visited. (i. 1-11.) The obedience of the governors and people to the prophet's message is then related. (12-15.) DISCOURSE 2. The prophet comforts the aged men, who when young had beheld the splendour of the first temple, and now wept for the diminished magnificence of the second temple, by foretelling that its glory should be greater than that of the first. (ii. 1-9.) This prediction was accomplished by Jesus Christ honouring it with his presence and preaching. Haggai then predicts a fruitful harvest as a reward for carrying on the building. (10-19.)

DISCOURSE 3. The prophet foretels the setting up of Messiah's kingdom under the name of Zerubbabel. (ii. 20—23.)

IV. The style of this prophet is for the most part plain and prosaic, and vehement when he reproves; it is, however, interspersed with passages of much sublimity and pathos when he treats of the advent of the Messiah, whom he emphatically terms "the desire of all nations."

SECTION II.

ON THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH.

I. Author and date.—II. Analysis of its contents. - III. Observations on its style.

BEFORE CHRIST, 520-518.

1. ALTHOUGH the names of Zechariah's father and grandfather are specified (Zech. i. 1.), it is not known from what tribe or family this prophet was descended, nor where he was born; but that he was one of the captives who returned to Jerusalem in consequence of the decree of Cyrus, is unquestionable. As he opened his prophetic commission in the eighth month of the second year of Darius the son of Hystaspes, that is, about the year 520 before the Christian æra, it is evident that he was contemporary with Haggai, and his authority was equally effectual in promoting the building of the temple. From an expression in ch. ii. 4. we have every reason to believe that Zechariah was called to the prophetic ministry when he was a young man.

II. The prophecy of Zechariah consists of two parts, the first of which concerns the events which were then taking place, viz. the restoration of the temple, interspersing predictions relative to the advent of the Messiah. The second part comprises prophecies relative to more remote events, particularly the coming of Jesus Christ, and the war of the Romans against the Jews.

PART I. contains the prophecies delivered in the second year of Darius king of Persia. (i.—vi.)

DISCOURSE 1. The Jews are exhorted to repentance, and to go on with the building of the temple (i. 1-6.), which it is predicted that Darius should permit (7-17.); and that the Samaritans should be

compelled to suspend their opposition to the building. (18-21.) Further, to encourage the Jews in their work, the prophet foretels the prosperity of Jerusalem (ii. 1-5.), and admonishes the Jews to depart from Babylon before her destruction (6-9.), promising them the divine presence. (10-13.) These promises, though partly fulfilled by the prosperity of the Jews under the Maccabees, remain to be still more fully accomplished after the restoration of the Jews, and their conversion to the Gospel.

DISCOURSE 2. The adversaries of the Jews having endeavoured to interrupt their work (Ezra v.), in order to encourage them, the restoration of the temple and its service is foretold under the vision of Joshua the high-priest, arrayed in new sacerdotal attire (iii. 17.); whence by an easy transition the prophet proceeds to set forth the glory of Christ as the chief corner-stone of his church. (8-10.) DISCOURSE 3. Under the vision of the golden candlestick and two olive trees is typically represented the success of Zerubbabel and Joshua in rebuilding the temple and restoring its service. (iv.) DISCOURSE 4. Under the vision of a flying roll, the divine judgments are denounced against robbery and perjury (v. 1-4.); and the Jews are threatened with a second captivity, if they continue in sin. (5-11.)

DISCOURSE 5. Under the vision of the four chariots, drawn by several sorts of horses, are represented the successions of the Babylonian, Persian, Macedo-Greek, and Roman empires (vi. 1-8.) and by the two crowns placed upon the head of Joshua are set forth, primarily, the re-establishment of the civil and religious polity of the Jews under Zerubbabel and Joshua: and, secondarily but principally, the high-priesthood and kingdom of Christ, here emphatically termed the Branch. (9-15.)

PART 2. Prophecies delivered in the fourth year of the reign of Darius. (vii.-xiv.)

