Page images
PDF
EPUB

plain, allusion to the attempt which certain unconverted Jews will make to effect their return by the assistance of the Antichristian confederacy, and to their subsequent penitence and conversion.

In the last verse Hosea observes, that, plain as the ways of the Lord are, revolters will stumble in them, but that the justified shall proceed in them. By these revolters I understand those incorrigible enemies of God, who, falling from the apostasy of Popery to the yet blacker apostasy of Infidelity, and afterwards for mere ambitiously political purposes restoring the form of a corrupt religion which in their hearts they disbelieve, shall at length league

*Mr. Yorke finishes his description of the farcical celebration of the re-establishment of Popery by General Buonapartè, in the following remarkable words. "These are the principal inci"dents which occurred at Notre Dame. I leave you to form

[ocr errors]

a just idea of the emotions of those present, whether they be "considered as Christians or not. The far greater part of the "Senate, the Legislative Body, the Tribunate, and the Gene"rals, being avowed atheists, and notorious for the murders,

thefts, and atrocities, which they had perpetrated: with "their Chief Magistrate, who had worshipped at the altar of "atheism some years before in Paris, who afterwards knelt "down before the Pope at Rome, and embraced the religion "of Mohammed in Africa; assembled together in one place "to adore a god in whom they had no faith, and to profess

[ocr errors]

a religion which they despised, merely that they might be "enabled to preserve their usurped authority over the people, and to retain their places; is an occurrence in the history of pious fraud, not to be met with since the days of Judas

"Iscariot.

league themselves in a misnamed religious war with the Romish man of sin, and attain the summit of deliberate impiety by openly opposing the counsels of the Most High respecting his ancient people the Jews.

PROPHECY XXXI.

Irruption of Antichrist into Palestine-His destruction there-General effusion of the Holy Spirit-A description of the overthrow of the confederated nations at the period of the restoration of Judah.

Joel i. 1. The word of the Lord that came unto Joel, the son of Pethuel. 2. Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? 3. Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their

66

66

"Iscariot. I may safely venture to affirm, that, with the "exception of the Bishops (if they may be excepted), there was not a single person in the cathedral, who quitted this religious mockery with a sentiment of piety excited in his "breast, nor one, who did not perfectly see through the "the whole object of the ceremony." Letters from France in 1802. Vol. i. p. 269, 270.

children

children another generation. 4. That, which the palmer-worm hath left, hath the locust eaten; and that, which the locust hath left, hath the cankerworm eaten; and that, which the canker-worm hath left, hath the caterpiller eaten-6. For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek-teeth of a great lion. 7. He hath laid my vine waste, and marked my figtree he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white

14. Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord. 15. Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come

ii. 1. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2. A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong: there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it even to the years of many generations. 3. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

4. The

5.

4. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of the chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7. They shall run like mighty men, they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks. 8. Neither shall one thrust another, they shall walk every one in his path: and, when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run to and fro upon the wall; they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter irr at the windows like a thief. 10. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark; and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 11. And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great; for the strong One executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

12. Therefore also now saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning-17. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine he

ritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

18. Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19. Yea, the Lord will answer, and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen. 20. But I will remove far off from you the northern one, and will drive him into a land made by his ravages barren and desolate, with his face toward the east-sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea: and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. 21. Fear not, O land, be glad, and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things -23. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he will give you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath caten, the canker-worm, and the caterpiller, and the palmer-worm, my great army, which I sent among you. 26. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wonderously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27. And ye shall

know,

« PreviousContinue »