1. Let the kingdom of our Lord be welcomed by you—
[Verily his subjects are happy; for " his yoke is easy, and his burthen light." Not so the subjects of sin and Satan. No: " they are in sore bondage: for the way of transgressors is hard." Submit ye then, Brethren, to his sceptre : " obey his voice; for God's name is in himx:" and know assuredly, that if you still continue to rebel against him, the time is coming when he will say, fl Bring hither those that were mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me."]
2. Let his name be dear unto you —
[" To them that believe, he is precious y." And he de- serves to be so: for he " delivers his subjects from the powers of darkness," and makes them kings like unto himself2. He will be dear, and his name will be great amongst all nations3. O let him be so to you ! Receive him into your hearts as your Saviour and Redeemer, yea, and as your Lord and Governor.]
x Exod. xxiii. 21. y 1 Pet. ii. 7.
z Luke xxii. 29. Rev. i. 6. and in. 21. a Ps. Ixxii. 17—19.
Micah v. 5. This man shall be the Peace, ivhen the Assyrian shall come into our land.
IT is of the very nature of prophecy to be dark and intricate : for, if it were perfectly plain, men would either labour to defeat the counsels of heaven, or ascribe the accomplishment of them to second causes. Among the various things which tend to obscure the predictions of the prophets, we notice more especially their complicated allusions to things temporal and spiritual, present and remote. In the prophecy before us, considerable difficulties occur, because it is so expressed as to comprehend several distinct events, and to be accomplished in a variety of ways : nevertheless the general scope of it is suffi- ciently plain ; and the truth which we shall deduce
a Preached in July, 1803. VOL. X. X