WEIGHT, or Burden, in Latin, Onus, in Hebrew, Massa, is commonly used in the Prophets for a disastrous Prophecy. Onus Babylonis, Onus Nineve, Onus Moab, Onus Ægypti. And the Jews asking Jeremiah, by way of Insult, Quod est onus Domini? He answered them, Vos estis onus, you are as it were an insupportable Burden to the Lord; he will throw you upon the Ground, and break you to Pieces, and you shall become the Reproach of the People.
Onus deserti maris, Isai. xxi. 1. A Calamitous Prophecy against Babylon, which stood upon the Euphrates, and was watered as by a Sea; and which, from being great and populous as it was, would soon be reduced to a Solitude.
Onus Vallis visionis, Isai. xxii. 1. A dreadful Vision against Jerusalem, which is called by way of Irony, The Vale of Vision, altho’ it stood upon an Eminence. It is called of Vision, or of Moriah, because it is thought to be upon Mount Sion, or Moriah, that Abraham brought Isaac with an Intention to sacrifice him.
Onus jumentorum Austri, Isai. xxx. 3. The Prophecy in which we find these Words, very plainly have a Respect to Judea. But we cannot perceive upon what account this Inscription is found in this Place. It may easily happen, that Copiers have supplied it, for it seems to make no Sense with the Context; but, on the contrary, it interrupts and suspends it. One may thus read the Text of Isaiah, Ver.4, 5. The Jews sent their Ambassadors as far as Tanis and Hanes; but they were confounded when they saw that these People were not in a Condition to assist them. (The burden of the beasts of the South.) They went, I say, into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young Asses, and their Treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
The stone of weight, or burden, mentioned Zechariah xii. 3. In that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, tho’ all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. I will make Jerusalem as a Stone of burden to all Nations. All those that would lift it shall be wounded with it. All Nations round about Jerusalem had tried their Strength against it; the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Persians, the Egyptians, &c. but all these People had been wounded by them. They have taken the City, ‘tis true, but they paid dear for their Victory by the Losses they suffered by it. St. Hieron. in Zach. xii.Jerome observes, that in the Cities and Villages of Palestine, there was an old Custom, which continued even to his Time, to have great and heavy round Stones, which the young People used to lift up as high as they could, by way of Exercise, and to try their Strength. He assures us moreover, that in the Citadel at Athens, near the Statue of Minerva, he had seen an Iron Ball of a very great Weight, and which he could not move but with Difficulty, with which they heretofore used to try the Strength of the Athletæ, that their Abilities might be known, and that they might not be too unequally matched. Many think, that the Stone of Zobeleth, spoke of 1 Kings i. 9. was one of these Stones of Burden: And Ecclesiasticus alludes to this Custom, when Ecclus. vi. 21.he says, She will lie upon him as a mighty stone of trial, and he will cast her from him e’re it be long.
The Weight or Burden of the Day, mentioned Matth. xx. 12.by our Saviour, Which have born the burden and heat of the day, expresses the Labour and Toil of the Day, during the Meridian Heat.
2 Cor. iv. 17.A Weight of Glory, of which St. Paul speaks, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, is opposed to the Lightness of the Evils of this Life. The Troubles we endure are really of no more Weight than a Straw, or of no Weight at all, if compared to the Weight or Intenseness of that Glory, which is to be hereafter as a Compensation for them.