? Wherefore it fhall come to pafs, [that] when the LORD hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerufalem, when I shall have done what I intended, and cheftened and humbled my people, I will punish the fruit of the flout heart of the king of Affyria, and the glory of his high looks. I will punish his high words, 13 which are the fruit of his proud heart. For he faith, by the ftrength of my hand I have done [it], and by my wifdcm; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant [man]; I have shown my wisdom, ftrength, and valour, by removing the bounds of the people and tranf14 planting colonies. And my hand hath found as a neft the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs [that are] left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped; I have carried away their wealth, as eafily as a man robs a bird's nest, and they durft not complain. Thus the great king of Affyria boafted and threatened; we shall now see what a greater king faith to 15 him. Shall the ax boaft itself against him that heweth therewith? [or] fhall the faw magnify itfelf against him that shaketh it? as if the rod fhould fhake [itfelf] against them that lift it up, [or] as if the staff should lift up [itself, as if it were] no wood; is not the staff when lifted up wood ftill? and shall a dead, lifeless inftrument boaft itself against him that uses it? As abfurd is it for the king of Allyria to boast of what he hath done, when 16 he is but my tool. Therefore fhalf the LORD, the LORD of hosts, fend among his fat ones, his chief · officers and great men, leannels; and under his glory he fhall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire; he fhall deprive him of his honour and power, and deftroy his 17 army, which is his glory. And the light of Ifrael fhall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it fhall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one

day;

day; he who is the fupport and comfort of Ifrael, fhall be a fire to the Affyrians, and will deftroy his army as easily as 18 fire burns briars and thorns; And fhall confume the glory of his foreft, and of his fruitful field, both foul and body and they I be as when a ftandard bearer fainteth; tho' he be as ftrong as the trees in a forest, or as numerous as the cornfields, yet God will confume both foul and body; the chief commanders and the main body of the army itself fhall be totally routed, and the remainder shall be difpirited, as the whole army is put into confufion when a 19 Standard bearer fainteth. And the reft of the trees of his foreft fhall be few, that a child may write them; there fhall be no occafion for a muster master, a child may keep the roll.

20

And it shall come to pafs in that day, [that] the remnant of Ifrael, and fuch as are escaped of the house of Jacob, fhall no more again ftay upon him, that is, the Affyrian, that fmote them; but fhall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Ifrael, in truth, and not hypo21 critically. The remnant fhall return, [even] the rem22 nant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Ifrael be as the fand of the fea, [yet] a remnant of them fhall return: the confumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness; tho' many fhall be destroyed by the Affyrians, yet a remnant of the righteous fhall be 23 faved; and all fhall be done with ftri&t justice. For the Lord GOD of hosts fhall make a confumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land; he hath deter-. mined exactly how far it fhall extend, and how long it shall continue.

24

Therefore thus faith the Lord GoD of hosts, O my people that dwelleft in Zion, be not afraid of the Affyrian: he fhall fmite thee with a rod, and fhall lift up his ftaff against thee, after the manner of Egypt; he fhall do thee fome injury and threaten more, talk big, like 25 Pharaoh, but fear not, For, yet a very little while, and the indignation against thee fhall ceafe, and mine anger VOL. VA

O

in

St. Paul applies this to the Jews, in Rom. ix. 27. to prove that it is no new thing for God to abandon many of Abraham's feed, tho' the promise holds good, there shall still be a remnant.

in their deftruction; my anger fhall fhow itself in the utter 26 destruction of the Affyrians. And the LORD of hosts shall ftir up a fcourge for him according to the flaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and [as] his rod [was] upon the fea, fo fhall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt; he will bring on their deftruction as fuddenly, and by as unlikely means, as the deftruction of the Midianites and Egyptians. A beautiful contraft; he shall threaten you after the manner of Egypt, and I will fmite him in the fame man27 ner. And it fhall come to pafs in that day, [that] his burden fhall be taken away from off thy fhoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing; thou shalt have no fear of his invafions, and pay no more tribute, for the fake of the Meffiah.

28

He is come to Aiath, he is paffed to Migron; at 29 Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: They are gone over the paffage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. 30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to 31 be heard unto Laifh, O poor Anathoth. Madmenah

is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themfelves to flee; denoting the fear, hurry, and confusion of 32 the people, upon the news of his invafion. As yet shall he remain at Nob that day, from whence he might fee Ferufalem: he fhall shake his hand, and that shall be all, [againft] the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill 33 of Jerufalem. Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, fhall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of ftature [fhall be] hewn down, and the haughty shall 34 be humbled. And he fhall cut down the thickets of the foreft with iron, and Lebanon fhall fall by a mighty one, that is, the deftroying angel; the image is taken from cutting down a forest; the Affyrian army, with their fwords, bows, and pikes lifted up, look like a moving foreft, but they fhall be entirely and irrecoverably cut down.

REFLECT