parts, during this long and dreadful captivity viz, that on account of the numerous fearful perfecutions and maffacres which they underwent, numbers who were not poffeffed of fufficient courage and fortitude to hold out against these afflictions, apoftatized; (as I have fhewn Vol. Ift. page 30. —— 32.—— 263.) yet should they not been entirely feperated from Ifrael; but shall most affuredly be united again to the nation; as God fays, "I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine." That is, I originally called thee by thy name, and made choice of thee, to be my peculiar chofen people, it therefore, is not in thy power, by any means whatfoever, to incorporate thyself with any other nation, or religion, without my confent; for thou art mine, and mine thou must, and shalt remain. (See Vol. Ift. p. 264.) Whence it is manifeft, that although they should apostatize, &c. yet fhould they ftill be confidered as belonging to the nation; and confequently, shall all be gathered with the nation, at the time of the future restoration: and which agrees with the ninth principle contained in the prophecies of Isaiah. Second, that our redeemer, is the LORD of hofts hofts; and he himself will gather the difperfed of Ifrael: as is said, "And I will bring you forth from the people*, and will gather you from the countries:" and which agrees with the third principle of Isaiah. Third, that at the future redemption, in their return to Palestine, during their journey thither, all the rebels and tranfgreffors, that continue in their wickedness, and do not return to God, will all be cut off: and which agrees with the fixth principle of Ifaiah. Fourth, that the future redemption, will refemble that of Egypt: as is faid, "Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the defert of the land of Egypt; fo will I plead with you" and which agrees with the fifth principle of Ifaiah. Now, it is manifeft, that none of these principles, have ever been accomplished; not at their return from Babylon: nor yet during the life and miniftry of Jefus. And it is demonftrable, that they cannot in any fense whatsoever be applied to the spiritualizing scheme of the Chriftians. Whence it • Heb. Peoples. is manifeft, that they remain to be fulfilled at the future restoration of the nation, in the latter days, at the coming of the true Meffiah. The third prophecy commences verfe 11th. of chapter xxxivth, and is continued to the end of verse 15th. of chapter xxxvith. The purport of this prophecy, is as follows. The Prophet having mentioned above, chap. xxxiii. 21. "And it came to pafs in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth (month,) on the fifth (day) of the month, (that) one who had efcaped out of Jerufalem came unto me, faying, the city is fmitten." He then received a vision*, concerning the tranfgreffors of Ifrael, who had been the cause of the deftruction of Jerufalem: and also, concerning the kings of Judah, who had caused the captivity of Ifrael; as in Chap. xxxiv. ver. 1. "The word of the LORD came alfo unto me, faying, Son of man, prophefy against the shepherds of Ifrael, prophefy, and fay unto them, (even) to the fhepherds, Thus faith the LORD God: Woe Chap. xxxiii. 23. (un (unto) the fhepherds of Ifrael that feed themfelves"! He then fpeaks of their wickedness, and their criminal behaviour: and for which reafon, God tells them, that they shall be deprived of the kingdom: ver. 10th. "Thus faith the LORD God; Behold, I (am) against the fhepherds, and I will require my flock at their hand, and will cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the thepherds feed themselves any more: for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, and they shall not be meat for them." By which he fhewed that, they should not reign over them any longer: not while they were in captivity in Babylon: nor yet, at their return from thence, during the continuance of the fecond temple. He however, informed them, that there would yet come a time, when all the tribes fhould be redeemed, and return to their own country; and then a king of the house of David, should reign over them : ver. II.-12. "For thus faith the LORD God; Behold, I, (even) I, will fearch after my flock, and will diligently feek them: as a fhepherd diligently* feeketh his flock, in Heb. According to the diligent feeking. the the day when he is among his fheep (that are) fpread abroad; fo will I seek my sheep, and will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered, in the day of clouds, and of thick darkness." That is, in the day that Jerufalem was burnt and destroyed; when its smoke went up as the pillar of a cloud, Darkness, alfo denotes calamity in general. In verfe 13th. the Prophet proceeds to fhew, what he meant by the figurative language that he made ufe of, concerning the heep. "And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Ifrael, by the ftreams, and in all the dwelling places of the land. I will feed them in a good pafture, and upon the high mountains of Ifrael shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and (in) a fat pasture fhall they feed upon the mountains of Ifrael. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down. I will feek (that which was) loft," This denotes the tribes of Reu Heb. Cloud. Heb. Peoples. ben, |