of Solomon's reign were the fruit of God's everlasting love to Israel. 1 Kings x. 9. "Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he the king to do judgment and justice." Jer. xxxi. 3. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Solomon reigned from the river Euphrates to the ends of the earth, even the uttermost part of the land next to the great sea, as it was called. 1 Kings iv. 21, agreeable to Ps. lxxii. 8, and Zech. ix. 10. Solomon had many chariots. 1 Kings iv. 26, and x. 26. This is agreeable to Ps. lxviii. 18, and Dan. vii. 10. The exceeding greatness of Solomon's court, the vast number of his servants, ministers, and attendants, which may be learned from 1 Kings iv. 1–19. 22, 23. Chap. ix. 22. 2 Chron. viii. 9, 10, is agreeable to Ps. Ixviii. 18, and Dan. x. 13. 21, and xii. 1, compared with Dan. vii. 10. Other kings and nations brought presents unto Solomon. 1 Kin. iv. 21, ix. 14, and x. 25. Ps. lxviii. 29. "Because of thy temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents unto thee." Ps. lxxii. 10, and xlv. 12. The queen of Sheba came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and to be instructed by him, and brought great presents, and particularly gold and spices. 1 Kings x. 2. 10. This is agreeable to Isai. Ix. 6. "All they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord." Ps. lxxii. 9, 10. "The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts." Ver. 15. "To him shall be given of the gold of Sheba."

The queen of Sheba came bringing her presents on a multitude of camels. 1 Kings x. 2. "And she came to Jerusalem with a .very great train, with camels that bare spices and very much gold;" agreeable to Isia. lx. 6. "The multitude of camels shall cover thee: the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense." Solomon extended his royal bounty to the queen of Sheba, and gave her all her desire. Agreeable to what the prophecies represent of the blessings and favour of the Messiah to be extended to the Gentiles, and his granting the requests of those that look to him from the ends of the earth. Israel, in Solomon's time, was enriched and adorned with the gold of Ophir, especially they of Solomon's courts, and of his own family agreeably to Psa. xlv. 9. "On thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir." All the kings and merchants of Arabia brought presents of gold and spices unto Solomon. 1 Kings x. 14, 15. This is agreeable to Isai. xlv. 14. The merchandise of Ethiopia shall come over to thee." Zeph. iii. 10. "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants." Ps. lxviii. 31. "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God." Ps. lxxii. 9, 10. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him--the kings of Sheba and

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Seba shall offer gifts." Isai. lx. 6. "The multitude of camels shall cover thee. The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense." Isai. xlii. 11. "Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing." Chap. Ix. 7. "All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee: the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee." The ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, and precious stones, and other precious things to Solomon; 1 Kings viii. 26 to the end, ix. 10, 11; and Solomon improved what they brought to adorn the temple, ver. 12, agreeable to Ps. lxxii. 10. "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents." Isai. lx. 5. "The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee." Isai. Ix. 9. "Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first. Their silver and their gold with them to the name of the Lord thy God, and to the holy one of Israel; because he hath glorified thee." There came of all people from all kings of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and brought presents of gold, silver, spices, &c. 1 Kings iv. 34. "And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth which had heard of his wisdom." 2 Chron. ix. 23, 24. "And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart; and they brought every man his present, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year." Thus all kings did as it were bow down unto Solomon. Solomon was a king of kings. 2 Chron. ix. 26. "And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

The labour of Egypt was brought over to Israel in Solomon's days. 1 Kin. x. 28. "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt and linen yarn. The king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price;" which is agreeable to Isai. xlv. 14. "The labour of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia shall come over unto thee." From that, 1 Kin. x 28, it is manifest that fine linen was very much used for clothing in Solomon's days, at least by Solomon's court, which is a fit emblem of spiritual purity and righteousness, and was manifestly used as such by priests and princes, and was abundantly used as such in the service of the sauctuary. This is agreeable to what is often spoken in the prophets of the extraordinary holiness and purity of the church in the Messiah's days, and to Isai. lii. 1. "Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come unto thee the uncircumcised and the unclean." Solomon spake many pro

verbs, or parables, or dark sayings. 1 Kin. iv. 32. "And he spake three thousand proverbs." This is agreeable to what the prophets represent concerning the Messiah, as an eminent teacher; and what may be learned from them of the wonderful and mysterious things he should teach in his doctrine. Solomon was, as Joseph, a revealer of secrets. 1 Kin. x. "The queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard questions: and Solomon told her all her questions; there was not any thing hid from the king which he told her not." This is agreeable to what the prophecies say of the Messiah's being a great teacher, and of the vast increase of light and knowledge that shall be by him. Solomon made a great number of songs. 1 Kin. iv. 32. "His songs were a thousand and five." This is agreeable to innumerable prophecies which represent the Messiah's times as times of extraordinary singing and melody, wherein God's people and all the world should employ themselves in joyful songs of praise; yea, wherein all creatures, the mountains, rocks, trees, the sea, the heavens and the earth, should break forth into singing. Solomon had a vast multitude of wives and concubines, fitly representing the vast number of saints in the Messiah's times, who are members of the church that is so often spoken of as the Messiah's wife.

