Moreover, when we read the prophetic writings, we must, for our better understanding them, compare them with the particular history of the reign of those kings, in whose time they prophesied, and the state of the church at that time, their alliances or wars with neighbouring princes, and the sins that they were guilty of, which gave occasion to their being sometimes insulted, and overcome by them, till their ruin was completed in being carried captive into Babylon. Thus when we read Isa. vii. which gives an account of Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, against Ahaz, and contains a prediction of their miscarriage in this attempt; and also, that the king of Asyria should be hired to assist Ahaz, but should, instead thereof, deal deceitfully with him, so that he should deprive Judah of their ornaments, and impoverish, instead of being helpful to them. This we have a farther explication of in the history of Ahaz’s reign, in 2 Kings xvi. and 2 Chron. xxviii.[38] Again, we ought to compare the account of Sennacherib’s invading Judah, and the blasphemous insult of Rabshakeh sent for that purpose, together with his defeat, and the remarkable hand of God that brought this about, as an encouragement of Hezekiah’s piety, in the xxxvith and xxxviith chapters of Isaiah, with the historal account of the same thing, in 2 Kings xviii. and xix. and 2 Chron. xxxii. Again, we must compare the Psalms of David with his life, or the state of the church, which is particularly referred to in some of them; which may be very much illustrated from other scriptures, that have relation to the same dispensations of providence, or contain an historical account thereof. As for those psalms that were penned on particular occasions, mentioned in the respective titles prefixed to them, these will be better understood if we compare the subject-matter thereof with the history they refer to. Moreover, we shall often find, that when the same thing is mentioned in different places of scripture, there is something added in one, which farther illustrates what is contained in the other. Thus, in the account we have of the life of Joseph, in Gen. xxxix. 20. it is said, that he was _put into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound_; and, in chap. xli. 14. that he was kept in the _dungeon_, which is the worst part of the prison. But the Psalmist speaking of the same matter, in Psal. cv. 18. adds, that his _feet were hurt with fetters_, and he was _laid in iron_; which contains a farther illustration of the history of his troubles.