So, the prophets prophesied, in their time, of Christ, with sufficient clearness; namely, as being truly and naturally God, as is here declared by David. But a very few only among that people cared to believe the words of the prophets, and all the rest were utterly blind and deaf to them, and followed the imaginations of their own hearts. And therefore, the doctrine of the Gospel, as Christ and Paul also say, is rightly called, and is "the mystery, (or the secret thing) of the kingdom of heaven. And hence, he that understands it and seriously embraces it, has reason indeed to give thanks unto God, and should utterly set himself against the rest of the multitude who despise that divine gift.

AND what thinkest thou of the prophet Isaiah? Dost thou not judge that he had read and diligently looked into these words of David, when he thus prophesies concerning Christ, chap, 9?

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Father of Eternity, the Prince of Peace. And his government shall increase, and of his 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.

Here Isaiah goes on prophesying concerning Christ, as if he followed the words as he received them from the mouth of Nathan;-that he should be an eternal King, an and indeed "the Father of eternity," in the Kingdom of God; and he gives him the name and appellation of God particularly, (as David also does in the passage in question.) For although the Hebrew word EL, in its simple and primary meaning, signifies strong,' yet, when it is given as a proper name, as it is every. where in the Scripture, it has plainly the same signification as God; that is, the being to whom alone belong all strength and might; as the Jews and all who are

acquainted with the Hebrew well know, and will at once testify. Therefore, Isaiah agrees and is in harmony with David and the scripture of the New Testament,that Christ is an eternal King and naturally God. And therefore his government is eternal and truly divine, in the kingdom, or "upon the throne of David."

Isaiah especially weighs these words eternal kingdom,' when God says unto David by Nathan, " I will establish him (thy seed or Son) in my kingdom for ever,' and he perceives with sufficient clearness, that these things are spoken, (as David also understands them,) concerning "the Man" who is of necessity, "on high," EL, that is, God. For the possession of the eternal kingdom of God, and kingly power and dominion in it, cannot belong to any one who is man only: nor can it be such a dominion as is of this world, that is political, corporal, and that will at some time cease; the king of which and his posterity must of necessity cease from their government by death. But you hear, that this Son of David is to be an eternal King in the eternal kingdom of God; and that, (as Isaiah beautifully saith in harmony with this,)" of his peace there shall be no end; and moreover, that this same Son of David, which is an infant Son "born" and " 'given unto us, is "the Father of eternity," and "the Prince of Peace," "from henceforth even for ever." It must of necessity follow, therefore, that he must be truly the God who is called EL, who can thus by his divine power and might give and preserve eternal peace!

BUT THE same prophet Isaiah has frequently made mention of this eternity of the kingdom of the Messiah elsewhere as in chap. li. 4-6. "Hearken unto me, my people, and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judg-' ment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth." forth." And a little afterwards, "My salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished."

This is that everlasting righteousness concerning which Daniel, ix. 24, prophesies: "Seventy weeks are

determined upon thy people-to bring in everlasting righteousness and to anoint the Most Holy."

This righteousness is the Messiah himself, as all the antient Hebraists interpret it: and the common version of that passage of Isaiah has it, "my righteous one," and "my Saviour." As, therefore, eternal righteousness and salvation can belong to no one that is man only, nor even to the nature of angels; it must of necessity follow, that this Person to whom this appellation is applied must be truly and naturally God; and yet so, that the same is the Son of David and a Person distinct from the Father, who says of him, "my righteousness" and "my salvation." And the Third Person is the Holy Ghost, who speaks these things by the vocal Word concerning both the Father and the Son. In the same way also does the New Testament speak concerning Christ, 1 Cor. i. 30, saying that Jesus Christ" is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption!" So beautifully does Paul harmonize with Isaiah, and Isaiah with Paul!

So also the same Isaiah, chap. Ix. 19, 20, saith, "The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give her light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Here it is plainly said, that the " everlasting light" is the Lord our God himself. And it is the Lord speaking of the Lord; that is, he that speaks is one Person, and he concerning whom it is spoken is another; as is plainly to be seen from the context of the whole chapter. For in the whole of that chapter, even unto the end, it is not the Person of Isaiah, but of God, that is represented as speaking. This "Lord, (saith the Lord who afterwards saith concerning himself, "I the Lord will hasten it in his time,) shall be thy everlasting light," &c. Which Lord is it then that saith these things? It is without doubt God the Father himself. And which Lord

is it concerning whom it is said "the Lord shall be thy everlasting light?" What other but the Son of God, Jesus Christ? For this name in the Hebrew text is what we call the tetragrammaton, which peculiarly and properly belongs to the Godhead alone, and which, for the purpose of distinction, we are accustomed to write in capital letters. And who is it that declares all these things through the mouth and by the tongue of the prophet? Who, but God the Holy Ghost speaking by the prophets, and, as it were, introducing the Person of God the Father speaking concerning the "everlasting light?" that is, concerning his Son the Lord Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David and of the Virgin Mary ?

This "everlasting light," and so, this Lord, is certainly neither man only, nor an angel. And moreover, this prophecy of Isaiah agrees with the words of the New Testament. For Christ himself sometimes calls himself "the light." And John saith, chap. i. 4, "The life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." As, therefore, these words of the prophecy so exactly agree with the scripture of the New Testament, they undoubtedly cannot be understood otherwise than concerning Jesus Christ, who has himself prepared for us a kingdom, not subject to this sun and light, (for such a kingdom must of necessity perish,) but he shows forth himself unto us as the light, the sun and moon, the life, and the salvation of this eternal kingdom: as Isaiah hath said in the preceding 51st chap. ver. 6, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished."

Here then tell me, I pray you,-How can that imagination of the Jews concerning the Messiah, (that he should be a mortal or corporal and earthly King, and should rule at Jerusalem in a political manner, agree with this and the like declarations of the prophets?

For God here manifestly, and by a direct antithesis, opposes his Messiah and his kingdom to this our heaven and earth, and declares that this heaven "shall vanish away like smoke," (which certainly cannot take place without fire and burning, as it is spoken of 2 Pet. iii. 10,) that the earth" shall wax old like a garment," and that "they that dwell therein shall die in like manner." But, saith he, my salvation which is now and ever near, and my righteousness which is gone forth, shall be for ever, and shall be an everlasting light; for this righteousness is the Lord thy God himself.

Here you see that Isaiah certainly understood the words of the prophet Nathan, who introduces God saying, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son-I will set him over my kingdom for ever: and that he understood also these words of David, where he says, "Thou hast looked upon me as in the form of man, who, on high, is the Lord God," 2 Sam. vii. 19: where the meaning is the same as what I have now given, only the expression is more brief,— "This is the law (or manner) of the man, the Lord God." For the reading of the common version in that passage, "Is this the law of man, O Lord God?" which is according to the interpretation of the Rabbins, signifies nothing at all!

BUT let us hear also the prophet Daniel, who exactly agrees with this prophetical passage, chap. vii. 13, 14, where he says,

"And I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Antient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

This passage is not obscure to us Christians. But let us see how it agrees also with the New Testa