poffeffion of the Gentiles; and his church, under the New Testament, is the place of his refidence and rest, wherein he affords the moft illuftrious proofs of his prefence, providence, and grace, in which he is fought, worshipped, and enjoyed by his people. This relt is here foretold fhall be glorious; filled with the divine glory, and beautified with the divine prefence, in a far more eminent degree than the temple of God at Jerufalem under the former difpenfation.The prediction may likewife refer to that glorious reft into which the Meffiah entered, when he alfo ceafed from his works as God did from his; in which he is perfectly free from all the labours, fufferings, and trials, to which he was expofed while on earth, and enjoys the most undisturbed tranquillity, and perfect felicity, in the presence of God, where is fulnefs of joys, and rivers of pleasures for evermore. This reft, as foretold, is truly glorious. The divine glory, which had been concealed under the vail of human nature, and the form of a fervant, fhone forth with ineffable fplendour, when he was elevated to that glory which he had with the Father before the worlds were made. His human body is poffefied of a glory far fuperior to the fun in his meridian brightnefs: his foul perpetually enjoys the most fublime pleafures; and being invefted with unlimited power in heaven and on earth, he employs it for his own glory, and the benefit of his church.That we may be conformed to our glorious Redeemer, let us afpire to that bleffed rest into which the people of God now enter by faith, wherein, being delivered from the condemnation to which fin hath exposed them, and the power of turbulent paffions, they are reftored to the enjoyment of peace with God, agreeable tranquillity of mind, and the moft grateful improving exercifes. This prefent reft will prove a certain pledge, a delightful foretafte, of the eternal reft that awaits you in heaven, where, freed from fears, temptations, fins, forrows, and afflictions, you fhall enjoy everlafting repofe, and partici

pate

pate in that felicity and glory to which your glorious Redeemer is exalted.

The predictions we have now been confidering, were in part fulfilled after the exaltation of Jefus Christ into heaven, when the standard of his gospel was firft erected, and he was exhibited to all nations as the Leader and Commander, the High-priest and Saviour, given to the people; in confequence whereof, multitudes, from among many kingdoms, reforted to him, and humbly fubjected themselves to this renowned Prince and Saviour. In the time of Conftantine, they received farther fulfilment, when a great acceflion was made to the kingdom of Jefus Chrift, by the converfion of many nations to the faith and obedience of the gofpel. At the memorable æra of the Reformation, they were more fully accomplished, by the wonderful events that happened at that remarkable period. And in the approaching glorious days of the expected spread and fuccefs of the gofpel, we look forward, with hope and joy, to their full completion.

11 And it fhall come to pass in that day, that the Lord fhall fet his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people which fhall be left, from Affyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the fea.

The collection of the Jews from their difperfions, to partake of the privileges of the church of God, is the fubject of the prediction now before us.The time to which the prophecy refers, is that wherein the Meffiah fhall fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and flay the wicked with the breath of his lips; when the kingdom of our Lord fhall be bleffed with profound peace, delivered from every adverfe power, and the whole earth filled with the knowledge of God. The

remnant

remnant of his people, who are the subjects to whom this prediction relates, feem to be the fame perfons who, in the following verfe, are called the outcafts of Ifrael, and the difperfed of Judah; the select remains of that once highly favoured people, who are thus diftinguished from the Gentile nations, with whom they fhall yet be fo incorporated as to form the church of Jefus Chrift.This remnant the Lord fhall fet his band again the fecond time to recover. The expreffion plainly alludes to the wonderful deliverance which God wrought for the posterity of Ifrael, from the ignominious fervitude in which they were detained in the land of Egypt, accomplished by the ftrong hand and ftretched-out arm of Jehovah; and defigned to be an eminent type of redemption by the Meffiah, whereby the people of God were to be recovered from the fervice of fin and Satan, and the hands of all their enemies, that they may ferve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all their days. In their firft deliverance, the tender compaffions of God were richly difplayed, by refcuing them from flavery; and the divine omnipotence of Jehovah was gloriously manifested, by the awful judgments inflicted upon their oppreffors. In their fecond recovery, they shall be restored from fpiritual thraldom to the enjoyment of eternal redemption, to the praife of the divine glory, which fhall thereby be moft illuftriously exhibited. By the former interpofition in their fayour, they were happily extricated from hard bondage, conducted, through the most perilous circumftances, to the enjoyment of liberty, affluence, and all manner of worldly felicity. In the latter, the remnant of them belonging to the election of grace, referved from among that difperfed people to be the illuftrious monuments of divine mercy, fhall return to the Lord their God, who will introduce them into the glorious liberty of his children, and lead them in the paths of righteousness to the inheritance of the faints in light. Though what is here foretold might have a direct

