my people together, and will caufe them to return to this place, to Jerufalem; where they shall dwell in fafety, and I will no longer hide my face from them, but they shall be my people; becaufe they will then mend their ways, and will not do as they do at prefent; as the Prophet fays ver. 36th. "And now therefore thus faith the LORD God of Ifrael, concerning this city, of which ye fay, It is delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by (the) fword, and by famine, and by peftilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in mine indignation, and in great wrath:" The Prophet here makes ufe of three terms, to denote the three different captivities; for " in mine anger," denotes the captivity of the ten tribes: "in mine indignation," the deftruction of Jerufalem by Nebuchadnezzar; " and in great wrath," the prefent captivity, which is great and dreadful indeed: and concerning which he fays, "And I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell fecurely." By which, he fhews that they are not to go into captivity any more; but are to dwell in peace and fecurity. And

this will be, because,

166

They fhall be my

people, and I will be their God." For then, there will be no ftrange god's among them but they will worship the LORD in fincerity and truth, and will no more return to fin: and although the hearts of men differ greatly in their affections, appetites, and paffions; yet in regard of their fear and duty to God, they will all be then of one mind; and from which, they will never fwerve: this will be effected by the great and ftupendous miracles, that will be wrought in their sight; efpecially that of the Refurrection; (as already noticed, Vol. Ift. p. 195. &c.) fo that they will all have but one heart; ver. 39th. "And 1 will give them one heart and one way, to fear me continually *, for the good of them, and of their children after them." And as they will thus be for ever virtuous, God will alfo make an everlafting covenant with them; for they will then be deferving of it; as they will never depart from him; verfe 40th. "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and the fear of me

* Heb. All the days; i. e. for ever.

will I put into their heart, that they shall not depart from me. And I will rejoice over them in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land affuredly, with all my heart, and with all my foul." For the evil which God said he would bring upon Jerufalem, was in his anger, and in his wrath: for he doth not defire the death of the finner, but that he turn from his evil way, and live. But when they are deferving of his goodness, then the LORD rejoiceth in his works; and therefore he said, "I will rejoice over them in doing them good:" Thus alfo fays Mofes, (Deut. xxx. 9.) "For the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers." In like manner, the Prophet fays, "And I will plant them in this land, affuredly with all my heart and with all my foul." Because, when they were in the land at other times; they were not planted, fo as to take deep root; as they were carried captive from it; but at the future redemption, they shall be planted in truth, so as to become a durable plant, as it is in "my heart, and my foul." For they fhall no more be removed from it; nor ever go in any other

captivity. VOL. II.

B b

From

From the preceding explanation of this prophecy, the four following fundamental principles are deducible. First, the reaffembling of the nation, at the time of their future redemption; and which agrees with the third principle of the prophecies of Ifaiah.

t

Second, that the ten tribes will also return at the future redemption; and which agrees with the fourth principle of Isaiah.

Third, that the conjugal union (if I may be allowed the expreffion) of God with the nation, will again be as aforetime: as the Prophet fays, "And I will be their God."

And which

Ifaiah.

agrees with the eighth principle of

Fourth, that they are never to go into captivity more: and that God will circumcise their heart; and put his fear into their heart for ever and which agrees with the eleventh principle of Isaiah.

Now, it is well known that, none of these glorious promises were accomplished at their return from Babylon; for then, their situation was the reverse of what is here promised. Neither can it be faid, that they ever were fulfilled in the time of Jefus. And it would only be wafting of time to no purpose, to

fhew

fhew the futility and abfurdity of applying them to the fpiritualizing scheme of the Christian Writers. Whence it is manifeft, that these promifes remain to be accomplished at the coming of the true Meffiah.

The fixth prophecy commences chapter xxxiiid. ver. 1ft. and is continued to the last verse of the fame.

Verfe ift.

"And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a fecond time, whilft he was ftill confined in the court of the prifon, faying." The term a "fecond time," has been variously explained by the different commentators; but without entering into the merits of their different opinions, I shall offer what appears to me to be the true state of the cafe; and which agrees with the opinion of the learned Abarbanal; and is in perfect coincidence with the arrangement of the chapters.

After the Prophet had delivered the prophecy (which we have just explained) concerning the future redemption of the nation; he, in the immediately fucceeding fection, fpeaks of their return from Babylon: having first premised thus ver. 42. "For thus faith the LORD, As I have brought upon

this