670.]
[" Known unto God are all things from the foundation of the world:" and every thing that is " done, is done according to his determinate counsel and fore-knowledge g." The deli- verance of the Jews from Egypt was foretold to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before it took place ; and it was accomplished on the self -same day that had been then fixed h. In like manner, their deliverance from Babylon was fixed ; nor were they 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 hundred and sixty years after the establishment of the Papal tyranny and of the Mahometan delusion. Other thirty years are added to that time for completing of that glo- rious work, and forty-five more for the full introduction of the Millennium, when all the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ k. Re- specting 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 question : we only mention these things to shew, that " God has reserved the times and the sea- sons in his own power," and that the time for the future resto- ration of the Jews is as determinately fixed in the Divine counsels, as any other event that ever occurred.]
We think too that we may already see,
II. The signs of its approach —
When our blessed Lord came to establish his king- dom upon earth, there were many signs whereby a candid observer might ascertain that he was really come1. An expectation of him had prevailed both among Jews and Gentiles m ; his forerunner, John the Baptist, had come to prepare his way11: and his own miracles had evinced, that he was indeed the person whom he professed to be0. 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 ac- complishment : " 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
s Acts ii. 23. and iv. 28. h Exod. xii. 41.
1 Jer. xxv. 12. and xxix. 10.
k Dan. vii. 25. and xii. 7, 11, 12. with Rev. xi. 3, 15. and xii. 6, 14. and xiii. 5. ] Matt. xvi. 3.
™ Luke ii. 25, 38. n Matt. xvii. 9—13. ° John v. 36.