iquities, and prospered and practised (Dan. vin 25) to the full end of the time appointed them: they must now experience a reverse of for tune, and are become feeble, and deprived of both counsel and strength to stand before the mighty scourge, which God hath raised up for them. But to shew that the work of destruc tion is of God, and not of man, the prophet proceeds to point out the ambitious views and gigantic projects of the instrument of God's wrath upon other sinners, and the disappointment of them. "Howbeit, he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so:"-(that such talents as his are given only for the more effectual execution of God's purpose; his ideas of himself are quite different, and the object of his conquests is not to do the work of God, but to lay the foundation of his own endless ambition.)" But it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. For he saith, are not my princes altogether kings? By the strength of my band I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent: and I have remov ed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inbabitants like a valiant man. And my hand hath found, as a nest, the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped." The prophet Daniel (xi. 40, 43) also describes this same conqueror, and the violence and great effect with which he fulfills his com It is generally allowed by the advocates for a literal accomplishment of the prophecies, by the events near at hand, with which they seem to correspond, that they nevertheless have often an allusion to other events also, in far distant times, and of greater importance. If this applies at all to Sennacherib, in the first instance, it is only so far as he was a type of a conqueror in modern times; with whose powerful subjugation of the whole earth, and the manner and effects of his conquests, it has a very marked analogy. Surely it is now eminently an age of removing of boundaries,-of robbing of treasures, and gathering eggs, over all the earth,-of king-making, and unmaking,-of implicit obedience to despotic power, "none moving the wing or peeping" and if I add, of boasting of these successes, and projecting still greater, it will make the coincidence more striking, and agreeable to facts." mission, against the countries and powers divinely subjected to his resistless sword." He shall come against him like a whirlwind, and he shall enter into the countries,"-(shall invade the territories of the powers included in his commission, with a facility and rapidity of conquest before unexampled,)" and shall overflow and pass over, and many countries shall be overthrown. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt." The rapidity of this conqueror's march, compared to the resistless impetuosity and devastating effects of a whirlwind, and the direction of it towards the land of the mystical Egypt and the countries in connection with her; and particularly the marked indication that it will be a war of plunder and spoliation, confiscation of merchandise and wealth, pictures, and valuable statues and gems, treasures long hoarded in hallowed shrines, and gold, and silver, and all the precious things of Egypt:-These are the points in which it coincides with Isaiah's prophecy above quoted, and agrees with recent facts.* In Isaiah xxxiii. 1, there is another writ issued out to this military bailiff, which cannot apply to any power, ancient or modern, as its object, with so much exactness of description as it does to this endless extortioner and weakener of the nations,† the spiritual perpetual tyrant" which smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke," the men only being changed, but not the measures.-"Woe to thee that * See Sect. xxiv.-A further account of this breaker, or ex traordinary instrument of Providence, the scourge of popery; and of this new and singular mode of warfare, by which he weakens him that "weakened the nations," and feasts all the fowls with his flesh † St Paul foretold that the declension of the popish superstition, and of the rapacity and insolence of church power, &c. would be the consequence of the revival of learning and christian knowledge, which he figuratively calls the "brightness of Christ's coming," and which St Peter prophesies of by the same image," until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts" so here they are represented as wasting away while yet they stand upon their feet,—their church hierarchy and dignities, and all the mystery of their iniquity, still nominally kept spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee: when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee! And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them." So long as their power continued, the rapine and extortion of the church locusts was insatiable and unceasing; but, in her declining days, the tables will be turned upon the antiquated sorceress of mystic Babylon; and she will herself become a prey to rapine and injustice, and be reduced, by retaliation of her own practices, up, after the substance is wasted and gone.-Their flesh, which in other places is represented as the object of voracity to the ravenous birds, (Rev. xix. 18, &c ) means the church wealth and princely dignities, (so many lesser popedoms,) rich abbeys, and overloaded shrines of the saints. These were the motives, to such reformers as Henry VIII. to quicken their golly zeal. -Eyes, manifestly allude to the episcopal dignities; and the Tongue, to the fountain of church authority itself-the pope and his cardinals. Fallen-fallen-fallen from his high estate! DRYDEN. Ꮓ Ꮓ 2 |