66

T

then flow in upon that people. They, recovering themselves as from a profound sleep, and opening their eyes to the bright light which Elias will expose to them, they will see their past blindness, will be confounded at their past errors, and will be deeply touched at their long ingratitude to their God. They will then recollect, in bitterness of heart, what the Almighty had formerly urged to them, pre-admonishing them of their late unhappy state. Behold, the hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have divided between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he should not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity." Isai. lix. 1, 2, 3. They will acknowledge the justice of this reproach, making the following humble reply: "Therefore has judgment been far from us. We looked for light, and behold darkness: brightness, and we have walked in the dark. We have groped for the wall, and like the blind, we have groped as if we had no eyes we have stumbled at noon-day, as in darkness." Ibid. v. 9, 10. From the full and clear instructions of Elias, they will evidently see that all the different characters, ascribed by the prophets to the Messiah, are found in Jesus Christ; they will acknowledge his miracles; and in deep anguish will bewail the obstinacy of their forefathers, who shut their eyes to such evidence, and with unparalleled impiety put to death the author of life, and in consequence entailed upon their posterity such long and severe judgments. In viewing that horrible crime, committed against the sacred person of Christ. they will break out into sorrowful lamentations and tears of compunction. "I will pour out upon the house of David, (says God,) and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of prayers: and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for an only son: and they shall grieve over him, as the manner is to grieve for the death of the first-born. In that day there shall be a great lamentation in Jerusalem." Zach. xii. 10, 14. In fine, the Jews, now totally convinced of the whole truth of Christianity, will unite in offering up their adoration to Jesus Christ, and with a full heart confess him to be the eternal Son of God, the seed of Abraham, the race of David, the king of Israel, the desired of all nations, the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.

Thus that new-modelled people, after passing through the successive steps of surprise, confusion, and repentance, will at

last rise up to a state of gladness and exultation, at the view of their present happiness. In a tide of joy they will send up their praises to heaven, and will sing a canticle of thanksgiving, which the Almighty himself has composed for them, purposely as it would seem for this occasion, and has delivered by the pen of his prophet Isaiah.

Chap. 12. v. 1. I will give thanks to thee, O Lord: for thou wast angry with me: thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me.

1

V. 2. "Behold God is my Saviour, I will deal confidently, and will not fear; because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he is become my salvation.

V.4. " Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his name: make his intentions known among the people remember that his name is high.

V. 5. "Sing ye to the Lord, for he has done great things— show this forth in all the earth.

V. 6.

66

Rejoice and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is. He that is in the midst of thee, the holy One of Israel."

66

To which thanksgiving they will probably join this other: Lord, thou hast blessed thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.

"Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people: thou hast covered all their sins.

"Thou hast mitigated all thy anger: thou hast turned away from the wrath of thy indignation." Psalm 84.

66

The great prophet and apostle, Elias, having thus completed that remarkable work so long before foretold, of breaking down the wall of separation that stood between the Christian and Jewish people, and uniting them in one society; of converting the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, of restoring the tribes of Jacob" to the favour of their God, and so saving all Israel; the happy event will be carried upon the wings of the wind over all Christendom, and the voice of exultation and praises of the Almighty will resound in every quarter of the Church. And now Elias, having fulfilled this part of his ministry, will be at leisure to convert his attention and labours to other nations. Nor can we sufficiently admire the divine mercy, in sending such powerful preachers as Henoch and Elias, to reform mankind at a time that they will have become so universally corrupt, and that even idolatry will have made its appearance again upon the earth. They will admonish

v. 9, 10.

66

then flow in upon that people. They, recovering themselves as from a profound sleep, and opening their eyes to the bright light which Elias will expose to them, they will see their past blindness, will be confounded at their past errors, and will be deeply touched at their long ingratitude to their God. They will then recollect, in bitterness of heart, what the Almighty had formerly urged to them, pre-admonishing them of their late unhappy state. Behold, the hand of the Lord is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have divided between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he should not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity." Isai. lix. 1, 2, 3. They will acknowledge the justice of this reproach, making the following humble reply: "Therefore has judgment been far from us. We looked for light, and behold darkness: brightness, and we have walked in the dark. We have groped for the wall, and like the blind, we have groped as if we had no eyes: we have stumbled at noon-day, as in darkness." Ibid. From the full and clear instructions of Elias, they will evidently see that all the different characters, ascribed by the prophets to the Messiah, are found in Jesus Christ; they will acknowledge his miracles; and in deep anguish will bewail the obstinacy of their forefathers, who shut their eyes to such evidence, and with unparalleled impiety put to death the author of life, and in consequence entailed upon their posterity such long and severe judgments. In viewing that horrible crime, committed against the sacred person of Christ. they will break out into sorrowful lamentations and tears of compunction. I will pour out upon the house of David, (says God,) and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of prayers: and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for an only son: and they shall grieve over him, as the manner is to grieve for the death of the first-born. that day there shall be a great lamentation in Jerusalem." Zach. xii. 10, 14. In fine, the Jews, now totally convinced of the whole truth of Christianity, will unite in offering up their adoration to Jesus Christ, and with a full heart confess him to be the eternal Son of God, the seed of Abraham, the race of David, the king of Israel, the desired of all nations, the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.

