the name of Jehovah the God of Israel 16 From the wing of this land we have heard songs glory to the righteous but I said my leannesse my leannesse wo unto me the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously yea the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously 17 FEAR and the PIT and she SNARE upon thee O inhabitants of that land 18 And it shal come to passe he that flies from the noyse of the FEAR shall fall into the PIT and he that ascends out of the middest of the PIT shall be taken in the SNARE for the windows from the MOST HIGH are opened and the foundations of the land do shake 19 The land is sore bruised the land is utterly broken the land is quite displaced 20 The land shal reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall be removed like a cottage for the transgression thereof shal be heavy upon it and it shall fall and never rise any more 21 And it shal come to passe in that very day Jehovah will punish the Militia of that HIGH ONE with that HIGH ONE and the Kings of the earth upon the earth 22 And they shall be gathered together with a gathering a prisoner for the dungeon and very many dayes shal they be punished 23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed for the LORD OF HOSTS shal reign in mount Zyon and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously THis Chapter and the three subsequent Chapters are exactly calcualted for this very Age wherein we live as in the ensuing Discourse will more fully appear But this 24 chapter doth in a speciall manner contain the sad and inexâ—â—icable calamities that will befall the unbeleeving world towards the end of their worldly governments a little before the glorious coming of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus which in the later end of the fourth Monarchy will be slighted and yet dreaded insomuch that men will be troubled to hear of it as sometime Herod was and the carnal Church also when it was reported that this King Jesus was born Mat. 2. 3. But let men of earthly spirits who mind more the Mammon of this world and the dignities thereof then the coming of Christs kingdom which he taught his disciples to pray for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6. 10 I say let them deem as they please and make a scoff at it as Peter tells us they will 2 Pet. 3. 3. in the later end of dayss saying Where is the promise of his coming which is spoken of this very age wherin we live yet let such know that for all this God will bring them to judgement Eccles 11. 9. And the day of Christs coming which now they slight wil be to them as a thief in the night 2 Thess 5. 2. And these mockers of what rank soever shal cry to the mountains and to the rocks to fall upon them and cover them from the wrath of the Lamb and him that sits upon the Throne whom now they persecute in his poore members Rev. 6. from v. 12. to the end of the chapter Therefore be wise O ye Kings be instructed O yee Judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Now ere I come to the words of the explication of this Prophesie let me premise these three things to be considered 1. That there is no prediction of judgement nor promise of mercy in Scripture but it relates to some particular thing person nation or time or else generally to all things persons nations and times under the same or the like condition 2. That whatsoever is particularly applied to some particular thing person nation or time may be applied Analogically and by way of proportion unto any other things persons nations and times upon the same or the like terms 3. That particular judgements threatned in case of repentance may be obviated and prevented in whole or in part and so also mercies in case of apostasie and backsliding These things premised I shall briefly come to a particular disquisition of this Prophesie which nameth no particular person nation or time and explicate as I go along what is most obstruce without just offence to any submitting what I shall hold forth to the judgement of those who are able to judge of spirituall things and willing to weigh all things in the ballance of the Sanctuary In this Prophesie of Isaiah as in other of the Prophets you may observe particular Prophesies against particular countries As against Babylon in the 13 14. 21. and 47. chapters Against Moab in the 15 and 16. chapters against Damascus in the 17. chapter against Ethiopia in the 18 chapter against Egypt in the 19 chapter and against both of them in the 20 chapter against Edom and Arabia in the 21 chapter against Ephraim in the 28 chap. against Judah Jerusalem in the 29 30 31 chapters against the Idols of Babell chapter 46. All which may be applyed by way of proportion against any other Idols Persons Nations and Places in any other age upon the same or the like termes This 24 chapter is a Prophesie against a particular Land or Nation as hereafter will more clearly appeare but giveth no name to it And probably it may be thought that the Land whereof he speaks was not at that time peopled nor subjected to Government and therefore not named If any should suppose it to relate to Tyrus of which mention is made in the chapter foregoing I conceive it cannot be so for these Reasons 1. The Prophet in the close of the foregoing chapter foretells the restauration and flourishing state of Tyrus after her visitation and therefore what he speaks of this Land cannot well be understood of Tyre 2ly The Land here spoken of is an Island or Islands environed with Sea as appeares from the 14 and 15 verses whereas Tyrus is an haven town upon the main Continent 3ly The judgement denounced against Tyrus was long since executed whereas the judgements here threatned to befall this Land shall be in the latter dayes not long before the Conversion of the Jewes and the coming of the glorious Kingdome of our Lord Jesus wherefore I take it to be a Prophesie of or concerning some particular Land or Islands in these latter times But ere I come to a particular examination of the words in their order I shall give you this brief Analysis of the Prophets method in this chapter First he shews the various changes and alterations of Government in that Land in the soure first verses 2ly The ground and cause thereof to wit their hypocrisie and apostacie in the 5 verse 3ly The sad consequents both of their sin and of those alterations from the 5 verse to the end of the 12. 4ly Gods reservation of a remnant which shall glorifie him in those Islands ver 13 14 15 and part of the 16.
