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set up, together with a kingdom, by the Messiah, is clear from Zech. vi. 12, 13. Behold the man, whose name is the BRANCH; he shall build the temple of the Lord. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit, and rule upon his throne. Observe also the language of the New Testament; Ye are God's building-Know ye not, that ye are the temple of God? The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. And St. Paul seems to have had his eye upon this very promise in Samuel, concerning a son to David, and of the house which he should build, when he says, (Heb. iii. 6.) Christ as a son over his own house, whose house are we.

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The third objection also may be removed, by a more just translation of verse the fourteenth : for the Hebrew words do not properly signify what they are now made to speak. It is certain, that the principal word is not the infinitive active of

is עוה from העות but ;בעותו Kal, which would be

in Niphal, as ban from nha. 'Tis also certain, that a verb, which in the active voice signifies to commit iniquity, may in the passive signify to suffer for iniquity and hence it is, that nouns from such verbs sometimes signify iniquity, sometimes punishment. The grammatical signification being thus made clear, we are prepared for abolishing our translation, if he commit iniquity, and also for adopting the true one-even in his suffering for iniquity. The Messiah, who is thus the person possibly here spoken of, will be still more manifest, from the whole verse thus translated.

I will be

even in his

his father, and he shall be my son: suffering for iniquity, I shall chasten him with the rod of men, (with the rod due to men) and with the stripes of (due to) the children of Adam. And this construction is well supported by Isaiah liii. 4, 5. He hath carried our sorrows (i. e. the sorrows due to us, and which we must otherwise have suffered), he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.

There are no further limitations of the promised Seed, after the time of David; nor was it known from what particular member of his family the Messiah was destined to spring, till the event itself took place.

CHAP. II.

PROPHECIES RELATIVE TO THE OFFICE AND CHARACTER OF THE MESSIAH, THE CALL OF THE GENTILES, AND THE REJECTION OF THE JEWS.

THE prophecies which have hitherto been considered, are rather declarative of the birth of the Messiah in some particular family, than descriptive of his office and character. The last does indeed briefly touch upon his sufferings: but the others merely foretell his manifestation and the conversion of the Gentiles to his religion. At the era of David, a new class commences: a greater degree of precision is adopted: and the picture of the promised Redeemer glows in the writings of the Hebrew bards with as vivid colours, as if it had been painted by an eye-witness. His death and sufferings are distinctly pointed out: his burial and glorification are each minutely described: and the conversion of the Gentiles is unreservedly predicted. I. Many prophecies of this sort occur in the

book of Psalms, the whole of which indeed may well be viewed as an anticipated history of the future Messiah. A few of the most eminent of them shall now be noticed.

1. In the second Psalm we have a full description of Christ's victory over all the opposition, which the incensed rulers of this world could make to his religion.

Though imperial Rome raged to see its progress, and though the Jewish rulers took counsel together: still did the word of God prevail against both, until the heathen became the inheritance of Christ, and the uttermost parts of the earth were made his possession. This victory indeed was not achieved without a violent struggle: but, in the issue, both the Romans and the Jews paid dearly for their resistance. The dispersion of the latter, with the destruction of their capital city, soon followed their rejection of Christ: and, as for the former, the most brittle earthen ware could not be more completely dashed in pieces by the blow of an iron rod, than was the widely extended empire of Rome by the violent incursions of the Goths.

I take it however, that as yet we have beheld only the inchoate completion of the prophecy. In the fulness of time, the Gospel of Christ will prevail over all opposition, and every gentile tribe will become subject to his spiritual kingdom. But neither will this be accomplished without a severe struggle; a struggle however, which, like that of the apostolic ages, will terminate in a complete victory. Fierce as may be the rage of the Anti

christian faction; bitter as may be their enmity against the Redeemer; and subtle as may be their counsels of extermination: at the close of that now rapidly evolving period so fully described by the voice of prophecy, all their designs of evil shall prove abortive, and themselves shall be overwhelmed with sudden destruction.

He, that sitteth in the heavens, shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron: thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled yea but a little. Blessed are all they, that put their trust in him!

2. Here we may behold the triumphant Seed of the woman bruising the head of the infernal serpent and dislodging him from every quarter of his usurped dominion: in another prophecy from the same book, we may view the serpent bruising his heel and for a season apparently victorious; while yet, by the all-wise providence of God, this very circumstance is the mean through which the Messiah finally prevails over his enemy.

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