8th. "For my thoughts are not y thoughts; neither are your ways my wa faith the LORD. For as the heavens are hig er than the earth; fo are my ways hig than your ways, and my thoughts than уч thoughts." By this comparison, the Prop meant not only to point out the great infe ority of the one to the other, as is the in mense distance of heaven from the earth; b also to shew that, the thoughts of man in his pursuits of philofophy, together with his experiments and researches, are all con ned to the earth; i. e. to matter: but th word of God raifes us up to heaven thoughts, to those that are spiritual. Hend the preeminence of the latter over the for mer, is clear to demonftration. The Prophet then proceeds to fhew tha the word of God, is as effective and benefi cial to those who study it, as the rain tha cometh down from heaven; verfe 10. II "For like as the rain defcendeth, and the fnow from the heavens; and thither it doth not return; but moisteneth the earth, and maketh it generate, and spring forth; that it may give feed to the fower, and bread to the eater fo fhall be the word, that goeth : forth - your ways, high higher your -ophet nferi e im ; but In all hall onfi the enly nce at 1. at e 2 1 forth from my mouth; it fhall not return i fing fion of his mighty power; and which fign will never be abol ed: because, after the appearance of the M fiah, and the restoration of the nation, th will never be any falling off from the t worship of God. Hence, it is manifest t this prophecy, with all the great and glori promises that it contains, defcribing the ha py and exalted state of the nation, both te poral and spiritual, after their restoration the Meffiah, hath never yet been fulfille not at their return from Babylon; and mu less in the time of Jesus ; and which is a d monstration that he could not be the Me fiah for the LORD hath fworn to the a complishment of these promises, (See cha liv. 9.) and declares that his words shall no return fruitless; (chap. lv. 11.) confequent ly, they remain to be fulfilled at the restora tion of the nation, by the true Meffiah. The eleventh prophecy, commences chap ter the lxth. verfe ft. and is continued to the end of the 9th verfe of chapte lxi. Before we proceed, it will be neceffary to premise, that this prophecy may be confidered as commencing chapter lixth. verfe ift. "Behold the hand of the LORD is not con tracted, bolish- he true eft that lorious e hap tem ion by a de Mef a0 hap. not ent Ora ap. ed ter to tracted, so that he cannot fave; neither is his ear grown dull, so that he cannot hear." By this introduction, the Prophet intended to point out to us, the caufe of the length of this dreadful captivity; that it is all owing to the wickedness and tranfgreffions of the nation; and therefore, God would not hear them; but if they were to feek him in fincerity and truth, he would certainly answer them; for his hand is not contracted, nor his ear dull. &c. as he fays, verfe, 2d. " But your iniquities have made a feparation between you and your God; and your fins have hidden his face from you, that he doth not hear*." He thus proceeds verfes 2. 3. &c. In verfe 15th. he fays, " And truth faileth; and he that fhunneth evil, is accounted as a fool; and the LORD faw it, and it displeased him, This, is the real caufe of this long and dreadful captivity: for if they were to repent of their fins, and amend their lives, they would inftantly be redeemed. as I have shewn elsewhere (See my Letters to Dr Priestley in answer to his Letters to the Jews part 2. page 102. ) but there is fo little true religion among them, and they think fo little of their future redemption, as fcarcely to give themfelves any concern about the prophecies, which foretell that important event: nay, numbers of them hardly believe a syllable of those prophecies, or of Revelation in general. +. Or. Expofeth himself to be plunded. him, that there was no Judgement." By expreffion, "And truth faileth," the P phet meant to exprefs two things: viz, fi that truth was nearly loft in the world: i the true faith in God, is loft in the world general; through the false, corrupt, and roneous religious doctrines promulgat throughout the world, by the founders' of th different religions, that at prefent oversprea this globe: and, fecondly, that the TRUT which is the Law that he gave to Mofes, wa also nearly loft in the nation, owing to th pernicious deiftical opinions, which they have imbibed, from the writings of the modern philofophers, which give a licence to their pleasures, and enable them to lead a voluptuous life, free from all restraint. Hence, may be deduced that irreverence towards God's worship, and the want of true religion, at present so prevalent among those of the nation, who think themfelves wifer than the rest of mankind, and pride themselves on their philofophical knowledge, that has enlightened their minds, and freed them from the shackles of fuperftition, as they are pleafed to call the word of God; but this, is a manifest proof of the truth of prophecy, and that |