The restoration of this people, wherever it is spoken of in all the prophets, occurs just as it does here, (Rev. xx. 4,) not until the scourging and final destruction of the beast, (their last and greatest enemy,) have made way for it. Without their conversion it cannot take place, and the existence of popery is still, as it has ever been, an insurmountable stumbling block in their way. The removal of this, as it seems to be intimated in the prophecies, (177) will be one of the principal natural causes of the opening of their eyes, by exhibiting so very manifest a correspondence between the jewish and christian pro phecies relating to that event,

There certainly are not at present any very promising symptoms of the conversion of the

Adrian it is scarcely regarded as a bye word. No man has more use for it than an expositor of the revelation, as this pro. phecy extends from the OLD JERUSALEM, which was destroyed by the Romans, even to the NEW: and thus the holy people of Israel is of so high distinction as reaches even to eternity, The apostle of the Gentiles himself speaks, on all occasions, of the Gentiles as only partakers with Israel." Bengelius chap. xxi. sec. 12, 24.

(177) Isaiah lvii, 14 ;—lxii 10

Jews yet discoverable, in the many wonder, ful changes of these times. Unless we reck ›n such that peculiar despondency of hope, and ut ter dereliction of faith in their prophetic promises, which is certainly marked by Ezekiel as one of the preceding signs that their relief is approaching; and which seems to be the character of the Jews at this time. (178) But happen by whatever means, or at what time

it

may, it will probably be quite an unexpected and sudden event, as most of the great changes of this prophetical period of the pouring out of the vials, and the third woe have been; for its characteristic is, that "it cometh quickly,"

(178) Ezek. xxxvii. 11. See a proof of this in the blas phemous flatteries of the Jews at Paris to the modern beast cited in a tract entitled "JERUSALEM," by Granville Sharp, p. 37,

"Their mistaken notions about the time and manner of the completion of the divine promises in their favor, have made the major part of them, in a great measure to despond, if not wholly to despair; insomuch that to our certain knowlege, and their own confession, very many of those in England and Holland, carried on by the rapid stream of infidelity now reigning, are sunk into a downright disbelief of the divine authority of their sacred books." Univ. Hist. Mod, vol, xiii, p. 458,

This great political and spiritual revolution will have little, perhaps, of human contrivance distinguishable in it, but much of the hand of that supreme Ruler who disposeth all events after the counsel of his own will; yet without laying any immediate restriction upon the free agency, and consequent responsibility, of his creatures. I consider the veil that is upon the hearts of the jewish nation, as I did the obduracy of Pharoah, not as an exception to the general mercy and righteousness of the Judge of all the earth, but only as a modification of it to particular circumstances, which, together with other intricacies of divine providence in the government of the world, will one day be fully justified to the reason and conscience of all mankind, and every murmur of complaint will be silenced in acquiescence or praise. (179)

In that fine prophetical Psalm, the fiftieth, which embraces two distinct and very interesting objects, the unbelief and blindness of the Jews, and the apostacy of christians, con

(179) Romans iii. 19.

trasted with each other, in respect of the point of view in which they are both beheld by the just and impartial Judge of all flesh; the holy psalmist has set before us as striking a picture of the conversion of the Jews, as that given by Ezekiel, chap. xxxvii. And as in the latter the prophet is reminded of the impossibility of a people in such circumstances, without an extraordinary communication of divine power and grace, ever attaining to spiritual resurrection and life; so here the divine method of conducting that wonderful act of regeneration is displayed. The call of God, once more addressed to the remnant of his ancient and holy people, inviting them to turn again to their former resting place; a call to which, at this season, they will no longer turn a disobedient ear, introduces the subject in a stile of peculiar majesty.

Before the throne of the Almighty we seem to behold these two different descriptions of sinners, standing as it were in expectation to hear his judicial determination pronounced between them, as each accuses the other of a departure from God of the most criminal na

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ture. On the one hand stand the Jews, yet remaining in unbelief, the remnant of Israel, preserved through “a consumption determined,” and heavily inflicted upon them for 1800 years (180), unto these last days; when “they see not their tokens any more,” (181) but are sunk down into the very lowest abyss of despondency. Beginning perhaps to be touched at heart with a kindling spirit of remorse, for the aggravated sins of their nation, and distrustful of those long cherished prejudices by which they have been misled, yet doubtful of their own rising convictions, and humbly supplicating the heavenly spirit of divine illumination to direct their spiritual and zealous inquiries into the right way that leadeth to Zion. (182)

On the other side stand the yet more criminal apostates from the clearer light of Christ's gospel, the persecutors and tormentors of the hapless Jews, as the most abominable of heretics, and as such condemning them to the

(180) Isaiah x. 22, 23 ;-xxviii. 22

(181) Psalm 1xxiv. 9.-Ezekiel xxxvii. 11, (182) Jeremiah 1-5,