and contemplate them amidst preffing difficulties, coftly facrifices, and heavy trials, trufting in him who never fails to verify his promifes, and by their worthy example be animated to patient continuing in well doing.

3. For the Lord fhall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her defert like the garden of the Lord ; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Thefe words contain an explicit affurance of the certain accomplishment, of the glorious change which God was to make in the ftate of the church, by the abundant communications of his favour. Though in their primary and literal fenfe, they might have reference to the remarkable happy alteration which the Almighty was to effect in the land of Canaan, after it had long lain in a defolate condition, on the return of the Jews from captivity at Babylon, the figurative spiritual import of the prediction demands our chief attention. The late learned Bishop of London justly obferves, in his notes on these Prophecies, that the myftical or fpiritual fenfe is very often the most literal fenfe of all *. This remark is verified, I apprehend, in the verfe before us, and upon this principle I proceed to confider the feveral parts whereof this prophecy, is compofed.-Glorious things are faid in the Old and New Teftament concerning Zion, the fubject of this prediction. God is affirmed to have chofen Zion, to love the gates thereof, and to delight to dwell therein; and Chrift is faid to dwell there, and from thence his law and his falvation, with all the precious bleffings it contains, are faid to proceed. It is therefore reprefented as the joy of the whole earth; it is highly extolled on account of its beauty, ftability, and felicity, and often

Page 237. of focond edition.

often celebrated as the happy place wherein many inestimable promifes are fulfilled, among which is the one now to be illuftrated. These great benefits are not fo applicable to the literal mount Zion as to the church of God, which it prefigured, and which is frequently fpoken of in fcripture under that name. Indeed it is not uncommon, in the facred writings, for the perfon or object typified, to bear the name of what was intended to reprefent or forefignify that perfon or thing. Jefus Chrift is called, by the apostle Paul*, our paffover, because that inftitution was defigned to exhibit him, in a very ftriking point of view, who was facrificed for us; for the fame reafon the church is denominated Zion.This felect, highly-favoured fociety, our prophet declares,

The Lord will comfort. He will invigorate and fortify the minds of his peculiar people, under the doubts, and fears, and forrows, whereby they are diftreffed. If, for important reafons, he does not remove thofe evils, he will fo alleviate them, by various means, that they fhall fuftain them with ease and chearfulness. Though they may continue for a feafon in an afflicted, deftitute condition, yet in due time God will arife and have mercy on them, by relieving them from the miferies and forrows whereby they are oppreffed. He will give them fubftantial proofs of his loving-kindness and tender care, by faving them from their diftreffes, by defending them from their enemies, by feasonably fulfilling his promifes, and by imparting the confolations of his Spirit. In a fpecial manner-He will comfort all her wafte places, &c. Thefe, with the wilderness and the defart, mentioned in the following claufes of this verse, may denote the focieties of the faithful, or those individuals whereof they are compofed, from whom the inflences of divine grace had been in great meafure withheld, who had not enjoyed the miniftrations of the fervants of God, nor the ordinances whereby

1 Cor. viii. 7.

whereby the Church is improved and becomes fruitful in holiness and righteousness. Those who are in fuch forlorn circumftances God will comfort, by fhewing them the neceffity and utility of afflictions, by rendering their defolate condition fubfervient to their real benefit, by mitigating their diftreffes, by enabling them to bear their troubles with fortitude and patience, and by pouring refreshing confolations into their hearts. In confequence thereof, they fhall adopt the grateful acknowledgment of an apoftle, expreffed in his own name and that of the Church of God, Bleffed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation*.' He will make her wilderness like Eden, &c. Those who have been in a moft defolate, hopeless condition, shall be made to affume a new, beautiful, and fruitful appearance, the very reverfe of their former ftate. The country of Eden, fituated on the banks of the Euphrates, is faid to be one of the most delightful, fertile places in the world. There the Lord God planted a garden, formed a complete paradife, celebrated for its fertility, verdure, beauty, and fragrancy; for the fine fhades afforded by the leaves of the trees and fhrubs, the variety of rich delicious fruits, the odoriferous finell of beautiful flowers, and the pleafant rivers whereby it was watered. In this garden of delights were placed, by the great Creator, the first man with his companion. In fcripture, any country that is remarkably pleasant and fruitful is compared to it, or called by its name; and, in the words before us, the Church, after having been comforted by Jehovah, is faid to resemble Eden, the garden of the Lord. Though in time paft like a neglected defert, having been enriched by the bounties of Providence, and the bleflings of grace, their circumftances are entirely changed. Within their precincts is a beautiful variety of trees of righteoufnefs, the planting of the Lord, that he may be gloVOL. IV.

B

2 Cor. i 3,4.

rified;

rified; defended by divine Providence, warmed by the benign influence of the Sun of righteoufnefs, watered by the dew of God's bleffing and the river that makes glad the city of our God, filled with the precious fruits of faith and holinefs, and tended by men eminent for fanctity, prudence, learning, and other useful accomplishments. Such fhall be the very pleasant afpect of the Church of God, after having been folaced and revived by the interpofitions of Providence, and the liberal communications of his grace.

Foy and gladness fhall be found therein, &c. The participation of the benefits above mentioned, and the bleffed effects wherewith they were to be attended, fhould give rife to exultation and joy only: they were to excite thankfgiving and the voice of melody, of which they are the genuine natural expreffions. Gratitude and praife, which are the duty and delight of God's fervants, were to be prefented to their great Benefactor, as part of that homage he juftly demanded for the bleffings which in mercy he had feafonably conferred upon them. With thanksgiving was to be joined the voice of melody. Every heart and every voice was to be tuned, to celebrate the praifes of Jehovah for his wonderful works, and to extol his glorious name for his mercy in promifing, and his faithfulness in accomplishing, his good word unto his fervants. This prediction, which hath been fulfilled from time to time, according to the good pleasure of God and the exigencies of his people, is not to be li mited to any one period. It was in fome measure verified to the church founded in Zion and Jerufalem, which extended throughout Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. Thofe places which had been defolate like a defert, through the divine efficacy that accompanied the miniftry of the gofpel, were made to abound with the precious fruits of knowledge, faith, love, and other graces, in confequence whereof they refembled the fertile pleasant garden of Eden. And when the fet time to favour Zion arrives, the people

which fhall be created anew in Chrift Jefus fhall praise the Lord with joy and triumph, in pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs. His name fhall be declared, and his praifes in Jerufalem.

4 Hearken unto me, my people, and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law fhall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

The Meffiah proceeds to call the attention of his chofen people to the fources of that confolation which he was to adminifter to the afflicted church, derived from the vocation of the Gentiles to the knowledge and worship of the living God, by means of the gofpel. He addreffes efpecially, I fuppofe, the Jewish people, who in a particular manner belonged to him, being emphatically denominated his own inheritance. They were his property, not only in common with other men, but he had appropriated them to himfelf from among all the kingdoms of the earth, that they might be to him a peculiar people, and with them he dealt as he never did with any other nation. From them primarily he demanded the clofelt attention to the fubject here introduced, being at once momentous and interefting. There were doubtlefs many among them who did not advert to the excellence of the bleffings to be conferred upon the Church, to the magnitude of the judgments to be inflicted on their enemies, nor to the predictions of the prophets, wherein these things were clearly foretold, and therefore they much needed to be roused to serious confideration.From us, brethren, who profefs to be the ranfomed of the Lord, the great Redeemer requires the fame diligent attention, that we may understand the important truths he delivers, that we may ponder them in our hearts, and experience their fanctifying practical influence. Let us incline our ear and come unto him, hear and our foul fhall live.

For