See! see! how grand on Zion's mount He's come
To give to Jacob his beloved home;
And whose deliv'rance perfected, full wrought,
Is holy made in mind, in act, and thought.
Lo! Great Messiah o'er the land shall reign,
And Esau judge and Jacob claim His own!
O Israel thou must dwell for many days,
Without a king, a prince, or sacrifice ;
No ephod in thy native home abide,
No teraphim the mystic way to guide :
Yet, in the latter day thou shalt return‡
To serve thy God, and see thy Saviour reign;
Thy increase be in like unnumber'd store,
As grains of sand upon the sea-beat shore,
And thou and Judah loving brothers meet,
Obey a Prince, Who's gracious, good, and great;
And they, who said they not His subjects were,
Shall be convinc'd they all His servants are.§
* Obadiah prophecied 585 years B. C.
† Hosea delivered his prophecies 800 years B. C.
§ This is so plain a prophecy respecting the dispersion and restoration of the Israelites that no person of common understanding can mistake its meaning; nor can all the sophistical reasoning of unbelief set aside, or convert it to any other transaction.
This is the BRANCH which shall all nations bless, Whose sacred presence will the temple grace,
Bear holy produce, rule on David's throne,*
Make peace the emblem of His glorious reign.
Jerusalem, thou shalt this Saviour see,
Upon an ass ride humbly into thee;
Yet will thy sons the sword against Him raise
Him, God's anointed, murder and despise ;
But, an high priest eternally in heaven,
He, shall be thron'd, and glory to Him be giv❜n.
Upon the house of David He shall pour,
Celestial gifts, and Jacob's children hear
His gospel-word; with fervent sorrow then,
For whom they pierc'd will in contrition mourn :
They shall true faith and holiness display,
And bell-hung steeds the great conversion shew.†
Then shall His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Earth's farthest bounds His great salvation share,
To heathen converts grace wing from above ;-
How grand the work, Thou gracious God of love!
Give ear, ye nations, hear Jehovah speak!
Yet, in a little while, the earth I'll shake,
* See chap. iii. vi. and ix.
‡ Haggai flourished 520 years before the Redeemer appeared.
"At my tremendous word the heavens fear,*
"Convuls'd, amaz'd, dry land, and sea appear!
"I give command, and roars the furious storm,
"Bid all be still, appears the glassy calm;
"Earth's nations tremble at My sov'reign name,
"Yet their Desire shall surely come to them.
"With light celestial I will fill My house,
“There shall My glory shine in rays profuse ;
"Though grand the first erected to My name,
"The last Messiah's presence shall contain;
"To this shall come the Holy Prince of Peace,
"To give My faithful heav'n and happiness:
"Thrones and dominions He shall overthrow,
"The heathens' strength extirpate and destroy,
"A wicked race convert to righteousness,
"Spread over earth faith, love, and holiness."
Thou, Bethlehem, now little in the land,
Shalt, rais'd, exalted, in high splendour stand :‡
He, Who's anointed Israel's Prince to be
A future day, shall have His birth in thee !§
+ Micah held the prophetic office about the same time as Isaiah.
§ This prophecy needs no comment, being fulfilled it is perfectly clear; and ought to teach every one to rest satisfied that all the other prophecies, contained in holy writ, not at this day fulfilled, as surely will be at the time appointed by God for their completion.
Who was, Who is th' Eternal, shall appear*
To dwell on earth, give law with holy care:
He, Great and Mighty, shall with justice rule,
Make free the slave, give comfort to the soul,
Bestow on men what's truly great and good,†
Request they'll humbly walk before their God,
Speak truth, act rightly, ever mercy love,
And thus themselves His faithful servants prove.
As Bozrah's flocks are gather'd to the stall,‡
He to His fold shall lead stray'd Israel;
Then, o'er the earth, His blessings shall be spread,
He, Bless'd Redeemer, highly magnifi'd;
peace shall grace His glorious reign,§
A world made happy in rich splendor shine,
Their swords to ploughshares hostile nations beat,
And spears to pruning hooks, with joy, convert.||
Behold! his Harbinger proceeds before
To lead the way, the holy path prepare
For Him, ye seek; who to His own shall come**
And suddenly commence His holy reign.
* "Whose goings forth have been from old; from everlasting." According to the authorized translation.
|| The prophecies of Micah appear to be an echo of those of Isaiah-the one confirming the other in every particular, where the subject is noticed by both.
Malachi was the last of the ancient Prophets, and delivered his predictions 400 years before the Christian era.
He comes, He comes, the Lord of Hosts declares;
Who gives delight, a God, a God, appears ;-
The MESSENGER,* who bears the covenant,
So firmly seal'd by the Omnipotent !—
As a refiner's purifying fire
Cleans for the mint the precious metal's ore,
The sons of Levi He'll make holy; free
Repenting sinners of iniquity,
That they may give the fruits of righteousness,
From hearts made pious for their sacrifice.
The reader will observe that Malachi names two Messengers, who are different persons; the first is John the Baptist, sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, the other is the Messiah himself, come into the world to confirm God's everlasting covenant made with man.
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