ceived from God, was that given to Jeremiah, where he was thus conimanded; Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Ifrael, and against Judah, ⚫ and against all the nations, from the day I fpake unto thee, from the days of Jofiah, even unto this day *.' What kind attention to the interefts of mankind hath the bleffed God discovered at all times, in the inftructions which he hath communicated to his fervants the prophets! A remarkable inftance of this lies now be fore us, in the information he conveyed by Ifaiah, to the kingdoms of Judah, Ephraim, and Syria, of an approaching important event, wherein they were deeply interested; of which we, as well as they, ought to make proper improvement. 2 And I took unto me faithful witneffes to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the fon of Jeberechiah. The tranfaction here narrated, was no doubt done in obedience to the orders which our prophet received from God, which, for the fake of brevity, he only in part recorded in the foregoing verfe.Having got a large polithed tablet, and a graving inftrument, or a great roll, and a man's pen, that he might execute his orders with the greater folemnity, and the tranfaction be legally confirmed, he provides two refpectable, faithful witneffes to atteft the fact. I fuppofe thefe men were to fubfcribe their names in the roll, or to infert them in the writing-tablet, as witneffes, after the manner of an inftrument intended for public ufe, that they might give weight and authority to this prediction, for the conviction of Ahaz and his people.One of these witneffes was Uriah the priest. Though this man afterward affifted Ahaz in idolatrous practices, and built him an altar after the pattern which the king fent him from Damafcus, he feems at this time to have been a perfon of good cha racter and unquestionable veracity, as well as refpecta bility, on account of the facred office with which he was invefted. The other witnefs, which our prophet called to his affiftance, was Zechariah, the fon of Je berechiah. He was probably a Levite, one of the fons of Afaph, who, in the beginning of Hezekiah's reign, affembled with his brethren, and fanctified themselves, at the commandment of the king, to cleanfe the houfe of the Lord, as we read, 2 Chron. xxix. 13. 15.-How exact the obedience, how admirable the candour, which our prophet difplayed, in executing the order he received from God!, Let us imitate him in thefe refpects, and endeavour faith. fully to perform every part of the office affigned us. 3 And I went unto the prophetess, and she conceived and bare a fon; then faid the LORD to me, Call his name, Maher-fhalal-hash-baz. In this verse, Isaiah mentions another exprefs com, mand that he received from God, with the circumstance which gave rife to this order. According to the custom of the Hebrews, and fome other nations, women derive their names from their husbands, or the profeffions which they follow; though this prac tice does not correfpond altogether with the idiom of our language, and the phrafeology used among us. By the prophetess, the wife of our prophet feems plainly to be intended. About this time he conceived and brought forth a fon, whom the Lord, by fome revelation he afforded his fervant, directed to be called Maherfhalal-hash-baz, the very name which was required to be written in the roll, or inferted in the polished tablet, mentioned in the first verte of this chapter. In confequence of this divine appointment, which doubtlefs Ifaiah punctually obeyed, all who faw the child, or heard him named, were reminded of the pro phecy phecy written by our prophet, and attested by two faithful witneffes, of which this name was the comprehenfive fum. You may remember, he had an elder fon, called Shear-jashub, a name big with comfort, fignifying, a remnant fhall return. The manifold mercies of God having been abufed by the people among whom the prophet acted by divine commiffion, and among whom he, and the children whom God gave him, were for figns and wonders in lirael, he was directed to call a younger fon by a name, importing, that predicted judgments would be speedily exe. cuted. Thus did God gracioufly condefcend, by various ways, to inftruct his people in the certainty of approaching calamities, which were foon to be inflicted upon Damafcus and Samaria. Hence we ought to learn, diligently to attend to the divine admonitions which we receive of thofe awful judgments, which ere long fhall be executed upon the impenitent and ungodly. 4 For before the child fhall have knowledge to cry, My father and my mother, the riches of Damafcus, and the fpoil of Samaria, fhall be taken away before the king of Affyria. In these words, the time is fixed for the accomplishment of the calamities here foretold.Little chil dren commonly begin to call their parents by name, when they are between two and three years of age; fo that we may conclude, that within four years after the date of this prediction, the events fore told fhould come to pafs.The first of thefe respects the riches of Damafcus, which was the chief city of Syria, in Afia, fituated in a large plain, upon the river Chryforchoas, lying between the range of mountains over against Lebanon and mount Hermon, one hundred and forty miles to the fouthward of Jerufalem. It was one of the most ancient cities in the world, being mentioned in the history of the patriarch triarch Abraham, Gen. xiv. 15. where we are inform ed, that the father of the faithful, with his trained fer, vants, purfued after the kings who had plundered his brother's fon, and taken him captive, unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damafcus. In the days of Ahaz, this city feems to have been remarkable for its opulence, and its numerous inhabitants.The · latter relates to the fpoil of Samaria, which was the chief city of the kingdom of Ephraim, built by Omri, one of the kings of Ifrael, who bought the hill Samaria of Shemer, for two talents of filver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the former owner of the hill, Samaria. The city stood high, was well fortified, and was remarkable for the fine fprings of water from which the inhabitants were plentifully fupplied, and watered the vineyards, the olive-yards, and gardens, that were planted in its vicinity. It is now known by the name of Sebaste, where the remains of the palace of Ahab, king of Ifrael, are ftill to be feen.The riches and the fpoil of thefe royal cities are here foretold, to be taken away before the king of Affyria. The expreffion feems to allude to the ancient custom of conquerors, who ordered the fpoils of those they had vanquifhed, to be carried in triumph before them into the kingdom or city for which they fought. The Affyrian monarch, with his victorious army, were to return to their own land, richly laden with the spoils they had taken in war, after having pillaged both the metropolis and the country of Ephraim, and Syria, and made great flaughter among their inhabitants.This prediction was accordingly fulfilled within three or four years, by Tiglath-pilefer, king of Affyria, who took Damafcus, carried the people captive to Kir, and flew Rezin, as you read, 2 Kings xvi. 9.; and who alfo took the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manaffeh, and carried them captive to Assy * 2 Kings xvi. 23, 24. 3 K ria, ria, as is written, 2 Kings xv. 29.In the review of this fubject, we may fay of the people of God what was faid of the Romans, They were often overcome in battle, but never in war. They have been frequently in perilous circumftances; but the Moft High hath always been their defence, and hath never failed feasonably to appear for their deliverance, which ought to animate us to hope and confidence in God. Like Ahaz, and his people, however, we are apt to fufpect the truth and faithfulness of Jehovah, in his promifes and predictions refpecting the fafety of his people, efpecially when events run counter to our expectations, and unfurmountable difficulties feem to lie in the way of their accomplishment. In defpondency we are ready to exclaim, Where is the help that God hath promifed in the day of trouble? Let the exact completion of the above and fimilar prophecies of the most unlikely events, excite us to say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and iny fortrefs: my God, in him will I truft *." 5 The LORD fpake alfo unto me again, faying. The prophet declares, that the Almighty, who gave him the inftructions he had already mentioned, was the author of thefe which he is about to relate. He affirms, that the Lord ipake unto him: but he does not inform us, whether he received the following revelation by an audible voice from heaven, by a vifion in the night, or by fome deep impreffion made upon his mind.. The words alfo and again, which are here ufed, ferve to intimate, that a new period begins at this verfe; and that another fubject of difcourfe, fomewhat different from the former, is introduced, containing a more full declaration of the future fortunes of Ephraim and Judah. By this affertion, he * Pfal. xci. 2. |