was troublefome and hazardous: Hence God deemed it an unfuitable time for building his temple: But this promife infured a bleffed tranquility to his Seed: "I will appoint a place for my people Ifrael, I will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more: neither fhall the children of wickedness afflict them any more as before time." This refpects the fubjects of David and Solomon literally; but the fubjects of the Prince of Peace muft by no means be excluded. The promise of fafety to them, through him, is conceived in fimilar terms: "The enemy fhall not exact on him, nor the fon of wickednefs afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before his face; and plague them that hate him.""I will clothe his enemies with thame, as with a garment." The fon of wickedness later times, have interpreted this of a temporal kingdom; or fuch as was intended for their nation only, to raise them to the height of glory: They have not only gone contrary to fact, but to the voices of their own prophets; who speak of the kingdom of the Meffiah as everlasting, and univerfal; and, therefore (to be fure), a spiritual one. "There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages fhould ferve him his dominion is an everlafting dominion, which fhall not pafs away, and his kingdom that which fhall not be deftroyed," fays Daniel of the "SON OF MAN," Chap. vii. 14.—an appellation (by the way) not very different from that of Adam, or THE MAN." PETERS's Critical Diflertation on the Book of Job, Preface, p. 67, 68, 69. 2 Sam. vii. 10. † Pfal. lxxxix. 22, 23. and Pfal. cxxxii. 18. exacted exacted on the firft Adam, and afflicted his Seed; but he was beat down, and got his head bruifed, when he entered the lifts with the fecond Adam: And the effect of victory, where it is fo complete as that of the Seed of the woman, is peace. The latter end of David's reign was much more quiet than the beginning of it. Solomon was favoured with till more tranquility. But what was it all to the glorious reft of our Emmanuel? Said God to David, "Behold, a fon fhall be born to thee, who fhall be a man of REST; and I will give him reft from all his enemies round about: for his name fhall be SOLOMON; and I will give peace and quietnefs unto Ifrael in his days *." But how tranfitory and vain was this reft compared with that which the Gentiles fhall feek? For unto him fhall the Gentiles feck, and HIS REST fhall be glorious. 4. GOD promifed Sonfhip unto the Seed of David: "I will be his Father, and he thall be my SoNt." This promife (to use the words of Dr Owen) belonged firft unto Solomon, denoting that fatherly love, care, and protection that God would afford him in his kingdom, fo far as Chrift was reprefented by him therein; which requires not that they (the words of the promife) abfolutely, and in all juft confequences from them, belong unto the perfon of So 1 Chron. xxii. 9. † 2 Sam. vii 14. lomon: lomon: PRINCIPALLY, therefore, they intended Chrift himfelf; expreffing that eternal and unchangeable love which the Father bore unto him, grounded on the relation of FAT HER and SON. The fame author adds, "If it be afked on what account God would thus be a Father unto Jefus Chrift, in this peculiar manner? It must be anfwered, That the radical, fundamental caufe of it lay in the relation that was between them from his eternal generation: But he manifefted himself to be his Father, and engaged to deal with him in the love and care of a Father, as he had accomplished the work of mediation on earth, and was exalted to his throne and rule in heaven *." 5. Gon promifed to keep his Mercy for the Seed of David, and the fubjects of the Meffiah, even although they fhould deferve chaftifement by the commiffion of iniquity: "If he commit iniquity I will chaften him with the rod of men; and with the ftripes of the children of men: But my mercy fhall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul; whom Though the I t." put away before thee ." extraordinary Seed of David could not commit iniquity in his own perfon; yet, the members of his myftical body could: Hence, * Dr Owen on Heb. i. 5. Vide Vol. I. p. 84, 85. 2. Sam. vii. 14, 15. the the Pfalmift explains it of the children of this Prince*: And all the members of his mystical body in this world, are not only liable to, but actually guilty of committing INIQUITY. But, upon fuppofition of fuch tranfgreffion, which was abfolutely certain, as forefeen by God, two things are fecured by this promife: First, That this iniquity must be CORRECTED. Though the terms C HASTEN and VISIT fometimes import penal affliction; yet, in their prefent connection, they denote that which is falutary and medicinal: Nor is this fenfe infrequent in the Old Teftament : But, although the terms fhould only mean punishment in gcneral; yet their prefent connection forbids us to understand them of that which is penal and vindictive. The rod, with which he will correct is the rod of men: The fripes with which he will vifit, thofe of the children of men : That is, fuch as a man will ufe for the correction of his children. Now, love is the fpring of genuine paternal correction. Secondly, God engageth to continue his mercy, notwithftanding this correction: "Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him; nor fuffer my faithfulness to fail §:" Even his fpc * Pfal. lxxxix. 30-33. The nature and extent of their fin is known by the law which it violates; even the ceremonial, judicial, and moral, denoted by JUDGMENTS, STATUTES, and coм MANDMENTS. If. ii. 4. Prov. iii. 11, 12. cial and diftinguifhing mercies, fo much celebrated in the beginning of the pfalm: Such as flow in the channel of the new covenant, Common gifts and favours, fuch as prophecy, have been taken away, as in the cafe of Saul; But covenanted mercies cannot depart ;-they are the fure mercies of David. 6. GOD promifed that David's Seed fhould build a Houfe unto the name of the Lord: “ He fhall BUILD A HOUSE for my name *". This houfe is certainly the temple, on which David's heart was fo greatly fet; and the promife met with an accomplishment in Solomon, as to the literal import of it: But the temple was a type of various import,-denoting the human nature of Chrift, his myftical body; as alfo the Church, in which it dwells, whether in her militant or triumphant ftate. III, IT must now be enquired, When were thefe promifes made to David? It is not improbable that there were fome hints revealed by Samuel; but as it was improper to be explicit as long as Saul was in power, and as it is God's ufual way to caufe the light of revelation to advance; fo the clearer editions of them were referved for the miniftry of Nathan, and the infpiration beftowed on the royal prophet in his own perfon. * 2 Sam. vii. 13. |