Obadiah, fhall be a fire, not only to communicate light and warmth unto the world around them; but to confume the wicked, who are compared to dross and stubble. In this sense, also, the fire of the Lord was in Zion; and the Affyrians who had formed the design of extinguishing it, were flain and destroyed.-And his furnace in Jerufalem. A furnace is fitted up for the purpose of melting gold, filver, and other useful metals, in order to separate them from the alloy with which they are intermixed, and to prepare them for the different uses to which they may be applied. In this view, it fignificantly represents those trying afflictions whereby God is pleafed to purify his people from their corruptions, to divide the precious from the vile; those who on account of their excellence and purity resemble choice filver, from those who are worthless and contemptible, like the worst refuse. In Jerufalem this furnace was kindled by the fire of divine wrath, in order to refine the inhabitants from those heterogeneous mixtures of hypocrify and wickedness which spoiled their beauty and utility. With this peculiar defcription of the character of Jehovah, the first part of this prophetical difcourse concludes, in which the upright servants of the Moft High are affured of perfect fafety, even in perilous circumstances, and the utter destruction of their formidable enemies is foretold. When assailed by their potent adversaries, God will be their friend; when straitened, he will grant them enlargement; when in jeopardy, he will fend them deliverance. - Let us then unite in finging the triumphant fong of the fervant of the Lord, compofed in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, which ends thus: 'I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among ⚫ the heathen, and fing praises unto thy name. • Great deliverance giveth he to his king, and thew⚫eth mercy to his anointed, to David and to his • feed for evermore *.'

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E now proceed to confider the second part of this prophetic oration, contained in the chapter before us. It commences with a graphical description of the important benefits to be enjoyed by the people of God, under the aufpicious reign of an illuftrious, pious prince, the equity of whose government, and the felicity of whose subjects, are highly celebrated, ver. 1, 2.-It foretels, in beautiful figurative language, the conversion of many to a prudent difcrimination of the ways of God, and the excellency of spiritual objects, v. 3, 8. It represents in strong colours the terrible calamities whereby the Jewish nation were to be distressed, v. 9, 14.-After which, it enumerates fome of the precious blessings which, in subsequent periods, were to be conferred on the church; fuch as the effufion of the Spirit, the conversion of the Gentiles, the righteousness, the peace, and the happiness of the people of God. These topics we purpose to difcufs in the order in which they are here placed.

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CHAP. XXXII.

EHOLD, a king shall reign in righteoufness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

These words contain a short pleasing description of the profperous administration of an eminent prince, renowned for the equity of his government. His amiable character, and that of his princes, is delineated in terms truly fignificant. The subject is introduced in a manner admirably fuited to excite the closest attention, Behold a king. Contemplate with fuitable emotions of mind, one poffefsed of royal mag

nificence and splendour. See an illustrious perfon invested with a crown, dignified with a fceptre, elevated to a throne, exalted to supreme dominion, exercifing sovereign authority, holding extensive property, prefiding over a numerous people, whose liberty, prosperity, and tranquillity are established by the cle. mency and justice of the monarch. View him enjoying all the prerogatives belonging to royalty; magnificence, riches, power, retinue, with the dutiful homage of loyal subjects; and displaying from time to time the most splendid triumphs. Fix your thoughts especially on the rectitude of his government-Who shall reign in righteousness. The word is emphatical, denoting that he shall exhibit every virtue which can adorn the royal character, and contribute to the felicity of his kingdom. He shall use the prerogatives of majesty with great moderation, wisdom, and equity; he shall perform toward his subjects the duties of a wife legislator, a just ruler, a kind parent, and upright judge; exhibiting before them laudable examples of piety and virtue, of goodness and beneficence. In all the affairs of government, he shall act with clemency and equanimity, he shall do justice with impartiality, he shall diftribute judgment without corruption throughout his dominions, having no respect to perfons. What an ineftimable blessing is such a prince, not only to the nation over which he reigns, but to the church, and to the world! How extensive the benign influence of his authority and example, who hath at heart the welfare of his people, who adopts the best measures to fuppress deceit, violence, and all manner of iniquity; to maintain the safety of the empire, to enrich and felicitate all who live under his government.

Do you afk of whom speaketh the Prophet? Had he in his view any particular prince, when delivering this prediction? Hezekiah king of Judah seems to have been the illuftrious monarch pri marily intended; concerning whom it is written,

• He trusted in the Lord God of Ifrael, so that af• ter him was none like him among all the kings * of Judah, nor any that were before him. For 'he clave to the Lord, and departed not from fol* lowing him, but kept his commandments which * the Lord commanded Mofes. And the Lord * was with him, and he profpered *,' &c. He was a king that reigned in righteousness during the whole time he fat upon the throne of Judah, especially after the remarkable period wherein he was miraculously delivered from the threatening power of Affyria, and had a wonderful recovery from a mortal disease which brought him to the gates of death. By these memorable events, God was pleafed to honour him in the fight of all nations, and to bring him under peculiar obligations to the mild and righteous adminiftration of his regal power. Placed by divine Providence over a great nation, in his official character, this prediction received a partial accomplishment, whilst, in his public capacity, he exhibited an instructive type of a more glorious monarch, who prefides over a more extensive and powerful kingdom. You easily perceive that Jesus Christ the righteous, the promised Meffiah, is the great perfonage in whom this prophecy had its full accomplishment. If the literal sense above mentioned is admitted, I do not fee why the fpiritual interpretation should be rejected. Our Prophet, who had spoken of the Meffiah as a high priest and divine inftructor, here presents him to view as the king who is feated on the holy hill of Zion, of whom he faw in good king Hezekiah, an eminent figure and representation. Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; the Prince of the kings of the earth; the glorious, omnipotent, gracious, universal Monarch, whose kingdom is not of this world. It is spiritual, heavenly, unlimited, and eternal. is an administration of mercy and righteousness; it is the empire of grace and love; it is a dispenfation of wisdom and order, which extends its influence

VOL. III.

D

* 2 Kings xviii. 5, 6, 7.

It

fluence to the whole universe, and which shall exift through immortal ages. Under this Almighty Sovereign, kings reign and princes decree justice : He exerciseth fupreme dominion in heaven and earth'; he rules in the midst of his enemies; he controuls every adverse power, and reigns over his innumerable happy subjects in righteousness. He is emphatically denominated the Juit One, Jesus Chrift the Righteous. He loveth righteousness, and hateth iniquity; therefore God anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows; the fceptre of his kingdom is a fceptre of righteousness. His laws and judgments are true and righteous altogether; he speaks, he doth judge, and make war in righteousness. He communicates abundance of the gift of righteousness unto all his people, making his grace to reign through righteousness unto eternal life; and at the final judgment he will render to every one according to his works. Who is there among you that defireth to enjoy the most agreeable tranquillity, and perfect security from evil? let him refort to the banner of this blessed potentate, and place himself under his protection. In him he shall find peace and ferenity of mind, and know by experience, that the name of the Lord is a strong tower, to which the righteous run and are safe.

And princes shall rule in judgment. The nobles and chief officers of state, who held the highest places of trust and authority under the king, were to adminifter the government committed to them, with an unbiaffed respect to equity and judgment. They were to exercise their several functions, not with rigour and feverity, but with mildness and mercy, according to the dictates of well-informed confciences, and the unerring standard of truth and justice. Poffeffing accurate knowledge of the duties belonging to their high station, maintaining ftrict regard to the laws of righteousness, and firmly attached to the interests of those over whom they prefided, they would endeavour to discover the true state of the matters