IX. infulting Enemy, which the Prophet fets forth under the Chapter Metaphor of a Yoke, a Rod, and a Staff, those Inftruments and Signs of Slavery, to which they were fure to be reduc'd if the Affyrian prevail'd; he adds, as in the days of Midian, to let the Jews know they fhould owe their Deliverances to God, not their own Conduct or Courage, as in that notable Victory obtain'd by their Forefathers over the Midianites, in which the Hand of God was remarkably Judges c. 7. visible. Ver. 5. For every Battel of the warrior is with confused noife, and garments rolled in blood: but this fhall be with burning and fewel of fire.] That is, Victory is feldom gain'd without Tumult and Noife and Bloodshed, but here fhould be no fuch thing, the Affyrians fhall be fuddenly ftruck dead, as with a Blaft of Lightning, without any Noife or Ufe of Soldiers or Force of Arms; thus in feveral other Places the Prophet reprefents the fudden Overthrow of Sennacherib's Army, as if it were by, Fire or Lightning. Ver. 6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given, and the government fhall be upon his fhoulder and his name Shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.] This, fays Grotius must be understood in the firft literal Sense of Hezekiaḥ, for the fake of whofe eminent Vertues God, was pleas'd to exert his Omnipotence, and refcue his People just on the Brink of Ruin; and the Reafon of this is plain, be cause the Prophet here plainly imputes their Deliverance to a Child to be born about this Time, whereas the Birth of Christ fo many Hundred Years after could have no Influenced on the Time of their prefent Distress, nor contribute any thing to their Deliverance, but the Words are fo chofen that in their utmost and full Import they are more applicable to our Saviour than to Hezekiah, of whom the Jews are not to be blam'd for interpreting thefe Two Verfes, fince the Connexion neceffarily requires it; but their Fault is this, they will not allow any one else to be defign'd by the Prophet, tho' the Words plainly fhew he had a greater Perfon in his Eye, even the bleffed Jefus, The Prince of Peace, as (a) fome of them own; I fhall (4) Challee therefore fhew how every Sentence is capable of a double Paraphraft Chapter Interpretation, the one applicable to our Saviour, the IX. other to King Hezekiah. The Government shall be upon his Shoulder, that is, he fhall reign in the Throne of David, as the Metaphor fignifies, and as the Prophet more fully ex plains himself in the following Verfe, which cannot be literally true of our Saviour, whofe Kingdom was not of this World, as David's was, but in a fecond and fublimer Senfe the Expreffion denotes that Power which God devolv'd on his Son of governing his Spiritual Kingdom the Church His Name fhall be called Wonderful, that is, according to the Hebrew Idiom, he fhall be wonderful, which Hezekiah was in an eminent manner, as well upon the Account of his Perfonal Qualifications and Endowments, as for the Miracles God wrought in his Behalf; and fo was our Saviour wonderful upon the Account of his fupernatural Birth, and the adorable Myftery of the Union of God with Man, a thing fo wonderful that the Angels are faid to defire to look into it. Counsellor, The mighty God. St. Jerom here observes that we must not join Two Words , together, but fince he gives no Reason why we should not, we may be at Liberty to join them, if by that Means we can make the Senfe clearer than otherwise it would be; and to me it seems, fays Gataker, that they ought not to be feparated, fpeaking of Pele jonetz, a wonderful Counfellor; but Grotius joins fonetz with el gibbor, and tranflates thofe Three Words Confultaror Dei fortis, meaning Hezekiah, who on all important Occafions and weighty Affairs of Religion or State,never rely'd on his own judgment or the Wifdom of his Counfellors, but had always recourfe to God for Direction; but if we read the Word fingle, and apply'd to Hezekiah, it may fignify one who in all difficult Emergencies had recourfe to the Advice of his Counsellors; to our Saviour, one who made known to Mankind the whole Counfel of God, El Gibbor, The mighty God, thus the Words fignify, and in this Senfe are only true of our Saviour Chrift Jefus, but El has a lower Signification, and may be render'd Potentate; and in this, which I call the first and literal Senfe, they are applicable to Hezekiah. The everlasting Father, Abi Nath, the Father who can give Eternity to his Children or Followers, in Grotius. which Senfe they belong to the Meffiah; (a) but as the Words Words may fignify, Pater qui multos poft fe relicturus fit pofteros in longum tempus duraturos, they are applicable to Hezekiah. 