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Chap. lii. 1. Awake, awake, put on thy ftrength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerufalem, the holy city: for henceforth there fhall no more come into thee, the uncircumcifed, and the 2 unclean. Shake thy felf from the duft: arife, and fit down, O Jerufalem: loofe thyfelf from the bands. of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion, &c.

This, and chap. lii. of Ifaiah, have been generally applied to the redemption of the Chriftian church; and the contents of the chapters which are prefixed, fignify as much to us. But whoever confiders the paffages in thefe chapters here quoted, will eafily perceive that the Prophet fpeaks of the redemption of the literal Ifrael from their captivity, throughout both these chapters. For to this restoration are applicable the following verses.

XVI.

ISA. lii. 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publifheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publifheth falvation, that faith unto Zion, Thy 8 GOD reigneth! Thy watchmen fhall lift up the voice, with the voice together fhall they fing: for they fhall fee eye to eye, when the Lord fhall bring 9 again Zion. Break forth into joy, fing together, ye wafte places of Jerufalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerufalem.

That this chapter relates to the kingdom of Christ is very true. But then it is plainly that kingdom which he shall enter upon at his fecond

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coming at which time fhall be the restoring of Ifrael. For want of attending to this distinction of Chrift's first and fecond coming, commentators have often expounded those paffages in the Prophets, which relate to Chrift's fecond coming, of his first; in order to which, they have been obliged to depart from the eafy and literal fenfe of the Prophecies, and to allegorize the paffages in fuch a manner, as has given great advantage, as well as offence to the adverfaries of Chriftianity, Let us not be afraid, that by allowing those numerous Prophecies, which fpeak of the great happiness and peace of Jerufalem or Zion, to relate to the fecond coming of our Lord, we fhall any ways hurt the cause of our holy religion, by leaving no predictions of his firft coming. For this will be very far from being the cafe. In this very chapter, we have an inftance of the latter, wherein the different condition of Chrift at his first and fecond coming are fet in oppofition.

Ver. 13, Behold, my fervant shall deal prudently, be fhall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

Ver. 14. As many were aftonished at thee; (his vifage was fo marred more than any man, and his form more than the fons of men)

Ver. 15. So fhall be Sprinkle many nations, the kings fhall fhut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them fhall they fee: and that which they had not heard, fhall they confider.

Here the 14th verfe, which evidently relates to Chrift's first coming, and his fuffering state, is opposed to the 15th, which speaks of what shall happen

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happen at his fecond coming; when the kings of the earth fhall not dare to open their mouths at him, &c. Neither does the word Sprinkling here relate to baptifm, as has been fuppofed; but to the cleansing many nations from the filthinefs of idolatry, at the time of the Restoration of Ifrael, as appears by the parallel to this place, Ezekiel xxxvi. 24, 25. I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I Sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthinefs, and from all your idols will I cleanfe

you.

The next chapter alfo, the fifty-third of Ifaiah, relates wholly to the first coming of our Lord, being nothing else from the beginning to the end but a Prophecy of the fufferings he should undergo. But wherever we meet with the kingdom of Chrift in the Prophecies, represented as a glorious, peaceable, and happy ftate, let me obferve here once for all, that it most certainly relates to the future kingdom, which he fhall receive at his fecond coming. Because a state of glory, peace, and happiness, has never yet been the case of that militant ftate, under which his kingdom has hitherto fubfifted. This diftinction may be confidered as the key to the Prophecies of the Old Teftament, which chiefly have regard to that ftate of purity, peace, and happiness, which shall prevail in the latter days, under the glorious reign of Christ.

XVII.

ISA. liv. 1. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bare, and cry aloud, thou that didft not travail with child for more are the children of the defolate, than the children of the married wife, faith 2 the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them ftretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen 3 thy stakes. For thou fhalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy feed fall inherit the Gentiles, and make the defolate cities to be inhabited.

XVIII.

Is A. Ix. 4. Lift up thine eyes round about and fee; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee, thy fons fhall come from far, and thy 8 daughters fhall be nurfed at thy fide.Who are thefe that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their 9 windows? Surely the ifles fhall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy fons from far, their SILVER and their GOLD with them unto the name of Jehovah thy God and to the Holy One 10 of Ifrael, because he hath glorified thee. And the fons of ftrangers fhall build up thy walls, and their kings fhall minifter unto thee: for in my wrath I fmote thee, but in my fayour have I had mercy on II thee. Therefore thy gates fhall be open continual

ly, they fhall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring unto thee the forces [wealth] of the Gen12 tiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation or kingdom that will not ferve thee, shall perish: yea, thofe nations fhall be utterly wafted. 13 The glory of Lebanon fhall come unto thee: the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify

beautify the place of my fanctuary, and I will make 14 the place of my feet glorious. The fons also of them that afflicted thee fhall come bending unto thee; and all they that defpifed thee fhall bow themselves down at the foles of thy feet; and they fhall call thee The city of Jehovah, TheZion of the 15 Holy One of Ifrael. Whereas thou haft been forfaken and hated, fo that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of 16 many generations. Thou shalt alfo fuck the milk of the Gentiles, and fhalt fuck the breaft of kings, and thou shalt know that I JEHOVAH am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

This whole chapter, part of which I have omitted for brevity fake, does fo plainly relate to the future Restoration of Ifrael, that it is almoft needless to make any farther remark upon it. It not only foretels the Restoration, but also feveral particulars concerning the manner of it. The perfons or nations who fhall be inftrumental to it, are to be the Ifles, or Europeans; and among these the ships of Tarshish fhall be principally concerned. That thofe who return from far, fhall bring their gold and their filver with them, is a circumstance rendered very probable with

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* By Tarshish, according to the most judicious writers, was meant Cilicia, a country in the leffer Afia, whofe principal city was Tarfus, where St. Paul was born; fo called from its first planter Tarfhifh the fon of Javan. But it seems to me, that the Mediterranean Sea in general, was, in the time of Ifaiah, called Tarshish, or the fea of Tarshish. The meaning of the text will then be, that the fhips of that fea shall be the first in bringing back the Jews.

regard

It is probable y. by w ships of Tarshish are meant ships of Commerce in general - There were several places called by that name at different times, all famous for traffick. By Isles is meant & western part of it globs - From thence (w" & Jews more particularly abound) shall they return: holy land in ships. Those settled alje whene shall come by

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