And under his glory he fhall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. The metaphor here used alludes to the fire, which, in a very short time, reduces to ashes the combuftible matter that lies within its reach. Fire is frequently mentioned in fcripture, as the inftrument which God employs in executing righteous judgment upon finners. The Lord rained upon Sodom, and Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. Among the wonderful plagues fent upon the Egyptians, was fire mingled with hail t When the anger of the Lord was kindled against the Ifraelites, on account of their murmuring, we read, that the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and confumed them who were in the uttermoft parts of the camp. At the request of the prophet Elijah, fire came down from heaven, and confumed the captain, and his fifty men, that were fent to apprehend him. In thefe and other inftances, the fire fpoken of was extraordinary and miraculous, as was that which is threatened to confume the glory of Affyria, confifting in the well-furnished powerful army of that empire, which conftituted its strength and defence. Under this glory the Lord was to kindle a burning, whereby it fhould fuddenly and irresistibly be devoured. The prophecy, when compared with the accomplishment, which you read, 2 Kings xix. 35. et feq. is eafy to be understood, and therefore requires little illuftration. By this fire, Sennacherib, king of Affyria, loft, in one night, of his vaft army lying before Jerufalem, one hundred and eighty-five thoufand men; after which, with the remainder, he was obliged to return to his own country, where not long after he was put to death by his fons. In this manner was the prediction before us moft remarkably verified; and the event is record† Exod. ix. 23, 24. ‡ Numb. xi. 1. et feq.

Gen. xix. 24. 2 Kings i. 10.

ed for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

17 And the light of Ifrael fhall be for a fire, and his holy One for a flame: and it fhall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.

-I

The judgment threatened in the preceding verfe is in thefe words farther defcribed and explained.fuppofe the Son of God, the Angel of the divine prefence, to whom is committed the adminiftration of all the affairs relative to the church of God, is the Perfon intended by the light of Ifrael, and his ho ly One. This character juftly belongs to him who is light, and in whom is no darkness at all; who is the true light, prefigured by the typical lamps hung out to alleviate the darknefs of the former difpenfation; and who, by this defignation, is diftinguished from thofe dangerous falfe lights that have appeared in the world. He is the light of the world, who fpake natural light into exiftence, who lighted up all the great luminaries of heaven, and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world with the light of reason and understanding. This defcription may have a fpecial reference to the very confpicuous part which this illuftrious Perfon acted toward Ifrael, when he conducted them out of Egypt, through the wildernefs, toward the promifed land of reft. By a pillar of fire, he illuminated their camp, and directed their marches through the defert, during the darkness of the night; and afforded them all that typical light which they enjoyed from the inftitutions of the law. Efpecially is he the light of Ifrael, as he enlightens them with the knowledge of the truths and ways of God; and whilst he confumes their enemies, he purifies them from corruption to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works. With equal propriety is the Son of God called his holy One. In his divine nature, he is glorious in holinefs; in his human nature, he is holy,

harmless,

harmless, and undefiled; in all his offices, operations, and instructions, he difplays the most confummate righteoufnefs, rectitude, and purity; and from him proceed all thofe beauties of holinefs with which his people are adorned, and in which they fhine forthbefore men, to the glory of their heavenly Father.Concerning this glorious Perfon the prophet declares, that, in the destruction of Affyria,

.

He fhall be for a fire, and for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and briers in one day. Devouring fire and flame make a terrible appearance in the view of fpectators. What a dreadful fight to behold a large fhip of war on fire, or a great city in flames! Fire and flame not only ftrike the beholders with terror, but also give occafion to great pain and agony to those on whom they lay hold; and, there fore, when the judgments of God were abroad on the earth, our prophet thus defcribes his own condition, and that of his devout countrymen: As a woman. with child that draweth near the time of her delivery is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; fo have we 'been in thy fight, O Lord. To this I add, that fire and flame destroy all that lie within their reach: hence the royal poet thus fpeaks of defolating judg-ments: Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord fhall fwallow them up in his wrath, and the fire fhall devour them +.’· On thefe and fimilar accounts, the light, and holy. One of Ifrael is here foretold to be for a fire and flame. How formidable, how terrible would be his appearance at the time to which this prediction re-. fers, when his kindled wrath was quickly to confume the glory of one of the greatest empires in the world! How acute the pain, how great the diftrefs, which would be felt by thofe who were confumed by this fire and flame, and how dreadful the confumption that was to attend the accomplishment of the event † Pfal. xxi. 9.

* Ifaiah xxvi. 17.

here

here foretold! and, therefore, with great propriety, the judgment, to be executed by the Son of God, is expreffed by fire and flame, which were to devour the briers and thorns in one day. The Affyrian forces, compofed of the common people of that extenfive empire, are doubtlefs intended by the figurative defcription of briers and thorns. Like thefe kinds of bufhes, they were exceeding numerous, clofely interwoven and connected with one another: none could touch them, far lefs break through them, without being much hurt; and, like combuftible stuff, they were ready to be confumed by fire and flame. So rapid was to be the progrefs of divine judgment, that they were to be devoured in one day, in a very fhort fpace of time, alluding probably to the fudden overthrow of Sennacherib's army in one night.

18 And fhall confume the glory of his foreft, and of his fruitful field, both foul and body: and they shall be as when a ftandard-bearer fainteth.

The dreadful progrefs of the above-mentioned devouring fire and flame is here marked, and its direful effects upon Affyria are more fully delineated.The forest of the king of Affyria, the glory of which was to be confumed, is not to be literally explained, of the royal forest that contained all forts of game belonging to the king; but must be figuratively underftood, either as denoting thofe large and populous cities, in which were built magnificent palaces and temples, with other public edifices, and vaft numbers of houfes, fome of which contained the most eminent people in the empire; or rather, as fignifying thẹ principal viceroys, the richest nobles, the most powerful rulers, and valiant commanders, who were renowned for the dignity of their rank, the fplendour of their condition, and their courage in the time of danger. The glory of his fruitful field, may either de

note

note the plentiful productions of the fertile lands belonging to Affyria, fuch as corn, wine, and oil, the delicious fruits with which their country abounded, with the prodigious quantities of cattle which attended the Affyrian prince at the time to which this prediction refers; or rather, thofe ftout young men who had entered into the army, or in various capacities attended it, who were the beauty and glory of the fruitful country in which they were born and brought up. Both foul and body. A proverbial expreflion, which clearly intimates the complete deftruction of those who are here intended: the chief fenators and counsellors, with their beft officers, who were the foul whereby the nation was animated and directed; these were to fall, with the great body of the army, who were to be cut off in one night. The few who were to be exempted from the common calamity, overwhelmed with confternation and dread, fhould be obliged precipitantly to flee for fafety.And they fhall be as when a ftandard-bearer fainteth. The comparison used to illuftrate the timid, diforderly condition of the remains of the Affyrian army is just and beautiful. When the officer who bears the standard or enfign belonging to a regiment of foldiers faints, becomes feeble, languid, and dejected, through fear, fatigue, or the wounds he hath received, and the ftandard drops to the ground, or is fnatched away by the enemy, the band of union is broken, confufion arifes, timidity prevails, and the men make a hafty retreat. Thefe circumstances afford a ftriking representation of the condition of the Affyrian army, after the threatened judgment was executed. Their hearts became feeble and faint; they were filled with dismay and perplexity, and fled with the greatest precipitation for fafety, like a man when his house is in imminent danger of being confumed by fire.

19 And the rest of the trees of his foreft fhall be few, that a child may write them,

So