reason to believe, since so many of the prophe'cies are fulfilled, that the remaining prophecies 'will be fulfilled also, that there will be yet a

greater harvest of the nations, and the yet un' converted 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, and upon their conversion be restored to their native city and country: and especially since the 'state of affairs is such, that they may return without 'much difficulty, having no dominion, no settled 'country or fixed property to detain them much anywhere." The theorist, indeed, with still greater particularity, after distinguishing between the different cases, of their conversion and their restoration, observes, with reference to the latter: The prophets bear hard upon this sense some'times, as you may see in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, 'Amos. And to the same purpose the ancient 'promise of Moses (Deut. xxx.) is interpreted. 'Yet this seems to be a thing very inconceivable, 'unless we suppose the ten tribes to be still in some 'hidden corner of the world, from whence they may 'be conducted to their own country, as once out of Egypt, by a miraculous providence, and estab'lished there. Which being known, will give the 'alarum to all the other Jews in the world, and 'make an universal confluence to their old home. Then

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our Saviour, by an extraordinary appearance to 'them, as once to St. Paul (John xix. 37.), and by Prophets (Apoc. i. 7. Matt. xxiii. 39.) raised

up among them for that purpose, may convince them, that he is the true Messiah, and convert 'them to the Christian faith."360

In dwelling upon the promises, by which the word of prophecy has sought to inspire this ancient people with faith in a better and heavenly country;' the mind is led, by an irresistible charm, to resign itself to the splendid vision of those who look forward to their final restoration. The country which was the scene of the ministry of Christ and his Apostles, is consecrated by so many associations with their labors and character, that, to the coldest imagination, it would wear an appearance of cheerless desolation, unless it were sanctified with their presence. For though we are forbidden to join in the expectation of those who look forward to a day, when the eye shall follow his steps, as he treads his native land, or the ear hang upon his utterance, as he joins in the converse of man, we may indulge for a moment in so divine an illusion. And who could condemn the enthusiasm as misguided, which should desire to behold the holy city, of which prophecy draws so splendid a picture, rising with renovated glory from her ruins? Who, that for a moment acquiesced in the 360 Burnet Theory, p. 55.

reality of the expectation, would not wish to visit the Sion, from which inspiration has deduced its highest theme, to count her bulwarks and battlements, to view the rising magnificence of her Temple, to tread her courts, and hear of her holy place, her ark, her mercy-seat, and her cherubim?

The illusion, however, can deceive but with a momentary lustre; and atonce disperses, when submitted to the penetrating light of truth. Since the abolition of the Law, and subversion of the ceremonial in the ruins of the Temple, such an expectation seems to be as little reconcilable with the spirit of the Gospel, as with the history of its rise and propagation. For to what purpose could such a temporal restitution tend, unless to restore, with the city and Temple, the weak, 'unprofitable, and beggarly elements,' which have long since decayed and passed away 2361 If the Jews, thus reinstated in their ancient country, are to be recognised as a different people from the Christians, when we are assured that all distinction between Jew and Gentile has been abolished by Christ;362 they must retain the national badge of Judaism, in circumcision, and with it an obligation to the observance of the whole Law.363 But how is this supposition to be reconciled with the distinction

361 Gal. iv. 9. Heb. vii. 18. viii. 13.

362 Gal. iii. 28. 2 Cor. v. 17.

363 Gal. v. 3. iii. 10.

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364

which is made between the New Covenant, as established, and the Old, as ready to vanish away; how rendered consistent with the express declaration, that he taketh away the first, that he may ' establish the second?'365 In what terms could it be, in fact, more explicitly declared, that both Covenants could not exist at the same time?

In support of this notion of a temporal reign of Christ, upon earth, it has been, however, urged with some shew of plausibility,366 that our Lord never denied, that he was a king; and that his kingdom would be one day established on earth. And not a little stress is laid upon the declaration which was made by him to the disciples, at the last supper, in order to prove that he will, once more, reign in it with the saints, when it is renovated, and his enemies are subdued. • But I say

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' unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of 'the vine, until that day when I drink it new with 'you in my Father's kingdom.'367 And in still stronger terms, he declared, Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath

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appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, 'judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'368

and sit on thrones

The

368 Luke xxii. 29, 30.

'kingdom of God' is a phrase which is, however, used with such latitude of meaning,369 that it seems not possible to identify, in the preceding declarations, a particular state on the earth; more especially as our Lord has so expressly declared, that his kingdom is not of this world. '370

But the difficulties in which such an opinion is involved become inextricably embarassed, by the consideration, that our Lord, after his resurrection, not only eat and drank' with the disciples,371 but communicated with them,372 as at the last supper. All power was then given unto him, in heaven and in earth,373 and in constituting them his Apostles to the ends of the earth, he made them the depositories of this power; consequently from that time may be dated the foundation of his kingdom.37 In this opinion the disciples appear to have themselves implicitly acquiesced; as we may collect, from the question proposed to him, before his ascension, relative to the restoration of the king'dom of Israel.375 As the difficulties of his declaration, that they should eat and drink with him in 'his kingdom,' admits of this satisfactory explanation, from the short time of his abode with them,

369 Luke xvii. 20, 21. ix. 27. xi. 20. 371 Acts x. 41. John xxi. 12, 13.

373 Matt. xxviii. 18.

370 John xviii. 36. 372 Luke xxiv. 30.

374 Matt. xxiv. 14. Acts i. 3. viii. 12. xxviii. 31.

375 Acts i. 7.