with his great, and sore, and strong sword, his mightily and dreadfully destroying his enemies, treading them down as the mire, treading them in his anger and trampling them in his fury, sprinkling his raiment with their blood, &c. Samson is fed with honey out of the carcase of the lion, which is agreeable to what the prophecies represent of the glorious benefits of the Messiah's conquest over his enemies, to himself and his people, his own ascension, glory and kingdom, and the glory of his people. Samson made a feast on occasion of his marriage, which is agreeable to Isai. xxv. 6. "And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things; a feast of wines on the lees of fat things, full of marrow; of wines on the lees well refined." Isai. lxv. 13, 14. " My servants shall eat-my servants shall drink-my servants shall rejoice-my servants shall sing for joy of heart;" and innumerable prophecies that speak of the great plenty and joy of God's people in the Messiah's times; and this accompanying the Messiah's marriage with his spiritual spouse. See Isai. Ixii. 4, 5. 7-9, and Hos. ii. 19-22, and Cant. ii. 4, and v. 1. When Samson visited his wife with a kid, he was rejected, and her younger sister, that was fairer than she, given to him; Judg. xv. 2. Which is agreeable to what the prophecies represent of the Messiah's coming to the Jews first, when he was offered up as a lamb or kid, and making the first offer of the glorious benefits of his sacrifice to them, and their rejecting him, and the calling of the Gentiles, and the more glorious and beautiful state of the Gentile church than of the ancient Jewish church. In Judg. xvi. 1, 2, we have an account how Samson loved an harlot, and from his love to her exposed himself to be compassed round by his enemies. So the prophecies represent the Messiah as loving a sinful people, and from love seeking such a people to be his spouse, as that which occasions his suffering from his enemies. Isia. liii. taken with the following chapter. Samson, while his enemies are compassing him round, to destroy him, rises from sleep, and from midnight darkness, and takes away the strength and fortification of the city of his enemies, the gate of the city, which his enemies shut and barred fast upon him to confine him, and the two posts, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill. Judg. xvi. 3. So the prophecies represent the Messiah, when compassed round by his enemies, rising from the sleep of death, and emerging out of the thick darkness of his sorrows and sufferings, spoiling his enemies, and ascending into heaven, and leading captivity captive. Samson was betrayed and sold by Delilah, his false spouse or companion. So the prophecies do represent the Messiah as sold by his false and treacherous people. Samson was delivered up into the hands of his enemies, and was mocked and derided, and very cruelly treat

ed by them; agreeably to what is foretold of the Messiah. Samson died partly through the cruelty and murderous malice of his enemies, and partly from his own act: agreeably to what is foretold of the Messiah. Ibid. § 51. 58, 59. 72. Samson at his death destroyed his enemies, and the destruction he made of his enemies was chiefly at his death; which is agreeable to Isai. liii. 10-12, and Ps. lxviii. 18. Samson overthrew the temple of Dagon, which is agreeable to what the prophecies say of the Messiah's overthrowing idols and idol worship in the world. Samson destroyed his enemies suddenly in the midst of their triumph over him, so that their insulting him in the prospect of his destruction, instantly issues in their own destruction; agreeably to Isai. xxix. 5-8.

