,.v^. 
 
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 o^  at  03  ^:^.  ^^^  5:^.  "^^ 
 
 OK    THK 
 
 PRINCETON,   N.  J. 
 
 x>  cyx  JK.  •!•  X  *y  :x     01.- 
 
 SAMUEL   AQNEW, 
 
 OF     P  H  I  I.  .1  n  K  I.  P  H  I  A  ,     PA. 
 
 D  Book,  tin     ..  ^1 
 
 Ho, 
 
 'SS' 
 
 Q^'^ilOlsO 
 
,0UO 
 
 t^ 
 
Copy  ofa  Letter  from  Dr.  Samuel  Horsley, 
 formerly  Blfliop  of  ^/.  David's  and  RocbeJIer,  and 
 late  of  S/.  Afaph. 
 
 S  I  R, 
 
 I 
 
 BEG  you  to  accept  of  my  belt  thanks  for 
 your  work,  which  you  entitle,  An  Attempt  to  remove  Preju- 
 dices concerning  the  Jewifli  Nation.  I  have  received  much  fa- 
 tisfa61ion  from  the  perufal  of  it.  For  although  in  the  detail, 
 there  may  be  points  in  which  my  opinions  may  not  entirely  coin- 
 cide, in  the  main  points,  and  in  the  principles  of  Interpretation 
 we  agree.  I  agree  with  you  that  the  expofitors  of  the  prophe- 
 cies, particularly  of  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  and  the  Apoca- 
 lypfe,  have  been  apt  to  begin  at  the  wrong  end.  Attempting 
 firit  to  expound  the  mylf  ical  dates,  and  then  to  find  an  interpreta- 
 tion of  the  prophecy,  which  may  fuit  the  dates  as  expounded  by 
 them.  Whereas  the  dates  will  certainly  be  the  lall  things  under- 
 flood.  I  agree  with  you,  that  they  are  miferably  miftaken,  who 
 conceive  that  the  deftru6fion  of  Jerufalem  is  that  coming  of  the 
 Son  of  Man,  which  is  mentioned  in  our  Lord's  prophecy.  That 
 coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  will  be  after  a  Tribulation  of  the  Jewifh 
 Nation,  which  is  not  yet  finiflied,  and  will  be  a  vifible  coming  in 
 glory.  I  was  very  much  ftruck  with  the  agreement  of  what  you 
 fay  upon  this  fubjedf,  with  what  I  have  myfelf  advanced  in  fome 
 Sermons  of  my  own  upon  the  Second  Advent,  which  have  never 
 indeed  been  publiflied,  but  have  been  preached  at  different  places, 
 and  were  compofed  about  twenty  years  ago. 
 
 With  refpetl  to  the  reftoration  of  the  Jewifh  Nation,  whether 
 it  is  to  be  previous  to  their  converfion,  or  fubfequent,  I  think  you 
 have  maintained  your  fide  of  the  queftion  with  great  ability,  but 
 I  cannot  fay  I  am  yet  convinced.  At  the  fame  time  I  fhould 
 [deem]  it  great  arrogance  to  fay,  that  the  error  may  not  be  with 
 me. 
 
 I  wifli  to  know  by  what  coach  you  receive  your  parcels.  I 
 remain,  Sir, 
 
 With  great  efteem, ' 
 
 Your  very  faithful 
 
 Moft  obedient  Servant, 
 
 •  ASAPHENS. 
 
 York. Place,  May  26,  1804. 
 
 Thomas  Wither  by,  Efq".  Enfield-PFaJh,  Middle/ex, 
 
 »»i«»«<J3>|r«.. 
 
AN 
 
 ATTEMPT 
 
 TO    REMOVE 
 
 PREJUDICES 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 THE   JEWISH   NATION. 
 
 BY    WAY    OF 
 
 DIALOGUE. 
 
 B  y 
 
 .    THOMAS    ^JVITHERBY. 
 
 —•"^^ffltlMmi  I'M 
 
 PART    I. 
 
 HEAR  THE  WORD  OF  THE  LORD,  O  YE  NATIONS, 
 AND  DECLARE  IT  IN  THE  ISLES  AFAR  OFF, 
 AND  SAYj  HE  THAT  SCATTERED  ISRAEL 
 WILL  GATHER  HIM,  AND  KEEP  HIM,  AS  A 
 SHEPHERD    DOTH   HIS   FLOCK.    JER.XXXI.IO. 
 
 3lonDon: 
 
 PRINTED     FOR    TPIE     AUTHOR, 
 BY     STEPHEN     COUCHMAN,    THROGMORTON- STREET; 
 
 And  Sold  by  J.  Hatchard,  Piccadilly;  Cadell  and  Daviks, 
 Strand;  J.  HAR|^.is,  Succeflbr  to  E.  New  bery,  Corner  of  St.  Paul's 
 Church-Yard;  and  Black  andPARRv,  Leadcnhall-Street. 
 
 1804. 
 
 [Cntfrco  at  ^tationersi.'J^alM 
 
TO 
 
 CHRISTIANS 
 
 OF    ALL    DENOMINATIONS, 
 
 BUT    ESPECIALLY 
 
 To  the  Right  Reverend  and  Reverend 
 THp  BISHOPS  AND   MINISTERS, 
 
 AND   TO   THE   LAITY, 
 
 OF     THE 
 
 CHURCH   OF  ENGLAND, 
 
 THESE    DIALOGUES 
 ARE  HUMBLY  DEDICATED, 
 
 BY    THE    AUTHOR, 
 
 A  LAYMAN    OF    THE    CHURCH    OF    ENGLAND. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 nn  H  E  mariners  and  paflengers  are  all  interefted  in  the , 
 -*■  prefervation  of  die  fhip  in  which  they  are  embarked; 
 and  notwithftanding  they  may  place  the  greatefl  confidence 
 in  the  fkill  of  the  officers,  and  the  diligence  and  watch- 
 fulnefs  of  thofe  who  are  ordained  to  watch,  yet  is  it  incum- 
 bent ppon  them  to  communicate  to  thofe  in  command 
 whatever  may  appear  to  require  notice. 
 
 If  the  perfon  employed  in  the  meanefl:  ftation,  or  even 
 the  pafienger's  fcrvant,  were  to  imagine  that  he  heard  the 
 found  or  faw  the  foam  of  breakers,  he  would  be  highly 
 rcprehenfible  if  he  were,  under  the  impreffion  of  modefty, 
 or  diffidence  in  his  own  judgment,  to  abftain  from  com- 
 municating his  obfervations. 
 
 When  I  took  up  the  pen,  I  had  no  intention  beyond 
 what  is  exprefled  in  the  title,  viz.  to  attempt  to  remove 
 prejudices  concerning  the  Jewiffi  nation  ;  thefe  prejudices 
 are  by  no  means  fo  ftrong  as  they  have  been  in  times  part; 
 but  notwithftanding  they  have  greatly  abated,  I  am  firmly 
 perfuaded  that  there  are  many  and  great  prejudices  ftill  in 
 exiftence  concerning  them,  which  (after  a  careful  exami- 
 nation of  holy  fcripture)  will  be  acknowledged  to  be 
 unfounded.  In  the  following  pages  I  have  endeavoured 
 to  provCj  that  it  is  both  the  duty  and  the  iniereft  of  Chrif- 
 
 a  ti^ns 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 tians  to  examine  their  opinions  concerning  the  Jews,  to 
 bring  them  to  the  ted  of  holy  fcripture,  and  if  they 
 are  from  thence  convinced  that  they  are  erroneous,  to 
 renounce  them. 
 
 To  recommend  fuch  an  examination,  was  all  I  in- 
 tended when  I  took  up  the  pen;  but  no  one  who  takes  up 
 the  pen  can  tell  when  he  Ihall  lay  it  down;  and  notwith- 
 llanding  the  importance  of  that  fubje61,  I  muft  profefs, 
 that  I  confider  it  as  of  much  inferior  confequence  to 
 ■us,  than  that  important  point,  which  being  connctled 
 •therewith,  I  have  been  led  to  confider  :  it  is  a  fubje£l  that 
 hath  ever  fuice  the  afcenfion  of  our  Lord,  been  conH- 
 dered  as  the  most  important.  Infidels  have  fcoffed 
 at  us  concerning  it,  and  have  aimed  a  heavy  blow,  which 
 hath  been  fo  powerfully  felt,  that  it  hath  induced  a  very 
 learned  prelate  (Bifliop  Warburton)  to  evade  the  force  of 
 it,  by  RENOUNCING  an  opinion,  which  he  acknowledges 
 to  have  been  an  opinion  of  the  apoftolic  age;  in  doing 
 4:his,  I  think  he  has  fallen  into  a  dreadful  error.  I  have 
 endeavoured  to  shew  the  soundness  of  the  an- 
 cient doctrine;  the  doQrine  which  he  himfelf  acknow- 
 ledges to  be  the  ancient  doftrine;  and  to  prove  that 
 every  authorized  expectation  of  the  ancient 
 Christian  church,  hath  been  completelyrea- 
 lized  and  accomplished. 
 
 The  fubjecls  difcufled,  I  will  boldly  declare  (becaufe 
 I  have  the  authority  of  holy  fcripture  to  declare)  are  of 
 ihe  GREATEST  IMPORTANCE:  of  greater  importance  than 
 any  other  fubjeCt,  be  it  what  it  may.  Whether  thefe 
 fubjccts  have  been  difcuffcd  with  fuccefs,  mull  be  left  to 
 tlie  judgment  of  the  reader. 
 
 I  by 
 
PREFACE; 
 
 Vll 
 
 I  by  no  means  controvert  the  opinion,  that  the  times  in 
 which  we  live  are  times  of  lukewarmnefs  and  apoftacy ; 
 but  I  am  firmly  of  opinion,  that  in  proportion  as  the 
 apoftacy  hath  increafed,  it  hath  been  attended  with  one 
 GOOD  effect;  it  hath  given  occafion  to  thofe  who  re- 
 main attached  to  true  religion,  to  increafe  in  their  zeal,  and 
 alfo  in  their  forbearance,  and  charity  to  each  other.  What 
 ftronger  evidence  of  the  candour,  the  liberality,  the  bro- 
 therly-love, of  the  learned  clergy  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
 land, need  to  be  produced,  than  reference  to  the  faft, 
 that  the  excellent  fociety  for  the  propagation  of  the  gofpel 
 in  foreign  parts,  which  is  chiefly  under  the  care  and  con- 
 trol of  the  dignitaries  of  the  church  of  England,  not  only 
 accept,  but  even  seek  the  affiftance  of  clergymen  of  the 
 Lutheran  church,  to  carry  the  glad-tidings  of  falvation  to 
 the  heathen  nations.  And  as  to  the  laity,  we  can  witnefs 
 the  zeal  and  liberality  with  which  they  embrace  every 
 opportunity  to  diffeminate  the  knowledge  of  the  truth: 
 witnefs  their  eftabliflimeiu  of  Sunday-Schools,  in  which  the 
 foundation  doclrines  of  the  Chriftian  religion  are  impreffed 
 Upon  the  minds  of  the  rifing  generation  ;  witnefs  the  liberal 
 contributions  towards  a  Proteltant  miOion  to  the  coaft  of 
 Africa;  and  witnefs  their  liberality  alfo  in  accepting  the 
 fervice  of  thofe  Lutheran  minifters  who  have  devoted 
 themfelves  to  the  arduous  undertaking.  May  God  give 
 them  fuccefs !  and  recompence  their  labour  of  love,  a; 
 thoufand-fold,  into  their  own  bofoms.  But  to  return  to 
 the  comparifon :  I  admit  the  excellency  of  the  Proteftant 
 confefTion  of  faith;  I  alfo  admit  that  the  officers  are  navi- 
 gating the  veffel  with  judgment;  that  they  are  fleering  to 
 the  defired  haven;  but  notwithftanding  I  rejoice  in  ad- 
 mitting that  the  officers  are  navigating  the  velTel  widi 
 judgment,  and  that  they  are  fteering  to  the  defired  haven, 
 
