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What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the house tops, to obferve the motion of the enemy, or look 2 out for help? Thou that art, that is, haft been, full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city, full of trade, hurry, and diverfions thy flain [men are] not flain with the 3 fword, nor dead in battle, but dead with fear. All thy rulers are fled together, that is, the rulers of the fortified cities that Sennacherib had taken, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, [which] have fled from far; they are taken prisoners by the archers and bound like captives, tho' they are fled far 4 away. Therefore faid I, Look away from me: I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, let me alone to indulge my grief, because of the fpoiling of the daugh5 ter of my people. For [it is] a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hofts in the valley of vifion; there are dangers without and troubles within, but all are from the Lord of bofts; breaking down the walls of the cities they had taken; or rather, Some of the walls or boufes about Jerufalem, to fortify it the better; and of crying to the mountains; calling to those who guarded the passes of the mountains to know what intelligence they had of the enemy, or to exhort them to defend 6 their pofts vigorously. And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men [and] horfemen, and Kir uncovered the fhield; that is, the Perfians and Medes, who were 7 fubject to the king of Affyria, or allies in this war.

And

it fhall come to pafs, [that] thy choiceft valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen fhall fet them8 felves in array at the gate. And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the foreft; referring to Sennacherib's taking the fenced cities, which were a covering to the country; and especially to his being furnished with arms out of the armoury that Solomon had built, and where he 9 put his fhields, Kings x. 17. 'Ye have seen alfo the breaches of the city of David, that they are many; the fort and caftle of the city, and repaired them; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool; probably conveyed them under ground to furnish. themselves with

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IO water, and deprive the enemy of it. And ye have numbered the houses of Jerufalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall; that is, numbered the houses, either to lay a tax on them, or to fee which might be I pulled down, in order the better to defend the walls. Ye made alfo a ditch between the two walls, to ftrengthen the city, for the water of the old pool, and conveyed water thither for its fecurity: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had refpect unto him that fashioned it long ago; in all this ye have forgotten Feho12 vah, who appointed this place for your capital. And in that day did the Lord God of hofts call, by the language of his providence, and the voice of his prophet, to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with fackcloth; to fafting and all the marks of deep humiliation: 13 And behold joy and gladnefs, flaying oxen, and killing fheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we fhall die; instead of humiliation, there was nothing but mirth and feafting, and a stupid defpair, grounded upon licentious principles, a disbelief or a 14 contempt of a future ftate. And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, that I might publish it, Surely this iniquity fhall not be purged from you till ye die, faith the Lord GoD of hosts; that is, it fhall never be purged, ye shall perish in these your iniquities. Then follows a prophecy of fome changes in Hezekiah's court.

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Thus faith the Lord GoD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, [even] unto Shebna, which [is] 16 over the house,' [and fay,] What hast thou here? and whom haft thou here, what estate, family, or relations? that thou haft hewed thee out a fepulchre here, [as] he that heweth him out a fepulchre on high, [and] that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock? a grand Sepulchre, like a palace, to keep up thy memory to fucceeding 17 times, as if fure of continuing in thy poft? Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will furely cover thee; or, the Lord, who covered thee with

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Some fuppofe him to have been a foreigner, as his father is not mentioned; and the jews fay, that he kept up a traiterous correfpondence with the Affyrians.

with an excellent covering, and clothed thee gorgeously, shall furely cover thee with difgrace, as criminals, when led to exe18 cution, were covered, as if unworthy to fee the light. He will furely violently turn and tofs thee [like] a ball into a large country: there fhalt thou die, in a far country, and obfcurity, and there the chariots of thy glory, in which thou hast been used to ride in ftate, [fhall be] the fhame of thy lord's house, that is, of Ahaz, who pro19 bably advanced him to this dignity. And I will drive thee from thy ftation, and from thy ftate fhall he pull thee 20 down, that is, God fhall do it. And it fhall come to pafs

