and the fecond made up the number about five thousand. (IV. 4.) Before the deftruction of Jerufalem, in the fpace of about forty years, the gofpel was preached in almoft every region of the world then known: And in the reign of Conftantine, Chriftianity became the religion of the empire; and after having fuffered a little under Julian it entirely prevailed and triumphed over paganism and idolatry and ftill prevails in the moft civilized and improved parts of the earth. All this was more than man could forefee, and much more than man could execute: and we experience the good effects of thefe prophecies at this day. The fpeedy propagation of the gofpel could not have been effected by perfons fo unequal to the task, if the fame divine Spirit who foretold it, had not likewife affifted them in it, according to the promife, I the Lord will haften it in his time. We may be as certain as if we had seen it, that the truth really was, as the evangelift affirms, (Mark XVI. 20.) They went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with figns following.

But neither the prophecies concerning the Gentiles, nor thofe concerning the Jews, have yet received their full and entire completion. Our Saviour hath not yet had the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession: (Pfal. II. 8.) All the ends of the world have not yet turned unto the Lord; (XXII. 27.) All people, nations, and languages, have not yet ferved him: (Dan. VII. 14.) These things have hitherto been only partially, but they will even litterally be fulfilled. Neither are the Jews yet made an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. (If. LX. 15.) The time is not yet come, when violence shall no more be heard in the land, wafting nor deftruction within their borders. (ver. 18.) God's promifes to them are not yet made good in their full extent. Behold, I will take the children of Ifrael from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every fide, and bring them into their own land. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, even they and their children, and their childrens children for ever, and my fervant David shall be their prince for ever. (Ezek. XXXVII. 21, 25.) Then fhall they know that I am the

Lord

Lord their God, who caufed them to be led into captivity among the heathen; but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them, for I have poured out my fpirit upon the houfe of Ifrael, faith the Lord God. (XXXIX 28, 29.) However what hath already been accomplished is a fufficient pledge and earnest of what is yet to come: and we have all imaginable reafon to believe, fince fo many of thefe prophecies are fulfilled, that the remaining prophecies will be fulfilled alfo: that there will be yet a greater harvest of the nations, and the yet unconverted parts of the earth will be inlightened with the knowledge of the Lord; that the Jews will in God's good time be converted to Chriftianity, and upon their converfion be reftored to their native city and country and especially fince the state of affairs is fuch, that they may return without much difficulty, having no dominion, no fettled country, or fixed property to detain them much any where. We have feen the prophecy of Hofea (III. 4, 5.) fulfilled in part, and why fhould we not believe that it will be fulfilled iu the whole? The children of Ifrael fhall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a facrifice, and without an image or altar, and without an ephod or prieft to wear an ephod, and without teraphim or divine manifestations. Afterward fhall the children of Ifrael return, and feek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

We have now exhibited a fummary view of the prophecies of the Old Teftament more immediately relative to the prefent ftate and condition of the Jews: and what ftronger and more convincing arguments can you require of the truth both of the Jewish and of the Chriftian religion? The Jews were once the peculiar people of God: and as St. Paul faith, (Rom. XI. 1.) Hath God caft away his people? God forbid. We fee that after fo many ages they are 'ftill preferved by a miracle of providence a diftinct people; and why is fuch a continual miracle exerted, but for the greater illuftration of the divine truth, and the better accomplishment of the divine promifes, as well thofe which are yet to be, as

