dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, &c. to ver. 25.

They are to be "brought out of their graves:" this, some may imagine, is not wholly figurative,—and that it may signify the righteous Israel who have deceased, and who will become a portion of the First Resurrection; but this does not seem to be supported by the description. It would rather appear, that the resurrection from their graves, is only an impressive reiteration of their present low or abject condition, until the Lord have "put his Spirit in them," by which they will possess the witness in themselves of the fulfilment of these predictions in their behalf. "These bones, the whole house of Israel," signifies the union of both the houses of Judah and Israel, described by "writing on the sticks;" apparently an allusion to Numb. xvii. 1, 2. "Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a *rod," &c.

Isaiah XLIII. 1, 2, 5—8. Thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name: thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Fear not for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

Long has the Lord "given Jacob for a spoil, and Israel

matteh, a "staff," or "sceptre," which the prince or chief of each tribe bore, and which was the sign of office or royalty among almost all the people of the earth.

to the robbers," "for they would not walk in his ways; neither were they obedient unto his law;" yet shall a portion of their posterity be "redeemed,"-so that, though they necessarily pass through "the waters" of afflictionborne down by the multitude of the ungodly, whose oppressive career is unabated as the course of rivers;-yet shall they not be overwhelmed. The fire of persecution shall not burn, neither shall it kindle into flame, and consume them. They have been created, formed, and made to promote the glory of God in after ages. They "were once blind, but now they see,"of their understanding being enlightened: they were once deaf to the truth, but now their ears are "unstopped."

"the

eyes

Ver. 14-21. Thus saith the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the Yowls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.

Thus, it is for the "sake" of Israel that God sends to the mystical Babylon, in which he will annihilate all bars and obstructions to the return of his people; and he will suppress the warlike uproar which shall proceed from her

B Heb. "bars.” Or, “ostriches." Heb. " daughters of the owl.”

ships," or " cities." The Lord, who will make a way for his people from amidst the nations, and cause their deliverance, even from among the most powerful, will defeat the devices of their enemies; and their armies, which shall fall in battle, shall not rise again till the final judgment. In this spiritual desert, this labyrinth of error, in the midst of which the church of God has so long dwelt,--he will make plain the way of truth and righteousness; he will cause the graces of his Spirit to abound; and his people "shall show forth his praise."

Micah vn. 15-20. According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouths, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

During the progress of Israel's return, God" will show unto him marvellous things;" that is, we suppose, will make apparent to them the marvellous power of his Gospel in their conversion. These moral changes will confound and silence the opposition of the enemies of Christ, as with irresistible force; who, though deaf to the voice of his word, will fear and bend with abject submission to the decrees of his providence. His mighty interposition in behalf of his people shall they behold with dismay!

The hearts of the righteous remnant of Israel are, on the

contrary, subdued, their pardon sealed, divine mercy and compassion rest upon them, and they begin to experience an evident and joyous fulfilment of the ancient promises of their God. See Isai. XLI. 1-11.

Isaiah LI. 1—4. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness,. ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you : for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

This address, which the Lord makes solely to the righteous remnant of Israel, is to encourage them to trust in him for their entire moral renovation. The Lord founds this on their knowledge of his choice, and call of Abraham,―their revered progenitor,-from the instance afforded by his blessings bestowed on him,—and from the increase of his posterity; these being express types and guarantees of the comfort, joy and gladness which they shall experience under the government of Christ, as the "seed of Abraham ;" and whose righteous reign shall eventually be established, when "all nations shall be blessed in him."

Ver. 5. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

This happy condition of Christ's people is now near; his salvation is gone forth; they shall be judged under his immediate administration; the isles shall subject themselves to his dominion, and shall simply rely on his power.

The word PT tzedek, "righteousness," observes B. P. Lowth, is used in such a great latitude of signification, for justice, truth, faithfulness, goodness, mercy, deliverance, salvation, &c., that it is not easy sometimes to give the precise meaning of it, without circumlocution: it means here, the faithful completion of God's promises to deliver his people.

A mighty change shall soon take place in "the heavens" and the "earth,"-both the political and the material creation; and the no less certain death of the wicked is declared in the 6th verse; "But the salvation of the LORD shall be for ever, and His righteousness shall not," as the devices of his enemies, "be abolished."

Ver. 7, 8. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose hearts is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their evilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

Hence what encouragement is afforded for the exercise of perfect devotion towards God, and for unceasing trust in Him, under the reproaches and revilings which shall follow their conversion! The certain destruction of the ungodly is then intimated; and the assurance of Millennial happiness "from generation to generation."

Ver. 9, 10. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded a the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

A prayer is here offered for the Almighty intervention as formerly in Egypt. "Rahab" is understood to denote Lower Egypt. "The dragon" may have a previous allusion to Pharaoh as the ancient persecutor of God's people, but in a more enlarged sense to "that old serpent, the Devil and Satan, who is in the midst of the sea" or people. "The waters and depths," in like manner, refer to their passage through the Red Sea, as a symbol of the persecu

a Ezek. xxix. 3.

K