1 1. and who shall difannul [it?] and his hand [is] ftretched out, and who fhall turn it back? "IT REFLECTION S. T fhould be the defire and care of God's people to fpread the knowledge of their religion, and their pleasure, to fee others embrace it. It is mentioned as an inftance of God's goodness to the jews, that many of their enemies fhould become profelytes to their religion, and return with them in order to worship their God. His appearances for them, and their good behaviour, gained upon their enemies, and induced them to return with them. Thus fhould it be our care to behave in fo holy, just, and friendly a manner, that others feeing our good works, may glorify our father who is in heaven. It fhould be our ambition to see the church enlarged; pious ftrangers should cheerfully be received into it; and it fhould be our peculiar care that our fervants fhould poffefs the best bleffings, and learn wisdom and goodness from our admonition and example. 2. This fublime parable, concerning the king of Babylon, intimates to us, that there is a world of spirits, in which they know and converse with each other. These poetical flights are grounded on that truth, that there is an invisible world, into which human fouls are removed, princes and kings as well as others, and that they have acquaintance and converfe with each other. It may also intimate to us, that the inhabitants of hell have no reverence for the former greatnefs, wealth, dignity, and authority of their fellow fufferers, nor any fear of their power; that there is no diftance kept, no diftinction made, nor deference paid in that place of torments; that the cutting fneers and keen railleries of those whom they tyrannized over here, will be a confiderable torment to the great and proud. Let this thought excite us to fly from the wrath to come, and fecure a manfion among the blessed; to do all the good we can to others, that they may receive us into the everlafting habitations, and we for ever enjoy their their thanks and friendship for the fervices we have doné them. 3. Let God's great and juft indignation against tyrants, as here particularly fpecified, caution us against every degree of cruelty and oppreffion. There are many petty tyrants among chriftians, who opprefs all under their power, and would be as bad as the king of Babylon had they equal authority and opportunity. They diftress their fervants, workmen, tenants, and dependants, to gratify their cruelty or fpleen; and will not do to others as they defire and expect to be done by. God will reckon with fuch men at laft, and judge them as oppreffors. They think by these means to increase the fortunes of their children, but are generally disappointed, for the feed of evil doers fhall never be renowned. Let us fly from all these deteftable practices, be ftrictly juft to the rights of others, tender of their ease and comfort, and ready to give up fome of our due for their relief and benefit. Let us be rich in good works, ready to diftribute, willing to com municate; for with fuch facrifices God is well pleafed. CHAP. XIV. 28, to the end. CHA P. XV, XVI. The fifteenth chapter refers to the calamities brought upon Moab, foon after the deftruction of the Affyrian army, because during the diftrefs of Judah, they did not give them any help, as is intimated in the next chapter. It was probably delivered in the first and executed in the fourth year of Hezekiah. When Shalmanefer invaded the kingdom of Ifrael, he might march thro' Moab, and take their principal cities Ar and Kir. N the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. Rejoice not thou, whole Paleftina, or land of the Philistines, because the rod of him that fmote thee is broken; referring to their rejoicing on the death of Ahaz, whofe father Uzziah had been a dreadful Scourge to them: for out of the ferpent's root fhall come forth a cockatrice, or adder, and his fruit [fhall be] a fiery flying ferpent; the king who shall fucceed him, P 2 Shall fball fting them worse than his grandfather did, which 30 hiftory tells us that he did, 2 Kings xviii. 8. And the first born of the poor fhall feed, and the needy fhall lie down in fafety and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall flay thy remnant; Hezekiah fhall be mild and just to his fubjects, and they shall enjoy plenty in his reign; while the Philistines fhall have famine and war, by which 31 they shall be destroyed. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, [art] diffolved: for there fhall come from the north a fmoke, that is, a fire from Judea to deftroy thee, and none [fhall be] alone in his appointed times; the jews fhall go willingly to attack thee, and 32 none fhall defert or be miffing. What fhall [one] then answer the meffengers of the nation, who shall come to congratulate Hezekiah's fuccefs? