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Show . OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL RESTORATION THE CERTAIN 64 do writings prophetic the Thus ever were their fathers. decide, clearly the last days, that both Israel aud the Jews shall, in their before the. Millennium, be literally restored to and be coaverted to the Chris- own jaad of Palestine, | tian faith. 4. tmport to all these prophe- Togive amystical cies, and say they will be fulfilled only in_ the conversion of these ancient people of God to Christianity, «s to take a most unwarrantable liberty with the word Some have made such pretence; but far of God. Why not as well apbe it from me to follow them! ply a mystical sense to every prediction of future events? the predictions To the battle of that of great day ; of the Millennium ; of the resurrection of the bodies of men; of the final judgment; of the be fulfilled, oF by a conflagration of this world ; of heaven; Why may not those as well all and of hell? literal, but by some mystical accomplishment ? /Is not Paul this to add and to diminish, with a witness? says. (2 Tim. ii. 16,) “ But shun profane and vain To say then, that all those on predictions of such a restorati to Palestine, are to nging of that people he accomplished only in the bri e the Messiah ; 1s (in their dispersed state) to embrac with the word of rty fo take a most unwarrantable libe l, 36th, 37th, 38th, kie God! Look at one passage; Eze Are the new heart (the heart of and 39th chapters. hering them out flesh) there promised, and God’s gat of all lands into their own lain waste, one and the same land, which had so long event 2 What can such of Gog and his expositors do with the predictions falling upon the bands, gathered against them, and all the predicmountains of Israel? Are these (and phets, of the tions in Joel, Zechariah, and other pro be explained gathering of all nations to Jerusalem,) to s, and asion away, so that no ‘“eathering of the nat ed? It must sembling of the kingdoms” must be expect away the n be a dangerous expedient thus to explain. ‘T’he old tio clear and express sentiments of revela ed in a literal and best expositors generally have believ restoration of Judah and Israel. sections be raised can And no material ob- against it, which might not in as forcibly against all predicted babbiings ; for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their words will eat as doth a canker; of whom is Hymeneas and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred, saying, that the resurrection is past its principle operate was the liberty taken by those arch heretics ? No doubt it was this; applying to the predictions of a eral rejection of them from the promised land. already, and overthrow the faith of some.’? What 65 future events. 5. That the Hebrews are to have a litera! restora- tion, appears from the fact, that the threatenings that God would cast them off, had their fulfilment in a lit- ‘The the grave, a promises of their restoration appear to be an exact counterpart of this ; and hence must have their effect are the less numerous, and are not more express, than their fathers ; why should the threatenings of their re- resurrection of the bodies of men from of mystical resurrection of the soul from the death far are on recti resur But the predictions of the sin. predictions of the restoration of the Jews and Israel to their own land. cIp various of the most remarkable of these predi Jews tious, we find it distinctly ascertained that the given heart anew shall be converted; shall have fear the them; shall have their hearts circumcised to And beside this, it is said that people shall (as Lord. a distinct nation.) be thers, and shall dwell restored to the land in temporal of their fa- prosperity there than through all following ages, and be more numerous in restoring them again to Palestine. If such promises did not design to restore them again to the land of ‘ection of God, be designed to have their effect in expelling them literally from the land of promise? Why should one of them receive a literal, and the other a mystical construction? No account can _ be given of If there is no benefit in restoring them to Palthis. estine ; why was there any calamity in expelling them from Palestine ? Why did not God let them:continue rr his spirit and grace from there, though he |