g A Viſion or Prophecy, containing dreadful Calamities which were to fall upon Babylon. þ This is ſpoken either, 1. of the Chal- deans, as their Sin, for which God ſends the following Judgment : So the ſenſe is, The Chaldeans ſtill perfiit in the praftice of Treache- Ty and Rapine, to which they have been ſo long accuſtomed; Or, 2. of the Medes and Perſians, who are here noted to pay the Babyloni- ans in their own Coin, and to uſe the ſame Treachery and violence towards them, which they had done to others. To which pur- poſe the Words are and may well be rendred otherwite. either thus, The treacherous dealet hath found a treacherous dealer, and the ſpoiler hath fouud @ ſpo:ler : or thus, O thou that dealeFft treacheronſly with the treacherous dealer : and that ſpoileff the ſpoiler, go up, O Elam, &vc. as it followeth, Theſe wotds will be much illuſtrated by comparing them wirh Ia: 33: 1. There is no doutt to be made, but the Medes and Perſians uſed Treachery as well as Force againſt Babylon : And beſides other inſtances now unknown, we have orie upon Re« cord, of their entertaining thoſe two Traytors, Gadatus and Gobrias, and following their Counſel and Condu& in taking the City,which made them Partakers of their Treaſon. * To fight againſt her. Theſe are Gods Words, either giving them Command and Comiſ. fion to doſo, or rather foretelling what they would do ; which is oft done 1n this form of Speech. & Perſia, called Elam Sy necdochi- cally, becauſe Elam was en eminent Province of P-rſia, bordering upon the Medes, I T's wit, Ba"ylon, wv: 9. m Eit:er, 1. Babylons ſighing, which ſhall ceaſe, becauſe they ſhall have no time to ſigh, or lame*t their Miſeries, being ſuddenly ſurprited, and cur offin a moment, as they were. As G d is ſaid to ſeek out the wickean: ſs of of wicked men till he find none,Pſal: :o: 15. when he urterly deſtroy- eth them in or with their Sins: Or, 2. the ſighing and groanings of Gods People, and cther Nations under th: heavy Opp: eſhons of that potent and crue] Empire; the Pronoun her, or chereef, being taken here not paſſively,as commonly it 15, but aQtively, or effict-nt- ly,as ſometimes it is,as Deut: 11: 25: your fear, 3: e: the fear of you ; and Job 33:7: my terreur, i: e;, theterrour or dread of me upon thee.
2 Therefore are my loins » filled with pain ; pangs have taken hold upon me,as the pangs of a woman that cravelleth os IT was + bowed down at the hearing of zz,
I was diſmayed at the ſeeing of it.
n Which he mentions with reſpe& to the following Similitude of childbearing, in which the loins are ſorely pained. And this the Prophet ſpeaks, either, 1. in the Name and Perſon 0” the Babylonian. Or rather, 2- in his own name ; which is moſt natural, aud agrees beſt with the laſt clauſe of the Verſe, which plainly ſpeaks of the torment which he lad in the meer hearing of the Word,and ſeeing the Viſion, and not of that which they had in the feeling of it; al- though the latter is implied in the former; and thz Prophet expreſ- ſeth his horrocur in hearing and ſeeing, to intimate the dreadful horrour which ſhould ſeize upon them when it came upon them. o Sharp and grievous pains, :
[0r, my 4. |] My heart panteth, fearfulneſs afrighted me : the ra war night of my pleaſure p hath he q | turned into fear
"PW 7 Unto ME-
* p Thenight, in which I uſed to have a ſweet Repoſe and Sleep. He ſcems to have had this Viſion in a night. But withal this hor- rour of the Prophet by night was Typ:cal, and did ſignihe that grievous horrour and deſtrution,which ſhuuld befal the Babylonians in a night of great Feaſting and Jollity, 2s it did Dan: 5, 5. 30.
'Chap: 13 » 174
{{cb:wri- ted,
fears
5 Prepare the table /, watch in the watch-tower ?, eat, drink : ariſe, ye princes «, and anoint the ſhield x. [Furniſh it with meats ond Drinks, as it foll,-ws. The Propher foretells what the Baby/onians would be doing when their Enemies were at their doors that they would give up themſelves to Feaſting and Security, ft To give us notice of any approaching dar:ger,that in the mean time we may more ſecurely indulge our felves in Mirth and Pleaſures. « Either, 1 ye Medes and Perfians: Whilſt your Ene- mics the Babylenians are feaſting ſecurely, prepare to make your Aſfult. Or, 2. Ye Princes of Babylez: Ariſe from the Table and run to your Arms. Which ſudden alarm and change of their Poſ- ture proceeded from the Tidings out of the Waich-rower,as may be gathered from the former Clauſe, and is more fully expreſſed in the following Verſes, x Prepare your ſelves and your Arms for the Battle approaching. The ſb:eld is put for all their weapons of Offence and Defence. They uſed to anoint their Shields with Oy, parcly to preſerve and polifh them; and partly to make them ſlippery, that their enemies darts might not faſten in them, but ſlide off from them.
6 For thus hath the LORD faid unto me y, Go, fer
' a watchman z, and let him declare a what he ſeeth,
3 I ſpeak not my own fancies, but what God hath made me to ſee and hear ina Viſion; the Particulars whereof are related in the following verſes. « Either, 1. a Prophet ; ſuch being oft ſo cal- led,as Ezek: 3; 17: & 33-2+ Or rather, 2. a Military Watchman. For this was now done only ina vilion, which yer did fore«ſignifie what ſhould be done really afterwards. & To thee 1a viſion, tg them Really.
11S 4 FR
e very great Colle&ion of Warers.6 In thoſe parts which lay Svuth- '
9 God, who ſhewed himthat Viſion. 7 Into atime and matter of |
* Chap. X
7 And he ſaw b a chariot e with a couple of horſe- men 4, a chariot of afſes, and a chariot of camels e ;
and he hexrkened diligently f with much heed. 6 A ſhort Speech, for he told me thar he aw. «c Not for Bur-
den, but for wir, in which chariors were then much uſed. 4 At- tend2d with two Horſmen.So th-re were both Chariots and Troops : of Horſemen. Or, with a couple of Horſes, as this word is ſome= ' kiimes uſed, as 1 Sam: 8: 1: 2 $#m: 1: 6: The chariot was drawn
with two horſes. e Two Chariots, one drawn by Afes, ( under
which Tirle ſome underitand Mules. as being engendred of Affes}
and the other by Cunmels. Whereby he ſignifies . the Variety and
Avundance of Warlike Proviſions which the Medes and Perſians _ have for this Exredition, and particularly ©f Chariots
ercof ſome were for the Carriage of Neceſſary Things, and 0=
tners for the Battle, f He carefully obſerved what he ſaw, and what he could further diſcover.