"And ye shall be unto me, O Israel, like unto the children of Cush:"-black?-not quite-like the children of Cush, neither one thing or another. No matter by what means their color is changed: it is done; and their enemies mock at the woe; but God will avenge them. It is not probable that the Indians will be allowed to take any part in the infliction of punishment upon their enemies. It appears they are to continue in a suffering state till the coming of the Lord of course this country will not be punished till after that great event shall have taken place. I believe, however, that the characters mentioned in the second chapter of Zechariah, and the second clause of the ninth verse, are the same that Micah calls "The remnant of Jacob," in the sixth verse of the fifth chapter of his prophecy.

It is well to observe great caution upon a subject so awful in the result, as the points here set down, and highly important to know that they can be firmly supported by testimony of sacred Writ, which cannot be misunderstood, if truth is the object of our search therein; but timidity, or fearfulness concerning consequences that may follow the application of particular declarations in the Word of God, when they are perfectly plain to the eye of reason, and common sense, must not be heeded in such a day as this, when infallible signs of the dissolution of the age are before us. It is highly necessary, at all periods of time, to know what God hath spoken, whether to the fathers, by His holy prophets, to elect apostles, by His beloved Son, or by those inspired messengers of His Word to the church of Christ, that we understand the things

which concern the glory of God, may know His ways, His will and work, as well as the affairs which relate to our own peace. There is a wide difference between impertinent, vain curiosity, in regard to mysteries, and honest humble inquiries after sacred truth: their tendency is equally reverse, and the results exactly opposite, one leading poor souls to infidelity, the other conducting into the king's high way of holiness. "Search the Scriptures," said Jesus Christ to the Jews, "in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." Again, he said to the Pharisees, "He that is of God, heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

I would ask what portion of the words of God can be more interesting to believers of the Gospel, at this period of its era, than that relating to the lost tribes of the children of Israel. Our Blessed Saviour is their Glory, and our interest in Him is intimately connected with the manifestation of that Glory; for it is declared, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection;" and this event belongs to the glorious appearing of Israel's Holy One, when the kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, "whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."

It certainly is plainly demonstrated in the holy Scriptures, that Christ will settle the controversy of Zion at His second coming; and its commence

ment at Jerusalem was a civil war, in which ten tribes of the children of Israel rejected their Messiah, and forsook the place where He had recorded His Name, as the Lord God of Isracl. To settle this controversy, or this part of the controversy of Zion, the Lord Jesus will come in person, glory, and power, at the opening of the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion; and He will send His messengers, and gather together "the outcasts of Israel," as well as "the dispersed of Judah;" they must all appear before Him when He is seated upon the throne of His Glory, to judge the nations; and He calls them His brethren. I say "all"—I mcan all the living: that is, an outward congregation of men, women, and children, composed of lineal descendants of Jacob, who shall be miraculously preserved throughout the "time of affliction," which is foretold by our Lord, as precedent to His coming in the clouds; and this grand event is notified by the darkening of the sun and moon, the falling of the stars, and shaking of heaven and earth.

That the time is very near, no reasonable person can possibly doubt: there is no excuse for scepticism upon the subject: there is no occasion for stumbling or offence. The words of God by prophets, by His Son, and by Apostles, plainly declare the reign of Blessedness by JESUS Christ, in His own glorified person, even that body which was raised from the dead on the third day after its crucifixion, and the testimony of holy angels is literal to the point. The restoration of the land, the capital city, and the ancient tribes of the Lord, are

canonical doctrines of both law and Gospel, of which Christ is the minister of God to confirm; and He has set forth the signs of His day so perfectly plain, that a babe in Christ may know the Gospel hour, or watch of the time.

With Christ no soul can have true fellowship apart from the belief that He is the Glory of Israel. He must be accorded to that people as their Prince for ever, their King and Priest; otherwise the Scripture is broken; of course our spiritual house is not founded upon a rock, and must fall before the threatened storm. Faith in the shedding of His blood for the remission of sins, owns its vitalityis secure in the resurrection of that body from the dead, which was nailed to the cross, and was pierced by the Roman sword. I mean that faith which giveth the victory: without this, all other is vain. Faith in the literal resurrection of the body of Jesus Christ, is our security for the acceptance of His dying for us, with God the Father: by it, we are sure that He is able to save even unto the uttermost, all that come unto God by Him: that is, by the blood He shed, by the body that rose, and by the Spirit which He promised to give. How can we escape the wrath to come, except by believing this gospel of the resurrection of JESUS Christ from the dead? It is impossible. Then we must confess He is the Glory of Israel; and it is our privilege to pray for His manifestation as their Glory, and to love His appearing in the grand character of Zion's Deliverer, who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and save all Israel from their sins, that is, all that are alive at the time of His coming in the louds of Heaven.

It is evident from the testimony of holy men, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, that the tribes of Jacob, will be in extreme distress at the time of the appearing of their Messiah in His glory. In the midst of their trouble they will be made willing to cry unto Him; and He will say “it is my people, I will be their God." It is also equally certain, that the Redeemer of Israel finds them as unclean and unholy, as they are afflicted and miserable. He turns away ungodliness at once; and a nation is born of God. He avenges their wrongs, and owns good or evil done unto them, as to Himself. In making these assertions, I am perfectly safe from all fear of grieving the Holy Spirit; for they are the result of His sacred work, by whom prophets and apostles spake; and proceeded also from the mouth of JESUS Christ, who is over all God blessed forever. Where this Gospel Comforter has access among the children of men, He is sure to speak of Jesus, and not of Himself: this the Blessed One declared in His last sermon; and let it always be present before us, that heaven and earth may pass away, but Christ's words shall never pass away. The Holy Spirit, which "proceedeth from the Father," was sent by JESUS Christ, after He was glorified, to God's church-the church of Christ-one body; and the mission of the Spirit was, to glorify JESUS upon earth, as He had glorified the Father upon earth. It is glorifying JESUS to create faith in Him, who was "hated without a cause:" who was despised, rejected, and killed. It is glorifying JESUS to believe that He rose from the dead; that He ascended to Heaven; that He is exalted (in His perC