weary Heaven with prayers for temporal good? Let us rather exalt our desires, and say, with humble and pious confidence, Lord, thou knowest what is best for me, and I would not be anxiously solicitous about present good. I have but one single petition to prefer, but that I would urge with importunity and with ardor, Lord, save my soul!'

5. These two subjects, taken in connexion, afford strong ground of consolation to every sincere penitent. Who can indulge despair, when they behold the Saviour of the world praying for his murderers? And who can doubt of pardon being granted upon sincere repentance, when they contemplate the astonishing instance of grace and mercy we have now been considering?

May we endeavour to draw from this interesting narrative, all the comfort it is calculated to produce, while we beware of trusting to it as a plea for delay! Let us remember, that, "Now is the accepted time time, now is the day of salvation;" and let us never slight the offered grace, lest it should be for ever withdrawn from our acceptance! Amen.

SERMON VIII.

ON THE

RESTORATION OF THE JEWS.

I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

xxxvi. 24.

EZEKIEL

THE life of man is limited to so short a span, that were our knowledge merely confined to personal information, very scanty would be our attainments; but happily for us, we are possessed of more extended sources of information, and there are two among these, which may be considered as pre-eminent; they are history and prophecy.

History carries us back to past times, and shows us ages far remote from our own; we are brought acquainted with Enoch and with Noah; we review the conduct of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; we trace the promises which warmed their hearts, and animated their lives; we follow the children of Israel in their toilsome journey in the wilderness, to their settlement in the promised land; we read the account of their prophets and of their kings; we behold their various rites and ceremonies; we see their humble tabernacle, and their proud temple, and we perceive the finger of God guiding and directing their footsteps; we trace their wonderful history through all the successive periods of its progress and decay; and we are struck with the singularity and the order which pervade it.

But when we open the prophetic page, we survey a still wider sphere of wonder. We are then carried downwards to ages yet to come, and are suffered to behold a part of the divine counsels respecting man. Prophecy is the telescope which points to futurity, which connects the present with the future, as history connects it with the past.

The prophecies of the Old Testament are divisible into three classes, those which relate

to surrounding countries and cities, such as Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Egypt, and Tyre, all of which have been wonderfully and strikingly accomplished; those which refer to our Saviour, many of which have long since been fulfilled; others are now fulfilling, and many yet remain to be accomplished. These have been treated with great perspicuity by Mr. Gibbon, and admirably by Bishop Newton. The third class are those which relate to the Jewish nation, to their treatment of the Messiah, and their consequent sufferings and dispersion; to their present situation, and to their final restoration, their conversion to Christianity, and return to their own land. It is to this latter class of prophecies that the subject now before us belongs.

The Jewish nation, whether we consider their former splendour, or their present degradation, must awaken various feelings in our breasts; and if we carry our views forward, and reflect on the glorious periods to which they are reserved, it must excite in our minds peculiar interest.

Addison has an admirable paper in the Spectator, (495,) on the present state of the Jews.

In treating on this subject, I shall divide my remarks under five general heads.

I. We have every reason to suppose, that the Jews, at some future period, (probably at one time,) will be converted to Christianity, and will acknowledge the true Messiah.

II. It is also probable, that they will then be restored to their own land.

III. Though they will meet with difficulties, they will be enabled, finally, to triumph over all their enemies, and will be established in security and peace.

IV. It is probable that some of their ancient rites and ceremonies will be restored.

V. The conversion of the Heathen will follow that of the Jews.

I. We have every reason to suppose, that the Jews, at some future period, (probably at one time,) will be converted to Christianity.

In the chapter succeeding that from which my text is taken, you have this remarkable prediction; "Thus saith the Lord God, behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the Heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land; and David my servant shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd;" (the very expression used by our Saviour, in reference to himself;) "there shall be one fold