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to their ufual Place: So that no Change was made in Ghapter the state of the Heavenly Bodies; But that there was XXXVIII. fome change for the prefent, was obferv'd both in the Northern Part of the World, at Babylon, from whence Merodach Baladan fent to inquire about this Wonder, 2 Chron. 32. 31. and alfo in the Southern, in the Land of Egypt. As we may gather from a remarkable Paffage in Herodotus; who tells as in his Euterpe, Chap. CXLII. that the Egyptians had obferv'd ftrange alterations in the Sun: So that it had rifen Four times, év out of its ufual Courfe, ατεῦθεν των καταδύεται, ἐντεῦθεν δὶς ἐπανε Tλ, &c. it rifing twice where it now fets, and fetting twice where it now rifes, and yet, at Aguation ὑπὸ τοῦτα ἑτεροιωθῆναι, And yet no change at all made among the Egyptians by these things; neither in the Earth, nor in the River, nor any thing elfe. This is a plain Evidence, that their Neighbours (and many others it's like) had heard of the unufual motions of the Sun, (tho' without any alterations in the Heavenly Bodies, which were foon return'd to their former Station) but had not a perfect Knowledge of them, or had corrupted that Knowledge: For to thefe two mention'd in Scripture, in the Time of Joshua and Hezekiah; the Egyptians added two more, and make them to have been near the fame time. But the Jews themselves have been thus Fabulous, who fay in the Chapter Chelek, that the Day on which Abaz died was but two hours long: But now when Hezekiah's Life was prolong'd, God reftor'd those Ten Hours which were then wanting, and fo brought Time even. See Schichard in his Bechina happerushim, Pag. 122. They alfo believe this Miracle was wrought a little before Sun-fet: But that excellent Perfon whom I have often mention'd, (Dr. Alix) thinks it evident it was before Noon, about our Ten of the Clock..

Ver. 9, 10. The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recover'd of his fickness: I faid in the cutting of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the refidue of my years.] Mictab may be. render'd a Poem or a Song, writ by Hezekiah, upon the occafion of his dangerous Sickness and wonderful Recovery; in which he defcribes the Violence of his Disease,

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Chapter and how he behav'd himself under it, what he thought, XXXVIII. and what he faid to God in thofe melancholy Circum

ftances; and first he could not but own it griev'd him, to be abruptly cut off, as it were, when he had half the Race of his Life ftill to run, to be depriv'd of those Years which, according to the Courfe of Nature, he might juftly reckon, as it were, his due. I faid in the cutting off of my days, when I thought the Lord was about to take away my Life.

Ver. 11. I faid, I shall not fee the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living: I fhall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.] It troubled his pious Soul to think he should have no more Opportunies of feeing and praifing God in his holy Temple; and it added to the Horror of Death, to think of being taken away from the Prefence of the Lord into the dark Grave, where he could expect to fee nothing. Sciebat enim, says Forerius, eo tempore mortuos divinâ Vifione non frui.

Ver. 12. Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a fhepherds tent: I have cut off like a weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining fickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.] As if he had faid, I must depart to another Region like the wandring Shepherd, who, when his Flocks have eat the neighbouring Pasture, rolls up his Tent, and removes to another Quarter. The reft of the Verfe may be thus render'd with lefs Obfcurity, The Thread of my Life is cut off, as it were, by a Weaver, I am confum'd by a wasting Disease, all the day long I did nothing but cry out, O Lord, thou wilt make an end of

me.

Ver. 13. I reckoned till morning, that as a lion, so will be break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.This Verfe is differently render'd by Interpreters, and the fenfe very variously given; but I think the words will admit the following fenfe, All the Night long I impatiently wifh'd for the Morning, my Pain being as fharp as if my Bones had been gnaw'd by a Lion; and when the Morning came my Pain continu'd, and all day long again I cry'd out, O Lord thou wilt make an end. of me!

Ver. 14. Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward : O Lord,

I am oppressed undertake for me. As if he had faid, The Ex tremity of my Pain made be break out fome tinies in tertifi ing Shrieks, and fometimes in lower Strains, like the foft doleful Murmur of a Dove; or my Strength was fo far Spent by my Difeafe, that I could fcarce make an articulate Sound, but feem'd to chatter like a Bird, rather than speak like a Man; my heavy Eyes at. laft could fcarce keep open, and were not without difficulty lifted up as often as I thought on thee, O Lord; and at laft I was forced to cry out, O Lord affift me, I can hold out no longer. He fpeaks of his Difeafe, as if it feiz'd him like a rough Bailiff, and begs God, as it were, to be bound for him, that he, may get out of its violent hands.

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Chapter XXXVIII.

