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favourite hero, dragged the governor thereof at his chariot wheels. "The burden of the word of the "Lord in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall "be the rest thereof.-And Hamath also shall bor"der thereby; Tyrus, and Sidon, though it be very "wise. And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, "and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as "the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will cast "her out, and he will smite her power in the sea, " and she shall be devoured with fire. Askelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and shall "be sorrowful; and Ekron, for her expectation, “shall be ashamed, and the king shall perish from "Gaza, and Askelon shall not be inhabited." The prophet next foretelleth the mixture and incorporation of the Philistines, when thus humbled by Alexander, with their old enemies the Jews: "And a

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bastard," or an alien generation (aλλoyɛveis, say the LXX.) "shall dwell in Ashdod; and I will cut off "the pride of the Philistines; and I will take away "his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations "from between his teeth; but he that remaineth, 66 even he shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah and Ekron as a Jebusite." Amidst these revolutions and alterations of affairs in the world, God promiseth, in the next verse, to preserve his temple, while so many castles and strong holds about Jerusalem were overturned, so many cities swept of their inhabitants by the besom of destruction: "And I will encamp about mine house, "because of the army, because of him that passeth

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by, and because of him that returneth: and no

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oppressor shall pass through them any more; for now have I seen with mine eyes." Then followeth the prophecy in my text-" Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, "and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an 66 ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut "off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from "Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off; and "he shall speak peace unto the Heathen; and his "dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from "the river to the ends of the earth.' As if the prophet had spoken in more words to Jerusalem thus"Thine eyes, in the generations following, shall be"hold the flourishing pride of sundry nations, each "endeavouring to overtop others in height of glory "and temporal state; each striving to keep others under, by human policy, or strength of war. And "whilst the sight of their mutual conquests shall

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possess thy thoughts, thou wilt be ready, in the "pride of thine heart, to say, Jerusalem and Judah one day shall have their turn, and in that day shall "the sons of Jacob, the seed of Abraham and Da

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vid, be like the monarchs of Greece and Persia, "far exalted above the kings of other nations; every "one able to bear arms, glistering with his golden

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shield, and leading the princes of the Heathen, as prisoners, bound in chains, and their nobles in "fetters of iron. The beauty and riches of their "costly temples shall deck the chariots of my child"ren, which their captives shall draw in triumph. "But thou shouldest remember, that the promised

"Prince of peace, of benignity, and justice, should "not be sought among the tumultuous hosts of war: "nor canst thou hope that He, who is the Desire of "all nations, should be thy Leader or General, to "destroy those nations. It is glory and honour (C enough for thee, glory and honour greater than the greatest conqueror on earth could ever compass, "that the King of kings and Lord of lords shall be "anointed and proclaimed King upon the hill of "Sion: that the inviolable decrees of everlasting

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justice shall be given to all the nations under "heaven from thy courts. And, therefore, while "horses and chariots, and other glorious prepara❝tions of war, shall present themselves to thy view, "suffer them to pass as they come; and rest as"sured, that thy King, of whose coming thou hast "often been admonished by the prophets, is not

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among them. The manner of his coming to thee, "so thou wilt mark it, bodes far better tidings to "thee, and all the nations besides, than can accom

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pany the prosperous success of wars, or any vic66 tory stained with blood. What king of Judah or "Israel did ever levy an army, though in just de"fence of their country and people, on so fair terms, "that no poor amongst them were pinched with "taxes for the supply? What victory did they ever "obtain so cheap, that many of their children were

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not forced to sit down with loss, many wounded, "others maimed, and some always slain? But, lo, "now I bring thee unusual matter of exultation and "joy. For, behold, thy King cometh unto thee, "whensoever he cometh, attended with justice for

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"his guide, and salvation for his train. He shall "execute judgement without oppression: he shall save thee, so thou wilt be saved, without destroying any, being able to make thy lame to go, to give life to thy dead, without hazard either of life or limb to any that rests within thy territories. "Such shall be the manner of his coming, and such "his presence, that the poorest wretch among thy "children may think himself more happy than any "king of Judah or Israel which was before him, so "he will but conform himself to the temper and de

meanour of his Saviour. For he cometh unto "thee, poor and lowly, riding upon an ass, to wean "thee from the vain hopes of the Heathen, from "which the prophets have so often dehorted thy "forefathers. Some put their trust in horses, and "some in chariots; but thy confidence must be in "the Lord thy God, who will always be thy King, to defend thee, to protect thee, to strengthen thee "through this weakness"."

Having thus taken a general view of the prophecy, proceed we to make some observations and reflections upon the several parts of it, in the order in which they lie.

Beautiful and striking is the manner in which it is introduced. The prophet doth not coldly inform Jerusalem, that her King should come to her, and that, when he did come, she ought to rejoice. Rapt into future times, he seems to have been present at the glorious scene. Standing upon mount Olivet,

Dr. Jackson-vol. ii. p. 845.

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he hears the hosannas of the disciples, and beholds the procession approach towards the gates of Jerusalem: he turns himself to the city, and breaks forth in transport," Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!" Religion, then, hath its joys; a prophet calleth us to exult and shout; and often as this holy season returneth, the church secondeth his call. Her services dispel the gloom of melancholy, and put gladness into the hearts of all her children. They are wonderfully calculated to renew good impressions in our minds, to increase our faith, to invigorate our hope, to blow up the sacred fires of devotion and charity, and to fill us with holy and heavenly tempers. They produce a joy "which no man taketh from us," and in which "a stranger intermeddleth not:" they inspire a pleasure which no pain can overcome, of which no time can deprive us, and which death will perfect and ensure to us for ever. Perverse Jerusalem rejected joy, and chose sorrow for her portion. Glad tidings came to the Gentiles, and were gladly received. The Christian church, formed of them, is now the daughter of Sion, and the new Jerusalem. To her the promises are transferred and made good. She therefore obeyeth the prophet's injunctions; she continually, with the holy Virgin, "magnifieth "the Lord, and her spirit rejoiceth in God her "Saviour."

The next words of our prophet assign the reason why Jerusalem was called upon to rejoice, namely, the approach of her King: "Behold thy King "cometh unto thee." A person was to visit Jeru

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