by not believing in revelation, and flighting the prophecies, which fpeak of their future reftoration. Of these, there are two different parties in the nation:

The one, confifting of fuch, as call themfelves philofophers; enlightened men ; who live in the enlightened age of the eighteenth century. These are perfect Deists, not believing a fyllable of Revelation; but not having à sufficient fund of knowledge of their own, to raise objections; they are obliged to draw all their arguments from the writings of those arch infidels, Hume, Bolingbroke, Voltaire, &c. and which they again deal out by retail, in the most oftentatious manner; and although they are trite and hackneyed, yet they often mislead the young and unweary; who are frequently taken with fuch fpecious reasoning; as not having fufficient Judgment to weigh them in the balance of truth. One of thefe, I must take notice of; as it is a proof of the little knowledge that they have of the Book, that they revile.

"If

They fay," If God spoke to the Prophets formerly, why should we not have prophets now? If God performed miracles then, why not perform miracles now? Is the hand of

the LORD fhortened? This argument, they seem to think unanswerable: but little do they imagine, that this very argument, establishes the truth of prophecy, beyond a doubt: for has not the Pfalmift told us in the plaineft terms, that the time would come, during this long and dreadful captivity, that the true believers themselves would exclaim * "We see not our figns, (there is) no more any prophet; neither (is there) any among us that knoweth how long:" This is an exact picture of our woful state at present: for we have no prophets, no miracles, nor any one to tell us when our miferable captivity will end; and with this, these unbelieving adversaries reproach us; as in the following verse, "O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blafpheme thy name for ever?" For by denying the truth of revelation, they deny the power of God; by not afcribing our sufferings to the immediate providence of God; but to a concatanation of caufès, in a political light. These are they, that blaspheme the name of God but at the time of the restoration,

* Pfalm. lxxiv. 9.

(which

which perhaps is not so far diftant as they imagine) they will be fully convinced of the particular providence of God; as will be fhewn presently.

The fecond, are fuch, as either through the length of the captivity, or the easy circumstance that they are in; and the fplendid and voluptuous manner, in which they are able to live; neither look for, nor defire a restoration. But, notwithstanding the unbelief of the one, or the indifference and apathy of the other; God tells them he will bring them forth from among the people, and affemble them from the countries &c.

He alfo tells them that at the time of the redemption, he will punish them severely for this, verfe 17th. "And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people*, and there will I plead with you face to face, like as I pleaded with your fathers in the defert of the land of Egypt, fo will I plead with you, faith the LORD God." By "the wilderness of the people," is not meant a defert barren

* Heb. Peoples.

Or. Contend in Judgment.

tract,

tract, fuch as they went through when they came out of the land of Egypt, as the generality of Commentators have imagined: for if fo, why call it the wilderness of the peaple? But the truth of the matter is, that as God at the time of the redemption, will bring forth Ifrael, and gather them from all the countries in which they have been scattered when the true believers, and those that have apoftatized through fear, or luere, as also thofe that remain incorporated with the body of the nation, and yet are Deifts and infidels, will all be collected together. But then, they will not proceed immediately to the land of Ifrael without delay; but will go from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people; and this wandering about, which will last many days, is what the Prophet calls the wilderness of the people; because it will be to them as a defert, where are ferpents, and all manner of venemous creatures, and where they will fuffer/hunger and thirst and during which, they will be purified, and made white, and tried; for in that wilderness, the tranfgreffors will be confumed, and there they will all die: and

which

which is the Judgment that God will pafs on them. And to fhew that, the troubles and afflictions, that will then be brought upon them, will be in confequence of God's particular providence, the Prophet made use of the term, " And I will plead with you face to face." For the word 'face, when fpoken of the Supreme Being, denotes his particular providence; as, "The LORD talked with you face to face," befides a number of other places in Scripture, too numerous to

mention.

The Prophet alfo informs us, that the future redemption, will resemble that of Egypt: for as at the redemption from Egypt, they journeyed in the wilderness forty years, guided in a fupernatural manner, under the immediate providence of God, fo will it be at the future redemption; and therefore, the Prophet fays, "Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the defert of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you." And, as in the defert of Egypt, they became fubject to the immediate guidance of God; and entered into a covenant with him: fo the Prophet.

* Deut. v. 4.

informs