public calamity, must be the state of that nation which has trusted in false gods, and finds them all unable to help; which resorts to idols, and charmers, and wizards, and gets no relief or deliverance! How deplorable, in like manner, in a case of private distress, is the desolation of heart and soul, which overtakes the unbelieving professor of a true religion! His religion may be true; but if his heart be false, if his faith in the truth be no real conviction of things unseen, if his thoughts and affections be all the while devoted to the idols of this world of sense; how does his spirit fail within him in the day of visitation, when this world eludes his grasp, and he has no hold of hope upon another!

The writings of heathen historians attest the fulfilment of this prophecy, in several of these remarkable particulars. They tell us of a time when the sovereign authority in Egypt was divided amongst twelve kings, who soon fell into violent contentions with each other. They record also the savage cruelties inflicted on the Egyptians by Persian monarchs in after times; one of whom in particular treated their idols with great indignity, and slew many of the priests and worshippers. To these calamities inflicted by man was to be added another, not particularly recorded in history, the failure of the waters of the Nile; which at a certain season of the year, spreads over all Egypt like a sea, and is the cause of its remarkable fertility. Hence all those whose trade and occupation were connected with the periodical overflowing of the river would be reduced to the utmost distress. The princes too of Egypt would be remarkable, as we know from history that they were, for a foolish vanity, and gross infatuation; leading them to undertake the most gigantic works, for no other object, as it seems, than to astonish the beholders, and to signalize themselves. The monuments of their misdirected labour, which still remain, and of which the most learned are at a loss to divine the use, are a standing evidence of the "perverse spirit" to which Egypt was given up for its sins; and shew us, at the present time, how the rulers of that land of idols "caused Egypt to err in every work thereof." No wonder that God appointed for its fitting punishment, that there should not be any "work for Egypt," for either the rulers or multitude, to do. An awful burden, to be an idle useless race. A fearful warning to the indolent, who do no work for the good of man or for the glory of God. Never may we be sentenced to this miserable condition of having no work

that we may do. Whatever be our station of life, may it be ever

our privilege, and pleasure, to have some useful employment, and therein to be "not slothful in business:" but "fervent in spirit; serving the Lord!" Rom. 12. 11.

PART VII. O. T.

E

The smiting and the healing of Egypt.

16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it.

17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.

18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruc

tion.

19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.

20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour,

and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

21 And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it.

22 And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them.

23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:

25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

LECTURE 1121.

The conversion of the Gentiles to the true faith.

A disposition to be alarmed adds much to the sufferings of those who are in danger, and is here laid upon Egypt as part of its burden in the day of its visitation. The Egyptians would be afraid, "because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts," because God would send terror into their hearts. And especially "the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts, which he hath determined against it." With the name of Judah there would be connected, in the minds of the Egyptians, a recollection of the mighty works which the God of Israel had wrought, and an apprehension of the judgments which they had provoked at his hands, by often tempting his people to transgress.

Thus does the prophet foretel the smiting of Egypt. But straightway afterwards he speaks of its healing. Five cities would escape, for one that would be destroyed, for one that would be called The city of destruction." And their deliverance would arise from their acknowledging the true God. Nay, there would even “be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord," that is to say, besides the altar, there would be a monumental stone, according to the custom of the country, as a memorial of their homage and devotion. They would cry to the true God, "because of the oppressors," because of "the cruel lord," and the "fierce king," previously mentioned. Ver. 4. And the Lord would send them a mighty deliverer, and would be known to them in mercy as well as in judgment, and would heal them as well as smite them. And Egypt, and Assyria, and Israel, would then be all closely connected; they would be united in the bonds of religious communion, joint partakers of one and the same blessing of the Lord.

