followed with tragical effects. After relating which, the infpired writer of the book of Judges makes this remark: There was no fuch deed done nor seen, from the day that the children of Ifrael came up out of the land of Egypt, unto this day: con'fider of it, take advice, and speak your minds *.” The people who dwelt here, leaving their habitations, fled to other places, where they hoped to enjoy greater tranquillity and fafety.

30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

This and the two following verfes defcribe the march of Sennacherib's army, approaching Jerufalem to inveft it, and the terror and confufion fpreading and increafing through the feveral places as he advanced.--The name of Gallim is found only here, and in 1 Sam. xxv. 44. from whence we derive no affiftance in afcertaining its fituation, and other circumstances. It is obvious, from the connection in which it is here mentioned, that it lay in the neighbourhood of Ramah and Gibeah, in the tract of country between Gibeah and Jerufalem. The daughter, or the inhabitants of Gallim, are called upon by our prophet, to lift up their voice, that they might deplore and lament the danger of their condition, in being exposed to the mercilefs rage and cruelty of a powerful victorious army.--Caufe it to be heard unto Laifh. In the 18th chapter of the book of Judges, you read of the country of Laifh, which five men, of the tribe of Dan, were fent by their brethren to furvey; and of a city of that name, which they called Dan, after their father. The Laish, however, which is here fpoken of, feems to have been another town, fituated between Gallim and Anathoth, at no great distance from the former, otherwife the voice of

*Judges xix. 30.

lamentation

lamentation in Gallim could not have reached it.The prophet next commiferates the unhappy condition of the people of Anathoth. This was another of the cities, with her fuburbs, which was given to the priests, the children of Aaron. Being mentioned in the paffage above cited, immediately after Gibeon and Gebah, it probably lay at no great distance from them. This city was renowned for having been the place of the prophet Jeremiah's nativity and refidence. The compaffionate manner wherein it is here addressed leads to fuppofe, that, at the time in which the Affyrians marched toward Jerufalem, the inhabitants were in a very deplorable condition.

31 Madmenah is removed, the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

These two places, fo far as I know, are not mentioned in any other paffage of fcripture befide the one now before us. I fhall therefore only remark, that they were probably cities or towns lying toward Jerufalem, on the north-west, in the fame tract of country through which our prophet defcribes the Affyrian army taking their march toward the metropolis of Judea. Struck with terror at the approach of the enemy, the people of Madmenah removed from their habitations, and the inhabitants of Gebim were collected together, with the refolution of fleeing for fafety.

32 As yet fhall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerufalem.

Nob was a city belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Jerufalem, and inhabited by the priests, as appears from the hiftory of David, who went thither to vifit Ahimelech the priest f. In this place the ark

* See Joshua xxi. 18.

ti Sam. xxi. I.

of

66

of God remained for fome time before it was taken to Gibeon; and here Sennacherib was to remain for a day, to refresh his troops, and prepare for the fiege of the capital of Judea. The words of the Chaldee Paraphrast on this verfe are remarkable, and worthy of attention. They are thefe: "Sennacherib "came and stood in Nob, a city of the priests, be "fore the walls of Jerufalem, and faid to his army, "Is not this the city Jerufalem, against which I have brought my whole army, having fubdued all its "provinces? Is it not small and weak in comparison "of the fortifications of the Gentiles, which I have "fubdued by the valour of my hand? He stood "nodding with his head, and wagging his hand up " and down, as a man is wont to do when he de"spiseth any thing." This is a very fimple and natural illuftration of the words before us. The mount of the daughter of Zion, is a Hebrew phrafe, equivalent, in our language, to the inhabitants of mount Zion; which, with the hill of Jerufalem, may be intended to fignify those who refided both in the upper and lower parts of that city. Against them the prophet declares, that the king of Af fyria fhall fhake his hand: thus intimating his ftrong displeasure, and determined purpose, to execute upon them terrible vengeance, on account of their oppofition to his authority and government. In this sense of the expreffion, we read, That a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba by name, the fon of Bichri, hath lift up or fhaken his hand against the king, • even against David *. Against the holy city, which God had chofen for his habitation, and had hitherto defended by his providence, did the proud Affyrian monarch lift up his hand, threatening to deftroy it; and, having marched his forces toward it, he was now going to try to carry his menaces into execution, and feverely to punish the inhabitants for their obfti

nate refiftance.The fulfilment of this prediction you find written, 2 Chron. xxxii. 9. and following verfes. From the prophetical narration we have juft confidered, and its exact accomplishment, we learn, that all the movements of princes and great people, indeed of all men of every defcription, are from the beginning perfectly known unto God, and are under the direction and fuperintendence of his divine providence. He hath the most clear and accurate foreknowledge of all men, of all hearts, and of all actions; and most exactly foresees what men will be, and what they will do; what means they will employ, and what ends they will pursue. His omnifcience extends to every creature, and penetrates into the inmoft receffes of every heart. Whilft we admire and adore this foreknowledge of God, of which we have now seen a very striking instance, improve it to fupport you under all your infirmities, to comfort you under all your afflictions and dangers, and to animate you in performing the various fervices to which you may be called.How terrible must be the approach of a great victorious army to the inhabitants of the towns and of the country againft which they are marching! What fear and terror, what confternation and dread, muft every where prevail among the people, whilft multitudes are trembling and crying with fright, and numbers, in the utmost precipi tation and confufion, every where fleeing for fafety from impending ruin! This confideration, fuggested by what we have now been hearing, ought to excite us to thankfulness to God for the peace and fafety which, through divine mercy, we enjoy, and a faithful im provement of the manifold advantages with which we are favoured.

33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, fhall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of ftature shall be hewn down, and the haughty fhall be humbled.

4

In this and the following verfe, are reprefented the confequences with which the grand expedition of the Affyrian monarch fhould be followed. The defcription is introduced with great majefty and folemnity, in order to excite the greater attention to the foretold event. The deftruction of the Affyrian army is exhibited under the image of a great foreft, confifting of many flourishing trees, with ftrong and high branches; yea, of Lebanon itself, covered with lofty cedars, but cut down, and laid level with the ground, by the hand of fome powerful agent. The overthrow, which is the fubject of this prediction, our prophet hath repeatedly mentioned; but as this won, derful event engaged his admiring attention, and took poffeffion of his mind, he once more introduces it in this verse, where he affirms, that the Lord of hosts fhall lop the bough with terror. The tree fhould not at once be cut down, but its principal branch, the vast army, which had ftretched itself nearly fo far as Jerufalem, was to be lopt off in a very awful manner, fo as to ftrike terror into the whole empire. And the high ones of ftature fhall be hewn down. The choicest and most elevated perfons, fuch as the princes, the nobles, the generals, and officers, who occupied the most eminent ftations in the state and in the army, were to be fuddenly deprived of their dignity, and laid level with the meaneft of the people. And the haughty fhall be humbled. After men have attained to high ftation, they often become infolent and haughty, forgetful of what they once were, of what they now are, and to whom they are indebted for their exaltation and dignity. Vaft numbers of this description were doubtlefs in the Affyrian army and empire: and of fuch it is here foretold, they fhall be humbled and brought low; their pride should receive a powerful check, and their condition be totally reverfed.This is the peculiar work of the Lord of hofts. No tree fo great and strong, no bough fo lofty, no man fo elevated and proud, but

the