are undertaken, and the extensive range of those societies that are engaged in disseminating, in all quarters of the globe, the holy Scriptures of God," the everlasting Gospel." 1

SECTION XIV.

On the Thirty-third Chapter.

It has been usual to interpret the prophecy contained in the following, the thirty-third chapter, of the destruction of the Assyrian army, and of the deliverance of Jerusalem, in the days of Hezekiah. The interpretation, at first sight, will appear very plausible; but the issue of the conflict, and its consequences to the people of God, by no means agree with this interpretation.-Zion pitched as a tent never more to be struck - sin and sickness removed from her inhabitants — all this points to the great theme of prophecy, the establishment of Messiah's kingdom. I therefore claim it as belonging to our subject.

1. Ан, spoiler, who hast not thyself been spoiled, And the plunderer whom none have plundered:

As soon as thou hast made an end of spoiling shalt thou be spoiled,

And as soon as thou hast finished plundering shalt thou be plundered.❜

This last verse, observes Horsley, is excellently interpreted by Castalio:-" Felices qui evangelium toto publicatis orbe, ubicunque est humor; id est, ubi spes est fore ut crescat, et alatur, tanquam humore stirpes; idque facitis immitentes bovis asinique pedem;

id est, nullâ Judæorum aut exterorum discrimine," &c.

2 Simon, after Schultens, illustrates, from the Arabic J (media je), consecutus, perfectus est. Hence no alteration of the text is necessary.

We know, from concurrent prophecies, that the eve of Messiah's kingdom is distinguished by an expedition of the great European enemy against the land of Israel. This, I doubt not, is the successful spoiler addressed in this oracle, who, in the end, becomes himself a spoil.

The alarmed inhabitants of Jerusalem call upon God in their distress:

2. O Jehovah! be gracious to us, we have waited for thee; Be our defence' from day to day,

And our salvation in the time of distress.

Their cry is heard, and, agreeably with the several parallel prophecies, the uttering of the dreadful voice of Jehovah disperses the assembled nations, and decides the contest :

3. At thy terrible voice' the peoples fled,

At thy uprising the nations were dispersed.

This may be considered as the introduction, taking a general view of the contents of the whole prophecy. The people of God are then addressed; and, under the image of locusts and grasshoppers, laying waste a country, and running nimbly from plant to plant with haste to devour, is shown the eagerness with which the last enemy will gather the spoil of their devoted country.

4. But he gathered your spoil as the locust gathereth,

And as the grasshopper runneth to and fro he ran upon it. 5. Jehovah is exalted: surely he sitteth on 'his' high throne; He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness!

For

the Syriac, Chaldee,

.צרענו and Vulgate have

"For the Septuagint and Syriac read, whom I follow." -BP. LOWTH.

And he shall be the security of thy times,

He hath stored up' salvation, wisdom, and knowledge,
'With' the fear of Jehovah; this is his treasure.

Nothing but the appearance of the God-man, Messiah, can realize this description. He is Jehovah exalted on his high throne; and yet, at the same time," the fear of Jehovah," that is to say, his religious merits as man, is his treasure" and it is "out of his fulness all we, his people, receive grace for grace;" one gift added to another of all that is requisite to exalt a poor, ignorant, lost, and sinful people to the brightest thrones of glory. Well may we pray with the apostle, (who, in his prayer, I verily believe, had this passage in his view,) "That our hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." But to return: the progress of the foe coming to seize his prey is next portrayed:

7. Lo, the valiant men' cried without,'

The ambassadors for peace wept bitterly:

8. The highways were desolated, the passengers ceased; He brake the covenant, he despised the cities,

9. Of a truth, the land hath faded!
Blighted Lebanon is ashamed!

Sharon is become like a wilderness,
And Bashan and Carmel tremble.

It should seem that the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as the weaker party, send an embassage imploring peace; but every entreaty and every former league and covenant is despised: "He despises the cities." This is explained by chap. xxvii. 4; and will be still further explained when we come to consider a prophecy of Ezekiel :-"I will go up to the land of unwalled villages," &c. But we may not anticipate. The reader, however, will remark, the march of the enemy is from the north, which agrees not with the position of the Assyrian king when he sent to threaten Jerusalem.

10. Now will I arise, shall Jehovah say,

Now will I lift up myself, now will I be exalted.

11. Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble, My breath like fire shall consume you. '

12. And the nations shall be like the burnings of lime, Like thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire.

13. Hear, ye afar off, what I have done,

And ye that are near, acknowledge my power.

This is certainly none other than that great catastrophe respecting which we have the oath of God in the song of remembrance, and which so often comes before the view of the prophetic vision, as that event, in the history of mankind, beyond all others, decisive and important in its

Form Secker proposes to observes, is confirmed by the read. This, Bishop Lowth

Chaldee.

consequences to Israel and the whole human race. But it appears, from what follows, that, during this awful crisis, there were some in Zion whose fears betrayed their unbelief:

14. In Zion the sinners were afraid;

Terror seized on the profane:'

"Who shall afford us protection in the devouring fire? Who can afford us protection from everlasting burning?"

The answer is most remarkable. The church is told, notwithstanding the fears of the profane, "The RIGHTEOUS ONE will afford you protection. Even he who is the Righteousness of his people, and for whose righteousness' sake God is well pleased :"

15. He that hath walked righteously and spoken truly,
That hath detested the gains of oppression :

He that hath shaken his hands from taking a bribe,
He that hath stopped his ear at the proposal of blood,
And hath shut his eyes from the sight of evil;

He shall sit on high,

His fortress is a munition of rocks,

His bread is supplied, his water is sure.

17. Thine eyes shall see a King in his majesty, They shall see him in' the land afar off.

This, however, in a lower sense, it might be applicable to the good king Hezekiah,-can only belong properly to that King foretold in a former prophecy, who was to reign