tivity was from Babylon, but here the promise extends to "all countries."

And again; the Prophet Jeremiah declares, by the word of the Lord, "I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and will bring them again to this land, and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up." These words could only refer to their final settlement, for they have long since been pulled down, and rooted out from Palestine; they are at this very time wanderers over the face of the earth; they cannot claim a foot of land; they are not permitted to sit in any legislative assembly; consequently, they have no settled habitation, no local attachments, no peculiar country; they are kept a distinct, a separate people; they cannot amalgamate with any other nation; how gladly then will they hail this period (which prophecy leads them to expect) of returning to their own land!

III. Though they will meet with difficulties, they will be enabled, finally, to triumph over all their enemies, and will be established in security and peace.

Till within the last few years, I never thought that they would have any peculiar difficulties to encounter in returning to Palestine, but had supposed that they would, at the appointed

time, be quietly reinstated in their possessions; but the reading I have lately gone through, I think, very plainly shows the probability of great external troubles in effecting this grand change. They will be collected from all quarters of the globe. Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, must all yield subjects to Palestine; and is it likely that the various sovereigns, under whom they have dwelt, and to whom they have rendered obedience, will give them up, without showing some degree of resentment, and without making some effort to retain their allegiance? There will also be enemies to expel from the land of Judea; but we are assured, that all external enemies, and internal foes, shall be alike subdued; and, under the arm of the Almighty operating in their behalf, a complete and permanent triumph will finally be effected; and they will be established in the land of their forefathers in security and peace!

IV. It is probable, that some of their rites. and ceremonies will be restored.

I would advance this opinion with great caution. Whether the ceremonies of the Mosaic ritual will ever again be practised, as it is a matter of merely speculative inquiry, it is of little consequence to us to ascertain ; but there are certainly many texts which favour the

supposition of their being (at least in a degree) restored. I shall only mention one which occurs in the prophecy of Hosea, (chapter iii. 4, 5.) "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim; afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their King, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days."

Now the argument grounded on this passage turns on this point;-It is not said that the Jews shall remain for ever without sacrifices, and without an image, and without teraphim; but only for a time; and afterwards, their former prosperity shall be restored. Dr. Doddridge supposes that many of their rites and ceremonies will be restored to them, but that they will not be binding upon others. I wish to leave your minds perfectly unbiassed. I will only say, that if any of them are again permitted, it will probably only be such as do not interfere with the unity and simplicity of gospel worship.

V. The conversion of the Heathen world will follow that of the Jews.

That this blessed effect will be greatly forwarded, by the restoration and conversion of

the Jews, we may reasonably suppose. We must here recollect the precise point for which we are pleading;—that, "all the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ." That "He shall have the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession;" we all acknowledge and believe: but the argument here rests upon this, that the conversion of the Heathen world shall be connected with that of the Jews. We know that when Christianity was first promulgated, the Apostles were commanded, when they went into any city or town, to preach the gospel first to the Jews, and being rejected of them, to turn to the Gentiles. Taking this idea into consideration, we shall perceive a peculiar beauty and meaning in those words of St. Paul, in the eleventh chapter to the Romans, where, speaking of the seed of Israel, he says, 66 Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them be the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness?" Doubtless, so signal an event will excite universal attention, and it is reasonable, as well as scriptural to suppose, it will lead to the most extensive and beneficial consequences. To behold those who were literally the murderers of the Lord of glory, not only bowing to his sceptre, and

acknowledging his authority, but graciously received into his fold, and made partakers of his salvation, must awaken the most lively sensations in every heart; no poor sinner then need yield to despair; a way will be marked out for every penitent, and none can doubt of forgiveness.

Many are the efforts now making to convert the Heathen, they are highly laudable, and have been attended with a great degree of success; but such an event as we have now been contemplating, will perhaps do more towards effecting this desirable end, than the united exertions of many years, and will crown every effort with complete and permanent success.

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With joy may we anticipate this triumph of our Redeemer, this glorious diffusion of his gospel! Let us ever behold the Jewish nation with reverence. We are under no common obligations to them. They have been through every age the guarantees of our faith; nothing can have been added, altered, or omitted in the Sacred Scriptures, for they have ever been its defence. Let us remember that they were God's ancient people; to them pertained the oracles when Britain was lost in darkness; theirs was the temple, when our nation was sunk in idolatry; they had the Psalms and the Prophets, when we were buried