[There are even amongst wise and good men some who doubt whether the Jews shall literally be restored to their own land ; and therefore I would speak with diffidence respecting it : but I confess that in my opinion the declarations of God respecting it are so strong and numerous, that I should scarcely know what to believe on the authority of Scripture, if I did not believe that. I will however content myself with mentioning only two passages ; which yet, I consider as clearly determining the point. Moses, in one of his last addresses to the Jews, tells them, that if by their iniquities they should provoke God to drive them out of the land of Canaan, and to scatter them among the nations, yet he would, on their repentance, " have com- passion on them, and gather them from all the nations whither they were scattered ; yea, though they should be driven out unto the uttermost parts of heaven, even from thence would the Lord fetch them, and bring them again into the land which their fathers possessed ; and do them good there, and multiply them above their fathers3." This was never verified at their return from Babylon, since they were not brought " from the uttermost parts of heaven," but almost exclusively from Babylon ; nor did they ever afterwards become near so numerous, as they had been under David and Solomon. The otber passage to which I will call your attention is taken from the Prophet Zechariah, who wrote after their return from Babylon. Extremely parti- cular is the prophet in stating the populousness and prosperity of the nation at the period of their final return to their own land from their present dispersion : that " old men and old women should dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man walk- ing with his staff in his hand for very age, whilst the streets should be full of boys and girls playing in themV If it be inquired what period is there referred to, we are told, that it should be " when ten men out of all languages of the nations should take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with youc." When, I would ask, was this ever fulfilled? When were the Jews ever so high in favour with all the nations of the earth ? At no past period assuredly : but they shall be at a future season, even at that season when God shall interpose to re- establish them in the land from whence they have been driven out. But, however this may be,]
2. It is confessed by all, that it shall be sjtiritualltj fulfilled —
[The Christian Church is called " Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," to which all true believers are comed. And to it shall the Jewish people also
a Deut. xxx. 1 — 5. b Zech. viii. 3 — 5.
c Zech. viii. 23. d Heb. xii. 22.