jjeople from the foundation of the world ; avouching himself to be their God, and them to be his peculiar people11. And again, at the latter-day will his manifestations of himself to them be not a whit less bright and glorious, insomuch that all the nations of the world shall be constrained to acknowledge them as the people whom, above all others upon earth, Jehovah has been pleased to bless and honour'. Their holiness and happiness will far transcend any thing experienced by their forefathers ; " the light of the moon will become as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound k."
Now, from these things will be seen what is the true cha- racter of the Millennium. It is not in their external state that the Jews will be changed, more than in the state of their souls before God. In truth, it is the spiritual change which will chiefly mark the glory of their latter-day : it will consist not so much in any political revolution, like that of the resto- ration of the Jews to their own land, as in the establishment of Christ's kingdom upon earth, and the subjugation -of the whole world to the obedience of Christ.]
The sign intimated by the prophet having been realized before the eyes of his people, having assured to us the accomplishment of his prophecy, we will proceed to contemplate,
II. The prediction verified —
Let us place ourselves on an eminence, and behold it, as it were, accomplishing before our eyes. Behold in it,
1. What a display of God's power !
[The Scriptures speak highly of God's power in raising up such an innumerable seed from Abraham and Sarah, at a time when, according to the course of nature, they could have no hope of any progeny. Greatly also is his power magnified in bringing out that nation from their bondage in Egypt. The deliverance also of the Jews from Babylon is marked, as illustrating in no ordinary degree the boundless power of Jehovah. But all of these together are nothing, in comparison of that power which he will display, Avhen he shall, in every quarter of the globe, convert the souls of his ancient people, and restore them in safety to their former inheritance. We
* ver. 27. with Rev. xxi. 2, 3. ' ver. 28.
k Isai. xxx. 26.