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no person was allowed to come in from the neighbourhood. There is a crying for wine in the ftreets. Whether this call for wine was made by those who affaulted the city, or the few remaining people who were left in it, it intimates, that the vintage was spoiled; that wine was very fcarce, and could not be procured but with much difficulty, and at a high price. All joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. The joy and gladness which formerly enlightened the city, and rendered it gay and cheerful, was now obfcured, by the thick gloom of distress and melancholy: the mirth that once prevailed among the citizens, and had long vifited them, was fled, like a vifion of the night, and was fucceeded by mourning and lamentation.

In the city is left defolation, and the gate is smitten with deftruction. The inhabitants of Jerufalem, by their profanity and wickedness, having provoked God to fend very awful judgments upon them, nothing remained of that compact and beautiful city, but an immenfe confused heap of ruins. Nothing was to be seen of the splendid gates that once adorned the city, which were fmitten to the ground, and buried in destruction, by the fury of the enemy.--God, my brethren, hath often foretold the righteous judgments which he was about to execute upon men for their fins, and given them timeous warning of their approaching miferable condition, if they perfifted in their tranfgreffions. He gives previous information of the changes that happen even in the natural world. Prefages are difcernible of a tempeft of wind, a deluge of rain, a heavy thunder-storm, and of other confiderable alterations in the weather. Symptoms are frequently obfervable, in the human conftitution, of approaching distress and diffolution. To the Jews were given figns of the times, by attending to which they might have known, that the overthrow of their nation, city, and temple, was drawing near. The dark cloud which for fome time hung over their heads, prognofticated

prognofticated the ftorm which proved fatal to them. These warnings of natural and national revolutions clearly demonstrate the foreknowledge, the goodnefs, and compaffion of God, who would have us always prepared to meet his difpenfations, to prevent his judgments by repentance, and to receive his mercies with gratitude,

13 When thus it fhall be in the midst of the land among the people, there fhall be as the shaking of an olive-tree, and as the gleaninggrapes when the vintage is done.

In these words, affurance is given, that divine judg ments were to be moderated, and that the godly fhould in some measure be exempted from them. When thus it fhall come to pafs, according to the above predictions, in the midst of the land, fituated between the river Euphrates and the river of Egypt, among the people inhabiting that country.At that time, there fhall be as the Jhaking of an olive-tree, &c. The number which were to efcape the general calamity was to be few. When our prophet foretold the mitigation of the miferies which were to befal Ephraim and Syria, he illuftrated the subject by the fame fimilitude that is here used. Nothing more is neceffary at prefent than to remind you, that the comparifon alludes to what happens in time of olive-gathering and vintage. When olives are fhaken, or grapes gathered, a few are left on the tops of the loftieft branches, which the hand cannot reach, and fome in outmoft boughs, that escape the eye of the gatherer. Thus it fhould come to pafs, when the people of Judea were to be vifited by defolating judgments, only a few of the lefs confpicuous among them were to be left in the land, no more in proportion to them that were flain and taken captive, than the olives or grapes

* Ifaiah xvii. 5, 6.

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that remain, after the vintage is over, to thofe that were collected.--Concerning them it is foretold, in the next verfe,

14 They fhall lift up their voice, they shall fing for the majefty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

The divine righteousness and mercy, difplayed in their deliverance, fhall be publicly celebrated. They fball lift up their voice, loudly to exprefs their gratitude and praises to their almighty Deliverer, and to extol his name with the greatest ardour, who had refcued them from amid the dangers with which they were furrounded.They fhall fing for the majesty of the Lord in this becoming manner testifying their thankfulness and joy, in contemplating his fupreme excellencies, and recollecting his inestimable benefits. They shall celebrate that adorable majefty of which he is effentially poffeffed, and that is gloriously dif played in all his works and difpenfations, especially in faving his people from the hands of their enemies. On thefe and fimilar accounts, the high praises of God were to be continually in their mouths. The remnant who were faved, afcribed all the honour of their deliverance to that God, who appears in glory and majesty when he worketh falvation for his fervants. They fhall cry aloud from the fea. The western extremities, and the fea-coafts, of the land of Canaan, were to refound with the praises of the magnificence and grandeur of Jehovah, who had graciously interpofed in their behalf.

15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Ifrael in the ifles of the fea.

The prophet now turns to the refugees, and exhorts them to give glory to God.Those who had escaped

VOL. II.

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escaped the calamities in which their country was involved, leaving their habitations, fought for fafety in the coafts and islands of the Mediterranean Sea; and, in their new fituations and places of abode, they are called to glorify God in the fires, or, as the Hebrew word is tranflated in the margin of fome Bibles, in the valleys. Thefe different fignifications do not alter the import of the duty here inculcated. Glorify God; humbly acknowledge him to be truly great and glorious amidst the fiery trials which you fuftain, and the heat of perfecution to which you may farther be expofed. Cordially refign yourselves to the divine difpofal, heartily acquiefce in the difpenfations of providence, firmly truft in the all-fufficient power and grace of Jehovah, patiently sustain whatsoever he is pleased to appoint for you, and continually depend upon him for fupport and deliverance. Let this be your employment in the valleys, dens, and caves of the earth, in which you may be obliged to feek for fhelter. Such wife dutiful conduct will give glory to the name of the Lord God of Ifrael, who is a prefent help in time of trouble, and who redeemeth all his Ifrael out of all their afflictions. In this manner, the name of almighty God fhall be magnified in the iflands of the fea, where you may take up your residence. Do you, my friends, in all the afflictions and trials with which you are vifited, endeavour, through the grace of God, to glorify your heavenly Father; humbly confefs his righteoufnefs in all your diftreffes; adore his holiness in all his difpenfations, his patience in bearing fo long with your evil manners, his mercy in your prefervation in times past, and his faithfulnefs, who hath promised never to leave nor forfake you.

16 From the uttermoft part of the earth have we heard fongs, even glory to the righteous but I faid, My leannefs, my leannefs,

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wo unto me: the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

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The remnant that escaped, having complied with the direction given in the foregoing verfe, are inftructed in the joyful confequences which, through the divine bleffing, were to refult from their good conduct. The complicated diftreffes in which the land of Judea was involved, difperfed the people over all the neighbouring countries. They fled to Egypt, to the Leffer Afia, to the islands and coafts of Greece: great numbers of them were to be found in most of the principal cities of these countries; and in fome of them they had fynagogues. Thus fcattered, they were inftrumental in propagating the knowledge of the true God among the Heathen nations, and in preparing them for the reception of the gofpel. Hence the uttermost parts of the earth, thofe places which were fituated at the most remote diftance from the land of Canaan, are affirmed, according to the idiom of prophetic language, in which things future are spoken of as paft, to have united in fongs of admiration and praise. We have heard fongs. The inhabitants of thefe diftant regions, obferving the strangers who had come among them finging for the majefty of the Lord, and glorifying him in the furnace of affliction, were happily difpofed to join the dispersed Jews in celebrating the praises of the Lord God of Ifrael, in pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs.The chief defign of these fongs was, to afcribe glary to the righteous; to the righteous Lord, who loveth righteoufnefs, and hateth iniquity, who is juft in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Glory to God in the highest, who hath proclaimed peace on earth, and good-will toward men. Glory to the righteous people, who have attained the righteoufnefs of God our Saviour, and who follow after righteousness; who are righteous before God, and walk in holiness

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