when particular despatch is required, even in a particular kind of vessels, called by our author, vessels of reeds or bulrushes. Now this is to the full as bad as the leading us a dance from Judea down the Red Sea to the Arabian Gulf, into Ethiopia, over the Mountains of the Moon, across the great desert of Zaara, to the Atlantic ocean: thence to the United States. "And in vessels of REEDS!" The American ambassadors have hitherto sailed in what Europeans may if they please sportively call fir built Frigates: "Vessels of reeds," is rather a mean figure for American Frigates. Our author sees this, and how does he get over the difficulty? Thus: "This, (says he,) regards the manner of internal intercourse among her own citizens." And he dexterously turns nomenclator, and calls America, "the country of the canoe.” And is obliged to place the prophet in a terrible dilemma: "Isaiah had probably seen these vessels, or had heard them described. In his vision, when he saw the American waters, covered with her Bark Canoes, and light Batteaux, which so much resembled the vessels of the Nile, he calls them by the same name— vessels of bulrushes."Handsomely done: the prophet made a mistake! After this "let the weak say I am strong." Scripture prophecies can now be easily explained; for if a difficulty comes in our way, in a description, we have only to find some distant resemblance, and throw the fault of its not being plainer, on the prophet. He mistook! he was used to, or had heard of, bulrush vessels, and mistook the bark canoes and light batteaux for such : But the prophet was inspired, and consequently infallible!! No matter! the Holy Spirit which inspired him, made a mistake!!! But there is another difficulty: The enlightened American Nation who send ambassadors by sea, do not at all use the Bark Canoe. The use thereof is gone with the Aborigines; and we neither see Indians nor bark canoes. The Steam-Boat has taken its place; and these are not altogether vessels of Bulrushes or Cane. Had our author kept "a steady eye on the prophet in his manner as well as in his expression," this would not have happened. The prophet says, and in vessels of 8 Gomey, translated in the Bible Bulrushes. Now this word has three meanings; the first is - to drink, to swallow, principally the hurried drinking of a very

thirsty being; there is no word in the English language that comes near its meaning; it means to drink in hurry and profusion: to guzzle will hardly answer, but comes nearest to it-the greedy swallowing of drink.

The second meaning is to impress-a powerful, a strong impression, made for the purpose of forcing onward in a forward direction, such as is made by the fiery war-horse with his hoofs in the earth, in his hurry and rage to get to the battle.

ארץ

"With fierceness and rage he impresseth the ground." Job xxxix. 24. Here the word impresseth is yegamey. (The bible translates this word "he swalloweth ;" now no horse ever swallowed the ground.) Jarchi says He maketh pits with his feet deep impressions or tracks with his hoof.-According to the force of the impression of the hoofs of the warhorse on the ground, or on the face of the earth, his body is impelled and here with a like motion on the face of the waters, are these vessels propelled swiftly forward.

:

The third meaning is Bulrushes, as in the bible translation in our text, &c. Now, we may not expect vessels fitted for the navigation of the Atlantic Ocean, will ever be made of bulrushes, or cane; neither can we suppose, with our author, the prophet erred in vision,and mistook the timber the vessels were made of, (God forbid.) I would rather look for an appropriate and lucid description by the prophet, of the kind of vessels which should carry these messengers: he calls them by hand which I have shown means vessels impelled by impressions made on the face of the water, as the horse propels himself forward by the im pression made by his feet on the earth.

Whatever power may cause the motion of the wheels of boats, whether steam of high or low pressure, horse power, or otherwise, such vessel is aptly described by the words used by the prophet— vessels impressing on the face of the waters-this is certainly the power causing the vessel to move swiftly forward; whatever power causes the wheels to revolve, it is they should give the name to the vessels. The prophet saw the vessels in vision; he saw the manner of their motion was other than the usual method of sailing; whereas the vessels propelled in the usual manner were acted on in the air-these acted on the face of the water, and by im

pressions made thereon by the buckets, in a forcible manner propelled them; and he calls them' vessels impressing on the face of the water.'

VERSE 1.

Notes and illustrations.

Here a new scene is introduced. Without any previous notice or explanation, Jehovah abruptly withdraws the eye and attention of the prophet from the country and its description, and directs them to a more interesting subject. Persons in the habit and attitude of messengers, present themselves prepared and ready to receive the charge, and commission of their King. In the hearing and view of the prophet, he addresses them in these solemn and rapid accents!

Swift Messengers, go ye.] Angels or messengers, the epithet in the text, is employed in scripture to designate agents despatched by God, from heaven, with messages of mercy to men, or those ministers of religion whom he qualifies and calls to instruct sinners in the way of salvation. Messengers of the former kind were frequently sent to Abraham, and to Jacob, to prophets and apostles in every age. By this name also, our Saviour, in each of his letters to the Asiatic churches, addresses their respective Pastors or Bishops. ...... himself, when in the execution of his prophetical office, is called also by the same name. Malachi, when closing the canonof the Old Testament, promises ...... and his forerunner, under this appellation. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and JEHOVAH, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant in whom ye delight."

