of the church under his reign: "The remnant of "Ifrael fhall not do iniquity; they fhall feed and "lie down, and none fhall make them afraid Sing, "O daughter of Zion; fhout, O Ifrael, be glad, "and rejoice with all the heart :-The King of If"rael, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee:"The Lord thy God in the midft of thee is mighty; " he will fave, he will rejoice over thee with joy : "he will reft in his love." In the last two verfes it is faid, "I will get them praife and fame in every "land where they have been put to fhame. At "that time will I bring you again, even in the time "that I gather you: for I will make you a name ❝ and a praise among all people of the earth, when "I turn back your captivity before your eyes, faith "the Lord." This is not fo applicable to the times immediately after the captivity, as to the times of the Meffiah. Neither the Jews in general, nor the true people of God among them, were the ob jects of the esteem and praise of the Gentile nations, until these nations embraced the gofpel, which pro ceeded first from that people.

SECT. VIII. Of Habakkuk's prophecies.

The prophet Habakkuk, chap. i. 6. ii. 5. 8. after foretelling the fuccefs of the Chaldeans or Babylonians in his firft chapter, and their downfall in the fecond, adds, in y 14. this general prediction, (which we find in more places than one elsewhere), "The "earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the "Lord, as the waters cover the fea." It may in part remove the obfcurity of the connection between this and the foregoing prediction, to remember, that the downfall of Babylon was fubfervient to the restoration of God's church, in order to her future enlargement by the converfion of the Gentiles, which is the thing that was to fill the earth with the knowledge

ZZ 2

Chap. V. knowledge of God. And though the fall of Babylon is the particular event foretold in the preceding context; yet the words, y 13. immediately preceding the promise of filling the earth with the knowledge of God, are capable of a more comprehenfive meaning, fo as to import the vanity of all the endeavours of the powers of the world, to establish lafting univerfal monarchies, and to extirpate God's church or kingdom, which is the only lafting kingdom, and fhould one day be of univerfal extent, when the knowledge of God fhould fill the earth.

Some interpreters apply to the Messiah the prediction in the beginning of the fecond chapter, from 1. to 5. rendering the latter part of 3.. thus, * (as the original will naturally admit), "Though he tarry, expect him; because he that cometh will << come, and will not go beyond," viz. the appointed time. This explication feems moft fuitable to the general doctrine in the next verfe, "The just "fhall live by his faith;" feeing God's mercy in the Meffiah was the great object of the church's faith and hope; and the commendation given of faith in this 4th verfe feems defigned as a motive to inforce the waiting injoined in the former verfe *. Tho' just men would believe the promised fall of Babylon, they could not be faid to live by that faith. The folemnity of the introduction in y 2. prefixed to the prediction in y 3. feems more fuitable to predictions of the greatest importance, fuch as thofe relating to the Meffiah: "Write the vifion, and "make it plain on tables, that he may run that "readeth it." Thefe laft words may be underftood to imply, not more than ordinary clearness in the prediction, but uncommon importance. Suppofing thefe words to relate to the prediction about the fall of Babylon, a little below, it is certain, that it is not more clear, but rather more obfcure

See Galat. v. 5. about waiting by faith.

and

and general, than other predictions of the fame event elsewhere. A thing may be fuppofed to be written plainly, or ingraven on tables, fo as to be eafily read and remembered, though not easily unOderstood. And these words, "he may run that "reads," feem more applicable to the fhort and o comprehenfive prediction in y 3. & 4. confidered as a diftinct prediction by itself, than to the sequel of the chapter. To all which it is proper to add, that "he who is to come" is a title peculiarly applicable to the Meffiah; that it is fuitable to the prophetic way of writing, on other occafions, to mix predictions of the Meffiah with predictions of extraordinary calamities or deliverances; and that a promise of the Meffiah in this place was a proper relief from hurtful impreffions of the foregoing threatenings of calamities from the Babylonians, as well as a confirmation of the fubfequent promises of the downfall of those enemies.

In confidering the various predictions relating to the time of the Meffiah's coming, it was proved, at fome length, that the second chapter of Haggai contains a clear prediction on that fubject, Hagg. ii. 7. fhewing, that the Meffiah, the defire of all nations, and the author of the true peace of God's church, would come during the standing of the second temple; and that his coming to it fhould be its greateft glory, furpaffing all the honour that could redound to the firft temple from the greatest prophets, priests, or kings, that had ever appeared in the church.

The 14th and 17th verfes of this 2d chapter of Haggai contain fuch accounts of the corrupt ftate of the Jews in the times immediately after the return from Babylon, as fhow how unreasonable it is to ap

ply

B

T

ply to these times the most magnificent prophetic promifes and defcriptions of the purest and happiest times of the church of God on earth.

Though the following prediction in the four laft verfes of this chapter have fome obfcurity in it, there are feveral confiderable arguments, which prove, that, according to the true rules of interpretation, it must not be applied to Zerubbabel, perfonally confidered, but as a type of the Meffiah.

Not only Zerubbabel and Jofhua were fit to typify the Meffiah, in regard the one was the governor of God's people at that time, and all that they had for a king, as the other was their high priest; but in fact it is certain, from Zechariah, who was contemporary with Haggai, that they were actually confidered as types of the Meffiah in fome predictions delivered to them *. As Solomon's building the divine temple made him a fingular type of the Meffiah, the like honourable work fitted Zerubbabel for the like reprefentation. But befides Zerubbabel's work and office, we are to confider his relation to the Meffiah, who was to defcend from him. And both in fcripture and other writings, things promifed to mens pofterity are confidered as promifed to themselves.

The words in 21. about fhaking heaven and earth, are an argument for confidering the prediction which thefe words ufher in, as parallel to the preceding prediction about the defire of all nations, which is by no means applicable to Zerubbabel. He could not be called the defire of all nations, whom fo few nations knew, and whom a few inconfiderable neighbours defpifed and oppofed, and oppofed with fo much fuccefs. He could not be mentioned as a perfon yet to come, after fhaking heaven and earth, and all things. He could not be called the

See Zech. vi. 11. &c.

glory

glory of the latter houfe, rendering it more honourable than the firft houfe.

The future revolutions foretold in this fecond, as well as in the former prediction, are fuch as did it not happen in the days of the literal Zerubbabel. The 22d and 23d verses compared fhew, that the day when the Zerubbabel here meant fhould be inade si a fignet, is the day when God would overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and deftroy the ftrength of the kingdom of the Heathen. This muft at least imply the deftroying of the ftrength of the Heathen kingdom, or great empire, of the Medes and Perfians, (for that of Babylon was paft, and cannot be here meant). But this did not happen in the days of the literal Zerubbabel, nor long after. The words of this prediction, y 22. taken in their full latitude, denote the downfall, not only of the Perfian, but of the other univerfal monarchies, whofe downfall is foretold in Daniel as fubfervient to the establishing of the everlasting divine kingdom of the Meffiah; which is a farther argument, that he is the fubject of this prediction.

SECT. X. Of Zechariah's prophecies.

In the first chapter of Zechariah, there is a remarkable vifion of four horns, reprefenting the powers that had fcattered Judah and Ifrael, and of four carpenters who come to fray these horns, ch. i. 18. &c. reprefenting inftruments raifed to break the fe powers; which vilion has a remarkable conformity with Daniel's predictions concerning the four great monarchies, (reckoning the Babylonian the first), which are reprefented, firft by the four parts of a great image, and then by four beafts.

The fecond chapter contains a prophecy, where the converfion of the Gentiles is foretold, in the elearest expreffions, y 11. not by faying, that they

would