children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper: and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Is. liv. 11. 13, 14. 17.

No. XC.

A prophetic Invitation and Encouragement to all Mankind to become Christians, with an Intimation of the Success of Christianity.

No. 90. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat-yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have

says he, and they shall be all taught of God.' Every man, "therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, "cometh unto me." John vi. 45. Coming to Christ, therefore, was what God taught, and whoever was taught of God, would come to Christ.

St. Paul must have considered this expression as applying prophetically to Christ; for in discussing the point of Christ's resurrection, he says, as concerning that he (i. e. God) raised "him (i. e. Christ) from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure "mercies of David.'" Acts xiii. 34.

given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee. Is. lv. 1-5.

No. XCI.

A prophetic Intimation of the Wisdom of a prompt Adherence to Christianity of the Conditions it requires, viz. Abstinence from Sin and sinful Thoughts, and Dependence upon God, of the Blessings it confers; viz. Forgiveness of Sin, and every Description of Happiness, and of its Success and Prevalence.

No. 91. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Is. lv. 6—13.

No. XCII.

Another prophetic Intimation that it will be to the Good only that the Benefits of Christ's Coming will ensue: but that they will be open to the Good of every Nation and Description without Distinction.

No. 92. Thus saith the Lord, "Keep ye judgment, and "do justice for my salvation is near to come, and my "righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that "doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it: "that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth "his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the "stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, "saying, 'the Lord hath utterly separated me from his peo"ple,' neither let the eunuch say, ' Behold I am a dry tree.' "For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my "Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and "take hold of my covenant, even unto them will I give in "my house and within my walls a place and a name better "than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also the sons "of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from pol"luting it, and taketh hold of my covenant, even them will "I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in 66 my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their "sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar, for my "house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." Is. lvi. 1-7.

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* Our Saviour refers to this passage, as though he considered it as written prophetically of Christian times. When he cast out them that bought and sold in the temple, &c. he said, "Is it not written, my house shall be called of all nations the "house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves?'"

No. XCIII.

A prophetic Forewarning that the Times contemplated will also be Times of Vengeance, and that the Cause of it will be the Inattention, the Disregard of Warnings, and the selfish Pursuits and Indulgences of those who ought to be watchful—viz. their Teachers.

No. 93. All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. "Come ye," say they, "I will fetch wine, and we will fill "ourselves with strong drink, and to-morrow shall be as "this day, and much more abundant." Isa. lvi. 9—12.

No. XCIV.

A prophetic Intimation of God's Readiness to confer the Benefits of Christ's coming to all who trust in Him, the Contrite and the Humble, and his Willingness to overlook their Sins.

No. 94. He that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain, and shall say, "Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up "the stumbling-block out of the way of my people."

Mark xi. 17. The English in St. Mark differs from our English translation in Isaiah: the Greek in St. Mark agrees with the Greek in the Septuagint; and the rendering in St. Mark, perhaps, would be nearer the original, were it rendered as the passage is in Isaiah: “ ὁ οἶκος μου, οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.” St. Luke only describes our Saviour to have quoted part of the sentence, "my house is the house of "prayer." Luke xix. 46.

For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, "I dwell in the high and

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holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and hum"ble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to "revive the heart of the contrite ones: for I will not con"tend for ever, neither will I be always wroth for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have "made." Isa. lvii. 13-16.

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No. XCV.

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Upon the true Nature of Christ's Religion: not a Religion of Shew and Ceremony, but a Religion of practical Benevolence, Obedience, and Reverence; a Religion of Reality, a Religion of the Heart.

No. 95. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice, they take delight in approaching to God. "Wherefore have we fasted," say they," and thou seest not? wherefore have we af"flicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?" Behold in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Ye shall not

fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose

y "Yet," &c. The pretences of those who rely upon outward acts, upon compliance with external forms. See ante p. 40, Micah iii. 11.

"Behold," &c. God's answer to these pretences.