2 Chapter Ver. 7. Of the increase of his government and there peace, fhall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it; and to stablish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hofts will perform this.] Thefe Words in their full Import are only true of the Meffiah, and it must be own'd are very hyperbolical if referr'd to Hezekiah's Reign, which was of a confiderable Length indeed, but fuch as bears no Proportion to the Time here defcrib'd, if the Words must be understood as they found; but then it must be own'd also that the Jews delight in Hyperboles, and very often use an Expreffion denoting an endless Duration when they mean to defcribe a Time of a much shorter Date; and if the Word must be strictly and literally understood, A fhould be glad to be inform'd how they may be reconcil'd with thefe, Words of St. Paul, Then cometh the end, 1 Cor.15.24. when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, according to which the Spiritual Dominion of Chrift over his Church must have an End after the Day of Judgment; fo that this Expreffion must be limited, and not be understood of Eternity, whether we apply them to Hezekiah or Chrift Jefus, and fo must henceforth even for ever, which referrd to Chrift, muft fignify to the End of Time, or the Period of this World; to Hezekiah, to the End of his Life; as King David in a Rapture of Devotion breaks out into this pious Refolution, Iwill fing the. Mercy of the Lord for ever, that is, as long as he liv'd, unless we fuppofe him of the Opinion of one of our modern Writers, and thought he fhould never die. Sed in Chrifto & bac & que præcedunt babent fignificationem multa ut anguftiorem ita planiorem: Which Expreffions might have freed that Great Man from thofe Cenfures of Huetins, who, tho' he allows a double Senfe in all thefe Three Chapters, bears very hard on the Memory of that great Critick (a), who has done (a) Grozius. more toward the understanding of Scripture than all the Commentators from St. Jerom to Monfieur Le Clerk. The Zeal of the Lord of Hofts will perform this, the ardent Love God bears to his peculiar People will caufe him to perform all Chapter all thefe Promises of Deliverance, therefore they may fecurely rely upon him. IX. (a) Zach. Urfin. Ver. 8. The Lord fent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Ifrael.] That is, according to the Import of the Hebrew idiom, the Lord by the Mouth of his Prophets has often fent (a) threatning Meffages to the Sons of Jacob, and, like a well directed Arrow, they fhall hit the Mark they were levell'd at, even the Ten Tribes of Ifrael, who fhall feel the fevere Effects of them; he refumes the Subject he has been before difcourfing of, the Deftruction of the Ten Tribes, which was comfortable, News to the People of Judah, who had often been feverely handled (b) Moller. by them, and in all Probability (b) at this very Time under Apprehenfions of being entirely ruin'd by them. (c) Sandius. Ver. 9. And all the people Jhall know, even Ephraim, and the inhabitants of Samaria, that fay in the pride and stoutnefs of heart,] That is, the Ifraelites fhall know by fad Experience that the Words I fpeak are the Words of Truth, dictated by that Holy Spirit which cannot lye. Experientur hoc verbum & has minas. (c) Ver. 10. The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewen stones: the fycomares are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.] Thefe Expreffions are proverbial, and the Prophet makes ufe of them to fet forth the prefumptuous Infolence of the Ifraelites, who bid Defiance to God, and dar'd him to do his utmost; if he destroy'd their Buildings they would erect others more fumptuously, if he ruin❜d their curious Gardens they would foon repair the Damage, and adorn them with more stately Trees and more valuable Plants. " Ver. 11. Therefore the Lord fhall fet up the adverfaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together.] Rezin King of Syria and the Nation of Ifrael were now in strict Alliance, and very good Friends, and Ifrael depended very much on the Affiftance of their powerful Ally, but the Prophet tells them Rezin fhould be first conquer'd by the Affyrians, who should afterward come upon them with a mix'd Army of his own National Troops and thofe of (4) 2 Kings the vanquish'd (d) Syrians. 16. Ver. 12. The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind, and they fhall devour Ifrael with open mouth: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ftretched out ftill.] Becol Chapter Ver. 13. For the people turneth not unto him that fmiteth ment. Ver. 14. Therefore the Lord will cut off from Ifrael head and tail, branch and rush in one day.] By thefe Metaphors the Prophet understands thofe that are ftrong and vigorous, from whom their Country might expect fome Support, as well as the Weak and the Old, who, like a flender Rufh, can scarce fupport themselves, but stoop under the Burden of Age. Ver. 15, 16. The ancient and honourable, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err: and they that are led of them are deftroyed.] He affigns a Reason of their Destru&tion; the Prophets, whofe Bufinefs it was to inform them of their Duty and keep them in the right way, have been the Cause of their Ruin, by foothing them in their Vices, and palliating the ill Confequences of their Rebellion against God. 2 Kings 16. Ver. 17. Therefore the Lord fhall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite, and an evil doer, and every mouth Speaketh folly: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ftretched out ftill.] By having no joy in their men the Prophet means, that God would have no Confideration of their tender Years and blooming Youth, but give them over into the Hand of their Enemies; nor will he at that Time of Vengeance have any Compaffion on the Fatherless and Widows, the most eminent Objects of Pity, and fuch as God ufually is very tender of, for every one is an hypocrite, they are all equally bad; the Word fignifies (4) Prophaneness, as the Verb to pollute or prophane, (a) Gataker. and 'tis not unlikely that the Prophet means by it their L Idolatry, |