a direct reference to the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, yet, as the children of Ifrael, or the pofterity of the ten tribes, did not participate of this recovery, I fuppofe it hath chiefly in view, the far more glorious redemption of Ifrael and Judah from fpiritual thraldom by the great Meffiah,--The kingdoms and countries from which the difperfed pofterity of Ifrael and Judah fhall be collected and recovered, are mentioned in the following words:

From Affyria. A very ancient, extenfive, and powerful empire, concerning which you heard many things in the Lectures I delivered from the preceding chapter. Hiftorians feem to be agreed, that Nimrod, the great grandfon of Noah, founded this kingdom, which is reckoned to have been the firft in the world, and to have fubfifted for about thirteen or fourteen hundred years with more or lefs extent and glory. It probably derived its name from Affur, one of the fons of Shem, who, it may be, had fettled in that country, and was vanquished or expelled by Nimrod. Prior to its enlargement by conquefts, it was bounded by Media, Sufiana, Mefopotamia, and Armenia. It is now a province of Afia, fubject to the Turks.

And from Egypt. This very ancient kingdom hath been held in great renown for the learning of its inhabitants; and is famous, in facred history, for having been the place wherein the patriarch Abraham and his pofterity fojourned, and for the remarkable fertility of its foil, which rendered it the granary from whence Rome anciently, and afterward Conftantinople, was fupplied with provifions. It is fituated in Africa, having Arabia Deferta and the Red fea on the east, Ethiopia on the fouth, Cerene and the deferts of Lybia on the weft, and the Mediterranean fea on the north. Through this country runs the great river Nile, by which it is watered and enriched. From Pelufium to the cataract of the Nile hath been computed to be near one hundred and fifty miles, which is the length of the country; and its breadth is

faid to be about one hundred miles. Like Affyria, it is now subject to the Turkish empire.--And from Pa thros. This was the country wherein the Jews chiefly refided who went down to fojourn in the land of Egypt, in the days of Jeremiah the prophet*. It lay near to Arabia Petræa, at the extremity of the land of Egypt, not far from Ethiopia; and probably had its name from Pathṛufim, one of the fons of Mizraim, mentioned Gen. x. 14. And from Cufb. This was the name of one of the fons of Ham, the fon of Noah, whose pofterity are faid to have inhabited part of Arabia Deferta, which lay next to the land of Egypt, to the eastward of the Red fea, with part of what is called Arabia Petræa. By an eafy and frequent tranfition, the name of the people who inhabit the country is given to the country itfelf: an inftance of this fort lies now before us. And from Elam. Elam was the name of one of the fons of Shem, the Son of Noah, from whom defcended the people called Elamites, over whom Chedorlaomer was king in the days of the patriarch Abraham. Thefe Elamites inhabited Perfia, a famous kingdom in Afia, bounded on the north by the Caspian sea, on the east by India, on the fouth by the Indian ocean and Perfian gulf, and on the west by Arabia Deferta. In the time of Daniel the prophet, Elam formed at leaft part of the Perfian empire; for Shufhan, where the kings of Perfia had their refidence, was in the province of Elam †.

And from Shinar. In this land, which I fuppofe to have been the fame with Mefopotamia, was attempted the foolish wicked project of building a city and a tower whose top might reach unto heaven, which was called Babel, because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth. Through a valley of this name runs the river Tigris, in its courfe from the mountains of Armenia toward the Perfian gulf. Of this country Amraphel was king in the time of the

* See Jer. xliii. and xliv.

4 Daniel viii. 2.

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