1 gave inhabitants to these countries. These nations appear, from the subsequent language of the prophecy, to be addressed as idolaters, and are ironically invited to make a last effort, in proud opposition to God, for the defence of their false worship. God is working a wonderful deliverance for his people; but they are strangely ignorant of it: they can neither prophesy nor interpret prophecy; and these things the wicked are doomed never to understand; so that "the day of the Lord overtakes them as a thief in the night," and "the kings of the earth and all their armies" are surprised at last, engaged in a conflict against the Almighty himself: 1. YE distant coasts, be new braced before me," Let them draw near, now let them speak, 2. Who hath raised up the JUST ONE from the East, Hath given up nations before him, 1 These countries were also themselves to colonize, in future ages, countries still more remote, all of which would, no doubt, fall under the same denomination,"islands" or "distant coasts," coasts beyond the sea." There is no room for the infidel sneer: 'the author of the Scriptures could know nothing of the discovery of America.' 2 Lowth, Houbigant, and Stock prefer the reading of the Septuagint in this place, and the parallelism is a great argument that they are right. 3" Let us join issue on the point in dispute." 4 The Chaldee and Vulgate seem to have read py; but Jerome, though his translation has 66 justum," appears to have read PTY, for in his comment he expresses it "justum" sive "justitiam :" however, I think all interpreters understand it for a person." Hath rendered his sword as a column' of dust, 3. He pursued them, he went on prosperously, The reader will know that this has by some been interpreted of Abraham, and by others of Cyrus: but neither of these persons can, I conceive, answer to the description: the achievements of Abraham, and the personal character of Cyrus, are totally unlike the representation in the prophecy. Instructed therefore by the connexion, and having been already informed, that the Redeemer, before his more public manifestation to "all flesh," proceeds from the east along the desert of Arabia, leading on those who are to share in the triumphs of his kingdom, we naturally apply it to him. Jerome and Cyril among the ancients, have also applied the description immediately to the Saviour: Vitringa opposes, indeed, this interpretation, but with arguments drawn from the actual events of the first advent, which arguments, of course, apply not here, as the last great day is in our view. And this, though the apostate nations know it not, had been the continual theme of prophecy. 4. Who hath made, who hath done these things,' Naming the times from the beginning? I Jehovah," who am" at the beginning, The European nations for after so many oracles we may surely speak out- the European nations know not 1 Vitringa, Rosenmuller, and Bp. Stock. It is a metaphor to describe rapid, unimpeded pro gress. these things, but encourage themselves in opposition to the people and cause of God, and support their idolatrous superstitions to the last. 5. The distant coasts saw and were afraid, The remote regions of the earth were alarmed, 6. Each man assisteth his neighbour, And said to his brother, "be strong:" 7. And the artificer encouraged the refiner, He that smootheth with the hammer, him that striketh the anvil. And they fasten it with nails that it may not stir. This metaphorical description of the promoters of idolatry is likely to be almost literally fulfilled in the approaching conflict, should the revived papacy again bear any considerable sway in Europe; though it is not unusual in the prophetic language, to employ the known corruptions of the times to symbolize future departures from the faith. Contrasted with idolatrous Europe, we find again, as we have repeatedly found contrasted before, Jacob and the seed of Abraham. 8. But thou, Israel, my servant, Thou, Jacob, whom I have chosen, O seed of Abraham, my beloved. 9. Thou whom I have led by the hand from the end of the earth, And whom I have called from its extremities; Thou to whom I have said, thou art my servant, I chose thee, and I have not rejected thee. 10. Fear not, for I am with thee, Be not dismayed, for I am thy Elohim. I will strengthen thee, and I will help thee, And I will support thee with the right hand of my venge This description may agree well with the circumstances of that people, whom the God of Israel is described in the former prophecies as leading through the desert to the scene of his future victories; but all this excludes the supposition that Cyrus or Abraham was the deliverer intended. 11. So all that snorted at thee shall be ashamed and confounded, They that contend with thee shall come to nothing and perish, 12. Thou shalt seek them and shall not find them. The men that enter the conflict with thee shall be as nothing, 13. For I, Jehovah, thy Elohim, do hold thee by thy right hand, Saying, fear not, for I have brought thee help. 14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, thou mortal Israel, 15. Lo, I have made thee a threshing wain, And thou shalt thresh the hills and reduce them to dust, And thou shalt make the mountains as chaff." 16. Thou shalt scatter them abroad, and the wind shall carry them away, And the storm shall dissipate them; And thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, Thou shalt triumph in the Holy One of Israel. 1 Bp. Stock. 2 Compare Deut. xxxii. 30. We shall remember, from the parallel passages in the former prophecies, which describe this victory of the poor, afflicted remnant of Israel over their tremendous foe, that this happy change in their circumstances is brought about by the coming of the Lord with his "holy myriads." So that the church triumphant from heaven is in some sort identified with the small remnant of Israel, before these great things come to pass. But we learn again, in the following verses, that what leads to this manifestation is the previous conducting of a party of Israelites through the desert, under a miraculous dispensation of Providence that resembles the exodus from Egypt. 17. These are' afflicted and distressed, They seek water and there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst. I, Jehovah, will have pity upon them, I, the Elohim of Jacob, will not forsake them. 18. I will open streams in the high places, And fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, And the dry ground into springs of water. 19. I will give in the desert the cedar, The shittah, the myrtle, and the oil-tree. I will set in the wilderness the fir-tree, 20. So that they shall perceive and know, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this, We may say, at least, some miraculous change in the |