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ing of certain perfons, to whom he gives the titles of watchmen and fhepherds, y 10. 11. titles which characterise the Jewish teachers, or rulers, or both.

III. When the extraordinary person spoken of in the 55th chapter is called by the name of David, that title, efpecially when joined with other predictions, to be confidered afterwards, affords a probable argument that that perfon was to defcend of the houfe of David; though the expreffion may also import, that David was an eminent type of him: and, as was obferved before, though it were fuppofed poffible, without divine infpiration, to foretell fuch an enlightening of the Gentiles as is known to have been the effect of the gofpel; and even to foretell, that that event would be owing in a peculiar manner to one particular perfon; yet it would be evidently impoffible to foretell, without infpiration, that that perfon would have any concern in the family of David more than any other.

IV. As to doctrinal characters, this chapter, as well as those formerly confidered, teaches us, that that eminent perfon would be in a peculiar manner the author of the mercies contained in God's everlafting covenant; that he would not only be the univerfal priest and prophet, (as was proved from former predictions), but alfo the leader and commander; (which implies, his being the king and ruler of the people of God, not only among the Jews, but alfo among the nations of the Gentiles); that God's thoughts and ways of mercy in the everlasting covenant would be far above ours, as the heavens are above the earth; and as to the efficacy and fuccefs of God's word, that it would be like that of the rain that comes down from heaven to fructify the earth.

V. As, in the former prophecies, the enlightening of the Gentiles, in order to their partaking of the bleffings of God's covenant, is expreffed by deliverance from prison and darkness; so here, after mentioning

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mentioning the efficacy of God's word, it is added, 12. "For ye fhall go out with joy, and be led "forth with peace;" which, together with the words immediately following, "the mountains and "the hills fhall break forth before you into fing"ing, and all the trees of the field fhall clap their "hands," fhew how great a harmony there is between this and the above-cited productions, not only as to the facts and doctrines contained in them, but also as to the peculiar triumphant ftyle in which the things foretold are commended as grounds of extraordinary joy and finging.

ISAIAH xi.

Though this chapter does not contain fuch a variety of facts as fome of the chapters formerly confidered, yet as it foretells very plainly the enlightening of the Gentile nations, that "the earth "would be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as "the waters cover the fea," y 9.; fo it is very clear and exprefs in determining, that the particular perfon by whom that event was to be accomplished was to defcend of the family of Jeffe, feeing immediately after the words now cited, it is added, that “in "that day there would be a root of Jeffe, which "would ftand for an enfign of the people;" and that "to it the Gentiles would feek," and that "his reft would be glorious." y10.

If it be objected, that no argument can be drawn from this prophecy, as not being fulfilled, till the whole earth, or all nations, be filled with the knowledge of the true God; it is fufficient to anfwer, that as it is not faid here, that all nations would be enlightened or converted at once; and as the converfion of all nations, neceffarily implies the converfion of many nations; the prophecy may be justly confidered as fulfilled, though not wholly, yet in fuch important branches of it as afford a

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ftrong argument for the conclufion in view; feeing it is an uncontefted fact, that many nations have been filled with the knowledge of God long ago in the manner here foretold, viz. by the doctrine of one particular perfon defcended of the house of Jeffe: and therefore we must apply to this prophecy the general remark in the introduction, about things foretold but not yet fulfilled, viz. that fuch things cannot invalidate the proofs taken from things that are fulfilled, provided these things be applicable to Chrift truly and peculiarly, and at the fame time are of that nature that they could not be foretold by mere fagacity, or by chance; which is evidently the cafe when a prophet foretells that one of the family of Jeffe would convert many nations of the Gentiles.

II. This general observation, about prophecies that are as yet only fulfilled in part, ferves to give light to a remarkable prediction in the latter part of this chapter, beginning at y 11.; where, immediately after mentioning the enlightening of the Gentiles by a root of Jeffe, it is added, that in that day, which in the prophetic ftyle fignifies in thofe times, there would be a fecond recovery of the Jews from a general difperfion; which neceffarily fuppofes, that there would be a fecond difperfion of that people; a difperfion after their returning from Babylon; a difperfion that would exift in the times of the Gentiles; feeing, according to the prediction, it would be in thofe times that their restoration would happen: fo that though this prophecy does not speak fo clearly as fome others of the unbelief of the Jews, yet it contains fuch a prediction of their difperfion, as is applicable truly and only to what happened after their rejecting the gospel.

III. As to facts relating to the life of the eminent perfon in view; befides his being twice mentioned as defcended of Jeffe, the expreffions about his being "a branch that would come forth out of the

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Chap. I. "stem, and out of the roots, of Jeffe," y 1. contain a remarkable intimation, that at the time of his coming into the world that family would be in a low condition, and, as it were, reduced to its primitive obfcurity: which explication of thefe expreffions is confirmed by the parallel expreffions in If. liii. 2. "He fhall grow up before him as a ten"der plant, and as a root out of a dry ground."

IV. As, in the prophecies formerly cited it is faid, of him who was to be the light of the Gentiles, that God would put his fpirit upon him, and make his mouth like a fharp fword; fo here it is faid of the root of Jeffe, to whom the Gentiles would feek, y 2.4. "that the fpirit of the Lord would "rest upon him, the fpirit of wisdom and under"standing, the fpirit of counsel and might, the "spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord;" and that he would "fmite the earth with the rod of "his mouth, and that with the breath of his lips he "would flay the wicked." And as in chap. 55. he is faid to be a leader and commander to God's people, not only among the Jews, but alfo among the Gentiles; fo the expreffions in this chapter which represent him as a judge, contain farther confirmations of his kingly office. Nor are the inftructions relating to the confolation of God's people, which are fo ftrongly inculcated in the above-cited prophecies, omitted in this: He of whom it is faid, chap. 42. that he would not break the bruifed reed, nor quench the fmoking flax, is faid here, v 4. with righteousness to judge the poor, and to reprove with equity, for the meek of the earth; the word rendered the meek, fignifying alfo the humble, or the afflicted.

V. The figures in y 6. 7. 8. about transforming the natures of the fierceft and most noxious animals, are justly applied by Chriftian interpreters to the transforming efficacy of the gofpel on multitudes of finners in the most barbarous nations; who, how

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ever fierce and intractable formerly, having received the love of the truth, learned of Chrift to be meek and lowly. And though there are too many proofs from experience, that the predictions in this chapter, about the transforming and uniting efficacy of the gofpel, have not yet had their full accomplishment; yet, as was obferved before on another head, this cannot nullify the evidence arifing from the partial accomplishment of thofe predictions on as many as have received the gospel in fincerity. Nor can it be denied, that the gofpel has had confiderable effects, in producing the most friendly difpofitions, between multitudes belonging to different nations that were formerly the objects of one another's general antipathy.

DANIEL ii. vii.

Both the 2d and 7th chapters of Daniel treat of the four great temporal monarchies, and also of a divine kingdom to be established on earth, which is diftinguished from all other kingdoms by various characters, and particularly by two that are evidently of a fingular nature, viz. that it would be a kingdom of univerfal extent, and of everlasting continuance; which characters fufficiently demonftrate, that these two prophecies are fynchronous, and parallel to one another; or that they relate to the fame times, and to the fame series of events. That they are also parallel to the above-mentioned prophecies concerning the light of the Gentiles, will be evident, if we confider the principal contents of these two chapters.

In the 2d chapter, after mentioning the four monarchies, reprefented in the prophetic vifion by the four parts of a great image, the kingdom that was to excell them all is reprefented by a ftone cut out without hands, which afterwards becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth: which

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