There is a yet a more remarkable, manifest and manifold agreement between the things said of David in his history, and the things said of the Messiah in the prophecies. His name David signifies beloved, as the prophecies do represent the Messiah as in a peculiar and transcendent manner the beloved of God. David was God's elect in an eminent manner. Saul was the king whom the people chose. 1 Sam. viii. 18, and xii. 13. But David was the king whom God chose, one whom he found and pitched upon according to his own mind, without any concern of man in the affair, and contrary to what men would have chosen. When Jesse caused all his elder sons to pass before Samuel, God said concerning one and another of them, "The Lord hath not chosen this;" neither hath the Lord chosen this, &c. See 1 Chron. xxviii. 4. There David says, "The Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father, to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel." See Psa. lxxviii. 67-70, and lxxxix. 3. "I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn unto David my servant, agreeably to Isai. xlii. 1. "Mine elect," &c. 49. "And he shall choose thee." He was a king of God's finding and providing, and he speaks of him as his king. 1 Sam xvi. 1. "I will send thee to Jesse for I have provided me a king among his sons." 2 Sam. xxii. 51. "He is the tower of salvation for his king." Agreeably to Psa. ii. "I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." He is spoken of as a man after God's own heart, and one in whom God delighted. 2 Sam. xxii. 20. "He delivered me because he delighted in me;" agreeably to Isai. xlii. 1. " Behold my servant whom I uphold; mine elect in whom my soul delighteth." David was in a very eminent manner God's anointed, or Messiah, (as the word is,) and is so spoken of, Ps. xxii. 51. "He showeth mercy to his anointed, unto David ;" and xxiii. 1, "David, the

son of Jesse ;the man who was raised upon high, the anointed of the God of Jacob." Ps. lxxxix. 19, 20. "I have exalted one chosen out of the people; I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him." Samuel anointed him with peculiar solemnity. 1 Sam. xvi. 13. See how this agrees with the prophecies of the Messiah. David's anointing remarkably agrees with what the prophecies say of the anointing of the Messiah, which speak of him as a being anointed with the Spirit of God. So David was anointed with the Spirit of God, at the same time that he was anointed with oil. 1 Sam. xvi. 13. "And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." David is spoken of as being a poor man, of a low family, and in mean circumstances. 1 Sam. xviii. 23. "I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed." 2 Sam. vii. 18. "Who am I? and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto ?" Agreeably to this, it is said of the Messiah in the prophecies, that he was a root out of a dry ground; that he was a low tree. David is spoken of as an eminently holy person, a man after God's own heart. He is spoken of in the history of the kings of Judah, as one whose heart was perfect with the Lord his God; 1 Kings xi. 4; one that went fully after the Lord; 1 Kings xi. 6; one that did that that was right in the eyes of the Lord. 1 Kings xv. 11. 2 Kings xviii. 3. 2 Chron. xxviii. 1, and xxix. 2. He is spoken of as pure, upright, and righteous; one that had clean hands; that kept the ways of the Lord, and did not wickedly depart from God; 2 Sam. xxii. 21-27. This agrees with what is said in the prophecies of the Messiah. David was the youngest son of Jesse; as the Messiah in the prophecies is spoken of as coming in the latter days. has frequently the appellation of God's servant. It would be endless to mention all the places: see them in the Concordance under the word servant DAVID. So has the Messiah often this appellation in the prophecies. Isai. xlii. 1—19, xlix. 3—6, lii. 13, liii. 11. Zech. iii. 8. David's outward appearance was not such as would have recommended him to the esteem and choice of men, as a person fit for rule and victory, but, on the contrary, such as tended to cause men to despise him as a candidate for such things; 1 Sam. xvi. 7. "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature for man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Sam. xxii. 42. “ And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth. Ver. 56. "Inquire whose son this stripling is." Eliab, his elder brother, thought him fitter to be with the sheep, than to come to the army. 1 Sam. xvii. 28. Agreeably to Isai. liii. 2, “He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we

