us, who were fitting in the region and fhadow of death; and let us earnestly pray, that he who commanded the light to fhine out of darkness, may fhine into our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. While ye have light, believe in the light; cordially embrace the great Redeemer, thankfully receive the record of God concerning him, faithfully improve the advantages you enjoy, that ye may be the children of light, progreffively advancing in the knowledge of the truth, and in all holy conversation and godliness. Yet a little while is the light with you: walk while ye have the light, left darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.'

3 Thou haft multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee, according to the joy in harveft, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

The prophet feems to have addressed these words to the most high God, in grateful acknowledgment of the great benefit he had promifed, of caufing light to arise upon the people that walked in darkness; and represents the happy confequences to refult from that favour.By the nation here spoken of, may be meant either the Jewish nation, who were the natural defcendants of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob; or the true Ifrael of God, the fpiritual pofterity of these illustrious patriarchs. The Almighty had promised to Abraham, his friend, that he fhould be a father of many nations; that he fhould become a great and mighty nation; and that his pofterity fhould be innumerable, like the fand of the fea, and the stars of heaven. From various paffages of the historical as well as prophetical parts of the Old Testament, these

2 Cor. iv. 6.

and

and fimilar predictions, relative to this fubject, plainly appear to have received their accomplishment under that difpenfation. About the time to which this prophecy refers, when the great light was feen by those who dwelt in the land of the fhadow of death, God multiplied exceedingly the Jewish nation, and conferred upon them many fignal favours, whereby they were greatly enlarged. They filled not only the land of Judea, but great numbers of them dwelt in the neighbouring countries of Egypt, Syria, Mefopotamia, Media, and in many other places. A remarkable inftance of their having been prodigiously multiplied at the period referred to, is mentioned by Jofephus, who says, in his history of the Jewish wars, that, at one paffover, about three millions of fouls were affembled at Jerufalem *. By this amazing increase of the nation, ample ground was afforded for joy, and praise to God, especially as about this time the true Ifrael of God were also multiplied, and many added to the Lord of fuch as fhould be saved.

And not increafed the joy; or rather, "Thou haft in"creased their joy," according to the new tranflation of the learned Bishop of London, which, though very different from that engroffed into our text, is perfectly agreeable to the Hebrew, the marginal reading, and the connection of the words. In the following part of the verse, the increased joy, here mentioned, is illuftrated by two fimilitudes, which fhew to what ftrength and height it attained. Joy is that agreeable affection which arifes in the mind from the pleafing expectation, or actual poffeffion, of fome defirable or important blefling. To excite, preferve, and increase it, property, poffeffion, and utility, or the profpect of them, are indispensably requifite, The poor rejoice not in the riches of the great, because they are not their property; nor do perfons commonly rejoice in their property, unless they are allowed poffeffion. The

Book vii. chap. xvii.

feparation

feparation of the latter from the former of thefe, gave rife to the famous contention between the Greeks and Trojans. Both property and poffeffion must promote utility and comfort; for it is ufe and benefit that gives occafion to joy, and its increase. The Jewish nation derived manifold advantages from the vast increase of their numbers, and the poffeffion of the important bleflings therewith connected; and, therefore, it well became them to be joyful, and to rejoice before the Lord their God, as they were commanded *. At the time to which our prophet looked forward, God was graciously pleased to enlarge the grounds of their joy, by the appearance of the great light mentioned in the preceding verfe, by restoring to them the key of knowledge that had been taken away, by removing their carnal prejudices against the truth, by giving check to the corrupt practices they had adopted from their Heathen neighbours; and, above all, by multiplying among them the happy number of his true Ifrael, and turning away ungodlinefs from Jacob.

They joy before thee, according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the Spoil. The joy of the nation is here illuftrated by two beautiful fimilitudes. The joy wherewith they joyed before God, in the fervices of his houfe, and in the duties of his worship, refembled the feftivity and joy of harvest. An agreeable and plentiful harvest is indeed a feafon of great cheerfulness, when people are employed in reaping and collecting together the precious fruits of the earth, with which it hath pleased God, by his bleffing, to crown their induftry and diligence; and in laying up its rich produce for their provifion, as the means of fupport through the enfuing year. In fuch a cheerful feafon, much ground of public joy is afforded, and gladnefs univerfally prevails through the country. One of the three folemn feftivals which the children of Ifrael were commanded to obferve

* Deut. xii. 7.

unto

unto the Lord, in which all the males were required to appear before him at Jerufalem, was called the Feaft of in-gathering, because it was kept after all the fruits of the land were collected together, and laid up in ftore. The feftivity and joy expreffed on thefe occafions, and which is vifible in the harvestseason, afford a lively reprefentation of the joy which was promised to arife from the increase of the nation. This joy was also to resemble that which people experience, when they divide the spoil. Upon fuch occafions, joy commonly arifes to a great height. Victory being obtained after a long and defperate engagement, joy fprings up in the minds of the conquerors, in the review of the imminent dangers they have escaped, the honour and triumph they have acquired, the peace and tranquillity they hope to enjoy, and the immenfe booty and fpoil with which they expect to be enriched. Accordingly we read, that after the Amalekites had fmitten Ziklag, and invaded the fouth, behold, they were fpread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out ⚫ of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of • Judah *.' Though you cannot enter into the spirit of this comparison as you did of the other, the leaft attention may convince you, that the joy, here intended, must be very great.This prediction received its accomplishment not long after the Son of God was manifefted, and the true light fhined; when multitudes believed, and many were added to the Lord; when the word of the Lord ran, and had free course, and was glorified, and churches were planted; which gave occafion of great joy to the na tions of them that were faved. And bleffed be God, who, in following ages, hath more and more multiplied his true Ifrael, and thus prefented us with the nobleft grounds of joy and triumph. if gathering in

1 Sam. xxx. 16.

the

the fruits of the earth, which can only fupport a perifhing life-if dividing the fpoils of an enemy among the conquerors, render people glad and joyful-how much more ought we to exult, when we are admitted to reap in joy what was fown with tears, and to participate in the fruits of our Saviour's labour of love when with the good foldiers of Jefus Christ, we prove victorious through his blood, and are enriched with the most precious fpoils! Surely these happy events fuggeft the ftrongeft reafons why we ought to be glad, and rejoice in the Lord, and his abundant goodness.

4 For thou haft broken the yoke of his burden, and the ftaff of his fhoulder, the rod of his oppreffor, as in the day of Midian.

Thefe words defcribe another important benefit arifing from the appearance of the Meffiah, and lay open a new fource of confolation and joy to his people.I pretend not to determine whether or not the prophet had in view the destruction of the yoke of Affyria, by whom the Jewish nation was for fome time oppreffed, which happened in the days of Hezekiah, when a wonderful flaughter was made among the troops of that empire. The prediction feems to me clearly and ultimately to refer to a memorable event that came to pafs foon after the great light was feen. The deftruction of the Affyrian yoke introduced a typical, imperfect, and temporal deliverance; whereas by breaking the yoke, here intended, a fpiritual, complete, and eternal falvation was to be enjoyed. The expreffions used in this verfe evidently require to be confidered not in their literal, but in their figurative fenfe. In this view, fin feems to be the burden here fpoken of. Under this description it is frequently mentioned in fcripture; as where the royal pfalmift complains, Mine iniquities are gone over mine head:

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