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first treating of him as the prophet, and the latter as the bridegroom of his Church: but in no one of these three books does the Kingdom of Messiah appear to be spoken of with much distinctness.

The Book of Isaiah follows next, and in the second chapter we read, "It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it, and many people shall go and say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob."-" And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people."

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In chapter xi. the prophet speaks of Messiah coming forth as a "rod out of the stem of Jesse," as "a branch that shall grow out of his roots." The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon that branch," and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes (as man,) neither reprove after the hearing of his ears (as man,) but with righteousness (as Jehovah) shall he judge the poor, (i. e. rule over them) and reprove with equity for (the sake of) the meek of the earth." The blessedness of his kingdom is set forth, and it is added

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." To him "shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious."

Chapter xxiv. declares the judgments at Messiah's second coming. V. 18, we read, "the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down; the earth is clean dissolved; the earth is moved exceedingly ; the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth."" Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and before his ancients gloriously." These passages are explained by reference to other Scriptures, and they by no means lead us to suppose that the heavens and earth then shall be no more, but that they shall be cleansed or purged by fire. Isaiah Ixvi. 22, 23, shews there shall be new heavens and a new earth, in which Messiah and his saints shall reign. "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make, shall

remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain; and it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." 2 Pet. iii. is to the same effect: "The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up"-" nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." So also in Rev. xxi. "And I (John) saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea."_" And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new."

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Chapter xxv. contains the praise and thanksgiving of the Church upon the manifestation of Messiah's power and salvation, in the destruction of the wicked, and the deliverance of his people. That his reign over the earth with his saints will then commence, is thus declared: "Thou hast made of a city (Babylon) an heap; of a defenced city, a ruin." "Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee." "And in this mountain (in Zion) shall the Lord of Hosts make

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unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined; and he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering (of unbelief) cast over all people, and the veil (of ignorance) that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory,* and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it."

Chapter xxxii. begins "Behold a king shali reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment." That this king is Messiah, and consequently the princes his saints, is to be collected from what follows, for he is ws, the man, who "shall be as a hiding place from the storm, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." This king rebukes the careless women who are at ease, and commands them to gird them with sackcloth, and he declares that "they shall lament for the pleasant fields, and for the fruitful vine," because the palaces shall be forsaken "until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high."" Then judgment shall dwell in the

*This is the victory that overcometh, even our faith.-1 John v. 4.

wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field, and the work of righteousness shall be peace."

"And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, when it shall hail, coming down on the forest."

Chapter xl. next demands our attention. It opens the promise of comfort to the Church in the latter day. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished," she is no longer a church militant, having entered into her peaceful rest. "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh (men living in the flesh) shall see it together." This is quoted in the gospels as referring to the first coming : it has also a manifest reference to the second.

Chapter xli. repeats the assurance of the manifestation of the glory of Messiah to all flesh, i. e. to the inhabitants of the earth. "Keep silence before me, O islands, and let the people renew their strength, let them come near, let them speak: let us come near together to judgment."-"The isles saw, and feared: the ends of the earth drew near, and came."

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