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of the Almighty. I am not aware that any other perfon, bearing the Christian name, ever yet did the like; fo far otherwife, that they, I believe, uniformly confider THE FACT, that the Jewish nation (notwithftanding the cruel ufage they have experienced) continue unto this day A DISTINCT NATION, though difperfed among all nations, as INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCE of the truth of the Books of Mofes and the prophets. Numb. xxiii. 9. Levit. xxvi. 33. Deut. xxviii. 25.

Nay more, we have not only confidered this as indifputable evidence of the truth of the Books of Mofes and the prophets, but alfo as indifputable evidence of the truth of the New Teftament; for it is clear that the Jewish nation, notwithstanding they were poffeffed of the Books of Moses and the prophets, were not at the time our bleffed Saviour abode among them, aware of that which the event had proved to be fact, that in accomplishment of the words recorded in the Books of Mofes and the prophets, they

were THEN ABOUT TO BE DISPERSED INTO ALL

NATIONS; but though it is clear that the Jewish nation were not aware of this, it is equally clear to us that our bleffed Lord and Saviour, Jefus Chrift, WAS AWARE OF THIS AWFUL FACT, for he declared that fo it would be, that Jerufalem would be deftroyed IN THAT GENERATION; the knowledge of this fact caufed him to WEEP when he beheld the city that he loved, Luke xix. 41. because HE knew that that generation would have to "fee Jerufalem compaffed about with armies, and that

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"the

"the defolation thereof was nigh." He knew that the "days of vengeance" were near at hand, and that "all things which were written" in the Books of Mofes and the prophets were about to "be fulfilled." HE knew that the time approached in which there would be "great diftrefs in the land, and wrath upon the people;" that they would "fall by the

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edge of the fword, and be led away captive UNTO "ALL NATIONS, and that Jerufalem would be "trodden down of the Gentiles, UNTIL the times "of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke xxi. 20-24. And HE not only KNEW thefe awful facts, but HE declared them alfo; and we know that Jerufalem was destroyed in that generation, and we SEE the beloved nation, whose foreseen sufferings caufed him to WEEP over Jerufalem, scattered into all nations. These things are fuch a confirmation of our faith in the Books of Mofes and the prophets, and in the Books of the New Teftament alfo, that we know we ftand upon THE ROCK, Deut. xxxii. 4.

"If thou fay in thine heart, How shall we know "the word that JEHOVAH hath NOT fpoken? "When a prophet speaketh in the name of JEHOVAH, "if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is "the thing which JEHOVAH hath not spoken, but the "prophet hath spoken it prefumptuoufly." Deut. xviii. 21, 22. But we conceive that it neceffarily follo that if a whole nation are of opinion that there is no evil near at hand, and are contradicted in this their fond opinion, and their facred books referred to, to prove that great evil approaches near, Matt.

1

xxiv. 15. Mark xiii. 14. Luke xxi. 22. and THAT

EVIL DOES ACTUALLY AND LITERALLY COME

TO PASS; that it is evidence that notwithstanding a whole nation may have denied their affent, yet that he who declared it had truth on his fide; from hence, therefore, we conclude that he was what he profeffed himself to be. And as we have this indifputable evidence of the truth of what he thus declared, as we behold Ifrael fcattered into all nations, and Jerufalem yet trodden down of the Gentiles, we may reft affured that when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, the Jewish nation will then NO LONGER remain difperfed among the Gentiles, and that Jerufalem will then NO LONGER continue to be trodden down of the Gentiles, Luke

xxi. 24.

There are many awful figns that the times of the Gentiles approach very near their fulfilment; and however we of the Gentile nations may imitate the conduct of the Jewish nation, fhortly previous to the deftruction of Jerufalem, in fpeaking peace, and imagining that evil will not overtake us, as it did the Jewish nation, yet facts, ftubborn facts, render it indifputable that when nations have filled up the measure of their iniquities, then the judgments of the Almighty overtake them to their destruction. Thus it was with the antediluvian world! no fooner were the 120 years refpite expired, Gen. vi. 3. than the waters prevailed against them to their deftruction. Thus it was with the nations of Canaan; their deftruction was ordained when their land was promised

to

to Abraham, but a refpite even of 400 years was granted, because the iniquity of the Amorites was not filled up in the days of Abraham, Gen. xv. 13, 16. Thus it was with the ancient Babylon; thus it was with Nineveh; thus it was with Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, Ifa. vii. 8. 2 Kings xvii. 5-23. And thus it was with Judah, and the children of Ifrael his companions; with this difference as to Judah and the children of Ifrael his companions, and Ephraim and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, that though punished and fcattered they are not destroyed, but preferved for great and important purposes, to become a bleffing to all the inhabitants of the earth, Jere. xxxi. 31-40. xxxiii. 14— 26. Their punishment is an awful example to all the inhabitants of the earth: "Lo, I BEGIN to bring "evil upon the city that is called by my name, and "fhould ye be utterly unpunished? Ye fhall not be "unpunished: for I will call for a fword upon all the "inhabitants of the earth, faith JEHOVAH OF HOSTS." Jere. xxv 29. Do we not fee the fword defolating the earth at this time? Have we not for the laft 20 years had to witness a convulfion, that year after year hath thinned the earth of its inhabitants, and does not the cloud blacken as it proceeds? These things indicate that the times of the Gentiles approach to their fulfilment, and confequently that the time approaches in which Jerufalem will be NO LONGER trodden down of the Gentiles; that the time approaches in which the Jews will NO LONGER continue fcattered. The prophet Daniel, fpeaking of that awful

period,

period, even the clofe of the times of the Gentiles, defcribes it as a "time of trouble, fuch as never was "fince there was a nation." It is the fame time as our blefed Lord calls the fulfilment of the times of the Gentiles; for Daniel's words are, "At that time "thy people fhall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book," Dan. xii. 1.

The fulfilment of the times of the Gentiles is an event far more extenfive in its confequences than the fubverfion of the Affyrian, the Medo-Perfian, the Grecian, or the divifion of the Roman empire, because the judgment will extend from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth, Jere. xxv. 33. The iron, the clay, the brass, the filver, and the gold, will be broken to pieces together, and become like the chaff of the fummer threshing-floors, and the wind will carry them away, fo that no place fhall be found for them; and the STONE that fmote the image will become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth, Dan. ii. 35. MESSIAH is that STONE which will fmite the image; and his kingdom it is that will become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth: "Thus

faith the LORD JEHOVAH, Behold, I lay in Zion, "for a foundation, a stone, a TRIED STONE, a "precious corner ftone, a fure foundation," Ifa. xxviii. 16. Ifrael hath now been TRIED in the furnace of affliction: at one time they did not expect that they fhould be TRIED in the manner they have been; they were certainly mistaken as to this fact; and this is a confirmation to us Chriftians,

that

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