CHA P. II.

This chapter begins with a prophecy of the establishment of the gofpel, and then proceeds to foretell the deftruction of the Ifraelites for their idolatry, referring principally to the captivity.

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HE word that Ifaiah the fon of Amoz faw concerning Judah and Jerufalem. And it fhall come to pass in the laft days, the days of the Meffiah, under the chriftian difpenfation, [that] the mountain of the LORD's house fhall be established in the top of the mountains, and fhall be exalted above the hills; and all nations fhall flow unto it; the chriftian church shall be planted, become confpicuous, and be firmly established, as on 3 the top of a mountain. And many people fhall go and fay, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; an allufion to the jews inviting one another to the great feafts; thus fhall they join themselves to the chriftian church, and invite others to do fo; for out of Zion fhall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerufalem, the 4 gofpel fhall be first published there. And he fhall judge among the nations by his word and providence, and fhall rebuke many people: and they fhall beat their swords into ploughfhares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation fhall not lift up fword against nation, neither fhall they learn war any more; referring to the peaceable tendency of the gospel, and the union between jews and gen5 tiles in the latter days. O houfe of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD; the jews in those days fhall be invited to receive and improve this gracious difpenfation.

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Therefore thou haft forfaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the eaft, and [are] foothfayers like the Philiftînes, and they please themselves in the children of strangers, with the idolatry and fuperftitious practices of the heathen; glad of any 7 ftrangers to teach them a new kind of idolatry. Their land alfo is full of filver and gold, unjustly gotten, and abused,

neither

neither [is there any] end of their treasures; their land is alfo full of horses, which was contrary to the law, 8 neither [is there any] end of their chariots. Their land alfo is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself; men of all ranks and degrees give themfelves up to ftupid idolatry; therefore forgive them not, that is, they fhall not be forgiven. Then follows the defcription of their being carried into captivity, and by that means cured of their idolatry.

Enter into the rock, that is, ye shall enter into it, and hide thee in the duft, in order to conceal yourselves, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majefty; II when he arifeth to ftrike the earth with terror."

The

lofty looks of man fhall be humbled, and the haughtinefs of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day; the impotence of idols fhall be 12 demonftrated in the deftruction of their worshippers. For the day of the LORD of hofts, the day of his vengeance, [fhall be] upon every [one that is] proud and lofty, and upon every [one that is] lifted up; and he fhall be 13 brought low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon,

[that are] high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks 14 of Bafhan, And upon all the high mountains, and upon 15 all the hills [that are] lifted up, And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall; either literally, because their idolatries were practifed on high places, or figu16 ratively, on their great men and magiftrates; And upon all the fhips of Tarfhish, and upon all pleasant pictures; upon their trading ships, and the curiofities they imported. 17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the

haughtiness of men fhall be made low: and the LORD 18 alone fhall be exalted in that day. And the idols he 19 fhall utterly abolish. And they, the idolatrous Ifraelites, fhall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majefty, when he arifeth to shake terribly the earth; when he caufes great commotions and troubles in the VOL. V... M

4 Lowth.

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20 land. In that day a man fhall cast his idols of filver, and his idols of gold, which they made [each one] for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; he fall bury them under ground, or hide them in dark corners, 21 being afhamed of them as they were unable to help him; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majefty, when he arifeth to shake terribly the 22 earth. Ceafe ye from man, whose breath [is] in his noftrils for wherein is he to be accounted of? A general caution to cease from man; or perhaps it refers to Hezekiah, in whofe grave their profperity, and almost all their religion too, was buried. This verfe fhould properly have begun the next chapter.

I.

REFLECTION S.

Hadvantages

OW thankfully should we improve the light and advantages afforded us by the gofpel! This prophecy has been accomplished, chriftianity has been preached, established, and fecured against oppreffion. This nation hath flowed to it: we were once darkness, but now walk in the light of the Lord. What a delightful idea of religion! We here fee the end of ordinances, and what fhould be our view in attending upon them. We fhould come to learn in order to practife, to help each other forward, excite one another to a chriftian behaviour, and provoke one another to love and to good works.

2. See how eafily God can humble the proud by his judgments, and make them fick of what they are most fond of. Pride is the reigning fin in the human heart; against this the judgments of God are peculiarly levelled, and when they come they will appear terrible to those that defied them. The deareft lufts will be looked upon with abhorrence, and the most precious idols rejected with difdain. Gold or filver unjustly gotten, or covetoufly hoarded, will be grievous to the poffeffor, and the pleasant pictures of which men are fond will be thrown away with contempt; yea, the nice and delicate will be glad to run into the caves of the earth, when God brings an enemy

into the land. But especially at the great day, when the kings of the earth and the rich men fhall hide themselves in dens and caves, and fay unto the rocks, Fall on us, and hide as from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

3. The confideration of men's frailty and mortality should moderate our dependance upon them and affection to them. The greatest and proudeft are not fecure; when judgments come, princes and kings will die like other men. Let us confider this, as a motive to cease from them, and not unreasonably to fear their power or court their favour. We should not place too much confidence in any men, even the wifeft and beft, for they are dying creatures; and the higher our expectations are raised, the greater will be our disappointment. Happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his help, who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever.

CHA P. III. C H A P. IV. v. 1.

This chapter contains a prophecy of the calamities that should come upon the jews in the declenfion of their state; particularly of their captivity. There is a reference in this to the former chapter.

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OR, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hofts, doth take away from Jerufalem and from Judah, amidst the confufion that fall follow, and especially at the fiege of Ferufalem, the ftay and the staff, the whole ftay of bread, and 2 the whole stay of water, The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the antient, many fuch fhall be carried away in the captivity, 3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent 4 orator. And I will give children [to be] their princes, and babes, perfons of no understanding or capacity, fhall 5 rule over them. And the people fhall be oppreffed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the antient, and the base against the honourable; feditious people fhall

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infult

When a man fhall take

6 infult those that are in power. hold of his brother of the house of his father, [faying,] Thou haft clothing, be thou our ruler, and [let] this ruin [be] under thy hand; the government and magistracy fball go a begging, any body that shall have but a good coat, Shall be urged to be a ruler, and to undertake the prevention 7 of the ruin coming upon them. In that day fhall he swear, faying, I will not be an healer; for in my houfe [is] neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people; I have neither ability for, nor will I expofe myself to 8 the danger of the office. For Jerufalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings [are] against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his 9 glory. The fhow of their countenance doth witnefs against them; and they declare their fin as Sodom, that is, in the most impudent manner, they hide [it] not. Woe unto their foul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

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Say ye to the righteous, that [it fhall be] well [with 11 him:] for they fhall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! [it fhall be] ill [with him:] for the reward of his hands fhall be given him; a command to the priests and Levites to fay thus in their fermons to the people.

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[As for] my people, children [are] their oppreffors, and women rule over them; perfons of weak understanding and effeminate fpirits: O my people, they which lead thee, caufe [thee] to err, and destroy the way of thy 13 paths. The LORD ftandeth up to plead, and ftandeth 14 to judge the people, the poor and the oppreffed. The LORD will enter into judgment with the antients of his people, and the princes thereof, for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor [is] in your houses. 15 What mean ye [that] ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, treat them in the most cruel and inhuman manner? faith the LORD God of hofts.

16 Moreover the LORD faith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing [as] they go,

and