is, their restoration from their great difperfion, at that period, they fhall fee the Lord, " eye to "eye." This expreffion is used (Numb. xiv. 14.) and applied to the visible manifeftations of the divine presence vouchfafed to Ifrael in the wilderness: "They have heard that thou, Lord, "art feen face to face (eye to eye); and that "thy cloud ftandeth over them; and that thou

goeft before them, by day-time in a pillar of "cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night." To the fame purpose God says by the prophet Eze. kiel, "I will bring you into the wilderness of "the people, and there will I plead with you "face to face. Like as I pleaded with your "fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, "fo will I plead with you, faith the LordGod;" Ezek. xx. 35, 36.

The

"be manifested to the Jews, dispersed in several parts of the world." To this the answer of Mede is not fatiffactory: "What if the Jews alone fhall fee and hear the "voice of Chrift, but none of the Gentiles, amongst "whom they dwell; though perhaps fome ftrange light, ❝for a teftimony, may at that inftant furprise the whole "world, to the aftonifhment of the nations therein." This fuppofition multiplies miracles. Nor is it at all neceffary, because the great body of the Jews are collected together into one place, previous to their conversion. Their God, the Saviour, reveals himself to them by a vifion, which does not interfere with the ordinary conduct of Divine Providence in other places.

The expreffion" face to face" is of the fame import with "eye to eye;" and when the Deity is reprefented as one of the parties, it invariably fignifies open vifion of him, converse with him by our outward senses, diftinct from impressions made on the mind, without the intervention of our bodily organs. Thus, when Jacob received a vifion at Peniel, in which God appeared in a human form, wrestling and converfing with him, he fays, "I have feen God face to face;" Gen. xxxii. 30. The fame expreffion is used to denote the manner in which God converfed with Mofes: " and the Lord spake unto Mofes face to face, as "a man fpeaketh unto his friend; Exod. xxxiii.

11.

"And there arofe not a prophet fince in "Ifrael like unto Mofes, whom the Lord knew

face to face;" Deut. xxxiv. 10. The meaning of the expreffion is best interpreted by God himself: If there be a prophet among you, "I the Lord will make myself known to him

in a vifion, and will speak unto him in a "dream. My fervant Mofes is not fo, who is "faithful in all mine houfe. With him will I "speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and "not in dark speeches: and the fimilitude of

"the

(1) A vifion fet in oppofition to converfe with God by the external fenfes, as here, muft fignify an extacy in which the fenfes underwent a temporary fufpenfion. Such were the vifions Daniel received.

ears.

"the Lord fhall he behold;" Numb. xii. 6, 7, 8. The phrase likewife represents the manner in which God converfed with the congregation of Ifrael from mount Sinai. "The "Lord talked with you face to face in the "mount, out of the midst of the fire;" Deut. v. 4. Doubtless on that occafion they faw with their bodily eyes, and heard with their bodily When Gideon perceived by the miracle he wrought, that the perfon who talked with him was an angel, he faid, "I have seen an "angel of the Lord face to face;" Judges vi. 22. I cannot doubt, therefore, from the use of the expreffion in other places, but God intimates by the prophet Ezekiel, that he will give Ifrael in the wilderness of Affyria, fome open vifible manifeftation of himself, fimilar to that given their fathers of old, for the exprefs purpose of bringing them into the bond of the covenant, that is, converting them.

Nor does the manifeftation promised appear to be a tranfient vifion, like that feen by the apoftle in his way to Damafcus, but a permanent glory during their continuance in the wilderness of Affyria. This is implied in the expreffions of Ezekiel: "Like as I pleaded with 66 your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt." God pleaded with their fathers

not

not for a day, or a year, but for forty years together. It is clearly afferted by the prophet Micah, chap. vii. 15. "According to the days "of thy coming out of the land of Egypt, will "I fhew unto him marvellous things," (wonders). The conduct of God to Ifrael in the wilderness was one feries of wonders, and the pillar of cloud and of fire, the vifible fymbol of his presence, never left them by day or by night.

''

Such are the means of their converfion, the effect produced by them is in general life. The movements of the spiritual life, when unfolded, are godly forrow for their past fins. This is reprefented by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was "heard upon the high places, weeping and fup"plications of the children of Ifrael: for they "have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God. Return, ye back"fliding children, and I will heal your back"flidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for "thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain "is falvation hoped for from the hills, and from "the multitude of mountains: truly in the "Lord our God is the falvation of Ifrael. For "fhame hath devoured the labour of our fa"thers from our youth; their flocks and their "herds, their fons and their daughters. We lic "down

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"down in our fhame, and our confufion cover"eth us: for we have finned against the Lord 86 our God, we and our fathers, from our youth,

even unto this day, and have not obeyed the "voice of the Lord our God; Jer. iii. 21.-25. "I have furely heard Ephraim bemoaning him"felf thus, Thou haft chastifed me, and I was

chaftifed, as a bullock unaccustomed to the "yoke: Turn thou me, and I fhall be turned; "for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after "that I was turned, I repented; and after that "I was inftructed, I fmote upon my thigh:. "I was afhamed, yea, even confounded, because "I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is "Ephraim my dear fon? is he a pleasant child? "for fince I fpake against him, I do earnestly "remember him ftill therefore my bowels are "troubled for him: I will furely have mercy upon him, faith the Lord;" Jer xxxi. 18, 19, 20. "In thofe days, and in that time, "faith the Lord, the children of Ifrael fhal "come, they and the children of Judah toge

"ther, going and weeping:

"feek the Lord their God.

they fhall go, and

They hall afk the

way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, "saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the "Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not "be forgotten;" Jer. 1. 4, 5. "Take with

you words, and turn to the Lord, fay unto