Does not burden of the beasts of the South in this place relate to the presents sent by Hoshea king of Israel to the South-to Egypt, which lay south of Judea, to engage the Egyptians to succour him against the king of Assyria? Into the land of trouble and anguish "Through a land of distress and difficulty"] The same deserts are here spoken of which the Israelites passed through when they came out of Egypt, which Moses describes, Deut. viii. 15, as "that great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought; where there was no water. " And which was designed to be a kind of barrier between them and Egypt, of which the Lord had said, "Ye shall henceforth return no more that way, "Deut. xvii. 16.

Shall not profit them] A MS. adds in the margin the word wml lamo, them, which seems to have been lost out of the text: it is authorized by the Septuagint and Vulgate.

Is. 30:1-7 It was often the fault and folly of the Jews, that when troubled by their neighbours on one side, they sought for succour from others, instead of looking up to God. Nor can we avoid the dreadfu consequences of adding sin to sin, but by making the righteousness of Christ our refuge, and seeking for the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Men have always been prone to lean to their own understandings but this will end in their shame and misery. They would not trust in God. They took much pains to gain the Egyptians. The riches so spen turned to a bad account. See what dangers men run into who forsake God to follow their carnal confidences. The Creator is the Rock of ages the creature a broken reed; we cannot expect too little from man, or too much from God. Our strength is to sit still, in humble dependenc upon God and his goodness, and quiet submission to his will.

Is. 30:8-18 The Jews were the only professing people God then had in the world, yet many among them were rebellious. They had the light, but they loved darkness rather. The prophets checked them in their sinfu pursuits, so that they could not proceed without fear; this they too amiss. But faithful ministers will not be driven from seeking to awake sinners. God is the Holy One of Israel, and so they shall find him They did not like to hear of his holy commandments and his hatred of sin; they desired that they might no more be reminded of these things But as they despised the word of God, their sins undermined their safety. Their state would be dashed in pieces like a potter's vessel Let us return from our evil ways, and settle in the way of duty; tha is the way to be saved. Would we be strengthened, it must be in quietness and in confidence, keeping peace in our own minds, an relying upon God. They think themselves wiser than God; but the projec by which they thought to save themselves was their ruin. Only here an there one shall escape, as a warning to others. If men will not repent turn to God, and seek happiness in his favour and service, their desires will but hasten their ruin. Those who make God alone their confidence, will have comfort. God ever waits to be gracious to all that come to him by faith in Christ, and happy are those who wait for him.

Is. 30:19-26 God's people will soon arrive at the Zion above, and the they will weep no more for ever. Even now they would have more comfort as well as holiness, if they were more constant in prayer. A famine of bread is not so great a judgment as a famine of the word of God. Ther are right-hand and left-hand errors; the tempter is busy courting u into by-paths. It is happy if, by the counsels of a faithful ministe or friend, or the checks of conscience, and the strivings of God the Spirit, we are set right when doubting, and prevented from going wrong They shall be cured of their idolatry. To all true penitents sin becomes very hateful. This is shown daily in the conversion of souls by the power of Divine grace, to the fear and love of God. Abundan means of grace, with the influences of the Holy Spirit, would be extended to places destitute of them. The effect of this should be comfort and joy to the people of God. Light, that is, knowledge, shal increase. This is the light which the gospel brought into the world and which proclaims healing to the broken-hearted.

Is. 30:27-33 God curbs and restrains from doing mischief. With a wor he guides his people into the right way, but with a bridle he turns his enemies upon their own ruin. Here, in threatening the ruin of Sennacherib's army, the prophet points at the final and everlastin destruction of all impenitent sinners. Tophet was a valley nea Jerusalem, where fires were continually burning to destroy things tha were hurtful and offensive, and there the idolatrous Jews caused their children to pass through the fire to Moloch. This denotes the certaint of the destruction, as an awful emblem of the place of torment in the other world. No oppressor shall escape the Divine wrath. Let sinner then flee to Christ, seeking to be reconciled to Him, that they may be safe and happy, when destruction from the Almighty shall sweep away all the workers of iniquity __________________________________________________________________

Original Hebrew