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comprehend the eternal sonship of the Son of God, whom the Father, before the foundation of the world, constituted a priest for ever; and therefore, the priesthood of Melchizedek was instituted to prefigure to us the nature of Christ's eternal priesthood. "The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek." These words deserve particular attention. It is God the Father who swears to Christ; no oath of allegiance is required from him who is constituted our Priest. Jehovah, whose eye pierces through futurity, knew he would be faithful in his office, and he freely and unreservedly trusted him to maintain his divine honour "and justice, and accomplish the salvation of sinners. The high-priestly office, though honourable, could not add to Christ's dignity; but his glorious person did confer honour and dignity upon the sacred office, for he who is constituted our High Priest, "is fellow to the Lord of Hosts." "Every high priest is ordained, to offer both gifts and sacrifices," and great was the sacrifice offered by Christ: he offered up himself; he would borrow nothing, but was both priest, sacrifice, altar, and temple: and "by that offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." "And because he continueth ever, he hath an un

changeable priesthood;" "wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Blessed Jesus! thou priest of Melchizedek's order, while we would not withhold from thee a portion of all that thou givest us, let us not rest satisfied, till we are enabled to present "our bodies and souls a reasonable sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God."

CHAPTER LXIII.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.-Daniel ix. 24, 25.

THE harps of Judah were silent-the disconsolate Israelites hung them on the willows of Babylon-no songs of Zion were heard in that land of captivity, where, for seventy long years, they wore the galling yoke of bondage, bereft of home and all its blessings

-the land of their forefathers in the possession of strangers-Jerusalem in ruins-her palaces consumed -the Temple destroyed-the spot trodden down by the Heathen-themselves exposed to the taunts of their conquerors, and compelled to bow before the idolatrous image of Chaldean superstition.* Well might Judah's sons weep by the waters of Babylon, whose murmurings recalled to their recollection the stream which gushed from Horeb's mount. The remembrance of past blessings increases the weight of present misery. How changed their state, and changed to punish their awful rebellions against the Lord of Sabaoth! Yet the God of Israel was not unmindful of his promise-he cheered their drooping spirits with the assurance of speedy deliverance from their captive state. The prayer of Daniel entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts-the command was given-swiftly the angel, even Gabriel, flew to reveal his Lord's decrees unto the mourning prophet-that " man greatly beloved" of his God. Daniel was commissioned to foretel the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon-the building of Jerusalem and its walls in troublous times; and to him, Jehovah was graciously pleased to renew

* Dan. iii. 4-15.

+ Numbers xx. 11.

the promise of the Prince, Messiah, whose appearance all the patriarchs and prophets had foretold. The nearer that glorious epoch approached, the more minutely was it described. The Lord gave Daniel to “know and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince, should be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks." The period here styled weeks, is generally allowed to be sabbaths of years. This appears to be the sense of the passage, for the Jews were accustomed to reckon their time

and feasts by weeks or sabbaths. The week of days was from one seventh or sabbath day to another. The week of years was from one seventh or sabbatical year to another; in the seventh, or sabbatical year, they neither sowed their fields nor pruned their vineyards; it was a sabbath of rest unto the land.* In the regulation of the year of Jubilee, they were commanded to number " seven sabbaths of years, seven times seven years, and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to thee forty and nine years."+ We therefore only follow the Mosaic rule, (to which Moses' disciples cannot object,) if we consider these seven weeks,

* Lev. xxiii. 3., xxv. 3. 4.

+Lev. xxv. 8. 10.

and three score and two weeks, as seven times sixtynine, or four hundred and eighty-three years, which should be between " the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince." There were four distinct decrees or commandments granted by the kings of Persia, in favour of the Jews, who came under the dominion of that empire by its conquest of Babylon. This was the epoch of Daniel's vision. No sooner had Cyrus obtained possession of Chaldea, than he issued a decree allowing the Jews to quit the land of their captivity, and repair to Judea to build the temple of the Lord. He also restored to them the vessels and treasures which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple built by Solomon. On the grant of this decree,* five hundred and thirty-six years before Christ, many of the Jews returned to their own land, and laid the foundation of the temple; but they were hindered in the building of it by their several enemies, who were supported in their opposition by Artaxerxes, the successor of Cyrus. But when Darius Hystaspes ascended the throne of Persia, he issued a decreet five hundred and nineteen years before Christ,

* 2 Chron. xxxvi. 22, 23.

Ezra vi. 7-12.

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