God threatened to punish the people of Babylon: thefe were the fources of their calamities, on account of which the wrath of God was revealed from heaven against them. And I will caufe the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. God is the declared enemy of the proud and arrogant, but the friend of the humble, the modeft, and felf-denied. He refifteth the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble. He beholdeth mischief, fpite, and arrogancy, to requite them with his hand, and to check their progrefs, by the interpofition of his providence. Arrogancy and haughtiness are difcovered, by a proud difdain of those who occupy the lower stations in fociety, and enjoy few external advantages. They are frequently the source of contentions, emulations, and ftrifes, among those who are in fimilar circumftances. They excite malevolence, discontent, and envy, toward thofe who ought to be acknowleged our fuperiors, and impatience of admonition and reproof. This arrogancy of the proud, God declares that he would make to ceafe; this haughtiness of those who made themselves to appear terrible to others, he would lay low, by the awful judgments which were to be executed upon Babylon.Though wicked men may be little fenfible that they are the authors of their own ruin, yet nothing is more certain than that they contribute, not only meritoriously, but likewife inftrumentally, to their own deftruction. Their profperity is not a steady progreffive light, like that of the fun; but uncertain and perifhing, like that of a candle, which, by burning, confumeth itself. To reprefs that pride and arrogance, to which we are all too prone, let us remember, that we have nothing but what we have received; and that the Lord of hofts hath purposed to stain the pride of all human glory. VOL II. D 12 I will 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. What is here faid plainly intimates, that the flaughter fhould be very great that was to be made among the people of Babylon, at the remarkable period to which this prediction referred.- By the awful judgments above mentioned, fuch vaft numbers were to be flain, that few men were left remaining. Such was the favage cruelty of the Medes and Perfians, employed in this bufinefs, that they would not be induced to fpare the Babylonians by the promise of gold, even a confiderable quantity of the beft fort. So great was the flaughter in the day of the Lord, that very few people fhould be left alive: a man would be as fcarce, and difficult to be found, as a golden wedge of Ophir. To this place failed the fleet of Solomon and Hiram, from whence they imported large quantities of the best gold. I ftay not to inquire, whether this celebrated port, from which was brought abundance of the fineft gold in ancient times, was an African ifland, or Peru in America? It is fufficient for our purpofe at prefent to know, that there was in that country plenty of the moft excellent gold, from whence it was brought in bars or wedges, of confiderable weight and value. Such however was the unrelenting fury of the enemies of Babylon, and their contempt of this precious metal, that they would not spare a man's life for a wedge of the best gold, which was eafier to be got, and in greater numbers, than men, at the time this prediction was fulfilled. This circumftance gives a most affecting view of the very fmall number of people which were to remain at Babylon. 13 Therefore I will fhake the heavens, and the earth fhall remove out of her place in the wrath wrath of the LORD of hofts, and in the day of his fierce anger. The In this and the following verfes, the fubject of which our prophet treated, is illuftrated and amplified. The words now to be confidered expressly foretel, that the whole great empire of Babylon, at the time referred to, fhould be fhaken to its very foundations, and entirely overthrown. They ftrongly intimate, in very emphatical language, that it should receive a violent concuffion, by the ftorm of divine wrath that was to fall upon its metropolis:-that their gods, their kings, princes, and nobles, who are fignified by the heavens, were to be shaken ;-and that the nations fubject to their government, who are intended by the earth, fhould fuffer a very great change, equivalent to their being removed out of their place. Kingdoms and empires were to be overthrown, and buried in ruins.In the wrath of the Lord of hofts, and in the day of his fierce anger. wrath and hot difpleasure of the Almighty, were the powerful causes whereby these astonishing effects were to be produced. Like a mighty tempeft, they were to fpread univerfal defolation where-ever they came. Such is the irrefiftible power of God's anger, and the righteous judgments which he executes, that the greatest empires cannot withstand them. In the land of Egypt were ftrong cities, great rivers, and vast multitudes of inhabitants: but, through the fierce anger of the Lord, her cities were deftroyed, her rivers were dried up, and her people were cut off. The kingdom of Ifrael and Judah, which fubfifted, through various fortunes, about five hundred years, from the days of Saul to the time of Zedekiah, was abolished in the wrath of the Lord. The Babylonian empire was laid wafte by the fame wrath, and fierce anger of Jehovah. 14 And it shall be as the chafed roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. The affecting confequences of the terrible tempeft of divine wrath, which came down upon Babylon, are elegantly defcribed in this verfe.The inhabitants were ftruck with a panic, and betook themfelves to flight, which is illuftrated by two beautiful fimilitudes. The roe is a very timid creature; and, when chafed by the hunter, runs exceeding fwiftly: and, in these respects, it affords a lively image of the timorous men of Babylon, who had recourfe to a precipitate flight, when they beheld the approach of a powerful enemy. Sheep are weak, defenceless creatures, intimidated by every appearance of danger: they are exceedingly apt to wander, and to become a prey to rapacious animals. In these respects the Babylonians were to refemble them. Unable to defend themfelves, they would have recourfe to flight, and wander into divers places, where they were to be difperfed as fheep deprived of the care of their keeper, reduced to a forlorn and dangerous condition. They hall every man turn to his own people, and flec every one into his own land. In Babylon, as in all great cities, and especially in the flourishing metropolis of an extenfive empire, there was a large conflux of people which belonged to different nations. Thefe were called, the mingled people (by the pro phet Jeremiah) that were in the midst of her *. People of this defcription, who either had their fixed refidence in the city, or were there only occafionally, dreading the approach of a hoftile army, immediately deferted Babylon, with intention to return to their native country, and their own people. Hence the prophet above mentioned, in the particular defcrip * Jer. 1. 37. tion which he gives of the judgment of Babylon, fpeaks of the voice of them that flee, and escape out of the land.In feafons of calamity and danger, people are often scattered like fheep, and obliged to flee like the roe, leaving behind them their most valuable effects, that they may escape from the hands of the enemy. Bleffed be God that we have not been reduced to thefe difagreeable circumftances; and that, through divine mercy, we are allowed comfortably to enjoy the ineftimable bleflings of tranquillity and plenty, with which for a long time this happy country hath been favoured!, 15 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 dafhed to pieces before their eyes, their houses fhall be fpoiled, and their wives ravifhed. These verses contain a farther defcription of the dreadful calamities which the inhabitants of Babylon were to fuffer from their powerful, barbarous enemies, inflamed by the rage of war, and defire of conqueft.Every one whom they found, endeavouring to escape by flight, or trying to hide themselves, or unable, through difeafe or weakness, to make refistance, without exception, and without mercy, was to be flain with the fword.And every one that is joined unto them fhall fall by the fword. So general was to be the flaughter, that thofe who, from other countries or nations, endeavoured to afford the Babylonians affiftance, and to repel the force of the enemy, fhould likewife perish by the fword.Their children alfo fhall be dashed in pieces before their eyes. According to the law of retaliation, and the predictions of ancient prophecy, the men of Babylon were * Jer. 1. 28. tq |