Ver. 15. What shall I fay? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go foftly all my years in the bitterness of my foul.] As if he had faid, Why do I come plain? He hath told me I fhall recover, and hath in ar inftant made me well. He feems to be tranfported on a fudden with a fenfe of returning Health, and may be fuppos'd to speak this when the Prophet told him the Lord would add to his days fifteen Years. I shall go foft- Grotiu. ly, Eddadde (a) All my Life long fhall reflect on the Vehemence of this Distemper: The Hebrew Verb fignifies to go, and by a Metaphor, to reflect and mourn; and Day thinks the Prophet means, I will be forry all the days of my Life for having offended my God, alluding to the Pace of those who are in Sorrow, which is generally flow. Hein Lord yo

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Ver. 16. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my fpirit: fa wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.] This Verfe is very obfcure, as appears by the different Tranflations of them among Interpreters, of lall which this I take to be the most natural; O Lord, by these Bibl. maxima. Things which Thou haft done for me many Men recover thein Health again, and by thefe Things is the Life of my Spirit continu'd; Thou healeft me, and makest me to live. By thefe Things he means the Visitation whereby God did. vifit him in Mercy by the Prophet, the Promife which God made to him of adding 15 Years to his Days, God giving him as OV

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Chapter Sign to confirm what he promis'd, and his appointing a XXXVIII, Plaister of Figs for his Recovery.

Ver. 17. Behold, for peace 1 had great bitterness; but thou haft in love to my foul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast caft all my fins behind thy back.] These Words may be render'd, Behold, my Pains are abated, and I am perfectly at Eafe, for thou hast in Love to my Soul deliver'd me from the Pit of Corruption, and haft forgiven me all my Sins, for which this Diftemper was fent upon me, and is taken away now they are blotted out.

Ver. 18, 19. For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for tby truth. The living, the living, he fhall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children fhall make known thy truth.] Thefe Words fhew the End for which God refcu'd him as it were out of the Jaws of Death, that he might praise God, not only in Words, but A&tions, that he might have an Opportunity of glorifying God, by doing good in his Generation, and promoting Religion and Vertue among his Subjects, which in the Grave was not to be done; they that go down to the Pit cannot fo much as have any Hope of thy gracious Promifes, much lefs can they declare it or praise thee for it, the Living are the only Perfons who enjoy thofe happy Opportunities.

Ver. 20. The Lord was ready to fave me: therefore we will fing my fongs to the ftringed inftruments, all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord.] That is, when I was just ready to expire the Lord was at hand to fave me, who gave fuch a fudden Motion to my Blood as rais'd my Spirits, and fet diforder'd Nature. right, therefore will I fing Praifes to his Name as often as I enter into his Holy Temple; fuch Public Bleffings we may probably infer from hence us'd to be celebrated much after the fame manner as our Public Thanksgivings, the King with his Court went in State to the Temple, where Hymns of Praife and Thankf giving were fung to Mufic by Perfons appointed to that purpose, for whatever they might do in their Closets, I think it fuits not with the Majefty of a King to play on a Harp or any other Musical Instrument in the Sight of the People.

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Ver. 21, For Ifaiah bad faid, Let them take a lump of Chapter figs, and lay or a plaifter upon the boil, and he shall recovet. XXXVII. Hezekiah alfo had faid, What is the fign, that I shall go up to the boufe of the Lord?] There might be fome natural Vertue in the Cataplafm to foften and ripen an hard Humour, as this feems to have been, (fome thik a Plague Sore) but it was a fupernatural Power which made fo fpeedy a Cure.

The ARGUMENT of Charter XXXIX.

About the time of Hezekiah's Recovery the King of Babylon fent to compliment him on the Occafion, at which the King was fo transported that he thought he could not make too much of his Ambaffadors, but fhew'd them every thing which was rare ·and curious, not only in Jerufalem, but in all his Kingdom; from which unpolitic Action of Hezekiah the Prophet takes occafion to foretel the Babylonian Captivity in plain Terms, which is the Subject of all the following Prophecies, except Chapter 53.

Verfer.

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CHA P. XXXIX.

T that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan King of Babylon, fent letters and a prefent to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been fick, and was recovered.] Who is call'd Berodach-Baladan, 2 Kings 20. 12. Merodach was the Name of an Idol among the Babylonians, as Baal or Bel was another, together with Adan or Adonis, as Sir John Marsham obferves; Fofephus calls him Barddas, and fo does Berofus. He was but a Tributary to the King of Affyria till Nebuchadnezzar came to reign, who caft off the Yoke of Affyria, and made that Monarchy fub→ ject to him; fome think he fent to Hezekiah to make a League with him against the King of Affyria, and it is likely to enquire about the. Wonder done in the Land; therefore in thefe Letters I fuppofe he alfo congratulated the Recovery of his Health.

Ver. 2. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and fhewed them the house of his precious things, the filver, and the gold, and the

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