"Thou didst not leave his foul (meaning CHRIST's) in the grave, &c." vol. i. p. 292. And the latter, to reject altogether the fecondary or mystical application of the paffage to CHRIST: "Thou wilt not leave my fout (meaning David's) in the grave, &c." :-with more confiftency perhaps, but still more injuriously, to the momentous doctrine of OUR LORD'S refurrection, p. 330. See the fole application of the pfalm to the MESSIAH, proved, in the CRITIQUE of laft December, p. 464.

The fuppofed reference of this noble prophecy to Solomon, in the first inftance, refts, 1. On the general resemblance of this prophecy to another, recorded, 1 Chron. 22, 7-13. and again, 1 Chron. 28, 2-7. whofe appropriation to Solomon is unquestionable; and with which Jofephus plainly blended the former; Antiq. 7, 4, 4. p. 290. Hudfon. And fo feems Solomon, 1 Kings 8, 19. 2. On the authorized tranflation of the 13th. verfe of the former prophecy, "If He commit iniquity I will chafize him with the rod of men, and with the ftripes of the children of men"-which is supported by all the ancient verfions, the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Vulgate, the Arabic, and the Chaldee paraphrafe:-And if fo, it is juftly contended, applies not to CHRIST, who did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth." 1 Pet. 2, 22. Whereas it fully correfponds to Solomon, who "did evil in the fight of the Lord." 1 Kings 11, 1-6. and "with whom THE LORD was angry," and threatened "to rend the kingdom from him."-9.

But however fpecious thefe arguments, they will, I truft, be found wanting in folidity, upon a more critical tranflation, and more careful comparison of the two prophecies; to which I now proceed :

THE FORMER PROPHECY.

2 SAM. VII. 1-15. And it came to pafs when the king dwelt in his houfe, and THE LORD had given him reft from all his enemies round about; that the king faid unto Nathan the Prophet: Behold, now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the Ark of God dwelleth within the curtains: And Nathan faid unto the king: Go and do all that is in thine heart, for the LORD is with thee.

And it came to pafs the fame night, that THE ORACLE OF THE LORD came unto Nathan, laying: Go and tell my fervant David, thus faith THE LORD: Shalt thou build me a houfe for my dwelling? For I have not dwelt in a houfe from the day that I brought up the children of Ifrael out of Egypt even to this day; but have fojourned in a tent, and in a tabernacle: wherefoever I fo

journed with all the children of Ifrael, ipake I a word to any of the

1 CHRON. XVII. 1-14.

And it came to pafs, when David dwelt in his houfe, that David faid unto Nathan the Prophet: Behold, I dwell in a houfe of cedar, but the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, under the curtains: And Nathan faid unto David, Do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.

And it came to pass, the fame night, that THE ORACLE Of Gov came unto Nathan faying: Go and tell David my fervant, thus faith the Lord: Thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in: For I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought up Ifrael unto this day, but have been from tent to tent and from tabernacle [to tabernacle]: wherefoever I fojourned with all the children of Ifrael, fpake I a word to any of the judges of Ifrael, whom I com

So render the Septuagint and Syriac verfions; fupported by fome MSS of Kennicott and De Raffi, which read 15, inftead of the printed S. And the context requires, and the parallel paffage juftifies the alteration.

THE LATTER PROPHECY.

REMARKS.

If we carefully compare these two prophecies and their refpective accompanyments, together, we fhall find that they differ from each other in feveral material particulars: viz. the perfons to whom they were immediately addreffed; the times and circumftances in which they were delivered; and the fubjects of each: For, 1. The former prophecy was delivered by 66 THE ORACLE OF THE LORD" or THE ORACLE OF GOD" to Nathan the prophet, in order to be communicated to David; whereas the latter, was delivered by "THE ORACLE OF THE LORD" or "GOD" immediately to David himfelf: and so Solomon states, alluding thereto : Vol. II. Churchm. Mag. Feb. 1802. L

"AS THE LORD Spake unto David my Father," 1 Kings 5, 5, and again, 8, 18.-But not to infift on this, which may perhaps be a difference more in appearance than in reality, becaufe Nathan might have communicated the latter, alfo: 2. The prophecies were plainly delivered at different times and on different occafions; the former, probably about the fourteenth year of David's reign, "When the Lord had given him reft from all his enemies round about the latter, about fix years after, or the twentieth year of his reign, fhortly before the birth of his fon and fucceffor, Solomon:-For, David was not elected king by all the tribes of Ifrael, until he had reigned seven years and fix months over the tribe of Judah'; after which, He befieged and took the ftrong fort of Jebus on the hill of Sion; He built the city of David, around it; He profpered and grew great, and built himself a houfe of cedar, or a fumptuous palace; He fought two pitched battles with the Philistines, and discomfited them; He removed the ark of God from Gibeah, to Obed-edom's houfe; and after three months ftay there, to the tabernacle which he had built for it in the city of David:All these fubfequent events, could fcarcely be comprized in less than fix or feven years more; fo that we seem to be warranted in affigning the former prophecy, in confequence of David's intimation to Nathan of building a temple to THE LORD, (in which he was unwittingly encouraged by Nathan) to the fourteenth year of David's reign, or there about: but the latter prophecy exprefsly recognizes Solomon by name and was probably given thortly before his birth; accordingly his name was called Solomon (peaceable): and THE LORD furnamed him "Jedidiah (beloved of the Lord) by the hand of Nathan the prophet." 2 Sam. 12, 24 -25. But Solomon, at his acceffion, was young and tender;' 1 Chron. 22, 5. and modeftly ftiled himself "a little child;" (in underftanding) 1 Kings, 3, 7. and yet, his own fon and fucceffor Rehoboam, was born the year before his acceffion: compare 1 Kings 11, 42, and 14, 21. fo that both circumftances confidered, we cannot deviate much from the truth, in dating this prophecy and the fubfequent birth of Solomon about the twentieth year of David's reign; who reigned forty years in all; and confequently, Solomon was about twenty years old at his acceffion.

