DISC. thew, in the Gospel appointed for this day, affirmeth it to have had it's accomplishment when our Lord entered Jerufalem, in the manner here described, amidst the acclamations of the attending multitude. "All this was done, that it might "be fulfilled which was fpoken by the prophet, faying, Tell ye the daughter of

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Sion, Behold thy King cometh unto thee, "meek, and fitting upon an ass, and a colt "the foal of an afs." The prediction is of the literal kind, and it was literally and most exactly fulfilled in Jefus of Nazareth. No other King, with these characteristic marks upon him, ever thus came to Sion, before him; and fince the Jews rejected him, they have loft their temple, their city, and their country; nor has there been any Sion, to which their King might come. Jerufalem would not rejoice, on the day when the prophet had enjoined her to rejoice, and therefore fhe hath had cause to mourn from that day to this. The rulers of Sion were vexed and chagrined at beholding a scene, which should have excited

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them to hout aloud for joy. The disciples, indeed, exulted, and fang Hofanna to the Son of David. Could Meffiah enter his capital, unacknowleged? That was impoffible. Had men been filent upon this occafion, the buildings and pavements of the city must have supplied the defect, and borne their atteftation to the promised and long expected king of Ifrael. "I tell you," replied our Lord to the Pharifees, who defired him to rebuke his difciples-" I tell you, that if these should hold their peace,

"the ftones would immediately cry out."

That we may perceive the full force and beauty of the prophecy before us, it will be neceffary to fhew it's connection with the preceding part of the chapter where

in it ftands.

In this ixth chapter of his prophecy, Zechariah denounceth fome of the divine judgments, which were executed by that scourge of heaven, Alexander the Great, when he overran Syria, took Damafcus, burnt

I 3

DISC.

V.

DISC. burnt Tyre, deftroyed Gaza, and, in imiV. tation of his favourite hero, dragged the go

vernor thereof at his chariot wheels. "The "burden of the word of the Lord in the "land of Hadrach, and Damascus fhall be "the reft thereof-And Hamath alfo fhall "border thereby, Tyrus and Sidon, though "it be very wife. And Tyrus did build "herself a strong hold, and heaped up fil"ver as the duft, and fine gold as the mire "of the streets. Behold, the Lord will "caft her out, and he will fmite her power "in the fea, and she shall be devoured with "fire. Afkelon fhall fee it and fear; Gaza "alfo fhall fee it, and shall be very forrow"ful; and Ekron, for her expectation shall "be afhamed, and the king shall perish "from Gaza, and Afkelon fhall not be in"habited." The prophet next foretelleth the mixture and incorporation of the Philiftines, when thus humbled by Alexander, with their old enemies the Jews. "And a

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baftard," or, an alien generation (ɑλλoyɛves, fay the LXX.) " fhall dwell in Afhdod; "and I will cut off the pride of the Phi

"liftines ;

V.

"listines; and I will take away his blood DISC. "out of his mouth, and his abominations "from between his teeth; but he that re

maineth, even he fhall 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 verfe, to preserve his temple, while fo many caftles and ftrong holds about Jerusalem were overturned, fo many cities fwept of their inhabitants by the befom of deftruction. "And I will encamp about mine house, "because of the army, because of him that

paffeth by, and becaufe of him that re"turneth and no oppreffor fhall pafs "through them any more; for now have I "feen with mine eyes." Then followeth the prophecy in my text-" Rejoice greatly, "O daughter of Sion; fhout, O daughter "of Jerufalem: behold, thy King cometh "unto thee; he is juft, and having falva

tion, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an afs. And I will "cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the "horfe

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DISC. "horfe from Jerufalem, and the battle bow

V.

"shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace "unto the heathen: and his dominion "fhall be from fea even to fea, and from σε the river to the ends of the earth." As if the prophet had spoken in more words to Jerufalem thus-"Thine eyes, in the generations following, fhall behold the flourishing pride of fundry nations, each endeavouring to overtop others in height of glory and temporal ftate; each striving to keep others under, by human.

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policy, or strength of war. And whilst "the fight of their mutual conquests shall

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I poffefs thy thoughts, thou wilt be ready, "in the pride of thine heart, to fay, Jeru"falem and Judah one day shall have their "turn, and in that day fhall the fons of

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Jacob, the feed of Abraham and David, "be like the monarchs of Greece and Per“fia, far exalted above the kings of other "nations; every one, able to bear arms,

gliftering with his golden fhield, and "leading the princes of the heathen, as prifoners, bound in chains, and their no

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"bles