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ously, very proper and important. It was proper and important, in order that a general attention might be awakened and directed to the circumstances of the grand and interesting event, and that those, who were waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and others, might be in readiness to give a suitable

BEFORE ME. The messenger who was to be sent was John the Baptist; and the purpose, for which he was to be sent, was to prepare the way for the long expected Messiah. This is precisely the application, which is made in the New-Testament, of this remarkable prophecy. Let us then contemplate, under several distinct heads, the par-reception to the long predicted desire ticular things, which were to be done of all nations. by John, to prepare the way for the Messiah.

1. John was publicly to proclaim, that the Messiah was just ready to make his appearance.

Adam, in Paradise, had a promise of the Messiah. Abraham, in the strong light of faith, saw his day and was glad. David, and Isaiah, and Daniel, and almost all the prophets testified beforehand of his coming and kingdom. As the time appointed drew nearer, the predictions respecting him became proportionably more particular and clear, until the period of bis coming. The place of his birth, the manner of his appearance, and the principal circumstances of his life, and of his death, were very exactly desigmated and described.

2. To prepare the way for the Messiah, John was to call the people of Is. rael to repentance.

In every age and nation, repentance has been a first duty of fallen mankind. It was inculcated by all the ancient prophets, as absolutely ne cessary for every one, who would escape from the wrath to come, and be admitted to the favor and the everlasting kingdom of God.

But for the people of Israel, at the coming of the Messiah, the necessity of immediate repentance was peculiarly obvious and urgent. They were then to pass a most eventful and decisive crisis. The Lord from heaven was to dwell among them, "and to be in the midst of them as a refiner's fire and as fuller's soap. He was to come near to them to judgment, and to be a swift witness against the sorcerers, snd against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against all, who would not fear the Lord of hosts." Those who would repent, and return unto the Lord, were to be specially confirmed in all the privileges and blessings of the everlasting covenant, made with their fathers; but those who would not repent, were to be cast off from being any longer, in any sense, the people of God, were to fall under the most terrible displays of divine vengeance, and to be suddenly destroyed, and that without remedy.

All this, however was not sufficient fully to answer the intention of infinite wisdom. But as it was a custom of ancient date, when a prince, or distinguished personage was about to make his entry into any province or city, for a herald, or public crier, to go before him, and make formal proclamation of his approach; so it seemed good to the all wise God, when he was about to bring his only begotten upon the public stage of the world, to send a special herald, or public crier, before him, to make formal proclamation of his approaching appearance and reign. Such a herald was John the Baptist; and such a proclamation did he make. Such, so decisive and awful, was to be Accordingly he was described, as the the crisis with the Jewish nation, when voice of one crying in the wilderness, the Messiah should come; and such, or in the open country of Judea, Pre-so obvious and urgent, was the necespare ye the way of the Lord; make sity of their immediate repentance. his paths straight. Immediate repentance was necessary, Such a proclamation of the approach in order to give a proper reception to of the Messiah and his reign,was, obvi-l the holy Messenger of the covenant;

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and equally necessary in order to escape the tremendous destruction which was hastening to overtake the obstinately impenitent.

ise or proposal of the covenant respecting their children, they must take hold of the covenant by faith, sincerely devote their children to God and faithAccordingly, that he might prepare fully bring them up for him in holy the way before the Messiah, Johu not nurture and admonition. "These only proclaimed his approach, but cal-words," said the Lord by Moses, led upon all the people immediately" these words, which I command thee to repent. "Repent," said he, "for this day, shall be in thine heart; and the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Re- thou shalt teach them diligently unto pent ye...for the axe is now laid to thy children; and shalt talk of them the root of the trees; and every tree||when thou sittest in thine house, and that bringeth not forth good fruit is when thou walkest by the way, and hewn down and cast into the fire. Re-when thou hest down, and when thou pent ye; for he that cometh after me is risest up. Accordingly the inspired mightier than I,-whose fan is in his Asaph, in a solemn and impressive exhand and he will thoroughly purge his hortation, with a particular reference floor, and gather the wheat into his to the everlasting covenant, says; garner; but he will burn up the chaff" For he established a testimony in Jawith unquenchable fire."

3. To prepare the way for the Messiah, John was to call the attention of the Jewish church and nation to the gracious covenant of God.

cob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them (i. e. the words and works of God) known to their children; that the generation to come might know them even the chil dren which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children; that they," the children, “ might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his com

"When Abraham was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abraham, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect....And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their gene-mandments." rations, for an everlasting covenant, Such, in brief, was the tenor of to be a God unto thee and to thy seed God's gracious covenant with Abraafter thee." This covenant with Abra-ham and his seed; such were the duham and his seed was the grand char- ties required, and such the blessings ter of all the privileges and blessings, which were to follow. appertaining to the church throughout all generations. A capital part of this covenant was the promise, on condition of faith and obedience, of blessings, temporal and spiritual, to descend from parents to children, from generation to generation, down to the latest periods of time. In correspondence with this we are assured, that "the Lord is a faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments anto a thousand generations.

