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 also foretold, that strangers shall build up their walls, and that the nations who will not serve them shall perish; as also that the fons of them that afflicted them and despised them shall come bending unto them, and bow themselves down at the foles of their feet. If any one thinks he can accommodate all these particulars to the Christian 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 pursued, overthrow the true sense of the whole fcripture. XIX. ISA. Ixi. 4. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the defolations of many 5 generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the fons of the alien shall be your 6 plow-men and your vine-dreffers. But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of. the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourfelves. That this building the old wastes, &c. does not mean the rebuilding of Jerufalem, at the return * This is more especially true of those European Jews, whose return is here said to be by the ships of Tarshish, i. e. the Mediterranean Sea. 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 righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the falvation thereof as a lamp that burn2 eth. And the Gentiles shall fee thy righteoufness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt 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 forsaken, neither shall 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 shall be married.-JEHOVAH hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies, and the fons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for which thou hast la9 boured. But they that have gathered it, shall eat it, and praise Jehovah; and they that have brought it together, shall drink it in the courts of my holi10 ness. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people: cast up, cast up the highway, gather out the fones, lift up a standard for II the people. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughters of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; Behold, his 12 reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeem ed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken. The The Zion, to whom this whole chapter is addressed, has been generally supposed to be the church; but the description of it here does by no means favour such an interpretation. For when was the church forsaken, and her land defolate? ber corn meat for her enemies, and ber wine drunken by Strangers? Does not all this much better fuit the literal Zion, or the city of Jerufalem, and the land of Judea ? ΧΧΙ. Is A. lxv. 19. And I will rejoice in Jerufalem, and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old, but the finner being an hundred years old, shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of 22 them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine 23 elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth trouble: for they are the feed of the blessed of the Lord, and 24 their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer: and while 25 they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall 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 Restoration of Jerufalem; and cannot, with propriety, be applied to the church, which has never yet been in the happy state 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, said *, Let the Lord be glorified: but ye shall appear to your joy, 6 and they shall be ashamed. 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 she travailed she brought forth: before her pain 8 came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once? For as foon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? faith Jehovah : Shall I cause to bring forth, Io and shut 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 satisfied with the breasts of her confolations: that ye may milk out, and be * Let the Lorde magnyfie himselfe, that we may see youre gladnesse: and yet they shall be confounded. For as touching the cytie and the temple, I heare the voice of the Lorde. TINDALE. The above quoted translation is that of William Tindale, made in the reign of king Edward VI. which, in many places, is a better translation than ours, as will appear in the sequel of this work. delight12 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 shall ye fuck, ye shall be born upon her fides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I com fort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerufalem. 14 And when ye shall see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants, 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 sword, will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the flain of the Lord shall 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 those 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 shall declare 20 my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall 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 swift beafts, to my holy mountain Jerufalem, faith the Lord, as the children of Ifrael bring an offering 21 in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, 22 faith the Lord. For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, faith the Lord, so shall your feed and your 23 name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one |