This is one of those prophecies, of which there is more than one fulfilment, or of which we may more properly say that the fulfilment is progressive. It is known from history, that under the Persian empire the Egyptians were very sorely oppressed; and that when the Grecians became their masters they experienced a very great relief. During the latter period, there was a free intercourse between the Egyptians and the inhabitants of Judea; and a very large number of Jews were settled in the land of Egypt, see Jer. 44. 1, for whose use a temple was built, in which temple the sacrifices appointed in the law were offered, by Onias, the lawful high Priest, who had been unjustly deprived of his office at Jerusalem. In Egypt too the Scriptures of the Old Testament were translated into the Greek language, the language then of most extensive use, the earliest translation into any language, the version commonly referred to by the writers of the New Testament, and which even now greatly helps in the interpretation of the Old. Owing to these circumstances, Egypt was largely prepared for receiving the glad tidings of the Gospel, and did receive them gladly, and continued for some time to hold fast that blessed truth, which is able to make all nations one with each other, and one with the Israel of God. And miserably as that country has since fallen away, and awfully as it has been given up to a superstition most remote from Christianity, a time we may well believe is yet to come, when all the prophecies relating to the conversion of the Gentiles shall be further fulfilled, and when it shall be more abundantly true than ever heretofore, that Israel shall be "the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.'

The captivity of many Egyptians and Ethiopians foretold.

1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;

2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria and how shall we escape?

LECTURE 1122.

Of trusting in God and not in the world.

We read of Tartan as one of the officers, whom Sennacherib sent with a great host against Jerusalem, in the days of Hezekiah. See 2 Kings 18. 17. Hence some have supposed, that Sennacherib was the same with "Sargon," here mentioned as "king of Assyria;" whilst others consider, that Sargon was a distinct person, who occupied the throne of Assyria for a short period between Shalmanezer and Sennacherib. In either case we may observe, that the date of the delivery of this prophecy is here fixed by reference to a fact, which could not fail to be well known at the time when the prophetic words were spoken. And this doubtless is the intent of the date being thus recorded. For this is one of the chief things which help to impress on us the miraculous nature of prophetic inspiration; namely, our knowing that the prophetic words were certainly spoken, or written, before the thing foretold took place. When this point is clearly made out, and when the event tallies with the words, then, especially if the thing be beyond the reach of man's sagacity to guess, we are constrained, whether we will or not, to admit, that the words must have been from God.

Comparing this prophecy with others, and with what we know of the history of the times, we may suppose that Tartan, who was sent by Sargon to take Ashdod, did not succeed in taking it until the commencement of the reign of Sennacherib; about the time when the new king of Assyria came "up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them." 2 Kings 18. 13. that occasion a large sum of gold and silver was paid by Hezekiah

On

to Sennacherib; in consequence of which he desisted for some time from his intended attack upon Jerusalem. During the interval we may consider that he invaded Egypt, and took captive many of the Egyptians, and of their allies the Ethiopians, as here foretold; having first, by Tartan's means secured Ashdod, a place of great strength, which lay in his way. On his return from Egypt, to renew his attack upon Jerusalem, we find him thus reproaching Hezekiah, by the mouth of Rabshakeh, “Now, behold, thou trustest in the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt." 2 Kings 18. 21. This looks as if he had lately been discomfiting the Egyptians. Further we find in the book of Nahum a prophecy of the taking of one of the chief cities of Egypt, which we may well believe to have been fulfilled during this particnlar invasion. See Nahum, 3. 8-10. And perhaps it is in reference to the losses sustained on this occasion, that the Ethiopians are described in another prophecy, which relates to nearly the same period, as a "nation scattered and peeled." Ch. 18. 2.

But whether or no this be the true account of this doubtful period of history, it appears certain from the words of Rabshakeh, that Hezekiah and his subjects had been inclined to put their trust in the Egyptians. And hence we conclude, that it was in order to teach them not to lean on the arm of man for help, that Isaiah was directed, "in the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod," to perform this significant action, to strip himself of his sackcloth garment, and to take off his sandals from his feet, and to expose himself thus stripped, whensoever he went forth, during three whole years; "for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;" for a token of the sure fulfilment of the word of the Lord, that so should "the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot." Such indeed is the practical lesson inculcated in the concluding words of this chapter: "And the inhabitant of this country" (see margin) "shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?" Let this then be the lesson which we also here lay to heart, namely, that vain is the help of man; and more especially, that most vain is the help of those amongst mankind who are themselves aliens from God. The world, if we were to depend on it, would prove of no more avail to us, than Egypt and Ethiopia to Hezekiah. Let us therefore, being like him forewarned, seek like him for help in another and better quarter. Let us put our trust in the Lord our God; and so shall we escape. If He be with us, who can be against us? And if we faithfully seek his face, has not He over and over again assured us, that He will give us all needful help?