I shall mention but one thing more under this head of things that we have an account of in the history of the Old Testament, remarkably agreeing with things said in the prophecies relating to the Messiah's kingdom and redemption; and that is the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity. It is manifest that the great redemption of the Messiah is abundantly represented by a redemption of Israel from captivity and bondage under the hand of their enemies in strange and far distant lands, from the north country, and their return to their own land, and rebuilding Jerusalem and the cities of Israel, and repairing the old wastes; in places too many to be enumerated. This redemption of the Jews was accompanied with a great destruction of those mighty and proud enemies, that had carried them captive, that were stronger than they, God pleading their cause and revenging their quarrel on the greatest empire in the world, as it were causing them to tread down the loftiest city, the highest walls and towers in the world, destroying their enemies with a great slaughter, and dreadful havock of their enemies; agreeable to Hag. ii. 22. "And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen." Isai. xxvi. 5, 6. "For he bringeth down them that dwell on high, the lofty city he layeth it low; he layeth it low even to the ground: he bringeth it even to the dust the foot treadeth it down, even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy," Chap. xxv. 12. “And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low and bring to the ground,

even to the dust." Chap. xxxii. 19. "When it shall hail, coming down on the forest, and the city shall be low in a low place," or shall be utterly abased. Chap. xxx. 25. "And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall." See also Isaiah xxxiv. 1-8, and Joel iii. 9-17. Isaiah ii. 10 to the end, and many other places. This redemption of the Jews was attended with the final and everlasting destruction of Babylon, that great enemy of the Jewish church, that had oppressed her and carried her captive. This is agreeable to prophecies of the Messiah's redemption. Isai. xxxix. 10 to the end, and xli. 11, 12, and xliii. 17. Dan. ii. 35.

Obad. 10. 17, 18, and many other places. The temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt by the countenance and authority of Gentile kings. Ezra i. 2, &c. Chap. vi. 6—15, and vii. 11, &c. Neh. ii. 7—9; agreeable to Isai. xlix. 23. "And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers." It seems to be intimated that the queen of Persia, as well as the king, favoured the Jews, and promoted the restoring of their state, in Neh. ii. 6. The temple and city were rebuilt very much at the charge of Gentile kings and people, who offered silver and gold. Ezra i. 4-8, and vi. 8, and vii. 15-23. Neh. ii. 7-9. This is agreeable to many places mentioned in the preceding section concerning Solomon's reign. At the time of this restoration of the Jews, strangers or Gentiles, and their princes assisted with sacrifices for the house of God. Ezra i. 4. 6, vi. 9, and vii. 17. This is agreeable to Psa. xxii. 29. "All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship." "Isai. xlix. 7. "Kings shall see and arise; princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee." Isai. lx. 6, 7. "The multitude of camels shall cover thee; the dromedaries of Midian, &c. They shall bring gold, incense. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee. The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee. They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory." Gold, and silver, and sacrifices, and incense were brought to the new temple at Jerusalem, especially from the nations on this side the river Euphrates. Ezra i. 4. 6. Chap. vi. 6-10. Chap. vii. 16-18. 21–23. Neh. ii. 7-9. Which include Tyre and Ethiopia, Midian and Ephah, Kedar, Nebaioth, and the countries of Arabia, which are spoken of in prophecies that have been already mentioned in this and the foregoing section, as bringing presents, offering gifts, gold, incense and sacrifices. The Jews at their return out of Babylon, were redeemed without money. Isai. xlv. 13. "He shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward." Agreeable to Isai. lii. 3. "Ye have sold yourselves for nought, and ye shall

be redeemed without money." The temple was built by Joshua, that signifies Jehovah the Saviour; agreeable to what is often represented of the Messiah in the prophecies. See what has been said above, concerning Joshua the son of Nun.

We often read of praying, fasting, confessing of sin, their own sins, and the sins of their fathers, and weeping and mourning for sin that attended this restoration of the Jews. Dan. ix. 1-19. Ezra viii. 21-23. Chap. ix. throughout, x. 1-17. Neh. i. 4, &c. iv. 4, 5, ix. throughout. God gave the Jews remarkable and wonderful protection in their journey as they were returning from Babylon towards Jerusalem, and also in the midst of the great dangers and manifold oppositions they passed through, in rebuilding the temple and city. Ezra viii. 21-23. 31. v. vi. vii. Neh. iv. vi. This is agreeable to Jer. xxxi. 8, 9. "Behold, I will bring from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth.They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble. For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born." Isai. xliii. 2. "When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." There was kept an extraordinary feast of tabernacles on occasion of this restoration of the Jews, the only one that had been kept according to the law of Moses since the time of Joshua, the son of Nun. Neh. viii. 14. This is agreeable to Zech. xiv. 16-19. After this return from the captivity, the Jews had extraordinary means of instruction in the law of God, much greater than they had before. Ezra. vii. 25. Neh. viii. After this, synagogues were set up all over the land, in each of which was kept a copy of the law of the prophets, which were read and explained every Sabbath day. And there seems to be a great alteration as to the frequency of the solemn public worship of God. Idolatry was utterly abolished among the Jews after their return from the Babylonish captivity. This is agreeable to Isai. ii. 18. "The idols shall he utterly abolish." Zech. xiii. 2. "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land; and they shall no more be remembered." Hos. ii. 17. "For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name." Ezek. xxxvi. 25. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you." Chap. xxxv. 23. "Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things." See further, fulfilment of prophecies, § 153.