"Her own feet | shall carry her | afar off | to sojourn."
1st. "Her own feet,"—is figurative that the means should be Tyrian; viz., Navigation.
2d. "Shall carry her," i. e. shall convey them,—and that it was to be by Navigation has already been proved,—"they shall cry aloud from the Sea"—that is also demonstrated by the Galleys of the Sidonians.
3d. "Afar off"—figurative that the migration should be to some unusual distance, or nameless land.
4th. "To sojourn," i. e. to reside or remain,—and as no time or duration is affixed to the words, they would seem to express in the language of the Bible—"to sojourn for evermore," or to a time wherein total annihilation should be accomplished,—as it has been by the Spaniards and their descendants.
We will meet at the threshold any objections to the strong and conclusive application to this History, of this remarkable, and hitherto unemployed line of Prophecy.
1st. It cannot belong to the first Siege of Tyrus,—viz., by Nebuchadnezzar,—for after that event, the remnant of the then Conquered People left the mainland Metropolis, and settled on the Island,—a distance of less than half a mile; therefore, "afar off to sojourn" could not apply to that invasion.
2dly. Being admitted that the line does not apply to the Babylonian destruction, then as a necessity, it must belong to that by the Macedonian Monarch. The Sidonians upon that occasion rescued the remnant of the Nation, and to have returned to Sidon would also not be "afar off," as the distance from Tyrus is but twenty-three miles. We apprehend, also, that the reader is convinced that the political reasons for not returning to Sidon are apparent and conclusive.
3dly. The Tyrians, simply by obtaining the Galleys from the friendly Sidonians, had as it were their "own feet," i. e. navigable means to carry them,—for Tyrus itself had stood, or walked firmly for centuries, only through and by means of Navigation.
And 4thly. They were not only to journey or migrate to "afar off" distance,—a land as yet not known by name, and therefore, could not be specified by Isaiah;—but another condition, or incident is affixed,—viz., that wherever they finally landed, there they were "to sojourn." Now let the most scrutinizing, Argus-eyed antiquary, search every quarter of Europe, Asia, or Africa,—their ancient or their modern histories, or traditions (and we know them well), and where will he find these "afar off" sojourners, contemplated by the Prophet Isaiah? The conclusive answer to such inquiry will be, as from the Tomb of Time, "Thou shalt not find them;"—but, in Ancient America, there they are traceable,—there they are found;—proved to be identical with the Tyrians of Phœnicia,—and the truth of the long-concealed Prophecy, established by Holy-Writ and new-discovered History.