which will be carried among all nations by such as escape from that catastrophe: some, that they will be restored by the instrumentality of a maritime nation of faithful worshipers; others, that they will be restored by the instrumentality of a tyrannical power which officiously intermeddles in the concerns of its weaker neighbors, and of which Ashur or Babylon was a type: in short, some, that they will be restored in a time of unexampled trouble, and that they will suffer severely, as their forefathers did during their exodus from Egypt; others, that they will be restored in much joy and tranquility, and will be brought back with great honor by the nations among which they are dispersed." Mr. Faber professes to have found his way through this forest of dif ferences, and to have harmonized them all; but it appears to us they are all avoidable by a careful attention to the spirit of prophecy, and the rejection of the future literal gathering.

Our own eminent and justly celebrated commentators, Dr. Clarke and Mr. Benson, can scarcely be said to have treated on this subject. They have followed in the track of former writers, and have incautiously adopted their errors. Dr. Clarke, in his commentary on Romans xi, under verse 27, says, "It may not be amiss to subjoin here a collection of those texts in the Old Testament that seem to point out a restoration of the Jewish commonwealth to a higher degree of excellence than it has yet attained." He first adduces Isaiah ii, 2–5. Turning to his commentary on those verses he says they "foretell the kingdom of Messiah, the conversion of the Gentiles, and their admission into it." Among other passages the doctor cites Jeremiah xxxi, 10-12. Turning to the notes we find a restoration promised by the prophet, which the commentator says has been fulfilled in the return from Babylon. On verse 16, which, of course, is connected with the verses to which the doctor refers in Romans xi, 27, he says, “The Jews who had gone into captivity did come again from the land of their enemy to their own border." In the end of the chapter the prophet predicts the building of a large city, which Dr. Clarke thinks is greater than Jerusalem has ever been since the return from captivity, and is to be more permanent. "It must therefore mean," says he, "if taken literally at all, the city that is to be built by them when they are brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles." Yes, but "if taken literally at all," the Gentiles will have as much to do with the building of the city as the Jews, and therefore the literal gathering of Israel is not the doctrine of Scripture. See Isaiah lx, 10.

The lamented Richard Watson wrote but little on this theme. Speaking of the Jews in his Institutes, he says, "A future restoration awaits this people, and will be to the world a glorious demonstration of the truth of prophecy. This being future, we cannot argue upon it. Three things are however certain: The Jews themselves expect it: they are preserved, by the providence of God, a distinct people, for their country and their country, which, in fact, is possessed by no one, is preserved for them.” We are perfectly satisfied that this was not Mr. Watson's firm opinion formed after an investigation of the prophetic writings, but a second-hand sentiment imbibed from Bishop Newotn on the Prophecies. Mr. Watson's opinion may probably be gained from another part of his works. In his sixty-ninth sermon on "the shaking of heaven and earth," from Heb. xii, 26-29, we have thefol

lowing striking passage-striking, placed in contrast with the quotation from his Institutes. "The Jewish state, the earth,' was also to be shaken. That had fulfilled its office. As a separate community, till the Messiah should come, its office was to preserve truth, though it often proved unfaithful; and that the Messiah might be known to spring from the house of David, the stem of Jesse, the tribe of Judah. Till these ends were answered the divine patience spared it, and did not wholly shake it down. But then the country was swept with the besom of destruction. All families, all tribes, were confounded; and they have been wanderers and strangers in all lands ever since. Whether they will ever be gathered again as a nation is matter of controversy. I doubt it. But, if so, of this I am sure, that it will be as God's ancient, not as his peculiar people; not as a people to preserve the truth, as formerly; not to be in any special covenant, for that has been done away; not to have any eminence, except their faith should be more eminent; for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.' All that is shaken down. It was that which might be moved;' a manifestly temporal character, and has passed away for ever." This sermon was undoubtedly studied and delivered after the writing of the Institutes. It is Mr. Watson's more deliberate judgment respecting the future prospects of the Jews. And if a man of Mr. Watson's penetration and research" doubts" of their future nationality, weaker minds may well be diffident. But however, from what has been adduced in this paper, we shall perceive the necessity of caution in receiving the opinions of great men on some topics; and on the topic under consideration, it is abundantly clear that very little dependence can be placed upon their deductions, in reference to the Jewish prophecies, since they are so frequently inconsistent with their own modes of interpretation and criticism. "To the law, and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

6

It is objected by those who oppose the views advocated in these papers, that the small number of the Jews who returned from Babylon is not commensurate with the terms of the prophecies which announce a restoration of the Jews to their own land. Some of these prophecies refer as well to the ten tribes as to the two tribes; hence it is also objected that the return of a few Israelites (Faber calls them " some few stragglers") with the Jews after the captivity, cannot come up to the full meaning of these predictions; nor can any other gathering of Israel to their own land which has hitherto taken place. See Scott's commentary on Jeremiah, thirty and thirty-first chapters.

