would inflict a very signal chastisement on him, and are encouraged by a most lively prophetic description of his sudden arrest and destruction in the midst of his victorious career. This is one of the cases in which prophecy is so explicit, as to seem like history written beforehand. As we read in the prophetic vision of this remnant no longer trusting in their heathen neighbours, but staying upon the Holy One of Israel, we readily call to mind the behaviour of Hezekiah when invaded by Sennacherib, taking the defiance of his adversary, and spreading the letter before the Lord, with prayer for his assistance. In that remnant returning to their God, in that consumption overflowing with righteousness, we see the revival of true religion, and the passover kept in sincerity and truth, within the straitened realms of Hezekiah, when the kingdom of Samaria had been completely overthrown. And when we read of a miracle to be wrought after the manner of Egypt, and think of the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians, what could better prepare us for that awful stroke of divine power, inflicted on the host of Sennacherib, when so great a multitude were found in the morning "all dead corpses ?" 2 Kings 19. 35. "The slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb," was remarkable for the death of the princes of Midian; and is probably here mentioned with reference to the dreadful end of Sennacherib, slain as he was afterwards by his own sons, " in the house of Nisroch his god." 2 Kings 19. 37. And after the account of the invader's progress from one place to another in Judea, the sudden mention of a terrible lopping of boughs, and humbling of haughty ones, points at once to the extinction of the army, and to the flight of its presumptuous leader. But whence the difference in the chastisements of the Lord? Why is Samaria given up and Judah saved? When Aiath and Migron, Anathoth, and Madmenah, Gebim, and Nob are taken, why does the voice of prophecy proclaim to the victorious invader, hitherto shalt thou go and no further? Why does it promise to the remnant about to be besieged in Jerusalem, that the yoke of their oppressor shall be broken? It is "because of the anointing." A mysterious expression; yet pregnant with important meaning. Because of the promise made to David, God's anointed, because of all the kings of David's line, and yet more because of Him for whose sake David reigned, and in whom his reign continues evermore; for his sake, for Christ's sake, because of the anointed," Judah and Jerusalem are spared somewhat longer; for his sake we his people have yet a season to repent. May we use the time God gives us, for his glory, and for our own eternal gain, by turning to Him with all our hearts, and serving Him truly with all our power!

The Messiah, his kingdom, and its glory.

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which

shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

LECTURE 1111.

Christ reigning in the faith and love of his people. The hewing down of the high trees of a forest was applied, at the close of the last chapter, to foreshew the destruction of Sennacherib's host. But after a time the same image would truly represent the state of Jerusalem itself. Low however as the house of David must soon be brought, the prophet here declares that "a Branch" shall grow up out of the roots of Jesse. And hence he proceeds to set forth the marvellous attributes of the Messiah, and the wonders which are to signalize his reign. On Christ Himself would rest" the spirit of the Lord," to be manifested in all the attributes of wisdom and of holiness; in the words of his mouth, and in the discernment of the hearts of others, in the righteousness of his doctrines, and in the execution of his judgments. And so did John the Baptist bear witness concerning Him: "God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." John 3. 34. Under the reign of a King so all righteous and all wise, the dispositions and the practices of fallen men are to be altogether changed and renewed. Those wars and fightings, which come of ruling themselves after their lusts, must cease. Hurting and destroying must come to an end, together with the selfishness from which they spring. The aspect of Christian society, compared with that of the unrenewed world, must be, oh, would that it now were, as though the wolf should dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid; as though the most savage creatures were to become tame, and the most treacherous, trusty. And all this change must arise from the propagation of the Gospel, from the earth being "full of the knowledge of the Lord," the true knowledge of the true God, as He is revealed in Christ Jesus. Gentiles and Jews must flock to one standard, must be citizens of one state, subjects of one King. Not only after the Babylonian captivity would God assemble the outcasts of Israel, and form portions of all the tribes into one united realm, a realm that should exist and flourish, whilst Egypt and Assyria, that had held them in captivity, should be brought down from their high estate; but besides this a second time the summons would go forth, and the ensign to which the Gentiles were to seek would be lifted up to the dispersed Jews. Thus we find St. James addressing his Epistle "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad," James 1. 1. the descendants of those who had not returned to Jerusalem. Thus St. Peter also writes to the dispersed people sojourning in foreign parts. See 1 Pet. 1. 1. And thus the Gospel even now proclaims aloud to all, of every tribe, in every land, to come unto Christ for rest. See Matt. 11. 28. And thus, notwithstanding the faithlessness of many, there has been ever since the death of Christ, there is at present, and there will be, as we firmly trust, in numbers much enlarged hereafter, a kingdom of Christ, a people of God, devout subjects of their Saviour, loving Him, and living in love towards each other, and triumphant, by his power, over sin and death.

