11 In the day fhalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning fhalt thou make thy feed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief, and of defperate forrow. The fubject introduced in the preceding verse, is here continued and illuftrated.The expreffions used for this purpose plainly intimate, that the utmost affiduity and diligence fhould be employed to promote the growth of the plants and flips, after they were fet in the ground. They were not to be neglected, like the plants of the fluggard; nor fhould any means be left untried that might tend to their improvement. In the day, and particularly in the morning, the Ifraelites would endeavour, with the utmost vigilance and conftancy, to cultivate their plants, and the feeds which they had fown, in the hopes of enjoying fimilar fuccefs and fruitfulness with their fathers, who reaped in great abundance.--But the harvest fhall be a heap in the day of grief, and of defperate forrow. When the fruits of the earth were ripe, and ready to be gathered, they were to be collected into heaps, not by their proprietors, but by the enemies who invaded and defolated their land, that they might either ferve them for prefent use, or be afterward carried out of the country. Contemplate, in this prediction, the evil and danger of fin, and its exact correfpondence with the inftructions delivered to the progenitors of this people, by Mofes, the fervant of the Lord: Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God.—And it fhall be, that if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and ferve them, and worship them, I teftify against you this day, that ye shall furely perifh *.-The above predictions were accomplished, when Tiglath-pilezer, king of Affyria, whom Ahaz, king of Judea, called to his affiftance against the confederate princes of Sy * Deut. viii. 18, 19. ria and Ephraim, flew the king of Syria, deftroyed Damafcus, and carried away the inhabitants into Affyria and Media-When he greatly diftreffed Pekah, king of Ifrael, fpoiled his land, and obtained poffeffion of the most flourishing provinces of Gilead and Galilee; fo that the glory of Jacob was made thin, and the harvest of Ephraim was gathered. The prophecy was afterward completely fulfilled by Shalmanefer, his fon, who took Samaria, the capital of Ephraim, with other fortified cities, whofe inhabitants he carried away captive, in confequence whereof the land of Ifrael became almost a defart *. A few people however were left, who had respect to the holy One of Ifrael, to whom Hezekiah fent letters, wherein it was thus written; Ye children of Ifrael, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are • escaped out of the hands of the kings of Affyria. And be ye not like your fathers, and like your • brethren, which trefpaffed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to defolation, as ye fee, 2 Chron. xxx. 6, 7. 12 ¶ Wo to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the feas ; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters. A new fubject is here introduced, and continued in the two remaining verses of this chapter.The prophet now turns his attention to the future fortunes of the Affyrian army, which he forefaw, by the spirit of prophecy, would affault the kingdom of Judah. That great army, which was to march under the command of Sennacherib against Judea and Jerufalem, was to be composed of a multitude of many nations; viz. the Affyrians, the Syrians, the Babylonians, &c. * See 2 Kings xv. 29. and xvii. 3. Certain Certain wo and deftruction awaited them. The Hebrew word tranflated wo, is fometimes used to excite attention, as in chap. Iv. 1. Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.' In this fenfe our prophet ufes the expreflion, and calls to the people, informing them of the certain confequence of their rafh and wicked enterprise. That no mistake might arise concerning the people intended, they are described by the hideous noife which they would make in their march toward Jerufalem, and when lying before that city. The rattling of their armour, the found of their martial inftruments, the prancing of horses, the reeling of chariots, and the clamour of the troops, were to form a loud and awful noise, like that made by the sea when agitated by a ftorm.- -This very numerous army, by their impetuofity and strength, were to make a rufhing found, like the rushing of mighty waters, which run with fuch violence and rapidity, as threatens to carry all before them that lies in their way, and to fpread defolation wherever they come. 13 The nations fhall rufh like the rushing of many waters but God fhall rebuke them, and they fhall flee' far off, and fhall be chafed as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. The fudden confufion and difperfion of the great and noify multitude, by the rebuke of the Almighty, is illuftrated by a beautiful fimilitude.When the Most High brought the children of Ifrael out of Egypt, the waters of the fea were divided at his rebuke. In like manner, at his command, the vaft multitude whereof the Affyrian army was compofed, were to flee far off into a diftant country, as if pursued by an enemy. And fhall be chafed as the chaff chaff, &c. The royal prophet, who compares the righteous to a tree planted by a river of water, immediately adds, That the ungodly are not fo: but they are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.' Chaff is easily dispersed and blown away by the wind, even in the valley, and in the barn-floor; but especially when expofed on high ground to the violence of a storm.And like a rolling thing (or thistle-down, as the word fignifies) before the whirlwind. So powerful and violent fometimes is a whirlwind, that it removes very heavy bodies, and carries them to a confiderable diftance. With far greater ease doth it snatch away things which are light, and have little or no weight, fuch as the thistle-down. When there is hardly a breath of wind, this rolling thing will be moving from place to place. With what ease and rapidity then muft it be chafed away by the whirlwind? By this beautiful image, our prophet represents the violent agitation, the fudden difperfion, and irrefiftible overthrow of the Affyrian army, by the rebuke of Omnipotence, 14 And behold, at evening-tide trouble, and before the morning he is not: this is the portion of them that fpoil us, and the lot of them that rob us, The trouble at evening-tide, which is here spoken of, may either refer to the diftrefs and confufion which prevailed in the Affyrian camp, in that memorable night wherein one hundred and eighty-five thousand of their army were flain, and the remainder, filled with confternation and difmay, precipitately fled to their own country-or to the perplexity and terror with which the inhabitants of Jerufalem were diftreffed, whilst the Affyrians befieged that city. Attentively confider the great affliction which both these claffes of people must have felt at the time now mentioned, and you will not be furprised that you are called called to contemplate this mournful fcene. I fhall not attempt to reprefent it: but if you are not loft to feelings of humanity and fympathy for thofe in diftrefs, you must be deeply affected with the view which it exhibits. Before the morning he is not. Great part of the vast Affyrian army were flain; and those which remained, with Sennacherib at their head, were not to be feen, having fled with the utmost expedition to their own land.--To this prophecy the following remark is fubjoined, which justly deserves attention: This is the portion of them that spoil us, &c.; not only of the Affyrians, but of all the inveterate enemies of God's people in every age, who spoil and rob them of the important advantages which they poffefs. The expreffion may allude to what happens at entertainments, where the provifion is divided, and every one hath his fhare or portion. Sudden, unexpected destruction is the certain portion and lot of the wicked adverfaries of God's people. Death is the wages of fin due to the fervants of unrighteousness; this is the inheritance which belongs to the children of wrath and difobedience. They may often enjoy the best things of this prefent life: the riches, the honours, and pleafures of this world may fall into, their lot. Of thefe, God fometimes gives them a large fhare. To Jehu, the fon of Nimfhi, he gave the throne and crown of Ifrael, for the fervices he performed in destroying the house of Ahab. To Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, he gave the land of Egypt; becaufe he wrought for me, faith the Lord God. By conferring fuch liberal donations on the wicked and unworthy, God is pleased to give rich difplays of his exuberant goodness and forbearance; he gives them the best opportunities of discovering their real character; he tries the faith and patience of his faints, and renders their foes inexcufable for their abuse of his benefits, and their monftrous ingratitude. Though, on these, and fimilar accounts, fome |