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God here promises to purify his people from the corruption and hypocrify which had crept in among them. Turning the hand must denote, that God, infinitely gracious, would change his method of acting toward his people, and mercifully alter his difpensations respecting them. In this fense the expreffion is used by our prophet, where he promises, 'The Lord ' shall fet his hand again the fecond time, to recover ' the remnant of his people which shall be left *." It is evident, from the judgment threatened in the foregoing verse, and the mercy foretold in the following words, that the phrafe is intended to fignify a favourable change in the divine procedure. Its import then will be shortly this: Though the Most High God, justly offended with the heinous provocations of a hypocritical people, would feverely punish them for their multiplied tranfgreffions, yet, in the midst of deserved waath, he would remember mercy, and reverse his awful dispensations. Accordingly, we obferve the strain of this prophecy is here changed: the thick cloud, that seemed ready to burst with impending judgments, now appears luminous, and showers down promised mercies. What a happy change was this, attended with the most defirable effects, richly deferving to be marked with admiration and gratitude!

And purely purge away thy drofs, and take away all thy tin. The dross here mentioned, like that spoken of in the 22d verse, must be understood in its figurative sense, denoting that corruption and fin which obfcured the amiable lustre and beauty of which the people of Judah would otherwife have been possessed, that gave them a deceitful appearance, rendered them of little value, and made it necessary for God to purify them in the furnace of affliction. Tin in itself is a useful metal, that may be converted to valuable purposes, though, in comparison of filver, it has but little value or beauty. In a metaphorical sense, in which it is here used, it denotes that diffimulation and hypocrify which had intermixed themselves with Judah to a very great degree. In the expreffion before us, the better fort of that people are confidered as the filver, or fome other precious metal, which was to be purified, being mixed with much drofs and other worthless stuff; i. e. with much remaining corruption and hypocrify, from which it was neceffary they should be purged. Besides, they were interspersed among the idolatrous, profane, and hypocritical, whom God, by the prophet Ezekiel, calls, 'The dross and ' the tin *;' from the destructive influence of whofe wicked practices it was highly proper they should be delivered. Though, in general, they reckoned themselves pure and precious as filver, whilst they cried,

The temple of the Lord are these,' great part of them were no better than dross and tin; for, according to the testimony of the prophets, 'They did evil with 'both hands greedily: they were as briers and ' thorns, and the rest were as scorpions; and the

iniquity of the house of Ifrael was exceeding great.' In mercy therefore to the godly, and in judgment to the wicked, God promises, that he would make a thorough feparation between them in the furnace of affliction, when the wicked should be confumed in the fire of his wrath, and his peculiar people purified and preferved. He also fortels, that, by this trying operation, they who were as filver, the upright worshippers and faithful fervants of God, should be purified from the dross of their iniquities, and the tin of hypocrify, which had fpoiled their beauty, and diminished their value. This happy event was foretold at great length, by the prophet Ezekiel, when the word of the Lord came unto him: of which we read, Chap. xxii. 17. and following verses; to which I beg your attention, because what is here predicted is there

amplified and explained. This prediction clearly points out the uniform procedure of Jehovah respecting his degenerate people, both in their social and perfonal capacity; whilst it holds forth the ground of that encouragement, whereby their hopes of complete purification are supported. It was fulfilled at the Babylonish captivity, fo far as the state of the church at that period permitted, when the wicked among the men of Judah were melted and confumed, and the faints of the Most High were purified and preferved; and, in different ages of the church of God, it hath received, and still continues to receive, farther completion. When the church of Ephefus left her first love; when the church of Pergamos turned afide after the doctrine of Balaam; when the church of Thyatira was seduced by that wicked woman Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess; when the church of Sardis abated in zeal, and Laodicea became lukewarm; they were cast into great tribulation, and there they were tried and purified. And we, my brethren, in our prefent degenerate state, have reason to expect, that God, by means of awful judgments he already threatens to inflict, will purge away the corruption and hypocrify which have lamentably diffused their influence among us. Let it be our concern then, that all the afflictions and trials wherewith we are visited, may be made effectual, through the kind providence, and powerful blessing of God, for weakening our corruptions, and purifying our graces.

26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

The restoration of the people of Judah to their an cient aristocratical or democratical state is here promised, together with its happy confequences.

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Both expressions in the first part of the verse seem to be nearly of the fame import, and refer to the fame great event, which happened after the return of the Jews from their captivity at Babylon. God promifes, at that period, to restore them judges as at the first. It deserves to be remarked, that kings are not here mentioned, though by them the posterity of Ifrael had been governed for a long period of time, previous to the Jews being led captive by the Chaldeans; which plainly intimates, that after that memorable occafion they were to be no longer ruled by regal authority. There are two kinds of judges spoken of in fcripture. There were extraordinary persons who fustained this character, whom God, in mercy, raifed up to vindicate his people from the power of their enemies, who oppressed them, and who decided controverfies of the greatest moment. These are spoken of, Judges ii. 16.; where we are told, 'The Lord raifed ' up judges, who delivered them out of the hands of ' those that spoiled them.' There were also ordinary magistrates, or governors of cities, on whom this character was bestowed; whose business was to guard the privileges of the people, and to attend to the impartial diftribution of justice. For the execution of these, and similar important purposes, God required, 'Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee throughout 'thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with juft judgment *.' These last are doubtless intended here.

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With them counsellors are joined, by whose advice, and under whose direction, the affairs of the state were to be conducted. They were not merely the counsellors of kings, or their prime ministers, whose office is to assist the Sovereign in the ma. hagement of public affairs, but persons who were themselves to have the fole direction of the state, without regard to the royal authority of a Prince. Look back then to the period referred to, namely, the first erection of this people into a nation, and you may be able exactly to afcertain the import of this promife. Then you will observe, Mofes, under the direction of the supreme Legiflator, forming the children of Ifrael into a republic, and 'appointing over ' them judges and rulers, able men, such as feared • God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and mak'ing them rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, ' fifties, and tens, that they might judge them *.' These were called the judges and elders of Ifrael: and afterward, by the express command of God, their number was fixed to that of feventy, on whom he put his Spirit, to qualify them for the duties of their function. Such were the judges and counfellors of that people at the beginning; and now God promises, that, at the time referred to, they should be restored to the fame kind of government they at first enjoyed, and that it should be managed by men of fimilar probity and abilities. Accordingly, Ezra the scribe, a man remarkable for prudence and piety, and a firm attachment to the law of God, was employed, by divine providence, to effectuate this restoration; the remains of which were visible in the time of our Lord's humiliation, when we read of the fsanhedrim, confifting of feventy able men, and of one Nicodemus, an honourable counsellor. From hence we learn, that judges and counsellors are the wife appointment, and generous gifts of God, to those who are favoured with them. Let us honour them as his ministers to us for good. Let us pray, that he may give them counsel, and that they may be just, ruling in his fear; and let us fubject ourselves to them, not only for wrath, but for confcience fake. Let us be afraid of that which is evil, remembering they bear not the fword in vain; and ever study to do that which is good, that we may have praise of the fame.

* Exod. xviii. 21.

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