Observe first, that the gracious voured country; and we may therepromises of God were strikingly fore well conclude that Zerubbaaccomplished in the restoration of bel, and Nehemiah, and Shealtiel, the Jews from Babylon, under the and vast numbers of the holy men guidance of various princes of the of that day, and their descendants family of David ; in the re-estab- through a long succession of years, Jishment of their civil and religious would no longer say, “ The Lord polity; and in the long continued liveth, which brought up the chil. peace and prosperity with which dren of Israel out of Egypt, but the nation was favoured, until the the Lord liveth which brought up, actual appearance of the Messiah and which led the seed of the We are very apt to undervalue the house of Israel out of the north mercies displayed in the restoration country, and from all countries from Babylon; and this possibly whither he had driven them, and has induced some to interpret cer- they shall dwellin their own land.” tain prophecies of events still fu- But if we limit our views of this ture, which have yet actually been prophecy, to the restoration from accomplished. On this point, in- Babylon, and the more immediate deed it becomes every sober stu- consequences of that event, we dent of God's word to speak with shall entertain very narrow and great caution, and the more so, imperfect views of its glorious because eminently wise and holy accomplishment ; and I would men entertain on these topics, therefore proceed to observe, sewidely different opinions. It is, condly, that these gracious prohowever, clear that the nation of mises were still more strikingly the Jews was restored from Baby- accomplished in the appearance lon at the expiration of seventy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus years; that successive parties re Christ; in the setting up of his turned under the guidance of differ- kingdom in the world, and in the ent leaders ; that the tribe of Judah communication of that peace, and was joined by a remnant of most, those consolations which he vouchif not all the tribes of Israel ; that safes to bestow on all his faithful the temple and city were rebuilt; people. the ordinances of religion re-estab- And here a wide subject opens lished; the bounds of the Jewish upon us, at which I can only empire extended to nearly, if not briefly glance, and endeavour to quite the limits of the days of So- suggest some hints which may lomon; that this state of things afford profitable topics for subsecontinued for near five hundred quent reflection and consideration. years, while in consequence of All Christian interpreters, I the translation of the Scriptures believe, refer this passage to the into the Greek language, and the Lord Jesus Christ ; nor is it easy various colonies or families of to conceive that the prediction Jews remaining or established can apply to any other. The Jews in different lands, at or subse- after their restoration were governed quent to the Babylonish capti- by princes of the family of David; vity, the Jewish name was very but no one of those princes could widely extended, the Jewish polity literally, and strictly speaking, attained considerable respect and be the king here referred to, though notoriety, and the Jews in general a succession of governors are, in enjoyed a degree of tranquillity prophetic language, often desigand prosperity, which can be par- nated by the title king; while it alleled in the case of no other is still more apparent that the nation upon earth, with the one name by which it is expressly exception of our own highly fa- declared, this king should be called, namely, “ The Lord our he says, “ Behold, I will bring forth Righteousness,” could not without my servant the branch," and who the grossest impiety, be applied to himself declares in the book of the any merely human sovereign. Revelation, “ I am the root and

It is also evident, that in conse- offspring of David, and the bright quence of the Jewish dispersion, and morning star.” and the utter destruction of their Secondly, The Lord Jesus Christ records, and the consequent con- is not only the righteous Branch fusion of their tribes and families, unto David; but also a King, who no king can hereafter arise who reigns and prospers and executes can be recognized as a righteous judgment, and justice in the earth. branch of David, unless some ex- This part of our subject is by some traordinary miracles are wrought persons considered as referring to a to demonstrate his claim; while future period. They do not deny the dispersion and oppression of that in a spiritual point of view, the outcast Jews for nearly eighteen the Lord Jesus Christ reigns and hundred years—a period far longer prospers; but they conceive that than their whole possession of the it cannot with strict propriety be land of Canaan, affords strong said, that he executes judgment reason to conclude that those pas- and justice upon the earth, and sages which speak of their per- they therefore refer this clause of petual possession of their own land, our text to the personal reign of must admit of some other than a Christ; which, as they suppose, strictly literal interpretation

is to take place during the milBut while as it appears to me, lennium, and which is therefore this passage has not, with respect not very far distant, What will to a merely temporal sovereign, then take place, I presume not to received a literal accomplishment; determine but whether there will and while there is strong reason to be any personal appearance of the conclude that it never can be thus Saviour prior to the day of judgliterally accomplished, I would ment, appears to me more than remark that in a spiritual view it questionable ; and that solemn has been in a very extensive degree event will, I conceive, be subseaccomplished, and is even now quent to the millennium; on these accomplishing in our eyes ;—for discussions, however, I cannot now observe,