 yet 
 
▼Ill 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 yet  it  is  pofRble,  that  the  fhip  may  be  much  nearer  its  de- 
 fired  haven  than  is  generally  imagined.  It  is  pofTible,  that 
 prejudices  may  exift  among  the  mariners,  which  if  per- 
 mitted to  continue,  may  produce  very  injurious  efFefts  to 
 thofe  who  continue  to  retain  them ;  it  is  pofTible  that  the 
 fhip  may  be  approaching  to,  or  even  failing  in,  the  very 
 latitude  in  which  rocks  and  quickfands  abound,  and  in 
 which  ftorms  and  tempefts  are  to  be  expe6led.  The  great 
 chart,  by  which  the  fhip  is  to  be  {leered,  is  open  to  the 
 infpe6lion  of  every  individual  on  board  ;  and  if  the  paflen- 
 ger's  fervant  is,  by  perufal  of  it,  convinced,  that  the  fhip 
 is  drawing  nigh  to,  if  it  is  not  already  in  this  latitude,  in 
 which  fuch  difficulties  and  dangers  will  be  found  to  abound, 
 it  is  his  duty  to  fubmit  his  reafons  to  thofe  who  are  charged 
 with  the  navigation  of  the  vefiel ;  it  is  his  duty  to  urge 
 them  to  confult  the  great  chart,  and  to  take  an 
 OBSERVATION  ;  and,  whether  his  reafons  fhall  on  exa- 
 mination be  found  to  produce  conviclion  or  not,  no  harm 
 can  refult  from  fuch  a  meafure,  and  from  preferving  an 
 jncreafed  degree  of  vigilance.  I  believe  it  is  on  all  hands 
 admitted,  that  fome  mlflakes  have  been  made  as  to  th$^ 
 fliip's  reckoning;  and  if  the  objeftions  of  infidels  have  been 
 fo  powerfully  felt,  as  to  induce  any  Chriftians  of  modern 
 times,  to  give  up  ancient  opinions  unneceffarily,  I  think  it 
 is  of  great  importance  to  fhew  the  foundnefs  of  the  ancient 
 opinions  and  expeBations. 
 
 All  conceflions  to  infidels  and  obje6lors  are  of  danger- 
 ous tendency ;  and  I  truft  that  zeal  for  the  Chriftian  reli- 
 gion hath  been  my  motive  in  endeavouring  to  fliew,  that 
 there  hath  not  been  the   least  degree  of  failure  in 
 
 THE    accomplishment,    OF     THE    AUTHORIZED   EXPEC- 
 TATIONS  OF    Christians;  and  that,  if  the  great  chart 
 
 is 
 
PREFACE.  \^ 
 
 IS  confulted  with  diligence  and  patience,  the  obje£lions  of 
 infidels  will  be  found  to  be  wholly  untenable. 
 
 Upon  this  fubje8;  I  acknowledge  that  I  have  given  ad- 
 vice, which  it  might  ill  become  fo  obfcure  an  individual 
 as  myfelf  to  give ;  I  can  only  plead  the  great  importance 
 of  the  fubje6l  in  j unification.  I  acknowledge  that  Britifli 
 kings  (efpecially  thofe  of  the  illuftrious  houfe  of  Brunf- 
 wick)  have  been  nurfing  fathers  to  the  church,  and  that 
 their  motives  have  been  pure ;  but  thofe  circumftances  which 
 formerly  occafioned  the  fufpenfion  of  the  deliberations  of 
 the  convocation,  have  long  fince  ceafed  to  exifl;  and  I 
 am  firmly  perfuaded,  that  there  are  great  queftions  which 
 at  prelpnt  require  examination;  and  that  it  would 
 be  a  great  advantage,  both  to  church  and  flate,  if  they 
 were  to  be  invcftigated  by  the  convocation.  In  this 
 refpeft  I  am  not  fingle  in  my  opinion ;  the  late  Dr.  John- 
 fon  made  ufe  of  a  memorable  expreffion  concerning  the 
 reftoration  of  the  convocation  to  the  exercife  of  their 
 deliberations. 
 
 The  church  at  prefent  (lands  in  need  of  the  united 
 SUPPORT  of  all  its  friends.  Awful  as  are  the  events  that 
 have  occurred,  thofe  who  are  true-hearted  have  no  ground 
 to  be  difpirited  at  the  profpeB:.  The  comparifon  mufl 
 here  ciofe,  for  he  who  is  the  proprietor  of  the  fiiip,  hath 
 the  command  of  the  wind  and  waves,  (Luke  viii.  22-^-25.); 
 he  can,  and  he  will  caufe,  that  every  blaft  of  the  hurricane 
 fhall  drive  the  {hip  towards  its  dcfired  port.  The  billows 
 may  roar,  and  the  mariners  may  cry,  "  Lord  fave  us,  we  pe- 
 "  rifli  !"  (Matt.  viii.  25.)  but  he  can,  and  he  will  rebuke 
 the  winds  and  the  waves,  and  there  (liall  be,  in  due  time, 
 a  great  calm  :   he  will  fay,  "  Peace,  be  flill,"  (Mark  iv. 
 
 39-)  J 
 
X  PREFACE. 
 
 39.); — "hitherto  (halt  thou  come,  but  no  further:  and 
 "  here  fliall  thy  proud  waves  be  ftayed,"  Job  xxxviii.  11. 
 
 Chrlftians  who  place  their  confidence  in  God;  they 
 who  are  fen/ible  of  their  weaknefs,  and  feek  (Irength  where 
 alone  it  is  to  be  obtained;  they  who  acknowledging  the 
 mercy  and  goodnefs  of  God,  are  enabled,  by  his  grace, 
 tocaft  all  their  care  on  him,  (Pf.  xviii.  2.  xci.  4.  Ifai.  xl. 
 31.  i  Peter  V.  7.);  have  no  caufe  to  be  difcouraged ; 
 the  wrath  of  the  enemy  will  be  over-ruled  to  promote  the 
 good  of  thofe  whom  he  feeks  to  deftroy,  and  they  will  be 
 moft  benefited,  who  in  defiance  of  his  threats,  are  faithful 
 unto  death,  and  thus  fpeedily  obtain  the  crown  of  life, 
 Rev.  ii.  10.    XV.  2 — 4.    xx.  4. 
 
 The  prefent  times  are  times  of  trial  and  apprehenfion; 
 the  friends  of  religion  and  good  government  have  had  to 
 witnefs  one  of  the  moft  vehement  efforts  that  was  ever  made, 
 to  break  down  the  altar  and  the  throne.  Notwithftandinsj 
 our  church  and  ftate  have  been,  by  God's  good  providence, 
 prcferved;  yet  when  we  confider  the  av*'ful  events  which 
 have  occurred  in  other  lands,  we  (land  in  need  of  comfort 
 and  encouragement;  and  if  we  feek  for  it  in  the  word 
 OF  God,  the  profpeft  abounds  with  strong  consola- 
 tion; as  it  affords  moft  ample  affurance  to  the  friends 
 of  true  religion  and  good  government,  that  their  caufe  fliall 
 FINALLY  TRIUMPH  ovcr  the  great  Antichrift,  who  in 
 every  ftage  of  his  exiftence,  paft,  prefent,  or  to  come, 
 will  be  found  to  be  the  child  of  apoftacy,  anarchy,  and 
 rebellion;  and  who  will  ultimately  rcfort  to  idolatry, 
 like  his  predecciTor  Antiochus,  with  intent  to  eftablifli  his 
 a.nbitious  pretenfions  by  the  profcription  of  the  worfliippers 
 of  the  only  true  God. 
 
 Both 
 
PREFACE.  Xi 
 
 Both  the  church  and  the  ftate  are  under  great  obligations 
 to  thofc  learned  divines  who  have  confidered  the  awful 
 events  that  have  occurred,  and  who  have  fo  greatly  con- 
 tributed to  the  fupport  of  our  church,  and  civil  conftitution. 
 In  this  refpeft  the  late  Bifliop  of  Rochefter  (now  St.  Afaph) 
 Hands  didinguifiied  ;  and  hath  expreffed  himfclf  in  fucli 
 ftrong  language,  that  every  Chriftian  muft  feel  the  import- 
 ance of  the  fubjecl:  but  great  as  is  the  authority  of  the 
 learned  prelate,  I  conceive  that  it  is  moft  ardently  to  be 
 dehred,  that  the  church  fiiould  in  fuch  trying  circum- 
 ftances,  receive  the  united  support  of  all  its 
 GUARDIANS.     Such  United  fupport  can  only  be  afforded 
 
 by    THE    CONVOCATION. 
 t 
 
 We  have  the  authority  of  holy  fcripturc  to  afTert,  that 
 queflions  which  are  of  great  importance  to  the  peace  and 
 profperity  of  the  church,  are  beft  difcuflfed  and  decided  by 
 the  UNITED  AUTHORITY  of  thofc  to  whom  it  has  pleafed 
 God  to  commit  the  government  of  his  church.  Ads  xv. 
 
 If  circumftances  have  arifen  which  give  good  ground 
 for  the  opinion,  that  the  great  event  to  which  the 
 Chriftian  church  hath  ever  looked  forward  with  hope  and 
 defire,  is  at  no  great  diftance;  with  what  zeal  and  folici- 
 tude  fhould  the  churches  prepare  for  it !  Unity  fhould  be 
 ardently  defired;  reconciliation  among  all  thofe  who  join 
 in  this  hope,  fhould  be  diligently  fought;  and  by  what 
 means  can  thefe  ends  be  purfued  with  fuch  advantage,  and 
 profpetl  of  fuccefs,  as  by  the  united  endeavours  of 
 thofe,  to  whom  it  has  pleafed  God  to  commit  the  govern- 
 ment of  his  church  ? 
 
 We  are  apt  to  eltimate  thofe  advantages  which  we  do 
 
 not 
 
xn 
 
 P  R  E  F  y\  C  E. 
 
 not  poffefs,  at  too  high  a  rate.  The  miraculous  powers 
 vhich  exifled  in  the  apoftpiic  age,  were  a  great  fupport 
 and  encouragement  to  Chiiftians  of  that  day;  but  it  appears 
 .to  me  that  as  great,  if  not  greater  fupport  and  encourage- 
 ment than  was  thereby  afforded  to  them,  will  be  bellowed 
 upon  the  churches  in  the  latter  day,  by   means  of  the 
 
 rULL,  CLEAR,  AND    UNCONTROVERTIBLE    FULFILMENT 
 
 OF  PROPHECY.  The  prophecies  are  an  increafing  evidence 
 of  the  truth  of  revelation,  and  that  the  Lord  reign  eth. 
 I  am  much  miftaken  if  they  are  in  general  fo  hard  to  be 
 underftood  as  they  have  been  frequently  imagined  to  be; 
 it  is  true  that  they  contain  accounts  of  grievous  fufFerings, 
 both  to  the  people  of  God,  and  to  thofe  who  affliQ  and 
 perfecute  them ;  but  what  true  Chriftian  is  there,  that 
 would  not  joyfully  and  patiently  fubmit  to  death,  rather 
 than  renounce  the  faith  of  that  blefled  Saviour,  who  fuf- 
 fered  on  the  crofs  for  him,  and  rofe  again  for  his  j unifica- 
 tion ?  (Rom.  iv.  25.)  efpecially  when  the  awful  denunci- 
 ations againft  apollacy  arc  confidered,  (Rev,  xiv.  9 — 11.) 
 and  the  eye  of  faith  can  behold  the  celellial  felicity  that 
 will  immediately  fucceed  the  ftroke,  Rev.  ii.  10.  xv.  2 — 4. 
 XX.  4.  It  is  only  againft  the  wicked,  againft  apoftates, 
 and  anarchifts,  that  awful  denunciations  will  be  found ; 
 and  I  once  more  repeat,  that  those  who  are  loyal 
 TO  their  prince,  and  sincerely  attached  to 
 true    religion,     have    an     exulting     prospect 
 
 BEFORE     them. 
 
