peace, prosperity, and social happiness. In other words, the love of virtue, implicit obedience to the laws of moral the consolations of rational prevail. obligation, and religion, shall We are also informed that this new and desirable æra is to be introduced by a distinguished personage, in whom are centered the sublimest virtues; in whom will be united superior dignity and elevation of character, with a state of humiliation and personal sufferings. To this state of things is there a partial reference in the passages already quoted. In other passages, all the circumstances which are so conducive to universal felicity, are, according to the impetuosity of prophetic language, collected together in one glorious assemblage. "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, hearing of his ears," ness shall he judge the neither reprove after the "but with righteouspoor, and reprove with equity, for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth,"-not with a sword,—but " with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteous ness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." The subjugation of all the turbulent passions, which have always diffused misery proportionate to their prevalence, while they degrade rational man to a level with the most noxious animals; and the delightful harmony that shall result from mutual good-will, are beautifully described by those striking metaphors," The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them; and the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the suckling shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."* Human ingenuity shall no longer be exercised to invent instruments of destruction, to be admired in proportion as they become tremendous, but to discover, multiply, and diffuse the means *Is. ch. xi. v. 1, 9. "They of good, and the blessings of peace. shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; for nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Unto us a "child is born," says the same prophet, " unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end." &c. The meekness of his character is thus represented : "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, until he have set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law."+ His humiliation is thus described: "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrow, and acquainted with grief." "He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; le is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a *Is. ch. ii. v. 4. t Is. ch. ix. v. 6. Is. ch. xlii. v. 2, 4. A a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth," &c.* Yet "the spirit of God is upon him; the Lord hath anointed him to preach good tidings unto the meek; to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."† This great personage is further represented under a character which denotes firmness and permanency as a foundation, and as a chief corner stone of the new edifice which is to be erected; that everlasting temple of universal holiness and felicity. "Behold, saith the Lord God, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation.-Judg. ment will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet."+ From the above epitome of the moral and reli gious history of the ancient Hebrews, united with these prophetic declarations, it is manifest that, in consequence of the separation of this people from every other nation, and the peculiar dispensations of providence respecting them, by *Isa. ch. liii. v. 2, 7. + Isa. ch. lxi. v. 1, 2. their instrumentality, and through their medium, a preparation is made for the general welfare of mankind, by the gradual progress of knowlege, virtue, and piety, which are so essential to human happiness. The works of righteousness can alone be productive of peace, and the effects of righteousness be quietness and assurance for ever. Yet these people are not destined to be the medium of important blessings to others, from which they shall be totally excluded. Their impieties have opened a way for the communication of those blessings to the Gentiles, which they had despised. But the same prophecies give them the encouraging assurance, that they shall finally become partakers of them. Their continuing firm in the profession of Monotheism, and their scrupulous renunciation of those idolatrous customs, to which they had formerly been so prone, were not sufficient to secure a perpetuity of the divine favour. They were but as means for more important ends. These people were still destitute of purity of morals, and genuine devotion, which alone could render them a consolation to each other, and secure the favour of heaven. Their religious habits degenerated into cold, uninfluential ceremonies, which in place of forming the minds to the habits of |