abase those who walk in pride, punishing their pride and infolence, their cruelty and oppreffion, according to their defert.

7 The whole earth is at reft, and is quiet; they break forth into finging.

The happy effects refulting to furrounding nations, from the abolition of the tyrannical power of the king of Babylon, are beautifully delineated in this verfe.All the kingdoms of the earth which were fubject to the Babylonian empire, and connected with it, were to experience an agreeable ceffation from the difquietude and turbulence which they fuffered, from exorbitant claims and rigorous demands which had been made upon them, by a monarch, whofe defire for riches, and ambition of power and conqueft, knew no bounds. In confequence of his fceptre having been broken, the nations who had formerly ferved him, and been greatly difturbed by the exercise of his tyrannical authority, were to find themfelves happily delivered from that continual oppreffion which they were unable to refift, and re-established in the poffeffion of defirable tranquillity and peace.

this pleafing change of circumftances, they fhould feel strong emotions, arifing from the fatisfaction ad joy which sprang up in their new condition; fo that they break forth into finging. Transported with the view of the downfal of Babylon, and contemplating the happy effects with which it was to be accomp. nied, they were to exult in triumphant ftrains, and thus to express their gratitude and joy, on account or the agreeable change of condition which was the fulject of their fong.--If the nations rejoice at the overthrow of a haughty, tyrannical prince, and the re-establishment of tranquillity and liberty, how much greater ought to be the triumph of those who are delivered from the dominion of divers impetuous lufts, and enjoy the earnefts, of fpiritual and eternal reft!

Let

Let fuch break forth into finging, in honour of him who hath delivered, and will preserve to his heavenly kingdom.

8 Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, faying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

The fir-trees and the cedars are here introduced, rejoicing at the fall of Babylon.The fir and the çedar are the tallest and most stately trees that grow in the foreft; and the cedars of Lebanon were, of all others, the largest and most excellent. Thefe trees are fometimes mentioned in fcripture, as reprefenting perfons exalted to the most eminent ftation, and enjoying the most flourishing condition. In this figurative fenfe I fuppofe that the words before us must be understood. The fir and the cedar of Lebanon are intended to fignify the princes, the rulers, and great men of those kingdoms, which had been haraffed by the king of Babylon before the overthrow of that empire. Perfons of confpicuous dignity, and great opulence, were to exult over the fallen tyrant, and to boast of the ease and fecurity they expected to enjoy, in confequence of his depreffion, or being laid down. Since thou haft been brought low, and laid upon the ground, like a tree that is cut down, no feller is come up against us, no power hath attacked us, in whofe heart it was to cut off nations not a few. Since he who was the axe, in the hand of the Lord, to cut down kingdoms, hath been broke in pieces, there is no other power to give disturbance to the nations, or to deprive them of their just rights.The reign of tyrannical monarchs is not commonly of long continuance: God who cutteth off the fpirits of princes, and who is terrible to the kings of the earth, lays them low, and divefts them of their power, whilft thofe around them triumph in their destruction, and the confequent fafety they hope to enjoy.

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming: it ftirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

The fcene is now changed, and a new fet of perfons are introduced: the regions of the dead are laid open; and hades is represented as roufing the fhades of departed monarchs from their feats, to meet the king of Babylon, and to infult him, on his being reduced to the fame low eftate with themselves. The Hebrew word tranflated hell, fometimes fignifies the place into which the fouls of men are conveyed, after their feparation from the bodies to which they were united before death. This refidence of departed fpirits hath been thought by many to be fituated fomewhere under the earth; and, agreeable to this idea, it is called hell beneath. As the grave is the house appointed for the bodies of men after their decease, fo the place here mentioned, is fuppofed to be the manfion wherein fpirits have their refidence after they are separated from the bodies which they inhabited. Accordingly the royal pfalmift, perfonating the great Meffiah, and predicting his refurrection froni the dead, thus fpeaks: My heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh alfo fhall reft in hope: for ⚫ thou wilt not leave my foul in hell*. After death, the fouls of men are not reduced to a state of inactivity and fleep, in which they are divested of their powers, but still poffefs the faculties of understanding and difcernment, and exercife thofe affections which are fuited to their condition. The defcription given in this verse of what paffed in hell, at the approach of the king of Babylon, seems to intimate, that, in the infernal regions, fpirits are known to one another, that they are treated according to their rank, and

Pfal. xvi. 9, 10.

that

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that wicked princes there enjoy fuch precedence as is confiftent with their ftate.At the coming of the king of Babylon into the receptacles of the dead, there was to be a great commotion among those who were once the chief ones of the earth, and the kings of the nations. On that occafion, thefe formerly great perfonages are reprefented as rifing from their feats, which they are fuppofed to have filled, in order to congatulate that prince upon his arrival among them, and to exprefs their surprise at his being reduced to the fame low eftate of impotence, wretchednefs, and diffolution with themfelves.-The farcaftical language which they were to adopt, is recorded in the following verfes.

10. All they fhall fpeak and fay unto thee, Art thou alfo become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

Having nothing to fear from him who had defcended from the throne of Babylon, inftead of lamenting over his miferable fate, departed fpirits scoffingly deride and infult over him, on account of his downfal. Full of astonishment, they inquire, Art thou also become weak as we? Notwithstanding all thy boasted power and grandeur, art thou, who waft renowned on earth for thy invincible strength, and who acted without control among the nations, by the ftroke of death, become weak and feeble as we, who are stript of those natural abilities, and that civil authority, whereof we were poffeffed on earth?

Art thou become like unto us, who are deprived of all influence and empire over the fons of men, of all the terrestrial pleasures which we once enjoyed, without the leaft hope of ever regaining any thing of that fort; and are expofed to the dreadful vengeance of the Almighty, which he inflicts upon those who were oppreffive, proud, unjust, and tyrannical.

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noife of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover-thee.

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Very great must have been the pomp and magnificence of the king of Babylon, when he refided in his fumptuous palace, of which you may form fome idea from the following circumftances. The image which Nebuchadnezzar fet up in the plain of Dura, is computed to have coft three millions and a half of money. The elegant entertainments, made for thousands of lords; the vast variety of fine mufical inftruments, which were used at public folemnities; the rich furniture, fuch as veffels of gold, and beds of ivory, with which the palace-royal was decorated, with a thousand other things, clearly fhew the fplendor of the Babylonish monarch. All thy worldly glory, which dazzled the eyes of men; all that fweet, melodious mufic, which delighted thee, and pleased the ears of thy admiring attendants, are now gone, and perished for ever, being as it were buried with thee.The worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. That body, which was the object of refpect, attention, and care, which was elegantly dreffed in finest linen and richest filks, and highly ornamented at an immenfe expence, is now covered on all fides with worms, who feed upon it as their prey. How great, how affecting, must be the change to that spirit which once animated it!- Be not proud, my brethren; be not vain of strength, beauty, or elegance of form. Contemplating the ftructure of the human body as the workmanship of God, it is a moft beautiful and noble fabric: but viewing it as polluted by fin, as fubject to disease, and liable to corruption, you may perceive ample ground of humility; and you ought to be reminded of the very abject ftate to which your bodies, like that of the king of Babylon, fhall certainly be reduced. This mortifying confideration fhould give a check to that pride and vanity which VOL. II. deforms

H