DISCOURSE 1. Some Jews having been sent to Jerusalem from the exiles then at Babylon, to inquire of the priests and prophets whether they were still bound to observe the fasts that had been instituted on account of the destruction of Jerusalem, and which had been observed during the captivity (vii. 1-3.), -the prophet is commanded to take this occasion of enforcing upon them the weightier matters of the law, viz. judgment and mercy, lest the same calamities should befal them which had been inflicted upon their fathers for their neglect of those duties. (4-14.) In the event of their obedience, God promises the continuance of his favour (viii. I-8.); they are encouraged to go on with the building (9— 17.), and are permitted to discontinue the observance of the fasts which they had kept during the captivity. (18—23.) DISCOURSE 2. contains predictions of the conquest of Syria, Phenicia, and Palestine, by Alexander the Great (ix. 1—7.), and of the watchful providence of God over his temple in those troublesome times. (8.) Whence he takes occasion to describe, as in a parenthesis, the advent of Christ (9, 10. with Matt. xxi. 5. and John xii. 15.); and then returning to his former subject, he announces the conquest of the Jews, particularly of the Maccabees, over the princes of the Grecian monarchy. (11-17.) Prosperity is further

promised to the Jews (x. 1-3.), and their victories over their enemies are again foretold. (4-12.) It is probable that this prophetic discourse remains to be fully accomplished in the final restoration of the Jews.

DISCOURSE 3. predicts the rejection of the Jews for their rejection of Christ, and valuing him and his labours at the base price of pieces of silver. (xi.) This prediction was literally tur the person of Jesus Christ. (Compare Matt. xxvi. 14, 15. and xd 3 10. with Zech. xi. 11-13.)

DISCOURSE 4. comprises a series of prophecies, relating principally to the latter times of the Gospel. The former part of it (xii. 1— 9.) announces the preservation of Jerusalem against an invasion in the last ages of the world, which most commentators think is that of Gog and Magog, more largely described in the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of Ezekiel. The grief of the Jews, for their fathers having crucified the Messiah, on their conversion, is then foretold (10-14.), as also the crucifixion itself, and the general conversion of the Jews. (xiii.) The destruction of the enemies predicted at the beginning of this prophetic sermon, is again foretold (xiv. 1—15.); and the prophecy concludes with announcing the final conversion of all nations to the Gospel, and the prosperity of the church. (16-21.)

III. Zechariah is the longest and most obscure of the twelve minor prophets. His style, like that of Haggai, is for the most part prosaic, though more obscure towards the beginning on account of his types and visions. Towards the close he is more plain, as well as more elevated and poetical. This difference in style has induced Mr. Mede, Dr. Hammond, and some other modern critics, to suppose that chapters ix. x. and xi. of this prophet were written by Jeremiah; because in Matt. xxvii. 9, 10. we find his name quoted instead of Zechariah's. And, as these three chapters form, in their opinion, but one prophetic discourse, they have concluded that they belonged to Jeremiah. As, however, the language of Zechariah corresponds with that of the age in which he lived, and incidental expressions show that he flourished after the captivity, it is most probable that the name of Jeremiah has slipped into the text of Saint Matthew, through some mistake of the transcribers. The style, general structure of the poetry, external or historical testimony, and argument of the latter part of this prophet, all concur to prove that it was written by the author of the former part;1 and consequently that it was not written by Jeremiah, as Mede and others have supposed, nor before the time of that prophet, as Archbishop Newcome conjectured, whose opinion was adopted by Archbishop Secker, and also by Doederlein.

1 The genuineness of the latter part of the prophecy of Zechariah is satisfactorily proved by a minute examination of its language, style, poetical structure, argument, and scope, by Dr. F. B. Koester, in his Meletemata Critica in Zecharia Prophetæ Partem posteriorem, cap. ix-xiv. pro tuenda ejus authentia. 8vo. Got tinge, 1819.

SECTION III.

ON THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET MALACHI.

1. Author and date. II. Occasion and scope of his prophecy. — III. Analysis of its contents.-IV. Style.

BEFORE CHRIST, 436-420.

