V.

"either of life or limb to any that refts DISC. "within thy territories. Such fhall be the "manner of his coming, and fuch his prefence, that the pooreft wretch among

66

thy children may think himself more

happy than any king of Judah or Ifrael "which was before him, fo he will but

"conform himself to the temper and de"meanour of his Saviour. For he cometh "unto the poor and lowly, riding upon "an ass, to wean thee from the vain hopes "of the heathen, from which the prophets "have so often dehorted thy forefathers. "Some put their trust in horses, and fome "in chariots; but thy confidence must be "in the Lord thy God, who will always "be thy King, to defend thee, to protect "thee, to strengthen thee through this "weakness".'

Having thus taken a general view of the prophecy, proceed we to make some observations and reflections upon the several parts of it, in the order in which they lie.

a Dr. JACKSON, vol. ii. p. 845.

Beautiful

DISC.

V.

Beautiful and ftriking is the manner in which it is introduced. The prophet doth not coldly inform Jerufalem, that her King should come to her, and that, when he did come, the ought to rejoice. Rapt into future times, he feems to have been prefent at the glorious fcene. Standing upon mount Olivet, he hears the Hofanna's of the disciples, and beholds the proceffion approach towards the gates of Jerufalem: he turns himself to the city, and breaks forth in transport, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; fhout, O daughter of

66

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Jerufalem!" Religion, then, hath it's joys; a prophet calleth us to exult and fhout; and often as this holy season returneth, the church fecondeth his call. Her fervices difpel the gloom of melancholy, and put gladness into the hearts of all her children. They are wonderfully calculated to renew good impreffions in our minds, to increase our faith, to invigorate our hope, to blow up the facred fires of devotion and charity, and to fill us with all holy and heavenly tempers. They pro

duce

"

duce a joy which no man taketh from DISC.

"us," and in which "a ftranger inter"meddleth_not:" they infpire a pleasure which no pain can overcome, of which no time can deprive us, and which death will perfect and ensure to us for ever. Perverse Jerufalem rejected joy, and chofe forrow for her portion. Glad tidings came to the Gentiles, and were gladly received. The Christian church, formed of them, is now the daughter of Sion, and the new Jerufalem. To her the promises are transferred, and made good. She therefore obeyeth the prophet's injunction; fhe continually, with the holy Virgin, "magnifieth the Lord, "and her fpirit rejoiceth in God her "Saviour."

The next words of our prophet affign the reason why Jerufalem was called upon to rejoice, namely, the approach of her King: "Behold thy King cometh unto "thee." A perfon was to vifit Jerufalem, who should deferve to be emphatically ftyled "her King." The nations had their

V.

DISC. kings and conquerors, their Nebuchadnez-
V. zars and Cyrus's, their Alexanders and Cæ-

fars; these appeared, in their turns, upon
the stage, contending for the empire of the
world. Each performed the part affigned
him by an all-directing Providence, and
then vanished away. Sion beheld all these
changes, and still furvived the commotions
occafioned by them. The prophets had
promised her a King, who should overcome
her enemies, and triumph gloriously; who
fhould erect, in the time of the fourth
great monarchy, an univerfal and everlast-
ing kingdom, and give laws to the world;
who should govern all things in heaven
and earth. At the time predicted, not only
Jerufalem looked for a completion of the
prophecies, but the whole earth fate still,
expecting that Judea fhould give her a
King, And, lo, the promised King of the
Jews is born of the royal house and li-
neage
of David. All the circumstances of
his birth, the words of his mouth, and
the actions of his life, demonstrate him to
be the Meffias, foretold by the prophets

nay,

from

V.

from the beginning of the world. He DISC. cometh to his own, and Jerufalem is commanded to rejoice and fhout; but his own receive him not, and Jerufalem turns a deaf ear to the voices of all her prophets, not fuffering herself to believe that any thing faid by them could refer to Jefus of Nazareth. Her heart was depraved and hardened the demanded to be put in poffeffion of the empire of this world; she defpifed the appearance of her King, with the acclamations of an ignoble multitude, and foon nailed a SPIRITUAL monarch to the cross.

With how different fenfations are the members of the church Chriftian affected, when they hear the words of Zechariah, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee," and read the history of their accomplishment in the Gofpel for this day! With inexpreffible delight we, carry back our thoughts to that happy æra, when the King of the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, made his appearance in the flesh. We join his