rode, and upon that he entered Jerusalem amidst the Hosannahs of the multitude. Was it predicted that his price should be thirty pieces of silver? The prediction was literally fulfilled; for the chief priests, who were thirsting for his innocent blood and determined upon his death, paid Judas the traitor, thirty pieces of silver to betray him into their hands. Was it prophetically said by the Son of God, many hundred years before his incarnation, "I hid not my face from shame and spitting?" It was literally fulfilled, for the evangelists tell us, they spat upon him in the judgment hall. Was it predicted that the ploughers should plough upon his back, and make long their furrows with the knotty scourge? It was literally fulfilled; for the Roman soldiers scourged him until his back was lacerated in the most dreadful manner. Was it predicted, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth?" It was literally fulfilled, for when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, "he answered nothing." Was it predicted that he should die, and in his death be numbered with transgressors? It was literally fulfilled, for he was crucified between two thieves. Was it predicted that he should be with the rich in his death? It was literally fulfilled; for having no grave of his own, he was buried in the tomb of Joseph, a rich man of Arimathea. Was it predicted that he should not be "left in the grave, neither see corruption?" It was literally fulfilled; for he rose again "the third day according to the Scriptures, and

did not see corruption." All these predictions and multitudes more concerning Christ, to which we cannot specifically advert at present, have had their literal fulfilment. And surely the literal fulfilment of many of these, seemingly, involves far more and greater difficulties, than Christ's sitting and reigning upon his father David's throne.

And is it predicted, that his father David's throne shall be given to him, and that he shall yet sit upon that throne raised in beauty and magnificence out of its present ruins? It is, and in language clear and distinct-clear and distinct as that of the prophecies which we have just seen have all been literally fulfilled : and how then is this prediction to be understood and fulfilled? From the uniform literal fulfilment of prophecy, we are shut up to the conclusion, that this, too, whatever may be the seeming difficulties which stand in the way, unless there is a departure from the uniform procedure of God in the fulfilment of this prediction, will be literally fulfilled and that Jesus Christ, the literal seed of David, the God-man, shall yet sit upon David's literal throne. This literal fulfilment, as we have already seen, is clearly set forth, and strongly argued by Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, when he contends before the men of Israel, that the crucified humanity of Jesus Christ was raised up from the dead for this very purpose. For says he to the men of Israel, the very men who crucified Him-" David your king, being a prophet and knowing that God had

sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne: he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ-of the resurrection of the fruit of his loins. As then, David had a literal throne, a throne upon which he sat while reigning over Israel; and as Christ of the seed of David, who died upon the cross, was literally raised up from the dead-the very body that hung and died upon the cross came up out of the tomb to sit upon that throne; according to the very first law of philology, and all consistent interpretation Christ must literally and in person sit upon that throne.

Nor, can it be urged as an unanswerable objection, that the throne of David, so highly honoured by God and so distinctly spoken of here, has been utterly overthrown by the fearful visitations of divine vengeance, which have swept in desolating fury over that land, and Jehovah's privileged people who once dwelt therein-that for many centuries it has been lying in ruins, and trodden down by the feet of barbarous tribes, who in their homeless wanderings have traversed that consecrated soil-that the national existence of the people over whom he ruled has long ago ceased, and that they are now a people scattered among all the nations of the earth, with the brand of Heaven upon their brow, and Jehovah's wrath-cloud over their heads, and Messiah's blood upon their souls, for the guilty rejection and crucifixion of the Son of God. Or to use the truly descriptive language of Scripture (Hos. iii. 4),

"That the children of Israel have abode many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, or statue, and without an ephod, and without teraphim ;" for all this, instead of being an unanswerable objection, or conclusive proof that Jesus shall not sit upon the throne of his father David, is the standing and divinely perpetuated miraculous evidence, that this very prediction, unfavourable as circumstances, to human view and in human judgment, may seem, shall be literally fulfilled. These desolations of long duration, which seem to militate with such mighty power against the literal exaltation of Jesus to the literal throne, and more than regal kingdom of his father David, shall not endure for aye. When the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled, and God, in mercy to them, has gathered from among them a people to himself; when they in their turn shall be cut off for their unbelief; and God, in mercy and according to his ancient covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, graffs in the Jews again-What then? Hear the language of prophecy-listen to the voice and solemn declaration of God himself: "After that I will return and build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up." Here God declares he will return to the long forsaken land of Judea, to the dismal desolations of Jerusalem, and the tabernacle of David, and that he will rebuild that tabernacle, that throne, and who will question the adequacy of the omnipotent

power of God for the work, or his veracity as regards the declaration. He is doubtless able to do it, and he has said he will do it, and beyond all controversy at the appointed time it will be done. Or to quote the language of Amos, chap. Ix. 11, 14, 15, "In that day, will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen down, and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their own land," that is the land promised in covenant to Abraham, and theirs by gift of God. "And they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God."

The prophecy preceding this just quoted concerning the utter destruction of the sinful kingdom, but not of the house of Jacob, the sifting of the house of Israel among all nations, their dispersing into every country under heaven, and to the furthest verge of earth, has been literally and awfully fulfilled; as the state of trembling Israel, dispersed and oppressed in every land in the present day, clearly shows. And shall not the prophecy, standing as it does closely connected with this, predicting the gathering of that miserably long scattered people: their restoration to their own land, the land of Canaan, and the enjoyment of