in that day, that I will call my fervant Eliakim the fon 21 of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and ftrengthen him with thy girdle, he shall have thy honour and power, and I will commit thy government into his hand and he fhall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and to the houfe of Judah; he shall take a 22 tender care of the city and country. And the key of the houfe of David will I lay upon his fhoulder, that is, he fhall be lord Steward of the household, bearing a key as the badge of his office; fo he shall open, and none shall shut; 23 and he fhall fhut, and none fhall open. And I will faften him [as] a nail in a fure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's houfe; he shall be 24 fixed in his ftation, and be an honour to his family. And they fhall hang upon him all the glory of his father's houfe, the offspring and the iffue, all veffels of small quantity, from the veffels of cups, even to all the veffels of flagons, that is, large and small veffels; (the allufion to a nail being ftill carried on,) his relations and dependants fhall fare the better for him, and be advanced by 25 him, and he shall not be removed like his predeceffors. In that day, faith the LORD of hofts, fhall the nail that is faftened in the fure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that [was] upon it fhall be cut off, that is, Shebna, and all his dependants: for the LORD hath spoken [it.]

REFLECT:

I.

WE

REFLECTION S.

E are again taught how vain all military preparations are, without a dependence on God. The prophet mentions the particular methods that were taken to fortify and defend the city; thefe were wife and right, and they are not blamed for taking them, but for trufting to them, and forgetting God; for not looking to him, as the ftrength of his people; not having refpect to him, who alone can give deliverance. There are too many wife counsellors and brave foldiers, that never look to their Maker; their measures may be prudent and vigorous, but, without God, they will all be in vain. It is peculiarly inexcufable for a people who live in a valley of vision, in a land of light and religious privileges, to trust to an arm of flesh. Let us guard against this error, have continual respect to the LORD JEHOVAH, and pray that all who have the direction of our publick concerns may do fo too.

2. It is highly provoking to God for his profeffing people to follow diverfions, and be making merry, when he calls to humiliation and devotion. When his judgments are abroad in the earth, when we are engaged in war, when our expenses are great, and our burdens heavy, it is then a time for humiliation and prayer; his providence calls us to it; his word commands it. The intent of his judgments is to promote humiliation; and that is a proper qualification for his mercy. But alas! how little of this appears! Luxury, mirth, and diverfions, diffipation of thought, forgetfulness of God, and licentious principles prevail among us; and there is reafon to fear that for these things (which are peculiarly unfeasonable and mischievous amidst publick troubles and dangers) God fhould bring ruin upon Let us, like the prophet, bewail fuch days of publick trouble and perplexity; and in the day of adverfity confider; bumble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt us in due time.

us.

3. See in what flippery places great men ftand. Sheb. nah was the chief officer in Hezekiah's court, his prime. minister; he thought of no change, his dependants thought

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of none; he concluded he should live and die in honour at Jerufalem, and be buried in his stately fepulchre. But he and his adherents were caft off, and he died in shame and obfcurity. We fee even in the present day fuch changes in courts; which fhould cool our ardor for wealth and greatnefs, and lead us to feek the favour of the King of kings, and the honour that comes from him; for he will never caft off his faithful fervants. Nor let us think ourselves fecure in any private ftation, however comfortable; we may be toffed to diftant places, die, and be buried, we know not where. Let us then rejoice, as tho' we rejoiced not; and feek an inheritance above, that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

4. The hand of God fhould be owned in the change of placemen and courtiers. God made thofe changes in Hezekiah's court, by difpofing his mind to turn out Shebnah, and to put Eliakim into his place; and promotion still cometh from him. Tho' we imagine that it depends on the pleafure and fancy of princes, and thofe who influence them, it is He fets up and pulls down whom he pleaseth. Let us think of this when we hear of fuch changes in favour of fome whom we think are lefs favourable to the true interest of our country than we could wish. It should excite our earneft prayers, that God, who has the king's heart in his hand, would difpofe him to make a wife choice of fervants and officers, who shall be more intent on the publick welfare than on aggrandizing their families, or advancing their dependants; yea, who may be like Eliakim, fathers of their country, and take the tenderest care of the intereft of the people. Many feek the ruler's favour, but every man's judgment proceedeth from the Lord.

5. The character of Eliakim naturally leads our thoughts to the Lord Jefus Chrift, whom God hath exalted to the highest authority over his house and kingdom, Rev. iii. 7. He has the higheft dignity in his heavenly court, and unlimited authority over his church below. He is a nail in a fure place, who fhall never be removed, never lofe his intereft in his father's efteem. All true chriftians confide upon him; he is the fupport of their fpiritual life, and their poffeffing eternal life depends on him; they derive

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