which is kindled against his people, his necessary vindication of the honour of his holiness and authority. (2.) The power of God effects it; he hath stretched forth his hand against them; that hand which had many a time been stretched out for them against their enemies, is now stretched out against them, at full length, and in its full vigour; and who knows the power of his anger? Whether they are sensible of it or no, it is God that has smitten them, has blasted their vine, and made it wither.
4. The consequences and continuance of this ruin. When God comes forth in wrath against a people, the hills tremble, fear seizes even their great men, who are strong and high; the earth shakes under men, and is ready to sink; and as this feels dreadful, (what does more so than an earthquake?) so what sight can be more frightful than the carcases of of men torn with dogs, or thrown as dung (so the margin reads) in the midst of the streets? This intimates that great multitudes should be slain, not only soldiers in the field of battle, but the inhabitants of their cities put to the sword in cold blood, and that the survivors should neither have hands nor hearts to bury them. This is very dreadful, and yet such is the merit of sin, that, for all this, God's anger is not turned away; that fire will burn as long as there remains any of the stubble and chaff to be fuel for it: and his hand, which he stretched forth against his people to smite them, because they do not by prayer take hold of it, nor by reformation submit themselves to it, is stretched out still.
5. The instruments that should be employed in bringing this ruin upon them; it should be done by the incursion of a foreign enemy, that should lay all waste: no particular enemy is named, and therefore we are to take it as a prediction of all the several judgments of this kind which God brought upon the Jews, Sennacherib's invasion soon after, and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans first, and at last by the Romans; and I think it is to be looked upon also as a threatening of the like desolation of those countries which harbour and countenance those sins mentioned in the foregoing verses: it is an exposition of those woes.
When God designs the ruin of a provoking people,
(1.) He can send a great way off for instruments to be employed in it; he can raise forces from afar, and summon them from the end of the earth to attend his service, v. 26. Those who know him not, are made of use to fulfil his counsel, when, by reason of their distance, they can scarcely be supposed to have any ends of their own to serve. If God set up his standard, he can incline men's hearts to enlist themselves under it, though perhaps they know not why or wherefore. When the Lord of hosts is pleased to make a general muster of the forces he has at his command, he has a great army in an instant, Joel ii. 2, 11. He needs not sound a trumpet, or beat a drum, to give them notice, or to animate them; no, he does but hiss to them, or rather whistle to them, and that is enough; they hear that, and . that puts courage into them; Note, God has all the creatures at his beck.
(2.) He can make them come into the service with incredible expedition; Behold, they shall come with speed swiftly. Note, [1.] Those who will do God's work must not loiter, must not linger, nor shall they when his time is come. [2.] Those who defy God's judgments, will be ashamed of their insolence when it is too late; they said scornfully, (v. 19.) Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, and they shall find, to their terror and confusion, that he will; in one hour is the judgment come.
(2.) He can carry them on in the service with amazing forwardness and fury. This is described here in very elegant and lofty expressions, v. 27—30. [1.] Though their marches be very long, yet none among them shall be weary; so desirous shall they be to engage, that they shall forget their weariness, and make no complaints of it. [2.] Though the way be rough, and perhaps embarrassed by the usual policies of war, yet none among them shall stumble, but all the difficulties in their way shall easily be got over. [3.] Though they be forced to keep constant watch, none shall slumber nor sleep, so intent shall they be upon their work, in prospect of having the plunder of the city for their pains. [4.] They shall not desire any rest or relaxation; they shall not put off their clothes, nor loose the girdle of their loins, but shall always have their belts on, and swords by their sides. [5.] They shall not meet with the least hindrance to retard their march, or oblige them to halt; not a latchet of their shoes shall be broken, which they must stay to mend, as Josh. ix. 13. [6.] Their arms and ammunition shall all be fixed, and in good posture; their arrows sharp, to wound deep, and all their bows bent, none unstrung, for they expect to be soon in action. [7.] Their horses and chariots of war are all fit for service; their horses so strong, so hardy, that their hoofs shall be like flint, far from being beaten or made tender, by their long march; and the wheels of their chariots not broken, or battered, or out of repair, but swift like a whirlwind, turning round so strongly upon their axle-trees. [8.] All the soldiers shall be bold and daring; (v. 29.) their roaring, or shouting, before a battle, shall be like a lion, who with his roaring animates himself, and terrifies all about him. They who would not hear the voice of God speaking to them by his prophets, but stopped their ears against their charms, shall be made to hear the voice of their enemies roaring against them, and shall not be able to turn a deaf ear to it; they shall roar like the roaring of the sea in a storm; it roars, and threatens to swallow up, as the lion roars; and threatens to tear in pieces. [9.] There shall not be the least prospect of relief or succour; the enemy shall come in like a flood, and there shall be none to lift up a standard against him; he shall seize the prey, and none shall deliver it, none shall be able to deliver it, nay, none shall so much as dare to attempt the deliverance of it, but shall give it up for lost. Let the distressed look which way they will, every thing appears dismal; for if God frown upon us, how can any creature smile? First, Look round to the earth, to the land, to that land that used to be a land of light, and the joy of the whole earth, and behold, darkness and sorrow, all frightful, all mourning, nothing hopeful. Secondly, Look up to heaven, and there the light is darkened, where one would expect to have found it. If the light is darkened in the heavens, how great is that darkness! If God hide his face, no marvel the heavens hide theirs, and appear gloomy, Job xxxiv. 29. It is our wisdom, by keeping a good conscience, to keep all clear between us and heaven, that we may have light from above, when clouds and darkness are round about us.
CHAP. VI.
Hitherto, it should seem, Isaiah had prophesied as a candidate, having only a virtual and implicit commission; but here we have him (if I may so speak) solemnly ordained and set apart to the prophetical office by a more express explicit commission, as his work grew more upon his hands: or, perhaps, having seen little success of his ministry, he began to think of giving it up; and therefore God saw fit to renew his commission here in this chapter, in such a manner as might excite and encourage his zeal and industry in the execution of it, though he seemed to labour in vain. In this chapter, we have, I. A very awful vision which Isaiah saw of the glory of God, (v. 1..4.) the terror it put him into, (v. 5.) and the relief given him against that terror by an assurance of the pardon of his sins, v. 6, 7. II. A very awful com-
