66 "united in the design of ruining this nation, and have not effected "it. The bush of Moses, surrounded by flames, has always burnt "without consuming. Dispersed through all parts of the civilized "world; driven from or persecuted wherever they have appeared, they have from age to age endured misery and persecution, “and waded through torrents of their own blood; yet they still "exist in spite of the disgrace, and hatred, and suffering, which "attend them; while there remains nothing of the greatest "monarchies antecedent to the era of their destruction, but the “name.”* 66 It is peculiarly interesting, and must greatly confirm the conclusions for which we have adduced these facts, to observe the exact conformity of the impressions which these events have. made on the minds of the Jews themselves, with these conclusions; a conformity most conspicuously shown in a tract, cited in the Transactions of the Sanhedrim of Jews assembled at Paris a few years since, by order of Buonaparte, and entitled, “An Appeal to the Justice of Kings and Nations," written by a Jew. The author, after describing, in all the pathos of eloquence, the sufferings of his nation, by persecution, extortion, calumny, the pious rage of the crusaders, the general fury of prejudice and intolerance; after declaring, that it seems as if they were allowed to survive the destruction of their country, only to see the most odious imputations laid to their charge; to stand as the constant object of the grossest and most shocking injustice, as a mark for the insulting finger of scorn, as a sport to the most inveterate hatred he asks, "What is our guilt? is it that generous con"stancy which we have manifested in defending the laws of our "fathers? But this constancy ought to have entitled us to the "admiration of all nations; and it has only sharpened against us "the daggers of persecution. Braving all kinds of torments, the pangs of death, and the still more terrible pangs of life, we "alone have withstood the impetuous torrents of time, sweeping "indiscriminately in its course nations, religions, and countries. "What is become of those celebrated empires, whose very name "still excites our admiration, by the ideas of splendid greatness "attached to them, and whose power controlled the whole sur"face of the known globe? they are only remembered as monu 66 * Basnage, Book vi, ch. i. sect. 1. "ments of the vanity of human greatness. Rome and Greece "are no more! their descendants, mixed with other nations, "have lost even the traces of their origin; while a population of "a few millions of men, so often subjugated, stands the test of "3,000 revolving years, and the fiery ordeal of fifteen centuries "of persecution. We still preserve laws, which were given us "in the first days of the world, in the infancy of nature! The "last followers of that heathen religion which had embraced the "universe, have disappeared these fifteen centuries, and our temples are still standing! We alone have been spared by the "indiscriminating hand of time, like a column left standing "amidst the wreck of worlds and the ruins of nature. The history of our nation connects the present times with the first ages of the world, by the testimony which it gives of the ex"istence of these early periods: it begins at the cradle of man“kind, and its remnants are likely to be preserved to the day of "universal destruction."* 66 • P. 68 of 46 Transactions of the Parisian Sanhedrim," translated by F. D. Kirwan, Lond. 1807. CONCLUDING LECTURE. ON THE FUTURE CONVERSION AND RESTORATION Expectations of the Jews on this subject-justified by Prophecy. Prophecy of Mosesof Isaiah-Predicts a second restoration, and different in its circumstances from the Return from Babylon-After a larger period-more permanent. This restoration is to be connected with the extension of the Gospel. Present circumstances of the world consistent with this expectation—As to Palestine-Commercial character of the Jewish nation-The origin and circumstances of the Parisian Sanhedrim-Its tendency to remove Jewish prejudices-Society in England to promote Christianity among the Jews-Other circumstances in the present state of the world, which seem to prepare the way for the accomplishment of the prophecies as to the final triumph of the Gospel. Conclusion. WHEN We contemplate the singular fortunes of the Jewish people, from its first origin to the present hour; when we compare their unparalleled dispersion and sufferings, with their equally unparalleled preservation as a distinct nation; we cannot but feel a strong curiosity to discover what will probably be their future destiny. We find the expectations they themselves entertain, as extraordinary as their present situation. "No "where," says a respectable and discerning observer, who had seen them in the most distant regions, " no where do they despair of returning to their country, and beholding their pro"mised Messiah." And again: "I have had many interesting "conferences with the Jews, on the subject of their present "state; and have been much struck with two circumstances, "their constant reference to the desolation of Jerusalem, and "their confident hope that it will be one day rebuilt. The de"solation of the Holy City is ever present to the minds of the "Jews, when the subject is concerning themselves as a nation; "for, though without a king, and without a country, they constantly speak of the unity of their nation. Distance of time 66 6 "and place seems to have no effect in obliterating the remem"brance of the desolation. I often thought of the verse in the "Psalms, If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.' They speak of Palestine as being close “at hand, and easily accessible. It is become an ordinance "of the Rabbins in some places, that when a man builds a new "house, he shall leave a small part of it unfinished, as an em"blem of ruin, and write on it these words, Zecher Lachorchan, "i. e. IN MEMORY OF THE DESOLATION."* And undoubtedly the language of prophecy justifies their looking forward to some most signal and favourable change, some illustrious restoration of their nation to divine favour and temporal prosperity. This change, I have no doubt, will consist primarily in the conversion of the great bulk of the entire nation (the descendants of the Ten Tribes, as well as of the Two) to Christianity, and their consequent restoration to the privileges and the blessings of the chosen people of God. And I am persuaded, that this will also be attended by the return of the great body of the Jews to Palestine, and their settlement there, with the enjoyment of national independence and great temporal prosperity. But the belief of this last I would not contend for as a fact, or impose it as a tenet of faith: it does not appear so indisputable or so important as the former conclusion. As to the times and circumstances of either event, the Christian will, I conceive, also pronounce his opinion with great caution and reserve. In order to prove the reality of a superintending Providence, it may be sufficient, that prophecy, antecedent to the events, should produce a general conviction and expectation that some grand era in the Divine dispensations is rapidly approaching; and should exhibit such prophetic characters as will clearly prove the Divine foreknowledge and arrangement of all the circumstances attending it, after the event has taken place; though not such as to enable any individual to foretel, with precision, the year in which it is to begin, or the exact process by which it is to be introduced. To establish the truth of the prophecy, rather than to render uninspired individuals, at any particular period, * Vide Buchanan's Christian Researches, 2d edit. p. 212. This is the sentiment of the judicious and excellent Dr Buchanan; vide his Christian Researches concerning the Jews, p. 220, 2d edit. prophets, seems to be the design of the sacred Scriptures.* Directed by these principles, let us proceed to examine the prophetic writings on these interesting topics. The return of the Jews to Palestine, their consequent reestablishment as a nation, and their restoration from a state of punishment for their national offences, to a state of reconciliation and favor with God, are generally combined in the prophetic writings. The earliest intimation of both is found in the last prophetic address of their inspired Lawgiver. He assures them "whenever thou shalt return unto the Lord thy God, "thou and thy children, and shalt obey his voice with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; then the Lord thy God will turn 66 66 thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return "and gather thee from all the nations whither he hath scattered "thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts "of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee: "And he will bring thee into the land which thy fathers pos"sessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, "and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God "will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to "love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy "soul, that thou mayest live." In this prediction we perceive the clearest declaration that the house of Israel is never to be excluded from the peculiar protection of Providence, never irrevocably to forfeit the privileges secured to them in the original covenant with their great ancestor, but is to be for ever preserved a distinct people; and that, however dispersed, whenever they returned to their God, they would certainly be restored to his favor, and as a nation re-established in their country. And it is not obscurely intimated that a period would come, when such a restoration from a wide-spread dispersion would take place, attended with a general conversion to sincere and vitc religion, and a consequent enjoyment of national prosperity far exceeding, both in degree and duration, any they had ever before experienced. This was such a disclosure of the divine purposes as was best adapted to the object which the revelation, at that time communicated to the inspired Lawgiver, was in * Such was the feeling of Sir Isaac Newton. Vide Newton on the Apocalypse, Part II. chap. i. p. 249. Printed in Dublin, 1733. + Deut. xxx. 1-6. |