thofe

those which are already fulfilled? We fee that the great empires, which in their turns fubdued and oppreffed the people of God, are all come to ruin: becaufe tho' they executed the purposes of God, yet that was more than they understood; all that they intended was to fatiate their own pride and ambition, their own cruelty and revenge. And if fuch hath been the fatal end of the enemies and oppreffors of the Jews, let it ferve as a warning to all those, who at any time or upon any occasion are for raifing a clamor and perfecution againft them. They are blameable no doubt for perfifting in their infidelity after fo many means of conviction; but this is no warrant or authority for us to profcribe, to abufe, injure, and opprefs them, as Chriftians of more zeal than either knowlege or charity have in all ages been apt to do. Charity is greater than faith: and it is worfe in us to be cruel and uncharitable, than it is in them to be obftinate and unbelieving. Perfecution is the fpirit of popery, and in the worft of popifh countries the Jews are the moft cruelly used and perfecuted: the fpirit of protestantifm is toleration and indulgence to weaker confciences. Compaffion to this unhappy people is not to defeat the prophecies; for only wicked nations were to harrafs and opprefs them, the good were to fhow mercy to them; and we should choose rather to be the difpenfers of God's mercies than the executioners of his judgments. Read the eleventh chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans, and fee what the great apoftle of the Gentiles, who certainly understood the prophecies better than any of us can pretend to do, faith of the infidelity of the Jews. Some of the Gentiles of his time valued themfelves upon their fuperior advantages, and he reproves them for it, that they who were cut out of the olive-tree which is wild by nature, and were graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree, fhould prefume to boast against the natural branches: (ver. 24, 18.) but what would he have faid, how would he have flamed and lightened, if they had made religion an inftrument of faction, and had been for ftirring up a perfecution against them? We hould confider, that to them we owe the oracles of God,

the

the fcriptures of the New Teftament as well as the Old: we fhould confider, that the glorious company of the apostles as well as the goodly fellowship of the prophets were Jews; we should confider, that of them as concerning the flesh Chrift came, the Saviour of the world: and furely fomething of kindness and gratitude is due for fuch infinite obligations. Tho' they are now broken off, yet they are not utterly caft away. Because of unbelief, as St. Paul argues (ver 20.) they were broken off, and thou ftandeft by faith; Be not high-minded, but fear. There will be a time, when they will be graffed in again, and again become the people of God; for as the apoftle proceeds, (ver. 25, 26.) I would not brethren that ye fhould be ignorant of this myftery (left you should be wife in your own conceits) that blindness in part is happened to Ifrael, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and fo all Ifrael fhall be faved. And which (think ye) is the most likely method to contribute to their converfion, which are the most natural means to reconcile them to us and our religion, prayer, argument, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness; or noife and invective, injury and outrage, the malice of fome, and the folly and madnefs of more? They cannot be worse than when they crucified the Son of God, and perfecuted his apoftles: but what faith our Saviour? (Luke XXIII. 34.) Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do what faith his apoftle St. Paul? (Rom. X. 1.) Brethren, my heart's defire and prayer to God for Ifrael is, that they might be faced. In conformity to thefe bleffed examples our church hath alfo taught us to pray for them: and how can prayer and perfecution confift and agree together? They are only pretended friends to the church, but real enemies to religion, who encourage perfecution of any kind. All true fons of the church, all true proteftants, all true christians will, as the apoftle advifeth, (Eph. IV. 31.) put away all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor and evil fpeaking, with all malice: and will join heart and voice in that excellent collect-Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, infidels, and heretics, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word; and fo fetch

fetch them home, bleffed Lord, to thy flock, that they may be faced among the remnant of the true Ifraelites, and be made one fold under one shepherd, Jefus Chrift our Lord.

IX.

THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING NINEVEH.

S the Jews were the peculiar people of God, the prophets were fent to them chiefly, and the main fubjects of the prophecies are the various changes and revolutions in the Jewith church and ftate. But the fpirit of prophecy is not limited there; other fubjects are occafionally introduced; and for the greater manifeftation of the divine providence, the fate of other nations is alfo foretold: and efpecially of thofe nations, which lay in the neighbourhood of Judea, and had intercourfe and connections with the Jews; and whofe good or ill fortune therefore was of fome concern and confequence to the Jews themfelves. But here it is greatly to be lamented, that of thefe eaftern nations and of thefe early times we have very fhort and imperfect accounts; we have no regular hiftories, but only a few fragments of hiftory, which have efcaped the general fhipwrack of time. If we poffeffed the Affyrian hiftory written by Abydenus, and the Chaldæn by Berofus, and the Egyptian by Manetho; we might in all probability be better enabled to explain the precife meaning, and to demonftrate the exact completion of feveral ancient prophecies: but for want of fuch helps and affiftances we must be glad of a little glimmering light, wherever we can fee it. We fee enough however, tho' not to discover the beauty and exactnefs of each particular, yet to make us admire in the general these wonders of providence, and to fhow that the condition of cities and kingdoms hath been fuch, as the prophets had long ago foretold. And we will begin with the inftance of Nineveh.

Nineveh