 E  N'  F I  E  L  D ,     M'lddkfeXy 
 
 March  30,   1804, 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART     I. 
 
 DIALOGUE     I. 
 
 EXAMINATION  of  prejudices  concerning  the  Jews,  and 
 an  inveftigation  of  the  zdis  of  our  anceftors  towards  them 
 — Fox  the  martyrologift,  Bifliop  Newton,  Smollett,  and  other 
 hiftorians,  quoted,  to  prove  that  the  conduft  of  the  Chriftians 
 towards  the  Jews  hath  been  very  reprehenfible — Page  i — la 
 
 DIALOGUE    II. 
 
 The  inveftigation  of  the  a6ls  of  our  anceftors  towards  the 
 Jdws,  fhewn  to  be  a  duty  incumbent  upon  us — Sufferings  are 
 not  CONCLUSIVE  EVIDENCE  of  the  divine  dtfpleafure — ■ 
 Chriftians  were  once  as  much  calumniated  as  the  Jews  hava 
 been  fmce — The  Jews  defended,  and  many  of  the  afperfions 
 which  have  been  caft  upon  them  fhewn  to  have  been  un- 
 founded—The refpedability  of  the  Jewifh  nation  when  under 
 perfecution — The  fad  mifcondud  of  Chriftians  towards  them 
 confefled.  - , p.  1 3 — 33 
 
 DIALOGUE     III. 
 
 The  prefent  ftate  of  the  Jews  confidered — Reafons  given  for  the 
 opinion,  that  there  hath  already  taken  place  among  them  a 
 very  confiderable  change  for  the  better,  which  affords  good 
 hope  that  their  national  afflidions  have  not  been  endured  by 
 them  in  vain — Inquiry  how  far  they  are  tainted  with  felf- 
 righteoufnefs,  apoftacy,  lukewarmncfs,  and  covetoufnefs,  and 
 thofe  other  crimes  moft  commonly  objeded  againft  them  in 
 
 b  ^o\y 
 
»iv 
 
 CONTENTS.  Part  I. 
 
 holy  fcripturc,  but  efpccially  idolatry — Bldiop  Newton's 
 imputation  of  this  crime  againll  them  conficlered — Sufferings 
 for  confcicnce-fake,  arc  the  bed  evidence  of  fincerity — The 
 fincerity  of  the  Jews,  and  their  attachment  to  their  religion, 
 truly  exemplary — I'he  patience  and  rcfignation  with  which 
 they  have  endured  afflidtion  on  account  of  their  attachment 
 to  their  religion,  is  evidence  that  their  national  fufferings  have 
 not  been  endured  by  them  in  vain p.  33—54 
 
 DIALOGUE     IV. 
 
 Inquiry  how  far  the  Jews  are  now  tainted  with  the  crimes  ob- 
 jct^tcd  in  holy  fcripturc  againfl  their  anccftors,  viz.  difregard 
 of  the  divine  law,  efpccially  in  the  inftances  of  attachment  to 
 flrange  women,  luxury  and  confequent  oppreJiion,  difregard 
 of  the  fabbatical  years,,  and  withholding  their  tithes  and  offer- 
 ings— The  dreadful  fufferings  of  the  Jews  are  chiefly  to  be 
 attributed  to  their  prejudices,  wlrich  tended  to  defeat  the  very 
 end  and  intent  for  which  they  were  feparated  as  the  peculiar 
 people  of  God — The  Jews  were  not  feparated  from  the  rell  of 
 mankind,  for  their  own  exclufive  benefit,  but  tor  their  high 
 honour  and  advantage,  and  alfo  for  the  good  of  all  mankind — • 
 God's  covenant  with  Noah  and  his  defcendants,  conlidcred — 
 The  Tews  were  ordained  to  nrefcrve  the  record  of  this  erreat 
 .  covenant — In  Abraham's  feed  Ihall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
 be  bleffed — The  Jewirti  nation  fliould  be  higlily  honoured  and 
 refpedled  as  the  benetaSors  of  mankind — They  will  in  due 
 time  be  acknowledged  as  fuch -." p.  54 — 73 
 
 DIALOGUE    V. 
 
 By  quotations  from  Jofephus,  ?s:c.  it  is  proved,  that  the  Jewifli 
 calamities,  under  Titus  and  Adrian,  were  endured  by  them  in 
 confequence  of  fheir  prejudices,  \v'hich  tended  to  defeat  the 
 very  end  and  intent  tor  which  thev  were  feparated  as  the  pecu- 
 liar people  of  God — The  prefent  Jews  are  in  a  great  mcafure 
 ■weaned  from,  thefe  prejudices  ;  Mr.  David  Levi's  letters 
 quoted  to  prove  it — Even  when  under  the  greateft  national 
 afHidions,  the  Jews  have  fliewn  thcmfelves  to  be  a  noble 
 nation p.  7^ — 92 
 
 DIALOGUE    \T. 
 
 The  reafon  why  the  Jewifl)  priefts  and  Levltes  became  degraded 
 •was  w^ant  of  zeal — An  inquiry  how  far  the  modern  Jews  have 
 
 ihewn 
 
Part  I.  CONTENTS.  xv 
 
 fhewn  a  difpofnlon  the  reverfe  of  this^ — Obfervatlons  on  the 
 '  great  queftion,  What  is  it  that  keeps  the  Jews  in  a  degraded 
 fituation  r — Chriitians  miilaken  in  their  general  opinion  upon 
 this  fubje£l — The  true  caule  Itated,  and  means  pointed  out 
 towards  removing  this  bar  to  their  profperity — The  Jewiih 
 law  fhewn  to  be  the  law  of  benevolence,  kindnefs,  and  good 
 will  towards  men ...p.  92 — 109 
 
 DIALOGUE    VII. 
 
 Further  obfervations  concerning  the  bar  to  the  profperity  of 
 Ifrael,  and  how  tiiey  are  to  proceed  in  order  to  its  being  re-, 
 moved — The  dreadful  wrath  which  will  be  poured  out 
 upon  thofe  nations  that  have  opprefled  and  perfecuted  them, 
 fliould  induce  us  to  repent  of  the  mifconducl  of  our  anceltors 
 towards  them — There  feems  good  ground  to  hope  that  the 
 Jewiih  fufferings  are  nearly  ended p.  109 — 135 
 
 '  DIALOGUE    VIII. 
 
 Further  reafons  for  the  hope,  that  the  calamitous  fufferings  of 
 the  Jewiih  nation  are  nearly  ended,  and  that  the  chief  fuffer- 
 ings to  be  endured  by  them  in  time  to  come,  will  be  for  righ- 
 teoufnefs'  fake  ;  in  which  they  will  experience  miraculous  aid 
 and  deliverance  ;  and  the  Gentile  nations  an  awful  day  of  judg- 
 ment, in  which  great  multitudes  will  be  deftroyed.  -p.  136 — 152 
 
 DIALOGUE    IX. 
 
 Obfervatlons  concerning  idolatry ;  and  it  is  proved,  that  as  ido- 
 latry w^as  the  un  that  brought  the  greatell  calamities  upon  the 
 JcAvifli  nation,  fo  is  idolatry  the  fin  which  will  caufe  the 
 greateft  fufferings  to  the  Gentile  nations,  and  particularly  to 
 the  lifelefs  branches  of  the  Chriftian  church  ;  and  therefore, 
 that  it  is  neceffary  to  guard  againft  every  thing  which  borders 
 upon,  or  tends  toward  it,  with  the  molt  fedulous  attention — 
 The  book  of  Homilies  quoted  concerning  peril  of  ido- 
 latry— The  French  were  the  great  fupporters  of  the  Pope, 
 in  his  rebellion  againfl;  the  Emperor  j  and  the  great  fup- 
 porters of  idolatry — Urgent  cautions  againft  the  revival  of 
 idolatry p.  1^3— *7<5 
 
 PART 
 
xvi  CONTENTS.  Part  II. 
 
 PART     II. 
 
 DIALOGUE    I. 
 
 The  general  opinion  of  Chriftians,  that  the  Jews  are  in  a  ftatc 
 of  condemnation,  in  confeqiience  of  their  fathers  requiring  our 
 Saviour  to  be  crucified,  examined  and  refuted — The  univerfa- 
 lity  of  the  opinion  proved  by  references — The  mifcondu6l  of 
 Chriftians  towards  the  Jews,  and  the  errors  of  Chriftians  con- 
 cerning them,  have  been  the  means  of  keeping  them  from  the 
 inveltigation  of  the  Chriflian  rehgion — The  opinion  of  Dr. 
 Newton,  Bifliop  of  Briftol,  that  our  Saviour  took  vengeance 
 on  the  Jews  by  the  Romans,  examined  and  refuted,  and  the 
 bifhop's  quotation  of  fcripture  proved  to  be  incorreft — The 
 New  Teftament  proves  that  jealousy  left  the  Gentiles 
 ihould  partake  in  their  advantages  (and  not  the  crucifixion  of 
 our  Saviour)  was  the  ground  of  their  fufferings  ;  like  fome 
 of  thofe  now  denominated  rigid  Calvinifts,  they  diftorted  the 
 dodlrine  of  ele6lion — The  opinion  that  the  Jews  are  now  fuf- 
 fering  on  account  of  their  fathers  having  required  our  Saviour 
 to  be  crucified,  cannot  (after  an  examination  of  fcripture  con- 
 cerning it)  be  retained,  without  impiety  towards  our  bleffed 
 Saviour  himfclf ............p.  173 — 201 
 
 DIALOGUE    II. 
 
 Tiie  errors  of  Dr.  Warburton,  Bifhop  of  Gloucefter,  and  Dr. 
 Newton,  Bilhop  of  Briftol,  "  that  God's  reign  over  the  Jews 
 "  ended  with  the  abolition  of  the  temple  fervice  ;"  and  ''  tiiat 
 **  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  in  fpirit  and  in  truth,  then  had 
 **  its  firft  beginning;"  examined  and  refuted — The  great 
 advantages  of  learning  admitted,  but  it  is  poflible  to  eftimate 
 it  at  too  high  a  rate p.  202 — 220 
 
 DIALOGUE     III. 
 
 The  coming  of  our  Lord  '*  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
 ♦'  and  great  glory,"  as  declared  in  Matt.  xxiv.  Mark  xiii. 
 
 and 
 
Part  II.  CONTENTS. 
 
 xvu 
 
 and  Luke  xxi.  proved  to  be  an  event  to  take  place  immedi- 
 ately AFTER  the  tribulations  of  the  Jews  are  ended ;  and 
 confequently,  every  circumftance  which  tends  to  encourage 
 the  hope  that  the  Jewifh  fufFerings  are  nearly  ended,  tends 
 alfo  to  an  alTurance  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds 
 of  heaven  v/ith  power  and  great  glory,  is  an  event  to  be  foon 
 expelled — The  dreadful  errors  of  Dr.  Warburton,  Bifliop  of 
 Gloucerter,  and  Dr.  Newton,  Biiiiop  of  Briftol,  who  reprefent 
 this  coming  of  our  Lord  as  already  past,  examined  and 
 refuted — Hiflory  eftabli flies  the  fa£l  that  the  Jewifli  tribula- 
 tions did  not  END  with  the  deflrudtion  of  Jerufalem  and  their 
 temple — Their  fubfequent  fufferings,  and  their  degradation  to 
 this  day,  prove  that  their  tribulation  hath  not  yet  ceafed ;  al- 
 though circumflances  induce  us  to  hope  that  their  tribulation 
 is  very  near  its  termination — The   coming  of  our  Lord 
 
 IS  to  BE  expected  IMMEDIATELY  AFTER  THAT  TRI- 
 BULATION  p.   220 243 
 
 DIALOGUE     IV.  r 
 
 Gbfervations  on  the  palTage  in  Matt.  xvi.  28.  "  There  be  fomc 
 **  Handing  here  that  ihall  not  taste  of  death  till  they 
 *'  fee  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom  ;"  which  words 
 are  proved  to  have  been  literally  tulfilled — The  true  Mes- 
 siah is  not  a  deftroyer  of  the  Jewifli  nation,  but  the  fcourge 
 of  their  enemies,  and  the  restorer  of  the  kingdom 
 unto  Israel,  the  glory  of  his  people  Israel — 
 The  feverefl:  denunciations  in  the  whole  word  of  God,  arc 
 thofe  againft  apostates  from  the  Christian  reli- 
 gion— The  Bilhop  of  Rochefter  (now  St.  Afaph)  quoted  to 
 prove,  that  there  is  no  fecret  do6trine  from  the  hearing  of 
 which  the  illiterate  laity  are  to  be  excluded — The  great  objec- 
 tion of  infidels,  that  our  Lord,  *'  in  order  to  keep  his  followers 
 '*  attached  to  his  fervlce,  and  patient  under  fufFerings,  flat- 
 "  tered  them  with  the  very  near  approach  of  thofe  rewards, 
 "  which  completed  all  their  views  and  expc6lations,"  fliewn 
 to  be  unfounded;  and  it  is  proved,  that  the  authorized 
 expectations  of  Chriltians  of  the  apoltolic  age  were  com- 
 pletely realized p.  244 — 268 
 
 DIALOGUE     V. 
 
