is made in 2nd Kings, 17th chap.; and for any further information concerning the Ten Tribes, we must apply to the prophet Esdras, whose wonderful description of the last days is vetoed by ecclesiastics in the Gentile church, as not to be owned in Scripture. (See Esdras, 2nd book, 13th chapter, 12, 3947.) I understand by Esdras, that the Ten Tribes are gone beyond the river Euphrates. This is a river in Western Asia.* It has its source in the north-east mountains of Armenia. It was the northeast border of the extensive dominion that was promised to the children of Israel. They entered into Euphrates by the narrow passages of the river. N. B. The Euphrates is divided into two streams, greater and lesser: it is described as "running through delightful plains, where its banks are decked with the constant verdure of willows, palm trees, and rich pastures." Isaiah, when speaking of the restoration of Israel, says, "they shall spring up as among the grass; as willows by the water courses." Esdras was told by the Lord that the journey of the Ten Tribes took eighteen months; and that the region was called Arsareth. This appears to be Mount Ararat, that lies north of Armenia, a cold country.. "In a land where no man dwelt,” (i. e. no Gentiles,) the Ten Tribes were to remain, till "the latter time;" and when they shall begin to come, the Highest shall stay the springs of water again, and they are to go through with peace. The 48th verse intimates that some of the Ten Tribes were left behind in Assyria, and they were to be found within the Lord's borders. They are to * Wood's Dictionary. be gathered first. I have thought that the twelve oxen under the molten sea, are figurative of the distresses of Israel. Three looked towards the east, three north, three south, and three west. The molten sea is affliction, that they have procured unto themselves by their abominations; and they must lie under it, and bear it, "till the indignation be accomplished." And to the four corners of the earth are the Two* Tribes dispersed. The house of Israel is sifted among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve. See the Word of the Lord by his prophet Amos, 9th chapter, 9th verse. There must be corn left in the sieve; and it is the outward congregation of Ephraim and his fellows. Now we may see that God will never wink at sin, in his people-his children-his chosen ones. Mar nasseh was Joseph's first born; and to him pertained the birth-right blessing; yet his grandfather gave it to Ephraim, and his greatness has proved to him a curse; for as he increased, so sin increased, till he was driven to darkness. Manasseh went over to Judah in the reign of Asa, thus redeeming their pledge "Manasseh is mine. A part of Manasseh joined in Hezekiah's passover, and their country was purged of idols by Hezekiah and Josiah." The famous Gideon descended from Manasseh, seven of their valiant captains joined David against the Amalekites, when they had smitten Ziklag; and good old Barzillai, who at fourscore attended King David over Jordan on his return to Jerusalem, after Absalom's conspiracy ended in his death, was a Manassite. But the best of all, and the crown, is Elijah (which signifies, God the Lord, or the strong Lord.) * Judah and his companions: He is a descendant of Joseph, by Manasseh. This extraordinary prophet was translated, that he might come to his tribe, and to Judah, (Benjamin, and Levi, Asher, &c., N. B.) before the great and terrible day of the Lord. For we must remember that Malachi delivered his prophecy at Jerusalem after the captivity; and it was given to Judah, and those of the Levites that clave to him: also Benjamin, Manasseh, and a few families of Ephraim, and a few of Asher. As to the outward congregation of Ephraim, or "Ten Tribes of Israel," that were driven out of the holy land by Shalmaneser, it is probable Elijah will visit them in the wilderness. Indeed, this hope I cherish with as much care as possible; for I am convinced, from my own personal knowledge of the oppressed red men, that they are the descendants of Jacob and Rachel; and I am conscious of truth in my prepossessions, that miracles will be wrought for their deliverance, in the extremity of their distress, which must be elicited after Michael's battle with the Dragon, even "that old serpent," which is the Devil, and Satan; and this primal enemy be cast out of his spiritual power, into the earth, or body of a man, which commences his short time of great wrath, against the elect church, striving to annihilate her by a flood of persecution.. It is perfectly easy to apprehend, that special, Sovereign, and very extraordinary interference of the high Arm of Almighty God, can alone deliver the Indians from their unparalleled afflictions, and bitter sorrowsscattered-peeled-meted out, and trodden downindeed, the prophet Isaiah described the condition of my poor red brethren-I depend entirely on God to help them; and I humbly hope, that He will speedily do it; for pride and oppression are mightily increasing upon the northern wing of the land where "rushing vessels" were first invented. I have pondered, (not a little,) on the emblematical representation, of a Spread Eagle upon the Standard of a Republican government, with his beak turned toward the east, and the arrows of Israel grasped in the right talon. Now, view the bird, as he is engraved, and he represents a determination to devour the nations of the Aboriginal race; but let your eye rest upon the reality, and observe that the Eagle is destitute of the bow-the Olive branch appears to me, like mockery of the Eagle, at the oppressed, since he is the king of unclean birds, and king of birds of prey. To confine the talons of an Eagle, by making him hold arrows and olive leaves, is another inconsistent act. The Eagle (or at least one species of it) breaks the bones of its victims, to extract the marrow-this is very great cruelty. The Eagle dies of hunger, because its beak grows crooked by age, and it cannot feed. Not a good omen The periodical change of feathers, is rather apropos to this government; and the return of another great election-may show another sign also; for at the time of his moulting, the Eagle has no power to hunt prey, &c. The Eagle is mentioned more than twenty times in the Old Testament Scriptures; and four times in the New; and his renown is cruelty, self-exaltation, and speed. The elect church of God were commanded to have the Eagle in abomination, as well as the Bat; of both, the children of Israel were forbidden to partake, as they are unclean. This is the reason assigned by their great Lawgiver to the congregation of the Lord, as he received it from Jehovah in the mount, "because they are unclean." There is nothing, however, so terrible to my thoughts concerning this sign, as the words of Jerusalem's Great King, recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, and the twenty-eighth verse." The symbol is very strong-Eagles prey on the carcasses of clean beasts. A learned Jew represented to me a part of the eighteenth chapter of the Book of the visions of Isaiah, as follows: "Ho land! woe to the land Of the overspreading wing, That lieth beyond the rivers of Cush; That sendeth her ambassadors by sea, In rushing vessels upon the face of the waters Saying, go ye, swift messengers, to a people scattered and peeled, To a people terrible from that time, And henceforward A nation meted out, and trodden down, "My prophet saw your steamboats," said the learned Jew. The meaning of the word "scattered," is "driven out" or "cast away"-"peeled, meted out, trodden down," need no reference. It is very striking that the 18th of Isaiah is presented to us in seven verses; (which is a perfect number from the creation,) and the contents have a manifest allusion to the times of the second and third woe trumpets; the second involves "Jacob's seventh trouble," and the close of the "seven times" of Israel's judgment of their sins, as was threatened, if they walked contrary to their Holy One. The third woe trumpet (which is the seventh of all decreed to sound, from the commencement of a spiritual, to the end of a literal apostasy from Christ,) is against the enemies of Israel; for whose sake, an "ensign is lifted up on the mountains:" see Isaiah |