reward) of their work with faithfulness; an everlasting covenant will I make v them and their feed fhall be illuftriou mong the nations; and their offspring, the midst of the peoples: all they that them shall acknowledge them, that they a feed, which the LORD hath bleffed.

From the explanation here given of t prophecy, the following principles are ob ous. Firft, That God will take vengear of the different nations, for the cruelty whi they exercised towards the nation during th long and dreadful captivity. Second, all t tribes of the nation will be gathered togethe from the eaft and the weft, far and nea Third, the different nations of the earth wi be fubject to Ifrael, and the worship of th true God; when thy will all come, and brin an offering to the house of the LORD. Now as none of these important events took plac at their return from Babylon, as is clear from all history, both facred and profane: and, as it is equally clear that, they were not accomplished in the time, nor in the perfon of Jefus; it is manifeft that, he could not be the Meffiah; and that these great and glorious promises, remain yet to be fulfilled in the lat

ter

ter times, when the true Meffiah will come to redeem the nation.

The twelfth prophecy, commences verse 10th, of this chapter, and is continued to the end of verse 6th, of chapter lxiii.

Before we proceed to the explanation of this prophecy, it is neceffary, for the better understanding of the same, to observe that, the Prophet having in the preceding prophecy, prophefied of the future redemption and falvation of the nation, and the punishment of the nations that oppreffed them; and that God had in a peculiar manner, made choice of him, to prophefy all this; he introduces the nation and Jerufalem as giving thanks to the LORD, and rejoicing for the great good thus promised to them; and which,' is fimilar to that introduced in the fecond prophecy, (See vol. Ift. page. 144.) as I have there explained it. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my foul shall exult in my God. For he hath clothed me with the garments of falvation; he hath covered me with the mantle of righteoufnefs: as the bridegroom decketh himself with a (priestley) tire *;

*This is in allufion to the magnificent dress of the High

and as the bride adorneth herself with

Jewels."

The Prophet having thus fpoken of redemption and falvation of the nation; pc out to us in beautiful figurative language, manner of their redemption: verfe I "For as the earth pusheth forth her ten

fhoo

Priest when officiating; efpecially the mitre, or crown. ( Exod. 29. 6.) But it is almost impoffible to give the F phet's metaphor its full force in another language, An am also of opinion that, the prefent Tranflation of the lat part of the verfe, though agreeable to the opinion of Commentators in general, (the learned Abarbanal excepte does not contain the real fenfe of the Prophet's expreffio: for it does not properly fignify, that they should be deck and adorned as a bridegroom and a bride; but that the St preme, who was to clothe the nation with the garments falvation, &c, and whose relation to the nation, is as that the bridegroom to the bride; (as is clear from that beautifu allegorical paftoral Poem, of Solomon, the Song of Songs where, in the choicest coulouring of language, and all the elegance and variety of the most select imagery, he describes the conjugal union of God with the Jewish Church. Whence it is, that the facred writers compare the nation's committing idolatry, to a woman's being guilty of adultery to her husband, This relation, the Prophet has alfo fet forth in chapter Iviith. verfe 5th. And as the bridegroom rejoiceth in his bride, fo fhall thy God rejoice in thee.") fhould in quality of bridegroom, minister, i. e, prepare the tire for the bride, to adorn herself therewith, as a bride does herself with her Jewels,

fhoots; and as a garden maketh her feed to germinate; fo fhall the LORD God caufe righteousness to spring forth; and praise, in the presence of all the nations." By the image of representing the earth as pushing forth her shoots &c. the Prophet has inimitably fhewn the state of the nation in this captivity, prior to the redemption: for as the feed does not germinate till after its corruption; fo will it be with the nation; that is, when by being fo long in captivity, as almost to despair of their redemption; expecting nothing else but to be swallowed up, and loft among the nations; then, will God caufe righteousness to spring forth for them, &c. And, as there is a certain appointed time for the germination of the feed, fo will God cause their redemption to take place in its appointed time.

The Prophet then proceeds to inform us, that on two accounts, God will come to the falvation of the nation: firft, on account of the land, which at present is in the hands of their enemies and which, perfectly agrees with what Mofes fays, (Levit. xxiv. 42.) "And the land will I alfo remember. " fecond, for the fake of the nation, his people,

and

and inheritance, that are difperfed among nations, and have fuffered the cruelleft preffions, and perfecutions: Chap. lx verfe ift. For Zion's fake I will not k filence; and for the fake of Jerufalem I not reft until her righteousness break fo as a strong light; and her falvation, lik blazing torch." This regards the land: the nation, he fays; verse 2d, " And the r tions fhall fee thy righteousness; and all kings, thy glory: and thou shalt be ca ed by a new name, which the mouth the LORD fhall exprefs. And thou shalt a beautiful crown in the hand of the LORI and a royal diadem in the palm of th God."

In verfe 4th, the Prophet explains the na ture of the name by which she is to be cal ed." No more shalt it be faid unto the Thou forfaken! Neither to thy land fhal it be faid any more, Thou defolate! Bu thou shalt be called, the object of my de light; and thy land, the wedded (matron: for the LORD fhall delight in thee; and thy land shall be wedded. For as a young man weddeth a virgin*, fo thy fons fhal

wed