In reply to this objection we would observe, that no literal gathering will ever come up to the spirit of the prophetic annunciations respecting the Israel of God. And in so far, therefore, the objector is right. But even this measure of truth is founded in error, for it rests upon the supposition that it is possible for a future literal gathering to justify the glowing and vivid descriptions given in vision to the prophets. It rests upon the opinion that a worldly kingdom may be established which shall vie in splendor and magnificence with that kingdom, not of this world, wherein dwelleth righteousness. But this cannot be. And therefore the interpreters who are now our objectors, always have recourse, finally, to the glorious kingdom of Christ, in which are included all the hosts of Israel out of every nation, and people, and tongue, in

order to justify the words of prophecy. So that it is assumed that no literal gathering has taken place which answers to the prophecies, which, of course, implies the possibility of temporal events answering to them, and then they virtually tell us, that such predictions can only be verified when Jesus shall fully establish his spiritual empire in the world; "when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ." There would be sufficient absurdity in this to let it pass without farther notice, were it not that so much stress is laid upon it, especially with reference to the ten tribes, who seem chiefly to be the subject of discussion.

Let us inquire then what blessings of a temporal nature the Jews were to possess after their deliverance from captivity? The careful reader of prophecy will remember that they were to enjoy a reversal of the calamities that befell them: they were to live in peace and pros. perity, and be blessed with civil and religious liberty. They were not to be captives, but were to be free to return to their own land. These are the promises, in substance, which relate more particularly to their national and political concerns. We affirm that in so far as these predictions can be understood literally, they have been fulfilled; and we conceive that sufficient evidence can be adduced in proof to satisfy the candid inquirer.

Some dependence should surely be placed upon the testimony of those who lived at the time of the termination of the Babylonish cap. tivity. Now it is beyond all doubt that the principal men among the Jews considered that the prophecies respecting their return were about to be fulfilled when Cyrus issued his famous proclamation, because so it is written. Ezra says, chap. i, verse 1, that the proclama. tion was made "that the word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremiah, might be fulfilled." And Daniel says, "I Daniel understood by books the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the deso lations of Jerusalem." It is evident, from hence, that these great and pious men considered the promises of God were about to be accomplish. ed through the agency of Cyrus, who is distinctly named by Isaiah as the deliverer of Israel, and who considered himself divinely appointed to this work, having been shown, as is supposed, the prediction of Isaiah respecting himself. But if the predictions of Jeremiah and Isaiah were fulfilled at this time, and by the course of events which followed, then were also accomplished the parallel predictions of other prophets. This was undoubtedly the understanding at the time, and this opinion of antiquity is certainly preferable to all modern speculations and interpretations; especially as it is the evidence of inspiration.

These views are corroborated by the testimony of ancient historians, The Jews were restored, flourished abundantly, and enjoyed freedom, both civil and religious. Some years elapsed before this took place to any extent; but "by little and little the Jews were established again, and during the reign of the Persians they lived under their own laws, in the form of a commonwealth, governed by the high priest and the counsel of seventy-two elders. The country was repeopled, the towns rebuilt, and the lands better cultivated than ever. Plenty was seen again, and there was such a profound peace and tranquility that, for nearly three hundred years, there happened no commotions, nor any

