Part I. METAPHORS FROM EARTH. an open Accefs to the holy Hill of God his heavenly Habitation, where my Prayers fhall be heard, and fl1all implore the w1fbed Help agamfl: thofe rebelhous and fl:ub– born Enemies. So Pfal. xcix. 9· cxxi. I. cxxiii. 1. xv. 1. and xviii. 8. 2 Sam. xxii. 8. 2. KINGDOMS and EMPIRES, which like Mountains have a Pre-eminence in the World, Pfa!. xxx. 7· Lord by thy Favor thou haft made my Mountain to jland jlrong, that is, thou hafl: given my Kingdom Strength and Tranquillity. Pfa!. l~xvi. ~- 'fhou art more glorious arJd excellent than the Mountains of Prey, that is, rhe Kingdoms of the Wicked, who unjuftly plunder and prey upon the World. Jer. Ji. 25. Behold I am againjl thee, 0 dejlroying; Motmt~i;z, faith the Lord, &c._ Il'!ricus, So he calls Baby/on, althou<>h it was fituate m a Plam, becaufe of the Lofnnefs of Jts Drgmty and Power, by which as a very high Mountain it hung over other Cities and People.. But others think, that by the valt Circuit and Thicknefs of its Walls it rofe like a Mountain; for Herodotus, Strabo, P!iny and Diodorus Sicu!us affirm that the Walls of Babylon were 50 Cubits thick, and 200 royal Cubits high. And that which is added in the fame Place, that Baby!onjhould be made a burning Mountain, is to be underfl:ood of theRubbifh and ruinous Heap which was left like a Mountain after the Burning of that great City. Hab. iii. 6. The everlajling Mountains were fcattered, and the perpetual Hills did bow, that is, the Kingdoms of the Peoples were fuddenly flJaken and overthrown: He fpeaks of the Blelling of God, which expelled the Canaanites and difl:ributed their Lands to his People by his Miniflers Mofes and Jojhua. See Exod. xv. 14, &c. 3· Any proud Enemies of the Kingdom of God, !fa. ii. 14. '[he Day (of the Anger) of the Lord, upon all the high Mountains, and upon all the Hills that are lifted up, that is, upon all fuch as are proud and lifted up becaufe of their Power. As appears, Verfe I I, 12, 17. Alfo by the Cedars of Lebanon that are lifted up and the Oaks of Bajhan, Verfe I 3· And the high Towers and fenced Walls, Verfe I 5· !fa. xl. 4· Every Vallq jhall be exalted, and every Mountain and Hil!jhall be brought low, &c. This is a metaphorical Defcription of the EffeCt of John Baptijl's Preaching, of which the Prophet fpeaks here. Upon which Mufcu!us, * The Doftrine of Repentance humbles Mountains and Hills, and makes plain the uneven and crooked, that is, it brings down theproud, depraved, and wicked, and the Conjolation of the Kingdom of God, which is joined to the Doftrine of Repentance, lifts up the Vallies, that is, it comforts and refrejhes the humble, the poor in Spirit and the dejefted. The Forerunner of the Lord did exaCtly profecute both thefe Parts in pre– paring the Way of our Lord, faying, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at band, Matt. iii. &c. !fa. xli. I5- ?houjhalt threfo the Mountains, and beat themfmall,and/halt make the Hills as Chaff, that is, thou fhalt deflroy thine Enemies though they be moll: proud and powerful, notwithfl:anding thou dofl: feem but as aWorm, Verfe 14. He fpeaks by the Spirit to the Church of Chrifl:, which by Virtue of the heavenly Word, works thefe Things gloriouOy: The Chaldee renders it, thou fhalt Oay thofe People, deflroy their Kingdoms, and make them as Chaff. See Zech. iv. 7• &c. More efpecially there is Mention of Bajhan, Pfa!. lxviii. 15. which was a mountain– ous Country, famous for excellent Pafl:ure, the Beafls that fed there being very fat, flrong, and great-hence the Bulls, Rams, or Heifers of Bajhan are metaphorically put for fat, Deut. xxxii. '4· which is alfo referred to Men, Pfal. xxii. 12. Strong (Bulls) of Bajhan ·have bejel me round, that is, the Enemies of Chrifl: who were !l:rong and fierce, &c. See Amos iv. 1. The Oaks of Bajhan are ufed in the fame Senfe, !fa. ii. I3· Zech. xi. 2. Carmel was a Mountain famous for Fields, Vines, Olive-trees, and fruit-bearing Shrubs, and is by a Metaphor put for any good and fruitful Country, !fa. xvi. 10. Jer. ii. 7· Some think this TranOation is made becaufe of the Etymology of the Word alledging that 1 7r.)i:J Carme/ is compounded of Di:J Kerem vinea, a Vineyard, and N?r.:> plenus, full, that is, full of Vineyards. The Word is alfo tranOated to jj>iritual Things, !fa. xxxii. I5. and Mention is made of it in the Defcription of the New Teftament Church, and its Vigor and Glory, !fa. xxxv. 2. LEBANON, a Mountain, denotes the Grandees in the King of AJ!jria's Army be– caufe of the Height, Statelinefs and Plenty of the Trees there, !fa. x. 34· And Le– banonjha/1fall by a mighty One, that is, even the fl:outefl: and mofl: valiant in that Army 1hall be flain by the Angel of the Lord. ln the foregoing Part of the Verfe it is faid, and be jhal/ cut down the Thickets of the Forejl witb Iron, where we are to under!l:and the • In Comment. H. L. Kk other
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