"of all languages of the nations, even fhall take "hold of the fkirt of him that is a Jew, faying, "We will go with you, for we have heard that "God is with you ;" and it is faid in the verfe immediately preceding, that "many people and ftrong nations fhall come to feek the Lord of "hofts in Jerufalem, and to pray before the Lord." IV. As to the manner of the propagation of the Meffiah's doctrine, which was to enlighten the nations, that its fuccefs fhould not be owing to external force, but to the efficacy of the word and Spirit of God, is evident from the prophetic account of the Meffiah's low circumstances on earth, of the chief things that would qualify him for his undertaking, of the voluntary manner in which the nations would fubmit to him; and particularly from the feveral predictions which fhew, that the time of the Meffiah's coming, and of the enlightening of the Gentiles, fhould be in a peculiar manner the time of the pouring down of the Spirit of God from on high. It has been proved at large already, as to the Meffiah's condition on earth, that it was to be a state of great humiliation and fufferings; that inftead of being qualified for worldly conquefts as a temporal ruler, he was to be "a fervant of rulers," If. xlix.; that he fhould grow up as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground, If. liii.; that inftead of filling the world with the noise of his victories," he would not cry, "nor lift up, nor caufe his voice to be heard on "the streets," If. xlii. When the prophets speak of the things that qualified the Meffiah for his undertaking, they fpeak indeed both of his rod and of his fword: but then it is of the rod and fword of his mouth; as when it is faid, If. xi. 4. that "he

fhould fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, "and that with the breath of his lips he fhould flay "the wicked." And whereas Pfal. xlv. fpeaks of his girding on his fword, If. xlix. 2. fays that God would make his mouth like a fharp fword: which

metaphors

metaphors are explained when it is faid, that God would put his fpirit upon him, If. xlii. 1. and that "the fpirit of the Lord would rest on him, the "fpirit of wisdom and understanding, of counfel "and might, of knowledge and of the fear of the "Lord." That the fubmiffion of the Gentiles to the Meffiah would be voluntary, is foretold by representing them as running to him at his call; as feeking, gathering, liftening to him, and waiting on his law; as exhorting one another to return to the true God, If. ii. 3. Zech. viii. 21.; as thronging and rufhing into Zion, and flying thither as a cloud, and as doves to their windows. And the acts of divine power and mercy by which the Gentiles were to be converted, are expreffed by open. ing the eyes of the blind, faying to the prifoners, Go forth, making finners a willing people in the day of the Meffiah's power, and destroying the veil and covering that was fpread over the nations.

V. That the times of the Meffiah fhould be times of the pouring down of the divine Spirit from on high, was proved before, from the prophetic account of the diftinguishing privileges of the New-Teftament difpenfation: but whereas fome prophecies on that fubject are meant of the ordinary work of God's fpirit in fanétification, the perpetual continuance of which is foretold in clear and strong expreffions at the end of If. lix. formerly cited; there is a remarkable prediction, relating to miraculous and extraordinary gifts, expreffed by feeing visions, in the 2d of Joel, y 28. &c. which prediction contains various proofs of its relating to the times of the Meffiah; feeing, when it is promited that God would pour down his Spirit on all flesh, thefe words, all flesh, according to the beft rules of interpretation, and particularly according to the prophetic ftyle in other places, muft include Jews and Gentiles; as when it is promifed elsewhere, that all flesh thould fee the glory of the Lord; which is neceffarily fuppofed

pofed when it is faid, that all flesh fhould receive the Spirit of the Lord: and befides this, the context fhews, that the prophet is fpeaking of the time when there fhould be fingular encouragements for men to call on the Lord, that they might be faved; and when, in a peculiar manner, there fhould be falvation or deliverance in Mount Zion, and in Jerufalem; which predictions receive farther light, by being compared with y 18. of chap. 3. of this fame fhort book of prophecy, foretelling, that "a foun"tain fhall come out of the houfe of the Lord, "and fhall water the valley of Shittim."

As the effects of the divine Spirit mentioned by Joel, are evidently extraordinary and miraculous i fo he foretells, that these gifts fhould be far more extenfive, and conferred on greater numbers than formerly; and particularly, that they should be conferred on perfons of low education and circumstances: fo that, whereas Amos fpeaks of it as an extraordinary thing, that he, being neither a prophet, nor a prophet's fon, was honoured with prophetic infpiration; Joel fhews, that this fhould be far from being uncommon at the time he speaks of.