 The  Jewifli  religion  is  a  rejoicing  religion,  an  exulting  religion, 
 calculated  to  engage  all  the  affedions ;  and  the  Chriltian  reli- 
 gion will  in  due  time  alfume  a  much  more  Jewifh  appearance — 
 
 when 
 
Kvai 
 
 CONTENTS.  Part  IL 
 
 ■when  our  blefTed  Saviour  fhall  come  again  ''  in  the  clouds  of 
 •*  heaven  -with  power  and  great  glory" — **  to  gather  together 
 **  his  eledl  from  the  four  winds,  from  the  uttermolt  part  of 
 **  the  earth,  to  the  uttermoft  part  of  heaven,"  (Mark  xiii. 
 26,  27)  ;  when  the  Jews  are  thus  gathered  together  out  of  all 
 nations,  they  v.-ill  univerfally  be  honoured  and  refpecled — ■ 
 That  very  Jefus  of  Nazareth,  the  king  of  the  Jews,  whom 
 their  fathers  rejeded,  and  required  to  be  crucihed,  will  come 
 again  to  reftore  the  kingdom  unto  Ifrael,  and  prove  himfelf  to 
 be  their  true  Mefliah ;  not  only  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles, 
 
 but  alfo  THE  GLORY    OF    HIS    PEOPLE    ISRAEL The    book 
 
 of  the  Revelation,  the  great  antidote  againlt  herelies  and  errors, 
 a  model  for  felf-examination  ;  and  affords  us  ftrong  confola- 
 tion,  and  an  affurance  that  there  Ihall  be  a  great  revival  of 
 true  Chriilianity p.  269 — 286 
 
 DIALOGUE     VL 
 
 Further  reafons  given  for  the  hope  that  the  JcMafh  fufferings  arc 
 nearly  ended  ;  and  that  the  coming  of  our  Jyord  in  the  clouds 
 of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,  for  their  deliverance 
 and  reftoration  to  their  own  land,  is  an  event  by  no  means 
 remote — The  Bilhop  of  Rocheifer's  charge  at  his  fecond  vifi- 
 tation  quoted,  to  prove  that  there  hath  of  late  years  exiftcd  a 
 CONSPIRACY  againft  the  ChriiHan  religion,  in  which  literary 
 men  have  had  a  great  fharc — That  this  confpiracy  hath  pro- 
 duced a  GREAT  APOSTACY — The  great  Antichrilt,  the  man 
 of  fin,  and  Ton  of  perdition,  arifcs  out  of  an  apollacy;  and  as 
 the  Lord  will  deftroy  him  by  the  brightnefs  of  his  coming, 
 the  exiftcnce  of  this  great  apoftacy  amounts  to  evidence, 
 that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  is  nn  event  at  no  remote  diftance — 
 The  Bifliop  of  Rocheiler's  Critical  Dilquifiticns  on  Ifaiah 
 the  18th,  quoted,  and  reafons  given  for  the  hope  that  the 
 Britiih  iiles  v/iil  gladly  contribute  to  the  reftoration  of  the 
 Jews  t p.  286 — 310 
 
 DIALOGUE     VIL 
 Reafons  given  for  the  opinion,   that  a  great  alteration 
 
 WILL    B£    made     in    THE  CHRISTIAN     CHURCHES,    which 
 
 will  aiTume  a  much  more  Jeavish  appearance  ;  and  Chril- 
 
 tians  glory  in  obedience  to  that   theocracy  which  will  be 
 
 ■  cltablilhed   among  the  Jews — The   Old  Teftament  and  the 
 
 New  Tertament  are   in  unifun  together  j    and  confequently 
 
 every 
 
fART  11.  CONTENTS. 
 
 XIX 
 
 every  authorized  expedation  of  Jews  and  Chriftians  will  be 
 found  to  be  alfo  in  unilbn p,  gio — 327 
 
 DIALOGUE    VIII. 
 
 Reafons  given  for  the  opinion,  that  previous  to  the  great 
 and  mole  confpicuous  return  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land, 
 (which  will  be  effeilcd  by  the  zeal  of  all  nations,  to  do  that 
 which  is  moil  pleafing  to  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael)  there  will 
 be  a  PARTIAL  RESTORATION  of  vwzny  of  them  to  their  own 
 land,  which  will  probably  be  eiFeded  by  the  piety  of  Proteftant 
 powers,  who  may  renounce  their  prejudices  againft  them,  and 
 lee  that  the  nonrecisption  of  the  Christian  doc- 
 trine is  not  the  bar  to  their  reftoration  to  the  favour  of 
 God — Bifhop  Warburton's  affcrtion,  that  the  effcnce  of  the 
 Jewifh  religion  v/as  ceremonial,  proved  to  be  inco'rred—- 
 A  paifage  in  a  fermon  of  Archbifhop  Tillotfon  quoted,  to  prove 
 that  unworthy  fentiments  concerning  the  Jewilh  fcriptures 
 have  prevailed — The  unreafonablenefs  of  retaining  the  leall 
 fpaik  of  refentment  againd  the  Jews  on  account  of  their  un- 
 belief— and  the  queftion  whtther  they  will  be  reftored  refokr 
 they  are  fully  convinced  that  our  Saviour  is  their  true  Meiliah, 
 confidered  ;  and  the  Bifhop  of  Rochefter's  opinion  upon  this 
 fubjcd    examined p.  328 — 377 
 
 DIALOGUE  TX. 
 
 Reafons  given  for  the  opinion,  that  as,  previous  to  the  definic- 
 tion  of  Jerufalem,  and  the  great  tribulation  of  the  Jewilh 
 nation,  there  were  to  arife  impious  impollors,  wars,  and  ru- 
 mours of  wars ;  earthquakes,  famines,  peililences,  fearful 
 fights,  and  great  figns  from  heaven  ;  perfecution,  lukewarm- 
 nefs,  and  apoifacy;  fo  will  there,  in  like  manner,  arife  hmilar 
 events  previous  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of 
 heaven  v^^ith  power  and  great  glory,  to  gather  together  his 
 eleiSl,  his  beloved  nation,  the  Jews  !  And  as  the  gofpel  was 
 univerfally  publilhed  before  the  deifruction  of  Jerufalem,  fo 
 will  there  be  a  renewed  preaching  of  the  gofpel  in  time  to 
 come — This  repromulgation  of  the  gofpel  will  produce  that 
 great  alteration  which  will  take  place  in  the  opinions  of  man- 
 kind concerning  the  Jews,  and  be  a  preparation  for  their 
 return  to  Zion — Tlie  return  of  the  Jews  t"o  Zion  con- 
 fidered, and  the  events  which  will  prepare  the  way  for  their 
 return .......,.,..,.,.._p.  378 — 430 
 
 DIALOGUE 
 
Kx  CONTENTS.  Part  II. 
 
 DIALOGUE     X. 
 
 Reafons  are  given  for  the  opinion,  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord 
 in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,  is  an 
 event  which  will  be  difcernible  by  the  bodily  eye  ;  and  that 
 his  angels,  whom  he  will  fend  to  gather  together  his  eled, 
 from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other, 
 (Matt.  xxiv.  29 — 31.)  are  real  angels,  to  whom  he  will  com- 
 mit the  gathering  together  of  his  eledf ,  his  beloved  nation  the 
 Jews — The  great  and  awful  effefts  which  will  refult  from  the 
 coming  of  our  Lord,  confidered;  particularly  to  thofe  who 
 are  the  oppofcrs  of  his  truth,  and  the  opprelfors  of  his  peo- 
 ple— The  deftru6lion  of  the  wicked  v/ill  extend  from  one  end 
 of  the  earth,  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth — The  mercy 
 and  goodnefs  of  the  Lord  will  be  manifefted,  in  dell:roying  the 
 deftroyers  of  the  earth — The  great  felicity  which  will  refult  to 
 true  Chriftians,  from  the  great  event ;  which  they  will  watch 
 for,  and  ardently  defire — The  great  benefit  which  will  refult 
 to  the  Jews,  who  wmII  mourn  when  they  fee  him  whom  they 
 have  pierced;  and  the  happinefs  which  will  be  beftowed  upon 
 the  preferved  of  the  Gentiles,  who  will  be  converted  to  the 
 faith  and  worfliip  of  the  only  true  God,  and  with  piety  con- 
 vey the  remainder  of  the  Jews  who  remain  among  them,  as  an 
 offering  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  to  Mount  Zion  ;  and  be 
 permitted  to  go  up  to  Jerufalem  to  worfhip,  and  to  keep  the 
 feaft  of  tabernacles p.  430 — ^11 
 
 AN 
 
AN 
 
 ATTEMPT 
 
 TO   REMOVE 
 
 PREJUDICES 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 THE    JEWISH    NATION. 
 
 PART    I. 
 FIRST    DIALOGUE. 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 An  Examination  of  Prejudices  concerning  the  yews,  and  an  InveJIiga^ 
 tlon  of  the  AEls  of  our  Anceflors  towards  them» 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND   SUDDEN. 
 
 Cautious.  1\ /TY  good  friend,  as  we  are  now  alone,  and  at  lei- 
 lYJL  fure,  permit  me  (without  giving  offence)  to  no- 
 tice an  exprelTion  of  yours  which  furprifed  me;  it  was  when 
 your  landlord  parted  from  us,  turning  to  me,  you  faid,  *'  The 
 *'  FELLOW  IS  A  PERFECT  Jew."  I  did  not  fpeak  to  you  about  it 
 at  the  time,  becaufe  I  knew  that  we  fliouldthen  have  neither  time 
 nor  opportunity  to  difcufs  the  propriety  or  impropriety  of  it. 
 
 Sudden.  I  perfeaiy  well  remember  it.  I  did  ufe  the  ex- 
 prelTion, and  had  good  reafon  to  ufe  it,  for  he  fhewed  a  difpofition 
 to  take  all  poflible  advantage  of  my  necefhties,  to  drive  a  hard 
 bargain  with  me  ;  and  I  therefore  think  I  was  no  ways  wrong 
 in  turning  to  you,  my  friend,  when  he  v/as  gone,  and  faying 
 that  he  was  <*  a  perfeft  Jew,"  for,  alas  !  I  have  found  turn  to 
 my  coft  to  be    '*  a  perfc£l  Jew." 
 
 Cautious.  I  fmcerely  wiih  you  may  fettle  matters  with  hrni  to 
 your  fatisfaaion.  I  do  not  wonder  at  your  exprelling  dil- 
 pleafure,  when  vou  think  you  are  irnpofed  upon  ;  all  1  meant  to 
 f^  '  '  ^       g  notice 
 
t  DIALOGUE     I.  Part  T. 
 
 notice  is,  that  national  reflccSlions  are  illiberal,  and  as  fuch  I  wlCa' 
 you,  my  friend,  to  abflain  from  them,  they  in  general  recoil  upon 
 the  perfon  iifuig  them,  as  it  is  more  difgraceful  to  ufe  an  illi- 
 beral expreflion  than  undefervedly  to  be  the  objeft  of  it. 
 
