every dwelling Place of Mount Sion, and upon her Affemblies, a Cloud and Smoke by Day, and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night; for upon All the Glory hall be a Defence. I doubt not but the Prophet here refers to the Schechinah or majestic Prefence of God, which he was pleafed to afford the Ifraelites in the Wilderness; and the Chaldee Paraphraft exprefly mentions the Schechinah in this and the following Verfe. Now fince the Schechinah did not appear in the fecond Temple after the Babylonifh Captivity, this Prophecy feems to have a Reference to future

Times.

This Prophet reprefents the fame Schechinah in a more glorious manner in the fixth Chapter, and nearer to the Appearance of the Schechinah in the Temple, with the Seraphims ftanding above (v. 2.) and the Houfe being filled with Smoke. (v. 4.) In this Chapter likewise the Prophet foretels that the Hearts of the Jews would be for fome time hardened, their Cities wafted (v. 10, 11.) and the People difperfed; and fince this Blindness and Obduration, ftill continues, the Remains of the Jews are at length to return; the Trunk or Root is not cut away, altho' they have been a long time without Fruit or Flower.

Hitherto we have purfued these two Heads or Characters, concerning thofe peaceable Times, and the Divine Schechinah, which should return to the Ifraelites; and we have given fome Tokens whereby the Time of that Peace and Glory may be defined, but there yet remain fome which are brighter. For. we are taking our Journey towards the rifing Sun, and the farther we go, the Shadows will grow leffer, and the Light appear ftronger. But to purfue this Subject.

In the eleventh Chapter, the Promife is again renewed, concerning the pacific State of Things which

which was to arife under the Reign of the Meffiah, and fpring from the Righteoufnefs and Fidelity which fhould exceedingly flourish under the Meffab's Empire. For thus fays the Prophet, (v. 5, 6.) Righteousness fhall be the Girdle of his Loins, and Faithulness or Truth) the Girdle of his Reins. The Wolf alfo fhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard fhall lie down with the Kid; and the Calf, and the young Lion, and the Fatling together, and a little Child fhall lead them (v. 8, 9.) And the fuckling Child fhall play on the Hole of the Afp, and the weaned Child fhall put his Hand on the Adder's Den. They shall not hurt (they fhall not do any Injury or Detriment) nor deftroy in all my holy Mountain, for the Earth fhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover

the Sea.

The Prophet here promifes many and great Things; befides the most diffufive Holinefs and Knowledge of God, he hints that all Enmity among brute Animals should cease, at least that they would fhew no token of it to Mankind. If we confider well these Characters of the Meffiah's Kingdom, I fee not how they can poffibly be made to point out these prefent Times. But I leave them to the ferious and impartial Confideration of every Reader. The fame Prophecies are repeated in the following Chapters, and more fully in the lxv, where, if I mistake not, the Prophet gives us a KEY to this whole Mystery.

In the mean time we may obferve, that in this Chapter the coming of Chrift is prefigured in a twofold manner. As to the former there is no difpute; and the fecond (befides what has been already faid) feems to be reprefented in thefe Words, (v. 4.) He shall fmite the Earth with the Rod of his Mouth, and with the Breath of his Lips fhall he flay the Wicked. The Chaldee Paraphraft has it, Armillum improbum, under which Name the Jews defcribe

defcribe their Antichrift. However this be, the Apostle feems to refer to it (2 Thef. ii. 8.) when he fays, Then fball that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord fhall confume with the Spirit of his Mouth, and fhall destroy with the Brightness of his coming. The generality of the more celebrated Expofitors underftand This concerning Antichrift, who is to be abolifhed at the fecond coming of Christ, of which the Apostle had given them a very elegant Defcription in the preceding Chapter, (v. 7, 8.) and of the Deftruction of the ungodly which was to follow. The Prophet farther adds, (v. 11.) It shall come to pass in that Day, that the Lord fhall fet his Hand again the fecond time to recover the Remnant of his People which shall be left from Affyria, and many other Places. You fee that the Prophet is here difcourfing concerning fome fecond Restauration of the People of God, or the Ifraelites, (v. 12, &c.) and about the Union and Reduction of those who were difperfed over the Face of the whole Earth. It is queried, about what Reftauration the Prophet here fpeaks? The Tribes of Ifrael before this Time were rent from Judah, nor are they yet restored, fo that this promifed Reftauration and Union muft be understood of Times that are yet to come. can they have Refpect to their Reduction from the Babylonish Captivity, fince the Tribes of Ifrael were not then brought back. Befides, the Jews before the Destruction of Jerufalem were not difperfed thro', all Parts of the Earth, and all thofe Countries which the Prophet mentions. Laftly that Redemption about which the Prophet fpeaks, will be after the manner of the Deliverance from Egypt, by drying up the Sea and Rivers which lie in the way; (See J. xxvii. 12, 13, & xlii. 15, 16. Zech. x. 10, 11, & Rev. xvii. 12.) nothing of which Nature happened in their Deliverance from Babylon. These things

