the vallies; Thus faith the LORD God; Behold, I have fpoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the reproach of the nations. Therefore thus faith the LORD God; I have lifted up * mine hand, (faying), furely the nations that are round about you, fhall (allo) bear their re† proach."

And though the mountains of Israel, are barren at prefent; yet fhall they then flourish, and be fruitful. The nation alfo, that is fo greatly diminished in captivity, will then be exceedingly numerous; by the return of the ten tribes, and God's bleffing to multiply them; ver. 8-12. "But ye, O ye mountains of Ifrael, fhall fhoot forth your branches, and fhall bear your fruit to my people Ifrael; for they are near coming. For behold, I (am) for you, and I will turn and ye fhall be tilled and fown: And I will multiply men upon you, (even) all the house of Ifrael, all of them§: and the cities fhall be inhabited, and the wafte places fhall be built.

unto you,

* Or, I have sworn.

And I will multiply men

Heb. Near to come.

Heb. They fhall.

§ Heb. It.

upon

upon you, and beafts: and they fhall increase and bring forth and I will caufe you to be inhabited according to your ancient ftate, and will do better (unto you) than at your beginning; and ye fhall know that I (am) the LORD. Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, (even) my people Ifrael: and they shall poffefs thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, neither fhalt thou bereave them (of it) any more." They are to have the mountains of Ifrael for an inheritance, and are never to be bereft of them any more neither are they to go into captivity any more.

The Prophet proceeds, verfe 13-15. Thus faith the LORD God; Because they fay of you, Thou devoureft up men, and thou bereaveft thy nations; therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, faith the LORD. Neither will I cause the reproach of the nations to be heard against thee any more, neither shalt thou bear the upbraiding of the people any more, neither shalt thou bereave thy nations any more, faith the LORD God."

I am fenfible, that the generality of com
L12

men

1

cru

mentators, understand this as spoken of the land for the adjoining nations (as they fay) having obferved the heavy fufferings of the Jewish nation, accuted the land of exterminating its inhabitants: but this I am confident, is not what the Prophet alluded to by this allegory, but that he pointed to that a bominable and deteftable crime, with which the Jews have been so often and fo unjustly accused of, by the Christians; viz, the “ cifying Chriftian children on the eve of the Paffover, that they may renew their fathers crime, who crucified Jesus Christ*:” and on account of which, they have fuffered fuch dreadful perfecutions, and fuch torrents of their blood hath flowed. This accufation (as Bafnage fays) is found repeated every where, fince the twelfth century. This charge hath been brought against them, by the envy and malice of the Chriftians, who were continually thirsting for the blood, or the wealth of this unfortunate and afflicted nation, in almoft every country where ever. they have refided t. The Prophet therefore affures

See Bafnage's, Hiftory of the Jews, Book 74

chap. xi. Sect. 14. &c. p. 642.

+ This charge, we also find to have been brought

affures them, that God will take vengeance on the nations for this falfe accufation, and that they shall no more be thus reproached, with bereaving the nations amongst whom they dwelt of their male children *, by crucifying of them; for when the nation shall be redeemed, they will no longer be subject to this reproach. That this, is what the Prophet alluded to, is manifeft from his making ufe of the pronoun plural affix, 7" Thy nations; meaning thereby the different nations among whom they were scattered: and therefore, he alfo fays, that the reproach and upbraidings of thefe nations fhall no more beheard against them; for this calumny will be entirely removed.

From the explanation here given of this great and important prophecy, the following seven important fundamental principles are deducible. First, the vengeance which God will take in the latter days on Edom,

against them in England. See Anglia Judaica, page 11

12

136.

*This is what the Prophet meant by

men," be

cause it was the male children that they were accused of cru

cifying.

whom

whom he mentions by the name of mount Seir and which agrees with the fecond principle contained in the prophecies of Ifaiah.

Second, the falvation and redemption of Ifrael; as mentioned*, " And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries; and will bring them to their own land," &c. and which agrees with the third principle of Isaiah.

Third, the restoration of the ten tribes;

as is mentioned†, "And I will multiply men upon you, (even) all the house of Ifrael, all of them" &c. and which agrees with the fourth principle of Ifaiah.

Fourth, that God will also take vengeance on all the other nations befides Edom; as is faid ; 66 Surely in the fire of my jealoufy have I spoken against the refidue of the nations," &c. and which agrees with the first principle of Ifaiah.

Fifth, that at the time of the future redemption, a king of the house of David is to