"lofing their name, their language, and their memo "rial, were never after any more spoken of." But if the whole race of Ifrael became thus extinct, and perished for ever, how can the numerous prophecies be fulfilled, which promise the future converfion and restoration of Ifrael as well as of Judah?

The truth I conceive to lie between these two opinions. Neither did they all return to Jerufalem, neither did all, who remained behind, comply with the idolatry of the Gentiles, among whom they lived. But whether they remained, or whether they returned, this prophecy of Isaiah was still fulfilled; the kingdom, the commonwealth, the state of Ifrael was utterly broken; they no longer fubfifted as a distinct people from Judah, they no longer maintained a separate religion, they joined themselves to the Jews from whom they had been unhappily divided, they lost the name of Ifrael as a name of distinction, and were thenceforth all in common called Jews. It appears from the book of Efther, that there were great numbers of Jews in all the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahafuerus or Artaxerxes Longimanus king of Perfia, and they could not all be the remains of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who had refused to return to Jerufalem with their brethren; they must many of them have been the defcendents of the ten tribes whom the kings of Affyria had carried away captive; but yet they are all spoken of as one and the fame people, and all without diftinction are denominated Jews. We read in the Acts of the Apostles, (II. 9.) that there came to Jerufalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia: these men came from the countries, wherein the ten tribes had been placed, and in all probability therefore were fome of their pofterity; but yet these as well as the rest are stiled (ver. 5.) Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Those likewife of the ten tribes, who returned to Jerufalem, united with the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and formed but one nation, one body of Jews; they might for fome ages perhaps preserve their genealogies; but they are now incorporated together,

and

4

and the distinction of tribes and families is in great meafure loft among them, and they have all from the Babylonish captivity to this day been comprehended under the general name of Jews. In St. Paul's time there were feveral persons of all the ten tribes in being; for he speaketh of the twelve tribes hoping to attain to the promife of God; (Acts XXVI. 7.) and St. James addresseth his epistle to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. (James I. 1.) And we make no question, that several perfons of all the ten tribes are in being at present, tho we cannot feparate them from the rest; they are confounded with the other Jews; there is no difference, no diftinction between them. The (1) Samaritans indeed (of whom there are still fome remains at Sichem and the - neighbouring towns) pretend to be the defcendents of the children of Ifrael, but they are really derived from those nations, which Efarhaddon king of Affyria planted in the country, after he had carried thence the ten tribes into captivity. And for this reason the Jews call them by no other name than Cuthites, (the name of one of those nations) and exclaim against them as the worst of heretics, and if poffible have greater hatred and abhorrence of them than of the Christians themselves.

Thus we fee how the ten tribes of Ifrael were in a manner loft in their captivity, while the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin were restored and preserved several ages afterwards. And what, can you believe, were the reasons of God's making this difference and distinction between them? The ten tribes had totally revolted from God to the worship of the golden calves in Dan and Bethel, and for this, and their other idolatry and wickedness, they were fuffered to remain in the land of their captivity. The Jews were restored, not fo much for their own fakes, as for the fake of the promifes made unto the fathers, the promise to Judah that the Meffiah should come of his tribe, the promise to David that the Meffiah should be born of his family. It was therefore necessary for the tribe of Judah, and the families of that tribe, to be kept diftinct until the coming of the Mef

(1) See Prideaux as before.

fiah. But now these ends are fully answered, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin are as much confounded as any of the rest: all distinction of families and genealogies is loft among them: and the (2) Jews themselves acknowledge as much in saying, that when the Messiah shall come, it will be part of his office " to fort their families, " reftore the genealogies, and fet aside strangers."

II. The prefervation of the Jews thro' so many ages, and the total deftruction of their enemies are wonderful events; and are made ftill more wonderful by being fignified before-hand by the spirit of prophecy, as we find particularly in the prophet Jeremiah, (XLVI. 28.) Fear not thou, O Jacob my fervant, faith the Lord, for I am with thee, for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee.

