applicable to the 42d chapter of Ifaiah, compared with the 49th. As in chap. 49. it is faid of the perfon there mentioned, that God "would give him for

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a light to the Gentiles, and a covenant to the people, that he might establish the earth;-and " that he might say to the prisoners, Go forth; " and to them that fit in darkness, Shew your" selves;" and in a particular manner the ifles, and people afar off, are called to listen to him: so as to this 42d chapter, it foretells of the eminent perfon it treats of, that God "would give him for a "covenant of the people, for a light of the "Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out "the prisoners from the prison, and them that fit " in darkness out of the prison-house, y 6.7.;" that he "would bring forth judgement to the Gen" tiles, 1." And more particularly it is foretold, that the ifles would wait for his law, 4.; and the prophet exhorts "the isles and their inhabi"tants to fing unto the Lord a new song;" and again a little below exhorts men to "give glory " unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the i"slands," 10. 12.

Though the conversion of the kings of the Gentiles is not mentioned so expressly here as in the chapter formerly confidered, yet it is plainly implied in the divine threatenings pronounced againft. idolatry. It is foretold, 17. that " they shall be " turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed that "trust in graven images, that say to the molten i

mages, Ye are our gods." In other prophecies, as well as this, threatenings against idolatry are mixed fometimes with the promises of enlightening of the Gentiles; the strong expressions made use of in these threatenings plainly denote such an overthrow of the Heathen idolatry, as fupposes its being deprived of the countenance of authority. Before the times of the gospel, the enemies of the true religion had fo far prevailed as to hinder the enlightening of the

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the nations. In the 13th and 14th verses of this chapter God speaks of himself as "prevailing againft his enemies;" and for that end "going forth as a

mighty man, stirring up jealousy like a man of "war; after having long held his peace, been still, " and refrained himself *."

These and the like expreffions, here and in other prophecies, evidently point out an important revolution in the world in favour of the true religion, vastly different from any fuch conversion of particular proselytes as might have been brought about by any Jewish king or prophet before the coming of Chrift. The fingular magnificence of style by which the prophets describe what God was to do when he would enlighten the Gentiles; their expreffions a bout the greatness of the change he was to produce, the greatness of the obstacles he was to remove, the extraordinary display he was to make of his power and glory, the great fupport he was to give to the particular person who was to be the light of the Gentiles, the folemn manner in which they introduce their predictions on this subject, and the triumphant exclamations they mix with them, or annex to them, calling to all the ends of the earth, and sometimes to heaven and earth, to fing and rejoice on account of the great and glad tidings they were proclaiming: all these things thew that it is not merely the conversion of some particular profelytes they are speaking of, but that converfion of nations which is known to have been the peculiar effect of the gospel. We have remarkable instances of this fingular magnificence of style in this fame 42d chapter, particularly in the following sentences. "Be" hold my fervant whom I uphold, mine elect in "whom my foul delighteth: I have put my spirit

upon him, he shall bring forth judgement to the "Gentiles. Thus faith God the Lord, he that

* See Acts xvii. 30.

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"created

"created the heavens, and stretched them out; he " that spread forth the earth, and that which co" meth out of it; he that giveth breath to the

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people upon it, and spirit to them that walk "therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteouf" ness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep "thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, " for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind

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eyes, to bring out the prisoners out of the pri "fon. I am the LORD, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my "praise to graven images. Behold, the former

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things are come to pass, and new things do I de"clare: before they spring forth I tell you of "them. Sing unto the Lord a new fong, and his "praise from the end of the earth: ye that go " down to the fea, and all that is therein; the "ifles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness, and the cities thereof, lift up their voice. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and de"clare his praise in the islands," &c.

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It would be unreasonable to object, that the peculiar loftiness of the eastern style, frequently magnifying things above their real greatness, may account for these high expreffions, without fuppofing any more extenfive conversion of the Gentiles than what sometimes happened under the Old Testament. Defcriptions of divine power can never be too lofty. It can never be proved, that the scripture any where gives fuch descriptions of it, as those now cited, in order to magnify any ordinary or inconfiderable event. We fee here, the prophet first gives a large and fublime description of the power of the Most High, manifested in the creation of the universe, and of its inhabitants; on purpose to shew his fufficiency to execute certain great designs, in which he was to employ one eminent perfon, whom he would give to be a covenant to the people, and a light of the Gentiles; that he might open the blind eyes, and bring prisoners out of the prison; and produce those happy changes which are expressly called new things, (which cannot be faid of the converfion of particular proselytes); such new things that the prediction of them would clearly demonstrate prescience : "Behold, new things do I " declare; before they spring forth I tell you of "them :" new things that would restore to the true God the religious honours that had been facrilegioufly given to idols; new things that would produce new fongs to the Lord, and devout tranfports in the cities of the wilderness; by which must be meant, according to the context and other parallel prophecies, the cities of the Gentiles; and particularly in the islands, which name, as good interpreters have observed, was given by the Jews to remote nations separated from Judea by the fea.

II. Some predictions relating to the enemies of him who was to be the light of the Gentiles, are implied in the above-cited threatenings against the abetters of idolatry: and when it is faid, in v 4. " He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he have " set judgement in the earth; and the ifles shall "wait for his law," it is plainly enough intimated, that he would meet with fuch opposition as might discourage and disappoint other perfons in any undertaking, but would by no means have that effect on him. But whereas mere general expreffions about the enemies of the eminent person in view might be applicable to idolatrous Heathens as well as to unbelieving Jews, the close of this chapter speaks very plainly, not of the former, but of the latter. In y 19. and 20. the prophet speaks of the blindness of certain persons, whom he calls God's fervants and messengers: fuch titles are not applicable to Heathen, but to Jewish teachers and rulers; who both professed themselves to be God's servants and messengers, and were indeed appointed to fuch offices, notwithstanding their mal-admi

nistration. When it is faid of these people, 20. Seeing many things, but thou observest not; 0pening the ears, but he heareth not," it is implied, they would have abundant means of inftruction, and conviction, but would inexcusably misimprove them. Three times in one verse (the 19th) they are called blind.

The following context not only foretells extraordinary defolations that were to come on those perfons; but plainly intimates, that notwithstanding the previous warnings given them, they would not confider the true causes of their calamities. Thus in y 24. 25. it is faid, "Who gave Jacob for " a fpoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the "Lord, he against whom we have finned? for they " would not walk in his ways, neither were they " obedient unto his law. Therefore he hath pour"ed upon him the fury of his anger, and the "strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire " round about, yet he knew not; and it burned "him, yet he laid it not to heart." The greatness of the calamities here foretold, prove that these expreffions, "He knew not," and, "He laid it not " to heart," cannot signify, that they would be insensible of these calamities, but that they would not acknowledge and consider the true causes of them.

To shew the clearness of this prediction, it is proper to observe, that its being meant of the unbelieving Jews, is not only evident from the abovementioned title, of God's messengers and fervants, given to those the prophet speaks of in y 19.; but that the thing is put beyond all question by y 24. which gives them the name of Jacob and Ifrael.

If it be objected against applying 19. to the Jewish teachers or rulers, that that text speaks only of the Lord's messenger and servant in the fingular number; it is sufficient to observe, on the one hand, that y 18. which is the introduction to this prediction, speaks of blind and deaf persons in the plural