ark, and the mercy-feat, which was the covering of it, was confidered as God's throne, as the place of his fpecial refidence among his people, Pfal. lxxx. I. where he was to meet with them, and towards which the most folemn worship behoved to be directed; the prophet fhews here, at y 17. that at the time he speaks of, the difference between the place of the ark and mercy-feat, and other places in Jerufalem, fhould be at an end; and all Jerufalem, or the whole church of God, fhould be confidered as God's throne, and as the place of his refidence. That we are to understand the Jerufalem mentioned in this prediction as fignifying the true church of God, is evident; because the mere literal meaning, which would imply the gathering of all nations to one city, is abfurd; and because the metaphorical meaning is fo fuitable to parallel places, particularly to If. ii. 2. 3. where the flowing of all nations to Zion, is explained by, the word of the Lord going out of Zion, and Jerufalem, to bring all nations to God's church *.

As Jeremiah, in the place now explained, foretells the abolishing of the ancient regard paid to the ark, and of the difference betwixt the place of the ark, which was the principal place in the temple, and other places in Jerufalem, the whole of which would be the throne of God; fo Zechariah foretells the abolishing of the diftinguishing relative fanctity of all the utenfils of the temple; and fhews, that the difference which the ceremonial law made betwixt these utenfils and the utenfils of other houfes in Jerufalem, would be at an end; and that even the infcription, which that law made peculiar to the high priest's mitre, Holiness to the Lord, would be upon the bells of the horfes, Zech. xiv. 20. 21.; which things both imply the abolition of the ceremonial law, and the exalting of God's church to fu

* See Mal, i. 11. "In every place," &o.

perior measures of holiness. Though the context did not prove that this prediction relates to the times of the Meffiah, the fubject-matter of the prediction itself would prove it; but befides this, the context fhews, that the prophet is fpeaking of the times when the nations that were formerly enemies to Jerufalem would embrace her religion.

In If. lvi. which treats of the time when God's house should be a house of prayer for all people, it is foretold, that the differences which the ceremonial law made betwixt eunuchs, or ftrangers, and other worshippers of the true God, fhould be taken away; and when perfons labouring under difadvantages by that law, fhould, upon their taking hold of God's covenant, be on a level with others, as to fpiritual privileges. And it is very obfervable, that feeing keeping God's fabbaths is here joined with the neceffary duties of taking hold of God's covenant, and mens joining themselves to the Lord to be his fervants; and is mentioned as the duty and character of those whom God would blefs with fpiritual privileges, when he would abolith ceremonial differences; this must infer, that the law of the fabbath was no part of that law that was to be abolifhed, but would be binding on the church after the Meffiah's coming, as well as before.

Whereas one of the moft effential parts of the ceremonial law, was the law of priesthood, reftricting that office to the houfe of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; nothing can be more just than the reafoning in the epiftle to the Hebrews; fhewing, that feeing the prophets foretell, on the one hand, that the Meffiah. would defcend, not of the tribe of Levi, but of Judah; and, on the other hand, that he would be a priest for ever, not of the order of Aaron, but of that of Melchizedek, the fuperiority of which above the other is evident from the Old Teftament itself; this great change, as to the priesthood, in the times of the Meffiah, muft neceffarily

ceffarily infer a change of the law, that is, of the ceremonial law, and of the ordinances of worship. And accordingly, in more prophecies than one, where the Meffiah's facrifice and death are foretold, the abolishing of ceremonial oblations is either directly afferted, or at leaft infinuated; as in Pf. xl. where the Meffiah is reprefented as coming to do that for which all other facrifice and offering was infufficient; and it is declared, that "facrifice and

offering thou didst not defire,- thou haft not re"quired;" which could not be faid of things that God was to require, and accept of, in all ages, and every ftate of the church. And in Dan. ix. which foretells the Meffiah's being cut off, and his finishing tranfgreffion, &c. it is faid, that at the time of his death, or in the midst of the feventieth week there mentioned, he would cause the facrifice and oblation to ceafe; which must be meant of a virtual abolishing of ceremonial oblations, and that previously to the total extinction of them, which behoved to be the effect of the deftruction of the city and fanctuary, to which, by the divine law, all fuch oblations were peremptorily reftricted and confined.