Nor

་

things being weighed, I think it is reasonable that we should underftand this fecond and univerfal Reftauration to refer to certain Times of the Meffiah about which the Prophet fpeaks in the preceding Verfes, and, if I mistake not, throughout this whole Chapter. Now fince nothing of this kind happened to the Jews at the first coming of Chrift, but rather the contrary, we expect these things to be fulfilled at his fecond Appearance.

Let us pafs on to the xxivth Chapter, where the Deftruction of the whole Earth feems to me to be declared and explained. It is ufual for Ifaiah and other Prophets, as often as Occafion arifes from fome great Deftruction of a City or Nation, which bears fome Refemblance or Type of that which in the laft Days fhall come upon all the World, readily to turn their Minds and Difcourfes upon That. This World will conclude with the greatest Deftruction of the Enemies of God, as appears from the facred Writings of both the Old and New Teltament; and immediately after this mighty Destruction, the glorious Kingdom of the Meffiah will follow. The Prophet in this Chapter prefents us with the fame Face of Things, the Slaughter of the Mighty, the Perturbation of Nature, and then the glorious Reign of Chrift in Sion; we shall repeat the three laft Verles*.

And it shall come to pass in that Day, that the Lord fball punish the Hoft of the high ones, that are on high, and the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth. And they

They are thus rendered in the Vulgate. Et erit in Die illa, vilitabit Dominus fuper Militiam Coeli, in excelfo, & fuper Reges Terræ qui funt fuper Terram: & congregabuntur in Congregatione unius Fafcis in Lacum, & claudentur ibi in Carcere; & poft multos Dies vifitabuntur. Et erubefcit Luna & confundetur. Sol, cum regnaverit Dominus Exercituum in Monte Sion & in Jerufalem, & in Confpectu Senum fuorum fuerit glorificatus.

2

fhall be gathered together, as Prisoners are gathered in the Pit, and shall be shut up in the Prison, and after many Days they shall be vifited. Then the Moon fhall be confounded, and the Sun afhamed, when the Lord of Hofts fhall reign in Mount Sion, and in Jerufalem, and before his Ancients gloriously.

Whoever thefe Elders are they will be Spectators and participate of the Kingdom of Chrift. Indeed to me they feem to be the fame Elders whom we read of in the Revelations, (c. iv. 4, & v. 8, 9, 10.) who were made Kings and Priefts, and fhall reign with Chrift on the Earth. Now thefe Elders are generally fuppofed to be the Company of Patriarchs and Apoftles, and I think the fame are intended in this Place. Moreover whoever are thofe high ones (If xxiv. 21, 22.) that are on high, who are di ftinguished from the Kings of the Earth, they will be bound in Chains and thrust into Prifon. Which makes me think of the Binding of Satan, and his being caft into Prison just before the Beginning of Chrift's Kingdom, Rev. xx.

But to return nearer to our Subject, we must enquire what People thefe Prophecies refer to? I fuppofe the Jews are to bear no fmall Part in this Victory and Glory. For the Prophet in the next Chapter (xxv.) fings a Hymn of Praife to God, and the following one prefents us with a Song of Sion. Thefe Praises the Ifraelites offer to God in Concert with others, as in the former Song (xii. 6.) which clofes with this Epiphonema, as it is turned by the Chaldee Paraphraft; Rejoice and give thanks, O Congregation of Sion, for great is the holy One of Ifrael who has faid that he will place his Schechinah (his majestic Prefence) in the midst of thee. As alfo in the Song we meet with in another Chapter, according to the fame Paraphraft, God fhall be revealed from the Place of his Majefty, or his majestic Prefence.

Thefe

.