him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

COMMENTARY,

These words contain an evident allusion to a prophecy of Zechariah relative to the restoration and conversion of the Jews *. Like that prediction, they certainly give us reason to believe, that there will be a visible manifestation of the Lord, at the period when Antichrist is overthrown, and the Jews are resettled in their own land. This awful manifestation St. John afterwards describes at large †. Here he briefly tells us, that all the kindreds of the earth, meaning I suppose the great confederacy of the Latin earth or Roman empire, shall wail because of the Messiah; that every eye shall see him; and that they also which pierced him, the lately unbelieving but now penitent Jews, shall look upon him. Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus!

* Zechar. xii. 10. Rev. xxii. 20.

+ Rev. xiv. 17-20. xix. 11-21.

CON

CONCLUSION.

SUCH are the various prophecies which treat of the restoration of Israel and the overthrow of Antichrist, and such are the conclusions which I have thought myself warranted in deducing from them. It is obvious, that in expounding Scripture we must not make some parts of it contradict others. This is the principle, on which I have proceeded in the present work; and it is the only principle by which a consistent interpretation can be produced. Some prophecies teach us, that the children of Israel will be restored in a converted state; others, that they will be restored in an unconverted state: some, that they will be restored contemporaneously with the last expedition of Antichrist; others, that they will be restored after his overthrow and in consequence of the tidings of it which will be carried among all nations by such as escape from that great catastrophè: some, that they will be restored by the instrumentality of a maritime nation of faithful worshippers; others, that they will be restored by the instrumentality of a tyrannical power which officiously intermeddles in the concerns of its weaker neighbours, and of which Ashur or Babylon was a type: in short, some, that they will be restored in a time of unexampled

trouble,

trouble, and that they will suffer very severely as their forefathers did during their exodus from Egypt; others, that they will be restored in much joy and tranquillity, and will be brought back with great honour by the nations among which they are dispersed. These different matters appear at first sight contradictory: and yet, since they are all foretold by the same spirit of God, they all rest upon the same divine authority. We must therefore believe that they will all come to pass. Hence a commentator cannot be uselessly employed, who endeavours to remove their apparent contradictoriness, and to exhibit them as perfectly harmonizing with each other.

If we adopt the scheme, which I have attempted to establish in the preceding pages, this contradictoriness undoubtedly will be removed; and, whether I be right in every particular or not, it will at least have been shewn, that each prediction is capable of receiving its full accomplishment without jarring with other seemingly opposite pre dictions. Thus, in interpreting these various prophecies, there is no inconsistency in supposing, that Judah will be restored contemporaneously with the Antichristian expedition, and that Joseph and his brethren of the ten tribes will be restored subsequently to it; that Judah will be restored partly in a converted and partly in an unconverted state, partly by some great maritime power and partly by Antichrist; that, being thus restored in the midst

of

of wars and tumults, he will suffer very severely; and that the ten tribes, being restored after the downfall of Antichrist and consequently after the ceasing of those wars and tumults, will return in peace and tranquillity to the land of their fathers. I presume not indeed to say, that my interpretation must in all points be necessarily the true one, for positive knowledge can only spring out of the event: but this I certainly will say, that the different prophecies themselves are in no wise inconsistent, because even before their accomplishment they are capable of being reduced to perfect harmony.

The subject is a very awful one, particularly in times like the present, when the judgments of God are so manifestly abroad in the earth. My wish has been to turn the attention of all, both Christians and Jews, to those predictions which I have collected together, and upon which I have commented: for all are most deeply concerned in their accomplishment. I may add, that we of this great protestant maritime nation are peculiarly interested; for it certainly is not impossible, that we may be the messenger-people described by Isaiah as destined to take a very conspicuous part in the conversion and restoration of Judah. Hitherto we have been preserved, a column in the midst of surrounding ruins. While mighty empires totter to their base, and while Antichrist advances with rapid strides to his predicted sovereignty over the inslaved kings of the Roman earth; we, through

the

the blessing of divine Providence, have attained to a pitch of naval preeminence unknown and unexampled in former ages. Such being our present circumstances, it is no less our interest as politicians, than our duty as Christians, to endeavour, each according to our opportunity and measure, to promote the conversion of the house of Judah. Whatever may be our success, and whether we be the predicted messenger-people or not, of this at least we may assure ourselves, that no labour of love, undertaken for the sake of extending Christ's spiritual kingdom, will be unrequited by our divine master. Should this work be made instrumental through the blessing of God in opening the eyes of a single individual of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the author will not have laboured in vain.

I cannot conclude, with greater propriety than in the words of Bp. Newton.

"The Jews were once the peculiar people of "God: and as St. Paul saith, Hath God cast away "his people? God forbid. We see, that after so

46

many ages they are still preserved by a miracle "of Providence a distinct people: and why is "such a continual miracle exerted, but for the

greater illustration of the divine truth, and the "better accomplishment of the divine promises, as well those which are yet to be, as those which are already, fulfilled? We see that the great empires, which in their turns subdued and op

"pressed