ven to their fathers. "And I will place them "in their houses, faith the Lord." Here the fame circumftances are detailed, and Affyria reprefented as the place of rendezvous.

The fame circumftance is predicted by the prophet Micah, chap. vii. 12. "In that day "alfo he (Ifrael) fhall come even to thee "(Jerufalem) from Affyria." The time specified is that in which Ifrael " fhall arife from his "fall, and receive light from the Lord in dark

nefs," ver. 8.-in which he fhall be made fenfible of fin, and inftructed in the righteoufnefs of God. "I will bear the indignation of "the Lord, because I have finned against him, "until he plead my caufe, and execute judg"ment for me: he will bring me forth to the

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light, and I shall behold his righteousness," ver. 9.-in which his enemics" fhall be trodden "down as the mire of the streets," ver. 10.-in which the national polity fhall be restored, and the decree of their enemies for their deftruction -fhall be overturned, ver. 11.-At that time the nation fhall come up from Affyria, to poffefs the fortified cities of Judah. Now all these circumftances can apply only to their future reftoration. At that period, therefore, the nation comes in a collected body from Affyria, io that Affyria must be the place of rendezvous.

That

That Affyria is the place of rendezvous, appears from Zech. x. 10. "And I will bring "them again also out of the land of Egypt, and

gather them out of Affyria; and I will bring "them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, " and place shall not be found for them." The paffage of which this makes a part, is so obvioufly defcriptive of the reftoration of the Jews, in the latter days, that it has been so applied by eminent commentators'. I fhall not therefore spend time to prove it. Egypt is joined to Affyria, as in fome of the parallel paffages already mentioned, because the Egyptian Jews conftitute the greater part of thofe gathered together; but ftill they are reprefented as " beat off," or "outcafts from Egypt as a trembling bird," purfued by its enemy, flying from Egypt; whereas they are gathered into Affyria, and from thence come up in an united body, to take poffeffion of the land given to their fathers. From all which, I infer, that the wilderness into which they are gathered, in order to their converfion, is fituated in Affyria, now called Curdistan.

(1) See Lowth's Commentary on the place.

SEC

SECTION IV.

The Jews are converted to Christianity in the Defert where they are gathered together.

WHEN the Jews are thus collected into the wilderness of Affyria, by the perfecution carried on by the blafphemous king, when they are ready to perifh for want, and their hearts, wrung by affliction, are poured out before the Lord, God manifefts his mercy by their converfion, as a previous ftep to their restoration. The manner of it is diftinctly represented to the prophet Ezekiel, in a vifion, chap. xxxvii. 1.10. and the meaning of that vision is opened up, ver. 11.-14. ("The hand of the Lord was up"on me, and carried me out in the Spirit of "the Lord, and fet me down in the midst of "the valley which was full of bones," &c.).

That the primary and only meaning of this paffage is to reprefent the converfion of the Jewish nation, appears from the frequent ufe of this metaphor in fcripture. Perfons unconverted are faid to be dead, while those that are converted are faid to be made alive. So our Lord fays, "Let the dead bury their dead;" Matt. viii. Nn

22.

ઠંડ

Unless the term dead, as firft expreffed, fignifies fpiritually dead, it can have no meaning; but if it does, the meaning is obvious; that they were unconverted, did not incapacitate them to perform the funeral rites of one literally dead. Again, he says, "Verily I fay unto you, "The hour now is, when the dead shall hear the "voice of the Son of God; and they that hear "fhall live," John v. 25. Our Lord could not refer to the general refurrection, fince that great event is still a diftant one, but evidently meant to affirm that the gospel was then preached, accom, panied with power to convert the unconverted, So the Apostle fays, "You hath he quickened "who were dead in trefpaffes and fins;" Eph. ii. 1. Again, I find this metaphor expressly applied as here, to the converfion of the Jewish, nation, both in the Old and New Teftament. Thus, Ifa. xxvi. 19. "Thy dead men fhall live to« gether with my dead body fhall they arise. "Awake and fing ye that dwell in the duft; "for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the

earth fhall caft out the dead." The addrefs is to the Jewish church, at the period immedi ately preceding their restoration from the great difperfion. It is as if God had faid, Thy mem bers, fo long spiritually dead, shall be revived, in confequence of my covenant relation to them.

them, they fhall be converted. Awake and fing ye who are spiritually dead, in a hopeless ftate, like those who dwell in the grave. grave. Grace fhall defcend in abundance, and on the multitude as the dew upon the grafs; you fhall be converted in a collected body, univerfally and inftantaneously, as when the earth, at the general refurrection, fhall caft forth the dead.

The Prophet Hofea feems to have their converfion in view, chap. vi. 2. " After two days,

"he

(1) I have followed in the paraphrase the sentiments of Lowth, in his Commentary, and of Bishop Lowth, in his Notes on his Tranflation of Ifaiah. Both fuppofe " my "dead body" fhould be my dead bodies, and therefore the fame with the "dead men," mentioned immediately before; only, whereas they are first represented as members of the church, they are afterwards reprefented as in covenant with God. But in regard the word is in the fingular number, as rendered by our tranflation, "My dead "body," I fhall offer another fenfe which the expreffion fuggefts, leaving it to the reader's choice. I fuppofe the words are spoken by the Meffiah, intimating the time and the mean of their converfion; namely, when they are convinced of his refurrection, and in confequence of their belief in that truth. The Jews did and do believe that the body of Jefus is yet dead. So long as they retain those sentiments, their hope fhall be buried in his grave; but when they are convinced that he is rifen, together with that conviction, fpiritual life fhall be infufed into their fouls.