2 For it shall be that as a wandering bird caft out of the neft: fo the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

Thefe words clearly state the grounds upon which the preceding advice was founded; viz. the calamitous, deftitute condition to which the Moabites were fuddenly to be reduced. If they fhould prove fo foolish and stubborn as to refuse to comply with our prophet's admonition, such was to be their deplorable and helpless condition, that it would resemble that of a bird when deprived of its neft, which, being greatly affrighted, flies about, not knowing where to go for fhelter. In like manner, the feeble among the Moab ites, after their habitations were deftroyed by the enemy, uncertain where to flee for fafety, were to find themselves in very deftitute circumstances, at the fords of the river Arnon, which lay at the boundaries of their country. Filled with confternation, and not knowing where to flee from danger, they should be reduced to a very pitiable and perplexed condition, like that of a bird whofe neft is deftroyed.To what ftraits and embarraffments doth the fin and folly of mankind often bring them, especially when to this is added, contempt of good counsel, which, had it been accepted by the Moabites, they might have enjoyed external peace, and inward ferenity of mind.

3 Take counsel, execute judgment, make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday, hide the outcafts, bewray not him that wandereth.

What a valuable cluster of excellent advices is contained in these words! Take counsel. If the prophet here refers to what preceded this admonition, its import will be, Refufe not to comply with the advices you have received, which, if carried into execution, will affuredly be attended with fignal advantages, and VOL II. greatly

greatly contribute to your real welfare. If he had chiefly in view what follows, its meaning will be, that the king, the princes, and people of Moab, ought deliberately to confult what measures were moft proper for them to take, at this critical feafon, for the defence and preservation of the kingdom. In order to form a proper decifion on this important fubject, it would be highly expedient, that they maturely confider the matter, and seriously attend to prefent circumstances. Unto you, O men! I call: hear especially ye young people: take counsel. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth < unto counfel, is wife. Hear counfel, and receive inftruction, that thou mayeft be wife in thy latter end,' Diffident of your own judgment, be ever ready to receive direction from the wife and good, and thankfully to accept of the falutary advices that are given you.Execute judgment. Employ your minds in difcriminating truth from falfehood, and juftice from injuftice; that which is equitable from what is bafe and iniquitous. Support, with firmnefs and conftancy, that which is lawful and laudable; clearly discover, by your words and actions, what are your real fentiments and defigns. By the measures which you adopt, give fatisfying evidence of the equity of your decifions, that they are dictated, not by foolish caprice, or malevolence and envy, but by reafon and confcience, humanity and prudence; and that you mean to do juftly, and to pay a facred regard to the great laws of veracity and honesty.This is an excellent advice, to which you would do well to take heed, and reduce to practice. It is fuited to all times, and neceffary to be attended to by every perfon. It is not enough that we choofe judgment; having made this wife choice, we ought to follow whatfoever things are juft and honeft, and diligently to carry them into execution.

*Prov. xii. 15. xix. 20.

Make

Make thy fhadow as the night in the midst of the noonday. In warm countries, the heat of noon-day is very intenfe, when the rays of the fun beat vehemently upon those who are expofed to them. This circumftance must render the benefit of a fhadow very defirable; and therefore this is promised, among other bleffings, to the godly, The fun fhall not fmite thee by day. The difpleasure of princes, exalted to the greatest dignity, clothed with majefty and power, extending its influence to thofe against whom it is directed, is expreffed, in fcripture, by the fultry heat of noon-day. In this figurative fenfe, I fuppofe, the words before us must be understood, denoting the confuming, diftreffing heat of perfecution with which the people might be afflicted, for whofe relief the fhadow was to be prepared. -Make thy fhadow as the night. The fhadow of the night excludes the burning heat of the fun; it prevents objects from being feen; and is fo extended as to conceal all that come within its reach. By this metaphorical language, our prophet calls upon the Moabites to hide thofe exiles that fled to their country for fhelter, from violence, oppreffion, and danger, to fcreen them from their perfecutors; and to perform the various acts of humanity, hofpitality, and charity, which might alleviate their distress. He requires, that they adminifter fuitable provision to the hungry; that they clothe the naked; that they support the weak, and perform the duties of kindness and urbanity toward the dejected and diftreffed. In few words, he inculcates, on that haughty and cruel people, the exercise of generofity, and the love of mankind.- -Such feems to be the import of this excellent advice, to which you, my brethren, ought carefully to attend. In feafons of profperity, men commonly have many friends, who are ready to do them kind offices; but when poverty and diftrefs befals them, they often, alas! withdraw thofe acts of beneficence which are most neceffary to

give eafe under the preffure of affliction. Remember the words of the wife man, A friend loveth at all 'times, and a brother is born for adverfity *. That is the time in which acts of kindnefs are moft acceptable and useful; and we are born for the very purpose of relieving and comforting our afflicted and injured

brethren.

Hide the outcasts, bewray not him that wandereth. In the country of Moab there were many caverns, where perfons might take refuge from those who ha raffed them, and hunted after them with hoftile intentions. To thefe caves and dens, in time of danger, many of that people, and fome from other nations, particularly from among the Ifraelites, reforted for fafety. Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, in the time of scarcity in their own country, went into the land of Moab until the famine had ceased, David,' when perfecuted by Saul, brought his father and mother to the king of Moab, until he fhould fee what God would do for him. And, in after-times, when the kingdom of Judah was diftreffed by their ene mies, not a few of that people fled to the land of Moab, whom the Moabites ungenerously brought forth from their lurking places, and delivered up to the hands of them that fought their life. The prophet therefore, with great propriety, directs them to hide the outcafts, who were obliged to flee from their own country, to feek for that fafety in a foreign land which they could not find at home. Allow them to hide themselves in places where they may enjoy a safe retreat from danger, afford them an agreeable afylum, entertain them with kindness, and protect them from the hostile power of their enemies. Do not difcover to those who would injure them where they lie concealed; and, on no account whatsoever, betray them into the hands of those who seek their life.

Prov. xvii. 17a

4 Let mine outcafts dwell with thee, Moab, be thou a covert to them from the face of the fpoiler for the extortioner is at an end, the fpoiler ceafeth, the oppreffors are confumed out of the land.

The generous conduct recommended in the fore. going verfe, is here enforced by a powerful confideration.The outcafts, whom our prophet particularly intended, and to whom he claimed protection from Moab, were those who were expelled from the land of Judah, and fled to them for covert from the face of the fpoiler, when their own country was to be invaded by their enemies. These he required them, in a fpecial manner, to treat with lenity and hofpitality, and to permit them to enjoy undisturbed refidence in their territories-for this good reafon, The extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceafeth, &c. What is here affirmed was literally accomplished, when the power of Affyria, by which the land of Judea had been spoiled, oppreffed, and confumed, was deftroyed by the righteous vengeance of the Almighty. The certain prospect prefented to the Moabites, of that important predicted event, fhould have effectually determined them to comply with the falutary advice contained in the preceding verfe, and repeated in the first part of the one before us. When that great empire, which had disturbed and molested the nations of the earth, fhould be overthrown, the kingdom of Judah was to rife to importance and glory, fo as to be highly respected by the neighbouring ftates. In this view, it was the unquestionable duty and interest of Moab, to treat the exiles of Judah with tenderness and compaffion, to avoid every thing that might incur their displeasure, and to do every thing that tended to conciliate their favour and friendship.In the event to which this prophecy primarily referred, we behold an inftructive representation of a still more glorious conqueft over the great spoiler and oppref

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