the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the fand of the fea measured: fo will I mu!tiply the feed of David my fervant, and the Levites that minifter unto me."

The Prophet then informs us, that he had another vifion, by which God fhewed him the futility of the argument made use of by the free thinkers of the nation; as well as the profligate part of the priests: ver. 23 &c. "The word of the LORD came also to Jeremiah, faying, Haft thou not observed what this people have spoken, faying The two families which the LORD hath chofen, he hath even rejected them? And they have treated my people with fcorn, fo as not to confider them any more as a nation." For when the defcendants of those two families faw that the nation was carried into captivity, they imagined that they were totally rejected; they therefore took no pains to instruct the people, and to lead them into the right path; because they confidered the nation as loft in captivity, and paft redemption: but this, he affured them was not the cafe; for, (ver. 25.. --26.) "Thus faith the LORD, if my covenant be not daily and nightly, the ordi

Dances

nances of heaven and earth (if) I have appointed; Then will I caft off the feed Jacob, and David my fervant, fo as not take of his feed to be rulers unto the feed Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob: for I will verse their captivity, and I will have me upon them." Thefe words, we may obfer (fays Abarbanal) are the regular inference a Syllogifm, the minor of which is fuppre ed, but may be fupplied thus, But my c venant is daily and nightly, and I have a pointed the ordinances of heaven and eart Therefore I will not caft off the feed of Ja cob, &c. He alfo informs us how and whe this will be, by saying, "for I will rever their captivity, and will have mercy upo them," Which is, as if he had faid, Trud in their captivity, they have neither king nor prince: but I will reverse their captivi ty at the time of the future redemption; an then, shall a'king of the line of David reig over them; and there fhall not be a failur in the line of the pricfts the Levites &c. as mentioned verfe 18th.

From the explanation here given of this important prophecy, the four following fundamental principles, are clearly deducible.

First, that God will perfectly heal the wound
of Ifrael and Judah, which they have receiv-
ed in this long and dreadful captivity; and
redeem them from it; as is faid, ver. 6.-26.
"Behold, I will make it perfectly found
and whole, and will heal them;
"For I

will reverse their captivity, and I will have

mercy upon them. And which agrees with the third principle of the prophecies of Ifaiah.

Second, that at the future redemption, not only Judah and Benjamin will return, as they did to the second temple, but the house of Ifrael alfo; as mentioned ver. 7th. "And I will bring back the captivity of Judah, and the captivity of Ifrael, And I will build them as at the first." And which agrees with the fourth principle of Ifaiah.

Third, that at the future redemption, a king of the feed of David is to reign over them; ; as mentioned, ver. 15th. "In those days, and at that time I will cause to grow

up of the line of

David a branch of right

And which agrees with the

coufnefs." &c. And which

tenth principle of Ifaiah.

Fourth, that after the future redemption, they shall not go into captivity more: as

men

mentioned ver. 17th. &c. "There fhall be a failure in the line of David of one fit upon the throne of the house of Ifrael, ther fhall there be a failure in the line of priests the Levites," continually. I can make void my covenant of the day,

Then fhall my covenant be made v with David my fervant," &c. And wh agrees with the eleventh principle of 11

ah.

Now it is clear from all hiftory, both cred and profane, that none of thefe glorio promifes have ever been fulfilled. Not their return from Babylon; for then they d not receive a perfect cure for the wound the captivity; as they were in almost conti ual fubjection to the. Perfians, Greeks, an Romans; neither did the ten tribes retur to the fecond temple: and during the con tinuance of which, David was without a de fcendant of his family fitting on the thron of Judah or Ifrael, in any fenfe whatever; a the kings that they had, were of the race o the Afmoneans, and Herodians. And from the destruction of Jerufalem by the Roman to the prefent time, they have neither had a king, nor a regular priesthood offering burn

offerings &c. before the LORD; fo that it is
manifeft, that hitherto there has been a fai-
lure and interruption both in the royal line
of David, and in the facerdotal one of Levi.
This is a plain proof that the prophecy al-
ludes not to any time that is already past, but
refpects that which is to come: and is alfo
a demonstration, that this prophecy, was not
fulfilled in the perfon of Jefus; for he did
not restore the ten tribes; nor did he heal the
wound of their captivity. On the contrary,
it is well known that, a few years after his
death, according to the prediction of Daniel,
their temple was burnt, their chief city de-
ftroyed, and their country laid waste. Thou-
fands and tens of thousands of them were de-
ftroyed by the fw ord, and by famine, &c. and
the remainder carried into this long and wo-
ful captivity; where they have suffered fuch
dreadful perfecutions, as no nation ever suf-
fered. So that instead of procuring for them,
the great and exalted happiness mentioned in
this prophecy, they have experienced nothing
but shame and misery, fince the time of his
appearance on earth: and which is a demon-
ftration, that he could not be the Meffiah,
promised to the nation.
D d

VOL. II.

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