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OFF, AND SAY, HE THAT SCATTERED " ISRAEL WILL GATHER HIM, AND KEEP HIM

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10.

AS A SHEPHERD DOTH HIS FLOCK," Jere. xxxi.

Whoever reads this chapter, will perceive that "Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows," are peculiarly referred to from the 1ft to the 21ft verse. How great then may we expect the bleffing to be that will attend those who fhall have the high honour to deliver this, the meffage of JEHOVAH unto the nations, with a loud voice. To thofe who, like us, have not the high honour of being the defcendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it will become an inducement to be prepared to rejoice at the great event, when it pleases God to give us the felicity of carrying the fons of Ifrael in our arms, and the daughters of Ifrael upon our shoulders, in their way towards Zion, Ifa. xlix. 22. But how great will be the effect that this meffage will produce upon Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, who are scattered in those nations in which thefe glad-tidings, concerning Ifrael, will in due time be proclaimed. Notwithstanding this divine meffage is not primarily directed TO THEM, but to the nations concerning them, and their brethren of Judah; yet even on that account is it calculated to produce the greater effect upon

them.

There is much included in this divine meffage; it is the meffage of JEHOVAH OF HOSTS, the Great Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Ifrael; and consequently those who believe this divine message are brought to the acknowledgment of the only true

God.

God. It declares that it is HE who hath scattered Ifrael, and that it is HE who will gather him and keep him as a fhepherd doth his flock; confequently it brings under the confideration of the hearers the hiftory of Ifrael, and the denunciations contained in the law of JEHOVAH their God, in the event of their difobedience; and thus the nations will be brought to give glory to JEHOVAH, by confeffing in the words prepared for them by Mofes, the fervant of God, that these things have come upon them," Be"cause they have forfaken THE COVENANT "OF JEHOVAH, the God of their fathers, which "he made with them when he brought them forth "out of the land of Egypt: for they went and ferved "other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom

they knew not, and whom he had not given unto "them." Deut. xxix. 25, 26. And the certainty of these things will not only confirm their faith, that HE who hath thus (in verification of his most holy word) SCATTERED Ifrael, will gather him and keep him as a fhepherd doth his flock; but also in like manner that he will, in verification of his moft holy word, punish their enemies; even them that hate them, and have perfecuted them. Deut. xxx. 7.

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Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he "will avenge the blood of his fervants, and will "render vengeance to his adverfaries, and will be "merciful unto his land, and to his people." Deut. xxxii. 43.

There feems MUCH EVIDENCE inducing us to believe that Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his

fellows,

fellows, have among them the remains of Hebrew customs, fufficient (on the Books of Mofes and the prophets being put into their hands) to awaken their minds to the confideration of the question, whether they are not peculiarly INTERESTED in this divine meffage; but this is certain, that it is the fure word of PROPHECY that will be the MEANS of awakening them; and this prophetic meffage, ordained by JEHOVAH their God, to be delivered to the nations concerning them, feems to be that prophefying upon the dry bones of Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, whereby they will hear the word of JEHOVAH, and gradually become animated with Ifrael's hope. Then will there be a great fhaking among these dry come together, bone to his bone; then will the finews and flesh come upon them, and the fkin will cover them. And then will the breath come into them, and they will, as it were, awake and live, and be prepared to return to that ftate of obedience to the tribe of Judah, in the land given unto their fathers by JEHOVAH their God, as in the days of David and Solomon, Ezek. xxxvii. 1—28.

bones, and the bones will

7thly. In further confirmation of the hope that Christians will in due time be employed in an important office towards Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, I would requeft the reader to confider the following paffage, which I extract from the 3d chapter of Jeremiah the prophet: "GO AND "PROCLAIM thefe words toward the NORTH, and fay, Return, thou backfliding Ifrael, faith " JEHOVAH

M m

"JEHOVAH; and I will not cause mine anger to fall

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upon you: for I am merciful, faith JEHOVAH, " and I will not keep anger for ever. Only ac"knowledge thine iniquity, that thou haft tranfgreffed "against JEHOVAH thy God, and haft fcattered thy 66 ways to the strangers under every green tree, and 66 ye have not obeyed my voice, faith JEHOVAH, "Turn, O backfliding children, faith JEHOVAH; "for I am married unto you: and I will take you "one of a city, and two of a family, and I will "bring you to Zion: and I will give you paftors "according to mine heart, which shall feed you with "knowledge and understanding. And it fhall come "to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the "land, in those days, faith JEHOVAH, they fhall fay 66 no more, The ark of the covenant of JEHOVAH; "neither fhall it come to mind; neither fhall they "remember it; neither fhall they vifit it; neither fhall that be done any more. At that time they fhall call Jerufalem the throne of JEHOVAH; and "all the nations fhall be gathered unto it, to the "name of JEHOVAH, to Jerufalem: neither fhall "they walk any more after the imagination of their "evil heart. In thofe days the house of Judah fhall "walk with the houfe of Ifrael, and they fhall come "together out of the land of the north to the land

that I have given for an inheritance unto your "fathers." Jere. iii. 12-18.

In this chapter, Ephraim and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows are c' arly diftinguifhed from Judah; and this proclamation, be it delivered when and by

whom

whom it will, is NOT fent to Judah, but to BACKSLIDING ISRAEL, the very words used in this chapter to distinguish them from Judah. But who are they who will in due time have the high honour thus to call Ephraim, and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, even BACKSLIDING ISRAEL, to repentance, that they may again become obedient to Judah, as they were in the days of David and Solomon? As the perfons are not mentioned, furely we have good reason to hope that this great and honourable office is referved for thofe of the Gentile nations, who believe in the divine authority of the Books of Mofes and the prophets.

8thly. That hope which, as it were by implication, we are enabled to derive from the paffages already cited, feems however to be more than implied, EVEN ACTUALLY EXPRESSED, in the 18th chapter of Ifaiah, which I tranfcribe from the late Bishop of St. Afaph's translation :

"Ho! land fpredding wide the fhadow of thy "wings, which art beyond the rivers of Cush: ac"cuftomed to fend meffengers by fea, even in bul"rufh veffels, upon the furface of the waters! Go, "fwift meffengers, unto a nation dragged away and "plucked, unto a people wonderful from their be"ginning hitherto; a nation expecting, expecting, "and trampled under foot, whofe land rivers have fpoiled. All the inhabitants of the world, and "dwellers upon earth, fhall fee the lifting up, as it were, of a banner upon the mountains; and fhall

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hear the founding, as it were, of a trumpet. For thus

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