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SERMON V.

"WE HAVE ALSO A MORE SURE WORD OF

PROPHECY, &c."

IN this Sermon, I fhall defcribe Four things.

1. The land

of Canaan where the Jews will return, with an account of its prefent fituation....2. Jerufalem and its prefent fituation....3. The ftate of the Jews fince they were overcame by the Romans to this day....4. The manner of their return to their land.

I.

As the land of Canaan is to be the place

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where the LORD JESUS is to reign before his ancients, gloriously, for a thousand years after the return of the Jews, I think it proper to give my readers a fhort account of it, collected from the beft authorities.

This land is called the land of Canaan, because it was first fettled by Canaan the fon of Ham, the fon of Noah. It is now a Turkish province in Afia. It lies between the Mediteranean fea, and the mountains of Arabia; and extends from Egypt, to Phonetia. It is bounded to the

east, by the mountains of Arabia ; to the fouth,by the wildernefs of Paran, Idumæ, and Egypt; the weft, by the Mediteranean, called in Hebrew, the great fea; to the north, by the mountains of Libanus.

It is in a central part of the world, and is about 200 miles long, and about 80 broad; it is fuppofed there are about 16,000 fquare miles in it.

About 70 years after the birth of Chrift, this land was taken from the Jews by the Romans; Jerufalem was laid even with the ground, and more than one million of

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the Jews were deftroyed, befides great multitudes being. carried into captivity, or difperfed all over the world. In 614, Jerufalem was taken by the Perfians, and in 636, the Saracens, or Arabians, took it.

In 1999, it was taken from them by people pretending to be Chriftians, under GODFREY; who held it till the year 1187, when they were conquered by Saladan. In 1217, the Turks drove out the Saracens, and they retain the land to this day.

There is a standing tradition among the Turks that they and their government are to be overcome by the French, or thofe nations who are called Chriftians. Without any doubt this will take place, which will make way for the return of the Jews.

At the prefent day, the land of Canaan, under the Turkish government, is inhabited by lazy Turks, plundering Arabs, and a wretched race, called Chriftians. Though once it is faid to have contained 8,000,000 of: inhabitants, yet there are fuppofed to be not more than 400,000 inhabitants. Though this land is now but thinly inhabited, and is an inconfiderable province of the Turkish empire; yet the time will come, 66 when the Jews fhall return to this land of fprings and brooks, of hills, plains, and luxuriant vales; where this active people fhall once more inhabit the enchanting spot, where the Prince of Peace accomplished the work of Redemption, when a juft and energetic government, and the mild fpirit of Chriftianity fhall be restored, probably more than 8 millions of fouls will again enjoy this happy clime, rebuild her cities, and palaces, throng her temples, and fwell her fongs of praise."

2. I add a fhort defcription of JERUSALEM, and its prefent fituation.

This was once the capital of Melchizedek's kingdom, called Salem in the book of Genefis. It was taken from the Jebufites by David, and called his city. Hazael, king of Syria, took it once. Nebuchadnezzer once took it and carried away the inhabitants into Babylon. Titus the fon of Vefpafian at laft took it & totaley def troyed it, fo that it has never been restored to its former

grandeur. Adrian undertook to rebuild it afterwards, but failed in the undertaking. The Emprefs Helena, the mother of Conftantine,vifited it afterwards, and found it in a most forlorn fituation; intending to rebuilt it, fhe erected a temple over the place where Christ was burried, called the temple of the fepulchre, which is now standing, and kept in good repair. The Emperor Julian undertook to rebuild Jerufalem, but did not ; for Christ had faid that this city fhould be trodden down of the Gentiles, and fo it remains to this day.

The prefent fituation of Jerufalem is this, it is poffeffed by the Turks, who call it, CUDSEMBARIC, and COUDSHERIFF; and is reduced to a poor thinly inhabited town, about three miles in circumference, fituated on a rocky mountain, furrounded on all fides, except the north, with fteep afcents and deep vallies; and these a. gain furrounded with other hills, at fome diftance from them.

The temple built by Helena, which has been built more than twelve hundred years, is kept in good repair to this day. The walls of it are ftone, and the roof cedar, the east end enclofes mount Calvary, and the weft the fepulchre where Chrift was buried. On mount Moriah in Jerufalem, is a building called Solomon's temple, but when, or by whom built, is uncertain.

