tion of the Divine Majesty, which overshadowed the mercy-seat in the old temple, and which prefigured only that incarnate presence of the Messiah, in whom should dwell" all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;" that from this temple, though not decorated with silver and with gold, yet there should appear the "Prince of Peace."

ZECHARIAH.

ZECHARIAH was the son of Barachiah, and the grandson of Iddo; the last of whom is supposed to have been a different person from the Iddo mentioned by Nehemiah as one of the priests that returned from Baylon un

der the conduct of Zerubbabel; but it is very possible, that Zechariah might have been of the sacerdotal race; and when released by the decree of Cyrus from the captivity, in which he probably was born, have been accompanied by his grandfather in the general restoration. No certain information can be collected concerning the time or place in which Zechariah was born. Some writers relate that he was of the tribe of Levi, and consecrated to the priestly office; and we are told that his body was found with a sacerdotal white robe at Caphar, or Capher, at the extremity of the territory of Eleutheropolis.

MALACHI.

MALACHI Was the last of those prophets who flourished before the Gospel dispensation. He is represented by some traditionary accounts to have been of the tribe of Zabulon and a native of Sapha; to have died young, and to have been buried with his ancestors at Sapha; after having assisted as a member of the great synagogue in the re-establishment of order and prosperity in his country. Usher conceives him to have flourished about A. M. 3588, which is about twenty years later than the period assigned to him by Blair. But as it

appears from the consent of all Jewish and Christian antiquity, that the light of prophecy expired in Malachi, we may suppose that the termination of his ministry coincided with the accomplishment of the first seven weeks of Daniel's prophecy, which was the period allotted for sealing the vision and prophecy." This, according to Prideaux's account, must be assigned to A. M. 3595; but according to the calculations of Bishop Lloyd, to A. M. 3607, twelve years later; whichever reckoning we may prefer, Malachi must be admitted to have completed the canon of the Old Testament about four hundred years before the birth of Christ;

when the great designs of Providence were completed in the termination of the prophetic ministry; and when a scheme of prophecy was unfolded, which, in its entire contexture, was to be accommodated to, and to characterize the Messiah. Thus Mala

chi sealed up the volume of prophecy in the description of that personage, at whose appearance the Evangelists begin the Gospel history; and he who terminated the illustrious succession of the prophets, and predicted the coming of the Baptist, was in a special degree entitled to a share of our Saviour's testimony; who declared, in terms which defined the period and extent of prophecy, that