Being therefore desirous of leaving an everlasting memorial of herself, as well as of shortening the way, she ordered the precipices to be digged down, and the hollows to be filled up; and at a great expense she made a shorter and more expeditious road, which to this day is called from her the road of Semiramis. Afterward she went into Persia, and all the other countries of Asia subject to her dominion; and wherever she went, she ordered the mountains and precipices to be levelled, raised causeways in the plain country, and at a great expense made the ways passable." - Diod. Sic. lib. ii.

The writer of the apocryphal book called Baruch expresses the same subject by the same images, either taking them from this place of Isaiah, or from the common notions of his countrymen: "For God hath appointed that every high hill, and banks of long continuance, should be cast down, and valleys filled up, to make even the ground, that Israel may go safely in the glory of God. " Chap. v. 7.

The Jewish Church, to which John was sent to announce the coming of Messiah, was at that time in a barren and desert condition, unfit, without reformation, for the reception of her King. It was in this desert country, destitute at that time of all religious cultivation, in true piety and good works unfruitful, that John was sent to prepare the way of the Lord by preaching repentance. I have distinguished the parts of the sentence according to the punctuation of the Masoretes, which agrees best both with the literal and the spiritual sense; which the construction and parallelism of the distich in the Hebrew plainly favours, and of which the Greek of the Septuagint and of the evangelists is equally susceptible.

John was born in the desert of Judea, and passed his whole life in it, till the time of his being manifested to Israel. He preached in the same desert: it was a mountainous country; however not entirely and properly a desert; for though less cultivated than other parts of Judea, yet it was not uninhabited. Joshua (chap. xv. 61, 62) reckons six cities in it. We are so prepossessed with the idea of John's living and preaching in the desert, that we are apt to consider this particular scene of his preaching as a very important and essential part of history: whereas I apprehend this circumstance to be no otherwise important, than as giving us a strong idea of the rough character of the man, which was answerable to the place of his education; and as affording a proper emblem of the rude state of the Jewish Church at that time, which was the true wilderness meant by the prophet, in which John was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

Is. 40:1-11 All human life is a warfare; the Christian life is the mos so; but the struggle will not last always. Troubles are removed in love, when sin is pardoned. In the great atonement of the death of Christ, the mercy of God is exercised to the glory of his justice. In Christ, and his sufferings, true penitents receive of the Lord's han double for all their sins; for the satisfaction Christ made by his death was of infinite value. The prophet had some reference to the return of the Jews from Babylon. But this is a small event, compare with that pointed out by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament, when Joh the Baptist proclaimed the approach of Christ. When eastern prince marched through desert countries, ways were prepared for them, an hinderances removed. And may the Lord prepare our hearts by the teaching of his word and the convictions of his Spirit, that high an proud thoughts may be brought down, good desires planted, crooked an rugged tempers made straight and softened, and every hinderanc removed, that we may be ready for his will on earth, and prepared for his heavenly kingdom. What are all that belongs to fallen man, or all that he does, but as the grass and the flower thereof! And what wil all the titles and possessions of a dying sinner avail, when they leav him under condemnation! The word of the Lord can do that for us, whic all flesh cannot. The glad tidings of the coming of Christ were to be sent forth to the ends of the earth. Satan is the strong man armed; but our Lord Jesus is stronger; and he shall proceed, and do all that he purposes. Christ is the good Shepherd; he shows tender care for youn converts, weak believers, and those of a sorrowful spirit. By his wor he requires no more service, and by his providence he inflicts no mor trouble, than he will strengthen them for. May we know our Shepherd' voice, and follow him, proving ourselves his sheep.

Is. 40:12-17 All created beings shrink to nothing in comparison with the Creator. When the Lord, by his Spirit, made the world, non directed his Spirit, or gave advice what to do, or how to do it. The nations, in comparison of him, are as a drop which remains in the bucket, compared with the vast ocean; or as the small dust in the balance, which does not turn it, compared with all the earth. Thi magnifies God's love to the world, that, though it is of such smal account and value with him, yet, for the redemption of it, he gave his only-begotten Son, John 3:16. The services of the church can make n addition to him. Our souls must have perished for ever, if the only So of the Father had not given himself for us.

Is. 40:18-26 Whatever we esteem or love, fear or hope in, more tha God, that creature we make equal with God, though we do not make image or worship them. He that is so poor, that he has scarcely a sacrific to offer, yet will not be without a god of his own. They spared no cos upon their idols; we grudge what is spent in the service of our God. To prove the greatness of God, the prophet appeals to all ages an nations. Those who are ignorant of this, are willingly ignorant. God has the command of all creatures, and of all created things. The prophet directs us to use our reason as well as our senses; to conside who created the hosts of heaven, and to pay our homage to Him. Not on fails to fulfil his will. And let us not forget, that He spake all the promises, and engaged to perform them.

Is. 40:27-31 The people of God are reproved for their unbelief an distrust of God. Let them remember they took the names Jacob an Israel, from one who found God faithful to him in all his straits. An they bore these names as a people in covenant with Him. Many foolis frets, and foolish fears, would vanish before inquiry into the causes It is bad to have evil thoughts rise in our minds, but worse to tur them into evil words. What they had known, and had heard, wa sufficient to silence all these fears and distrusts. Where God ha begun the work of grace, he will perfect it. He will help those who, in humble dependence on him, help themselves. As the day, so shall the strength be. In the strength of Divine grace their souls shall ascen above the world. They shall run the way of God's commandment cheerfully. Let us watch against unbelief, pride, and self-confidence If we go forth in our own strength, we shall faint, and utterly fall but having our hearts and our hopes in heaven, we shall be carrie above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of the prize of ou high calling in Christ Jesus __________________________________________________________________

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