greater and mightier than they ; and, above all, how he dwelt in his sanctuary, and manifested to them his favour, so as he never had done to any people upon earth : let us call all this to mind, and then we shall have some faint conception of the blessings which he has in reserve for his outcast people. I doubt not, but that, in a temporal view, as far as similar inter- positions shall be found necessary for them, they shall expe- rience them at the hands of Godd : but in a spiritual view, I am perfectly sure that none of these things shall be wanting unto them : they shall be delivered from their spiritual bond- age ; they shall " eat of Christ, who is the spiritual meat, and drink of that spiritual drink, even of that rock which will fol- low them, which is Christ Jesus e;" and at last have an abun- dant entrance ministered unto them into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ f." We may stretch out our imaginations to the uttermost, and grasp all that was ever done for that people in the days of old ; and we may be sure that it shall all be renewed to them in the latter day with ten-fold advantage S; " that nation shall then sing as in the days of her youth, when she came up out of the land of Egypt"."]
3. A communication of his grace —
[What is there that any sinner in the universe can need ? That shall, in the richest abundance, be imparted unto them. Do they need " the pardon of their iniquities ? " So fully shall it be vouchsafed, that " all their sins shall be cast into the depths of the sea ;" not into the shallows, from whence they might be brought again ; but into the depths, where they shall never again be found1. Do they need the renovation of their natures after the Divine image ? This also shall be vouchsafed unto them ; for, not in my text only, but in numberless passages of the prophetic writings, does God promise to them this ines- timable blessing k. Thus fully to this purpose speaks the Prophet Ezekiel : " I will take you from among the Heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then (N. B. then) will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh ; and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes ; and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them1. In a word, nothing shall be wanting
d Isai. xi. 16. e 1 Cor. x. 3, 4. f 2 Pet. i. 11.
e Jer. xxx. 18—20. h Hos. ii. 15.
' Compare Mic. vii. 19. with Jer. 1. 20. k Jer.xxxii. 30 — 42.
1 Ezek. xxxvi. 24—27.