The wicked princes and false prophets denounced.

1 And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judg

LECTURE 1424.

The courage requisite in a faithful minister.

Spiritual privileges give us all much to answer for. And even temporal privileges add to the responsibility of those who have them. The "princes of the house of Judah" are accordingly interrogated: "Is it not for you to know judgment?" Rank, and wealth, and authority, confer many advantages in acquiring knowledge, and especially that knowledge which is most indispensable to rulers, the knowing how to judge, acquaintance with the laws, and integrity in their administration. So much the greater was the guilt of these rulers, in that they hated the good, and loved the evil; and used their power to oppress the

people by exactions so severe, as to be compared with plucking off their skin, and flesh, and even breaking up their very bones for the caldron. Such iniquitous rulers must expect to find in God a just Judge, who will do to them as they have done unto their brethren. As they have turned a deaf ear to the cry of the poor, so will He hide away his face from them. When they cry He will not hear them. When they plead for mercy, their own merciless behaviour will rise up in the judgment against them.

Such is the end awaiting extortionate rulers. Nor will their allies, the false prophets, fare better. That which Micah proclaimed to such deceivers of old is applicable to sinners of the like character in all ages, to men who uphold falsehood, and sanction wickedness, with the pretended right of divine authority. And this passage therefore affords a salutary warning not only to those deceivers who profess to divine the future, or to discern the secrets of the past, but to the authorized teachers of true religion, if any such lend the cloak of their authority to false doctrines, or give the weight of their approbation or example to ungodly practices. To be brought to shame, and to be confounded, this is the judgment they must look for; to be disowned by that God, of whose truth they have proved unfaithful guardians, and whose holy name they have profaned.

Compare with such false prophets as these the character of a faithful minister, as it may be derived from the account here given us by Micah, of his own experience and language, in the office of a prophet. Such an one without affecting prophetic authority, feels himself full of power by the spirit of the Lord, to reprove sin, in the people committed to his charge, whether they be high or low, rich or poor. And if the highest are eminent in transgression, he is not afraid to tell them the unwelcome truth, that their judgments will be signal also. He is indeed well aware, that a certain deference is due to rank, and that, as God's minister, he is bound to set men an example, in this respect, as in all others, of charity and of courtesy, of civility in manner, as well as of real kindness in heart. But he knows also, that before God it is holiness or sin that makes the great distinction between man and man. And he feels that when he is speaking in God's name, he must speak the whole truth boldly, whatever offence he may give to others, whatever danger he may incur himself. May God give this grace unto his ministers, that they may faithfully rebuke sin in high places! May God give this grace unto his people, that whatever be their rank, they may bear with his ministers rebuking them, and amend their ways accordingly!

The future sovereignty of Zion is foretold.

1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any

more.

4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. 5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.

10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the LORD of the whole earth. LECTURE 1425.

6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation:

That we are called to peace, and ought to call others. This prophecy relates to "the last days." It relates to the times of the Gospel. In part it closely resembles a passage in the book of the prophet Isaiah; so closely, that probably one of the two

was purposely copied from the other. See Is. 2. 2. This suggests, that the prophecy is worthy of more than common attention. It is recorded in two books, in order that we may take twofold pains to understand what it means, and to practise what it teaches. Now its meaning is this, that notwithstanding the destruction foretold against Jerusalem, yet should the church of God that had been founded at Zion be exalted high above all others, and thronged with countless worshippers, from various nations; and this, by means of the word of the Lord going forth out of Jerusalem, to be the means of converting the world. And further, it signifies, that after God should have poured out his judgments on the heathen as well as on the Jews, there would be a season of profound peace, suitable for introducing into the world a new dispensation, the object of which would be peace between man and man, as well as between man and God. During this dispensation, then future, Zion would recover its lost dominion; the kingdom of heaven would be established, with the Son of David for King. And neither the approaching captivity in Babylon, nor the gathering together of many nations in after times against God's people, would be able to prevent their final triumph over all their enemies, and their full establishment in the favour of the Lord.

Now all this very plainly foreshews the dispensation of the Gospel, both as it has been and as it will be. And at the same time it teaches us, how we, who enjoy the knowledge of that blessed truth, and the privileges of that glorious kingdom, ought to adorn our holy calling, and ought also to extend it to our brethren. Let us live in peace one with another. This is one of our most important duties as Christians. Let us avoid all wrangling and strife, in our families, and in our respective neighbourhoods. And as far as in us lies, let us promote peace amongst all nations, by discouraging those principles of ambition, jealousy, and vainglory, that lead to national wars. And further, let us discharge the part here pointed out to Christian nations, the honourable part of propagating the Gospel; of saying, not only amongst ourselves one with another, but also to our fellow creatures in heathen realms, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob." A Christian nation, acting as a Christian nation on the heathen, expending its resources, and bringing to bear its superiority in power and wisdom, on the work of evangelizing the dark places of the earth, is a sight which has never yet been seen, but which is not altogether beyond reasonable hope. Let us each do what we can for this end singly, and do what we can by voluntary associations. And let us not be ashamed to profess, that we can conceive no one object on which it would seem more desirable that our rulers should expend the resources and influence committed to their trust, than in taking measures, according to the will of God, for the propagation of his Gospel in the world.

The birthplace, eternal being, and divine works of the Messiah. 1 Now gather thyself in troops, shall be in the midst of many O daughter of troops: he hath people as a dew from the LORD, laid siege against us: they shall as the showers upon the grass, smite the judge of Israel with a that tarrieth not for man, nor rod upon the cheek. waiteth for the sons of men. 8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:

11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13 Thy graven images also will Icut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have

7 And the remnant of Jacob not heard.

LECTURE 1426.

The real greatness and glory of Christ our King.

The faithful among the children of Israel had here a prophetic passage full of precious promises, calculated to give them comfort and great joy, in the midst of much that was of a nature to afflict their hearts. The Assyrians might gather themselves together in troops, and even succeed so far, as to heap personal indignity on the