The words of my text are the result of things upon God's dealings and dispensations before mentioned. Uncertain it is, whether they ought to be restrained to the immediate prophecy before-going concern- ing Palestina, or whether they relate not also to that in the beginning of the chapter, concerning the destruction of the Assyrian, which is summed up, verses 24, 25, " The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders." It is the ruining of Sennacherib and his army in the days of Hezekiah that is foretold. Yea, and this seems to claim a peculiar share and influence into this imviy-iov, or triumphant close;
god's work in founding zion. 403
because, eminently and signally, not long after, messengers were tlius sent from Babylon to inquire of the health and congratulate the good success of Hezekiah. And well had it been for him and his posterity had he given those messengers the return to their inquiry which was here prepared for him some years before. His mistake herein was the fatal ruin of Judah's prosperity. Let not, then, that consideration be excluded, though the other insisted on be principally intended.
The words, you see, liave in them an inquiry, and a resolution thereof . I shall open them briefly as they lie in the text.
First, There is an inquiry.
1. " What SHALL one;" — what shall, or what ought, — what is it their duty to do, or to say? or, what shall they, upon the evidence of' the things done, so do or say? Either their duty or the event is de- noted, or both; as, in such predictions, it often falls out.
2. " What shall one;" — that is, any one, or every one. The answer spoken of is either the duty of every one to give, or it will be so evident, that any one shall be able to give it. The word one, I confess, is not expressly in the original, but is evidently included in the verb '^.^^(^."'"'^1^ — what shall be answered? that is, by any one what- ever. There is no more in the translation than is eminently infolded in the original exjyression of this thing.
8. " What shall one then;" — that is, in the season when God hath disappointed the hopes and expectations of the enemies of his people, and hath strengthened their rod to bruise them again more than ever. That is a season wherein great inquiry mil be made about those things. " What shall one then answer?" This word also is included in the interrogation ; and much of the emphasis of it consists therein.
4. " Ansiuer the messengers;"- — that is, men coming on set pur- pose to make inquiry after the state of affairs among God's people, — ambassadors, agents, spies, messengers, — inquirers of any sort; or the word may be taken more largely, for any stranger that came to Jeru- salem. The Septuagint render these words, (3a<fiXsTg sdvojv, " the kings of the nations." What shall they say in this case? T/ a'xo%pi6ri6ovrai; " what shall they"answer," or " say?" — So that word is sometimes used. Some think that for ""^^PP, which they should have rendered ayyeXoi, OX " messengers," they read ''^f^, or " kings," by an evident mistake ; but all things are clear in the original.
5. " Of the NATIONS ;" — that is, of this or that nation, of any nation that shall send to make inquiry: ''"iJ, "of the heathen," say some. Those commonly so called, or " the nations estranged from God," are usually denoted by this word in the plural number; yet not always under that consideration : so that there may be an enallagy of num- ber, the nation for the nations; which is usual.
" What shall one answer" them? They come to make inquiry
404 god's work in founding zion.
after the work of God among his people, and it is fit that an answer be given to them.
Two things are observable in this interrogation: —
I. The nations about will he diligently inquiring after God's dis- pensations among his -people.
Besides what rej)orts they receive at home, they will have messen- gers, agents, or spies, to make inquiiy.
II. The issues of God's dispensations amongst his people shall he so evident and glorious, that every one, any one, though never so weak, if not Minded hy prejudice, shall he ahle to give a convincing answer concerning them to the inquiries of men.
Something shall be sjDoken to these propositions m the process of our discourse.
Secondly, There is the resolution given of the inquiry made in this interrogation. Hereof are two parts: — 1. What God hath done. 2. What his people shall or ought to do.
Wrap up at any time the work of God and the duty of his people together, and they will be a sufficient answer to any man's inquiiy after the state of things among them. As to our wisdom in reference unto providential dispensations, this is the whole of man.