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and dwells there by his extraordinary prefence, and the poor of his people fhall truft in it; thofe that were defpifed fhall betake themselves to it, and find fecurity. I CHAP. XV. The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid wafte, [and] brought to filence, or cut off; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to filence, fuddenly and unex2 pectedly; He, that is, Moab, is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep, and call upon his gods: Moab fhall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads [fhall be] baldness, [and] every beard 3 cut off, in token of mourning. In their streets they fhall gird themselves with fackcloth: on the tops of their houfes, and in their streets, every one fhall howl, 4 weeping abundantly. And Hefhbon fhall cry, and Elealeh: their voice fhall be heard [even] unto Jahaz; therefore the armed foldiers of Moab fhall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him; even the foldiers fball bë quite difpirited, perceiving the most dreadful calamities coming 5 upon them. My heart fhall cry out for Moab; his fugitives [fhall flee] unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old; or rather, my heart fhall cry unto Zoar, like a heifer lowing after her calf: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping fhall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim Horonaim they fhall raise up a cry of destruction; it 6 fhall be an univerfal lamentation. For the waters of Nimrim fhall be defolate: for the hay is withered away, the grafs faileth, there is no green thing; the country 7 fhall be depopulated and ruined by the army. Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows; their enemies fhall plunder and carry away all 8 their wealth. For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and 9 the howling thereof unto Beer-elim. For the waters of Dimon fhall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon than has been already mentioned, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land; great multitudes shall be flain, and thofe who flee and those who are left in the land, shall be slain by lions and other favage beafts. I x CHAP. XVI. Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion; fend the tribute due to the kings of Judah, from all parts of your country, to Jerufalem, where 2 the king's palace is. For, or elfe, it fhall be, [that,] as a wandering bird caft out of the neft, [fo] the daughters of Moab fhall be at the fords of Arnon; her children Shall be turned out of their habitations, and shall not know 3 where to fly. Take counsel, how the ruin may be prevented, execute judgment, do justice to my people; make thy fhadow as the night in the midst of the noon day; hide the outcafts; bewray not him that wandereth; Shelter them under their fufferings, and do not betray them to their 4 enemies. Let mine outcafts, thofe that flee from the Affyrian invafion, dwell with thee, Moab, be thou a covert to them from the face of the fpoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, that is, fhall quickly be fo, the fpoiler ceafeth, the oppreffors are confumed out of the land. This is probably ironical; as if he had faid, Thus you Should have done, but, thanks be to God, now we have no occafion P 3 David had conquered the Moabites, and made them tributa ries, and the tribute was paid in fheep; but this they had ne glected to fend for fome time, 2 Kings iii. 4. 5 occafion for fuch an instance of your kindness. And in mercy fhall the throne of Hezekiah be established: and he fhall fit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and feeking judgment, and hafting to execute righteousness. 6 We have heard of the pride of Moab; all his neighbours know it; [he is] very proud: [even] of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: [but] his lies [fhall] not [be] fo; his ftrength and power are not 7 equal to his pride, he is deceived in them. Therefore fhall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kir-harefeth fhall ye mourn; furely 8 [they are] ftricken. For the fields of Hefhbon languish, [and] the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen, the Affyrian officers, have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come [even] unto Jazer, they wandered [through] the wilderness: her branches are ftretched out, they are gone over the fea; their fruitful 9 country is wafted, fo that they are obliged to flee. Therefore I will bewail thee with the weeping of Jazer, or, with weeping bewail Jazer; the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the fhouting for thy fummer fruits and for thy har10 veft is fallen. And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there fhall be no finging, neither fhall there be fhouting: the treaders fhall tread out no wine in [their] preffes; I have made [their vintage] fhouting to cease; there fhall be no more shouting and joy in harvest, or the vintage, 11 because all shall be laid waste. Wherefore my bowels fhall found like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-harefh: the prophet himself was deeply impressed 12 with the profpect of their calamities. And it fhall come to pass, when it is feen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he fhall come to his fanctuary to pray; he Shall first try his high places, then come to the temple of Chemofh, his god, to pray; but he fhall not prevail. 13 This [is] the word that the LORD hath fpoken con14 cerning Moab fince that time. But now the LORD hath spoken, faying, Within three years, as the years of |