1. CONCERNING Malachi, the last of the minor prophets (which name signifies my angel or my messenger), so little is known, that it has been doubted whether his name be a proper name, or only a generic name, signifying the angel of the Lord, a messenger, a prophet. From a comparison of Haggai (i. 13.) with Malachi (iii. 1.), it appears, that in these times the appellation of Malach-Jehovah, or the messenger of the Lord, was given to the prophets. The Septuagint translators have rendered Malachi his angel instead of my angel, as the original imports; and several of the fathers have quoted Malachi under the name of the angel of the Lord. Origen entertained the extravagant notion, that Malachi was an angel incarnate sent from God. Calmet, after Jerome and some other ancient writers, thinks that Malachi was the same person as Ezra, who wrote the canonical book that passes under his name, and was governor of the Jews after their return from the captivity. As he revised the Holy Scriptures, and collected the canon of the Old Testament, and performed various other important services to the Jewish church, Ezra has been considered both by antient Jewish, and also by the early Christian writers, as a very extraordinary person sent from God, and therefore they thought him very appropriately denominated Malachi; but for these opinions there is no foundation what

ever.

It is certain that Malachi was a distinct person from Ezra, and (as Rosenmüller observes) the whole argument of his book proves that he flourished after the return from the captivity. He prophesied while Nehemiah was governor of Judæa, more particularly after his second coming from the Persian court; and appears to have contributed the weight of his exhortations to the restoration of the Jewish polity, and the final reform established by that pious and excellent governor. Archbishop Newcome supposes Malachi to have flourished about the year 436 before the Christian æra: but Dr. Kennicott places him about the year 420 before Christ, which date is adopted by Dr. Hales, as sufficiently agreeing with the description of Josephus and the varying dates of chronologers.1

II. The Jews having rebuilt the temple and re-established the worship of Jehovah, after the death of Zerubbabel and Joshua, relapsed into their former irreligion in consequence of the negligence of the priests. Although they were subsequently reformed during the

1 Archbishop Newcome's Minor Prophets, p. xliii. Kennicott, Dissertatio Generalis, § 14. p. 6. - Dr. Hales's Analysis of Chronology, vol. ii. p. 533.

governments of Ezra and Nehemiah, yet they fell into gross abuses after the death of Ezra, and during Nehemiah's absence at the court of Persia. The prophet Malachi was therefore commissioned to reprove the priests and people, more particularly after Nehemiah's second return, for their irreligious practices, and to invite them to repentance and reformation of life by promises of the great blessings that should be bestowed at the advent of the Messiah.

III. The writings of Malachi, which consist of four chapters, comprise two distinct prophetic discourses, viz.

DISCOURSE 1. reminds the Jews of the special favours which God had bestowed upon them (i. 1-5.), and reproves them for not showing due reverence to God (6—10.), for which their rejection is threatened, and the calling of the Gentiles is announced. (11.) The divine judgments are threatened both against the people and the priests for their disrespect to God in their sacrifices (12-14. ii. 1-10.), and also for their unlawful intermarriages with idolatresses, and divorcing even their legitimate wives. (11—17.) DISCOURSE 2. foretels the coming of Christ, and his harbinger John the Baptist, to purify the sons of Levi, the priests, and to smite the land with a curse, unless they all repented. Reproofs are interspersed for withholding their tithes and other oblations, and also for their blasphemy; and the reward of the good and the punishment of the wicked are predicted. (iii. iv. 1-3.) The prophecy concludes with enjoining the strict observance of the law, till the forerunner already promised should appear in the spirit and power of Elijah, to introduce the Messiah, and commence a new and everlasting dispensation. (4-6.) "The great and terrible day of the Lord," in verse 5. denotes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans A. D. 70; though this expression may also be applied to the general dissolution of all things, agreeably to the usual mode of speaking among the prophets. Compare Isa. xiii. 9, 10.

IV. Although the writings of this prophet are almost wholly in prose, yet they are by no means destitute of force and elegance. He reproves the wickedness of his countrymen with great vehemence; and Bishop Lowth observes that his book is written in a kind of middle style, which seems to indicate that the Hebrew poetry, from the time of the Babylonish captivity, was in a declining state, and, being past its prime and vigour, was then fast verging towards the debility of age.