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man.] Here the Tyrant again begins his prefumptious Chapter Rant, compliments himself for his mighty reach in Politicks, as well as Prowefs in War. By removing the bounds of the people, he means an Arbitrary tranfplanting of Colonies from Place to Place, which was the conftant practice of the Affyrians in all their Conquests.

Ver. 14. And my hand hath found as a neft the riches of the people and as one gathereth the eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth, and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.] He carries on the Metaphor he us'd before, v. 1o. compares himself to one that finds a Neft; the People to Birds, and their Children to young ones in the Neft, with this, that the fmalleft Birds will make a noise, move their Wings and exert themselves with all the Vigour they are capable of to defend their Brood; but the Inhabitants of the Cities he ranfack'd, durft not stir a finger, or open their mouths against him.

Ver. 15. Shall the ax boaft it felf against him that heweth therewith? or fhall the faw magnifie it felf against him that Shaketh it? as if the rod fhould shake it felf against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up it felf, as if it were no wood. The former part of this Verfe is plain enough, that the Affyrian had no more reafon to afcribe the Glory of his Conquefts to his own Power, than an Ax or a Saw to challenge the Credit of a curious Statue, in which they were only fo far imploy'd as to cut out the rough Materials. In the latter part the Obfcurity arifes from the various fignifications of Nuf, and taking Shebet in the Nominative inftead of the Accufative Cafe. meaning of the Prophet is, Sennacherib may imagine he conquers by his own Power, with the fame reafon as a ftick which one twirls about in the hand, may brag it moves the hand by which it is mov'd; as if the stick which is lifted up were not a bare piece of Wood only, but had an extraordinary Power of felf-motion in it felf...

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Ver. 16. Therefore fhall the Lord, the Lord of hofts, fend among his fat ones leanness, and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.] By this Metaphor the Prophet fets forth the fudden deftruction of

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Chapter the Affyrian Army, which fhould fall away on a fudden, X. and not be able to do any thing, like a Man of a strong

Conftitution, reduced to Skin and Bones by the Violence of a fharp Difeafe; and then he changes the Metaphor, This Gallant Army, the Glory of the Affyrian Nation, fhall be confum'd like a Sacrifice on an Altar, with a Fire under it. St. Jerom relates, as a Tradition among the Jews, that the Bodies of the Affyrian Soldiers were ftruck, as it were, with Lightning, which reduced them to Afhes, without making any Impression on their Cloaths or Armour.

Ver. 17. And the light of Ifrael fhall be for a fire, and his boly One for a flame and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.] Light in the Jewish Language fignifies Joy and Profperity; from whence the Prophet takes occafion to tell his Country-men that God fhould be a Light to them, and a Fire to their Enemies; that is, protect and defend the one, and destroy the other.

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Ver. 18. And fhall confume the glory of his foreft, and of his fruitful field, both Soul and Body: and they fhall be as when a ftandard-bearer fainteth.] He compares the Affyrian Army to a Wood, which, by reafon of the tall Spears they us'd at a distance, they might refemble: This Wood he tells them fhall be deftroy'd, not the Briars and Thorns only, and the rest of the viler underwood, but the stately Trees which fhould fall before the confuming Fire: Soul and Body, fays the Prophet, that is, intirely; the Phrafe is proverbial, which our Tranflators too religiously adhering to the Original, render fomething improperly, the Prophet being fpeaking of things Inanimate: And to compleat the Defcription, he changes the Metaphor, and tells them this glorious Army which they thought nothing could withftand, fhall be overthrown, as when a ftandard-bearer fainteth; which gives a noble Idea of a general Rout, when the chief Standard in the Army is taken, which us'd to be defended with the greatest Bravery: But Forerius thinks it fhews only the Confternation which the remaining part of the Army fhould be in, not excepting the King himfelf, who was ftruck with Amazement at the terrible unexpect

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ed Blow, fled to his own Country, in the utmoft Con- Chapter fufion. .X.

Ver. 19. And the rest of the trees of his foreft fhall be few, that a child may write them.] That is, the flaughter which the destroying Angel fhall make, fhall be fo great, that out of fo numerous an Army, the furviving Remains fhall be fo few, that a Child may be able to count them.

Ver. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Ifrael, and fuch as are escaped of the houfe of Jacob, fhall no more again stay upon him that mote them: but fhall stay upon the Lord, the holy one of Ifrael, in truth. The remnant fhall return, even the remnant of Facob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Ifrael be as the fand of the fea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the confumption decreed fhall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord God of hofts fhall make a confumption, even determined in the midst of all the land. Therefore thus faith the Lord God of hofts, O my people that dwelleft in Sion, be not afraid of the Affyrian: he shall fmite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his Staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation fhall cease, and mine anger in their deftruction.] By the Remnant of Ifrael, and fuch as are efcap'd out of the House of Jacob, he means those who were deliver'd out of the Danger they were in, by the Overthrow of the Affyrian Hoft: The confideration of which wonderful Interpofition of Providence, fhall have this good effect on the Jews, that they hall put their Truft in God for the future, and not on human Affiftance, on which they were apt to depend too much. Now, as Mr. Whifton has not given the Reasons which induced him to refer thefe Verfes to the ftill future Converfion of the Jews, fo I dare fay none can be given for it: For the Prophet first faith, In that Day there fhall be a Remnant, that Day when he hall confume the Glory of bis Forefts, viz. the Affyrian Army, which is fo plain, that the most unobferving Reader cannot fail of taking. notice of it. Secondly, That this Remnant fhall no more truft the Affyrians; but now there are no Affyrians to truft, nor difpofition in the Jews to depend on them. Thirdly, The Prophet thus argues, The Lord (hall make a

