highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song: he also is become my salvation" (Isaiah xi. 16, and xii. 1, 2).

All the twelve tribes are to have part in this glory, for we are not to suppose that they are lost. Scripture tells us that the ten tribes of Israel must be re-established one day in the land promised to their father Abraham. This doctrine has at all times been adhered to in the Christian Church, and proclaimed by all the Fathers. It is of the highest importance, both for the Church of the Gentiles and of the Jews, being intimately and essentially connected with all the hopes of the children of God respecting the reign of Jesus Christ, the resurrection, and the advent of our Saviour. An indissoluble tie exists between it and the future glory of God's people; for "Thus saith the Lord God;

:

Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; after that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.” (Ezekiel xxxix. 25—29), "In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers." (Jeremiah iii. 18). And again: "Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with

the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land : And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their

children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them : yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore." (Ezek. xxxvii. 19-28.) And there shall also be accomplished another prophecy :-" He will turn again, he will have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." (Micah vii. 19, 20).

These, and a multitude of other promises of a similar description, are perfectly clear and unqualified by any condition. Some may, indeed, contend that, in a spiritual sense, the Christian Church having taken the place of God's people under the dispensation of the New Testament, has already experienced the fulfilment of these

promises; but those holding this opinion have no ground to stand on, the plain word of Scripture being sufficient to refute their views. The Lord Himself obviously confined His promises and the application of them to Israel as a people; that is, to the issue of Abraham according to flesh, at the very time when He rose up to heaven from the midst of the apostles. Being asked by these, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts i. 6), He never for a moment denies that the restoration will actually take place, but only affirms that it rests with God alone to appoint the time for it. "It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father has put in his own power." (Acts i. 7). On a previous occasion he had made to His twelve apostles a promise tending to the same end: "In the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt. xix. 28.)

The meaning of these words cannot be explained away. Throughout the Holy Writ, both of the old and new dispensation, the sufferings as well as the glories of the same Israel are foreshadowed in the warning voice of the prophets