He

should desire him." David appeared unexpectedly. Samuel expected a man of great stature, and appearing outwardly like a man of valour; and therefore when he saw Eliab, David's elder brother, that had such an appearance, he said, surely the Lord's anointed is before him. His appearance was astonishing to Goliath and to Saul. So the prophecies represent the Messiah's appearance as unexpected and astonishing, being so mean. Isai. xlii. 14. "Many were astonished at thee. His visage was so marred more than any man." But yet David was ruddy and of a fair countenance, and goodly to look to. 1 Sam. xvi. 12, xvii. 42, agreeable to Psalm xlv. 2. "Thou art fairer than the children of men.' Cant. v. 10. "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousands." He was anointed king after of fering sacrifice. 1 Sam. xvi. So the prophecies represent the Messiah's exaltation to his kingdom, after he had by his sufferings offered up a sacrifice to atone for the sins of men. David says of himself, 1 Chron. xxviii. 14, "The Lord God of Israel chose me to be king over Israel for ever." And God says to him, 2 Sam. vii. 16," And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee. Thy throne shall be established for ever." This is agreeable to the prophecies of the Messiah. David, by occupation was a shepherd, and afterwards was made a shepherd to God's Israel. Ps. lxxviii. 70-72. "He chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds, from following the ewes great with young. He brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance." This is agreeable to many prophecies of the Messiah, who is often spoken of in them as the shepherd of God's people, and therein is expressly compared to David. Isaiah xl. 11." He shall feed his flock like a shepherd." Isaiah xlix. 9, 10. "They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them. For he that hath mercy on them shall lead them; by the springs of water shall he guide them." Jer. xxiii. 4, 5. " And I will set up shepherds over them, which shall feed them-I will raise up unto David a righteous branch," &c. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; even my servant David: he shall feed them, and shall be their shepherd." Ezekiel xxxvii. 24. "And David my servant shall be king over them, and they shall have one shepherd." Canticles i. 7. "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon." David was of an humble, meek, and merciful spirit. 1 Samuel xviii. 23. 2 Samuel vi. 21, 22. vii. 18. 1 Samuel xxiv. throughout, and xxvi. throughout; 2 Sam. ii. 5. 21, and iv. 9, &c. vii. 18. 2 Sam. xxii. 26, and many places in the Psalms show the same spirit, too

many to be mentioned. This is agreeable to what is said of the Messiah, Zech. ix. 9. "He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." Isaiah xlii. 3. "A bruised reed shall he not break," &c. Isaiah xl. 11. He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." Isaiah liii. 7. "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." David was a person that was eminent for wisdom and prudence. 1 Samuel. xvi. 18. "Behold I have seen a son of Jesse-prudent in matters." And xviii. 5. "And David behaved himself wisely." Verse 14. "And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways," Ver. 30. "David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul." Ps. lxxviii. 72. "He guided them by the skilfulness of his hands." This is agreeable to what is said of the Messiah, Isaiah ix.'6. Chap. xi. 2, 3; xli. two last verses, with xlii. 1, lii. 13. Zech. iii. 9. David is said to be a mighty valiant man." 1 Sam. xvi. 18. "Behold I have seen'a son of Jesse, a mighty valiant man." This is agreeable to Psalm xlv. 3. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory, and thy majesty." Isaiah lxiii. 1. "Who is this travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." And in this very thing the Messiah is compared to David. Psalm lxxxix. 19, 20. "I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people; I have found David my servant." David was a sweet musician; was preferred as such to all that were to be found in Israel, to relieve Saul in his melancholy. He is called "the sweet Psalmist of Israel." 2 Sam xxiii. 1. He led the whole church of Israel in their praises. He instituted the order of singers and musicians in the house of God. He delivered to the church the book of songs they were to use in their ordinary public worship. This is most agreeable to the prophecies of the Messiah, which do every where represent, that he should introduce the most pleasant, joyful, glorious state of the church, wherein they should abound in the praises of God, and the world be filled with sweet and joyful songs after sorrow and weeping; wherein songs should be heard from the uttermost ends of the earth, and all nations should sing, and the mountains and trees of the field, and all creatures, sun, moon and stars, heaven and earth should break forth into singing, and even the dead should awake and sing, and the lower parts of the earth should shout, and the tongue of the dumb should sing, and the dragons and all deeps; the barren, the prisoners, the desolate and mourners should sing; and all nations should come and sing in the height of Zion; they should sing a loud, and sing a new song, or in a new manner, with music and praises exalting all that had been before. The particular texts are too many to enumerate.