Isaiah 13:2-10

In the figurative language of prophecy, the Lord describes the destruction of Babylon. The army that shall come against Babylon, the Lord calls his sanctified ones, and his mighty ones. By sanctified, we must not, as we are very apt to do, suppose is meant God's holy ones; but only such as the Lord hath set apart, and appointed to this service. The word sanctified, doth not always mean holy. The army by which, as the Lord's instruments, the Lord would destroy Babylon, were no more holy than the Babylon to be destroyed. Babylon was now, by the Lord's appointment, to take his people into captivity, and afflict them. But Babylon, after that is over, shall be accounted with, and be herself ruined. Hence therefore, the Lord sends by whom he will send, and when he is pleased to correct his whole Church, or any one individual of that Church, the rod the Lord corrects with, shall, when he hath finished the correction, be thrown away. Reader! mark this observation for present times, as well as those that are past, for it will be found uniformly true. If the Reader will compare what is said in this chapter, with what the Lord hath said in another part of Isaiah's prophecy, he will find a beautiful and striking correspondence. See Isaiah 45:1.