the practical use to be made of the divine word. By this method, the work is much reduced in size and expense; is brought within the means and the time for reading of a much greater number; and still, it is hoped, without lessening its moral and spiritual value.

The

study of the Bible has been to me, above all other studies, my life-work and my life-joy. Through divine mercy and a fore-ordering providence, my attention has been turned and held very considerably during forty years past to the study of the Hebrew Scriptures, and especially to the writings of the prophets. At the urgent suggestion of friends, and under a strong conviction of the need of a commentary on these books adapted to all readers, I entered, three years ago, upon the preparation of these volumes, fully purposed to spare no pains, first to reach the exact and full thought in these sacred words, and then to present it with whatever clearness, brevity, and force I could command.These years of study and writing have been to me a continual feast. Such a profusion of literary and poetic beauties as lie here, is one of God's great benefactions, yet is not to be named in comparison with the value of these truths fresh from the infinite mind of our divine Father, and from his parental heart. It is a luxury to see the lines of evidence converging to a focus to certify the exact meaning of God's word, and to bring out that meaning in sunlight before the mind. It ought to be and is a luxury even more rich to feel the presence and the power of such truth upon the heart. The writer has gone through these prophetic books with a growing sense of the richness and fulness of their provisions for both the mind and the heart, earnestly wishing that his readers may partake of this feast, and drink deeply at these fountains.

This volume is sent forth in the hope that it may aid the studies and refresh the souls of those who prize the Sacred Word, and rejoice in the growing sway of light and love under the great Redeemer's reign.

It has been thought best to begin with the minor prophets. The notes on the remaining prophets, upon the same general plan, have been prepared for the press, and may appear at some future day, if it should seem desirable.

The reader will be careful to observe that in the notes, italic words are emphatic; but in the sacred text, as in all English Bibles, they indicate that there are no corresponding words in the original Hebrew. Hence they are often the opposite of emphatic,-a more just translation dispensing with them altogether.

The author has aimed to give either a translation, more or less free, or a paraphrase, in all cases where he has been compelled to differ from the received version. These passages are usually indicated by marks of quotation.

OBERLIN, Ohio, Sept., 1866.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS.

THE Mosaic system comprised institutions and agencies for sustaining the religious life of the Hebrew people. The priests and the Levites were religious orders, held responsible for this service. In the degenerate ages of the nation, the forms of their religion lost their spiritual power, and those religious orders seem to have gone down morally in the general declension. Hence there arose a demand for a new order of men, and prophets appeared, holding their individual commissions direct from the living God. Singled out by his special call, they went forth with his definite messages, calling upon the people to hear his voice, and turn from their sins to righteousness. Hence it resulted, from the very circumstances which called into existence the order of prophets, that their main work should be to preach reform; to rebuke the prevalent sins of the nation; to denounce their idolatry, their self-righteousness, their heartless formality, and their oppression of the poor; to threaten impending judgments, and to call the people back to their forsaken God.

A portion of them (not all) have left in writing more or less of the messages sent by them from God to the people. Some, whose position is quite prominent in the history (e. g., Elijah and Elisha), have left no books of their own. Others, whose names are not in the historic annals, have left valuable writings. Manifestly each followed, in this respect, his own word from

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the Lord-the Lord in his wisdom using.these servants of his for the work which he most needed done and which they were best qualified to do.

It is manifest, both from the history and from the tenor of these recorded prophecies, that with few if any exceptions they first bore their messages from God to the people, with the living voice, in the form of direct address. It may be safely

assumed that those portions were committed to writing which embraced prophecy yet to be fulfilled, or which would be specially useful, either to the Jewish or the Gentile Church, along the course of future ages.

his

These writings of the Hebrew prophets are now before us -rich treasures of truth and experience from the ancient past, God's own words, given to "holy men of old, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Noble men were they, of martyr spirit, of Christian heroism, of faith and courage inspired by the sense of a special mission from the Most High; men whose record the world cannot afford to lose, nor the Christian Church to drop from her living thought. With what power of logic have they set forth the claims of God upon rational creatures! How have they depicted the ingratitude, the meanness, the folly, and the madness of sin! With what solemn and thrilling words have they spoken of the judgments which God would send, and did, upon guilty nations, Jew and Gentile, in retribution on sinners, whom no warning from his voice availed to reclaim, and whose sins even the great forbearance of God could not longer endure! How pertinent and forcible are the moral lessons which come down to us from such living examples! Do proud rulers question whether there be an infinite Moral Governor of the universe? Do they doubt whether he takes note of the sins of mighty nations, and holds both them and their rulers to a strict moral accountability? Do they vainly think to set justice at naught, and trample down the helpless-no God from on high regarding and avenging? Or do they presume that he is too tender-hearted or too weak to punish, so that strong men and proud nations shall feel it?

On all these and on all kindred points, the logic of facts

GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS.

ix

affords demonstration, not only convincing, but appalling. It must be morally wholesome to study such testimonies from the actual ways of God in the teaching past. It were madness to ignore them.

Here also, coupled with these terrible retributions from God upon persistent sinners, are the most touching invitations to return in penitence, and the richest promises of pardon to the humble and the contrite. You are impressed as you read with a sense that these words of promise are freighted with a wealth of love unknown in human hearts, and truly worthy of a God. Whoever with honest mind shall take in their full significance, and not abuse it, will surely find in it a blessing.—It was one of the special functions of those ancient prophets to minister to the faith and hope of the few yet found faithful among the many faithless. To them, and primarily for their sake, God spake, through his servants, of the great things then in the future of his Zion. The Messiah yet to come; the work he should achieve while yet among men in the flesh; the mission of the Holy Spirit; the conversion of the Gentiles; the fortunes of the Jews-at first mostly cast off for their unbelief, but ultimately brought in through great mercy; the abrogation of the sacrificial system; the outgoing of the gospel to the distant nations of the earth; the mission of truth and its triumphs in every land, and the final victory of Christ over all opposing powers: these things are grouped together into these glorious visions of the then distant future-a grand and sublime panorama of the Christian age in whole, making revelations even to us who live midway in their fulfilment, such as no lover of his race and lover of Christ can contemplate without being quickened anew in faith and love for the prayer and the work to which Christ calls him. How earnestly do these prophecies invite the most careful study! We do not wonder that Peter should endorse and commend them to his Christian brethren, saying: "We have also the word of prophecy made more sure (i. e., by its incipient fulfilment), whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts" (2 Peter: 1,