gods, and partake of the profperity of those nations, that we may no longer be accounted the LORD's people, and the fheep of his pafture: that he may not pour out his fierce wrath on us any more. God therefore says, verfe 32. "And that which cometh into your mind, shall not be at all; that ye say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to ferve wood and ftone." No, fays the LORD, this shall not be; for, ver, 33d, "(As) I live faith the LORD God, furely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out will I reign over you."

It must be observed, that the Prophet makes use of three different expreffions; and which is to be understood as denoting three different periods; for "with a mighty hand,” denotes the Babylonish captivity, when the nations were yet funk in idol worship; when they worshipped the Sun, Moon, and stars, &c. "And with a ftretched out arm," denotes the time of the preaching of the gofpel; when Chriftianity fucceeded Paganism : "and with fury poured out" denotes the reign of Mahometism. And which is, as if

* Heb. Being it shall not be.

he

my

law; yet

he had faid, in which ever of these seasons, that ye apoftatize, and forfake will I reign over you: for ye fhall always continue to be my people; ye fhall never be mingled with, and entirely loft, and fwallowed up among the nations. And how fully, this hath been accomplished, is clear from all history: for although, before they were carried to Babylon, they were prone to idolatry, worshipping the Sun, Moon, stars, and all the hoft of heaven; and committing all manner of abominations; and afterwards affiancing themselves to the strange nations, and mingling themselves with the people of the land; as we find, in Ezra, chapter ix. ver. Ift. "Now when thefe things were done, the princes came to me, faying, The people of Ifrael, and the priests, and the Levites, have not feperated themselves from the people of the (different) countries, (doing) according to their abominations, (even) of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzies, the Jebufites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their fons; fo that the holy feed have mingled themselves with the people of thofe

coun

1

countries: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass."

This trefpafs, which might have been the ruin of the nation, was, by the great provi dential mercy of God, entirely done away: for they were not only feperated from the people of the land, and the strange women ; but were perfectly cured of the crime of idolatry, to which, they had been so prone; and which must be ascribed to the indefatigable industry of Ezra, and his cotemporaries, whom God raised up, to inftruct them in the law of God*; and caufing them to understand it. At this time alfo flourished the men of the Great Synagoguet, as they are called; who composed our Liturgy; when Synagogues being erected in every city §, to which they reforted for public worship; and where the Law was read every week; (and from the time of Antiochus's perfecution, the prophets alfo) and finding therein the fevere pu

* Nehem. viii. 5.7. 8. & 9.

+ See Gans in Tfemach David. Sepher Juchfin.

R. Ab. Ben deor, Abarbanal. &c.

Perek Kora Megillah.

Maim. in Hilchoth Tephilah. Chap. xi. Sect. 1.

nish

nishment denounced against those that were guilty of the crime of idolatry, (of which, they had already had experience) they were entirely weaned from it. And no doubt, it was this abhorrence of idolatry, that caused the great body of the people, to disbelieve the new doctrine of Jesus; juftly confidering it, as repugnant to the Law of God, which he had given them by the hand of his servant Moses; and the frequent admonitions delivered by the Prophets for the observance thereof.

It is this alfo, that has enabled them for upwards of feventeen hundred years, fo ftrictly to maintain and preserve the doctrine of the divine Unity, in oppofition to the doctrine of a plurality of perfons; and for which, they have suffered fuch dreadful perfecutions, and waded through torrents of their own blood.

This, has alfo kept them clear from em. bracing the tenets of the Mahometans; (and by whom they have also been miserably perfecuted on that account,) fo that notwithftanding, that during the time of paganism, they fell into idolatry; and fome of them, VOL. II.

G g

either

either through fear of perfecution*, or for lucre, have apoftatized from the true faith, to Christianity, yet has the body of the nation stood firm; and they remain as a distinct nation to this day; ftill retaining the deno mination of God's people: fo that the words of the Prophet have been fully accomplished; as will those alfo, contained in ver. 34. "And I will bring you forth from the people, and I will gather you from the countries, wherein ye are fcattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out."

38.

and

By this, the Prophet fhews that when the time of their redemption fhall arrive, God will be obliged to gather them, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, with fury poured out. This will be on account of the great number of unbelievers that will then be in the nation; who laugh at the idea of a future redemption: these the Prophet calls “rebels, and tranfgreffors;" for they wilfully rebel against the word of God; not by committing idolatry, (as their fathers did) nor by apoftatizing to Christianity; but

See Vol. Ift. p. 18. Note 2d. & p. 30. &c.

by