The persons who receive the charge in the text, we may therefore conclude, are American Clergymen, whom God by his grace shall qualify, and in his providence raise up, for engaging in a work, on which his heart has long been set. Blessed are they, who shall be called!

"Here a new scene is introduced. Without any previous notice or explanation," &c. But why shall we snppose this is the introduction of a new scene, siuce we have no notice or explanation of such an intention, and since it is not irreconcilable to the old scene? The prophet at first introduces us to an acquaintance with a distant nation (the United States) who he describes as a people who send ambassadors by sea on distant voyages in very light vessels, which are impelled by impressions or tramplings; and in this verse he continues the subject, rehearsing to us to whom these ambassadors will be sent: they will receive instruction to go to a Nation dispersed and plundered-the Hebrew is

There is no controversy, but here the prophet intends the Jews, who are a scattered people, a people who have been plucked or peeled-plundered by all nations. "A people in terror in the extreme." from that time onward is the literal translation that is, from the time they became a people, and ever after

the workings of God towards them, or with them, was wonderful. "A nation of expectations;" the Hebrew is pp The bible translates this "A nation meted out." Now the words pp has in truth two meanings: First, it is a line or measure; in this sense it app lies to the Jewish nation, who receive their punishment for their sins by measure, by line, double for all their sins: "But first will I recompense you double for all your sins," and therefore is the word p repeated p p Kav Kav, a double measure.

The second sense is hope, expectation, and in this sense it applies with equal force to the Jews, who have always been a nation of expectation, continually hoping, trusting, and expecting enlargement, but still have been trodden upon by all.

"Whose country the rivers have spoiled." The rivers, that is, the kings of the world, the conquerors, have ever spoiled the country of the Jews, as our author explains the text. But here again out author has not kept " a steady eye on the prophet in his manner as well as in his expression :". The prophet says 13 J

The word certainly means they have plundered, that is, taken as a prize, a spoil; but never signifies have marred :— But our author says, "The very soil of thy hills and of thy valleys have been torn up with the inundation, and has disappeared"—and this language he does not use figuratively; for he says, same page "They have literally spoiled the land"—consequently he must mean the land is marred, is nought; there is no soil either on the hills or in the valleys. Misinformed man! The soil as well as the climate is even now of the first quality. Cultivation, with God's blessing, is all that is wanting to make it "the glory of all lands." The eyes of her own sons, with God's peace, would soon change the face of things. Can we expect fruitfulness without pains and what pains will men take in cultivation, when he that sows knows not that he shall reap the field? The Arab is a robber, who will not succumb to the Turkish government: they rove about the country in clans, plundering when they can. In return, the Turk often pays them in kind; the harvest of the one, and the cattle of the other, are continually subject to spoil. The country, in consequence, generally lays waste, but in that part wherein the Turk finds it his immediate interest to observe good government, and a strong protecting force, (in the Pachalic of

Jerusalem,) no country in the world is more fruitful and productive; there is no lack of any good thing; all tropical fruits grow there to perfection; they have of their own raising, all the produce of the Temperate, as well as the Torrid Zones: and if my information is correct, the ......ian, as well as the Jew, have the best wine for a trifling consideration. But they must manufacture it themselves; the Turk will have none of it: he only brings the grapes to market; so that the land is not spoiled, not marred; and therefore the word 1 ought to have been rendered, his country; whose country rivers have plundered. Rivers is figuratively put in scripture for Rulers. "Refuse the waters of Shiloa which go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remalias' Son."-Isa. Here the government of the King of Judah or house of David, is spoken of as the river Shiloa.-Again, "the waters of the River strong and many, even the King of Assyria, and all his hosts."-Isa.

With our author's complaints against the intolerance and pride of the prelacy of England-his address to the New-England churches-or with his recommendation of the study of Hebrew, I have but little to do; but in regard to the following recommendation to what he calls Jewish Missionaries

To these let burning zeal, and charitable and holy affections be added, with disinterested generosity, and we may soon expect the downfall of Jewish infidelityJerusalem inhabited-and Zion rising from the dust in more than primeval splendour.

I must pray. May God guard the Jews from......ian Burning ZEAL-wofully have we felt its heat! As to the downfall of Jewish infidelity, be assured, merciful sir, the affections of burning zeal will not convert Jews. O God! deliver thy only One from the power of the Dog.*

As to the wicked charge of "infidelity," I will not return reviling with reviling, but rather follow our author, who returns to his subject, reverting to the word "swift."

Swift.] The import of this epithet, it is not easy, perhaps it is impossible yet accurately to ascertain. It is probable from the spirit of the text, that the call will be instantaneous, and at a season when the circumstances of the Jews shall have become critical. Speed and exertion will then become absolutely necessary, and that in a high degree.

* The Spirit of persecution.