97 The Word tranſlated Ch:1dleſs is but thrice read in Holy Writ, and by various Interpreters tra"iſl:ted barren, not encreaſing, empty, full of ſorrow, wanting Children, &c. Ir 1 thought ro be interpreted, by the next Words, Ne Man of his ſeed ſhall proſper ſitting upon the Throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah ; for there are ſeven of his Sons named 1 Chron, 3. 17+ So that he is faid to be Childleſs, either becauſe all his Children died beforetheir Father ; or, ( which 3s moſt probable ) becauſe he had no Child tat fats upon the Throne, or ever had any Rulers place in 7u4ah but only ſome that lived in a mean condition in Captivity, amongſt whom Salathiel is
named, M#rth. te 12, 8s a Progenitor of Chriſt.
CHAP. XXII. Po azainſft wicked Paſtors, the ſcatteres Flock ſhall be gathered, Chrift
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2s ſome taink, rthar * ing of a rime, wuen nv? j#4ab only, but Iſrael alſo ſhouid be ſaved,
' king ſhall reiga, and proſper, and fhall execute juſtice
;
| and Goveracurs under the Goſpel. #5 Under whom they ſtill live , peaceably and fecurte'y.. & And none of them ſhall periſh. The : ewo laſt paſſages of this Verſe incline Interpreters to think that this promiſe doth not ſo much refer to their coming out of Babybn, as i to their ſpiritual deliverance by Chriſt, for after their return out of Baby/ox they were not ſecure long, but f:ired Sanballas and Tobiah, the Grecians and Romans, and other Enemizs; beſides that the laſt words exaQtly agrue viti, John 10, 28 when Chriſt faith his Sheep , ſhould not pe-iſb, 2nd iravpzars Verſe 6. that the Prophet is ſpeaks
n
and th- next Verſe doci manifeſtly refer uaro Chriſt. 5 © Behod, * cre days come, faith the LORD, that * 1%. »#| I wiil raiſe unto David, a righteous branch 1, and a 4%
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: ; hap. 33s and judgment 1: the earth bs os. { Tho :gh ſome Interpreters t1ink that Zorobabel may Þe here in- Dan. 9. i tended, who was de cerdeo from David and ruled the people 24. þ when they came out ct Babylon, yer, even :he Jewiſh Do&ors cheme Joh. 1,454 ; ſejves, zs well as the Chriffian Interpreters, underſtand this as a k! ; Prophecy ard promiſe of the Meiah; the Prophecies and Promiſes | of w om are uiually uſhered in with this Particle Be444, to ſtir up Peoples att-n'ion, and who alfſ» was the Son of David, and who is cailed the branch, Iſa. 4. 2, and 53. 2. Zech 3, 8. I/a. 11, 1. where rhe reaſon 1s allo given he being there called # 70/ out of the ſtem of
, | th... , eſſe, and 8 branch out of his root, beſides that the applicatien to him of. the Name King, ordinarily applyed to Chriſt, never given to Ze- robabel, and the term Righteous make it eyident. Chap. 33. 15. he'is ca'led a branch of Righteouſneſs, which is the ſams with the Righteous vranch, here mentioned. He 1s called the Righteous Branch, not only | becauſe himſelf was Righreous, therefore called the Righteous One; As 3,14. & 13. 35. but becauſe he maketh his people Righteous, ſa, 453: 10. and 60. 21, wm Jeſus Chriſt anſwering the Type of Melchiſe- deck the King of Salem, and who is King of Kings, 1 Tim. 6. 15. ſhall reign ſpiritually, and fhall not be like Jeconias of whom God ſaid he ſhould not proſper, but he thall proſper, and ſhall execute Jufice and Judgment, proteQting the innocent, and defending his people throughout the World, judging the Princes of the World , and by his Spirit governing his People:
S174 $o
F Pe XXII. ; So as the Prophet relieveth the People of God under their oppreſ ſions, by thele latter Kings of Judah, with the promiſe of che King dom of Chriſt, an afual argument made uſe of by tie Prophers to comfort the people of God in thoſe days againſt any evils come, or
5 hem. | gs 9 - : - Judah ſhall be * ſaved, and Iſrael ſhall
dwell ſafely « : and * this is his name whereby he ſhall be called} THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS». x Duriog the Reign and Kingdom of che M:ſſias ( whoſe King-
eb. L ; R ified by Judah K le of Go1 typified by dom is an everlaſting Kingom ) the peopope SS ove inner, (hall
muah.
and Iſrael, the true 1ſrae! of God, th
> he hs with a ſpiritual Salvation, for he was therefore called yo ſur becauſe he was to ſave his people from their fins, Marth. 1. 21. _ God will be a ſpecial protection to them, w The Name wherewit this branch ſhall be called, ſhall be, The Lord our Right eduſneſre | _ have applied this to the people, as if the people ſhould be fo ca - or ſhould ſay the Lord hath dealt graciouſly with us; or in thc Lord we have Righteouſneſs. But this wall appear but the new invention of ſome who eicher cannot, or will nor underſtand, how Chriſt ſhould be his peoples Righteouſneſs, thoſe who conſider not, that it is the branch which was before ſpoken of; and that the word people is not to be found going before, there 1s indeed «4 mznti-
on of Judah and Jrael, but ſurely they were not to be other Mens Righteouſneſs, and if that had been the Propher's meaning, he wou'd not have faid the Lord 0yr, but the Lord Their Righteonſneſs, Nor is this the only place where Chriſt is called Our Righteouſneſs, x Cor. 1. 30. This place is an eminent proof of the, Godkead of Chriſt, he is here called Jehovah, and what is proper to God alone.
wiz. to juftifie, is here applycd to Chriſt, The Propher, faith Chriſt, ſhall be fo called, that is. by his People, who ſhould believe in him and truſt in him alone for that Righteouſneſs, wherein they ſhould at the la& day ſtand before God, thus he was to bring in Everl»ſting Righteruſueſs, Dan. 9. 24+ He who knew no ſin, was maar ſin ( that is, a Sacrifice for ſin ) for us, that we might be made the Righteouſneſs of God #n him, |
7 Therefore behold, the days come, ſaith the LORD, that they ſhall no more fay, The LORD li- veth, which brought up the children of Iſrael} our of
Egypt. ; 8 But the LORD liveth, which brought up, and which led theſeed of the houſe of Iſrael out of the north-
Ountey, and from all countreys whether I had driven
them, and they ſhall dwell in their own land x.