predictions of restoration from captivity, though they extend not only to Judah, but to Ifrael, are plainly meant of the return from Babylon, the people of Ifrael who shared in that benefit not being too inconfiderable to be the fubject-matter of prophecy. But a chief ufe of thefe remarks is, to explain the predictions of the Meffiah, as governing, not only Judah, but Ifrael.

VII. And whereas feveral predictions fpeak of Judah and Ifrael, not only as both governed by the Meffiah, but alfo as dwelling fafely, and in profperity under him, which may appear not fo confiftent with the predictions concerning the difperfion of the Jews, and the perfecution of the Chriftians, in the times of the Meffiah; to remove fuch appearances of inconfiftency, it is proper to obferve the following things.

1. The promises of falvation, fafety, or comfort, that are contained in the predictions of the Meffiah, are made only to those who fhould obey the Meffiah, whether Jews or Gentiles. Unbelievers, whether of the one fort or the other, have no title to them. The prophetic threatenings against the enemies of the Mefliah put this beyond question.

2. The names of Judeh, Ifrael, or Zion, according to the prophetic ftyle, are applicable to all the true people of God and of the Meffiah, whether Jews or Gentiles: though the majority of the Jewith nation did not embrace the true Meffiah, many myriads of them did embrace him *: The converted Gentiles were to be confidered as incorporated with the true Jewish church, or true Zion.

3. It is alfo fuitable to the prophetic ftyle, that the name of Safety, as well as falvation, thould be given to that ftate of true bleffednefs into which the Meiliah was to bring his people, and in which he

The words in Acts xxi. 20. rendered many thousands, are, in the Greck, many myriads,

will keep them, notwithstanding their liableness to outward trials, which he makes very ufeful to them, and truly fubfervient to their fafety, in the highest fenfe of the word. This is evident from the ftrain of prophetic inftructions and expreffions, in the paffages which prove, that it was a fpiritual falvation and happiness that the Meffiah was to beftow on his people. Some expreffions, which, at first view, feem to fignify, in the moft literal fenfe, temporal fafety or profperity, easily admit another and higher meaning; as in Jer. xxiii. 6. when fpeaking of the righteous branch raised to David, it is faid, that "in his days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael fhall "dwell fafely," the words rendered dwell fafely, may be rendered dwell in confidence, fo as to relate to the fuperior fpiritual privileges of the gofpelchurch.

4. Where-ever there are fuch expreffions as cannot be reasonably explained otherwife than as relating to times of outward fafety, as God has frequently vouchfafed fuch times to the Meffiah's people, it is evident, that thofe times, as well as times of perfecution, were proper fubjects of prediction: and if there are fome predictions of that kind that are not fully accomplished as yet, this is no objection against the evidence arifing from fuch as are accomplished.

5. But befides all this, it deferves particular confideration, that many comfortable promifes in the prophetic writings are defigned for fupporting the fincere fervants of God, who had a far greater concern about the prefervation of the true religion in the world, than about the mere temporal fafety of their own nation. To fuch men it must have been the most fenfible affliction, to fee, or hear of, those dangers that feemed to threaten the total extinction of true religion, and the extirpation of God's church. It is evident, that when true religion was to be extended to the Gentile nations, far and near, tho' fometimes

Tt

fometimes perfecuted even in many parts at once, it was still in a state of far greater safety, or farther removed from all probable danger of extinction, than when of old confined, in a great measure, to one country, which was frequently on the point of being swallowed up by powerful adverfaries. This diftinguishing advantage of the true religion in the times of the Meffiah, may, in part, explain the prophetic expreffions about the fafety of Ifrael under his reign.

SECT IV. Of Ifaiah's Prophecies.

