It is, it seems, no new thing, that the season of the enemies' rejoicing, built upon the outward appearance and state of things among the people of God, is the beginning of their disappointment and desolation. The Lord make it so in this day of England's expectation, that the rod of it may be strengthened again, yet to smite the whole land of Palestina.
The words of my text are the result of things, upon God's dealings and dispensations before mentioned. Un- certain it is, whether they ought to be restrained to the im- mediate prophecy beforegoing concerning 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, ver. 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, it shall stand : that I will break the
518 god's work in founding zion.
Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountain tread him un- der foot; then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden from off their shoulders.' It is the ruining of Sen- nacherib, and his army in the days of Hezekiah, that is foretold. Yea, and this seems to claim a peculiar share ai\d influence into this IttivIkiov, or triumphant close; because eminently and signally, not long after, messengers were thus sent from Babylon to inquire of the health, and con- gratulate the good success of Hezekiah. And well had it been for him, and his posterity, had he given those messen- gers 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 consi- deration be excluded, though the other insisted on, be prin- cipally intended.
The words you see have in them, an inquiry and a reso- lution 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 denoted, or both, as in such predictions it often falls out.
2. ' What shall one :' that is anyone, 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 n^y noi ; what shall be an- swered, that is, by any one whatever. There is no more in the translation, than is eminently infolded in the original expression of this thing.
3. * 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 will be made about those things. What shall one then answer? This word also, is included in the inter- rogation; and much of the emphasis of it consists therein.
4. ' Answer the messengers :' that is, men coming on set purpose to make inquiry after the state of affairs among
GODS M'ORK IN FOUNDING ZION. 519
God's people, ambassadors, agents, spies, messengers, in- quirers of any sort ; or the word may be taken more largely, for any stranger that came to Jerusalem. The septuagint render these words (iaaiXtlg lOvwv, ' the kings of the nations.' What shall they say in this case? t\ airoKpi^ijcFovTai; 'what shall they answer,'or 'say ?' So that word is sometimes used. Some think that for ON^D, which they should have rendered ayycAot, or ' messengers,' they read >D^n, or ' kings,' by an evi- dent 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 : >u ' of the heathen,' say some those commonly so called, or ' the nations es- tranged 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 number, the nation for the nations, which is usual.
' What shall one answer' them? They come to make in- quiry 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 be diligently inquiring after God's dispensations among his people.
Besides what reports they receive at home, they will have messengers, agents, or spies to make inquiry.
II. The issues of God's dispensations amongst his people shall be so evident and glorious, that every one, any one though never so weak, if not blinded by prejudice, shall be able to give a convincing answer concerning them to the in- quiries of men.
Something shall be spoken to these propositions in the process of our discourse.
Secondly, there is the resolution given of the inquiry made in this interrogation. Hereof are two parts,