I.

REFLECTION S.

HE greatest kings and moft powerful armies are only inftruments in God's hand; without him they can do no more than an ax or a faw without a hand to use it. They can do no more than he permits, for he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of this world. This fhould dispel all unreasonable fears of our enemies, abate our confidence in our own ftrength, and engage us to make fure of his friendship and alliance.

2. The counfels of God and those of princes often differ and are contrary; but his fhall prevail. The Affyrian came against Judah to conquer and plunder it, and not fufpecting that he was then fulfilling the divine defign to punish an hypocritical people, and bring them to repentance. Thus our enemies are often performing God's work upon us, without intending it; that is, to humble us for our pride and fecurity, and lead us to ferioufnefs and reformation. What a delightful thought! that the schemes of providence are carrying on by the finful paffions and pursuits of men, and that tho' there be many devices in the heart of man, God's counfel fhall ftand.

3. We learn that pride goes before deftruction. It is common for proud men to boaft what they will do; and, because they have met with fome fuccefs, to think that they fhall carry all before them. So the king of Affyria talked, Have I not conquered this place, and thofe gods? and fhall I not fubdue Jerufalem? and be too hard for Jehovah? whom he impioufly calls an idol: but he was miftaken. Such language is as ridiculous as for an ax or faw to boaft what deftruction they have made among the trees. Let us beware of this temper, for we are nothing; it is robbing God of his glory, and provoking him to ftrip us of all we poffefs.

4. When God has appeared to defend and fucceed his people, it is their duty to return to him and truft in him. This good effect the Affyrian invafion produced; and this is the defign of God in fending afflictions upon us.

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It is

comfortable

comfortable to think that the consumption is determined in righteousness; the confumption of our national numbers, ftrength or treasures; the confumption of our substance health, or friends; all is particularly determined, when, and how, and to what degree; God is juft in all our afflictions, and kind in the measure and duration of them. May they all have this effect, to bring us to cease from man, and stay ourselves upon the holy one of Ifrael. But let us fee that we do it in truth; and with fincerity; in the use of proper means, to remove every affliction; and in humble dependance on God for a bleffing. When we make confcience of our duty to God, and ufe no finful means for security, then, and then only, should we have confidence in him.

CHA P. XI.

The prophet having mentioned the deliverance of Judah from the king of Affyria, naturally proceeds to their greater deliverance by the Meffiah; as a defcendant of David, on whom the Spirit would reft, in whose days peace should be propagated, Ifrael and Judah return to their own land, be united, and made victorious.

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A

ND there fhall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jeffe, and a Branch fhall grow out of his roots; a reference to the foregoing verfes; there fhall come a tender fboot out of a stock that has long lain in the ground, that is, the family of David, then funk into meanness and 2 obfcurity: And the fpirit of the LORD fhall reft upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, in divine and natural things, the fpirit of counsel and might, to advife contrive, and execute, the spirit of knowledge, in the divine law, and of the fear of the LORD, of true religion; he shall not only inculcate it, but be an eminent 3 example of it; And this spirit fhall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD; he shall be eminent for all branches of wisdom and godliness, and know the real characters of men: and he fhall not judge after

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the fight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing 4 of his ears, that is, upon uncertain reports: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall defend the poor, and condemn their oppreffors: and he fhall fmite the earth with the rod, or fward, of his mouth, and with the 5 breath of his lips fhall he flay the wicked." And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins; he shall have a strict regard to justice and integrity, which, like a girdle, adorn 6 and defend a perfon. The wolf alfo fhall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard fhall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and 7 a little child fhall lead them. And the cow and the bear fhall feed; their young ones fhall lie down to8 gether: and the lion fhall eat ftraw like the ox.. And the fucking child fhall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child fhall put his hand on the cockatrice' den; a beautiful image, efpecially as thofe countries abounded with wild beafts and ferpents: the meaning is, that jews and gentiles fhould be united, the irregular tempers of men corrected, fo that the mischievous fhould become innocent and ufeful, and a peaceable difpofition univerfally pre9 vail. They fhall not hurt nor deftroy in all my holy mountain; (a proof that the above expreffions are all figurative :) for the earth fhall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea; knowledge and holiness fhall be promoted, and the effect shall be meeknefs, peace, and love.-The remainder of the chapter refers to the converfion of the jews in the latter day.