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Chapter Confumption of his People, not univerfal, but determin'd. Therefore, for this Reafon, because the Lord hath determind that a Remnant fhall escape, thus faith the Lord, O my People that dwelleft in Sion, be not afraid of the Affyrian; which is as much as if he had told them that God was refolv'd to put a stop to the Rage of the Affyrian, and not fuffer him to deftroy them intirely, therefore they had no reafon to be afraid of him. And, Fourthly, Because he affures them, tho' at prefent they were furrounded by their Enemies, and coop'd up within the City of Jerufalem, yet in a very little while his Anger fhould ceafe, and their Enemies vanifh out of their fight: But the space of Time, fince the Prophet deliver'd this, is of too long a Duration to be call'd with any Propriety of Speech, A very little while. If it be allow'd to pick out here and there a Verfe, without any regard to the most visible Connexion, the Prophecies may be turn'd to any thing, and I believe with as little Violence apply'd to the Affairs of Greece, or Rome, as to an Imaginary Reftoration of the Jews the Lord knows when. The meaning of these Verfes is plainly this, The Affyrian, in his vain Imagination, had intirely fwallow'd up my People, but I will deftroy his Army, and deliver them; and in that day, when I fhall deftroy his Army, thofe that escape fhall for the future rejec the vain Affiftance of Men, which they have been too apt to rely on; thofe, I fay, who efcape, a fmall Remnant, in comparifon of their former Numbers, fhall return to their own Houses, and be turn'd to the Lord. For though my People be as numerous as the fand of the Sea at prefent, yet a Remnant of them only shall return, for the decreed Confumption must come upon them with Righteoufnefs; that is, as they have juftly deferved. For the Lord of Hofts has refolv'd to make a Confumption of them, but has prefcrib'd Limits to the Confumption, and will not fuffer them All to be destroy'd thereby.. Therefore fear not, O Inhabitants of Jerufalem, tho' you fee your Walls furrounded with an Army fufficient to swallow you up; I will give him leave to exercife your Patience a while, and make thofe fuffer Hardships who fall into his hands, as your Fathers were barbarously treated by

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the Egyptians, but the Storm fhall be foon over; For yet a very little while and the indignation fhall cease, and my anger be fully appeas'd in their deftruction.

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Ver. 26. And the Lord of hofts shall ftir up a scourge for him, according to the flaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the fea, fo fhall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.] He means by the Scourge the deftroying Angel, who fhould make fuch a Slaughter among the Affyrian Troops as he once made among the Midianites, which Fudges 7. 22. were alike in the Suddennefs of the Execution, the Invifibility of the Agent, and the Univerfality of the Slaughter. Ver. 27. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden fhall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck and the yoke fhall be destroyed, because of the anointing.] Mippenè Shamen, Word for Word, a facie olei, by Urfin. .which (a) fome think the Prophet means Opulentia & Po- (4) Zach. tentia, hac enim faciet eum fuperbum & fuperbia perder eum. (b) Others, that the Prophet alludes to a Yoke, which (b) Tivinus, being ty'd on with Strings, which grow ftiff and untract- Farerius. able by the Weather, must be soften'd with Oil before Vatablus. they can be loosen'd; but (c) others, I think more natu- (c) Grotius, rally, take the Abstract for the Concrete, and fuppofe this Deliverance is promis'd for Hezekiah's fake, the Anointed of the Lord.

Ver. 28. He is come to Aiath, he is paffed to Migron: at Michmalh he bath laid up his carriages.] The Prophet here defcribes the Rout of the Affyrian Army, giving a Journal as it were of their Marches from place to place, and defcribing the Towns of Benjamin and Judah, fome already taken, fome trembling at the Approach of the plundering Troops, others making difmal Lamentations, bewailing their Mifery fo loudly as to be heard by the neighbouring Villages. By Aiath he means the Region or Territory belonging formerly to the City of Ai, which was utterly overthrown by Joshua; Migron was a Town in the Tribe of Benjamin, on the Borders of Gibea (d), and Michmash (d) x Sam. in the Tribe of Ephraim, here Sennacherib left his heavy 14. 2. Baggage behind, in order to march with greater Expedition, or here he review'd his Forces and infpected the Provisions, to fee whether he had enough to maintain fo

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