to receive the just retribution of those acts of unnatural cruelty, which they had perpetrated among those nations who had been obliged to yield to their oppreffive power. They were to be recompenfed according to the works of their hands, and to be rewarded as they served Ifrael in the time of their conquefts. The young men of Ifrael they had flain with the fword, in the house of their fanctuary; and had no compaffion on young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age*. They ravifhed the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah +. The prophet David therefore had foretold, He was to go on and profper, who took and dafhed their little ones against the ftones. To aggravate this calamity, this was not to be done fecretly, or in a corner; but publicly, in the fight of those who, if not loft to the feelings of humanity, muft have fhuddered at fuch terrible barbarity.- Their houses, which were richly and elegantly furnished, were to be pillaged of their treasures, by a fierce and unrelenting enemy, who would not be reftrained from the moft fhocking crimes. In few words, the deftruction of this great city was to be univerfal; neither age nor fex fhould be exempted from the common calamity. The atrocious fins of Babylon brought upon them these complicated miferies, and provoked the Almighty to vifit it with utter desolation, thereby giving warning to all fucceeding ages to beware of her fins, that they partake not with her in her judg

ments.

17 Behold, I will ftir up the Medes against them, which fhall not regard filver, and as for gold, they fhall not delight in it.

In this and the following verfe, the prophet delineates the character of the people whom God was to

* 2 Chron. xxxvi. 17. + Lam. v. 11.

Pfal. cxxxvii. 9.

employ,

employ, as the instruments of inflicting the abovementioned calamities upon Babylon. The Almighty himfelf was to take the fupreme direction of this great enterprise; and to this important circumftance our attention is repeatedly called in this prophecy. The divine agency, in this arduous work, ought not to be overlooked, but seriously confidered, and humbly acknowledged. The providence of God fo orders the counfels and actions of men, that whilft they accomplish their designs, the Most High fulfils the good pleature of his goodness, and executes his righteous judgments. He over-rules all their projects and contrivances, for accomplishing his wife purposes: none can defeat, nor even retard his work: individuals and nations are all fubfervient to promote his defigns, and to advance his glory. Though this is a fubject by far too profound for our investigation, yet the truth is certain, and demonftrated by innumerable inftances. Rehoboam, king of Ifrael, voluntarily rejected the advice of the old men, and preferred the counfel of the young men: yet this matter was from. the Lord. The Affyrians marched against Judah, to take the spoil, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets, whilst, at the same time, they executed the purpose and work of God. The Medes acted in hoftility againft Babylon, to gratify their ambition, or to avenge fome of their own quarrels: but the Lord ftirred them up to perform his will.

The Medes were the people whom the. Lord of hofts declares, that he would fend against Babylon. After the ancient Affyrian empire had flourished for feveral ages, it began to decline, by the revolt of various nations from their former fubjection to its dominion: the Medes were the first who threw off the yoke; and maintained, by their valour, the liberty which they had acquired. They were divided into tribes, and dwelt in villages, deftitute for fome time of any regular form of government. Dejoices, a man who had great reputation among his countrymen, for

prudence,

prudence, equity, and good conduct, was exalted, by common confent, to the royal dignity, which he enjoyed, with confiderable renown, for the long period of fifty-three years; and was fucceeded by Ahafuerus, and other kings, mentioned in fcripture. His fucceffor, not contented with the kingdom of Media, which devolved to him at the death of his father, attacked the Perfians, and obtaining a decifive victory over them in battle, united them to his empire. Strengthened by this acceffion of power, he fell upon the neighbouring nations one after another, until he acquired the fovereign dominion of almoft the whole of Upper Afia. To this united, great empire, the renowned Cyrus, of whom I may hereafter have occafion to fpeak, did afterward fucceed.A very remarkable feature, in the character of the Medes, is here mentioned:

Which fhall not regard filver, and as for gold, they fhall not delight in it. Silver and gold are generally much efteemed by mankind, especially by commercial nations, who fet a high value upon them, as the means of acquiring the neceffaries and comforts of life. As the riches of the Medes, who were unacquainted with trade, confifted in corn and cattle, they had little or no occafion for money; and therefore they were indifferent about it, in comparison of other people. That they had fome regard for filver and gold, is evident from their feizing the treasures of Babylon at the fanie time, fo moderate was their delight in these things, that they would not be thereby prevailed upon to fpare the lives of their poffeffors. This character of the Medes is acknowledged in the speech that Cyrus addreffed to his army, in which were these memorable words: O ye Medes! and all prefent, I truly know that not for want of money are ye come out with me,' &c. Were the Heathen people of Media thus indifferent to filver

Cyropædia, lib. v. fect. 3.

and

and gold, let us, who profefs to be Christians, take heed that we do not over-value them, and too eagerly endeavour to attain them, as if they were effential to our happiness. Permit me to feize this opportunity, of charging them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor truft in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy *.

18 Their bows alfo fhall dafh the young men to pieces, and they fhall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye fhall not spare children.

The favage cruelty of the Medes was to be ftrongly marked by their very inhuman treatment of the younger inhabitants of Babylon. Perfons of this fort were to be killed, not only by arrows shot from their bows; but fuch was to be the wild ferocity and barbarity of the enemy, that they would ftrike dead with their large bows, the young people who came in their way. Tender infants, little children, and young men, who are often objects of compaffion, and allowed to escape, when others fuffer the most direful calamities, the Medes were neither to pity nor spare. They would not fhew mercy to the moft feeble and helplefs, nor to thofe for whom the dictates of humanity most powerfully plead. Inftigated by fierce and violent paffions, through the whole of this arduous enterprise, they would not, on any account, difcover the leaft favour toward perfons of any defcription.— In the course of providence, God often recompenfes men according to their doings: as they have done to others, fo others have done to them. They are made to feel the burden of their iniquities, and to inherit the fruit of their own doings, according to what is written, Obad. ver. 15. As thou haft done, it shall

VOL. II.

1 Tim. vi. 17.

E

• be

be done unto thee: thy reward fhall return upon thine own head.' Babylon had greatly afflicted and fpoiled the people of God; and therefore fhe, in like manner, should be afflicted and fpoiled. As thou didft rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Ifrael, because it was defolated; fo will I do unto thee, 'thou shalt be defolate.'

6

19 ¶ And Babylon the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees excellency, fhall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

In this and the following verfes, to the end of the chapter, the prophet defcribes the fuccefs which was to attend the expedition of the powerful and cruel enemies whom God would ftir up against Babylon.That great city was to be laid entirely in ruins, and to become a perpetual defolation, which should never be restored to its ancient splendor and glory. To embellish his representation, he extols its former magnificence and grandeur in the time of its profperity, that, by contrasting its flourishing condition with the deplorable state to which it was to be reduced, he might draw the more moving picture of its overthrow. Babylon was once the richest and the most elegant city in Afia; and, at the time in which it was overwhelmed with destruction, it was the greatest and most powerful. It was the metropolis and royal feat of a mighty empire: it was the Lady of king

doms,' to whom many ftates and nations yielded homage and obedience.It was the beauty of the Chaldees excellency. The Chaldees were a people highly celebrated for learning, for their acquaintance with philofophy, aftronomy, and the facred rites performed in honour of the gods. They were greatly addicted to divination, foothfaying, and aftrology. Hence those who profeffed thefe magical arts, are called Chaldees, or Chaldeans, in the book of

Daniel.