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almost all the contents of these chapters relate to those times: and, on the other hand, that these predictions contain a confiderable number of the chief branches, both of the gospel doctrine and history, concerning the Meffiah's perfon and fufferings, his church, and his enemies.

As to the person of the Meffiah, he is called the Lord, chap. 11. who is faid to be prized at fo goodly a price as thirty pieces. In chapter 12. he who is faid to be pierced, and that by the Jews, is called the Lord, even he who pours down the spirit of grace and fupplication. In chap. 13. he againft whom the fword is faid to awake in order to smite him, is not only called a man, but the Lord says of him, "Awake, O fword, against my shepherd, and

against the man that is my fellow." As to his fufferings, the 11th chapter contains a circumstantial account of the manner of his being betrayed. The 12th chapter gives a hint of the manner of his death, that "he would be pierced;" and of the chief instruments of it, the inhabitants of Jerufalem. And the 13th chapter speaks of his fufferings more immediately from the hand of God. Concerning the unbelief of the Jews, it is foretold in the 11th chapter, that God's covenant with that people should be broken; as the 12th foretells, that they would pierce the Meffiah. Concerning their - desolation and difperfion, it is foretold in the 11th chapter, 6. that their land should be smitten by - its enemies, and no more delivered out of their hands; and in chap. 13. that in all the land, two parts should be cut off; and in chap. 14. that the city should be taken, the houses rifled, and the half of the people should go forth into captivity. The enlightening of the Gentiles is both foretold in more clear expreffions, shewing, that the Lord would be King in all the earth, and that the nations would worship him; and intimated in the figurative expreffions, about "living waters going out from " Jerufalem, "Jerufalem, both towards the former fea and the " hinder fea," Zech. xiv. 9.16.8. And the last two verses seem to foretell the abolishing of the ceremo nial law..

SECT. XI. Of Malachi's prophecies.

As the two former prophets shew, that the Jews were in a very low and corrupt state at the times immediately after their return from Babylon, the prophet Malachi, who, on good grounds, is reckoned to have lived a confiderable time after that return, and to have been contemporary with Nehemiah, reprefents that people as in a very corrupt and afflicted condition still. It deserves particular confideration, as to the manner in which the prediction of the converfion of the Gentiles is introduced, in Mal. i. 10. 11. that it is immediately after a threatening, intimating the rejection of the Jews for their fins, y 10. 11. I have no pleasure in you, faith "the Lord of holts, neither will I accept an offer"ing at your hand. For from the rifing of the " fun even unto the going down of the fame, my " name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in

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every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the Heathen, faith the Lord of

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This context gives light to the connection between Malachi's fubfequent predictions of the Meffiah, and the other fubjects of his prophecy, which are chiefly wholesome reproofs to the Jews, and particularly to their priests, for the abuses which prevailed at that time, and awful warnings of the danger of these things. The converfion of the Gentiles is introduced in this first chapter, in a manner very fuitable to the ancient prediction in the fong of Mofes, that God would provoke the Jews to jealoufy tousy by a foolish nation, viz. the Gentiles, Deut. xxxii. 21. And in the predictions of the Meffiah, both in the 3d and 4th chapters of Malachi, the Jews are told, that the day of his coming, though justly the object of their defire, would be the terrible day of the Lord to fuch obstinate finners as many of the Jews were in the prophet's days.

It is a very comprehenfive prophecy of the Meffiah that we have at the beginning of the 3d chapter of this book, containing an account of his divine nature, his mediatory office, his forerunner, and the time of his coming, viz. during the standing of the #second temple. What is added a little below, about his purifying the fons of Levi, seems to have a special relation to the prophetic reproofs given to the fons of Levi in the former part of the book. The last chapter speaks of a great and terrible day of the Lord, that should be contemporary with the appearance of the Sun of Righteousness, his way being prepared by a forerunner, in the power and fpirit of Elias.

The End of this Effay.

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An Answer to a Question proposed in a Philofophical Society at Glasgow, viz.

Whether the happiness of the mind confifts in the enjoyment of things without it, or in the reflection on its own perfections, or in both ?

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HE meaning of the question cannot be, Where is any joy or pleasure to be had ? for that needs not inquiry; but, Where is the greatest; or, if that appear a different question, Where is full contentment to be had? that is, such fullness of joy as excludes all uneasiness. But this last question is only in appearance different from the former: for no man can be fully content to want the greatest joy he is capable of, if he is confcious of that capacity, and knows the excellency of that joy which he wants, which is a consciousness and knowledge that à rational being cannot always avoid. The prefence of what is neceffarily painful must be felt; but that the abfence of what is neceffary to happiness, or the greatest joy, is also unavoidably felt, will appear by confidering what keeps all the world in constant agitation and action. The fource of action is defire; the world is full of defire; and defire still regards an abfent good.

The use of reason is to chuse the greatest good; for to prefer any thing to what is best, is what we call a bad choice. The greatest joy is what is moft intenfe, and most durable. The greatest intenfeness cannot be defcribed; but the longeft duration of joy is that which is perpetual. And that there

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