And in that day there shall be a branch out of the root of Jeffe, which shall stand for an enfign of the people, to gather them together, (Rom. xv. 12.) to it fhall the gentiles feek: and his reft fhall be glorious, that is, the church, where he refts and dwells, fhall be glorious by the II acceffion of the gentiles. And it shall come to pass in that day, in the illuftrious time I am speaking of, [that] the Lord shall fet his hand again the second time to recover the 0 3

remnant

This is applied to antichrift, Rev. xix. 15. The Lord fhall deftroy him.

remnant of his people, as he did first out of Babylon, which fhall be left, from Affyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cufh, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the iflands of the fea, that is, all countries on the fea coaft as well as iflands, and refers to thefe western 12 parts of the world. And he fhall fet up an enfign for the nations, that is, the doctrine of the gospel, and shall affemble the outcafts of Ifrael, and gather together the difperfed of Judah from the four corners of the 13 earth. The envy alfo of Ephraim fhall depart, and the adverfaries of Judah fhall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah fhall not vex Ephraim, they fhall ceafe from open hoftilities and fecret animofities. 14 But they fhall fly upon the fhoulders of the Philistines toward the weft; they fhall spoil them of the east together: they fhall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon fhall obey them; thefe being the antient enemies of Ifrael, are put figuratively for the enemies of the chriftian church; and the paffage intimates, that the converted jews fhall triumph over all that 15 oppose their return to their own land. And the LORD fhall utterly deftroy the tongue, or bay, of the Egyptian fea; and with his mighty wind fhall he shake his hand over the river, and fhall fmite it in the feven ftreams, and make [men] go over dry fhod; he fhall overcome all oppofition in their way, as he divided the Red fea for Ifrael to 16 go out of Egypt." And there fhall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Affyria; like as it was to Ifrael in the day that he camę up out of the land of Egypt; there shall be a free paffage, and all difficulties fhall be removed which hinder their return.

1.

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REFLECTION S,

HE extraordinary endowments of Chrift, as a teacher and king, render him worthy of the highest regard. He was gloriously qualified for his work

by

This is expreffed in Rev. xvi. 12. by drying up Euphrates.

by the spirit which was given him without measure, He had all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, for his own use, and to beftow on his people. Meek nefs and courage, wifdom and strength, juftice and gentleness, were united in him. Happy are the fubjects of fuch a prince, the difciples of fuch a teacher! And bleffed be God for his high exaltation and glorious qualifications; fo that in him we may fafely truft. And Othat his churches every where may be glorious, by the supply of the spirit which is in Chrift!

2. How folicitous fhould we be to answer the design of his gofpel, and to have these illuftrious prophecies of its good effects fulfilled in us. Let us make it appear that we are chriftians indeed, by the peaceablenefs and gentleness of our difpofition, the foftnefs and sweetness of our tempers! Let nothing malicious, revengeful, four, contentious, or unkind, be ever found in us. Let us cultivate peace; labour to promote each other's happiness; and in this, follow on to know the Lord; and by increafing in our acquaintance with him, who is love, be conformed to his image, and walk in love, even as Chrift hath loved us.

3. Let us rejoice in the prospect of that day, when christianity shall have a more illuftrious triumph, and Jews and Gentiles be gathered into his church. It is delightful to think, when we hear of the poor jews difperfed and evil entreated every where, that there is mercy in store for them; that they fhall at length become chriftians, and be as much esteemed and beloved as they are now hated and defpifed. Many figns and wonders will introduce and attend this great event. God will overcome all difficulties which lie in the way, and in the mean time, our heart's defire and prayer for Ifrael fhould be that they may be faved.

CHA P. XII.

The conclufion of the former chapter referred to the glory of the latter day, when jews and gentiles shall be gathered into the church, its enemies be destroyed, and peace restored; this chapter is a thanksgiving which they are directed to use at

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that