everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy fun fhall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord fhall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning fhall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one, shall become a thousand, and a small one, a ftrong nation, I the Lord will haften it in his time *. To the fame purpose the prophet Ezekiel. And I will fet up one fhepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my fervant David, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my fervant David a prince among them, I the Lord have fpoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beafts to cease out of the land; and they fhall dwell fafely in the wilderness, and fleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my bill a blessing; and I will caufe the fhowers to come down in his feafon, there shall be showers of blessing †. And again, Then will I fprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: from all + Ezek. xxxiv. 23—26.

Ifa. lx. 18-22.

your

ye

your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the ftony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and fhall keep my judgments, and do them*. And the defolate land fhall be tilled, whereas it lay defolate in the fight of all that passed by. And they fhall fay, This land that was defolate is become like the garden of Eden, and the wafte, and defolate, and ruined cities, are become fenced and inhabited. The prophet Zechariah speaks to the fame effect. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, faith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hofts hath sent me unto thee. And the Lord fhall be king over all the earth; in that day there fhall be one Lord, and his name One ‡.

Though the promises and prophecies of this import, are addreffed to the church,

* Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27. † Ver. 34, 35. Zech. ¡ì. 10, 11. and xiv. 9.

under

under the names of Ifrael, Jacob, Zion, or Jerufalem, we are certain they were not fulfilled to the nation of Ifrael, while their civil government fubfifted. Their national profperity and glory were greatly diminished, before any of thefe prophecies were revealed. They were an inconftant and a suffering people, during the reigns of the kings of Judah and Ifrael, till at length their city and temple were deftroyed by the Chaldeans. And though they returned from their captivity, and their city and temple were rebuilt, they continued tributary and dependent, and were fucceffively fubject to the Perfian, Macedonian, and Roman power. Their obftinate rejection and crucifixion of MESSIAH, filled up the measure of their iniquities, and brought wrath upon them to the uttermoft. They were foon afterwards exterminated from their land, their conftitution, both of church and ftate, utterly fubverted; and they remain, to this day, in a dispersed state, which renders the obfervance of their law impracticable.

It feems equally plain, that these prophecies have not yet been fulfilled to the Chriftian church. The greater part of the earth, to

this day, is unacquainted with the name of Jefus. And the general face of Christendom, whether in Popish or in Proteftant countries, exhibits little more of the spirit and character of the gofpel, than is to be found among the Heathens. If Christianity be compatible with pride or bafeness, with avarice or profufion, with malice and envy, with fcepticifin in principle, and licentioufnefs of conduct, then Chriftians abound: but if humility, integrity, benevolence, and a fpiritual mind, are effential to a Chriftian; if we judge by the criterion which our Lord himself appointed, and account only thofe his difciples, who live in the exercife of mutual love, it is to be feared that they are but few, even in the places which are most favoured with the light of the gospel. But can the fcriptures be broken? Can the promises of the Lord fail? By no means. Heaven and earth fhall pass away, but not one jot or tittle of his word fhall fail of accomplishment.

It is not neceffary to fuppofe that every individual of mankind, fhall be favingly converted to the Lord, in this future day of his power; but I apprehend the current language of the prophecies, warrant us to

hope,

hope, that the prayers and desires of the church, shall, in fome future period, be fignally answered, in the following respects.

1. That the gospel shall vifit the nations which are at present involved in darkness. The Heathen are given to MESSIAH for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his poffeffion. At prefent (as I have formerly obferved) * if the whole of Chriftendom was inhabited by real Chriftians, they would bear but a small proportion to the reft of mankind. Large countries in Europe, Afia, and Africa, where the gofpel was once known, have been, for many ages, involved in Mohammedan darkness. The scattered remnants of the Greek church in Turkey, are fo miferably depraved and ignorant, that they scarcely deferve to be mentioned as an exception. The rest of Afia knows little of Christianity; unless they have learnt it, in the eastern parts, from the cruelty and tyranny of men who bear the name of Chriftians. The like may be faid of America, excepting the northern provinces of our late dominion there. For the zeal of the Spaniards and Portuguese has produced few other effects, than rapine, flavery, and deluges * Page 109.

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