kingdom for ever."* This message, connected with the prophetic Psalms, which David was inspired to write, concerning him who was both his Lord and his Son, shew that the general promise made to Abraham was to be fulfilled in Judah's king: that "His name shall endure for ever. His name shall be continued as long as the sun, and men shall be blessed in him. All nations shall call him blessed."

Thus stood the purpose of God when Solomon ascended the throne. All nations were to be blessed in the Son of David. "In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. All kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him." The blessings revealed in these animating prophecies, in which every inhabitant of the earth had an interest, were suspended, as later inspired writings make known, by the sins of Solomon and his successors, and the great body of the tribes of Israel and Judah. For, although God had chosen the twelve tribes of Israel for his people, and granted them such extensive blessings, He was bound, as the moral governor of the universe, to manifest to his creatures that "it was an evil and

* 2 Samuel vii. 12, 13. Psalm ii. xvi. xxii. xlv. lxviii. lxxii. cx. &c. † Psalm lxxii. 7—11.

a bitter thing to sin against the Lord." He therefore first cut off the ten tribes from the kingdom of Judah. Then he delivered them up into the hands of Shalmanezer. Then Judah was taken captive into Babylon, and though the Lord restored her for a season, when she had " filled up the measure of her iniquity" by crucifying the Lord of Glory, He sent the Romans to destroy their temple, possess the holy city, and carry the Jews captive into all lands. As our Saviour had foretold, God took the kingdom from them, and gave it to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." So that whilst they lost their country and their civil rights, they were deprived of all their spiritual privileges. They had no longer the symbol of the Divine Presence among them; no longer was the administration of the Church of God entrusted to their care. No longer were they called upon by devout Gentiles for instruction in the knowledge of the true God; but with the Old Testament scriptures in their hands, and living in countries favoured with the full light of the Gospel, they grope, alas! like blind men in the midst of the noon-day light!

But has God cast off his people? Is his covenant with Abraham his friend cancelled? Has he made void his oath to David? Were the mes

*Matthew xxi. 43.

sages sent to comfort the mourning captives only vain words? By no means; "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.”*

This was his gracious answer to Zion's complaint, when she said, "The Lord hath forsaken "Can a me, and my Lord hath forgotten me."

woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, but I will not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."+ Many, many, glorious predictions, some of the principal of which will hereafter be brought before you, shew that "the Lord will return to Zion, and have mercy upon his afflicted-that the days of her mourning shall be ended, and her God shall be her glory."+ This sure word of prophecy also makes known, that as the Jews endured almost unheard-of sufferings, when Jerusalem was taken, their temple destroyed by the Romans, and the kingdom of God given to another nation, so that the Lord will mark their restoration, by executing great and sore judgments upon their enemies, upon the apostate Gentiles, and upon those "who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." That he will then also Isaiah xlix. 14, 15.

* Romans xi. 2.

Isaiah lx. 19, 20.

grant special tokens of his favour to those who love Jerusalem, and who mourn for her: causing his faithful people among the Gentiles "to milk out, and to be delighted with the abundance of her glory."*

It is the light which "the sure word of prophecy" casts upon these great events connected with the very remarkable times in which we live, which has given rise to the present course of Lectures. For, without pretending positively to affirm that the events now occurring are those which the prophetic scriptures declare are to be the immediate fore-runners of the time appointed for their deliverance, every candid observer of the signs of the times will confess that the present aspect of the Jews, and of Christian, Mahommedan, and Heathen nations, is so singular, that it becomes every prudent man "to stand upon his watch tower;"+ or to be ready for whatever visitation of His providence it may please Him to appoint, who "doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

For regard for a moment this general outline of the present state of the Jews.

*Isaiah lxvi. 10-14.

+ Daniel iv. 35.

+ Habakkuk ii. 1.

Whilst the late most unjust persecution of them at Damascus has created a general sympathy in their favour, the attention of various classes of Society has been particularly directed towards them. The newly adopted steam communication with India has brought Judea before the mercantile world. The facilities afforded for visiting Palestine have opened Jerusalem to scientific travellers, whose narratives have so interested the literary circles, that the Jews now occupy a very prominent place in many of our leading publications.

Again, the differences subsisting between the Sultan of Turkey and his Egyptian vassal have made Syria a very anxious subject to politicians; since it is upon the issue who shall possess the land which God gave to Abraham, and to his seed for ever, that the question of peace or war depends? Whilst the Jews are thus presented to merchants, literary men, and politicians, Jerusalem has "come into the minds "* of many of the Lord's faithful servants, "who take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof."+

Almost every Protestant state is using some scriptural means for their conversion, and, as is generally known, a clergyman ordained as a mis

*Jeremiah li. 50.

† Psalm cii. 14.