enter; but it appears to me most First. That the Lord hath raised evident, that the Lord Jesus Christ up unto David a righteous branch, does at present reign as King; in that he hath sent his own dear and that as such he is both prosSon the Lord Jesus Christ into the pering and executing judgment and world, who was born of a pure justice in the earth. You will virgin of the tribe of Judah, and observe that the Saviour, according family of David, and who was to his earthly parent, was entitled raised up as a root out of the dry to the throne of David—that prior ground, at the very time when the to his crucifixion he asserted his sceptre was departing from Judah, title as King of the Jews, that after and when, according to the pro- his resurrection, and immediately phecy of Jacob, the Shiloh, even before his ascension he claimed the the peace-maker should come, unto supreme authority, declaring “ all whom the gathering of the people power is given unto me in heaven should be. This Lord Jesus Christ and in earth” – that he therefore was indeed the righteous branch, sent forth his disciples into all the branch of righteousness, of nations to subdue them by the whom Zechariah speaks in the power of his gospel to the obethird chapter of his prophecy, when dience of faith, that he went forth

with those disciples working with pressed and spoken against, a them by wonderful signs and mi- people scattered and peeled hitherracles, supporting them against to, a people barbarously used and the most determined enemies and persecuted by those who for their persecutors; causing them to tri own oppressions, iniquities, and umph over all opposition, until in barbarities shall give an awful every nation of the then known account unto God—but still a world, his gospel was preached, people who are living monuments and a people collected together, of the righteous vengeance of God; who avowed him as their Lord and and who will continue monuments King, depended upon him as their of that vengeance until by divine only Saviour, bowed in submission grace they are savingly converted to his authority, and regulated their unto the Lord Jesus Christ-until lives and conduct according to his they look upon him whom they holy self-denying precepts; while have pierced by their sins, and from that moment to the present, mourn, and until by baptism they his empire has gone on increasing enter into the Christian church, with more or less rapidity, and are numbered among, and profess wherever his gospel has been themselves Christian people, and preached, a much higher standard reject with shame and abhorrence, of morals bas been established, the name of Jew; which however and his faithful subjects have formerly the revered title of the evinced that they are a righteous people of God is now disgraced as nation, by bringing forth the fruits the title of the most determined of holiness to the praise and glory blasphemers, and the most decided of his name.

enemies of Jehovah Jesus. While thus the Lord Jesus Christ And this, my brethren, by the as a King, reigns and prospers and way is, in my judgment, the strong executes judgment and justice in reason why we, as Christians, the hearts of his willing people; should labour most earnestly for he is also known as the Lord by the conversion of the Jews, and the judgment which he executeth. why we should support according How awfully were his denunciations to our ability, those societies which fulfilled in the entire destruction are endeavouring to bring them to of that ungodly-city Jerusalem, the knowledge of the Saviour; not where Christ was rejected and cru- that they are a people venerable cified, where an apostate people for their antiquity ; not that they threw off the bond of the covenant, are a nation to whom we as Chrisand said of that very Messiah who tians are under any obligation came as King unto his holy hill not that they are hereafter to take of Zion, “we will not have this precedence among the nations-not man to rule over us ;” and who in that their conversion shall be as consequence of their apostacy and life from the dead to the Gentile rebellion were broken as with a world; all these points admit of rod of iron, and dashed to pieces contradiction, of discussion – but it like a potter's vessel, and slain admits of neither contradiction nor with a vengeance of which history discussion that the Jew is under records no parallel ; and thus af- the righteous displeasure of Godford a most striking exhibition of that his guilt is greater than that the vengeance of Jehovah Jesus; of the heathen, to whom the word while the miserable outcasts of of God has not come, and that that apostate race, wander about therefore the very extent of his as melancholy specimens, of the misery and danger should stimuawful, yet righteous justice of late and excite our charity to the God, a people every where op- utmost, that we may, if possible,

JANUARY 1835.

rescue these lost and perishing they with the true Israelites retired men from their hopeless and awful to Pella, and dwelt safely, while state, Brethren, when you see a inmense multitudes of those who Jew, pity and pray for him, and were of Israel, but who were not endeavour, by every kind and ear- Israel, were swept away from the nest intreaty, to bring him to re- face of the earth, or sold for slaves pent and believe on the Lord into all nations, and who have Jesus Christ, but flatter not his never since had any national, any pride by dwelling on the future political existence. While the glories of his nation, for which real tribes of Judah and of Israel you have no precedent in the were from that time incorporated preaching of Christ or his apostles, with the Christian church, and and no specific encouragement in though exposed with other Christthe whole New Testament scrip ians to persecution, have yet been tures.

