camp of the faints about: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. But though here we have the enemy on the one hand, coming in like a flood, coming up on the face of the earth, and compaffing the camp of the faints; and the Spirit of the Lord difplaying a standard on the other, fire defcending from heaven, and devouring the adverfaries; yet I am inclined to think, that my text refers to fome period prior to the Millennium, rather than to any after it: at least, according to the line of the prophecy, it ftands intimately connected with the converfion of the Jews. But to whatever period we refer it, the truth it contains is glorious and comfortable; and has, in all ages, been accomplished in greater or in lefs degree, viz. that when the enemy has come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord has lifted up a ftandard against him.

In the text, as in a field of battle, we fee two oppofite parties drawn up: on the one fide, the enemy; on the other, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Jehovah, as the original hath it: the enemy coming in like an overflowing flood, and the Spirit of Jehovah displaying a standard against him. What a folemn fight! It furely demands all our attention. To fee the haughty foe taking the field, and the mighty God going forth to refift him. The one rolling like the Euphrates; the other lifting up a standard, ftretching forth a rod, to flem the roaring torrent. In feeing fuch a ftriking spectacle, we cannot but feel ourfelves interefted; we muft take a fide, and each of us,

but as paft: He was wounded for our tranfgreffions, &c. As little, I apprehend, will the use of the present tense prove, that the prophet had only that generation in his eye wherein he lived. Great corruptions, indeed, did then abound; and hence, in the beginning of his book, he addreffes the grandees as the rulers of Sodom, and the populace as the people of Gomorrah, chap i.

The deluge of immorality here described, was to be followed with sweeping judgments from the Lord; and these with a flow of glory that should fill the earth. For, no fooner has the prophet mentioned the recompence repaid to the enemies of the Lord, but he immediately adds, So fhall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rifing of the fun. But fuch an extenfive fpread of genuine religion was never known under the Old-Teftament: that was referved to be the glory of the New.-I therefore conceive, that time to which our text refers, belongs to the Teftament difpenfation, not to t

But ftill the question recurs. elapfed; or, is it yet to come the primitive age of Christia of the latter days? The ver praise is in all the church . to which our text relate down an hypothesis. contemptible argum chapter, and this v rence, not to the

the Proteflant chu

* Vitringa

Old.

but as paft: He was wounded for our tranfgreffions, &c. As little, I apprehend, will the use of the prefent tense prove, that the prophet had only that generation in his eye wherein he lived. Great corruptions, indeed, did then abound; and hence, in the beginning of his book, he addreffes the grandees as the rulers of Sodom, and the populace as the people of Gomorrah, chap i.

The deluge of immorality here defcribed, was to be followed with sweeping judgments from the Lord; and these with a flow of glory that should fill the earth. For, no fooner has the prophet mentioned the recompence repaid to the enemies of the Lord, but he immediately adds, So fhall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rifing of the fun. But fuch an extensive fpread of genuine religion was never known under the Old-Teftament: that was referved to be the glory of the New.-I therefore conceive, that the time to which our text refers, belongs to the NewTeftament dispensation, not to the Old.

But ftill the queftion recurs, Is that time already elapfed; or, is it yet to come? Does it belong to the primitive age of Christianity; or to the glory of the latter days? The venerable Vitringa *, whofe praise is in all the churches, thinks that the time . to which our text relates, is yet to come. He lays down an hypothefis, and fupports it with no contemptible arguments, that both the preceding chapter, and this where my text lies, have a refe rence, not to the people of Ifaiah's times, but to the Proteflant churches brought forth from mystical

* Vitringa in Jefaim, cap. Įviii, 1. and lix. 1.

Babylon; with this difference, that the fifty-eighth chapter agrees to them, as established by various kingdoms and common-wealths, after the light of the Reformation: whereas this fifty-ninth, represents them fuch as they fhall be about that time when their interest fhall greatly fink, both by increasing vice, and by the attempts of their mighty enemies, immediately before the deliverance to be vouchfafed by God. For, as he juftly observes, the great and glorious things mentioned in the fixtieth chapter, as following the judgments on the enemy, have never yet had their accomplishment; nor can they with any propriety be applied to any past period of the church, Jewish or Chriftian. And what more and more perfuades me, that the attack, and the glorious repulfe referred to in my text, are yet to come, is, that the converfion of the Jews ftands immediately connected with these events. For the prophet, having mentioned the enemy coming in like a flood, and the Spirit of the Lord lifting up a standard against him, immediately adds, And the Redeemer fhall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from tranfgreffion in Jacob.

That these words refpect the converfion of the Jews is abundantly evident from Rom. ii. 26. where they are quoted, in proof of that great event, for which Chriftians daily pray.-It is true, indeed, as Vitringa obferves, that the apostle, in Rom. xi. 26. has respect not to this paffage only, but to others; and especially to Pfal. xiv. 7.: and remarkable it is, that the subject of that Pfalm is the fame with that of this prophecy in Ifaiah lix.; not only the things, but even fome phrafes agree. For there an univerfal corruption is first described, during which