In the 28th chapter of Haddebarim or Deuteronomy he enumerates to them all the blessings that awaited them in the land whither they were going. These blessings are found in the first thirteen verses, and you know that they were amply fulfilled when David and Solomon reigned in glory; immediately after these blessings, the prophet relates, in fearful language, the curses that awaited them if they would not serve him and keep his commandments. You know that they did not-they went after other gods to serve them-and the Babylonish captivity was their punishment. The prophet plainly describes this; in verse 36 he says, The Lord shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, and there thou shalt serve other gods, wood and stone. was fulfilled in the days of Yehoiakim. After this, in verse 40, the Roman invasion is foretold in terms not to be mistaken. The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the EAGLE FLIETH; a nation, whose tongue thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce countenance, &c.

This

After this, the prophet describes the siege of Yerusalem by Titus, and all its fearful evils, and in verse sixty-four he says, And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone;* and among these nations shalt thou have no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest,

As has been repeatedly the case in Popish countries, especially in Spain and Portugal, where the Israelites were forced to adopt that idolatrous creed, and to bow to wooden images.-Read Prescott's Life of Ferdinand and Isabella for particulars.

&c. The whole description is most touchingly graphic, and well you know that this was your lot for centuries, even in free, happy England, and is still. the lot of your poor suffering brethren in the East.

But now let us turn from this sad picture to a bright and glorious prospect before you, and at hand! Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, (2, Gentiles,) and declare it to the ISLES afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd doth a flock. (Yeremiah xxxi. 10.) Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them again into this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me FOR EVER, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an EVERLASTING covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my WHOLE HEART, and with my WHOle soul. (Yer. xxxii. 37-41.) That this prophecy was not finally fulfilled, although primarily so, at the restoration of Israel by Cyrus, is clear and undoubted, from the words FOR EVER and EVERLASTING; and that these words, as well as the strong expression with God's whole heart and whole soul, are to be understood in their fullest meaning, is plainly declared in the verse immediately following, where God tells us to what extent he will bless Israel. For thus saith the Lord; LIKE AS (ND) I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so (†ɔ) will I bring upon

them all the good that I have promised them. (Yeremiah xxxii. 42.) Now the evil was brought in its fullest measure, and in the literal sense of the words of threatening, and so will the good be brought LIKE AS (N) the evil.*

In full measure then will the Lord perform his promises of good to you. Let us then look to a few more of these many promises. And it shall come to pass, that LIKE AS (WN) I have watched over them to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict; so (†➡) will I watch over them to build, and to plant, saith the Lord. (Yer. xxxi. 28.)

Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be builded again on her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. (Yer. xxx. 18.) I have loved thee with an everlasting love`: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel. (Yer. xxxi. 4.) For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations, □ N2: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her

* The final fulfilment of this prophecy will be made clearer by reference to many of the rabbinical writings, in which ROME is termed BABYLON, and also styled, the great city,' and 827 1917, (great Rome.) Indeed all the prophecies respecting Babylon may be safely applied in their final fulfilment to the downfal of Popish Rome, which Daniel so plainly describes as the little horn rising in the midst of the ten horns or ten kingdoms into which the fourth or Roman beast is divided, and which is to wear out the saints of the Most High for the space of 1260 years, and which is to be consumed and destroyed immediately before the establishment of Messiah's kingdom upon earth.

that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. (Yer. xxxi. 7, 8.)

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the SECOND time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, ( assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Yudah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah xi. 11, 13.) And the Lord shall UTTERLY SMITE THE TONGUE OF THE EGYPTIAN SEA.

Gentiles) and shall

Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the Isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. (Isaiah lx. 8, 10.)

Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee : and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord. (Zeph. iii. 19, 20.)

Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Yerusalem, and Yerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the Lord

of Hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Yerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. (Zechariab viii. 2, 5.) * Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Yerusalem:

*Hear the words of learned rabbis, (Echah Rabbatthi, in Lamentations of Jeremiah v, 17, 18.) "Rabban Gamaliel, Rabbi Eleazar, son of Azariah, Rabbi Joshua, and Rabbi Akiva were once going to Rome. They heard a voice of the din of the city from Pitailus, a distance of 120 miles; the three former began to weep, and Akiva to laugh. They said, Akiva, we weep, and thou laughest: Akiva said to them, And ye, why do ye weep? They said to him, Why should we not weep when the idolaters worship their idols, and dwell securely, and at rest, and in peace: whereas, the house of the footstool of our God has been burned with fire, and is a dwelling-place for the beast of the field; Should we not then weep? He said, That is the very reason why I laugh; if God deal thus with those who provoke him to anger, how much more certainly will he deal kindly with those who do his will! Another time, the same rabbis went up to Jerusalem; when they drew near to Zophim, they rent their garments. When they drew near to the mountain of the house, they saw a fox go forth from the most holy place. The three former began to weep, and Rabbi Akiva to laugh. They said, Akiva, wilt thou for ever cause us to wonder; we weep, and thou laughest? He said to them, And ye, why do ye weep? They said, why should we not weep, when out of the midst of that place of which it is said, 'the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death,' behold, a fox goeth forth, and thus is fulfilled that verse, 'Because of the mountain of Zion which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.' He said to them, And that is the very reason why I laugh. It is written, 'And I took unto me faithful witnesses, Urijah the priest, and Zechariah, the son of Jebereduah.' Why are Urijah and Zechariah thus placed together, when the former was in the first temple, and the latter in the second temple? The reason is this; Urijah said, 'Zion shall be ploughed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps.' And Zechariah said, 'There shall yet old men and old women,' &c. &c. Therefore, the Holy one, blessed be He, says, Behold, these are my two witnesses. If the words of Urijah have been fulfilled, the words of Zechariah shall be fulfilled. But if the words of Urijah have proved false, then the words of Zechariah may prove false also. But I rejoice, that the words of Urijah have been fulfilled, and that therefore, in due time, the words of Zechariah shall be fulfilled also."