the latter days; when they are to have t entire and undisturbed poffeffion of the lar for ever; and are never to be removed fro it, or be carried into captivity more.

The Prophet having in the immedi ately preceding part of the chapter, fpo ken of the destruction of Jerufalem, (veri 28th.) "Behold I am (about) givin this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he fhall take it. And the Chaldeans that fight against this city fhall enter, and fhall fet this city on fire, &c.-For becaufe of mine anger, and because of mine indignation, hath this city been to me, from the day that they built it, even unto this day, to remove it from before my face," &c. Now informs them, that although it was to be given into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, yet was it not to be given to him abfolutely, for ever, but only for a time; and which is, "because of all the wickedness of the children of Ifrael, and the children of Judah, which they have committed to provoke me to anger," &c. But as their wickednefs will not continue for ever;

as there will come a time, when I shall gather

my

my people together, and will cause them to
return to this place, to Jerufalem; where
they shall dwell in fafety, and I will no long-
er hide my face from them, but they shall be
my people; because they will then mend
their ways, and will not do as they do at pre-
fent; as the Prophet fays ver. 36th. "And
now therefore thus faith the LORD God of
Ifrael, concerning this city, of which
ye say,
It is delivered into the hand of the king of
Babylon by (the) fword, and by famine, and
by peftilence; Behold, I will gather them
out of all the countries whither I have driv-
en them in mine anger, and in mine indigna-

tion, and in great wrath: The Prophet

here makes use of three terms, to denote the three different captivities; for " in mine anger," denotes the captivity of the ten tribes : "in mine indignation," the deftruction of Jerufalem by Nebuchadnezzar; "and in great wrath," the prefent captivity, which is great and dreadful indeed: and concerning which he says, "And I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell fecurely." By which, he fhews that they are not to go into captivity any more; but are to dwell in peace and fecurity. And

this will be, because, "They shall be people, and I will be their God." For the there will be no strange god's among then but they will worship the LORD in fincer and truth, and will no more return to fi and although the hearts of men differ great in their affections, appetites, and paffions yet in regard of their fear and duty to Go they will all be then of one mind; and from which, they will never fwerve: this will b effected by the great and ftupendous mira cles, that will be wrought in their fight; ef pecially that of the Refurrection; (as alread noticed, Vol. Ift. p. 195. &c.) so that they will all have but one heart; ver. 39th. "And I will give them one heart and one way, to fear me continually *, for the good of them, and of their children after them." And as they will thus be for ever virtuous, God will alfo make an everlasting covenant with them; for they will then be deferving of it; as they will never depart from him; verfe 40th. "And I will make an everlafting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and the fear of me

*Heb. All the days : i. e. for ever.

will I put into their heart, that they shall not depart from me. And I will rejoice over them in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land affuredly, with all my heart, and with all my foul." For the evil which God faid he would bring upon Jerufalem, was in his anger, and in his wrath: for he doth not defire the death of the finner, but that he turn from his evil way, and live, But when they are deserving of his goodness, then the LORD rejoiceth in his works; and therefore he said, "I will rejoice over them in doing them good:" Thus also says Mofes, (Deut. xxx. 9.) "For the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers." In like manner, the Prophet says, “And I will plant them in this land, affuredly with all my heart and with all my foul." Because, when they were in the land at other times; they were not planted, so as to take deep root; as they were carried captive from it; but at the future redemption, they shall be planted in truth, so as to become a durable plant, as it is in "my heart, and my foul." For they shall no more be removed from it; nor ever go in any other

captivity.

VOL. II.

B b

From

From the preceding explanation of t prophecy, the four following fundamer principles are deducible. First, the reaffe bling of the nation, at the time of their fut redemption; and which agrees with the th principle of the prophecies of Isaiah.

Second, that the ten tribes will also retu at the future redemption; and which agre with the fourth principle of Isaiah.

Third, that the conjugal union (if I ma be allowed the expreffion) of God with th nation, will again be as aforetime: as th Prophet fays, "And I will be their God. And which agrees with the eighth principle

Ifaiah.

Fourth, that they are never to go int captivity more and that God will circum cife their heart; and put his fear into thei heart for ever and which agrees with the eleventh principle of Isaiah,

Now, it is well known that, none of these glorious promises were accomplished at their return from Babylon; for then, their fituation was the reverse of what is here promised. Neither can it be faid, that they ever were fulfilled in the time of Jefus. And it would only be wafting of time to no purpose, to