 Sudden.  To  be  fure  I  have  heard  it  faid,  that  the  truth 
 fhould  not  be  fpoken  at  all  times,  and  in' part  I  agree  to  it; 
 there  is  no  need  for  me  to  tell  a  very  ordinary  woman  that  fhe  is 
 not  handfome,  for  flie  cannot  help  it ;  but  I  conceive  there  can 
 be  no  illiberality  in  fpeaking  of  the  condu6l  of  any  body  of  men, 
 for  this  is  in  their  own  power  ;  and  the  univerfality  of  the  opinion 
 is  proof  to  me,  that  the  reproach  which  attends  the  very  name  of 
 Jew,  is  a  jull  and  well  founded  reproach. 
 
 Cautious.      I  do  not  think  fo. 
 
 Sudden.  Did  you  ever  read  Shakefpeare  ?  You  will  there 
 find  the  flinty-hearted  Jew  pourtrayed  to  the  life. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have,  but  I  am  not  to  be  fwayed  in  my  judgment 
 either  by  popular  and  vulgar  prejudice,  or  by  poetical  defcrip- 
 tions  ;  all  that  I  allow  to  Shakefpeare  is,  that  he  has  in  the  moll 
 nervous  language  exhibited  to  our  view  a  difgufting  charaitcr,  in 
 fa6l,  fuch  a  charadler  as  is  formed  in  the  minds  of  the  vulgar  and 
 illiberal  concerning  a  Jew  ufurer,  but  I  by  no  means  believe  it  to 
 be  a  charafter  copied  from  life. 
 
 Sudden.  Well,  but,  my  good  friend,  furely  you  muft  allow 
 that  the  Jews  are  an  odious  people.  If  you  have  any  objection  to 
 the  authority  of  the  poet  (and  to  be  fure  poets  who  deal  fo  much 
 in  fi^lion  fhould  not  be  quoted  to  eftabliih  matter  of  fa£l)  let 
 us  proceed  to  the  confideration  of  hillory,  and  you  will  find 
 that  the  Jews  have  ever  been  diftinguiilied  as  a  knavifh  people, 
 who  will  over-reach  and  cheat  you  if  they  can  ;  a  hard  dealing, 
 hard-hearted  people,  taking  all  manner  of  advantage  of  the  ne- 
 ceflities  of  others. 
 
 Cautious.  I  fee  that  you  are  fo  warm,  and  fo  very  zealous  in 
 maintaining  your  opinion,  that  we  had  poffibly  beft  drop  the  fub- 
 jc6l,  as  I  aifure  you  I  do  not  mean  to  refort  to  any  vehemence, 
 or  to  ufe  any  ftrong  language,  if  we  proceed  in  the  inveftigation 
 of  the  opinion,  which  I  mult  Itill  fay  I  confider  as  a  vulgar  pre- 
 judice, only  to  be  excufed  in  the  vulgar,  the  unthinking,  and 
 illiberal,  in  neither  of  which  claffes  I  have  ever  yet  ranked  my 
 friend,  without  this  fingle  inltance  is  an  exception,  which  I  at- 
 tribute to  the  inveteracy  of  popular  prejudice. 
 
 Sudden.  I  "have  not  the  leaft  objeftion  to  proceed  in  the  dif- 
 cuflion  ;  I  trufl  you  have  evertound  me  open  to  convi6lion,  and 
 that  you  will  be  fo  likewife.  My  opinion  is  the  general  opi- 
 nion, the  prevailing  opinion,  and  yours  is,  I  am  afraid,  a  loli- 
 tary  opinion.  My  opinion  is  founded  on  fa6ls,  hiltory,  expe- 
 rience, and  obfervation  ;  and  as  I  have  adopted  the  ftrongeft  fide, 
 or  at  leail  the  fide  that  is  fupported  by  the  moil  numerous  au- 
 thorities,   pray  do   you  begin   the  argument,    by  giving  reafons 
 
 why 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  ^ 
 
 why  you  dilTent  from  the  general  opinion.  You  remember  that 
 there  is  a  faying,   *<  What  every  body  fays  muft  be  truth." 
 
 Cautious.  I  know  there  is  fuch  a  faying,  which  I  fhall  coun- 
 tera6l  by  a  better,  *<  Woe  unto  you  when  all  men  fpeak  well 
 *'  of  you,"  Luke  vi.  26.  *'  Blefled  are  ye  when  men  fhall  revile 
 *'  you,  and  perfecute  you,  and  fhall  fay  all  manner  of  evil  againrt 
 *'  you  falfely  for  my  fake,"  Matth.  v.  11.  You  fee  that  I  am 
 difpofed  to  treat  the  fubjedl  very  ferioufly,  and  I  hope  for  the 
 fame  difpofition  from  you  :  I  only  quote  thefe  words  to  prove  by 
 authority,  which  you  as  well  as  I  admit  as  the  beft  authority,  that 
 good  or  evil  report  are  not  to  be  confidered  as  well  founded  on 
 account  of  their  univerfality. 
 
 Sudden.  Well,  but  proceed  to  give  your  reafons  why  you 
 think  fo  differently  from  the  generality  of  mankind. 
 
 Cautious,  In  the  firft  place  then,  I  always  make  it  a  rule  to 
 judge  for  myfelf,  and  if  I  difcover  a  bias  in  either  judge,  jury, 
 hiflorian,  or  reporter,  I  always  endeavour  to  guard  againfl  being 
 drawn  into  error.  You  have  doubtlefs  read  the  trials  of  many 
 of  thofe  who  perillied  or  fuffered  in  the  turbulent  times  of  Charles 
 II.  and  James  II.  Do  we  form  our  opinion  concerning  Baxter, 
 Rulfei,  or  Sidney,  from  the  verdi6ls  given  againfl  them  by  the 
 juries,   or  by  the  charges  of  the  judges  who  tried  them  ? 
 
 Sudden.  Certainly  we  do  not.  The  times  to  which  you  refer 
 were  turbulent  times,  in  which  there  were  factions  contending  for 
 maftery.  One"  year  the  tide  of  opinion  ran  one  way  and  the  next 
 the  reverfe  ;  but  it  is  not  fo  with  the  opinions  of  mankind  con- 
 cerning the  Jews  :  for  you  cannot  point  to  a  period  in  their 
 hiftory  fmce  the  deftru6lion  of  Jerufalem  in  which  they  have 
 been  efleemed  ;  they  have  been  tolerated,  and  fuffered  to  remain 
 quiet  at  times,  but  they  have  never  yet  been  esteemed,  on  the 
 contrary  they  have  ever  been  reproached,  and  I  fear  you  have 
 undertaken  a  difficult  talk,  to  prove  that  they  are  not  juftly  en- 
 titled to  the  reproach  they  have  endured.. 
 
 Cautious.  God  forbid  that  I  fhould  reproach  them,  on  the  con- 
 trary, I  never  willingly  take  the  wall  of  a  Jew,  be  he  ever  fo 
 poor  \  and  many  times  have  the  tears  ftarted  from  my  eyes, 
 whilft  (after  having  pafTed  a  poor  Jew)  I  have  ejaculated,  "  Re- 
 *'  deem  Ifrael,  O  God,  out  of  all  his  troubles,"  Pfal.  xxv.  22. 
 *'  And  build  thou  the  walls  of  Jerufalem,"  Pfal.  li..  8.  But, 
 to  return  to  the  argument,  you  referred  to  hilfory,  and  challanged 
 me  to  point  to  any  period  in  their  hiftory  fince  the  deftru6tion  of 
 Jerufalem  in  which  they  have  been  eileemed.  I  admit  that  I  can- 
 not point  to  any  fuch  period,  but  the  univerfality  and  long  con- 
 tinuance of  reproach  is  no  proof  that  it  is  well  founded.  The 
 reproach  they  have  endured  hath  not  been  founded  upon  their 
 m.ifcondu<Et,  but  hath  proceeded  from  that  hatred  they  have  had 
 the  mifery  to  endure.  Thank  God  this  hatred  hath,  fince  the 
 Reformation,  greatly  abated  j  and  the  confequenge  i^^  that  al- 
 though 
 
4  DIALOGUE    I.  Part  I. 
 
 though  they  are  ftill  defpifed  and  reproached  by  many,  yet  they 
 are  not  fo  grofsly  calumniated  as  they  were  in  former  times.  The 
 charge  of  unfair  dealing  is  not  the  only  charge  which  you  will 
 find  urged  againil  them  in  hiftory,  you  will  find  them  charged 
 with  crucifying  little  children.  How  is  it  that  they  have  not  (at 
 leaft  in  Proteltant  countries)  been  charged  with  any  fuch  horrid 
 pra£lices  in  latter  times  ?  Doubtlefs  becaufe  truth  is  more 
 efleemed  than  it  was  in  former  times,  and  thofe  whofe  intereft  it 
 was  falfely  to  charge  them  with  fuch  enormities  do  not  now  bear 
 fway.  ISIotwithftanding  our  prefent  converfation  is  evidence  that 
 I  think  there  {till  exill  prejudices  againil  the  Jews,  yet  am  I 
 thankful  that  thefe  prejudices  are  are  not  fo  ftrong  as  they  have 
 been.  By  the  blefling  of  God  upon  the  great  invention  of  print- 
 ing, knowledge  is  ditfufed,  and  mankind  are  better  inffrufted 
 than  they  were  fome  centuries  ago.  It  would  not  do  now  to 
 charge  the  Jews  with  fome  enormous  crime,  and  then  to  punifh 
 them  as  a  nation,  and  confifcate  their  property.  The  fhallow 
 device  would  be  feen  through,  and  we  fhould  fay,  '*  Was  not 
 **  their  being  in  poflTefTion  of  riches  their  greateit  crime?"  It 
 would  not  do  now  to  try  the  experiment,  whether  the  teeth  or 
 the  calh  of  a  Jew  were  moft  efteemed  by  him,  I  fay  again,  that 
 I  am  truly  thankful  to  God  that  prejudices  againft  their  nation 
 are  wearing  away  ;  and  moft  happy  fhould  I  efteem  myfelf  if  I 
 were  to  be  enabled  to  contribute  my  mite  in  fo  good  a  caufe. 
 
 Sudden.  I  admit  that  as  far  as  refpefts  any  prejudices  againft 
 them  on  account  of  their  differing  from  us  in  religion,  there  has 
 been  a  moft  happy  change  in  the  public  opinion  concerning  them, 
 and  I  am  glad  of  it  ;  for  I  deteft  intolerance  or  perfecution,  and 
 fhould  be  happy  to  change  my  opinion  of  them,  but,  my  good 
 friend,  I  cannot  fhut  my  eyes  to  what  I  read,  fee,  and  obferve. 
 
 Cautious.  You  make  a  very  jufl  diftin<51:ion  between  their  re- 
 ligion and  their  condu6l  ;  but  how  is  it  that  in  the  profeffion  of 
 their  religion  they  are  now  tolerated  and  cherifhed  ?  It  is  becaufe 
 mankind  are  better  informed,  and  Chriftians  in  general  have  their 
 eyes  open  to  this  moft  obvious  fa6l,  that  all  thofe  who  are  inimical 
 to  Chriftianity  as  revealed  religion,  are  equally  inimical  to  the 
 Jewiih  religion.  Now  unfortunately  in  our  day  the  enemies  of 
 revealed  religion  are  very  numerous  and  powerful. — I  fay  that 
 Chriftians  now  fee  that  the  Chriftian  religion  is  founded  ON 
 THE  Jewish  religion,  and  that  all  affaults  againft  Chriftianity, 
 as  revealed  religion,  ftrike  equally  at  the  foundation  of  the  Jewifh 
 religion.  Chriftianity  may  be  compared  to  a  lofty  tower,  the 
 bafe  of  which  is  garrifoned  by  Jews,  and  they  know  that  con- 
 tention and  unkindnefs  between  the  individuals  who  compofe  the 
 garrifon  is  unwife,  and  tends  to  weaken  the  defence  of  the 
 fortrefs.  But  to  return  to  hiftory: — You  will  grant  that  the 
 hiftorians  to  which  we  refer  being  Chriftians,  and  Chriftians 
 who  in  many  inftances  j[hew  a  degree  of  hatred  againft  the  Jews, 
 
 fome 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE!.  vj; 
 
 fome  allowance  is  to  be  made  in  our  eftimate  for  the  bias  undei- 
 which  they  wrote. 
 