The prefervation of the Jews is really one of the most fignal and illustrious acts of divine providence. They are difperfed among all nations, and yet they are not confounded with any. The drops of rain which fall, nay the great rivers which flow into the ocean, are foon mingled and lost in that immenfe body of waters: and the fame in all human probability would have been the fate of the Jews, they would have been mingled and loft in the common mass of mankind; but on the contrary they flow into all parts of the world, mix with all nations, and yet keep separate from all. They still live as a distiuct people, and yet they no where live according to their own laws, no where elect their own magiftrates, no where enjoy the full exercise of their religion. Their folemn feasts and sacrifices are limited to one certain place, and that hath been now for many ages in the hands of strangers and aliens, who will not fuffer them to come thither. No people have continued unmixed so long as they have done, not only of those who have fent forth colonies into foreign countries, but even of those who have abided in their own country. The northern nations have come in swarms into the more

fouthern parts of Europe; but where are they now to be difcerned and diftinguished? The Gauls went forth in great bodies to seek their fortune in foreign parts; but what traces or footsteps of them are now remaining any where? In France who can separate the race of the ancient Gauls from the various other people, who from time to time have fettled there? In Spain who can diftinguish exactly between the first poffeffors the Spaniards, and the Goths, and the Moors, who conquered and kept poffeffion of the country for fome ages? In England who can pretend to say with certainty which families are derived from the ancient Britons, and which from the Romans, or Saxons, or Danes, or Normans? The most ancient and honorable pedigrees can be traced up only to a certain period, and beyond that there is nothing but conjecture and uncertainty, obscurity and ignorance: but the Jews can go up higher than any nation, they can even deduce their pedigree from the beginning of the world. They may not know from what particular tribe or family they are defcended, but they know certainly that they all sprung from the stock of Abraham. And yet the contempt with which they have been treated, and the hardships which they have undergone in almost all countries, should one would think have made them defirous to forget or renounce their original; but they profess it, they glory in it: and after so many wars, massacres, and perfecutions they still subsist, they still are very numerous: and what but a supernatural power could have preserved them in fuch a manner as none other nation upon earth hath been preserved?

Nor is the providence of God less remarkable in the destruction of their enemies, than in their preservation, For from the beginning who have been the great enemies and oppressors of the Jewish nation, removed them from their own land, and compelled them into captivity and flavery? The Egyptians afflicted them much, and detained them in bondage several years. The Affyrians carried away captive the ten tribes of Ifrael, and the Babylonians afterwards the two remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Syro-Macedonians, especially Antiochus tiochus Epiphanes, cruelly perfecuted them: and the Romans utterly diffolved the Jewish state, and difperfed the people fo that they have never been able to recover their city and country again. But where are now these great and famous monarchies, which in their turns fubdued and oppreffed the people of God? Are they not vanished as a dream, and not only their power, but their very names loft in the earth? The Egyptians, Affyrians, and Babylonians were overthrown, and entirely fubjugated by the Perfians: and the Persians, (it is remarkable) were the restorers of the Jews, as well as the deftroyers of their enemies. The Syro-Macedonians were fwallowed up by the Romans: and the Roman empire, great and powerful as it was, was broken in pieces by the incurfions of the northern nations; while the Jews are fubfifting as a distinct people at this day. And what a wonder of providence is it, that the vanquished should fo many ages survive the victors, and the former be fpread all over the world, while the latter are no more?

Nay not only nations have been punished for their cruelties to the Jews, but divine vengeance hath purfued even fingle persons, who have been their perfecutors and oppreffors. The first born of Pharaoh was destroyed, and he himself with his hoft was drowned in the fea. Most of those who oppressed Ifrael in the days of the Judges, Eglon, Jabin and Sifera, Oreb, and Zeeb, and the reft, came to an untimely end. Nebuchadnezzar was stricken with madness, and the crown was foon transferred from his family to strangers. Antiochus Epiphanes (3) died in great agonies, with ulcers and vermin iffuing from them, so that the filthiness of his fmell was intolerable to all his attendents, and even to himfelf. Herod, who was a cruel tyrant to the Jews, (4) died in the fame miferable manner. Flaccus, governor of Egypt, who barbaroufly plundered and oppressed the Jews of Alexandria, (5) was afterwards banished and flain. Caligula, who perfecuted the Jews