But of this covenant the descendants of Abraham became strangely forgetful. They valued themselves, indeed, highly, on their relation to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and on their outward standing in the covenant and church of God; and they even held the confidence, that, because they were descendants of Abraham, and, in a sense, children of the covenant, they and their seed would cer tainly be blessed.* Yet we have abundant evidence, that they were but very little attentive to the important

But it was with such only as would love him and keep his commandments, that the Lord stood engaged to keep covenant and mercy. If parents would avail themselves of the gracious prom-to that dismal abode.

had a station near the gate of hell, and would * The Jews had a tradition, that Abraham not suffer any of his 'descendants to go down

conditions on which the blessings of and thus as it is expressed in the gospel, the covenant were promised. They make ready a people prepared for the became ignorant of God's righteous-Lord." But what can we understand ness, that righteousness of faith, of by this, more or less, than that under which circumcision was the visible his ministry, a remarkable reformation scal; and presumptuously went about was to take place in respect to the cov to establish their own righteousness. enant? Parents were to consider, and Observant as they were of the exter- to fulfil their covenant obligations with. nal rite of circumcision, they became respect to their children, and in consestrangely unmindful of its spiritual im- quence of this the hearts of the chilport. Though they circumcised their dren, by the gracious influences of the childreu according to the letter of the Spirit, in covenant faithfulness vouchcovenant; yet they were not careful safed, were to be so effectually turned, to walk in the faith of their father Abra-as seriously to hear, and dutifully to ham.

obey, the parental instructions which they should receive. It was thus, in a special sense that John was to prepare the way for the Messiah; and it was thus, according to the words of the an

They did not give up their children to God in faith, nor train them up in that holy nurture and admonition which the covenant required. With respect, indeed, to this most interesting con-gel to his father Zachariah, he was to cern, there was evidently, among the make ready a people prepared for the Jews, for many generations before the Lord. coming of the Messiah, a most crimipal and lamentable defection.

Such a reformation, with respect to the covenant, was evidently of primaBut to prepare the way for the Mes-ry necessity; for it was in pursuance siah, it was of the first necessity, that of the covenant, that the Messiah was a reformation should take place in this to come; and it was in pursuance of important particular. It was of the the covenant, that the blessings comhighest importance that a serious attenprised in him, both for Jews and Gention should be awakened in the Jew-tiles, were to be conferred. He was ish church and nation, to the true tenor to come to perform the mercy promof the covenant, in which they profesised unto the fathers, and to remember sedly stood. the holy covenant. And it deserves Accordingly John was especially to especially to be considered, that, at his call their attention to this all import-coming, a great and important change ant concern. On this point ancient in respect to the church, and the outprophecy was particularly explicit.ward appendages of the covenant, was "Behold I will send you Elijah the to take place. The law of commandprophet before the coming of the greatments contained in ordinances, which and dreadful day of the Lord; and he was added to the covenant at Sinai, and shall turn the heart of the Fathers to which is commonly called the Mosathe children, and the heart of the chilic dispensation, was to be abolished. dren to their fathers, lest I come and The middle wall of partition between smite the earth with a curse." These Jew and Gentile was to be broken were the last words uttered by the down. The blessing of Abraham was Spirit of prophecy before the ar- to be extended to the Gentiles, and rival of the important era to which a new dispensation adapted to all the they referred; and in the New Testa-nations of the earth, was to be introdument, they are expressly applied to ced. Surely, to prepare the way for John the Baptist. A principal pur-changes so great, for an era in the pose, then, for which John was sent, church so eventful, it was of the highwas, "that he might turn the heart of est importance that attention should the fathers unto the children, and the be called to the tenor and essential heart of the children unto their fathers, provision of the covenant. It was of

the steps of the faith of Abraham their father, and who were to be reserved as the people and church of the Lord, were also to be baptized. This was to be done under the ministry of John.

high importance, in order that the truth || nant, previously to the introduction of and faithfulness of God, in the perfor- the Christian dispensation, those, mance of his covenanted mercy, whose hearts were turned to walk in might be attentively remarked and gratefully recognized; and in order, especially that, after the introduction of the Christian dispensation, the tenor and provision of the covenant might be well understood, and religiously ob- If any thing more than the considerserved among all the nations of the ations now before us be necessary to earth, and to the latest periods of time, make it evident, that the baptism of 4. To prepare the way for the Mes-John was a rite of confirmation, instisiah, John was to confirm the covenant tuted for those, who had already a viswith the true members of the Jewish ible standing in the covenant and church, by an outward rite, instituted church of God, and for the purpose for that special purpose. of preparing the way for the Messiah, The Jews had alla nominal standing and the introduction of a new dispen in the church of God; but, as a body,sation: a passage, in the ixth of Dan they had become extremely corrupt.iel, may, in this connexion, be worthy God had borne with them long; but of particular attention. the period of his patience was limited. As already observed, on the coming of the Messiah, the church was to be shaken, and the Jews, as a body, were to be rejected. In this dreadful catastrophe, however, a precious remnant was to be reserved. Though the dead branches were to be broken off and cast away, the living olive-tree was not to be plucked up by the roots; but was to remain under the special care of the divine husbandman, was to receive ingrafted branches from the olive by nature wild, and was to grow and spread, until all the nations of the earth should repose under its refreshing shade.

