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the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even for ever.'

A child is here foretold with certain very wonderful characteristics, who was destined to sit upon the throne of his father David and to establish an everlasting kingdom. That the Messiah is meant by this child, is fully acknowledged by the Jews: and it is worthy of observation, that, as the prophet styles him the mighty God; so, in the Targum of Jonathan, the things predicted of him are ascribed to the Mimra or Divine Word. The more ancient Hebrews therefore expected, that their Messiah would be that personage, who is denominated the Word or Messenger of Jehovah, and who throughout the Old Testament is spoken of as being in some mysterious manner the true God even Jehovah himself.

Such being the case, our Saviour is pronounced in the New Testament to be the Word that was with God in the beginning, and the Word that was God: the kingdom of his father David is solemnly claimed for him and the appellation of Child is studiously as it were given to him, that he might be identified with the child foretold by Isaiah. Nor is this name merely bestowed upon him during his infancy it is applied to him even after his death, as a special name of office. Speaking of the conspiracy formed against him by the rulers, the apostles say; Of a truth, against thy holy

1. Isaiah ix. 6,7.

child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together: and they use the same title, when praying to the Father, that signs and wonders may be done by the name of his holy child Jesus.

2. Prophecy has largely borrowed its figured language from the ancient hieroglyphical system, in which ideas are conveyed to the mind by the delineation of certain corresponding objects or figures. Hence, as a rod is an emblem of regal authority, and as a branch springing from a stock shadows out a descendant from the ancestor represented by that stock; Christ, in his two-fold character of the theocratic king of Judah and the son of the royal David, is frequently, in the writings of the Hebrew prophets, described by these two symbols.

There shall come forth a ROD out of the stem of Jesse, and a BRANCH shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears—And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people, and to it shall the Gen-tiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious—and he shall set up an ensign for the nations.'

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* Isaiah xi. 1-3, 10, 12. This symbolical branch is expressly said by the Chaldee Paraphrast to be the Messiah.

VOL. II.

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man, whose name is the BRANCH: and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord-and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit, and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne.'

If now we turn to the New Testament, in which these prophecies receive their completion, we shall see how exactly they are fulfilled in the person of Christ.

Isaiah had foretold, that the Spirit of the Lord should rest upon him: the evangelist relates, that the Holy Ghost descended upon him in a bodily shape like a dove. The prophet describes him, as not judging after the sight of his eyes, neither reproving after the hearing of his ears; expressions, which apparently signify, that he would not act according to the dictates of mere human wisdom, but that his doctrine would be equally above and unlike that of men: the writers of the four gospels throughout exhibit him as sustaining this precise character; and, if we seek for a special exemplification of it, we may turn to his sermon upon the mount, which contains precepts so contrary to human opinions and so mortifying to human pride, that he might well be said, not to judge after the sight of his eyes, nor to reprove after the hearing of his ears. Isaiah foretells, that he shall stand for an ensign of the people, and that to him the Gentiles shall seek the whole New

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Testament sets forth the admission of the heathen world into the Church; most warmly is it urged in the writings of St. Paul, to whom the task of evangelizing the Pagans was specially committed; and our Lord himself expressly commands his apostles and their successors, that they should go and teach ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

3. The next prophecy, which I shall adduce, describes with much exactness the character and office of Christ as the beneficent Saviour of mankind and we are left in no doubt with regard to its proper application, because our Lord has specially directed us to refer it to himself."

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken, hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn-Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers-Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed -The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.3

* Matt. xxviii. 19.

2 Luke iv. 17.

3 Isaiah lxi. 1,2, 5, 9, 11.

The latter part of this prediction speaks of the call of the Gentiles and the final conversion of the Jews. We ourselves are standing proots of the truth of the first of these promises; and, as for the second, we must piously hope and believe, that God will accomplish it likewise in his own good time.

4. But perhaps one of the most particular prophecies, respecting the admission of the Gentiles and the exclusion of the Jews, is contained in the sixty-fifth chapter of this truly evangelical Prophet.

I am sought of them, that asked not for me; I am found of them, that sought me not. I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walked in a way not good after their own thoughts→ which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day-Behold my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed; behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall ery for sorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of spirit; and ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen.

1 Isaiah lxv. 1, 2, 5, 13—15.

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