REFLECTIONS UN AVING such remarks as often occur concerning

V the power of God over the nations, his appointing and succeeding his instruments, and humbling nations for, their pride, oppression, and luxury; we here see,

1. What is the disposition of true penitents, and God's gracious regards to them, 'v. 4, 5. They have godly forrow for fin, lament their former iniquities; seek the Lord, and not idols, not the world and the flesh, but return to him as their God and ruler ; and seek the way to heaven, setting their faces thitherward, as fully bent and resolved to get there. They keep the way to it, and folemnly devote themselves to God, binding themselves by the strong. est engagements never to depart from him; and when this

is the case, then will God blot out their fins, and be gracious · to them, v. 20.

2. It is happy for his people amidst all their distresses, that God is their Redeemer. Babylon was a most powerful nation; it oppressed and subdued all the nations roundabout, and brake Ifrael's bones: but their Redeemer is strong; able to humble their enemy's pride, and deliver his people. How delightful a thought, amidst the oppresfions and persecutions of his church! It affords comfort likewise to particular souls, amidst the strength of těmptations and corruptions. Let us be solicitous to keep near to God by earnest prayer, and to engage his help; for if God be for us, who can be against us?

CHA P. LI. In this chapter is the prophecy of God's fevere judgment against

Babylon, in revenge of Ifrael. I T HU S faith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up

1 against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, that is, 2 in the midst of my enemies, a destroying wind; And will fend unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and Q q 4

shall

shall empty her land : for in the day of trouble they 3 shall be against her round about. Against [him that]

bendeth let the archer, or Persian soldier, bend his bow, · and against him that] lifteth himself up in his brigan

dine, or coat of mail, and spare ye not her young men; 4. destroy ye utterly all her hoft. Thus the slain fhall fall • in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are] thrust 5 through in her streets. For Israel (hath] not been

forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; - though their land was filled with 'fin against the Holy 6 One of Israel. Flee out of the midst of Babylon,

and deliver every man his foul : be not cut off in her

iniquity; for this [is] the time of the LORD's, ven7 geance; he will render unto her a recompense.' Baby

lon [hath been] a golden cup in the Lord's hand, thať made all the earth drunken with her idolatry : the na

tions have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations 8 arc mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed':

howl for her ; take balm for her pain, if so be she may 9 be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but the

is not healed; Daniel and other prophets reproved her for idolatry : forsake her, for fe is irrecoverable, and let us go every one into his own country : for her judgment

reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up [even] to the o fkies. The Lord hath brought forth our righteous.

ness, or, deliverance, and justified us against the cruelty of the Babylonians, and the idolatry they would impose: come,

and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our II God. Make bright the arrows; gather the shields :

the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; Darius, Cyrus's uncle: for his device fis against Babylon, to destroy it; because it [is] the ven

geance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. 12 Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make

the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes : for the LORD hath both devised and dove that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. 13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, that is, on the

river Euphrates, which ran thro' Babylon and round it,

abundant in treasures, thine end is come, (and) the 14 measure of thy covetousness. The LORD of hosts hath

sworn by himself, [saying,] Surely I will fill thee with

men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a 15 shout against thee. He hath made the earth by his

power, he hath established the world. by his wisdom,

and hath ftretched out the heaven by his understanding. 16 When he uttereth (his) voice, [there is a multitude

of waters in the heavens ; and he caufeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh light

nings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of 17 his treasures. Every man is brutish by his know

ledge; every founder is confounded by the graven

image: for his ' molten image [is] falsehood, and there 18 is) no breath in them. They Care] vanity, the work

of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall 19 perish. The portion of Jacob [is] not like them;

for he [is] the former of all things; and [Ifrael is]

the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hosts [is] his 20 name. Thou Cyrus (art) my battle ax [and] weapons

of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, 21 and with thee will 1 destroy kingdoms; And with thee

will I break in pieces the horse and his rider ; and

with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his 22 rider; With thee also will I break in pieces man and

woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and

young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young 23 man and the maid; I will also break in pieces with

thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen;

and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. 24. And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabi.

tants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in

Zion in your fight, faith the LORD; ye hall see rizy 25 vengeance upon them. Behold, I sam) against thee, o

destroying mountain, faith the Lord,' which destroyest

all

• Babylon is so called on account of its high walls and towers; as a burning mountain, it cast out fire, and consumed all about it.

all the earth : and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will

make thee a burnt mountain ; it fall be put out, and 26 nothing remain but a heap of asbes and cinders. And

they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a.

stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for 27 ever, faith the Lord. Set ye up a standard in the

land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare
the nations against her, call together against her the
kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint
a captain against her, under the government of the Medes;

cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers. 28 Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the

Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, 29 and all the land of his dominion. And the land shall

tremble and sorrow : for every purpose of the LORD

shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land 30 of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant. The

mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they
have remained in (their) holds: their might hath

failed; they became as women :* they have burned 31 her dwelling places; her bars are broken. One post

shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet

another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is 32 taken at (one] end," And that the passages are stopped,

by turning the course of the river, and the reeds they

have burned with fire, and the men of war are af. 33 frighted. For thus faith the Lord of hosts, the God

of Israel ; The daughter of Babylon [is] like a thresh

ing floor, [it is] time to thresh her: yet a little while, 34. and the time of her harvest shall come. Nebuchad

rezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath
crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath

fwallowed * This was fulfilled in Cyrus's order, that not a Chaldean should fhow his head on pain of death, while he went round the city after it was taken. iu Considering the vast extent of the city, and that the palace was in the middle, it must be a long time before they knew that the enemy had gained entrance. Antient writers say it was three days before the whole city was acquainted with it.

swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out; he hath fwal.

lowed the Jews whole, as serpents do their, prey, and 35 Mould throw them up again. The violence done to me

and to my flesh, [be] upon Babylon, shall the inhabi.

tant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants 36 of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. Therefore thus faith

the Lord; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take

vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and 37 make her springs dry. And Babylon shall become

heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, 38 and an hissing, without an inhabitant. They shall roar

together like lions : they shall yell as lions whelps. 39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make

them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, faith the Lord; their city Mall be taken at a great festival, when most of them are drunk and asleep; and while they are engaged in their drun.

ken revels, I will prepare a different cup, a final opiate for 40 them. Į will bring them down like lambs to the slaugh. 41 ter, like rams with he goats. How is Sheshach taken!

and how is the praise of the whole earth surprized !

how is Babylon become an astonishment among the 42 nations ! The sea is come up upon Babylon : she is

covered with the multitude of the waves thereof; vajt 43 armies are often compared to waters. Her cities are a delo

lation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth (any) son of man pass thereby. And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and 1 will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; the vessels and sacred treasures of the Fews: and the nations shall not flow together any

more unto him, to present their offerings, yea, the wall of 45 Babylon shall fall. My people, go ye out of the midst

of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the 46 fierce anger of the Lord. And left your heart faint, and

. ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; : a rumour shall both come (one) year, and after that in (another] year [shall come] a rumour, and violence in

the