Jerufalem is now under the government of a Sangiac. The Jews, and those who are called Chriftians, are in a wretched fituation, being kept poor by the tyranny of the Turkish government.

There are feven remarkable things, to be seen in the neighbourhood of Jerufalem.

1. The Pool of Bethesda, 120 paces long, 40 broad, and 8 deep. 2. The tomb of the Virgin Mary, 47 steps below the furface of the earth. 3. The tomb of Jehofaphat. 4. Abfalom's pillar, fuppofed to be the one he erected. 5. The tomb of Zechariah the fon of Brachiah. 6. The roya! fepulchres, where the kings were formerly buried. 7. The Potter's field, which was bought with the thirty pieces of filver; it is called, Campo, Sancto, the holy field.

According to the latest accounts, Jerufalem contains about 12,000 people. The citizens are Taylors, Cooks, Smiths, and Shoe-makers, a poor, wicked race, the fkum of different nations, principally Arabs.

How different is the fituation of this city from its ancient grandeur! Once the city of the great king; now the feat of wickednefs; but ere long this city will appear as much greater than it was formerly, as he who is to reign over the house of Jacob, is greater than Solomon in all his glory in Jerufalem.

3. The Jews, and their prefent fituation.

The name Jew, is taken from the word Judah, and is a name given to the defcendants of Abraham, through Ifaac: fometimes it means only two tribes,and fometimes it means the twelve tribes. Judah and Ifrael means the two nations, or thofe who belonged to the two kingdoms.

Since Jerufalem was taken by Titus, the Jews have been fcattered into all parts of the world. In many countries, and at different times, they have been treated with great cruelty, though fince the revival of learning and the increase of mildness in the world, they have been treated with more humanity than they were formerly. It is faid that once in England, a Jew was at the difpofal of the chief where he lived. In the year 1348, an epidemic diftemper raged in a great part of Europe; it was faid that the Jews had poifoned the fprings and wells, which was the caufe of it; the confequence of this report was, that a million and half of this miferable nation was put to death.

In the year 1492, half a million of them were driven out of Spain, and an 150,000 from Portugal. At the present day a more generous fyftem is taking place.

Some years ago, France allowed them the right of citizens. They have for feveral years been tolerated in England,Holland, and Pruffia,&c. In France of late, their privileges are enlarged, by the Emperor Bonaparte, and in the year 1806, (last year) they met as a Congress, or Sanhedrim,in Paris. This it is faid, was the first meeting of the kind they have had fince Titus carried them away

from Jerufalem.-Notwithstanding all they have met with, they ftill retain the idea of returning to the land of Canaan, according to what their prophets have told them, and their fituation is fuch, being rich to a proverb, and having their riches in money and movables, that it will not be difficult for them to return when the day arrives for them to fly upon the fhoulders of the Philiftines to the promised land; which leads me to the fourth particular.

4. The manner in which they will return to that land and city Jerufalem.

The chief thing which now hinders the return of the Jews, is the power of the Turks, who now poffefs their land. Their government extends over a great part of the world. In Europe, they poffefs Romania, Bulgaria, Servia, Wallachia, Modavia, Beffarabia, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Theffaly, Levadia, Marea, and the Archipelago Ifland. In Afia they poffefs Georgia, Tincomania, Dearbek, Anatolia, or Afia Minor, Syria, and the land of Canaan, called, Paceftine. In Africa, they poffefs Egypt and fome diftricts of Barbary. This power muft and will be weakened before the Jews return, for they have ever been great enemies to that nation.

From what I can gather from the Scriptures, the Turks will be fo weakened by wars, that in a treaty with fome nation, this will be one article, that they fhall give up the land of Canaan to the Jews, and quietly leave the country, and withdraw all their enemies. The prophets mention that the Turks fhall not be flain, but go forth from the land and be removed far away from them. This is mentioned in Ifaiah xlix. 17, "" Thy Deftroyers and they that made thee wafte, fhall go forth of thee." This verfe fhews that by fome means or other the Turks will voluntarily leave the land to them, and remove at fuch a distance that the Jews will not fear them.

It appears to me from the prefent fituation of things among the Turks, and Jews, that the nation of France and fome leader will lead the Jews into the promised land. It is poffible that Bonaparte may be the man. He has been engaged in a war against the Turks in Egypt, he has