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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, there fore, 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. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. On the approach of an era so event-And he shall confirm the covenant ful, when the nominal people of God with many for one week; and in the were, as a body, about to be rejected,midst of the week he shall cause the it was obviously very proper and im-sacrifice and the oblation to cease.' portant, that some special mark shouldUpon this remarkable passage of anbe set on those, who should be found cient prophecy a few concise observafaithful, and be reserved as his true tions only can be offered. people; and some outward significant rite be administered to them, as a token of their confirmation in the covenant made with their fathers.Previously to the introduction of the Mosaic dispensation at Horeb, the whole congregation of the Lord were baptized, in token of their confirma-of seventy weeks, or 490 years, was tion in his gracious covenant. In conGrmation of the same gracious cove.

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Under the ancient dispensation there were weeks of years as well as weeks of days. The weeks of the prophecy now before us were undoubtedly weeks of years. Seventy weeks, then, the total number specified, were equal to a period of 490 years. This period

the whole period which was to elapse, between the going forth of the com

mandment, given by Artaxerxes king || tism of John was a rite not of initiation of Persia, to Ezra the scribe, to re- but of confirmation; that by the adstore and build Jerusalem, and the ma-ministration of this, the covenant was king of reconciliation for iniquity, by confirmed with many; and that this the death of Messiah the Prince.* was done to prepare the way for the Messiah and his new dispensation. (To be continued.)

ON MISAPPLICATION OF SCRIPTURE.

This total period of seventy weeks, or 490 years, is divided, in the prophecy, into three parts; the first, of seven weeks, or forty-nine years, the second, of sixty two weeks, or 434 years, I AM pleased when I hear Scriptures and the last of one week, or seven adduced in prayer, sermons, or in reliyears. The first period was from the gious conversation, according to the time when Ezra received his commis- apparent meaning of the Holy Ghost, sion to the close of the administration But when texts are used in a different of Nehemiah; a period of just forty sense from what they bear in their connine years, in which the city was built nexion, it excites feelings, which tend again, and the wall, even in troublous to the injury of devotion. We readily times. The second period was from grant, that no writer should be quoted the close of Nehemiah's administra- differently from his own sense and tion to the commencement of the min-meaning. Authors are not pleased to istry of John the Baptist; a period of see or hear their words turned from just 434 years. The last period, the their plain and original design. Is one week, or seven years, was from this accuracy, in justice, due to fellow the commencement of the ministry of creatures? John to the crucifixion of Christ.§

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Then surely we ought to cite the Holy Scriptures with accuracy and due attention. If any man speak, let him speak as the Oracles of God.

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As a specimen of the many texts, which are often misapplied, I will mention a few instances.

It is especially to be observed, that of the last period it is said, and he shall confirm the covenant with many for," or during, one week; and in the midst, (or, as it should have been rendered, the half part)" of the week, he Many religious persons, when conshall cause the sacrifice and the obla-sidering themselves near the close of tion to cease." That is, in the close life, have been heard to repeat these of the last week, he shall abolish the words, Why is his chariot so long in rites of the Mosaic economy, and shall coming? Why tarry the wheels of his introduce a new dispensation. chariot? They are found in Judges John continued in his ministry three 5th, 28th. No one can read the years and a half; then the Messiah words understandingly, in that excelhimself preached three years and a lent song of Deborah and Barak, and half more; making, in the whole, sev-not admire their beauty. But what is en years, or one prophetic week. Du- their subject? They represent Sisera's ring this week, agreeably to the proph-mother looking out at a window imecy, the covenant was confirmed with patiently waiting for the return of her many. Many of the children of Is-son, loaded with the rich spoils of rael were turned unto the Lord their God's covenant people. The words, God, and by the baptism of John were in their connexion, express the preconfirmed in the holy covenant, made sumption, the vanity, and the pride of with their fathers. At the close of the her heart. God was not in her thoughts. week the Messiah was cut off, the sac- Is it not improper thus to misapply the rifice and oblation were made to cease, sacred text and use it in a sense very and the Christian dispensation was in- different from its original meaning?— troduced. So plain it is that the bap- Christians are not reduced to the nePrideaux Connection, Part 1. Book 5. cessity of such habitual misapplication ร Prid. Con. ibid for the want of suitable portions of

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