thing that makes the common subject of histories: and thence proceeds that great void we find between the time of Nehemiah and the Maccabees. The temple was honored even by strangers, who visited it, and brought offerings thither. In short, the prosperity of the Jews was so great, after their return, that the prophets, in foretelling it, have left us the most magnificent types of the Messiah's reign." See Fleury's Israelites, page 169, American edition, where the following note will be found: "Several prophecies relative to this time of peace and prosperity have been applied, by commentators, to the days of the Messiah exclusively. This should be carefully avoided." Fleury also says, page 177, that under the reign of the Asmoneans, "they became a state entirely independent, supported by good troops, strong garri. sons, and alliances not only with their neighboring princes, but with remote kingdoms, even Rome itself, 1 Mac. xiv, 4, 18. The kings of Egypt and Syria, who had used them so ill, were forced afterward to court their friendship. They also made conquests. John Hyrcanus took Sychem and Gerizim, and destroyed the temple of the Samaritans; so absolute was he over all the land of Israel." Of Simon we are told, in the book of Maccabees, that "he made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy; for every man sat under his vine and his fig-tree, and there was none to disquiet them." These statements, to which more might be added, taken in connection with the views of Ezra, Daniel, and Cyrus, are surely sufficient to show the correspondence of historic facts with the divine predictions respecting the return of the Jews to their own land. If it be urged that all did not return, we beg it may be borne in mind that this was not necessary in order to the fulfilment of prophecy. All the Jews were at liberty to return: the proclamation exempted none. Now persons in banishment, or captivity, are not considered in that situation when an edict is published and conveyed to them that they may return to their own land, or to the bosom of their friends. They may remain in the place to which they were banished; but they are not in banishment. When a general amnesty is proclaimed with respect to absconded or banished convicts, they are politically free. So with the children of Israel they might be in Babylon, or Assyria, or elsewhere, but after the proclamation of Cyrus, they were in the enjoyment of libertytheir captivity was turned again. The prophecies, therefore, of a literal restoration were fulfilled; and the Jews settled in other countries besides Judea, enjoyed the privilege of paying periodical visits to their country and temple, which was done up to the period of the establishment of Christianity, with some slight exceptions in troublesome times.

With respect to the ten tribes of Israel, their connection with this discussion renders necessary some additional remarks. Almost every person of common information has heard much about their locality, and their predicted return to Palestine. It has become a subject of uncommon interest, which has increased by its uncertainty, and from the fact that every effort to identify the ten lost tribes has utterly failed. Travelers have explored various regions; physiologists have examined various nations of people; and antiquarians have pried into the monuments of human industry which have survived ages of time, in order to discover traces of Jewish architecture; but the secret is

unrevealed: the mystery is hid: the outcasts of Israel remain concealed in their supposed obscurity. Man, as Cowper says,

"Is still found fallible, however wise,

And differing judgments serve but to declare

That truth lies somewhere, if we knew but where."

To us the clear doctrine of Scripture, as we understand it, unequivocally sets aside all these visionary theories and fanciful speculations, and we invite unbiased attention to what follows.

During the captivities, the whole house of Israel, overwhelmed with despair, exclaim, "Our bones are dried, our hope is lost." The prophets successively, and Ezekiel, as the closing prophet on this subject, proclaim their restoration by the divine power. The breath of God shall give life to the dry bones. But it is well known that when the two kingdoms had political life, they sought each other's death. "Ephraim vexed Judah, and Judah vexed Ephraim." Ezekiel shows, in a very striking manner, that it shall not be so after their resurrection; for the two sticks, that of Joseph and that of Judah, representing the ten and two tribes, shall be united. The two sticks in the hands of the prophet miraculously become one in the sight of the people. This is the interpretation given by inspiration: "I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all, and they shall no more be two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all." This prophecy, with its parallels, is treated of somewhat largely in the first article of this series. To the remarks contained there we beg the attention of the reader. (See the Quarterly Review for October, 1839, page 379.) These predictions were fulfilled in the union which took place between Israel and Judah after the captivities. This opinion is corroborated by Dr. Clarke, Matthew Fleury, Mr. Benson, and Bishop Newton. We may remark here also, that this union of the two kingdoms com. menced long before the termination of the captivities, and their petty jealousies were subdued by the mutual endurance of privations and afflictions. Let us now examine more closely the testimony of sa. cred and profane history on this topic. It must be remembered that Cyrus was the divinely appointed deliverer of Israel, and restorer of Jerusalem. Babylon, the capital of Chaldea, had been subjugated to his authority by an extraordinary military movement-changing the course of the river Euphrates. He thus made himself master of the vast countries bordering on the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. He continued to extend his conquests and territories until the vast dominions of Persia reached "from the Tigris to the Indus, and from the Caspian Sea to the ocean." (See Dr. Gillies' History of Greece, pages 86 and 94, Am. ed.) It will be perceived at once, by simply glancing at a common map of that part of the world, that Cyrus included in his dominions all those countries whither the twelve tribes had been sent. The Jews (for so they were all called) were favorably regarded by Cyrus, and "the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven, he hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people,