fhall come to pafs, that whofoever fhall call on the name of the Lord, fhall be delivered. For in Mount Zion and in Jerufalem fhall be deliverance, as the Lord hath faid, and in the remnant whom the Lord fhall call. For behold, in thofe days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerufalem, I will also gather all nations."

From thefe Prophecies, it plainly appears, that these people," the preferved of the Lord," are to be made yet farther inftrumental to the execution of the great defign of univerfal falvation". Whether we fuppose the restoration of the Jews will be effected by evidently miraculous means (which is perhaps very highly probable), or whether God will incline their hearts to take advantage of an opportunity which the apparent chance of war will offer, the fulfilment of this remarkable Prophecy, to which the world in general has looked for so many ages, must be a very powerful means of opening the eyes of many nations, and greatly increase the number of Chriftians. And the circumftances attending their restoration, even without the fuppofition of a miracle, muft certainly have

See vol. i. c. ii. p. 79...

a great

a great effect upon the Chriftian nations of the world, and contribute greatly to their ftanding in this day of trial. "If the diminishing of them (the Jews) be the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness?" It is natural however to suppose that the enemies of Religion would be exafperated to the highest pitch of phrenzy, and that they would gather together all their forces against a people thus declared to be protected by God, whofe Existence they madly doubt, or whose Providence they impiously deny. On this occasion, the righteous. would be naturally feparated from the wicked, for they could not join in fuch a cause. "Some doubting" would probably stand aloof to fee the iffue of the conteft. We may, however, prefume that a numerous army of the defperately wicked" would be collected. against the holy land, of the living God "." Oye people, and

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and give ear all

ye

"to defy the armies "Affociate yourselves, fhall be broken in pieces; ye of far countries; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counfel together, and it fhall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not ftand, for God is with us "

Rom. xi. 12.

e Ifai. viii. 9, 10.

d

1 Sam. xvii. 26.

But

But while "the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing against the Lord, and against his anointed," the house of Ifrael fhall humble themselves before God, fhall "repent and be converted," and the Meffiah, their deliverer, may appear f "And ye fhall know that I am the Lord, when I fhall bring you into the land of Ifrael, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers: and there fhall ye remember your ways, and your doings wherein ye have been defiled, and ye fhall loath yourselves in your own fight, for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye fhall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with for my name's fake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Ifrael, faith the Lord 8."

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you

Gather the people, fanctify the congregation. Let the priests and the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar, and let them fay, Spare thy people, O Lord,

f Whether their converfion will be previous to the appearance of the Meffiah (for which they will be prepared by a change of heart; "I will take away their stony heart, and give them a heart of flesh") or whether the appearance of the Meffiah will produce their converfion, is not, I think, explicitly declared,

* Ezekiel xx, 42-44.

and

and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the Heathen fhould rule over them; wherefore fhould they fay among the people, where is their God? Then fhall the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Behold, I will fend you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye fhall be fatisfied therewith. And I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen, but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and I will drive him into a Jand barren and defolate, with his face toward the east fea, and his hinder parts toward the utmost sea, and his ftink fhall come up, and his ill favour fhall come up, because he hath done great things. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things. And it fhall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour my fpirit upon all flesh, and your fons and your daughters fhall prophefy, your old men fhall dream dreams,

and

your young men fhall fee vifions. And alfo upon the fervants and handmaidens, in thofe days, will I pour my Spirit. And I will fhow wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood and fire, and pillars of smoke. The fun fhall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come "."

Joel ii. 16-21. 28—31.

"In that

day

day will I make the governors of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a fheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand, and on the left; and Jerufalem fhall be inhabited again, in her own place, even in Jerufalem. The Lord alfo fhall fave the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David, and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerufalem do not magnify themfelves against Judah." In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day fhall be as David. And the houfe of David fhall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it fhall come to pass in that day, that I will feek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerufalem. And I will pour upon the boufe of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the fpirit of grace and of fupplications, and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall

i May not the glory of the houfe of David mean the Chriftian Church, which is properly the house of Chrift, the defcendant of David? If fo, this paffage feems to indicate, that the Jews will be recalled, and experience fome fignal marks of Divine favour, before the Gentile Chriftian Church fhall be established in peace and happiness.

mourn