no city or empire fo fortified, that he cannot overturn them. By his appointment, the kingdom of Ifrael was laid in ruins, after it had fubfifted about five hundred years; the Athenian monarchical government was overthrown, after it had continued about four hundred and ninety years; and the kingdom of Babylon, after it had flourished for feveral ages. The kingdoms of the earth belong unto the Lord, and he difpofes of them as feemeth good in his fight: he enlargeth or ftraiteneth, he establifheth or overturneth them at his pleasure. • Wisdom and power are his : 'he changeth the times and the seasons: he fetteth up kings, and removeth-them*,

24¶ The LORD of hosts hath fworn, faying, Surely, as I have thought, so shall it come to pafs; and as I have purpofed, fo fhall it ftand. so

The certainty and ftability of the divine purpose concerning Babylon, is here affirmed in the most solemn manner. At the time this prophecy was delivered, the Babylonian empire flourished in its highest glory, and its renown had fpread throughout the earth: no event therefore appeared to human view more improbable, than the accomplishment of what our prophet had foretold. To demonstrate the immutability of the divine counsel, it is declared, that the Lord of hofts hath fworn. In fcripture, God is faid to fwear, when he condefcends to give men the highest fecurity, and moft explicit, folemn affurance, respecting the truth of any thing, which they are capable of receiving prior to its actual completion. In this awful manner, he pledges the veracity, the holiliness, and immutability of his own nature, for the fulfilment of what he hath faid: he virtually obliges himself to renounce thefe divine excellencies, if what he hath declared fhall not be accomplished in its fea

* Dan. ii. 20, 21.

fon.

fon. Though fome of the purposes of Jehovah seem to be fufpended upon certain conditions, thofe which he is pleased to confirm by his oath are unalterable, as the covenant of day and night, and more firmly established than the perpetual hills and immovable

mountains.

Surely, as I have thought, fo fhall it come to pass; and as I have purpofed, fo fhall it ftand. The whole frame of heaven and earth fhall be diffolved, the luminaries of heaven extinguifhed, and the rocks removed from their places, but the thoughts and purposes of Jehovah cannot be altered. The rife and fall of ftates and empires, are all directed agreeable to the irrevocable counfel of his will. The whole courfe of providence, as well as of nature, is entirely regulated according to his pleafure. The time, the manner, and the inftruments, by whom the long series of events fhall be carried forward, are fixed in his eternal mind; and agreeable to his appointment all human affairs are conducted. He doth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. If he will work, who fhall let it if he will fmite, who fhall hinder him. As he hath fworn, fo he will perform. None can deftroy thofe whom he preferves: none can retain in fafety what he hath determined to overthrow. Edom is introduced by the prophet Malachi, after having contemplated his ruinous condition, and the defolations which God had made in his land, forming this resolution: We will return, and build the defolate 'places.' To this declaration the Lord replies, 'They fhall build, but I will throw down.'--Many ftriking inftances of the truth here affirmed occur in fcripture, one of which I fhall mention. After the city Jericho was deftroyed, the Lord thus fpake by his fervant Joshua: Curfed be the man before the 'Lord, that raifeth up and buildeth the city Jericho: he fhall lay the foundation thereof in his firft-born, and in his youngest fon he fhall fet up the gates

of

' it.'.

"it". About five hundred years after, one Hiel, the Beth-elite, attempted to rebuild the city, on which God had pronounced this curfe: 'He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born; and ftill perfifting in his wicked defign, he fet up the gates thereof in his youngest fon Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he fpake by Joshua, the fon of Nunt.' In like manner, the thought and purpose of Jehovah, with respect to Babylon, was exactly to be carried into execution, as here declared.

25 That I will break the Affyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their fhoulders.

The

The prophet now mentions the particular purpose of Jehovah, the stability of which he had ftrongly afferted in the foregoing verfe.The word breaking is often used in a figurative fenfe in fcripture, to denote the destruction of that power of which individuals, or nations, are poffeffed. Through God (faith the church) we fhall do valiantly, for he it is that fhall break or tread down our enemies. Affyrian, whom God declares he would break, comprehended the ftrength of that great empire, confisting of its very numerous and well-difciplined troops. When a body or fubftance of any kind is broken, it is rendered weak, and useless for the purposes that it formerly ferved. In allufion to what happens on fuch occafions, this prediction imports, that the ftrength of. Affyria was to be greatly diminished by fome extraordinary divine judgment, whereby that empire fhould be greatly weakened, and divested of its for mer power and grandeur. This terrible ftroke, whereby the Affyrian was to be broken, is foretold to be given in the land of Canaan, which God here + Kings xvi. 34.

* Joshua vi. 26.

calleth

calleth his land, and upon the mountains in that country, where his troops were to be trampled under foot. The words denote the entire conqueft of the Affyrian power, and the triumph of God's ancient people over that formidable enemy. After this great event,

Shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their fhoulders. The yoke, to which the inhabitants of Judea were fubjected, and the burden laid upon them by the Affyrians, was to be removed. Having fpoken of this yoke and burden, when treating chap. x. ver. 27. where the prophet feems to have had in view, the fame event of which he here speaks, I hope it is unneceffary to repeat what was then faid. In few words, the people of Judah were to be delivered from the yoke of fervitude, and the burden of tribute which the king of Affyria had exacted from them. This prediction was fulfilled by the wonderful flaughter made among the Affyrian army, which had marched against Jerufalem, in confequence of which the Jewish nation were refcued from the oppreffive yoke which they had fuftained.

26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

To give ftill more folemnity to this prophecy refpecting Affyria, and to obtain the greatest credit to what he had delivered, Ifaiah fubjoins the reasons on which faith might reft, in the affured expectation of the accomplishment of thefe predictions.-The purpose which is here intended, is the counfel or decree of Jehovah that extended to the whole earth; i. e. to the whole Affyrian empire, which was then probably, as the Roman empire afterward was, rec koned to comprehend all the world: or the exprefGion may be defigned to fignify all the ftates and VOL II. kingdoms

K

kingdoms of the earth, which, like Affyria, were to attack the people of God, and moleft them in the enjoyment of their important privileges.And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations. This almighty arm of the Lord is in continual readiness to execute his determined purpose upon all the nations of the earth, who follow the example of Affyria in wickednefs, and particularly in their perverfe oppofition to the interefts of the church of God. The deftruction of the Affyrian power, affords an instructive warning to the kingdoms of this world, of the danger to which they expose themfelves, by injuring thofe whom God hath taken into his gracious protection. The fame omnipotent arm, which broke in pieces the Affyrian, is ftill ftretched out, to punifh all the nations who obftinately persist in disturbing and diftreffing the peculiar people of God.

27 For the LORD of hofts hath purpofed, and who fhall difannul it? and his hand is ftretched out, and who shall turn it back?

As the purpose of God is irrevocable, fo his power is irresistible. The purpofe of the Lord of hofts is not like the purposes of a man, that may lie, or the fon of man, that may repent. It is not like the refolutions formed in the cabinet of an earthly prince, which may be laid aside for reasons of state; nor dath it resemble the fluctuating determinations of the tribunes of the people, which may afterward be overruled. The purpofe, of which our prophet speaks, was unalterably fettled in the court of heaven, and therefore cannot be fruftrated. It is the counsel of him who is wife in heart, and mighty in ftrength, who will affuredly perform all the promises and threatenings which he hath delivered by his fervants. His hand is ftretched out, and who fhall turn it back, and avert the ftroke which the arm of Omnipotence is lifted up to inflict. No created power is

able