for me to dwell long upon the accomplishment of these remarkable prophecies. The extermination and difperfion of the Ifraelites began at the captivity of the ten tribes by the Affyrians, followed by that of the tribe of Judah by the Babylonians, but was in the moft fignal manner completed. by the Romans, a nation that indeed came from far, and whofe language they did not understand. The war, conducted by Vefpafian and Titus, was dreadfully calamitous, and the fiege of Jerufalem fuch as yet remains unequalled for diftrefs, and the destruction of men, in all hiftory. So great was the famine with which they were preffed, that there are inftances on record of women actually killing and eating their own children.

At the clofe of that war, all the markets. for flaves were fo much overstocked with Jews, that they bore no price, and great numbers were taken to Egypt by fea, and disposed of there. But even this was not the completion of their calamities. Under the emperor Adrian the Jews were effectually driven out of Judea, and none of them fuffered

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fuffered to refide in it. From this time the country has gradually become defert, fo that hardly a veftige of its antient fertility can be found. All the inhabitants, of whom very few are Jews, one of the lateft travellers fays do not exceed fifty thousand.

Of the total difperfion of the Jews into all the most diftant parts of the world, every nation, and among them ourselves, are witneffes.

For there is no country on

the face of the earth in which Jews are not to be found. And among those they have met with all the calamities predicted by Mofes. Wherever they have gone, the fword has, indeed, followed them. We no where read of fuch maffacres as have been made of the Jews, efpecially in all Chriftian countries; and in confequence of thefe events, they have been overwhelmed with dread and terror, fearful of every thing that can expofe them to farther ill ufage, as we see at this day; fo that far from fhewing any eagerness to make profelytes, as they were formerly wont to do, they carefully avoid making any, and give no

encourage

encouragement to the few who are difpofed to join them. They are alfo at this very time, and have been for ages, a proverb, and a by-word, among all nations, no people being expofed to fo much contempt and infult, as well as cruel ufage of every other kind, as the Jews. How far they may have contributed to bring this ill ufage upon themselves is not at all material to my purpose, the fact being indifputably fuch as Mofes predicted.

In this great difperfion, the Jews have, in many cafes, openly abandoned the religion of their ancestors, profeffing it fecretly, but concealing it with the greatest care. This has been particularly the cafe with the Jews in Spain and Portugal, where many of them have not only made public profeffion of Christianity, but in that character have enjoyed high offices in the church, and even in the inquifition; and yet when they have made their escape, they have renounced every badge of Chriftianity, and gloried in their attachment to their own religion,

But most literally has this prophecy bea fulfilled in the ten tribes, few of whom ever returned to Palestine, and not being at prefent diftinguished from other nations, they have, no doubt, adopted their idolatrous religions. It is not improbable, however, but that they fomewhere form a diftinct people, and that in due time their origin may be discovered. Some traces of them have of late appeared*. According to the fure word of prophecy, they are to be brought back to the land of Canaan, as well as the Jews.

The literal fulfilment of thefe prophecies concerning the calamities, and total difperfion, of the Ifraelites, muft fatisfy that nation, and in time all mankind, that Mofes was infpired in delivering them. therefore they have the fulleft confidence in the accomplishment of his other prophecies concerning their future restoration, and flourishing ftate, which are as diftinct

And

*Sir William Jones, with confiderable probability, conjectures that the Afghans, a people living between Perfia and Indoftan, are of Ifraelitish extraction.

and

and exprefs as thofe/concerning their calamities, and far more numerous. They are not only contained in Mofes, but the favourite subject is refumed, enlarged upon, and fet in a thousand different lights, by Ifaiah, and moft of the fucceeding prophets. As this is a much more pleafing fubject than the former, and especially as I flatter myfelf we are now drawing fenfibly nearer to the accomplishment of these prophecies, I fhall recite a confiderable number of them. You will find them equally clear and free from ambiguity, fo that there can be no doubt concerning their meaning, and confequently, if we believe in revelation, concerning their literal accomplishment.

Mofes, who fo exprefsly foretold the difperfion of the Jews among the most diftant nations of the world, fays, Lev. xxvi. 44, And yet for all this, when they fhall be in the land of their enemies, I will not caft them away, neither will I abhor them, to deftroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them. I am the Lord their God, but will for their fakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought

forth