 Sudden.     I  am  ready  and  willing  to  make  fuch  allowance. 
 
 Cautious.  Well,  then  let  us  proceed  to  the  confiderution  oF 
 the  evidence  furnillied  by  hiltory,  and  as  you  are  fo  liberal  as; 
 to  grant  that  there  fhould  be  fome  allowance  made  for  the 
 bias  under  which  the  hiltorians  wrote,  I  promife  you  I  will 
 draw  out  the  account  as  furniihed  by  the  hiflorians  with  as. 
 much  accuracy  as  I  can,  although  I  fhall  ftudy  to  be  as  briel ' 
 as  poffible.  There  are  few  countries  in  which  the  Jews  have: 
 been  fcattered  where  they  have  been  treated  with  lefs  crueltjr 
 than  in  England,  and  yet  I  will  fay,  that  if  the  Jews  and  th(5 
 Englifh  were  to  inveftigate  the  conduft  of  their  anceftors,  an(.i 
 their  behaviour  towards  each  other,  that  the  Engliihman  Ihould 
 blulh  at  the  comparifon. 
 
 Sudden.     I  am  aitonifhed  to  hear  you  fay  fo  ;  but  proceed. 
 
 Cautious.  The  Jews  who  remained  after  the  great  fuiferino  s 
 endured  by  their  nation  under  Titus,  and  the  greater  fufFerins;s 
 endured  by  them  under  Adrian  (in  which  they  compute  thj  it 
 double  more  Jews  were  flain  than  came  out  of  Egypt,  and  th.'  xX 
 their  fufFerings  under  Nebuchadnezzar  and  Titus  were  exceeds  d 
 by  their  fufFerings  under  Adrian).  The  Jews  who  remained 
 were  fcattered  into  all  nations,  and  held  in  deteltation,  and  treats  :d 
 with  univerfal  contempt  and  unkindnefs,  and  were  comparatively 
 happy,  if  contempt  and  unkindnefs  were  not  matured  into  acSiv'e 
 cruelty,  opprellion,  and  virulent  perfecution  againd  then|i. 
 Thefe  things  they  endured  in  this  nation  as  well  as  othier's. 
 The  laws  enabled  by  Conftantine  the  Great,  and  his  fon  and 
 fuccelFor  Conllantius,  were  very  fevere  againlt  the  Jews.,  arjd 
 the  fucceeding  emperors  in  general  were  for  repreflin;  ^  Ju- 
 daifm,  in  the  fame  proportion  as  they  were  zealous  for  pro- 
 moting Chriltianity.     (Bilhop  Newton,  Vol.  II.  320.) 
 
 Jerufalem  was  under  the  power  of  Conftantine  the  Cjreat, 
 adorned  with  ftately  buildings ;  but  ftill,  when  inhabite  d  by 
 .Chriftians,  it  was  an  unhappy  city,  and  fubje<ft  to  calamities 
 and  diftrefs  by  the  contefts  of  the  furrounding  powers,  a  nd  at 
 length  it  fell  under  the  pov/er  of  Ormar,  the  Caliph,  who  took 
 it  from  the  Chriftians. —  I  ftiould  not  have  noticed  this,  but  for 
 the  fake  of  the  izSt  v/hich  is  recorded,  that  he  found  the  place 
 where  the  temple  of  Solomon  form.erly  ftood  had  been  b)  the 
 Chriftians  *'  filled  with  ordure  in  hatred  to  the  Jews"  (326). 
 Can  we  contemplate  this  without  emotion  and  a  blufli  ?  "W  hen 
 Jerufalem  was  befieged  by  the  Crufaders  in  1099- and  taken, 
 all  the  Je"ws  who  were  in  the  place  were  gathered  together  .and 
 burnt !  The  Engliih  formed  a  very  numerous  portion  of  the 
 army  of  cruiadcrs  ;  and  Robert,  Duke  of  Normandy,  the  Ton 
 of  our  King  William  tiie  Conqueror,  is  faid  to  have  fignalized 
 his  valour,  coiviud,  and  military  Ikill,  above  all  the  other  princres 
 
 who 
 
S  DIALOGUE!.  Part  I. 
 
 \ilio  embarked  in  the  expedition  (Smollet,  Vol.1.  459);  and 
 certainly  the  Englilh  were  therefore  partakers  in  the  adion^ 
 "M  hether  glorious  or  difgraceful.  Ought  we  not  to  blufh  when 
 we  con.lder  thefe  things? — But  to  return  to  what  hath  been 
 tiranfaded  by  Englifhmen  alone  in  our  own  land  ;  the  iirft  re- 
 markable general  perfeciition  of  the  Jews  which  I  am  aware  of 
 iiji  this  land  we  find  in  the  reign  of  Richard  I.;  if  we  could 
 Ticlate  the  individual  fuiFerings  of  the  Jews,  even  before  that 
 period,  I  doubt  not  they  would  fill  volumes,  efpecially  after 
 the  madnefs  of  crufading  commenced;  but  we  will  pafs  thefe 
 biy,  and  come  to  the  inilance  above  referred  to,  and  relate  it 
 irJi  the  very  words  of  Fox,  the  hiitorian  and  martyrologift.  He 
 VT/jas  in  the  hand  of  God  a  chofen  inftrument  (efpecially  by 
 th|e  publication  of  his  Book  of  Martyrs)  in  reforming  this  land 
 from  the  errors  of  Popery  ;  and  although  I  can  fee  the  prejudice 
 under  which  he  laboured  in  his  opinions  concerning  the  Jev/s, 
 I  can  make  allowance  for  the  inveteracy  of  that  prejudice,  which 
 was  then  far  more  prevalent  than  it  is  now,  or  we  fliould  not 
 have  had  the  character  of  Shylock  produced  by  his  cotemporary 
 Sh  akefpeare. 
 
 The  pafiage  I  refer  to,  you  will  find  in  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs, 
 'V\)\.  I.  213.  **  In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1189,  King  Richard, 
 "  the  eldelt  fon  of  Henry  IL  fucceeded  his  father,  during  the 
 **  'time  of  whofe  coronation  it  befell,  that  notwithftanding  tlie 
 *'  king,  the  day  before  his  coronation,  and  by  public  edlcfl,  com- 
 *'■  manded  both  the  Jews  and  their  wives  not  to  prefume  either 
 "  to  enter  the  church  or  his  palace  during  the  folemnization  of  \ 
 *'  his:  coronation  among  his  nobles  and  barons,  yet  (whilit  the  king 
 ♦'  wa\s  at  dinner)  the  chieftain  of  the  Jews,  with  divers  other  of 
 *'  hisljewifli  affinity  and  fuperftitious  fe£l,  againft  the  king's 
 *' .proihibition,  together  with  others,  entered  the  court  gates; 
 '*  whereat  a  Chrillian  man  being  offended,  itruck  one  of  them 
 **  with  his  fill,  and  bade  him  (land  further  from  the  court  gate, 
 **  as  tliie  king  had  given  in  commandment,  whofe  example  others 
 **  alfoi  following,  being  difpleafed  with  the  Jews,  offered  them 
 **  thellike  contumely  ;  others  alfo  fuppoling  that  the  king  had 
 *'  fo  commanded  indeed,  as  ufing  the  authority  of  the  king,  fell 
 **  up<)n  all  the  Jews  that  ftood  by  without  the  court  gate,  and 
 *'  firft  they  beat  them  with  their  hits,  but  afterwards  they  took 
 **  v!p  ftones,  and  fuch  other  things  as  they  could  get,  and  threw 
 **  at  them,  and  beat  them  therewith,  and  thus  driving  them  from 
 "  the  court  gates,  fome  of  them  they  wounded,  fome  they  ilew, 
 *'  ar/J  fome  they  left  for  dead. 
 
 **  There  was  among  this  number  of  the  Jews  one  which  was 
 *'  called  the  BlelTed  Jew  of  York,  which  was  fo  fore  wounded 
 **  and  beaten  with  the  red,  that  for  fear  of  his  life  he  faid  he 
 *'  would  become  a  Chrillian,  and  was  indeed,  of  William  the 
 *•  prior  of  the  church  of  St.  Mary  of  York,  baptized,  whereby 
 
 "  he 
 
I^ART  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    I.  f 
 
 **  he  efcaped  the  peril  of  death  he  was  in,  and  the  pcrfccutor'/j 
 **  hands.  In  the  mean  while  there  was  a  great  rumour  Ipread 
 "  throughout  all  the  city  of  London,  that  the  king  had  com- 
 **  manded  to  dcftroy  all  the  Jews,  whereupon,  as  well  the 
 **  citizens  as  innumerable  people  more,  being  afTembled  to  fee 
 **  the  king's  coronation,  armed  thcmfelves  and  came  together. 
 **  The  Jews  being  thus  for  the  mod  part  llain,  the  refl:  fled  into 
 "  their  houfes,  where,  for  a  time,  through  the  ftrong  and  furc 
 •*  building  of  them,  they  were  defended,  but  at  length  their 
 •*  houfes  were  fet  on  fire,  and  they  deltroyed  therein. 
 
 "  Thefe  things  being  declared  to  the  king,  whillt  he  with  his 
 <*  nobles  and  barons  were  at  dinner,  he  fendeth  immediately 
 **  Ranulph  de  Glanville,  the  lord  high  fteward  of  England,  with  • 
 **  divers  other  noblemen  to  accompany  him,  that  they  might  ftay 
 *'  and  reftrain  thefe  fo  bold  enterprizes  of  the  Londoners  ;  but 
 *<  all  was  in  vain,  for  in  this  fo  great  a  tumult  none  there  was 
 "  that  either  regarded  what  the  nobility  faid,  or  paid  any  reve- 
 **  rence  to  them,  but  rather  with  Itern  looks  and  threatening 
 *'  words,  advifed  them  (and  that  quickly)  to  depart:  whereupon 
 *'  they  J  with  good  deliberation  thinking  it  bell:  fo  to  do,  departed. 
 **  The  tumult  and  infurre6tion  continuing  until  the  next  day,  at 
 *'  which  time  alio  the  king  fending  certain  of  his  officers  into 
 *'  the  city,  gave  them  in  commandment  to  apprehend  and  pre- 
 **  fent  fome  fuch  as  were  the  chiefelt  of  the  malefaftors,  of  tlie 
 *<  which  three  were  condemned  to  be  hanged,  and  fo  M'ere  \  the 
 "  one  for  that  he  had  robbed  a  Christian's  houfe  in  this  tu- 
 **  mult,  and  the  other  two  for  that  they  had  fired  the  houfes,  to 
 *'  the  GREAT  DANGER  of  the  city  ;  after  this  the  king  fent  for 
 *'  him  that  from  a  Jev/  was  converted  to  Chriitianity,  and  in 
 *'  the  prefence  of  thofe  that  faw-  where  he  was  baptized,  the 
 *'  king  aflced  him  whether  he  was  become  a  Chrillian  or  not  ? 
 "  He,  anfwering  the  king,  faid  no ;  but  to  the  intent  he  might 
 •'  efcape  death,  he  promifed  to  do  whatever  the  Chriftians 
 **  would  have  him.  Then  the  king  aiked  the  archbifhop  of 
 **  Canterbury  (other  archbifhops  and  bifhops  being  prefent)  what 
 *'  would  be  bell  to  be  done  with  him  r  who,  unadvifedly  anfwer- 
 **  ing,  faid.  If  he  will  not  be  a  man  of  God,  let  him  be  a  man 
 **  of  the  devil ;    and  fo  revolted  he  again  to  Judaifm, 
 
 "  Then  the  king  fent  his  writs  to  the  iherifFs  of  every 
 *'  county,  to  inquire  for  the  authors  and  ftirrers  of  this  outrage, 
 **  of  whom  three  were  hanged,  and  divers  were  Imprifoned.  So 
 **  great  was  then  the  hatred  of  Eiiglilhmen  againll  the  Jews, 
 '*  that  as  foon  as  they  began  to  be  repulfed  in  the  court,  the 
 *'  Londoners  taking  example  thereof,  fell  upon  them,  fet  their 
 **  houfes  on  lire,  and  fpoiled  their  goods.  The  country  again 
 "  following  the  example  of  the  Londoners,  did  the  like  ;  and 
 "  thus  the  year  which  the  Jews  took  to  be  their  jubilee,  was 
 •*  to  them  a  year  of  confufion  :  infomuch  as  in  the  city  of  York, 
 
 *'  the 
 
^  DIALOGUE!.  Part  T. 
 
