A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

Now the church of Israel was in its highest external glory: Now Israel was multiplied exceedingly, so that they seemed to have become like the sand on the sea shore, 1 Kings iv.20. Now the kingdom of Israel was firmly established in the right family, the family of which Christ was to come: Now God had chosen the city where he would place his name: Now God had fully given his people the possession of the promised land; and they now possessed the dominion of it all in quietness and peace, even from the river of Egypt▪ ⟨p. 91⟩to the great river Euphrates; all those nations that had formerly been their enemies, quietly submitted to them; none pretended to rebel against them:—Now the Jewish worship in all its ordinances was fully settled:—Now, instead of a moveable tent and tabernacle, they had a glorious temple; the most magnificent, beautiful, and costly structure, that there was then, ever had been, or ever has been since: Now, the people enjoyed peace and plenty, and every man sat under his vine and fig-tree, eating and drinking, and making merry as 1 Kings iv 20.:—Now they were in the highest pitch of earthly prosperity, silver being as plenty as stones, and the land full of gold and precious stones, and other precious foreign commodities, which were brought by Solomon's ships from Ophir, and which came from other parts of the world:—Now they had a king reigning over them that was the wisest of men, and probably the greatest earthly prince that ever was:—Now their fame went abroad into all the earth, so that they came from the utmost parts of the earth to see their glory and their happiness.

Thus God was pleased, in one of the ancestors of Christ, remarkably to shadow forth the kingdom of Christ reigning in his glory. David, that was a man of war, a man who had shed much blood, and whose life was full of troubles and conflicts, was more of a representation of Christ in his state of humiliation, his militant state, wherein he was conflicting with his enemies. But Solomon, that was a man of peace, was a representation more especially of Christ exalted, triumphing, and reigning in his kingdom of peace. And the happy glorious state of the Jewish church at that time, did remarkably represent two things: 1. That glorious state of the church on earth, […] shall be in the latter ages of the world; those days of peace, when nation shall not lift sword against nation, nor learn war any more. 2. The future glorified state of the church in heaven. The earthly Canaan never was so lively a type of the heavenly Canaan, as it was then, when the happy people of Israel did indeed enjoy it as a land flowing with milk and honey.