All these things joined together fhew, that the great fuccefs of the Meffiah's doctrine would not be owing to external force, but that we may apply to it the remarkable expreffions in Zech. iv. 6. "Not "by might, nor by power, but by my fpirit, faith "the Lord of hofts:" and it is very remarkable, that befides the promises of the Spirit of God, the predictions in view abound in commendations of God's word, and of its fingular efficacy, as in If. xl. 8. lv. 10.; and the converfion of the kings of the earth is exprefsly afcribed to it, Pfal. cxxxviii. 4.

V. That the propagation of the Meffiah's doctrine among the Gentiles fhould be very Speedy, as wellas very extensive, is evidently implied in the feveral prophetic expreffions above mentioned, reprefenting the nations as gathering and running to the

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Meffiah; thronging and flowing into Zion; flying thither as a cloud, and as doves to their windows: fo that Zion would be amazed at the fudden multiplication of her inhabitants. In If. lxvi. 8. the converfion of the Gentiles is compared to a nation's being born at once; and in Pfal. lxviii. 31. it is faid of Ethiopia, not only that she should stretch out her hands to God, but that the fhould do it foon.

VI. One of the most remarkable things foretold, 31. concerning the ordinances of worship in the Meffiah's church, is the abolishing of the ceremonial law. That this is foretold in Jer. xxxi. will be evident, if we confider, that the words in that prediction, concerning the covenant made with Ifrael at their coming out of Egypt, cannot relate to God's promifes, but to his precepts delivered at that time; becaufe it is faid exprefsly, which my covenant they brake; which can only be faid of God's precepts, not of his promifes: and whereas the precepts that were delivered at that time, and the changing or abolihing of which is foretold, must be either the moral or the ceremonial precepts, it is evident, that it cannot be the former, but the latter, that the prophet means; becaufe the obligation of the moral precepts is neceffarily perpetual, and instead of beginning at the deliverance from Egypt, was of as old date as man's creation: befides that the continuance of it is implied in that great promife of the new covenant in the context, viz. that God would write his law on mens heart; for moral precepts or rules could not continue to be God's law, unless they continued to be injoined by his authority.

In Jer. ii. 15. 16. 17. which fpeaks of the time when not only particular perfons, but nations, yea all the nations, thould be gathered to the name of the Lord at Jerufalem, and walk no more after the imagination of their evil heart, it is foretold, that at that time they fhall fay no more, The ark of

the

"the covenant of the Lord, neither fhall it come "to mind; neither fhall they remember it, nei"ther fhall they vifit it, neither fhall that be done

any more;" which laft words may alfo be rendered, as they are by fome, "neither fhall it be "magnified any more :" where the thing directly afferted, in a variety of ftrong expreffions, is the future abolition of all the religious regard due to the ark but this naturally infers the abolition of the whole ceremonial law, of which the regard paid to the ark was an effential and principal part; the chief branches of the ceremonial worfhip being greatly concerned in it.

If it be objected, That the prophet only means, that in the fecond temple the ark fhould be wanting, having been loft in the time of the Babylonifh captivity; in anfwer to this it is proper to obferve, not only that the lofs of the ark, and feveral other things, fuch as the Urim and Thummim, may be justly confidered as providential preparatives for the approaching period of a fervice that depended fo much on these things; but alfo, that the thing exprefsly mentioned in the prophecy in view, is not the lofs of the ark, but a total laying afide all regard to it, and all remembrance of it; whereas during the ftanding of the Levitical law, there behoved to be a fingular regard in the moft folemn fervice to the place where the ark fhould have been, in the Holy of Holies. But befides all this, whereas the ark was loft at the time of the captivity, the event the prophet fpeaks of is mentioned as what hould happen at a confiderable distance of time, not only after the captivity, but after the return from it for whereas it is faid, y 14. that God would bring back one of a city, and two of a family; the laying afide the regard paid formerly to the ark is mentioned, y 16. as what fhould happen after the Jews fhould be multiplied and increafed in the land. And whereas by the ceremonial law, the

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ark,