As the prophet Isaiah has been styled by fome, by way of eminence, the Evangelical Prophet, on account of his many and clear predictions of the Meffiah, it may fhew how juftly that title hath been given him, if we confider, that of sixty-six chapters, into which his book is divided, about forty contain prophecies of one kind or other on that fubject; feveral of which chapters treat wholly of it; and in fome parts of this book, we find, in several contiguous chapters, a continued feries of prophecies relating, either to the Meffiah's perfon, his church, or his enemies. As Ifaiah, and his formerly-mentioned cotemporaries, lived about the time of the declenfion of the kingdoms of lfrael and Judah, it gives light to their predictions, to have in view the chief events of the hiftory of thofe times, relating both to the kingdoms of Ifrael and Judah, and the chief neighbouring nations.

With refpect to the hiftory of the kingdom of Ifrael, it is needful to diftinguish between the invafion of that kingdom by Tiglath-pilefer, who conquered the more northern parts of it, Galilee, Naphtali, and Zebulun, and carried away captive many inhabitants of thofe parts, (which partial captivity feems to be referred to, Ifaiah ix. 1.),

and

ext

and the more general calamity brought on Ifrael by the Affyrians afterward, when they led captive the whole ten tribes, and planted ftrangers in their

room.

Concerning the hiftory of Judah in thofe times, it is proper to obferve, ift, That wickedness of all forts, and particularly idolatry, came to a great height among that people, efpecially in the days of Ahaz and Manaffeh. 2dly, That though the Affyrians did not utterly deftroy Judah, as they did the ten tribes; yet they brought feveral grievous calamities on them, particularly in the days of Hezekiah and Manaffeh. 3dly, That the kings of Ifrael and Syria, though they did not fucceed in their attempts on Judah at the time mentioned, If. vii. and 1 Kings xvi.; yet they made extraordinary flaughter on the people of Judah in the time of the fame King Ahaz; as we find in 2 Chron. xvi. 5. 6.

As to the nations bordering on Judah, though God, for just and wife ends, forbade the Jews to feek protection from Egypt, they obftinately difobeyed that divine command, and we're remarkably punished for their difobedience; as we read lf. xxxi. And it is needful to obferve, that the Affyrians, and afterwards the Babylonians, were inftrumental in bringing extraordinary judgements on Egypt, the Syrians, the Tyrians, and the Moabites; and as to feveral of them, their names were extinguished, and their people confounded with the Affyrians, who fubdued them.

The first chapter of Ifaiah confifts of practical inftructions, concerning the neceffity of repentance, and various motives and encouragements to it.

The prophecy in the fecond chapter, as was obferved above, is one of those prophecies of the Mesfiah which stand by themselves, detached from all other subjects; and it foretells clearly, that the nations of the Gentiles" would flow unto Zion;" that they "would feek after and embrace the knowTt2 ledge

"ledge of the true God ;" and that he "would judge "or rule among them."

The third chapter contains an account of national fins, and national judgements, the fruits of these

fins.

And in the fourth chapter, the first verse of which is reckoned, by good interpreters, a continuation of the threatenings in the former against the daughters of Zion, it is foretold at the beginning of a new prediction, that the Branch of the Lord fhould be beautiful and glorious for them that fhould efcape of Ifrael; which cannot be otherwise explained than by applying it to the Meffiah, (fo often called the Branch in other prophecies), confidered as the confolation of God's people, and the foundation of their hope and joy in the greateft diftrefles.

The fifth chapter treats of the diftinguishing privileges God had beftowed on the Jews as his vineyard, of their ungrateful returns, and the juft punifhment of their ingratitude, without any circumftance that can reftrict thefe threatenings to the Babylonith captivity, fo as to exclude the final difperfion of that people by the Romans; yea, the threatenings concerning God's vincyard feem moft applicable to that laft defolation, becaufe it was then, and not till then, that God's vineyard was tranf planted from among the Jews, and planted among the Gentiles. Compare Matth. xxi. 41.

And whereas the fixth chapter contains threatenings much of the fame kind with thofe in the forner chapter, concerning the rejection of the obftinate Jews, the expreffion in y 3. The whole earth is full of his glory, affords an argument, that the prediction relates chiefly to the times of the cnlightening of the Gentile world; feeing it is then only that it could be faid, that the knowledge of God's glory filled the earth.

The prediction of the Meffiah contained in the

feventh