In

Thus that new-modelled people, after passing through the successive steps of surprise, confusion, and repentance, will at

last rise up to a state of gladness and exultation, at the view of their present happiness. In a tide of joy they will send up their praises to heaven, and will sing a canticle of thanksgiving, which the Almighty himself has composed for them, purposely as it would seem for this occasion, and has delivered by the pen of his prophet Isaiah.

66

Chap. 12. v. 1. I will give thanks to thee, O Lord: for thou wast angry with me: thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me.

V. 2. " Behold God is my Saviour, I will deal confidently, and will not fear; because the Lord is my strength, and my praise, and he is become my salvation.

V.4. "Praise ye the Lord, and call upon his name: make his intentions known among the people remember that his name is high.

V. 5. "Sing ye to the Lord, for he has done great things— show this forth in all the earth.

V. 6.

66

Rejoice and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is He that is in the midst of thee, the holy One of Israel."

To which thanksgiving they will probably join this other: Lord, thou hast blessed thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.

"Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people: thou hast covered all their sins.

"Thou hast mitigated all thy anger: thou hast turned away from the wrath of thy indignation." Psalm 84.

66

The great prophet and apostle, Elias, having thus completed that remarkable work so long before foretold, of breaking down the wall of separation that stood between the Christian and Jewish people, and uniting them in one society; of converting the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, of restoring the tribes of Jacob" to the favour of their God, and so saving all Israel; the happy event will be carried upon the wings of the wind over all Christendom, and the voice of exultation and praises of the Almighty will resound in every quarter of the Church. And now Elias, having fulfilled this part of his ministry, will be at leisure to convert his attention and labours to other nations. Nor can we sufficiently admire the divine mercy, in sending such powerful preachers as Henoch and Elias, to reform mankind at a time that they will have become so universally corrupt, and that even idolatry will have made its appearance again upon the earth. They will admonish

66

mankind of the approaching end of the world, will reprove them for their profligate morals and infidelity. The axe is now laid to the root," will they say: "every tree, therefore, that doth not yield good fruit, will be cut down and cast into the fire." Matth. iii. 10. They will explain the prophecies, showing what part of them has been accomplished, and what remains to be fulfilled; and they themselves will prophesy. Apoc. xi. 3. They will give notice of the then near approach of Antichrist, of his satanic efforts to make the world apostatize from God, and of the dreadful persecution he will exercise against the whole body of Christians. They will exhort the people, with all the energy of eloquence, and with a full exertion of their miraculous powers, to return from their iniquities, to do penance, to embrace the mercy of God, which soon will be no more in their power, and to guard against the terrible disasters that are ready to fall. In order to give more extent to their labours, they will stir up the zeal of the pastors and priests, and will send them forth with the commission to renew the face of the earth. The Church will therefore, at this time, exert itself on all sides with extraordinary fervour. Its ministers, endued with the apostolic spirit, will, in imitation of the apostles, spread themselves every where, even to the remotest countries, and will make the gospel again resound in all parts of the earth. "This gospel of the kingdom (says Christ) shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come." Matth. xxii. 14.

This general preaching of the Christian doctrine in the sixth or last age of the world, we also find sublimely set forth, with other particulars, by our apostle and prophet, in the tenth chapter of the Apocalypse.

V. 1. "I saw," says he, "another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow on his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire." The appearance of this mighty angel is very remarkable. The different parts of his attire are formed to bear a relation to the events he comes to announce. He is clothed with a cloud to indicate that a cloud of persecution is soon to overspread the Church. He is crowned with a rainbow, as a symbol of the alliance Christ has made with his Church: first, to extend her kingdom over the whole earth; "this Gospel of the kingdom," said he, "shall be preached in the whole world." Matt. xxiv. 14 secondly, to guide her in all difficulties, “behold I am with you to the end of the world." Matt. xxviii.