preserved, and still dwell safely. That eventually both Jews and These views are not common, and Gentiles shall be converted to the possibly the minds of some may be faith of Christ; and that all the disposed to dwell on the Apostle's ends of the earth shall remember statements in the epistle to the themselves, and be turned unto the Romans, and regard those stateLord, is indeed clearly revealed ; ments as inconsistent with the poand affords lively hope and conso sitions here advanced. But let lation to the true Christian, and such remember, that the epistle to then all will allow that Judah shall the Romans was written several be saved, and Israel shall dwell years before the destruction of safely - but there is a sense in Jerusalem, and yet the chosen which these words of our text have remnant there spoken of may as been for many ages most strikingly fairly—shall I add, more correctly accomplished, and this not merely be interpreted of those who at that by supposing as many have sup- time were called into the Christian posed, and for which idea there is church, as of those who through much to be said — that by Judah God's mercy shall yet be converted, and Israel are here to be under while such interpretation is supstood the children of God—the ported by the obvious meaning of spiritual Israel, those who among the term remnant in the Old Testhe Gentiles partake of the faith of tament prophecies, where “ the Abraham ; but in a literal sense it remnant of Israel” is not the scatmay now be said, that Judah is tered Israelites who were left after saved, and Israel dwells safely, in the captivity of Samaria, but the these the days of the Messiah the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Prince-that God hath not cast off . But, brethren, I escape from this his people, but that even now debateable ground, and call upon there is a remnant according to the you especially to contemplate the election of grace,... but that rem- name, the character, the perfections nant is not to be sought for among of this king of the family of David. the outcasts of Israel, nor among - This is his name whereby he the apostate Jews; but in the shall be called, the Lord our Church of Christ, into which church Righteousness,” and this name is a multitude both of Judah and unquestionably, exclusively, solely of Israel, far greater than that re- applicable to the Lord Jesus stored from the captivity of Christ ; “ the root and offspring Babylon was admitted before the of David.” We may doubt or destruction of Jerusalem, at which differ as to some of the circumperiod all who were entitled to the stances referred to in the words of name of Judah were saved; when our text; but it is most clear, that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed earth has rendered to Almighty " the Lord our Righteousness; ” God that perfect obedience which and that he has been so named of the law requires, and that therefore his church and people, from the every man without exception is time, when having made an end of exposed to the curse of the law. sin, and brought in everlasting He may differ as widely as can be righteousness, he ascended on high conceived from others, he may and appeared before God for us. possess unnumbered excellences,

For observe the language of the and call forth the admiration and Apostle in the first chapter of the the affections of multitudes, but in epistle to the Corinthians, “ Of the sight of Almighty God he is him (says he) are ye in Christ a sinner, and as tried by the standJesus, who of God is made unto ard of his holy law he is guilty, us wisdom, and righteousness, and condemned, and must suffer unless sanctification, and redemption.” some other way of escape and salAnd in his second epistle, in the vation can be discovered. fifth chapter, he says, “ Now then And this way of escape, this we are ambassadors for Christ as deliverance from guilt and danger, though God did beseech you by is provided by divine mercy through us; we pray you in Christ's stead the sacrifice and atonement of our be ye reconciled to God, for he Lord and Sayiour Jesus Christ, hath made him to be sin for us, who thus becomes the Lord our who knew no sin, that we might be righteousness. Hence the Apostle made the righteousness of God in says, “ Now the righteousness of him ;” and hence in the third chap- God without the law is manifested ; ter of the Philippians, the Apostle even the righteousness of God declares, “ Yea, doubtless, and I which is by faith of Jesus Christ count all things but loss for the unto all and upon all them that excellency of the knowledge of believe”- the “ redemption that is Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I in Jesus Christ : whom God hath have suffered the loss of all things, set forth to be a propitiation and do count them but dung that I through faith in his blood, to demay win Christ, and be found in clare his righteousness for the him, not having mine own righ- remission of sins-to declare his teousness which is of the law, but righteousness that he might be that which is through the faith of just, and the justifier of him that Christ, the righteousness which is believeth in Jesus ; ” and hence it of God by faith.”

is declared, “ Christ is the end of It was said of old under the the law for righteousness to every law, “it shall be our righteousness, one that believeth.". if we observe to do all these com Here then is the foundation of mandments before the Lord our hope it is not that we are innoGod, as he hath commanded us.” cent, for we are sinners - not that But the law of God requires per- we have kept the whole law-for fect, unsinning, uninterrupted obe in many things we all offend—not dience-every defect, as well as that we can make amends for our every transgression invalidates the past conduct-for even our best person's righteousness, and exposes services are defective; but this is him to the legal penalty ; and the foundation, namely, that the hence as the Apostle largely proves Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the third chapter of the Epistle who became man for us, did in to the Romans, “by the deeds of our nature perfectly obey, fulfil, the law shall no flesh be justified and honour * God's law by his in the sight of God.” That no entire and unsinning obedience ; mere man who ever lived upon and did further magnify and honour