country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child, together; a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with sup- plications will I lead them : I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stum- ble ; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born3."
&c. &c. " Then shall the Lord set his hand again the
second time to recover the remnant of his people from Assyria, and from Egypt," &c. ; " and shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." " And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea, &c.: and there shall be an high-way for the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt1." Nor shall they come alone from the places of their dispersion ; for vast multitudes will accompany them, insomuch, that " Israel shall be only as a third of the whole number, whom the Lord of Hosts will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance11." Thus eventually " shall all Israel be saved: for this is God's covenant with them, when he shall take away their sins-V]
3. In its consummation —
[" They shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem:" and O what worship will then be offered in every place ! the worshippers all so enlightened ! (for " the light of the moon will then be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, as the light of seven daysy:") and their experience of heavenly things so deep ! for " the know- ledge of the Lord will then cover the earth, not in extent only, but in depth also, as the waters cover the sea z :" and God revealing himself so gloriously in the midst of them ! (for then " the sun will be no more their light by day, neither for brightness will the moon give light unto them ; but the Lord will be an everlasting light unto them, and their God their glory a.") Then will be realized (at least in its incipient state), that vision of the beloved disciple, who says, " I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of hea- ven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the taber- nacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and
8 Jer. xxxi. 6 — 14. Quote the whole of this.
* Isai. xi. 11, 12, 15, 16. " Isai. xix. 23—25.
x Rom. xi. 26, 27. >' Isai. xxx. 26. z Hab. ii. 14.
a Isai. Ix. 19 — 21. Cite the whole, with suitable remarks.