 **  the  Jews  obtaining  the  occupying  of  a  certain  caftle  for  their 
 I**  prefervation,  and  afterwards  not  willing  to  reftore  it  to  the 
 I*'  Chriflians  again,  when  they  faw  no  other  remedy  but  by  force 
 (*'  to  be  vanquifhcd,  firft  they  offered  much  money  for  their 
 **  lives  ;  when  that  would  not  be  taken,  by  the  counfel  of  an 
 **  old  Jew  among  them,  every  one  with  a  fharp  razor  cut  ano- 
 "  ther's  throat,  whereby  a  thoufand  and  five  hundred  were  at 
 **  that  prefcnt  deftroyed  ;  neither  was  this  plague  of  theirs  un- 
 *'  deferved,  for  every  year  commonly  their  cuitom  was,  to  get 
 **  fome  Chriltian  man's  child  from  the  parents,  and  on  Good- 
 *'   Friday  to  crucify  him  in  defpight  of  our  religion," 
 
 Another  hiflorian  informs  us,  that  it  was  the  preaching  of 
 the  Monks  in  favour  of  the  Crufades  which  had  fo  greatly 
 irritated  the  public  mind  at  that  time  againft  the  Jews,  and  the 
 fame  is  confirmed  by  what  is  mentioned  by  Fox.  He  notices 
 feveral  admonitions  which  were  given  to  King  Henry  II.  (the 
 father  of  Richard)  ;  and  in  the  lift  of  thofe  things  which  he 
 was  thus  admoniihed  to  do,  we  find  him  required,  **  to  banifh 
 **  all  the  Jews,  allowing  them  to  take  with  them  fufficient 
 **  property  to  pay  their  travelling  expences." 
 
 In  the  account  given  by  Smollett  of  this  tranfaftion,  you  will 
 find  that  *'  Richard  ordered  the  ringleaders  of  this  outrageous 
 **  tumult  to  be  apprehended  and  tried  by  the  laws  of  the  land  ; 
 *'  and  they  being  convi6led  and  executed,  he  publifhed  a  pro- 
 *'  clamation,  prohibiting  fuch  tumults  for  the  future,  and  taking 
 **  the  Jews  under  his  royal  prote6lion.  Notwithilanding  this 
 **  precaution,  the  Jews  were  afterwards  malfacred  at  Lyme, 
 *'  Stamford,  and  York  ;  though  avarice  feems  to  have  been 
 **  more  concerned  than  religious  zeal  in  thofe  inlfances  of  bar- 
 **  barity,  for  many  gentlem.en  of  the- province  were  concerned 
 *'  in  the  carnage  of  York,  who  having  been  indebted  to  the 
 **  Jews,  no  fooner  made  an  end  of  butchering  that  unhappy  peo- 
 *'  pie,  to  the  number  of  500,  than  they  repaired  to  the  cathedral, 
 *'  where  their  bonds  were  depofited,  compelled  the  officer  to 
 **  deliver  thofe  obligations,  and  burned  them  in  the  church  with 
 *'  great  folemnity.  The  king,  incenfcd  at  this  infult  upon  his 
 **  authority,  which  alfo  affecfcd  his  revenue,  inafmuch  as  he 
 **  was  heir  to  the  perfonal  eitates  of  ufurers,  ordered  the  bifhop 
 *'  of  Ely,  at  that  time  julticiary  of  the  realm,  to  make  fevere 
 *'  examples  of  the  guilty  ;  but  before  he  arrived  in  Yorklliire 
 *'  the  principal  offenders  had  fled  into  Scotland,  and  the  citizens 
 "  of  York  imputing  what  had  happened  to  the  fury  of  the 
 **  imgoverable  multitude,  the  prelate  contented  himfelf  with  de- 
 **  priving  the  high  fheriff  and  the  governor  of  their  offices,  and 
 "  levying  tines  upon  the  wealthielt  of  the  inhabitants."  Smol- 
 let,  Vol.  II.  227. 
 
 Now,  my  good  friend,  let  us  balance  our  account  as  we  pro- 
 ceed.    We  are  both  Engliihmen,   and  I  am  no  ftranger  to  your 
 
 attachment 
 
?ART  I.  DIALOGUE     I.  9 
 
 attachment  to  your  country  ;  on  which  account,  as  well  as 
 on  many  others,  I  efteem  you,  I  will  therefore  throw  it  upon 
 you  to  urge  every  thing  which  may  occur  to  you  in  defence  of 
 our  anceltors,  and  every  thing  which  you  think  can  juftify,  or 
 even  mitigate,  thefe  adlions. 
 
 Sudden.  My  dear  friend,  I  affure  you  that  your  converfa- 
 tion  has  not  been  wholly  lolf  upon  me  ;  I  am  aftonifhed  that 
 my  own  mind  hath  not  before  made  many  obfervations  which 
 have  occurred  to  me  whilll  you  have  been  relating  thefe  things  \ 
 but,  to  avoid  prolixity,  I  think  it  will  be  belt  for  you  to  pro- 
 ceed in  your  narration,  and  I  will  then  urge  every  thing  which 
 occurs  to  me  in  defence  of  our  ancellors. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  no  objedlion  to  your  mode  of  proceeding,, 
 although  I  fear  that  the  further  we  proceed  the  harder  will  be 
 the  talk  I  have  impofed  upon  you  ;  however,  I  will  proceed. 
 The  following  palfage  you  will  find  in  Fox,  Vol.  I.  p.  296. 
 "  About  which  time  the  wicked  Jews  at  Lincoln  had  cruelly 
 **  crucified,  whipped,  and  tormented  a  certain  child,  named 
 "  Hugo,  of  nine  years  of  age.  Anno  1255,  in  the  month  of 
 **  Auguil  (Ex  Gualt.  Gifburne).  At  length,  the  child  being 
 "  fought  and  found  by  the  mother,  being  calf  in  a  pit,  two  and 
 '*  thirty  of  thofe  abominable  Jews  were  put  to  execution, 
 "  whereof  Mat.  Paris  reciteth  a  long  ftory.  The  fame  or  like 
 **  fa6l  was  alio  intended  by  the  like  Jews  at  Norwich,  twenty 
 **  years  before,  upon  a  certain  child,  whom  they  had  firft  cir- 
 '*  cuincifed,  and  detained  a  whole  year  in  cuftody,  intending  to 
 **  crucify  him,  for  which  the  Jews  were  fent  up  to  the  tower  of 
 "  London,  of  whom  eighteen  were  hanged,  and  the  reft  re- 
 **  mained  long  time  in  prifon  (Ex  Celcrens.  lib.  7).  Of  this 
 *'  wicked  Jewifh  people  I  find  alfo  in  the  book  (Flor.  Hift.) 
 "  that  about  this  year  of  our  Lord  125^5,  they  bega:i  firft  to  be 
 **  expelled  out  of  France,  by  the  commandment  of  the  French 
 **  king,  being  then  in  PalelUna,  warring  againft  the  Turks; 
 '*  by  the  occafion  that  it  was  objefted  then  by  the  Turk 
 **  againft  him,  and  other  Chriftian  princes,  for  the  retaining  the 
 "  Jews  amongit  them,  which  did  crucify  our  Saviour,  and  war- 
 *'  ring  againft  them  which  did  not  crucify  him.  Of  thefe  Jews, 
 *'  moreover.  King  Henry,  the  fame  year,  exafted  to  be  given 
 **  unto  him  8000  marks,  in  pain  of  hanging,  who  being 
 *'  much  grieved  therewith,  and  complaining  that  the  king  went 
 "  about  their  deftruftion,  defired  leave  to  be  given  them  of  the 
 *'  king  that  they  might  depart  the  realm,  never  to  return  again  ; 
 "  but  the  king  committed  the  doing  of  that  matter  to  Earl 
 "  Richard,  his  brother,  to  enforce  them  to  pay  the  money 
 '*  whether  they  would  or  no.  Moreover,  of  the  lame  Jews  men-- 
 *<  tion  is  made  in  the  ftory  entitled,  Eulcgium,  of  the  Jews  in 
 "  Northampton,  who  had  among  themfelves  prepared  wild-- 
 ''  fire    to    burn    the  city    of  London,   for   the   which  divers  of 
 
 C      '  "  t!u-m 
 
JO  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    I.  P^RT  L 
 
 '*  them  were  taken  and  burned  in  the  time  of  Lent,  in  the  faid 
 **  city  of  Northampton,  which  was  two  years  before,  about 
 **  the  year  of  our  Lord  12,53.  And  for  fo  much  as  mention  is 
 ^'  here  made  of  the  Jews,  I  cannot  omat  what  fome'Englifli 
 "  ftories  write  of  a  certain' Jew,  who  not  long  after  this  time, 
 *'  about  the  year  of  our  Lord  1257,  fell  into  a  privy  at  Tewkef- 
 **  bury,  upon  a  Sabbath- Day,  v.'hich  for  the  great  reverence 
 **  he  had  to  his  holy  Sabbath  would  not  fuffer  himfeif  to  be 
 **  plucked  out,  and  fo  Lord  Richard,  Earl  of  Gloucefter,  hearing 
 "  thereof,  would  not  fuffer  him  to  be  drawn  out  on  Sunday,  for 
 "  reverence  of  the  holy  day  ;  and  thus  the  wretched  fuperltitious 
 **  Jew,  remaining  there  till  Monday,  was  found  dead." 
 
 In  Smollet,  Vol.  IL  p.  261,  we  read  that  King  Richard  I. 
 ordered  his  itinerant  juftices  to  "  oblige  the  Jews,  on  pain  of 
 *'  forfeiture  and  imprifonmcnt,  to  deliver  true  inventories  of 
 **  their  eftates,  and  all  their  pawns,  bonds,  and  fecurities  were 
 **  lodged  in  a  public  office,  in  order  to  pre\"ent  their  frauds  and 
 "  exorbitant  ufury."  Now,  inflead  of  this  being  the  true  reafon, 
 I  fhould  flirewdly  fufpe6l  that  it  was  rather  intended  to  keep 
 them  as  a  refource  to  be  reforted  to  whenever  it  was  conveni- 
 **  ent ;  for  we  read  in  the  fame  volume,  p.  434,  that  '*  the 
 "  Jews  were  fleeced  without  mercy;"  and,  in  p.  441,  we  find 
 that  Henry  IIL  "  extorted  the  fubftance  of  the  Jews  with  fuch 
 **  feverity,  that  one  Aaron  of  York  was  compelled  to  pay  four 
 '*  marks  of  gold,  and  as  many  thoufands  of  filver  ;"  and,  p.  457, 
 we  find  a  talHage  laid  "  upon  the  Jews,  who  never  failed  to 
 "  fuffer  for  the  king's  diftrefs."  Two  years  afterwards,  *'*  he 
 "  raifed  money  by  difpenfing  with  the  execution  of  fome  ordi- 
 **  nances  made  againlt  the  Jews  ;"  again,  two  years  afterwards, 
 **  he  extorted  money  from  the  Jews,  who  were  miferably  op- 
 *'  prefled,"  p.  467.  Three  years  afterwards  we  find  them  ad- 
 vancing money  "  to  obtain  an  exemption  from  talliage  for  five 
 *'  years,"  p.  476.  They  feem  to  have  been  aware  that  the  reafon 
 they  were  not  banifhed  was  for  the  fake  of  that  fleece  which  was 
 almoll  periodically  Ihorn  from  them. 
 