A joyful thanksgiving for the salvation of God.
salvation.

1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation ; I will trust, and not be afraid for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

:

3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of

4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

LECTURE 1112.

Our interest in the prophecies of Christ's kingdom. This song of thanksgiving is set forth as suitable for God's people to use in the day of their redemption. Nay, not only is it suitable for their use; they moreover will not fail to use it. In the fulness of the heart the mouth will speak. And the captive set free, the sinner saved, will gladly praise the Lord, and loudly call on all around to celebrate his name. The salvation here spoken of, like the rest and glory prophesied in the previous chapter, may be justly interpreted of the return from the Babylonian captivity. And accordingly we read in the Book of Ezra, that on that occasion, "when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel." Ezra 3. 10, 11. But amidst that song of praise, and shout of joy, there was heard, as we read in the same passage, the voice of weeping. "So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people." Ezra 3. 13. And therefore it may reasonably be thought that these two chapters of Isaiah point to a restoration of Israel far more full of joy and glory, than that in which they were fulfilled in the first instance. And the return from Babylon to Judea, may itself be regarded as a type of a better deliverance, of a greater salvation, to be wrought at a future time.

Such a deliverance, such a salvation, we thankfully acknowledge in the redemption of our fallen race by the death of Christ our Saviour. And when we look on Christ crucified, we can heartily join with one who was "filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied," when Jesus was about to be born, "saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

Not

and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began." Luke 1. 67-70. that we consider these words of Zacharias as wholly fulfilled hitherto. Not that we hold this prophecy of Isaiah to have no further and future fulfilment. We believe indeed in Him who was then "born King of the Jews." Matt. 2. 2. We believe, that from the hour of his birth into this our world, the fulfilment of all the glorious prophecies relating to his kingdom commenced. But though soon afterwards He died in our behalf, we know that He is yet alive. We know that He is "alive for evermore." Rev. 1. 18. And we know that He reigns as well as lives. That title still is his which Pilate gave Him on the cross, "Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews." John 19. 19. And we are assured by the words of another prophecy concerning Him, that "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever." Ch. 9. 7.

We conceive then, that the great salvation here intended is realized, and this prophecy is verified, just so far in every one of us, as Christ reigns in our hearts by faith. We hold it highly probable according to the tenour of other prophecies that the increase of his government and peace will be hereafter greatly promoted by some signal manifestation of power and grace to the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, the people of the Jews, so wonderfully preserved as a distinct race in all quarters of the world. But though the song before us may well fit them in that their day of final restitution, we think it no less meet for us to use at present, us whom God has called and chosen from amongst the gentiles to be his people now; us whom He regards as children of Abraham by faith; us whom He has made one people, and one church, with those who from time to time have been won to Christ from among the Jews. Him then let us praise, because when He was justly angry with us, He has been reconciled to us by his Son, and has comforted us by his Spirit. Behold, He is our salvation, what then need we fear? not want, for He supplies all our necessities; not sin, for He gives us grace unto holiness; not the world, for He has taken us out of the world into the kingdom of his dear Son; nay, and He has taught us also, in our Saviour, to use the world for his glory, and therefore for our own gain, by labouring to make known his name and wondrous works among all people, throughout all the world.

PART VII. O. T.

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