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"scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little 66 ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land," saith the Lord," two parts therein shall be cut off and "die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will

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bring the third part through the fire, and will refine "them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is "tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them. "I will say, 'It is my people,' and they shall say, 'The "Lord is my God.'" Zech. xiii. 7-9.

FROM MALACHI ".

No. CXXV.

A Prophecy of the coming of John the Baptist and of Christ-of the strict Justice and Judgment of Christ-and of his Severity against Sin and Oppression.

No. 125. "Behold, I will send my h Messenger, and he "shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom

"them, 'All ye shall be offended because of me this night; for "it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the 'flock shall be scattered abroad."" Matt. xxvi. 31.

The exact time when Malachi prophesied is not known. The margin of the Bible states it to have been about 397 years before the birth of Christ.

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hOur Saviour unequivocally considers this as referable to John the Baptist: "This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send "my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way 'before thee.'" Matt. xi. 10. Luke vii. 27; and St. Mark refers this prophecy, and one in Isaiah, to John: "As it is written in "the prophets, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, "which shall prepare thy way before thee.' The voice of one "crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, "make his paths strait,'" John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark i. 2-4.

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ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he "shall come," saith the Lord of Hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap and he shall sit as a 'refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. "And I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and 66 against false swearers, and against those that oppress "the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, " and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear "not me," saith the Lord of Hosts; "for I am the Lord; "I change not." Mal. iii. 1-6 *,

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No. CXXVI.

Upon the Difference that shall be made between the righteous and the wicked, the Blessings that shall be bestowed upon the one, and the Vengeance inflicted on the other.

No. 126. A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. "And they shall be mine," saith the Lord of Hosts, "in that day when I make up my jewels; and I "will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serv"eth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between "the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth

i "A refiner," &c. See Zech. xiii. 9.

*For a commentary upon this prophecy, see Chandler's Defence, p. 63-77.

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"God, and him that serveth him not: for behold the day "cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up," saith the Lord of Hosts, "that it shall leave them neither root not branch. "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righte"ousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go "forth, and grow up as calves of the stall; and ye shall "tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under "the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this," saith the Lord of Hosts. Mal. iii. 16-18; Mal. iv. 1-3.

No. CXXVII.

Upon the Coming and Office of John the Baptist.

No. 127. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the "Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to1 "the children, and the heart of the children' to their "fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Mal. iv. 5, 6",

1 "To," or

"with." Fathers and children, so as to cause a general reformation.

m For a commentary and explanation of this passage, see Bishop Chandler's Defence, p. 78.

CHAPTER VII.

PROPHECIES AS TO CHRIST AND CHRISTIAN TIMES.

BY THE ANGELS WHO WERE SENT TO ZACHARIAS, THE VIRGIN MARY, AND THE SHEPHERDS; BY ZACHARIAS, BY SIMEON, AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.

No. CXXVIII.

The Angel's Communication to Zacharias as to John the Baptist.

No. 128. Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine, nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke i. 13-17.

No. CXXIX.

The Angel's Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, intimating her Conception; Christ's Relation to God; his human Lineage through David; the Kingdom God should give him; its perpetual Duraand the Object of his Coming, viz. to save his People from their Sins.

tion;

No. 129. Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God and behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his

father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke i. 30-33. Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matt. i. 21.

No. CXXX.

The prophetic Rapture of Zacharias upon the Birth of John, and in Contemplation of the Birth of Christ-looking to John as the Forerunner of Christ, and to Christ as the promised Messiah, whose Objects would be to give Light unto Mankind, and guide them into the Way of Peace.

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No. 130. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware to our father Abraham that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life: and thou child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke i. 67-79.

a " Enemies," i. e. probably, "spiritual enemies."

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