regard to the Jews in particular, as it is well known that gold, filver, and jewels, are the principal commodities that they deal in, and of which they are now in poffeffion of no small share *. It is alfo foretold, that ftrangers fhall build up their walls, and that the nations who will not ferve them fhall perish; as also that the fons of them that afflicted them and defpifed them fhall come bending unto them, and bow themselves down at the foles of their feet. If any one thinks he can accommodate all thefe particulars to the Chriftian church, or to the return from Babylon, let him try. `I, for my part, can fee no method of doing this, that would not, if conftantly purfued, overthrow the true fenfe of the whole fcripture.

XIX.

ISA. Ixi. 4. And they fhall build the old waftes, they fhall raise up the former defolations, and they fhall repair the wafte cities, the defolations of many 5 generations. And ftrangers fhall ftand and feed your flocks, and the fons of the alien fhall be your 6 plow-men and your vine-dreflers. But ye fhall be named the priests of the Lord: men fhall call you the minifters of our God: ye fhall eat the riches of. the Gentiles, and in their glory fhall ye boaft yourfelves.

That this building the old waftes, &c. does not mean the rebuilding of Jerufalem, at the return.

This is more especially true of thofe European Jews, whofe return is here faid to be by the fhips of Tarfish, i. e.. the Mediterranean Sea.

i

from

from Babylon, is evident, from their being called the defolations of many generations.

XX.

Is A. lxii. 1. For Zion's fake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerufalem's fake I will not reft, until the righteoufnefs thereof go forth as bright'nefs, and the falvation thereof as a lamp that burn2 eth. And the Gentiles fhall fee thy righteoufness, and all kings thy glory: and thou fhalt be called 3 by a New Name. Thou shalt be a crown of glory

in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the 4 hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed forfaken, neither fhall thy land any more be termed defolate but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah; for the Lord delighteth in thee, 8 and thy land fhall be married.-JEHOVAH hath fworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his ftrength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies, and the fons of the ftranger fhall not drink thy wine, for which thou haft la9 boured. But they that have gathered it, fhall eat it, and praise Jehovah ; and they that have brought it together, fhall drink it in the courts of my holi10 nefs. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people: caft up, caft up the highway, gather out the fnes, lift up a ftandard for 11 the people. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughters of Zion, Behold, thy falvation cometh; Behold, his 12 reward is with him, and his work before him. And they fhall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou fhalt be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken.

The

The Zion, to whom this whole chapter is ad dreffed, has been generally supposed to be the church; but the description of it here does by no means favour fuch an interpretation. For when was the church forsaken, and her land defolate? her corn meat for her enemies, and her wine drunken by Strangers? Does not all this much better fuit the literal Zion, or the city of Jerufalem, and the land of Judea ?

XXI.

Is A. lxv. 19. And I will rejoice in Jerufalem, and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping fhall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There fhall be no more thence an infant of days,

nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child fhall die an hundred years old, but the finner being an hundred years old, fhall be accurfed. 21 And they fhall build houses, and inhabit them; and

they fhall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of 22 them. They fhall not build, and another inhabit ; they fhall not plant, and another eat for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine 23 elect fhall long enjoy the work of their hands. They fhall not labour in vain, nor bring forth trouble: for they are the feed of the bleffed of the Lord, and 24 their offspring with them. And it fhall come to pafs, that before they call, I will answer: and while 25 they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and

the lamb fhall feed together, and the lion fhall eat ftraw like the bullock: and duft fhall be the ferpent's meat, They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, faith the Lord.

This

This Prophecy evidently relates to the Reftoration of Jerufalem; and cannot, with propriety, be applied to the church, which has never yet been in the happy ftate here described.

XXII.

Is A. lxvi. 5. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word, Your brethren that hated you, that caft you out for my name's fake, faid *, Let the Lord be glorified but ye fhall appear to your joy, 6 and they shall be afhamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the 7 Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Before fhe travailed fhe brought forth: before her pain 8 came, fhe was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard fuch a thing? Who hath feen fuch things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or fhall a nation be born at once? For as foon as Zion travailed, fhe brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth faith Jehovah : Shall I caufe to bring forth, 10 and fhut the womb? faith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerufalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her rejoice for joy, all ye that mourn for her. 11 That ye may fuck, and be fatisfied with the breafts

of her confolations: that ye may milk out, and be

*Let the Lorde magnyfie himfelfe, that we may fee youre gladneffe and yet they fhall be confounded. For as touching the cytie and the temple, I heare the voice of the Lorde. TINDALE.

The above quoted tranflation is that of William Tindale, made in the reign of king Edward VI. which, in many places, is a better tranflation than ours, as will appear in the sequel of this work.

delight

12 delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus faith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then fhall ye fuck, ye fhall be born upon her fides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, fo will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerufalem. 14 And when ye fhall fee this, your heart fhall rejoice, and your bones fhall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord fhall be known towards his fervants, and his indignation towards his ene15 mies. For behold, the Lord will come, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger 16 with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For

by fire, and by his fword, will the Lord plead with all fleth and the flain of the Lord fhall be many.18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall

come, that I will gather all nations and tongues, 19 and they shall come and fee my glory. And I will fet a fign among them, and I will fend thofe that escape of them, unto the nations to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow to Tubal and Javan, to the ifles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they fhall declare 20 my glory among the Gentiles. And they fhall

bring all your brethren for an offering unto Jehovah, out of all nations, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon fwift beafts, to my holy mountain Jerufalem, faith the Lord, as the children of Ifrael bring an offering 21 in a clean veffel into the house of the Lord. And I will alfo take of them for priefts and for Levites, 22 faith the Lord. For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make fhall remain before me, faith the Lord, fo fhall your feed and your 23 name remain. And it fhall come to pafs, that from

one