xxvi. 4, and xxviii. 14,-is, in the former prophecy, finally appropriated" to the house "and lineage of David," and was accordingly fulfilled at the birth of JESUS CHRIST, Luke ii. 4-6. And such is the force of

the apostle Paul's argument: "Now to "Abraham and his seed were the promises "declared: (GOD) saith not, seeds, as of

many, but as of one, and thy seed, which "is CHRIST." Gal. iii. 16.-" And I will "establish his kingdom—for ever”—“ thy "house and thy kingdom shall be established before Me for ever; thy throne shall be

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confirmed for ever"—and this magnificent description of the MESSIAH's kingdom (which is utterly inapplicable to Solomon's in a temporal sense) is thus finally expanded by Isaiah in that most noble prophecy, after enumerating the titles of this most illustrious son of David:" Of the increase of his go"vernment and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his

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kingdom, to order it and to establish it with "judgment and with justice, from henceforth "even for ever." Isa. ix. 7. And to crown all, the archangel Gabriel, at the annuncia

tion, records the completion of both, in the promised birth of JESUS: "THE LORD "GOD will give Him the throne of David · "his Father; and He shall reign over the "House of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." Luke i. 32, 33.

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"He shall build a house for my name -not a temporary, perishable house, such as David then meditated to build; but that glorious temple to be erected in the last days, or final restoration of the Jews, under the auspices of the MESSIAH, described in the following magnificent terms by the prophet Zechariah, vi. 12-13. "Behold the

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man, whose name is THE BRANCH! even "HE shall branch forth from beneath," (i. e. from the root of Jesse, David's Father, Isa. xi. 10.) "and shall build the temple of the "LORD; Even He shall build the temple of "THE LORD: Even HE shall receive glory, "and shall sit and rule upon his throne," &c.-And Ezekiel, in prophetic vision, has minutely described the dimensions and buildings of this future glorious temple, chap. xl. &c. which Tobit, who lived before the Ba

bylonish

bylonish captivity, so critically distinguished from Solomon's temple, and the second, built by Zorobabel, "but not like the first" in splendor and magnificence -"when after "the time of that age shall be fulfilled," [or the long-continued period of desolation]they shall return from all places of "their captivity, and shall build up Jerusa"lem gloriously: and the House of God "shall be built in it for ever with a glorious

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building; as the Prophets have spoken "thereof.”—And perhaps to this final temple may most justly be attributed that sublime, triumphant exclamation of David ;

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Lift up your heads, O ye gates! and be ye

lift up, ye everlasting doors! And THE "KING OF GLORY shall come in." Ps. xxiv. 7. And to this Solomon likewise probably alludes, at the conclusion of his most noble oration on the dedication of his Temple :"O LORD GOD! turn not away the face of

thy MESSIAH (Anointed), Remember the "mercies of David thy servant." 2 Chron. vi. 42.

"I WILL BE TO HIM A FATHER, AND "HE SHALL BE TO ME A SON."-This

most.

most important clause, which is cited Heb. i. 5, from the Septuagint version, to esta blish the transcendant excellence of JESUS CHRIST as the peculiar SON OF GOD, differs from the corresponding promise to Solomon in the latter prophecy-" He shall be "to Me a Son, and I will be to Him a Fa"ther," by a remarkable transposition of the terms (ascertained and verified by both the parallel passages, and by all the versions), as if on purpose to discriminate the two cases from each other, and prevent confusion in after-ages. It has been remarked, that in the former prophecy the promise seems to be absolute; GOD previously engaging to become "a Father" to the MESSIAH, being sure of his dutiful obedience

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as a Son" before hand; whereas in the latter, the promise seems to be conditional; that if Solomon behaved as "a Son," he might then rely on God's dealing with him as (6 a Father" see Pierce on Hebrews, i. 5.— And this ingenious conjecture is strongly supported by the declarations of THE LORD himself to Solomon: 1. At the beginning of his reign; "If thou wilt walk in my ways to G

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keep

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keep my statutes and my commandments, "as thy father David walked, then I will

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lengthen thy days." 1 Kings iii. 4.—But Solomon transgressed, therefore his days were shortened, for he died about sixty years of age; whereas his father David lived to seventy; and, 2. Again, after the dedication of the temple:-" If thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, "and wilt keep my statutes and my judg"ments; then I will establish the throne of "thy kingdom over Israel for ever; as I promised to David thy father, there shall "not fail thee a man upon the throne of "Israel: But if thou shalt at all turn from

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following me, you or your children," &c. 1 Kings ix. 4. Whereas Solomon was seduced into idolatry by his heathenish wives, when he was old; wherefore GoD appeared to him a third time, and declared that He would rend the kingdom from his son, &c. 1' Kings xi. 11.

6. The last parenthetical clause intimates the MESSIAH's sufferings, and not his "ini