that time; it reprefents to them what fentiments they should entertain, and how they should express them. It confifts of two parts; in the first three verfes there is a call to God's people to stir up themselves to the work of praife; in the other three verfes they are directed to ftir up one another, and endeavour to engage all about them to join in it.

'Α

ND in that day thou shalt fay, O LORD,. I will

Apraife thee, though thou waft angry with me,

thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me; tho' thou didst punish and difperfe thy people, the tokens of thine anger are now removed, and their blessings restored; 2 thou haft given them cause and hearts to praise thee. Behold, obferve it as a great, wonderful, and unexpected event, God [is] my falvation; he hath brought falvation fuited to our circumstances, and every way worthy of God; I will truft, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH, the eternal and unchangeable God, the author and giver of all our ftrength, [is] my ftrength and [my] fong, that is, the fubject matter of my fong; he alfo is become my falvation; he hath manifefted himself as our faviour in the moft remarkable manner, and shall have all the glory. 3 Therefore, as the confequence of God's kind interpofition, with joy fhall ye draw water out of the wells of falvation; ye shall have abundance of divine joy and comfort in attending upon ordinances, to which ye shall be restored and admitted; fprings of falvation fhall then break up, and ye 4 fhall receive refreshment with unutterable joy. And in that day fhall ye fay, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted; ye shall not only praise him yourselves, but tell the world what he has done for you, 5 and record it for the benefit of pofterity. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this [is] known in all the earth; the bleffings he hath bestowed are truly valuable, are not confined to the jews, but extend over

the

• Here is an allufion to the ftate of Ifrael in the wilderness; when thirty and ready to perish, God caufed fprings to ife up. for them; and they received the water with joy and finging. Religious ordinances and communications of the fpirit, are often reprefented under this image.

6 the whole earth. Cry out and fhout, thou inhabitant of Zion; use the strongest expreffions and demonftrations of thankfulness and joy: for great [is] the Holy One of Ifrael in the midft of thee; he hath manifefted his greatnefs in thy deliverance, and his holiness too, his faithfulnefs to his promife and covenant; and he is still in the midst of thee, to defend thee from danger, fecure thy privileges, and prolong thy peace.

I.

W

REFLECTIONS.

E are led from hence to afcribe the praise of all our peace and comfort, to God. Whatever deliverances we have, whatever comforts have been reftored, or continued, all is owing to the care and favour of Jehovah. Let us cherish a grateful temper; fing praises to him with our voice; and not be low, dull, and lifeless in this most reasonable and delightful work.

2. The people of God fhould heartily join in presenting their publick thanks to him. Every one fhould fay this for himself, and fay it together, that God is our strength and falvation; especially is he fo in our redemption thro' Chrift Jefus, that great falvation to which all the prophets bore witness. Let us be thankful, that it is an extenfive as well as a glorious falvation; that it is known thro' all the earth. Let us fpeak of it one to another, and mention it to our children, that they alfo may thank God for his unfpeakable gift.

3. Divine ordinances should be attended with pleasure. Those wells of falvation are opened to us; there is no enemy to stop them or divert their courfe; and we ought to come to them with as much relish as a thirsty, perishing traveller would come to a fpring of water. Here we may

drink, not only for our prefent refreshment, but to gain ftrength for the discharge of all the duties of life. How ungrateful to God is it to fay, What a weariness is it! He expects that we be joyful in his houfe of prayer; he hath done every thing to make us fo, and he loveth a cheerful worshipper.

4. Former experiences of God's goodnefs are an encouragement

couragement to trust in him. He has often been our falvation, when we have been in imminent danger; hath given us his fon to be our faviour: and the Holy One of Ifrael is ftill in the midft of us, to guard his churches, and fecure the happiness of all his people. And while we praise him for paft favours, let us further call upon his name, and commit all our concerns to his good providence, for thus he commands us, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiving make known your requests unto God.

CHA P. XIII.

The prophet proceeds to foretell the calamities of the neighbouring nations, particularly thofe that Ifrael was fome way or other concerned with; and begins with Babylon, that would be a cruel oppreffor to them.

