Their fin proved their deftruction. The armies of Affyria could not have made one captive, or one breach among them, had not their iniquities kindled against them the divine difpleasure.My brethren, the principles of deftruction are in ourselves. Sin, like the moth, which eats away the garment in which it is bred, confumes thofe in whom it is indulged, unless it is deftroyed. Abounding iniquity in kingdoms and ftates, like fatal diftempers which prey upon the human conftitution, and prognofticate the diffolution of our frame, becomes the certain forerunner of their overthrow, and the procuring caufes of their ruin. Let us then ftrenuously endeavour, in dependence upon God, to check the progrefs of thofe fins, which, unless they are abandoned, will prove most dangerous to our felves, and the community of which we are members. Days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Affyria. The calamities which were to overtake Ahaz, his family, and people, were to exceed those wherewith the Jews had been vifited, fince the feparation of Ifrael from Judah. That remarkable revolt happened, you know, in the reign of Rehoboam, the fon of Solomon; and took its rife from the tyranny of that rafh young prince, who, rejecting the advice of aged counfellors, refused to hearken to the remonftrances of his fubjects. After that memorable period, Judah fustained many griev ous calamities, all of which were to be exceeded by those which are here foretold. Of the truth of this prediction, you may be fenfible, by comparing the miferies they had fuffered at different times, with those inflicted upon them by the Affyrians, whereby this prophecy was fulfilled. Tiglath-pilefer, king of Affyria, greatly diftreffed and fpoiled Ahaz, as we read, 2 Chron. xxviii. 20. Afterward Sennacherib, in the reign of Hezekiah, poffeffed himself of the cities of Judah, laid waste the country, and ftruck with terror the inhabitants of Jerufalem, as we learn from the thirty-fecond chapter of Second Chronicles. In the days of Manaffeh, the captain of the hoft of the king of Affyria took Manaffeh among the thorns, bound him in fetters, and carried him away to Babylon, as is written, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11. And again, in the days of Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzer, king of Babylon, came and bound the king of Judah in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, with the goodly veffels of the house of the Lord, as recorded, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 10. By contemplating the calamities fuftained by the Jews in the feveral invafions of the Affyrians, you will find, that they were greater than the diftreffes which they had fuffered in former times, from Shifhak, king of Egypt, under Rehoboam; from the Philiftines and Arabians, under Joram; from the Syrians, under Joafh; or the Ethiopians, in the reign of Afa. In this manner you may be fully fatisfied of the truth of the prediction before us. Let the review of the terrible judgments which God inflicted upon the Jews, in accomplishing this threatening, excite us, for whofe inftruction they were recorded, to a holy fear of offending him, who doth terrible things in righteousness. Afraid of his dread displeasure, let us carefully avoid thofe tranfgreflions which expofed them to fuch diṛeful calamities, 18 And it fhall come to pafs in that day, that the LORD fhall hifs for the fly, that is in the uttermoft part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Affyria. In this and the following verfe, the prophet illuftrates the prediction delivered in the foregoing one, by figuratively defcribing the inftruments who were to be employed in executing the above threatening.It is manifeft, from the connection and defign of this prophecy, that it ought not to be interpreted in the literal, but in the figurative fenfe of the words. In this view, the fly, that is in the uttermoft part of the rivers of Egypt, feems intended to denote the numerous numerous troops of that once powerful kingdom, which is faid to have been able to mufter an army of four hundred thoufand men. In prophetic language, the forces of Egypt might be fignificantly expreffed by a fly, as that land abounded with great quantities of this kind of infect; and to intimate the vast numbers of Egyptians who were to be called forth to action, the furprifing rapidity with which they were to march, when, after the manner of flies, they were to alight in Judea, that they might fuck out the strength and vigour of the Jewish nation. The Egyptian army was to march from the uttermoft part of the rivers of that kingdom. The great river Nile, by which the land of Egypt was watered, is faid to have divided into feven different ftreams, by which it emptied itfelf into the sea. Thefe, I fuppofe, are the rivers here intended; and from the remote places about them, called Lower