in the third chapter of Malachi, ver. 1. Behold, I "will fend my meffenger, and he fhall prepare the G16 way before me," &c. Thefe are the words of our bleffed Saviour himself, informing the church of his future advent. The next, are the Prophet's own words: "And the Lord whom ye feek, fhall fud"denly come to his temple." A like tranfition we have in the paffage now under our confideration, where the Prophet first speaks to us in the name of the eternal Word, and then in his own name: "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon "the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the spirit of grace "and of fupplication:" These are the words of our bleffed Saviour. "And they fhall mourn, and be "in bitterness for him," are the Prophet's own words.

This prophecy was in fome measure accomplished, by the repentance of the Jews, who were converted by the miracles which happened at our Saviour's death; and still farther, by the repentance of those who were afterwards converted by the preaching of the Apostles. But all these partial conversions come far fhort of that here foretold by the Prophet, which is plainly described as an universal or national thing, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon; that is, like the mourning of the Jews for the death of Jofiah, who was flain at Hadadrimmon, which was the greatest mourning the Jews were acquainted with, and on that account grew up into a proverb.

And still more clearly to fhow, that this mourning of the Jews, for the crucifixion of their Meffiah, is to be a national thing, the Prophet adds, in the

"

66

verfes following, " And the land fhall mourn, every family apart:" then mentions by name, feveral of the families that were to mourn on this occafion; and at last concludes, "All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart." But besides the univerfality of this mourning of the Jews, we have here another circumftance concerning it, which serves further to point out the event to which it alludes; and that is the greatnefs of it: "They "fhall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only "fon, and fhall be in bitterness for him, as one that "is in bitternefs for his firft-born." And, furely, if ever it shall please God to open their eyes, and to fhow them their error, it cannot but affect them with the deepest concern, to think of the great fin of their nation, in crucifying the Lord of glory, and of their blindness and ftupidity in fo long refifting the clear evidences of the gofpel. This prophecy therefore cannot be fulfilled in any other way, but by a general converfion of the Jewish nation; and as God is a God of truth, and no part of his word can ever fall to the ground, it gives us the fulleft affurance that this event will one day take place. But of all the facred writers that speak of this event, there are none that do it fo clearly as the Apostle Paul; and there are two places in his Epiftles where he fpeaks of it: The first, is in this fame chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans, where, after reasoning upon the matter, and showing the probability of it by a variety of arguments, he concludes, ver. 25. and 26. "For I would "not, brethren, that ye fhould be ignorant of this "mystery, left ye fhould be wife in your own con"çeits;" that is, left the kindness of God to you

Gentiles,

Gentiles, in choofing you to be his people, fhould puff you up with a vain conceit of yourferves. I am warranted by the Spirit of God, and the writings of the former Prophets, to affure you, that only "blind"ness in part has happened to Ifrael, until the ful"nefs of the Gentiles be come in. So all Ifrael "fhall be faved: as it is written, There fhall come "out of Zion the Deliverer, and fhall turn away un

godlinefs from Jacob." The other place where the Apostle treats of this subject, is in the third chapter of the Second Epiftle to the Corinthians, ver. 16. where difcourfing of the excellency of the gospel above the law, he mentions, among other instances of it, its plainnefs and fimplicity: and having compared the obscurity of the law to the vail which Mofes put upon his face (of which it was indeed typical), he takes occafion from thence to mention another thing near a-kin to it, as concurring therewith to hinder the converfion of the Jews; and that is, the blindness of their own minds, owing to their carnal prejudices, and the withdrawing of God's holy Spirit from them. This, he tells us, was alfo typified by the vail of Mofes, and was a principal caufe why the Jews could not discern the scope and meaning of the law: "But their minds," fays he, "were blinded: "for until this day remaineth the fame vail untaken 6 away, in the reading of the Old Teftament. Never"theless," adds he "when it shall turn to the Lord, "the vail fhall be taken away."

Thus it appears, that the converfion of the Jews is an event of which fcripture gives us the fulleft affurWe proceed, in the fecond place, to inquire, What reason there is, in the nature of things, to ex

ance.

pect

pect it: nor is this an idle fpeculation; for, fince the converfion of the Jews is an event foretold in fcripture, an event that is greatly for the honour and interest of Christianity, it cannot but be matter of joy to every well-disposed mind, and help to ftrengthen his faith, to see that, notwithstanding any objections that can be made to the probability of it, there is ftill the greatest reason to believe it will one day take place.

And, in the first place, one ground we have to hope for the converfion of the Jews, is, that they still acknowledge the divine authority of the fcriptures of the Old Teftament; this, as it makes their conviction the eafier, fo it renders their converfion the more probable.

There is so close a connection between the Old and and New Testament, that it is furprising how any that own the divine authority of the one, can deny that of the other. There are, in the former, fo many prophecies that never were, nor can be accomplished, but by the events recorded in the latter; so many precepts which, abstracting from their relation to the gofpel, have no beneficial or moral tendency; fo many mysteries and obfcurities that can never be explained, without having recourfe to the doctrines of Christianity, that to acknowledge the divine authority of the one, without owning that of the other, feems to be of all things the most abfurd. And though the Jews, notwithstanding the force of this argument, still continue to deny our Saviour's divine authority, and to look for another Meffiah, yet if there is reafon in man, the abfurdity of any opinion

is at least a probable argument that men will, fome time or other, give it up.

The Deift, who denies divine revelation altogether, is apparently not fo eafily to be convinced, because, in reasoning with him, you have fewer principles to go upon. There are comparatively few religious or moral truths owned by him, from which you can deduce any arguments in favour of Christianity, that may be of use to convince him. But the Jews acknowledge most of the truths that are believed by the Christian; not only that there is one God, but also that there is one Saviour, or Meffiah, and that' the prophecies of the Old Teftament concerning him, were dictated by the holy Spirit. The principal difference between them and us, is, whether he be yet come; and certainly the less difference there is be twixt two parties, one would imagine it should be the easier to reconcile them. It is indeed furprising, that the Jews fhould have fo long refifted the clear evidences of fcripture; but this is no reason why we fhould despair of their converfion. The long continuance of any thing, is no proof of its perpetual duration. How long did the errors and corruptions of Popery overspread the Christian church, and yet the light of divine truth broke out at length? and how did the gospel, which is the only true religion, prevail over the idolatry of the Heathen world? and is there not reason to think it will at length prevail over the errors and prejudices of the Jews, that, having been so long disappointed of a temporal kingdom, wearied with the perfecutions they have fuffered on account of their religion, and ashamed of the many extravagancies into which their carnal notions concern

ing