I

2

ΤΗ

HE burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did fee. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, to gather the foldiers together, exalt the voice unto them, as they do that would enlift them, fhake the hand, beckon with the hand for them to come, that they may go into the gates of the nobles; that they may enlift under great officers; or it may refer to the feizing 3 of Babylon, and plundering its palaces. I have commandmy fanctified ones, those whom I have called, feparated, and prepared for the fervice, I have alfo called my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness; who shall cheerfully execute thofe commands which difplay my greatness and glory, tho' they do not confider it 4 as fuch. The noife of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noife of the kingdoms of nations gathered together, crowding together

ed

to

PA burden fignifies in general, a weighty, important matter; but fometimes, as here, a burdenfome prophecy, that foretells the ruin of a country. It was near two hundred years after this, that Babylon was taken by Cyrus; its ruin, and that entire defolation which this chapter defcribes, was an event utterly beyond all human forefight, and exceedingly improbable to be conjectured.

to my ftandard: the LORD of hosts muftereth the hoft of 5 the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, [even] the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to deftroy the whole land; referring to the troops of Media and Perfia, and the auxiliaries Cyrus had from many other nations; all regular and well difciplined foldiers, and God's inftruments to destroy the whole land of Chaldea.

6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it fhall come as a deftruction from the Almighty, and as 7 fuch fhall be irrefiftible. Therefore fhall all hands be faint, not able to hold their weapons, and every man's heart fhall melt with fear, fo that he shall have no fpirit to 8 refift. And they fhall be afraid: pangs and forrows fhall take hold of them; they fhall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they fhall be amazed one at another, thinking the city impregnable; and when it is taken, Spreading confternation from one to another; their faces [fhall be as] flames, black and ghaftly, as when scorched 9 by the flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land defolate and he fhall deftroy the finners, the idolatrous, 10 cruel, and luxurious inhabitants thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the conftellations thereof fhall not give their light: the fun fhall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon fhall not caufe her light to Thine; a common defcription in the prophets of the removal of every thing that gives comfort and encouragement to a nation; and here, of the univerfal gloom and melancholy 11 that should fpread over the land of Chaldea. And I will punish the world, or, the kingdom of Babylon, for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will caufe the arrogancy of the proud to ceafe, and will lay low 12 the haughtinefs of the terrible. I will make a man, that is, a common man, more precious than fine gold; even a man, that is, a gallant man, than the golden wedge of Ophir. An elegant and beautiful defcription! There hali hardly be a man to be found, fuch havock fhall be made of them; they fhall be fo fcarce, that they cannot be hired for 13 any money. Therefore I will fhake the heavens, and

the

the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hofts, and in the day of his fierce anger; fuch fhall be their terror and confufion, as if the heavens and 14 earth were jumbled together. And it fhall be as the chafed roe, and as a fheep that no man taketh up; those that used to be like roaring lions and ranging bears, shall be fearful and weak, like a roe or a sheep: they fhall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into 15 his own land; all their allies fhall defert them. Every one that is found fhall be thrust through; and every one that is joined [unto them] fhall fall by the fword. 16 Their children alfo fhall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravifhed; thus cruelly they will use the jews, (Zech. xiv. 2.) and thus fhall they be treated. The inftruments of 17 this defolation are then mentioned. Behold, I will ftir

up

the Medes against them, which fhall not regard filver; and [as for] gold, they shall not delight in it; they shall 18 act as if they only thirfted for blood. [Their] bows alfo fhall dafh the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye fhall 19 not fpare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, fhall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, that is, 20 fhall be entirely deftroyed. It fhall never be inhabited, neither fhall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian' pitch tent there; nei21 ther shall the fhepherds make their fold there. But wild beafts of the defert fhall lie there; and their houses fhall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell 22 there, and fatyrs fhall dance there. And the wild

beafts

This is a remarkable and moft wonderful prediction; for at the time when Ifaiah prophefied there was no kingdom of the Medes, they were fubject to the king of Affyria; but about nineteen years after this they revolted, fet up a kingdom of their own, and became fo powerful, that, in conjunction with the Perfians, they deftroyed Babylon.

A wandering people, that carried their tents and cattle from place to place, where they could find moft convenient food for

them.

• What these creatures were, the learned have not agreed; but they were fuch that loved to dwell in defolate and ruined places.