and thirty years before it took place ; and it was accomplished on the self-same day that had been then fixed ^. In like maimer, their deliverance from Babylon was fixed ; nor were thoy detained one hour there beyond the seventy years that had been assigned for their captivity*. Thus is the period fixed for their present dispersion. It is to terminate one thousand two liundied and fiixty years after the establisbinetit of tiie Papal tyranny and of the Mahometan delusion. Other thiitv years are added to that time for the completing of that glurious work, and forty-five more for the full introduction of the Millennium, vvhen all the king- doms of the woild shall become the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ''. Respecting the exact time from whence these several periods must be dated. Commentators are not agreed ; nor is it our intention to enter into that part of the ques- tion : we only mention these things to shew, that " God has re- served the times and the seasons in his own power," and that the time for the future restoration of the Jews is as determi- nately fixed in the Divine counsels, as any other event that 6Ver occurred.]
We think too that we may already see,
il. The signs of its approach —
When our blessed Lord came to establish his kingdom upon earth, there were many signs whereby a candid observer might ascertain that he was really come^ An expectation of him had prevailed both among Jews and Gentiles'": his forerunner, John the Baptist, had come to prepare his way" : and his own miracles had evinced, that he was indeed the person whom he professed to be°. Thus the Psalmist intimates that there are signs, whereby the future manifestations of his love and mercy to his people Israel shall be discerned, previous to their full accomplishment : ** The time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come ; for thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof." We say then that the approach of that blessed period is now evidently marked by,
1. The concern that is now felt for the Jewish people —
[How
''Exod, xii. 41. ' Jer. xxv. 12. & xxix. 10.
"Dan. vii. 25. & xii. 7, 11 , 12. with Rev. xi. 3, 15. & xii. 6, 14.
&xiii. 5. 'Matt. xvi. 3.
"".Lukeii. 25,38. "Matt. xvii. 9—13. * John v. 36.