then is it to think that the last

prayer, that prayer which was uttered by our bleffed Lord, when enduring the agony of crucifixion, was not heard, and the request refufed: his words were, "Father, forgive "them; for they know not what they do." Luke xxiii. 34. How can Chriftians fleep in comfort with fuch an idea, fo injurious to their bleffed Saviour, in their hearts? How can they read and believe the teftimony of the witneffes of his refurrection from the dead, and his afcenfion into heaven, and yet retain the idea that his laft prayer, his dying requeft, was not granted by his heavenly Father?

Poffibly there may be fome that think thus, on account of the long-continued fufferings of the Jewish nation. I would requeft fuch as thus think to confider, that the fufferings of Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, have been greater than thofe of Judah, and the children of Ifrael his companions; for though they have been fcattered into all nations for above 1700 years, yet have they not loft their treasure: the great and ineftimable treasure of the Books of Mofes and the prophets have ever been their comfort in their adverfity; but it hath not been fo with Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows; they have been driven into corners, and the remembrance of them hath well nigh ceafed from among men; they are loft, and as it were dead to their brethren of Judah, and are like dry bones fcattered upon the furface of the earth, and thus they have continued for above 2500 years! Recollect that they were removed far away,, above 700 years before the crucifixion of our

Saviour.

Saviour. They did not join in the cry, "His blood "be upon us and upon our children," and therefore their long-continued adverfity cannot be ascribed to the fame caufe as that to which thefe miftaken men afcribe the sufferings of Judah and the children of Ifrael his companions, who are known and acknow. ledged as Jews.

σε

Let them recollect that it is the duty of the Chriftian, as much as it is of the Jew, to ascribe greatness unto JEHOVAH, the Great Creator of heaven and earth; "He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Deut. xxxii. 4. With these words fixed in their recollection, let them confider whether they are afcribing greatness unto the Almighty, in confidering the prayer of our bleffed Saviour as rejected, in order that what they confider as an imprecation of those who required our Saviour to be crucified might be fulfilled. If the act had not been committed under a mistake, as we are informed by St. Peter, and even by our bleffed Lord himself, that it was; can we reconcile it to fcriptural language, that he who is merciful and gracious, who hath declared that "the fon fhall not bear the ini"quity of the father: neither fhall the father bear "the iniquity of the fon: the righteousness of the " righteous fhall be upon him, and the wickedness of "the wicked fhall be upon him." Ezek. xviii. 20. I fay, can we without doing violence to Scripture and to reafon alfo, which is the gift of the fame almighty and gracious God, fubfcribe to the doctrine,

ચંદ

that the long-continued difperfion of the Jews hath been in confequence of the crucifixion of our bleffed "Lord, and that it is an accomplishment of those words, which Chriftians confider as an imprecation, "His blood be upon us and upon our children." If, however, we were to drop the matter here, we should conceal the most horrid part of this impiety; for it is the doctrine of the school which teaches these things, that the words which they confider as an imprecation, extend in their full force even beyond the grave; and that all the Jews who have departed this life fince the words, "His blood' be upon us and upon our chil"dren," were spoken, are configned to inevitable perdition. MY SOUL, "O my foul! come not "thou into their fecret; unto their affembly, mine "honour, be not thou united." Gen. xlix. 6. The prefent generation are not the inventors of these things; may they bring fuch doctrines to the teft of God's most holy word.

I must acknowledge that the obfervations I am about to fubmit unto the reader, concerning the words, "His blood be upon us and upon our chil"dren," have occurred to me whilft writing these pages. New, however, as the idea is to my mind, I entreat the reader to confider the following words, recorded in the 11th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John: "Then gathered the chief priests and "the pharifees a council, and faid, What do we? "for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him; and the "Romans fhall come, and take away both our place

❝ and

and nation. And one of them, named CAIAPHAS, "being the HIGH PRIEST that fame year, faid "unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor confider "that it is expedient for us THAT ONE MAN SHOULD "DIE FOR THE PEOPLE, and that the whole nation ❝ perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but "being high priest that year, he PROPHESIED,

That Jefus fhould die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should "gather together in one the children of God that ❝ were scattered abroad." John xi. 47-52. Who will prefume to deny the fact which is fo very clearly expreffed in these words, that notwithstanding political expediency was evidently the only object of the high priest who spake thefe words, yet that without having any intention or meaning to convey any idea, except as to political expediency, he fpake not thefe words of himself, but being high priest he unknowingly PROPHESIED. This being premised, I requeft the reader to confider that the Jews were at that time under the dominion of the Romans, they were permitted to enjoy their religion, and in some measure their laws alfo; but, nevertheless, under the control of the Roman governor, fo that their laws, which adjudged death as a punishment, could not be executed until fanctioned by him: "It is not lawful for "us to put any man to death," John xviii. 31."We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, "because he made himself the Son of God," John xix. 7. The application to Pilate was to fanction the decree of the Sanhedrim; Pilate was not inclined to

fanction

fanction this decree, but when he faw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, faying, "I am innocent of the blood of this ❝just person, see ye to it." Then anfwered ALL THE PEOPLE and faid, "His blood be on us ❝and on our children." Matt. xxvii. 24, 25. Our bleffed Lord was the true Pascal Lamb, even the Lamb of God that taketh away the fin of the world! and he died" FOR THAT NATION," John xi. 51. though not for that nation exclufively. As we have the authority of Holy Scripture for believing that the words of Caiaphas were (wholly unintentionally on his part) prophetic of good to Ifrael, why may we not believe that the words of ALL THE PEOPLE were alfo (though wholly unintentionally on their part) prophetic? they both relate to the SAME EVENT. In that paffage of Scripture, concerning which we have authority to say that the words were prophetic, the words indicate that GOOD was to refult; and in another paffage of Scripture the blood of Chrift is faid to speak better things than the blood of Abel, Heb. xii. 24. If we turn to the 53d chapter of Ifaiah, in which the fufferings of the Lamb of God, that taketh away the fin of the world, John i. 29. are so clearly predicted, we find it declared, that "ALL WE like fheep have gone aftray; 66 we have turned every one to his own way; and "JEHOVAH hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. "He was oppreffed, and he was afflicted, yet he "opened not his mouth: he is brought as a LAMB