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her own heap, and the palace fhall remain after the manner thereof: and out of them fhall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of them that make merry; and I will multiply them, and they fhall not be few; and I will alfo glorify them, and they fhall not be small. Their children alfo fhall be as aforetime, and their congregation fhall be established before me, and I will punifh all that opprefs them. And their nobles fhall be of themselves, and their govenor fhall proceed from the midst of them; and I will caufe him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me; for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? Saith the Lord. And ye thall be my people, and I will be your God."

What is here recorded has fuch an agreement with the other prophecy, that every obferver may fee that it refers to the fame glorious event.

1. We are told that the day will come when the Lord will return the captivity of Judah and Ifrael, and that they shall return to the LAND which he gave their fathers, and that they fhall poffefs it. verfe 3. What can be more clearly expreffed?

2. It is faid that the yoke of oppreffors fhall be brok en from off their neck, and that they shall no more ferve ftrangers, but they fhall ferve the LORD and David their king, verfe 8, 9.

3. Though God has often made a full end of other na tions; yet he declares he will not make a full end of the Jews; but will correct them in measure, verse 11. This is wonderful, that while many nations are loft and no one can tell where they are, the Jews remain a distinct people to this day, and they are now a ftanding, daily proof of the prophecies concerning other nations as well as of themfelves.

4. It is faid that the city (Jerusalem)shall be built upon her own heap, this has never been done, but will be hereafter, verfe 18.

5. It is faid that their children fhall be as they once were in the city, and that instead of having govenors from among the Gentiles, as has been the cafe for almost twe

thousand years, their governors fhall proceed from the midst of them, verse 21.

O how happy

6. To close the whole, it is faid that the LORD fhall be their God, and they shall be his people. will they then be ! Another account of the return of the Jews to their own land is recorded in Jeremiah xxxi. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. "At the fame time faith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Ifrael, and they fhall be my people. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Ifrael; thou fhalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and fhalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. Thou fhalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters fhall plant, and fhall eat them as common thingsBehold, I will bring them from the north country, and. gather them from the coafts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child together; a great company fhall return thither. They fhall come with weeping, and with fupplications will I lead them; I will caufe them to walk by the rivers of waters in a strait way, wherein they fhall not ftumble; for I am a father to Ifrael, and Ephraim is my first born.

Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the ifles afar off; and fay, he that fcattered Ifrael will gather him, and keep him as a fhepherd doth his flock; for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was ftronger than he. Therefore they fhall come and fing in the height of Zi on, and fhall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock, and of the herd; and their foul fhall be as a watered garden; and they fhall not forrow any more at all. Then fhall the virgin rejoice in the dances both young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them joice from their forrow.

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Thus faith the LORD of hofts, the God of Ifrael, as yet they fhall use this fpeech in the land of Judah, and in the

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cities thereof, when I fhall bring again their captivity; the LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness. And there fhall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.-And it fhall come to pafs, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; fo will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, faith the LORD.

Behold, the days come, faith the LORD, that the city fhall be built to the LORD, from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner; and the measuring-line fhall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compafs about to Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horsegate towards the east, fhall be holy unto the LORD; it fhall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever."

This prophecy is fo plain that we need only to underftand it, and fee that it refers to a ftate which the Jews never were in; but fhall furely, be in before the end of the world.

I will mention one more prophecy from this prophet, which speaks of the Jews being gathered out of all countries to dwell fafely, without ever being carried out of their land again forever. Jeremiah xxxii. 37, 38, 39, 40, "Behold I will gather them out of all countries whether I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will caufe them to dwell fafely; and they fhall be my people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their chil dren after them; and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they fhall not depart from me." This prophecy needs no comment; it fpeaks in plain words of the certain return of the Jews, that long reje&ed people.

I fhall now give a few quotations from Ezekiel upon this fubject.

Jews return is recorded in "For in mine holy moun

It is faid, Ezekiel xi. 17, "Therefore, thus faith the Lord God, I will even gather you from the people, and affemble you out of the countries where ye have been fcattered, and I will give you the LAND of Ifrael." In this verse it is particularly mentioned, that when the Jews are gathered out of the countries where they have been scattered, that he will give them the land of Ifrael, and in verses 18, 19, it is faid, that they fhall have one heart and a new fpirit, and that the LORD will be their God, and they fhall be his people; this has never been done, but certainly will be. Another account of the Ezek. xx. 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, tain, in the mountain of the height of Ifrael, faith the LORD GOD, there fhall all the houfe of Ifrael, all of them in the land, ferve me; there will I accept them, and there will I require your. offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. I will accept with your fweet favour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been fcattered, and I will be fanctified in you before the heathen; and ye fhall know that I am the LORD, when I fhall bring you into the land of Ifrael, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. And there fhall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye fhall loathe yourfelves in your own fight for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye fhall

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know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's fake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings,O ye house of Ifrael, faith the LORD."

In the 36th chapter of Ezekiel, the return of the Jews is defcribed more particular than in any prophecy which has been quoted; he fays that the mountains which are barren fhall fhoot forth, and be tilled, and that men fhall be multiplied upon them, and houses built with the cities, and that they fhall be fettled according to their old ef

tates, (when their land was divided by Joshua,) and that the LORD would do better with them than at the beginning when they first dwelt in the land of Canaan. Verfes, &, 9, 10, 11, 12, "But ye, O mountains of Ifrael, ye fhall fhoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Ifrael; for they are at hand to come; for, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye fhall be tilled and fown; and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Ifrael, even all of it; and their cities fhall be inhabited, and the waftes shall be builded. And I will multiply upon you men and beaft, and they shall increase and bring fruit; and I will fettle you after your old eftates, and will do better unto you than at your be ginnings, and ye fhall know that I am the LORD; yea, I will caufe men to walk upon you, even my people Ifrael, and they fhall poffefs thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more bereave them of men."

The forepart of this chapter is a prophecy concerning the fruitfulness of the mountains in the land of Canaan, when the Jews return; the mountains are now barren and in a great measure distitute of men and cattle; but the prophet was commanded to prophecy to the moun tains of Ifrael, and to fay that, they fhall hereafter be fruitful. The prophecy extends to the hills, vallies, rivers, &c. verfe 6, "Prophecy, therefore, concerning the land of Ifrael, and fay unto the mountains, and to the hills, and to the rivers, and to the valies, &c. Every perfon may fee by this that the land will be fruitful when the Jews return, unlefs we undertake to Spiritualize the text, as it is called, that is, explain away the plain meaning of the words of prophecy.

Thefe fame fruitful mountains are mentioned in chap.. 34, where it is faid that the Ifraelites fhall feed upon the mountains of Ifrael when they return, and that they fhall be fo free from the fear of evil beasts, that they shall fleep in the woods. See Ezekiel xxxiv. 13, 25, " And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them. from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Ifrael, by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

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