Lord, neither understand they his counsel for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

"13. Arise, and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass, and thou shalt beat in pieces many people and I will consecrate their gain unto Jehovah, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.”

This fourth chapter of Micah, according to the contents prefixed to it, describes the glory, peace, kingdom, and victory of the Church: and so indeed it does; but it is not the present, or any past state of the Church, as appears from the third and fourth verses; for such an universal peace and happiness have never yet been, nor ever will be till those last days, when the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, or till she that was cast afar off shall be made a strong nation, i.e., till Israel shall be restored, and become the most powerful nation upon earth. Then it is, that the Church of Christ shall be in that glorious and happy state, so often foretold by the Prophets.

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XXIV.

· Micah v. 3. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

“4. And he shall stand and feed [or rule] in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God, and they shall abide : for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

"5. And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight princes of men.

"6. And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

"7. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for a man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

"8. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people: as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go

* By the Assyrian, according to Mr. Mede, is meant Gog of the land of Magog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, of whom Ezekiel prophesied: "Not as though this should be his original nation, but as the province from whence he should fall into the land of Israel. For the prince of Magog and Tubal cannot come into the land of Israel, till he be first master of the land of Ashur, which lies between them. And the Prophet describes him by this name, rather than by that of his own nation, because the name Ashur was at that time so terrible to the Jews, and the invasion of Salmanasser and Sennacherib still fresh in their minds : and perhaps those nations were then at the devotion of the Assyrian, and no small part of his army, as they used to be of the Saracens, when they ruled in those parts. Howsoever, by this name, he pointed to a northern enemy, whatsoever the nation should be that should then empire it in those parts, as the Assyrians did, when he prophesied. For Assyria is described by that situation, Isa. xiv. 31. Jer. i. 13, and iv. 6. Zech, ii. 6."-MEDE, B. IV. Epist. xli.

through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.”

The words, therefore will he give them up, &c., in the third verse, have reference to the first and second verses, Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops (or robbers), by which some understand the Roman state, which were robbers of mankind in general, who laid siege against them, and smote the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek; notwithstanding which, the ruler who should come out of Bethlem Ephratah, should give them up no longer than until the time which she that travaileth hath brought forth; and the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. By the Assyrian, who shall come into their land, and tread in their palaces, is not meant the Assyrian empire at that time subsisting, which was never laid waste by the sword of Israel, or any shepherds or princes by them raised up against it; but those who should possess the land of Assyria in the latter days, and should oppose the restoration of Israel. By the Assyrian, therefore, some suppose the Turkish empire to be intended; among whom the remnant of Jacob are to be as a lion among the beasts of the field, &c.

XXV.

"Micah vii. 11. In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.*

"12. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities,

* In Tindale, The law shall go abroad.

and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

"16. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

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17. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth they shall be afraid of Jehovah our God, and shall fear because of thee.

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18. Who is a God like unto thee, &c.

"20. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”

What this was that was sworn unto Abraham, I have above shewn,* viz., That the land Abraham then stood upon, should be given unto him and to his seed for ever.

BISHOP GOBAT.

IN a former number we gave a brief memoir of the excellent Bishop Gobat, promising at the time some further illustrations of his missionary life. The statements which we now give are taken chiefly from his own narrative and correspondence.

In 1829 M. Gobat visited Abyssinia, for the purpose of ascertaining how the Gospel of the Lord Jesus might be made extensively known, and the pure religion of the blessed God be substituted for the superstitions and inventions of man. He arrived at Gondar, the capital of Amhara; but here the memory of the former attempts made

*Article I.

by the Jesuits awakened suspicion against the New Testament. As soon, however, as the High Priest, to whom M. Gobat presented six copies, had read and sanctioned it, the natives flocked from all sides to purchase books. Some individuals were compelled by their superiors to sell them their copy of the New Testament: on one occasion, two yoke of oxen were paid as the price. Among those who flocked round him, he noticed a young man of a pale countenance, who for a long time, kept at a distance. At the end of a fortnight, he entered M. Gobat's apartment, saying, We have heard of the Gospel in our country; my father and brothers have sent me, and I am come for a New Testament; but I have no money. Yesterday I learnt that you had given. a copy as a present to a young man; and I now beseech you, in the name of God, to give me a copy also.' When he had received it, he fell upon his knees, and thanked God, saying, "Now I have what my heart longs after, and I can return to my home in peace. For more than fourteen days have I suffered hunger, and followed you about in the hope of obtaining this treasure."

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M. Gobat had intended to be absent from his assigned station not longer than four months, and in apprehension of the robbers, who, he was told, infested the country, had taken a supply of money sufficient only for such a period. Happily, no one ever attempted to take so much as a farthing from him by violence.

As the bad state of the roads did not admit of his lading his supplies of books on beasts of burden, he hired twelve men as porters. While he was in Gondar, however, an army came up, which intercepted his route, and compelled him to pro