But, to enter more distinctly into this subject —
[Three things are here predicted as grounds of unutterable joy: First; Their enemies shall all be cast out; next, The Sa- viour, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall dwell in the midst of them; and lastly, There shall be an utter end of their troubles.
Their enemies shall all be cast out. When the time shall arrive for the full accomplishment of this, the combination against them will be formidable in the extreme. But " all of their enemies shall fall for Zion's saked:" yea, if there were " a confederacy of the whole earth against them," the Jews shall consume them " as easily as a torch of fire consumes a sheaf e," and as certainly "as a lion prevails over a flock of sheepf:" such " a burthensome stone shall Jerusalem be, to crush all her opponents ;" and to such an abject state shall she reduce them, that, " like serpents, they shall lick the dust of the earth before her," and be " like worms that dare not to crawl out of their holes through fearg."
Then shall the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, descend to dwell in the midst of them. This is repeated in most glowing terms by the prophet in the second verse following my texth; and is affirmed also by the prophet Zechariah1, and by Ezekiel also, who declares, that " they shall dwell in the land where their fathers dwelt," and that the true " David, their Messiah, shall be king over them;" and that " God's tabernacle shall be with them ; " and his presence so conspicuous in the midst of them, that " all the heathen world shall acknowledge them as his peculiar people k." As to the personal reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years, I can say nothing to it. But I have no doubt, his manifestations of himself to them will be beyond all former example glorious ; and his communications of his grace and peace to them far exceed all the precedents of former times, " the light of the moon being as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, as the light of seven days1." Under the Mosaic dispensation they saw the Saviour as in a shadow : we see him as in a glass or mirror : but " the Jews in that day shall see him eye to eye," and face to facem.
Then shall there be to them an utter end of all their troubles. " They shall not see evil any more." Then " will God take out of their hands the cup of trembling ; and they shall drink it no more"." " No more will he hide his face from them0:" " the days of their mourning shall be endedp :" and they shall
d Isai. liv. 16, 17. e Zech. xii. 3, 6, 9. f Mic. v. 8, 9, 1'5.
g Mic. vii. 15—17. h ver. 17. ! Zech. ii. 10—12.
k Ezek. xxxvii. 24 — 28. ] Isai. xxx. 26.
m Isai. Hi. 8. with 1 Cor. xiii. 12. n Isai. Ii. 21—23.
0 Ezek. xxxix. 25 — 29. *» Isai. lx. 15 — 20.
1231. J THANKFULNESS FOR COLl's MERCIES. 405
thenceforth be for a name and a praise to God amongst all the nations of the earth q."
And now I ask, is not this a ground for most exalted joy ? So Jehovah himself regards it : " Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth : and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create ; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joyr." I call upon you then, my brethren, not to be indifferent to this sublime subject. If at the time when the prophecy was delivered, the prospect of these great events was a ground of joy, much more should it be so now, when the ac- complishment of them is no near at hand. Could I address all the nation of Israel dispersed throughout the world, I would say to them, "Sing, O daughter of Zion ; shout, O Israel; rejoice and be glad with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusa- lem ; " for thy complete redemption draweth nigh. I already see, as it were, " the glory of the Lord revealed to thee ; " and in the name of the Most High God I proclaim unto thee, " Thy warfare is accomplished ; thine iniquity is pardoned ; and thou shalt receive at the Lord's hands mercies double" the amount of all the sins thou hast committed, and of all the judgments thou hast merited8.]