spear) could make this passage fit his purpose, he had to substitute the word “him” for “me,” as it is in the Hebrew; confirmed by, I believe, all the versions, ancient and modern, without exception.  Yet, with this change, it will by no means answer his purpose; for the Hebrew word here translated “pierced,” in this place signifies “blasphemed,” or “insulted,” as it is understood by Grotius, who confirms this rendering from the Hebrew of Levit. xxiv. 11, where in this passage “the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord.”  The Hebrew word translated “blasphemed” is from the same root with the Hebrew word translated “pierced” in the passage in Zechariah quoted above.  So that the passage ought to be translated thus:—­“I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications, and they shall look towards me whom they have blasphemed.” [To “look towards God” is a phrase frequently met with, and well understood.] Now, to enable us to understand more perfectly this passage, let us consider the context, where we shall find that it states, that there was to be a war in Judea, and a siege of Jerusalem, and then a deliverance of the Jews, by the destruction of all the nations, that should come up at that time, against Jerusalem.  Immediately after which matters, follows the prophecy under consideration—­“I will pour upon the house of David,” &c.  Now, from these things thus laid together, I crave leave to argue in the words of Dr. Sykes [Essay, &c., p. 268]—­“Did any one circumstance of all this happen to the Jews about the time of the death of Jesus?  Or rather, was not every thing the reverse of what Zechariah says; and instead of all nations being destroyed that came about Jerusalem, Jerusalem itself was destroyed:  instead of a spirit of grace and supplications, the Jews have had their hearts hardened against the Christ; instead of mourning for him whom they have pierced, they condemn him and his followers even until this day.”

But it is tiresome thus to waste time in proving that parts and ends of verses, disjointed from their connexion, and even the words quoted, some of them changed and some transposed, (though even done according to the rules given by the venerable Surenhusius) prove nothing.  We must, therefore, devote the remainder of this long chapter to the consideration of the three famous prophecies, on which Christians have not hesitated, with triumphing confidence, to rest the issue of their cause.  These are the prophecy of Shiloh, Gen. 49; the 53d ch. of Isaiah; and Daniel’s prophecy of the “seventy weeks.”  I will consider them in order, and thus wind up the chapter.

I have some where read in a catechism, the following question and answer:—­Q.  “How can you confound the Jews, and prove, from prophecy, that the Messiah is already come?” A.  “From these two prophecies—­’The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,’ &c.—­Gen. xlix.; and this—­’Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people,’” &c.—­Dan. ix. 24.