Egypt, the troops here spoken of, were to march against Judah. And for the bee that is in the land of Affyria. By the bee here mentioned, the army of Affyria feems to be meant. To this infect the Creator hath given a fharp fting, by which it defends itself, and annoys its enemies; and fo affords a lively reprefentation of people armed for war. The army of Affyria, in a fpecial manner, resembled the bee; as it was compofed of vaft numbers, who were all fubject to one king, all observed the ftricteft order and discipline, their movements were attended with a martial found, whilst they displayed the utmoft fkill and fortitude in carrying on war. On these and other accounts, the troops of that empire might be fpoken of under this figurative defcription. For the armies of Egypt and Affyria the prophet declared, that the Lord would hils. The expreflion occurred, Chap. v. 26. and feems to refer to the practice of fhepherds, who, by means of a pipe, or fome other inftrument, called together their flocks, that they might conduct them with the greater ease and safety wherever they intended. 3 H intended. It plainly intimates, that the Lord, who mustereth the armies of battle, would give the fignal to numerous powerful armies to affemble, and march toward Judea, that they might execute his awful judgments upon its ungrateful inhabitants. 19 And they fhall come, and fhall reft all of them in the defolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bufhes. No fooner doth God fpeak, than it is done; no fooner doth he call, than he is obeyed. All the creatures are obedient to his command; and when he gives orders, the moft powerful armies never fail to execute his defigns. Fire, hail, fnow, vapour, and ftormy wind, fulfil his pleafure; angels execute his orders; destruction and death perform what he directs; and the greateft armies among men accomplish his purpofes, though oft-times there is not any thing which is farther from their intention. Though they make not his law the rule of their conduct, nor his glory the end of their actions, yet, by a fecret and powerful influence, he effectually inclines and difpofes them to fulfil his purposes and predictions, of which the prophet here gives affurance.By the defolate valleys, are doubtlefs meant thofe fertile plains in the land of Judea, which were formerly covered with corns, and beautified with towns and villages. These were to be totally laid wafte by the hoftile incurfions of the powerful enemies of Judah, who fhould there take up their occafional refidence. And in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon alk bushes. In thefe expreffions there is an obvious reference to the figurative language used in the foregoing verfe, where the Egyptians and Affyrians are fpoken of by the names of the fly and the bee, which are well known to frequent holes of the rocks, large thorns, and beautiful bufhes. When, therefore, it is foretold, that the hoftile armies of these nations, who are the fubjects of this prediction, fhould reft in thefe places, the words, when divefted of figure, denote, that they fhould occupy in the land of Judah places of every fort, high and low, great and fmall, frequented and obfcure, the cultivated grounds, the fortified cities, the magnificent edifices, and remote villages.This prophecy received its accomplishment, when Necho, king of Egypt, came up to fight against Carchemifh by Euphrates, when Jofiah went out and fought with him in the valley of Megiddo, where the king of Judah was flain, the land was made tributary, and Jehoahaz, whom the Jews elevated to the throne in room of his father, was depofed from the royal dignity, as you read, 2 Chron. xxxv. 20. And afterward, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Affyria, came up against Jehoiachin, and the Lord fent against Judah, to deftroy it, bands of the Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and of the children of Ammon, according to the word tirat he fpake by his fervants the prophets, this prediction was farther fulfilled *.True and faithful is God to all his promifes and threatenings. I am the Lord, faith he; I will ipeak, and the word that I will fpeak fhall come to pals. Wicked men often fuppofe, that threatened judgments will not be executed; or if they fhall, that they will not be inflicted for a long time; and therefore they refolve, like the Jews of old, that they will not hearken, or prefume to charge the fervants of the Moft High with falfehood. Thus, by various dangerous deceptions, they put far from them that word which ought to be prized by them as the word of falvasion. Aware of this dangerous practice, let us take heed of deceiving ourfelves by frivolous pretexts, and rejecting the counfel of God revealed for our benefit. Keeping fully in view the veracity of Jehovah, demonstrated in the accom、 See 2 Kings xxiv. 1. and following verses. plishment |