whole earth shall he be called." For during the captivity, other lords had dominion over thee, as already mentioned; but at the restoration, the bleffed God who made thee, will be thine only LORD and husband; and the confequence of this union will be, that thou wilt no more fin. Neither shalt thou be perfecuted as heretofore; for thy redeemer, the holy One of Ifrael, will then be called the God of all the earth: because, God will then turn the people to a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD: fo that he will then no longer be called the God of Ifrael only, but the God of all the earth: confequently, no one will attempt any thing against thee, on account of the difference of religious tenets and opinions, because, they all will adore and worship the One true God only.

In verse 6th. the Prophet informs us, that the nation, at no time whatever, was to be confidered, as abfolutely caft off, and bereft of the immediate providence of God, as a woman whose husband, was actually dead ; but only as a woman deeply afflicted at the absence of her husband in foreign countries; but who nevertheless intends to return

to her. "For as a woman forfaken, and ly afflicted, hath the LORD recalled t and as the youthful wife when thou rejected, faith thy God." Hence, as I already obferved, it is plain that, the na hath never been abfolutely caft off by C and the gentiles taken in their ftead, Christians in general affert; as may be cl ly perceived from the different prophed cited in the courfe of the work. And this manner, the Prophet Jeremiah also e preffes himself, (Lament. 1.1.) " How is 1 become as a widow ! Not actually a abfolutely a widow, but only as one: as fays in another place "For Ifrael is n widowed from his God." (Jerem. li. 5 Whence it is manifeft, that the affertio of a late Writer *, that the old covenan was broken, and cancelled, is falfe, and fu tile; and plainly fhews, that he either did not, or would not underftand what the Prophet meant by the new covenant, as fhall fhew at large, in the explanation of that prophecy: perhaps, he was fo entirely taken up with the chimerical scheme, of the Millenium, (the futility and abfurd

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ity of which, I have already expofed, Vol. Ift, page 130. 131. &c,) fighting against the beaft and the false prophet: Satan and his drebellious angels; cafting them altogether headlong into the lake of fire and brimstone ; and fo blinded by the clouds of fmokeyiffuing from the dreadful conflagration he had kindled, that he was incapable of feeing his way, even at noon day.

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The Prophet, verfe 7th Shews, that the dreadfull mifery which they have experie enced in captivity, can bear no comparison with the greatness of the happiness which they shall enjoy at their restoration; for, ffio Indland short moment have I forfaken thee but with great mercies will I receive thee again : In little wrath I hid my face for a moment from thee; but with everlafting kindness will have mercy on thee, faith the LORD thy redeemer." Thus is the captivity compared to a fhort time, and little wrath; but their happiness is to be, as great mercies, and EVERLASTING kindness; which is a manifest proof that they are not to go into captivity any more. The Prophet proceeds; and to encourage

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the nation declares, that God had fv to the performance of the promise : also fhews; that although when in ca vity, they were forely afflicted, toffed ab Iby the ftorm, and deftitute of confolati yet, on their restoration, they should en the greatest happiness and profperity b temporal and fpiritual, as in verse 9th, & For this is as the waters of Noah to m for as I have fworn that the waters of No fhould no more pafs over the earth; have I fworn, that I will not be wro with thee, nor rebuke thee. For t mountains shall be removed; and the hil fhall be overthrown; but my kindness, fro thee shall not be removed; and the covenan of my peace fhall not be overthrown faith the LORD, who loveth thee mo affectionately. O thou afflicted, beaten with the storm*, deftitute of confolation! Behold

* It is in such fublime and pathetic language, that the Prophet has given us an highly finished picture, of the mifery, and fufferings of the nation, during this long and dreadfull captivity, the like of which no nation ever fuffered: for they have for almost eighteen hundred years, been beaten by the storm, and toffed about from place to place, without find ing reft for the foles of their feet; as Mofes faid; (Deut.

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I lay thy ftones in cement of vermilion, and thy foundations in Sapphires: and I will make of rubies thy battlements; and thy gates of carbuncles; and the whole circuit of thy walls fhall be of precious ftones. And all thy children (fhall be) taught by the LORD; and great (shall be) VOL. II..

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xxviii. 65.) they have been banished from place to place, from country to country. In many places they have been banifhed and recalled, and banished again; and all this, without the leaft confolation; without knowing the time when they will be restored; (and which is a demonstration that the Prophet was not speaking of the Babylonifh captivity, for in that captivity they all knew that they were to be vifited at the end of seventy years; neither were they banished and bandied about from place to place in that captivity; but during the prefent captivity, the banishments, perfecutions, and maffacres which they have fuffered, are almost innumerable, and their history abounds with little elfe; and they yet remain. without confolation, as not knowing when their fufferings and mifery will end) for though God has promifed to redeem them, yet, is the time not revealed to any. Thus, are the words of the Prophet fully accomplished: and can any Deist be so hardy as to affert that, the Prophet who was capable of foretelling events with fuch exactness, at fuch a distance of time, (upwards of two thousand years) was but a mere Poet? Is this like the performance of a Poet? The language I acknowledge, is highly poetical, but does it follow from thence, that Ifaiah was nothing more than a Poet? a Poes properly speaking is an inventor: an author of fiction; but prophecy is truth, fterling truth; as is manifeft from the truth of its accomplishment, in every particular.