Page images
PDF
EPUB

9.-20. The fame prophet having fhewed the progrefs of the gofpel among the Gentiles, on its first promulgation, (xlii. 10.-16.) he breaks off the detail of events, to denounce the judgments of God against the heathen nations, who retained their idolatry; then turning round to the Jews, in a pathetic addrefs, he reprefents their inexcufeableness in rejecting the Gospel, and the justice of the calamities which were in confequence entailed upon their nation', (ver. 18.-23.)

IV. THERE are fudden tranfitions in the prophets; that is, they rapidly pass from one event to another, very remote as to the time of its accomplishment, from that mentioned immediately before. However, a minute attention to the paffage, and the comparing it with other paffages, in the fame prophet, will enable us to

trace

(1) Many inftances of this kind could be produced, out of all the prophets; and in them we ought to admire the wisdom of the Spirit, who dictated the word of God. The future events foretold relate only to one period; but the practical remarks with which they are interfperfed are equally profitable in all periods. The literal meaning of the events predicted, and a knowledge of their coincidence with the prophecy, may be acquired only by a few but the practical remarks are level to the capacity of all; fo that the word of God,' even in the darkest paffages, "maketh wife the fimple.'

trace the connection of the writer's ideas, and prevent our misapprehending the narration, fo far as to imagine, that the laft event fhall quickly fucceed the preceding in the accomplish

ment.

Thus (Ifa. lxi. 1.-3.) the prophet describes the personal miniftry of the Mefliah, for so our Lord applies it, (Luke iv. 17.-21.) At the 4th verse, the prophet fuddenly paffes on to the restoration of the Jewish nation, which takes place at the Millennium. Betwixt the perfonal miniftry of the Meffiah and the Millennium, no lefs than two thousand years elapfe. Is any apt to suppose, that the latter event quickly fucceeds the former? Let him carefully peruse the prophet, from the 40th chapter, and he will find, in the several parallel views of the fame time, that the rejection of the Jews, the admiffion of the Gentiles into the church, the promulgation of the gospel among all nations, constantly intervene betwixt the personal ministry of the Meffiah and the Millennium. In the paffage where the transition is made, he says, "They (that is the restored Jews) fhall build. "the old waftes,-repair the defolations of

[ocr errors]

many generations." Thefe expreffions imply, that many generations fhould intervene betwixt the personal miniftry of the Meffiah and the restoration promised, during which time the land

land fhould lie wafte. In a word, the defign of the prophet is to fhew, that the Jews muft fubmit to the Meffiah, and receive the Gospel, previous to the restoration which he defcribes; fo that the connection of his ideas is more cafily difcerned, by his leaving out the intermediate

events.

The prophet Daniel (xi. 5.--35.) gives an accurate detail of the treaties and wars betwixt the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria, from the partition of the Grecian monarchy among the fucceffors of Alexander the Great, down to Antiochus Epiphanes, whofe history he concludes ver. 35. He immediately proceeds (ver. 36.) to give an account of the great Antichrift, who should appear in the latter times of the church. But here the connection obviously appears to be the fimilarity of character. He fhews Antiochus Epiphanes as the greatest enemy of the true religion, who fhould appear under the Mofaic difpenfation, after his own time; he next points out Antichrift, as the greatest enemy to the true religion, who should appear under the Gospel difpenfation. It is not neceffary to fuppofe, that the latter fhould quickly fucceed the former. The prophet has fufficiently guarded against fuch a mistake, (chap. vii.) There he notes the time of the great Antichrift's appearance, by the revolutions of the four univerfal monarchies. He not only fhews the third F diffolved,

diffolved, of which the dominion of Antiochus Epiphanes made a part; but the fourth which fucceeded it, divided into feveral feparate independent kingdoms, among which arose the little horn prefiguring Antichrift.

V. Many of the prophecies have two events in view at the fame time. The prophets represent remote and more illuftrious events, in preceding and lefs important tranfactions, while the language happily conforms itself to both events. "It is, as it were, a robe of ftate for the one, "and only the ordinary accustomed dress of "the other'." Making allowance for a mixture of hyperbole, it may be accommodated to the nearer event; in its plain and literal sense, it is applicable to the more remote event. Thus, Pfal. lxxii. appears from the title to foretel the glory of Solomon's kingdom, but under that type adumbrates the fuperior glory of the Meffiah's reign.

The prophecy of Joel (ii. 28.--32.) concerning the effufion of the Spirit, is applied to the apoftolical age, (Acts ii. 16.--21.); but from the connection of the paffage with what goes before, it seems to point likewise to a period ftill future, the converfion of the Jewish nation, which pre. cedes the Millennium. Several prophecies concerning

(1) Hurd's Sermons, ix.

cerning the fall of Babylon, and the return of the Jews from thence, particularly the prophecy contained in the 50th and 51ft chapters of Jeremiah, look forward to the fall of mystical Babylon, and the return of the Jews from their present dispersion. The prophecies of Ezekiel concerning Tyre, chap. xxvii. and of Nahum concerning Nineveh, seem to have an aspect to papal Rome; and that of Ezekiel, chap. xxviii. concerning the prince of Tyre, refers to the ruler of papal Rome. The prophecy of Ifaiah (chap. xxii. 15.--25.) respecting the expulfion of Shebna, and the inveftiture of Eliakim with the office of treasurer, points to the fall of Antichrist, and the visible establishment of Chrift's kingdom, as the confequence of it. One part of the prophecy is thus applied, (Rev.iii. 7.) and the sense of the other part is established by the connection. The authority of the New Teftament directs to fuch a twofold meaning of prophecy. The expreffions used, Isaiah xlv. 23. "Unto me

every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall "fwear," are applied to the effect of the Gospel on the hearts and lives of those who receive it, Phil. ii. 10. and to the fubmiffion of enemies as well as friends, before a throne of judgment, Rome. xiv. II.

« PreviousContinue »