In the book of Malachi, who lived nearest of all the prophets to the times of the Meffiah, and part of whofe prophecy is defigned, in a fpecial manner, to rebuke both the Jewith people and priefts, for violations of the ceremonial law itfelf, by offering corrupt and polluted offerings, it is foretold; chap. i. 10. 11. that God would not accept of an offering at their hands; for the Gentiles would offer incenfe, and a pure oflering, and that in every place; which expreffions, if compared with the clearer predictions above mentioned, feem to contain at least a hint, that the difference made by the ceremonial law betwixt places, for the most folemn divine fervice, fhould come to an end; and that at the time of the enlightening of the Gentiles, pure

acts

acts of more fpiritual worship fhould fuperfede all the ancient Levitical oblations.

In If. lxvi. which contains very remarkable predictions of the enlightening of the Gentiles; as y 1. contains a folemn reproof to those who laid too much stress on the material temple at Jerufalem; fo the two following verfes fhew, that God regards only the fervices of those who are of a contrite fpirit; and that, at the time the prophet has in view, God would not accept, but utterly reject, fuch fervices, as mens offering oxen or lambs, or burning incenfe all which things were commanded in the ceremonial law, and were neceffary parts of divine worship while that law fubfifted. That the prohibition contained in this prediction is not to be restricted to things offered to idols, is evident from the tenor of the prediction itself, and particularly from these remarkable words in it, "He that "burneth incenfe is as if he bleffed an idol ;" where it is manifeft, that burning incenfe in general, tho' on pretence of worshipping the true God, is condemned; because otherwife the propofition would be identic; as if it were faid, he that worthips an idol is as if he worshipped an idol; and it is an incontested rule of interpretation, that we ought not to put an abfurd meaning on words that admit of a better.

As Ifaiah, at the fame time, reproves exceffive efteem of the Jewifh temple, and foretells the abolifhing of the Levitical fervice belonging to it; fo the Prophet Zephaniah fpeaks of a particular time, when it would have fingularly dangerous confequences, if men laid too much ftrefs on the holy mountain where that temple ftood; and infinuates, that the difference which the ceremonial law made betwixt that mountain and other places, fhould be abolished fee Zeph. iii. 11. where both the foregoing and following context contain various characters of the times of the Meffiah.

Whereas

Whereas the prophecies that have been mentioned, relate more directly to the diffolution of the obligation of the ceremonial law, after the Meffiah's coming; there are other prophecies which fhew, that the actual obfervance of it would be rendered impracticable, by the deftruction of the city and fanctuary, to which the ceremonial fervice was confined. Divine contrivance appears in restricting that service to a place which God foretells would come to an end; and foretells it in the fame book where that fervice is appointed, Deut. xxviii. xxxii.; it being evident, that it could not be the intention of God's law, to found a perpetual obligation to things which, after fome ages, his righteous providence would render impracticable, and which himself foretells and forewarns, that he would thus put out of mens power. At the beginning of Chriftianity, the perpetual obligation of the ceremonial law was the fubject of great controverfy between Chrift's followers and his enemies; but the deftruction of the Jewish city and fanctuary gave an awful decifion of it.

Thus the conclufion in view is proved by a confiderable number of predictions, relating to the changing of the Sinai covenant, the removal of the ceremonial differences betwixt places, perfons, and things; the change of the law of priesthood, and the final deftruction of the place to which the Levitical service was fixed. Nor is it any juft ob jection, That the names of facrifice and offering are fometimes given to the future worship of the enlightened Gentiles; feeing thefe facrifices are faid to be offered in every place, Mal. i. 11.; and feeing the fame names are given to mere fpiritual acts of worship, performed under the Old Teftament itfelf; fuch as, prayer, praife, and thanksgiving; as alfo to the broken heart, and to works of righteousness in general, Pf. iv. 1. li. The ftrong manner in which feveral fcriptures give the preference

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