the first Government and might have been safe under the second form of Government of which more will we spoken hereafter in its proper place Vers 2. In this verse follows a perfect and reall levelling of all ranks and estates unto the power of that High One of the people Wherefore the Prophet saith It shal be as with the people so with the Priest as with the servant so with his master c. God will levell the Clergy as they are called and the Lâ—ity and all ranks and qualities of men not in their estates and proprieties but he will levell them to judgement none of them shal escape it but as they have been all sharers in sin and have all broken the everlasting covenant so they shal all be sharers in the punishment thereof For that is the true meaning of the phrase Like People like Priest as appears in Hos 4. 9. where the like expressions are used Ver. 3. Things thus standing in that land it seemes there will be an assembly of a second Representative by that most High one of the people but of short continuance and therefore he saith in emptying they shall be emptied or as our translation renders it and not unfitly the land shall be utterly emptied and suddenly all at once not by degrees and steps as the former was but there shall be a speedy dispatch of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet with a bubling noise and murmure of the people as the word imports some saying it is well done others otherwise This breach or dissolution will be worse resented then the former wherewith men seemed contented or at least shewed no discontent And thus you have a short end of the second Representative after which followes a third of which it is said it shall be utterly spoyled The word here used may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived either from a word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to abase render a thing contemptible or it may be derived from another word that signifies to make a prey * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spoil of them as souldiers do in war and if you take it in this latter sence it argues the exercise of a Military power to overcome them and bind them to conditions unsuitable to their former ancient customes which renders them despicable and abaseth them according to the former derivation of the word For these two Roots have a neer affinity one with the other Thus have you a metaphoricall representation of the various changes of the Government in that land And the certainty of all those events is expressed in the next words For Jehovah hath spoken this word God that cannot lie and God that gives Being to all things hath spoken it it is an irrevocable word But as touching the consequences of all these mutations and alterations mentioned from the sixth verse and so forward God hath not affixed this word of ratification thereunto but leaves a room for repentance that the judgments may be removed either in whole or in part whereof more will be said in the close of this Discourse Verse 4. The land mourneth fadeth By land as I said before I understand the Representative of the land part being put for the whole by a Synechdoche It mourneth fadeth The word translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fadeth doth signifie such a fading as happens to leaves or flowers or fruits when they have lost their moisture and begin to wither and at length fall from their trees Which doth imply the drying up of the power of the lands Representative which kept them fresh flourishing their mourning expresseth their unwillingness thus to be bereaved of their ancient liberties So unpleasing a thing wil it be to this land here spoken of to part with their old earthly forms of Government and to become subject to the kingdom and government of Jesus Christ alone They look at them as their birthright and mourn as a man would do for losse thereof and whilst thus they are mourning over their loss they wither and fade the source and spring being now dried up which formerly kept them fresh and green 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After which it is said the whole World languisheth fadeth that is the rest of the Nations fall into a languishing consumption as the word signifieth and grow sick of their forms of government being sensible of their tyranny and oppression and they also fade away like a leaf wither and at last do fall as leaves in Autumne which argues the removall of those earthly forms of government both in that land and in all the rest of the Nations and Countries adjacent And this is the accomplishment of that word Heb. 12. 26 27. Yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven And this yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are or may be shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain Thus you see the dying state of earthly governments throughout the world and especially in that land spoken of It now remains to shew you what wil be the condition of that High One of the people of whom it is said The most High One of the people do languish The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word translated Most High One doth properly signifie height in the abstract but is usually put for the superlative degree of the concrete as Psal 56. 2. And it signifies an exaltation or lifting up in height above the rest of the people Concerning which High one it is said they doe languish in the plurall number Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies that this High one and those that have advanced him to that height shall all of them fall into a consumption and languish And this holds forth a decay and abatement of strength by degrees which will come upon them as it is usual with men in a ling ring disease Thus you have a brief description of the manifold mutations and changes that will happen to that land inparticular and to the whole world in general lastly to this High one of the people and his advancers In the next verse follows the ground and cause of all these evils to wit their hypocrisie and apostacie Ver. 5. The land also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word translated defiled * doth properly signify to dissemble and play the hypocrite to sin fraudulently secretly malitiously and by a Metaphor to defile The meaning thereof is that the whole land in generall have played the Hypocrites and dealt falsly and fraudulently with God and defiled themselves with apostacie as the Prophet proveth afterwards in sundry particulars The universality of this Hypocrisie and apostasie seemes to extend unto all that inhabit the land The people the High one of the people and the Representative of the people They are all guilty and this the Prophet proves in three
