fill his party in Egypt with terror; nor is that terror groundless, for the victorious Jewish army enters Egypt, to execute the counfel of God concerning that kingdom. "In that

day, fhall five cities in the land of Egypt, "fpeak the language of Canaan, and fwear to "the Lord of hosts; one shall be called the city "of deftruction," ver. 18. At that time, five parts out of fix of the land of Egypt, fhall embrace the true religion, carried there by the Jews, and fhall devote themselves to the fervice of JEHOVAH. The remaining fixth part, adhering to the Antichriftian tyranny, and superstition of their late "cruel lord," fhall be utter

ly

(1) The interpretation given above is suggested by Calvin, on Ifaiah. I adopt it as being moft confiftent with the rest of the paffage: when it is faid that "there "fhall be an altar to the Lord in the midst of Egypt, "and a pillar at the border thereof :" That "the Lord "fhall be known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians "fhall know the Lord :" That "the Egyptians fhall "ferve with the Affyrians," and "be a third with Ifrael "and Affyria." Thefe expreffions imply, that the great body of the nation embraces the true religion: Now, five parts out of fix constitute the bulk of the nation; but five cities of all Egypt, make a very small part of the nation; which by no means agrees with the rest of the reprefentation.

ly deftroyed. To the clofe of the chapter, there is an account of Egypt as making a part of the Millennial church. The countries of Edom, Moab and Ammon, are not only conquered but poffeffed by the Jews, as we have feen; which representation agrees with the extent of their border from the coafts of the Mediterranean to the banks of the Euphrates. But the countries of Affyria and Egypt, though conquered, are not poffeffed by them, as appears from ver. 20. 24, 25. which represent them as two diftin&t nations, holding church-communion with each other, and with the people of Ifrael.

When peace is established, the Jewish church fhall fing that hymn, Ifa. xiv. 3.-27. and chap. XXV. ver. 1.—5.

In the progrefs of events, we have seen the nations over which the blafphemous king has a fpiritual jurifdiction; the nations who fupport him,

(1) Some read, "the city of the fun," by changing he into heth, and fuppofe that Heliopolis is intended. But Lowth, who adopts that reading, feems to fufpect, that the text might have met with unfair management from Omar or his party, in order to accommodate it to his views, and procure refpect to his fchifmatial temple. But on the fuppofition that the reading contended for were more clearly established than it can be, it would only involve the passage in obfcurity; whereas, the interpretation given above is clear, and confiftent with the scope of the whole paffage.

him in his laft extremity; the nations involved in his fall at Armageddon; the nations conquered by the Jews, after Armageddon; and these are nearly the fame. The concurrence of these four several representations ferve to prove, that the progrefs marked is not the contrivance of fancy, but the investigation of the truth,

SECTION IV.

Reftoration of the difperfed Jews.

A fourth event foretold, which shall probably be accomplished at this period, is the reftoration of those Jews, who had not an opportunity to join their brethren, in the wilderness of Affyria. The Christian powers in the several countries where they refide, fhall give their aid cheerfully and liberally, to convey them to the land of promife, then poffeffed by their brethren, in confequence of the victory at Armageddon. This is repeatedly afferted in the prophecy of Ifaiah. "Thus faith the Lord "God, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the

Gentiles, and fet up my ftandard to the peo"ple and they fhall bring thy fons in their "arms, and thy daughters fhall be carried up. "on their shoulders;" chap. xlix. 22. "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves 3 D

66

to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait "for me, and the fhips of Tarshish ' first, to bring thy fons from far, their filver and their "gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God; and to the holy One of Ifrael, be caufe he hath glorified thee;" chap. Ix. 8, 9. "And they (the Gentiles) fhall bring all your "brethren for an offering unto the Lord, out of "all nations, upon horses, and in chariots, and "in litters, and upon mules, and upon fwift "beafts, to my holy mountain Jerufalem, faith "the Lord, as the children of Ifrael bring an of" fering in a clean veffel, into the house of the "Lord," chap. lxvi. 20.

SE C

(1) Bochart fuppofes Tarfhifh to be a part of Spain, afterwards called Tarteffus. But it appears by comparing 1 Kings xxii. 48. with 2 Chron. xx. 36. that there was a place of the fame name near Ophir, fuppofed by fome to lie in the East Indies, by others, on the east coast of Africa. Mr. Bruce, in his "Travels to discover the Source of Nile," has difcuffed this fubject with much information and ability; and with great appearance of truth, places Tarfhish and Ophir, on the eastern coast of Africa, It is certain that the expreffion likewife is proverbial, fignifying any fhips famous for trade: and what ships fo famous in these latter days, as those of Britain; perhaps they fhall fhew the first example of carrying God's exiled people to their own land.

SECTION V.

Miffionaries are fent from Judea, to propagate the Gofpel among the Nations.

ANOTHER event which fhall begin to be accomplished at this period is, the propagation of the gospel by the Jews, among the benighted nations. While they carry in the one hand the temporal fword for the deftruction of fpiritual Babylon, they hold in the other the fpiritual fword, for the deliverance of ignorant nations, from the tyranny of fin and Satan.

A commiffion given to the Jews for this purpofe, together with the execution and fuccefs of it, is recorded Ifa. xlv. 20.-25. "Affemble "yourselves and come: draw near together, ye "that are escaped of the nations: they have no "knowledge that fet up the wood of their gra"ven image, and pray unto a god that cannot "fave." Here God addreffes the Jews immediately upon their reftoration; and reprefents the deplorable condition of those nations, that were ftill involved in ignorance and idolatry. "Tell ye, and bring them near, yea, let therues "take counsel together: Who hath dec'is, the "this from ancient time? who hath .ed by the "from that time? Have not I the Lorc "there is no god elfe befide me, a ju

Jewish

xiv. 11.