8th, and 9th. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins; and faithfulness the cincture of his reins. Then shall the wolf take up his abode with the lamb; and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling, shall come to gether; and a little child shall lead them. And the heifer and the she-bear shall feed together; together shall their young ones lie down; and the lion shall eat straw like an ox. And the suckling shall play upon the hole of the asp; and upon the den of the basilisk shall the newweaned child lay his hand. 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 that cover the depths of the sea." In these verses, the prophet, by a variety of the most animated, beautiful, and elegant imagery, hath finely expressed, not only the peace, harmony, and happiness, that is to exist in the days of the Messiah, but has also clearly pointed out to us the immediate causes of this universal peace; for if we duly consider the cause of the wars which have hitherto distracted and desolated so many parts of the known world, we shall find, that the motives thereto

have been of two kinds: namely, either a thirst for power and dominion; and which may not improperly be stiled legal robbery: or, on account of the difference of religious tenets and opinions. The prophet, therefore, in order to shew us, that these causes will then cease, says, in regard of the first, "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins." The meaning of which is, that justice and righteousness will be so conspicuous in the character of the Messiah, as if they adhered to his loins as a girdle: and as it is plain, from the fifth condition, that he will be invested with the office of universal Judge; he of course, will not suffer any depredation, or usurpation, to be committed by any nation, however powerful it may be, over its weaker neighbours: for, by his authority, he will oblige every one to be contented with his own portion, without encroaching on that of his neighbour.

As to the second cause, he observes, " And faithfulness the cincture of his reins." By faithfulness, he properly meant, a strict adherence to the true faith, and the worship of the One true God; for that, and that only, will then take place in the word, as is clear, from the words of the prophet, verse 9th. and

the

the several prophecies cited in the course of this work. And therefore, when these two causes of war and bloodshed will be thus finally removed, the consequence will be, universal love and peace among the human race.

With regard to the state of peace and innocence which, as the prophet so beautifully describes, is to exist among the brute creation, in the days of the Messiah, there are different opinions among the commentators; for some understand it in a figurative sense, and suppose, that the lion, leopard, wolf, &c. denote wicked and violent men, who, by their rapacity, harass and disturb the peaceable part of mankind; but whose brutish and savage dispositions will then be tamed. Others take it in a literal sense, and consider it as a promise of the renewal of what the poets call the golden age, when the wild beasts will grow tame; and serpents, and other poisonous creatures will become harmless; so that all will be peace and harmony. Now, whether we understand it in a literal, or figurative sense, it is plain, that it evidently points out the love and kindness that is then universally to exist; though, I am clearly of opinion, that the prophecy was intended to declare both these purposes,

purposes, by informing us, that not only violence among men would cease, but that the brute creation should, also lose their ferocity, and dwell in harmony, with the domestic animals *: the venemous creatures likewise, will no more hurt nor destroy; and the reason of this extraordinary and wonderful change immediately follows, "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD," &c. Whence it is manifest, that universal peace is not only to take place in the days of the Messiah, but that

.

That there is nothing impossible, nor even improbable in this, may be clearly perceived from Scripture; for if the Supreme Being, to punish Pharaoh, could command the mixture of ravenous beasts, to come and destroy the land, &c why may he not in the days of the Messiah, when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, deprive them of their malignity, so that they may no more be hurtful? Indeed, I can see no reason why God should not be able, by his Omnipotence, to effect the one as well as the other. But, what appears to me, decisive in favor of what I have advanced, is, the language of the prophet, "And the lion shall eat STRAW like au ox." Froin which it is plain, that this change of nature in the ravenous animals will be real, and in consequence thereof, they are to become harmless. For it is well known, that all such creatures as are of the granivorous kind, are inoffensive; whereas, those of the carnivorous kind, are of voracious, cruel, and sanguinary dispositions; for it is the nature of such food, to engender" such dispositions; and this I take to be the reason, that when God gave Noah permission to eat filesh, he said to him, "And surely your blood of your lives will I require, &c " (Gen. ix 5 ) This . admonition he judged necessary, as a curb to the cruel and sanguinary inclinations, which might probably proceed from their being allowed animal food and for the same reason, he prohibited the eating of blood, (Gen. iv.) as of a yet more pernicious tendency. The prophet, therefore, in order to convince us, that the change will be real, assures us, that the lion and other carnivorous animals will eat straw like an ox; and thus will become as harmless and inoffensive as those. of the gianivorous kind.

that the cause of that peace will be, that the whole earth will be filled and illuminated with the knowledge of the LORD: that is, that all will know and acknowledge, and worship the "One true God only.

But, let us now pause for a moment, and carefully and attentively examine, whether these great and glorious promises have ever yet been fulfilled: if they have, I, as well as every rational person, must fairly acknowledge, that the person, by means of whose appearance, these wonderful predictions have been accom plished, is truly the Messiah foretold by the prophet. If, on the contrary, we find that, these events have never yet taken place at any time in the world, I presume it must be clear, even to the meanest capacity, that the true Messiah hath never yet appeared.

That these promises were not fulfilled at their return from the Babylonish captivity, nor during the existence of the second Temple, need not be insisted on, as it is so obvious from both sacred and profane history; which is a manifest proof, that that was not the true Redemption, which was to take place in the latter days, i. e. at the time of the Messiah.

That