instrumental in all the changes and calamities aforementioned he breaks forth into a most bitter lamentation for the same crying out My leanness my leanness wo unto me the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously yea the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously The prophet was so deeply affected herewith that he pined away with grief crying My leanness my leanness And the reason of this his bitter complaint is because those that were betrusted by God and by the people of the land to have rescued them out of the hands of the Tyranny of the first Government and to have set up the Government of Christ when the first Government and also the second were dissolved have betrayed their trust and dealt perfidiously from first to last carrying on a secret design of their own and have improved their power and trust to ensnare the land Verse 17. FEARE and the PIT and the SNARE are upon thee c These words I take to be Metaphorical expressions to hold forth unto us the various forms of Government in that land and the nature of them For I finde these phrases used in the like sense Jer. 48. 43 44. where the prophet speaks of the various mutations of Government that should come upon Moab And Lam. 3. 47. where he also speaks of the changes that befel the Kingdom of Israel after the death of Josiah and so I take it in this place And you shall observe how the prophet Marshals them in order The first form of Government he calls FEAR which implies the terror and Tyranny of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Government putting the effect for the cause by a Metonymie The second he calls a PIT The word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly such a pit as is digged under ground which implies that this second form of Government was purposely contrived to obviate the Tyranny of the first And it is called a PIT to shew that it is of a lower constitution then the former was Yea such a pit it is as may yield some shelter or hiding-place from the pursuit of a Tyrant as may appear from the use of the same word 2 Sam. 17. 9. where Hushai speaking of David when he was pursued by that Tyrant Absalom he saith Behold he is hid in some pit And the third form of Government he calls a SNARE The word properly signifies such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snare as fowlers use to lay to catch the birds withal either by the foot or by the neck from which they cannot deliver themselves Which snare the fowlers use to cover with chaff or some such thing so as the birds shall not see the snare till they be taken in it Which doth imply that this third form of Government in that land for the nature of it shall be a snare And for the manner of errecting the same it shall be secret and hidden covered over with such specious and fair pretences that men shall not discerne their Snare till they be taken in it And being once taken it will be difficult to rescue and deliver themselves such will be the strength of it FEAR and the Pit and the SNARE are upon thee O inhabitants of the land He doth not say Oh inhabitant but Oh inhabitants in the plural number to shew that universally all of them and particularly every of them shall be taken in this Snare Vers 18. And he that ascends out of the midst of the PIT shall be taken in the SNARE This ascending argues that the form of Government is of a higher constitution in regard of the external pomp and glory of the fame then the Government foregoing was And such will be the subtile and curious contrivement of the same as they will catch all men in snares that resist them and such as cannot comply with their new-devised power So the Prophet hath done with the threefold form of Government in that land and the treachery of the instruments And in the words ensuing tells you that God looks on all this while though men drive on their designes in all that foregoeth yet God will at length turn about their actings to accomplish his grand design For saith the prophet The windows of that MOST HIGH are opened The most high here mentioned is the Lord himselfe who only is the MOST HIGH Psal 56. 2. It is Gods attribute and therefore let mortal men tremble to assume Gods title to themselves except God give it them The windows from this MOST HIGH are opened As who should say God looks out of his lattesses speaking after the manner of men and he sees the treachery of the instruments in all these mutations and therefore he resolves to overturn all those earthly mouldy forms of their own devising and by certain steps and degrees to make way for an utter abolition of them all Now the steps and degrees God taketh for removal of those three sorts of Government in that land are in number seven to wit shaking bruising breaking displacing reeling removing falling And all of them do aptly express the several steps and gradations which God taketh towards the removal and utter abolition of the old heavens and old earth in that land The first I take to relate unto the first and ancient Government of that land The three next steps unto the second And the three last have relation unto the last form of Government We may not suppose that the Prophet affected to shew his elocution in Rhetorical strains of speech For that would not become the holiness of the Prophet nor the matter in hand Neither is it likely that he heaps up words by way of Exegesis and amplification onely For then he could have chosen sundry more words or other words that would have been very comprehensive also But I take it that the Holy Spirit that guided him did not call out such choice expressions as would most aptly hold forth the several steps which he intended to make in removal of their earthly forms of Government and yet with such a Divine elegancy as no art of Rhetorick can exceed it if you consider the words in their proper language I shall therefore give a brief touch of them all in their order And first of the first word The foundations of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do shake or are shaken This I conceive doth relate unto the first and ancient form of Government which the Prophet calls FEARE and here he makes his pause or full point to intimate that this shaking of the foundations put a period to that Government And so the Apostle interprets the word shaking Heb. 12. Where he saith It signifies the removal of those things that may be shaken So then the shaking here spoken of signifies a removal of that first Government as hath been said And the shaking of the foundations doth import no less Vers 19 The land is sore bruised the land is utterly broken the land is quite displaced These