how you have received and heard, of what fins you have been convinced and reproved, in what duties you have been inftructed, against what dangers you have been warned, with what threatenings you have been alarmed, what confolations you have had administered, and what grateful acknowledgments you owe to the God of your mercies. Reflect what fenfe you have acquired of the holiness and glory of Jehovah, of your own finfulness, and your need of the falvation of Jefus Chrift, and the fanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit, Humbly entreat that the divine bleffing may accompany what you have already heard, and that we may enjoy the divine affiftance and prefence in the whole of our progrefs through this facred book. Now the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the fheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for

6

ever and ever. Amen.'

PRELIMI

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

WE are now going to confider the fifth and last

part of the difcourfe contained in the first twelve chapters of this prophecy; which is compofed of a variety of excellent matter, that is partly doctrinal, partly prophetical, and partly confolatory. It may be divided into five fections, in the following manner: The firft is comprised in the feventh chapter the fecond comprehends the eighth chapter, and the first seven verfes of chapter ninth: the third extends from chapter ninth, verfe 7th, to the 5th verse of the tenth chapter: the fourth includes the 5th, and following verfes of chapter tenth, to the end; and the fifth is contained in the eleventh and twelfth chapters. The first of these fections, on which we are now entering, defcribes the future fortunes of the Jewish nation, as they flood connected with the kingdoms of Ifrael and Syria. Pekah, king of Ifrael, had entered into an unnatural confederacy with Rezin, king of Syria, against Judah. In the days of Jotham, and in the beginning of the reign of Ahaz, they united their forces, and invaded that kingdom with a powerful army, threatening to dethrone and deftroy the family of David. The king, and royal family of Judah, feized with conflernation on hearing of their hoftile defigns, inftead of fupplicating protection and fupport from the God of their fathers, thought of calling in the king of Affyria to their affiftance. In this critical emergency, the Lord of hofts was gracioufly pleafed to fend his fervant Ifaiah to comfort them in their perplexity and diftrefs; with the affurance, that he would certainly accomplith his promifes to David and his house, and frustrate the inimical intentions of the two kings who had confpired against them.

The chapter before us, begins with an historical account of the occafion which gave rife to this pro

phecy,

phecy, in ver. 1. and 2. Then follows a prediction of the ill fuccefs that fhould attend the expedition of Ifrael and Syria against Judah, which was to terminate in their deftruction; of the certain accomplifhment of which, God was to give them a fign, ver. 3.-16. From thence to the end of the chapter, the defolating calamities are foretold, which were to be inflicted upon the king and people of Judah by the Affyrians, whom they hired to their afliftance.

A

СНАР. VII.

ND it came to pafs in the days of Ahaz the fon of Jotham, the fon of Uzziah king of of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the fon of Remaliah, king of Ifrael, went up towards Jerufalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

In these words, the event is mentioned which gave rife to the following prophecy.The kingdom of Judah feems to have attained a higher degree of profperity under the reign of Uzziah and Jotham, than at any other period after the revolt of the ten tribes. The former of thefe princes had recovered the port of Elath, on the Red fea, from the Edomites: he carried on wars against the Philistines, which were crowned with fuccefs: he compelled the Ammonites to pay him tribute: he repaired the fortifications of Jerufalem, and kept up a great and well-difciplined army. Equally attentive to the arts of peace, he encouraged agriculture, and the breeding of cattle; he employed hufbandmen and vine-dreflers. The latter, walking in the fteps of his father, carried on the improvements that had been begun; fortified the frontier towns; conquered the Ammonites, who refufed to be his tri

butaries, and obliged them to acknowledge their fubjection. In the following reign, after his fon Ahaz afcended the throne, all these advantages were loft, and the kingdom of Judah was brought to the very brink of deftruction, by means of the league that was formed between Ifrael and Syria. In an engagement with Pekah, he loft in battle one hundred and twenty thousand men and the Ifraelites carried away as pri foners two hundred thousand women and children, which were afterward released at the remonftrance of the prophet Oded. Rezin improved the opportunity which the diftrefs of Judah afforded him, of recover ing Elath to Syria, of which they had been deprived by the Jews; and, uniting his forces to thofe of Pekah, they laid fiege to Jerufalem. In this attempt, however, they failed of fuccefs; and all their most vigorous efforts were fo baffled, that they could not prevail against it. This was a remarkable circumstance, worthy of attention.

After the time that David, king of Ifrael, expel, led the Jebufites from this city, and beautified it, to be the feat of his empire, often did it fall into the hands of its enemies, on account of the wickedness of its inhabitants. When Rehoboam afcended the throne of his fathers, it was taken by Shishak, king of Egypt, who carried away the treasures of the temple and the royal palace. The reafon affigned for this great calamity, as the Lord informed that prince and his people, was, 'Ye have forfaken me, and therefore

have I also left you in the hands of Shishak *.' Amaziah, king of Judah, having been defeated by the army of Ifrael, and taken prifoner, Joafh entered Jerusalem, and carried away the treasures which were in the temple and the royal palace. This judgment was inflicted because the king of Judah deferted the house of God, and bowed himself before the gods of the children of Seir, and burned incenfe unto

* 2 Chron. xii. 5.

them."

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them. Necho, king of Egypt, afterward entered Jerufalem, and took Jehoahaz, whom the people of Judah had fet upon the throne, and carried him into Egypt, where he died. This affliction came upon him because he was regardless of the words of the prophet Jeremiah, which were spoken by the Lord t. About 600 years before Chrift, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, entered the city; in fix years after, he returned, and took Jehoiachin captive; and again, in little more than three months, he took the city, and carried away to Babylon the treasures of the temple and palace royal; because the king of Judah did that which was evil in the fight of the Lord. And when the wrath of the Lord was kindled against his people until there was no remedy, Nebuchadnezzar entered the city Jerufalem, and deftroyed it, carrying away the inhabitants into a feventy years captivity. Thus was Jerufalem attacked at different times by its powerful enemies, whofe fuccefs against it is uniformly attributed to the fins of the princes and people of Judah. And though, in the reign of Ahaz, idolatry was established by the command of the king throughout Judea, and the service of the temple intermitted, yet, through the tender mercy and forbearance of God, their enemies, who went up to war against Jerufalem, could not prevail against it. Let us humbly adore the patience of God, who does not speedily execute fentence against mens evil works; who waits to be gracious, and therefore ought to be exalted.

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2 And it was told the house of David, fay ing, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

2 Chron. xxv, 14.

ti Efdrasi. 28.

2 Chron. xxxvi. 9.

The