blossom abundantly, and rejoice with singing and joy."* Every one who reads the delightful visions of the prophets, knows how small a part is the above of the language to the same effect, which might be produced from them. This language too is some of that which Mr. English may interpret literally, if he is willing to be consistent, and wait for his Saviour, till the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the desert shall blossom like the rose. But it will suggest to a rational interpreter of the scriptures that character, in which our Lord is most frequently represented, the prince of peace, who is to reign without violence, and prevail without blood. How a state of universal peace is to take place, it needs but small acquaintance with human nature to say. We know that the springs of war and bloodshed exist in the passions of men, and that if ever mankind is generally harmonized, it must be by such a subjection of their passions, and such addresses to their reason, as will resist the evil in its origin. All the ordinary political expedients of pacification are deplorably vain even to common experience, and ridiculously so, if spoken of as the topicks of prophecy. Nothing can be more improbable, as well as absurd, than to suppose that the prophets, in the language we have quoted, intended merely to carry forward the

Isaiah xxxv. 1.

"From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not from hence, even of your lusts." James iv. 1.

Israelites to some future balance of power, and composition of interests, by which their victorious Messiah should conclude his wars. No, there is to be peace "because all the people will be righteous." There must be an internal and moral tranquillity, a peaceful disposition, before the intercourse of nations, or even individuals, can be conducted in harmony. That this state is to be a moral and religious one is therefore very obvious, but it may be abundantly confirmed by authorities. "And 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, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he WILL TEACH us his ways, and we will walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word out of Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and rebuke many people, and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, &c. How particular here is the designation of a religious system, of an instructer, a lawgiver, and a teacher. Again, "and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of its roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding,

the spirit of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, and shall make him quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, nor reprove after the hearing of his ears. 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 for the earth shall be FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD, as the waters cover the sea." "In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine."+"Behold a king shall reign in righteousness, princes shall rule in judgment, and the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly," &c. Until the spirit be poured on us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted as a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteous

* Is. xi. 1, 2, 3, 4. The ancient Chaldee paraphrast appears to have had a worthy idea of the nature and foundation of the Messiah's peace. For in explaining the words of Isaiah, "the chastisement of our peace was upon him," he renders, "and in his DOCTRINE peace shall be multiplied unto us." Targum Jona. in Is. liii. 5. Is. xxxii. 1, 5, 41

† Is. xxix. 18, 24.

ness in the fruitful field, and the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever." "Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him, and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets. A bruised reed ́shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he bring forth judgment unto truth. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes."+ "Lo, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. Incline your ear, and come unto me, HEAR, and your soUL shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have given him for A WITNESS to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold thou shalt call a nation, that thou knowest not, and nations that know not thee, shall run after thee," &c. "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed

Is v. 15, 16, 17.

† Is. xlii. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8. The first verse is one of those important passages, in which the Chaldee paraphrast makes an express distinction between the Messiah, and the "7DD. Thus he paraphrases it, “Behold my servant, the Messiah whom I support, my beloved, in whom my memra [my word] hath taken delight." See this subject treated in Fleming's Christology i. 135. Is. iv. 1, 3, 4, 5.

me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."* From all these passages, which yet are but specimens of what might be produced, it is most clear, as was stated, that the kingdom of the Messiah was to be a kingdom of religion, instruction, and moral improvement, and that he himself was to be a spiritual and moral personage. How different from this character is that which the Jews of our Saviour's time, in the bitterness of national depression, and their descendants in all subsequent ages, have vainly imagined.† And how dishonourable to God is the supposition, that he should have ordained such a series of dispensations as the

Isaiah lxi. 1, 2, 3. In the diversity between this passage, as it is quoted, Luke iv. 10, and the reading in the text, the evangelist follows the Septuagint. This passage is applied by R. David Kimchi, and Saadias Gaon, two of the most respectable rabbins, to the Messiah. Huetii demonst. evan. p. 387.

If however we may trust a favourite authority of Mr. English's, there were those among the Jews who cherished more enlightened views of the character of the Messiah. "Pauci numero erant, qui internæ religionis indolem ipsi divinitus didicerant, atque provinciam Messiæ, Dei et Davidis filii, catholicam informabant, BENEFICIORUM MORALIUM AUCTOREM et ministrum, non ipsis tantum, sed et gentibus aliis, illo omine optantes, quod vetusti quidam doctores, non raro, etsi obscurius portendebant. Semleri Inst. ad Doct. Christian. liberal. discend. p. 116.