after-ruin they prefigured, but a more perfect completion is reserved for them with which their grandeur of design and sublimity of expression more exactly accord, for they seem to unite with the apocalyptic prophecy in pointing ultimately and emphatically to the great day of the Lord's wrath."

CHAPTER V.

PROPHECIES RESPECTING THE JEWS.

MANY of the prophecies of the Old Testament, as far as they regard the Jews, have already been LITERALLY ACCOMPLISHED. Let us, when we have to consider a prophecy, first inquire after this point, and endeavour to ascertain whether it may not have received a literal accomplishment. The value of such a prophecy still remains. It marks the constant and particular foreknowledge and providence of God, illustrates his dealings with his creatures, and furnishes a most solid evidence of the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

The actual accomplishment must, therefore, never be overlooked, especially that which regards the first coming of our Saviour in the flesh among the Jews, and the diffusion of his Gospel among the nations of the earth, through the labours of Apostles selected from the Jewish Church. The first advent of Christ was the greatest event which this lower world has hitherto witnessed, and the confirmation of it affects the faith and happiness of the whole human race and no wonder, therefore, that it is so much dwelt upon, both in prophecy and in the history of the New Testament, where the fact is confirmed, and

the truth and inspiration of the prophecies are established. In order rightly to interpret other prophecies, we must notice the time when they were delivered. There are, generally, express statements, in connection with every particular prophecy, which discover this important circumstance. All the prophets of the Old Testament, except the last three, flourished before the return from the captivity in Babylon. Zechariah and Haggai also prophesied at the time of the return of the Jews under Zerubbabel, and seventy years before the return of a large body under Ezra. It appears, from various expressions, that some of the ten tribes also returned at the same time. Ezra vi. 17-21; viii. 35. The prophecies, therefore, foretelling their return to their own land, received a commencing, though only partial, accomplishment in their return from captivity, yet by no means adequate to the fulness and largeness of varied predictions. Indeed Hosea i. 6—10, plainly points out a marked difference between Israel and Judah.

It is evident that a variety of events may fulfil in a regular series the same prophecy. The first promise of Christ, (Gen. iii. 15.) and the prophecies respecting Noah's sons, shew this. Hence many events in successive ages may be but as parts of one full sense in which a prophecy shall ultimately be fulfilled. Hereby the divine foreknowledge, and the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, are in the result most remarkably displayed and illustrated. Thus there may be a growing accomplishment of prophecy through many ages.1

1 Lord Bacon's statement on this subject is in the usual style of that great man, who takes original and comprehensive views of all that he considers. It occurs in the first section of his Work, " De

Many prophecies respecting the land of Judea have received already a remarkable and literal fulfilment as Mr. Keith has ably shewn in the fifth chapter of his work on prophecy: others remain unaccomplished.

But let us confine our attention more particularly to the expectations which we may justly entertain respecting THE FUTURE STATE OF THE JEWS.

There are many expressions in the Old Testament which may lead us to expect not only the conversion of the Jews, but their NATIONAL RESTORATION FROM THEIR PRESENT DISPERSION to their own land. The late Mr. Scott thus summed up his own views on the subject, in his work on the Restoration of Israel. He says:

"It is now becoming more and more the opinion of serious Christians, that when Israel shall be converted to their long-rejected Messiah, they will be gathered from their dispersions, and reinstated in their own land; which being rendered as fertile as in times past, (perhaps much more so,) and extended to the utmost limits of the grants made to the Patriarchs, will yield them in rich abundance, all things needful and comfortable for this present life. It is also thought that they will live in this land under augmentis Scientiarum," and is as follows:-" The history of prophecy consists of two relatives; the prophecy, and the accomplishment: whence the nature of it requires that every Scripture prophecy be compared with the event, through all the ages of the world, for the better confirmation of the faith, and the better information of the church, with regard to the interpretation of prophecies not yet fulfilled. But here we must allow the latitude which is peculiar and familiar to divine prophecies; which have their completion not only at stated times, but in succession, as participating of the nature of their author, with whom a thousand years are but as one day, and therefore are not fulfilled punctually at once, but having a growing accomplishment through many ages, though the height or fulness of them may refer to a single age or moment."

rulers of their own nation as the vicegerents of the Messiah, of David, or the son of David, in entire peace and security, free from invader or oppressor, and from the fear of any and that, along with all spiritual blessings in rich abundance, they will be voluntarily regarded by all other nations, then truly converted, with peculiar love, and gratitude, and honour, as the source of all their spiritual blessings, and especially as most nearly related to their common Messiah and Saviour who is the light of the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel."

A general idea of the expectations of many students of Prophecy which have been entertained for a lengthened period, may be gathered from a collection of promises concerning the calling of the Jews and the glory which shall be in the latter days: taken from Powel's Concordance, published in 1673. It is referred to by Doddridge in his Lectures on Divinity.

"I. The Jews shall be gathered from all parts of the earth where they are now scattered, and brought into their own land.

For this see Isai. xi. 11; xxvii. 12, 13; xliii. 5, 6; xlix. 11, 12; lx. 4.
Compare Jer. iii. 18; xvi. 14, 15; xxiii. 3; xxx. 10; xxxi. 7, 8, 10;
Xxxii. 37. So Hos. xi. 10, 11; Zeph. iii. 10; Zec. viii. 7, 8;
X. 8, 9, 10.

"II. They shall be carried by the Gentiles to their place; who shall join themselves with the Jews, and become the Lord's people.

Isai. xlix. 22; xiv. 2; Ix. 9; lxvi. 18, 20; and ii. 2, 3, 4. Compare Jer. iii. 17; xvi. 19; Ez. xlvii. 22, 23; Mic. v. 3; Zec. ii. 11; viii. 20.

"III. Great miracles shall be wrought when Israel is restored as formerly when they were brought out of Egypt-viz.

1. Drying up the river Euphrates. Isai. xi. 15, 16; Zec. x. 11; Rev. xvi. 12; Hos. xi. 15; Mic. vii. 15.

2. Causing rivers to flow in desert places. Isai. xli. 17, 18, 19; xlviii. 20, 21, xliii. 19, 20.

3. Giving them Prophets. Isai. lxvi. 18, 18, 20, 21; Hos. xii. 9, 10. 4. The Lord Christ himself shall appear at the head of them. Isai. Xxxv. 8; lii. 12; lviii. 8, Hos. i. 10, 11; Mic. ii. 12, 13.

"IV. The Jews, being restored, and converted to the faith of Christ, shall be formed into a State, and have Judges and Counsellors over them as formerly: the Lord Christ himself being their King, who shall then also be acknowledged King over all the earth.

Isai. i. 26; lx. 17. Compare Jer. xxiii. 4; xxx. 8, 9, 21; Hos. iii. 5; Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24; xxxvii. 24, 25; Isai. liv. 5; Obad. 21; Zec. xiv. 5, 9; Psalm xxii. 27, 28.