knoweth them: "I am the good Shepherd, (faith "our bleffed Lord) and KNOW my fheep, and am "known of mine;"-but HE knoweth his fheep BEFORE they come to know his voice: "As the "Father knoweth me, even fo know I the Father: "and I lay down my life for the fheep. And "OTHER SHEEP I have, which are not of "THIS FOLD: them alfo I must bring, and "they fhall hear my voice; and there fhall be "ONE fold, and ONE Shepherd. Therefore doth

my Father love me, because I lay down my life* "that I might take it again. No man taketh it « from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have

power to lay it down, and I have power to take it "again. This commandment have I received of my "Father." John x. 4, 14-18. The good fhepherd, even if but one sheep ftrays from the fold, goes in pursuit of it," and when he hath found it, he ❝layeth it on his fhoulders, rejoicing. And when "he cometh home, he calleth together his friends "and neighbours, faying unto them, Rejoice with "me; for I have found my fheep which was loft." Luke xv. 5, 6. These loft fheep of Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, Ezek. xxxvii. 19. forfook the fold, and they have not returned unto it fince they forfook it in the days of Rehoboam; they cannot return unto it until they REPENT; but the good Shepherd is also he who is ordained of God to give them this repentance: "HIM hath God exalted "with his right hand, to be a PRINCE and a "SAVIOUR, for to GIVE REPENTANCE.

"UNTO

"UNTO ISRAEL, AND FORGIVENESS OF "SINS. And we (faith St. Peter) are his witnesses "of these things; and fo is alfo the Holy Ghoft, "whom God hath given to them that obey him." Acts v. 31, 32. If the recovery of one loft sheep is a matter of joy; if there is joy" in heaven over one "finner that repenteth, more than over ninety and "nine juft perfons which need no repentance," Luke xv. 7. what will be the joy, both in heaven and upon earth, when the loft sheep, even Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, fhall be reftored to that fold from which they were separated in the days of Rehoboam!

If the prodigal fon hath roamed away far from his father's houfe, and hath almoft, if not quite, forgotten the tender care with which his father cherished him in the days of his youth, would it not be a good a& to bring these things to his remembrance? If he hath forgotten how gracious, how kind, how long-fuffering, how ready to forgive, how abundantly ftored with love his father's heart is towards him, would it not be a good act to endeavour to bring these things to his recollection? Surely it would. We naturally feek for pleasure, and if our hearts are formed by God's grace to derive pleasure from that which gives joy to the heavenly hofts, we fhould confider no labour too great, no journey too long to be undertaken in search of fuch great felicity!

I have already expreffed my firm perfuafion that the love to God's ancient people, the defcendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which hath arifen in

thefe

thefe lands, IS OF GOD; and if fo, I cannot but retain the hope, that it will (in his good time) be bleffed to be of fervice, yea of great fervice both towards "JUDAH and the children of Ifrael his "companions," who refide among us, and whom we acknowledge to be the defcendants of Abraham, and Ifaac, and Jacob, as well as towards "EPHRAIM "and all the house of Ifrael his companions," Ezek. xxxvii. 16. whom neither we nor their brethren of Judah yet know where to find: but it cannot be expected that any fuccefs can attend the efforts of thofe engaged in these things until they are prepared to walk in that path which is clearly traced out in God's moft holy word. Thank God they have as yet laboured in vain," they have laboured under "GREAT DIFFICULTIES, and have met with "PAINFUL because they have not walked in that path wherein they fhould have walked, even the path pointed out in God's most holy word.

DISAPPOINTMENS,"

Let us confider what profpect of fuccefs is afforded us, as far as the Jews are concerned, by Miffionary efforts. The Society for the propagation of Christian knowledge in foreign parts; and not only the fociety in London, denominated the Miffionary Society; but all the other focieties, and especially the British and Foreign Bible Society, by endeavouring to inftruct the Heathen, are proceeding in a way which tends very greatly to the good of the Jewish nation. The British and Foreign Bible Society, in particular, by their great exertions in caufing the

Bible to be tranflated into languages in which it has never before been tranflated, seem to have the best prospect of fuccefs; the best prospect of rendering service to the loft fheep of the house of Ifrael, even "EPHRAIM, and the TRIBES of Ifrael his fel"lows," Ezek. xxxvii. 19. But great as is the power of that lever, the prefs, which it has pleased God to put into the hands of the British and Foreign Bible Society, yet this does not leffen the fphere of usefulnefs of the Miffionary, on the contrary, it extends the sphere of the Miffionary, and feems to fuggeft the neceffity there is for more labourers. Whether the time is yet come, the time will certainly come when that meffage to the nations, concerning Ifrael, to which we have already referred, will be delivered, and if you mark the context, you will perceive that this meffage has a peculiar reference to "EPHRAIM, "and the TRIBES of Ifrael his fellows," Ezek. xxxvii. 19. for thefe words immediately precede the words of the meffage to the nations : ، Thus faith "JEHOVAH; Sing with gladnefs for Jacob, and “ SHOUT among the chief of the nations : publifh ye, praise ye, and fay, O JEHOVAH, fave thy "people, the remnant of Ifrael. Behold, I will " bring them from the north country, and gather "them from the coafts of the earth, and with them "the blind and the lame, the woman with child and "her that travaileth with child together: a great com"pany fhall return thither. They fhall come with ، weeping, and with fupplications will I lead them : I "will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters D d

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❝ in

"in a ftraight way, wherein they shall not ftumble: "for I am a father to Ifrael, and EPHRAIM IS "MY FIRSTBORN." Is it not then manifeft that "Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows," are particularly referred to in thefe words that immediately follow: "Hear the word of JEHOVAH, "O ye nations, and declare it in the ifles afar off, "and fay, He that scattered Ifrael will gather him, " and keep him, as a fhepherd doth his flock." Jere. xxxi. 7-10.

As Chriftians, it deserves our most serious confideration, whether EPHRAIM being thus called "MY FIRSTBORN," doth not imply that Ephraim will be the FIRST of the defcendants of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, who will in these latter days have their understandings opened to understand the Scriptures, and to fee that "Thus is it written, and thus "it behoved Chrift to fuffer, and to rife from the "dead the third day: and that repentance and re

miffion of fins fhould be preached in his name

among all nations;❞—and "that ALL THINGS "MUST BE FULFILLED which were written in the "law of Mofes, and in the Prophets, and in the "Pfalms, concerning him." Luke xxiv. 44-47."I am a father to Ifrael and EPHRAIM is my "FIRSTBORN."-" Verily, verily, I fay unto "thee, Except a man be born of water and of the "Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that "which is born of the Spirit is fpirit. Marvel not "that I faid unto thee, Ye must be born again.

"The