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is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee, &c." chap. Ix. verses 1. 3. 5. &c.

It is as absurd, as it is vain, in the Jews to apply these prophecies to the proselytes whom they have gained among the nations; for the number of their proselytes was very inconsiderable, and nothing to answer these glorious descriptions. Neither was their religion ever designed by its founder for a universal religion, their worship and sacrifices being confined to one certain place, whither all the males were obliged to repair thrice in the year; so that it was plainly calculated for a particular people, and could never become the religion of the whole world.

There was indeed to be a religion which was designed for all nations, to be preached in all, and to be received in all; but what prospect was there that such a generous institution should proceed from so narrow minded a people as were the Jews; or that the Gentiles, who hated and despised them, should ever receive a religion from them? Was it not much more likely that they should be corrupted by the example of all the nations around them, and be induced to com

ply with the polytheism and idolatry of some of their powerful neighbours and conquerors, to which they were but too much inclined of themselves? Was not this, I say, much more likely than that they should be the happy instruments of reforming the world, and converting some of all nations to the worship of the one only God, in spirit and in truth?

But the prophet rather intimates that this great revolution, the greatest that ever was in the religious world, should be effected by a few incompetent persons, and effected too in a short compass of time. "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation; I the Lord will hasten it in his time." lx. 22. Our Saviour's commission to his Apostles was: "Go, teach all nations;" and who were the persons to whom this commission was given? those who were best qualified, and able to carry it into execution? the rich, the wise, the mighty of this world? No; they were chiefly a few poor fishermen, of low parentage and education; of no learning or eloquence; of no policy or address; of no repute or authority; despised, as Jews, by the rest of mankind, and as the meanest and worst of the Jews, by the Jews themselves. And what improper persons were these to contend with the prejudices of all the world, the super

stitions of the people, the interests of the priests, the vanity of philosophers, the pride of rulers, the malice of the Jews, the learning of Greece, and the power of Rome!

As this revolution was effected by a few incompetent persons, so was it effected too in a short compass of time. After our Saviour's ascension, the number of disciples together was about a hundred and twenty; Acts i. 15; but they soon increased and multiplied :—the apostle Peter's first sermon added to them about 3000 souls; Acts ii, 41; and the second made the number about 5000. iv. 4.

Before the destruction of Jerusalem, in the space of about forty years, the gospel was preached in almost every region of the world then known. In the reign of Constantine, Christianity became the religion of the empire; and, after having suffered a little under Julian, it entirely prevailed, and triumphed over paganism and idolatry; and it still prevails in the most civilized and improved parts of the world. All this was more than man could foresee, and much more than man could execute; and we experience the good effects of these prophecies at this day.

The speedy propagation of the gospel could not have been effected by persons so unequal to

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the task, if the same Divine Spirit who foretold it, had not likewise assisted them in it, according to the promise: "I the Lord will hasten it in his time." We may be as certain as if we had seen it, that the truth really was as the evangelist affirms: "They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the words with signs following." Mark xvi. 20.

But neither the prophecies concerning the Jews, nor those respecting the Gentiles, have yet received their full and entire accomplishment. Our Saviour hath not yet had the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. Psalm ii. 8. "All the ends of the world have not yet turned unto the Lord." xxii. 27. "All people, nations, and languages, have not yet served him." Daniel vii. 14. "The time is not yet come, when violence shall no more be heard in the land, wasting nor destruction within their borders." Isaiah xl. 18.

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God's promises to the Jews are not yet made good in their full extent: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they are gone; and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, even they, and their

children, and their children's children for ever." Ezekiel xxxvii. 21, 25. "Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, who caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen; but I have gathered them into 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." xxxix. 29.

However, what hath already been accomplished, is a sufficient pledge and earnest of what is yet to come; and we have all imaginable reason to conclude, since so many of these prophecies are fulfilled, that the remaining prophecies will be fulfilled also; that there will be yet a greater harvest of the nations, and the yet unconverted parts of the earth will be enlightened with the knowledge of the Lord; that the Jews will, in God's good time, be converted to Christianity.

We have seen the prophecy of Hosea iii. 4, and 5, fulfilled in part, and why should we not believe that it will be fulfilled in the whole? "The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image (or altar,) and without an Ephod, and without Teraphim (or Divine manifestation.) Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their

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