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3. That David did not understand God's gentle refufal, in the former prophecy," Shalt thou build me a houfe for my dwelling?" or as the interrogation is explained in the parallel paffage: "Thou shalt not build me a houfe to dwell in," as an abfolute prohibition, appears from his still meditating to build, and preparing materials; until the latter prophecy expressly rejected him as a man of war that had shed much blood," and preferred his fon Solomon; to whom, when God had marked his choice of the spot on which the temple was to be built, by "Anfwering him by fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering," 1 Chron. 21, 26 and 22, 1. David then communicated the latter prophecy, near the clofe of his reign; and afterwards folemnly repeated it before all the congregation of Ifrael; fhortly before his decease.

4. The former prophecy, in the first parenthetical claufe, looks far into futurity, and the final deftination of the people of Ifrael; promifing them, a flourishing fettlement, an independent establishment, and permanent reft from all their enemies; fuch as they had not enjoyed from the infancy of their state--" even from the day that I appointed judges over my people Ifrael"-nor ever have yet enjoyed unto the prefent day; but which it was

fore

foretold by Mofes and all the prophets, fhould take place in the last days" during the reign of the MESSIAH upon earth; after a long continued period of defolation. Compare Deut. 28, 59. Ifa. 6, 11. Dan. 8, 13, 14. Hofea 3, 4-5, &c. with Deut. 30, 1-5. Nehem. 1, 9. Ifa. 66, 19–22. Jer. 23, 5–8. Ezek. 34, 23-31. and 36, 24-35, &c. &c.

5. To the birth and character of this illuftrious defcendant, the prophecy next adverts with much folemnity.

Moreover, the Lord declareth unto thee, that the Lord will make thee a houfe: when thy days fhall be expired, and thou shalt be with thy fathers, I will raise up THY SEED after thee which shall iffue from thy bowels;" or, as explained in the parallel paffage: "which shall be of thy fons," or remote defcendants; as the phrafe is applied to Hezekiah's pofterity; whofe captivity is thus predicted above fourfcore years before it happened; " Moreover, of thy fons, who shall iffue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, fhall (the Babylonians) take away, &c." 2 Kings 20, 18. And the paffage is exprefsly understood of CHRIST by the apoftle Peter, in that noble difcourfe, which was the first fruits of the Spirit, on the memorable day of Pentecoft: "GOD fware unto David with an oath: that of the fruit of his loins, (according to the flesh) He would raise up CHRIST to fit on his throne, &c." Acts 2, 30. And it is truly remarkable, that as the term "Son" was applied to Solomon in the latter prophecy: "Behold a fon fhall be born to thee," &c. fo to mark the diftinction, we may prefume, the prophetic term "feed," originally applied to the promised "feed of the woman," deftined "to break the ferpent's head" immediately after the fall of our first parents, Gen. 3, 15.-and foretold by fundry fucceffive limitations, to be alfo, "the feed of Abraham”—“ Of Ifaac"-and " of Jacob”—“ in whom all nations or families of the earth shall be blessed," as a Saviour and Deliverer from the bondage of Satan, and punishment of fin: Gen. 22, 18. and 26, 4. and 28, 14.-is, in the former prophecy, finally appropriated "to the house and lineage of David," and was accordingly fulfilled, at the birth of JESUS CHRIST, Luke 2, 4-6. And fuch is the force of the apostle Paul's matterly argument: "Now to Abraham and his feed, were the promifes declared: (GOD) faith not, feeds, as of many; but as of one, and thy feed which is CHRIST." Gal. 3, 16.-" And I will establish his kingdom-for ever"-" thy house and thy kingdom shall be established before Me for ever; thy throne fhall be confirmed for ever"-and this magnificent defcription of the MESSIAH's kingdom, (which is utterly inapplicable to Solomon's, in a temporal fenfe) is thus finally expanded by Ifaiah in that moft noble prophecy, enumerating the titles of this most illustrious son of David:"Of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice, from henceforth even for ever." Ifa. 9, 7, And to crown all, the archangel Gabriel, at the annunciation, records the completion of both, in the promifed birth of JESUS: "THE LORD GOD will give Him the throne of David his Father; and He shall reign over the Houje of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end," Luke 1,

32-33.

-"He fhall build a houfe for my name"-Not a temporary, perishable houfe, fuch as David then meditated to build; but that glorious temple to be erected in the last days, or final restoration of the Jews, under the aufpices of the MESSIAH; defcribed in the following magnificent terms, by the prophet Zechariah, 6, 12—13. "Behold the man, whofe name is

L 2

THE