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heritage, even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who" (in modern times,) "hath remembered us in our low estate, and hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever." They will then join with their christian brethren, and learn of them the new song of the gospel, and sing in sweet concord, the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. They will celebrate God's mercies in their restoration, in those rapturous strains of David, in which with the spirit of prophecy, he hath anticipated their gratitude on this great occasion. "O sing unto the Lord a NEW SONG, for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his salvation : his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel, and ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH have seen the salvation of our God." (Psalm xcvii. 1.)

* Rev. v. 9.—Işi, xlii. 10, + Rev. xv. 13.

SECTION VI.

The second Exodus-or return of Israel from their last captivity,-in the mystical Egypt, -by a divine interposition in their favour. -Great importance of this religious and political revolution-to the perfecting of the great plan of human redemption.

To them that are of a friendly disposition in sincerity to revealed religion, and have been much conversant in the writings of the prophets, it will scarcely seem that I have attributed a greater share of importance to the wonderful facts of the conversion and restoration of the people of Israel, than they truly deserve. The prophets in general, and St. Paul, (wherever in his Epistles the mention of it occurs,) consider it, next to the incarnation of Christ, and the calling of the gentiles in the first instance,

as one of the most distinguished acts of God's grace and mercy; and a most astonishing proof of the foreknowledge and providence, the wisdom and power of the great Alpha and Omega, "the Author and Finisher of our faith." Indeed, it is the winding up and perfecting of the great scheme of human redemption, in the hand of Christ, agreeably to the plan laid down in "the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, before the world began." And there can be no doubt but it will be God's act, eminently so called ;* and will draw a proportionable degree of attention to it; and the manner and circumstances of its accomplishment will be of great importance in themselves, and in the result by which they will be followed. It was most justly

*Isaiah xxviii. 21. "For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be WROTн, as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his wORK, his strange work; and bring to pass his ACT, his strange act."-That this does not relate to the incarnation, seems probable, because it is an act of God's anger against the enemies of Israel; otherwise this reference to a similar vindication of their injuries* has no similitude, nor propriety in it.

* Joshua, x, 13.-2 Samuel, v. 20.

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said by Moses, of the first Exodus, that it was such an act as the world had never witnessed before. "Hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, before your eyes?-Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people sayed by the Lord!" (Deut. iv. 34,-xxxiii. 29.)

That so great a revolution, in the present, or in almost any circumstances of the nations amongst whom that people are scattered, will be effected without opposition, can hardly be expected. There are no rights so strong, no truths so plain, but resistance (even to the uttermost) will be made against them, by the parties interested in opposing their establishment. Thus the christian religion was discountenanced and persecuted by the ancient jews, against the clearest light; and by the pagans, against reason and justice. And the reformed doctrines in the same manner were

repelled by the apostate church; which for upwards of a thousand years hath trampled upon truth and holiness, (yet with the highest pretensions to both,) to serve the base ends of an interested policy,

But for such an expectation we have not only rational conjecture, from the similar conduct of perverse men and destitute of the truth, placed in similar circumstances, but the positive assurances and authority of holy scripture. The commission to the great conductor of this mighty enterprize, whom God at the appointed time will raise up unto Israel, runs in these remarkable terms; in which the continued allusion to the Exodus under Moses, and the wonder-working rod, by which God empowered him to work the most stupendous miracles, is strikingly evident. "Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, AS IN THE DAYS OF OLD, ACCORDING TO THE DAYS OF THY COMING OUT OF

EGYPT, will I (again) shew unto him mar◄

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