 Inthofe  turbulent  times,  in  which  the  barons  contended  for  maf- 
 tery  with  the  crown,  we  read  (Smollet,  Vol.  in.  p.  30.)  "That  in 
 *'  the  week  before  Palm -Sunday  (1264)  they  broke  open  the  houfcs 
 "  and  fhops  belonging  to  the  Jews  (in  London),  plundered  their 
 "  efFe6ls,  flripped  them  flark  naked,  kept  them  in  cuflody  for 
 '*  fome  hours,  and  then  malfacred  above  500  of  that  wretched 
 *'  people,  under  the  immediate  direction  of  a  powerful  baron, 
 **  called  John  Fitz  John,  who  with  his  own  hand  murdered  Koh 
 **  Ben  Abraham,  the  wealtieif  Hebrew  in  England,  and  feizing 
 "  all  his  treafure,  divided  it  between  himfelt  and  the  earl  of 
 **  Leicefler."  In  p.  58.  we  find  •*  all  the  debts  due  to  the  Jews, 
 **  and  not  affigned  to  Chriftians,  confifcated,"  under  the  pretence 
 of  "  relieving  the  Chriftians  in  Paleftine." 
 
 In 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE!. 
 
 11 
 
 In  the  reign  of  Edward  I.  the  fon  and  fucceiror  of  Henry  III. 
 we  find  it  alleged,  p.  1 13,  ''  That  towards  the  latter-end  of  the 
 *'  late  reign,  the  Jews  had,  by  bribing  the  king's  council,  been  ad- 
 '*  mitted  to  all  the  privileges  of  Chrillian  natives;  they  purchafed 
 "  houles,  lands,  and  manors;  fat  on  juries;  enjoyed  feilin  and 
 '*  wardlhip  oi  Chriltian  heirs,  together  with  the  right  of  prefen- 
 '*  tation  to  livings.  This  indulgence  raifed  a  clamour  among  the 
 "  clergy,  and  gave  great  otFence  to  all  forts  of  people.  The 
 '*  king  himfelf  was  Ihocked  at  the  fcandalous  connivance  of  his 
 *'  father  in  this  particular;  and  at  his  defire  a  law  was  made  in 
 "  this  parliament  rendering  Jews  incapable  of  holding  fee  or  free- 
 **  hold,  obliging  them  to  wear  a  mark  on  their  outward  gar- 
 ''  ments,  to  diitinguilh  them  irom  Chriilians,  and  prohibitiniJ- 
 *'  them  on  fevere  penalties  from  lending  money  at  ufury." 
 
 The  Jews  and  P'lemings  had  been  fufpecfed  of  clipping  the 
 current  coin;  and,  in  1278,  we  find  fome  further  account  of  it ; 
 but  you  will  obferve,  that  five  lines  before  the  pafTage  I  am 
 about  to  quote,  it  is  noticed  that  *'  the  king's  finances  were 
 "  exhaufted;"  he  therefore  had  recourfe  to  extraordinary  mea- 
 fures  to  recruit  them;  and,  "  as  the  coin  of  the  kingdom  was 
 "  almblt  ruined  by  the  pra6tice  of  clipping,  a  great  number  of 
 **  the  Jews  fufpeiled  of  this  crime  were  apprehended  in  different 
 "  parts  ot  England,  and,  being  cohvi6led  upon  trial,  condemned 
 **  to  death.  Two  hundred  and  eighty  were  executed  in  London, 
 ''  beiides  thofe  that  fuffered  in  other  towns  in  England  ;  their 
 *'  houfes  and  efFe6ls  were  forfeited  for  the  ufe  of  the  king,  who 
 "  alligned  one  half  of  the  produce  for  the  maintenance  of  fuch  as 
 **  fhould  be  converted  to  Chrillianity.  Great  fums  of  clipped 
 *'  money  were  found  in  their  houfes,  and  the  fines  of  thofe  who 
 "  efcaped  death,  and  the  goldfmiths  with  whom  they  were  con- 
 **  cerneu,  muit  have  amounted  toa  confiderable  treafure,"  p.  119. 
 
 In  1286,  **  Kiiig  Edward  was  feized  with  a  dangerous  dif- 
 *<  temper,  and  made  a  vow  to  revifit  the  holy  land,  provided  his 
 **  health  Ihould  be  re-eftabliflied  ;  accordingly  when  he  recover- 
 **  ed  he  took  the  crols,  but  fixed  no  time  for  his  departure.  Per- 
 '*  haps  he  thought  Heaven  would  be  as  well  pleafed  with  his 
 **  perfecuting  the  Jews  of  Guienne,  whomhefiril  fleeced  of  a 
 "  confiderable  fum  and  then  banillied,"  p.  136. 
 
 In  1290,  <*  King  Edward,  in  order  to  conciliate  the  afFe6lions 
 *'  of  his  fubje£ls,  and  confult  his  own  intereff  at  the  fame  time, 
 '*  publifiied  a  proclamation  for  banifhing  all  the  Jews  for  ever 
 "  out  of  the  kingdom.  They  had  rendered  themfeh  es  equally 
 '<  odious  to  the  Engliih  by  their  ufury  and  by  their  re- 
 '*  ligion  ;  they  were  ordered  to  quit  the  kingdom  on  pain  of 
 "  death  before  the  firfl  day  of  November  ;  and  in  the  mean  time 
 **  all  their  effedls  were  confifcated  to  the  king,  except  fo  much 
 **  money  as  would  defray  the  expence  of  their  voyage  to  the 
 "  continent.     Lli^  furniihed  them  likewife  with  a  fafe  condud, 
 
 in 
 
12  DIALOGUE!.  Part  I. 
 
 '*  in  contempt  of  which  they  were  plundered  by  the  feamen  of 
 **  the  Cuique  Ports  of  the  pittance  they  flill  poffefled,  and  of 
 *'  15,000,  who  obeyed  the  king's  mandate,  fome  hundreds 
 **  were  drowned  out  of  mere  wantonnefs  of  inhumanity.  Be- 
 *■    fides  the  great  fiuns  arifing  from  the  confifcation  of  their  ef- 
 
 *-    feds,  the  CLERGY   WERE    SO    WELL    PLEASED    with    the  ex- 
 
 **  pulfion  of  thofe  enemies  to  Chriftianity,  that  they  granted  a 
 *'  tenth  of  their  benefices  to  the  king,  and  afterwards  joined  with 
 **  the  nobility  in  obliging  him  with  a  fifteenth  of  their  tempo- 
 *(  ralities,  to  make  fome  amends  for  the,  lofs  he  fullained  by  the 
 **  exile  of  the  Jews,  from  wiiom  he  and  his  predecefTors  had  ex- 
 **  a6led  confiderable  f'ibfidies  in  the  emergency  of  affairs,"  p,  140. 
 
 It  is  really  aftoniihing  that  the  king  fhould  have  confented  to 
 their  baniflmient,  when  it  is  confidered  that  but  three  years  before 
 he  had  feized  their  perfons,  and  made  them  redeem  'heir  lives  by 
 the  payment  of  the  fum  of  1,5,000  pounds  of  filver,  a  fum, 
 which  if  the  difference  ot  the  value  of  money  is  confidered,  would 
 be  equal  to  a  moll  enormous  fum  in  the  prefent  day;  befides 
 thefe  general  adfs  of  oppreflion,  which  included  all  the  Jews,  the 
 moft  wealthy  among  them  were  ever  expofed  to  peculiar  oppref- 
 fion.  **  King  John  demanded  io,ooo  marks  of  a  Jew  at  Brilfol, 
 **  and  on  his  refufing,  ordered  one  of  his  teeth  to  be  drawn  every 
 •*  day  till  he  fhould  confent.  The  Jew  lolf  feven  teeth,  and  then 
 **  paid  the  fum  required  of  him."  Guthrie,  ^26. 
 
 Now,  my  good  friend,  I  have  done,  and  as  you  have  kindly  un- 
 dertaken to  be  the  advocate  of  our  anceftors,  I  will  pay  great  atten- 
 tion to  what  you  can  fay  upon  the  fubjed.  You  may  perceive 
 that  thefe  fubje6ls  have  m.uch  engaged  my  thoughts  ;  on  the 
 contrary,  fome  of  my  quotations  may  be  new  to  you.  I  wifh  to 
 give  you  every  advantage,  and  to  hear  every  thing  that  can  be 
 urged  in  vindication  or  extenuation  of  the  condu£f  of  our  ancef- 
 tors ;  for  I  alfo  am  a  Briton,  and  fhould  rejoice  in  being  able  to 
 celebrate  the  virtues  of  my  anceftors.  I  therefore  propofe  that 
 we  adjourn  the  further  confideration  of  this  fubjeft  until  another 
 opportunity,  by  which  means  you  will  be  able  to  examine  whe- 
 ther I  have  made  any  miibke  in  my  quotations,  and  to  fet  your 
 invention  to  work  in  forming  the  derence  of  our  anceftors. 
 
 Sudden.  Be  it  fo.  I  allure  you  I  will  a6l  the  part  of  the  ad^ 
 vocate  for  our  anceftors  to  the  beft  of  my  ability,  and  fhall  be 
 very  v/iiling  to  renew  the  fubjed  at  the  firll  convenient  oppor-r 
 funit) . 
 
 SECOND 
 
[     ^3    ] 
 SECOND    DIALOGUE. 
 
 In  which  (he  Suhje£i  of  the  laji  Dialogue  Is  continued. — The  lnvejliga~ 
 tion  of  the  Atls  of  our  Anccfiors  toivards  the  "Jews  Jhewn  to  be  a  Duty 
 incumbent  upon  us — Their  Condu6i  towards  the  Jews  and  the  Con- 
 duB  of  the  Jews  towards  our  Anceflors  further  examined — Suffer- 
 ings no  CONCLUSIVE  Evidence  of  the  Divine  Difpleafure — Chrlf- 
 tlans  were  once  as  much  calumniated  as  the  Jews  have  bcenjmce, 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  SUDDEN. 
 
 Sudden.  IX/jTY  good  triend,  Cautious,  I  am  now  at  leifure,  and 
 XvJL  fhall  be  happy  to  continue  the  fubjeil  which  en- 
 gaged our  attention  the  lait  lime  I  had  the  pleafure  of  converfing 
 with  you. 
 
 Cautious.  With  all  my  heart,  and  I  hope  you  have  well  con- 
 fidereifl  the  fubjedl,  and  will  a6t  the  able  advocate  in  behalf  of  our 
 anceftors. 
 
 Sudden.  I  will  to  the  bed  of  my  ability  alTume  the  charader 
 of  the  advocate  for  a  time,  which  will  give  you  an  opportunity  to 
 reply.  You  know  that  it  is  the  part  of  an  advocate  to  make  the 
 belt  he  can  of  his  client's  caufe  ;  he  is  not  required  to  gi\e  his 
 own  judgment  in  court,  but  when  the  caufe  is  decided,  he  is  then 
 at  liberty  to  give  his  opinion  upon  the  propriety  or  impropriety  of 
 the  verdift  of  the  jury  \  you  mud  therefore  confider  my  argu- 
 ments and  fu.ggeftions  as  the  arguments  and  fuggeftions  of  a 
 pleader,  and  when  I  have  heard  your  reply,  I  will  then  drop 
 the  charadler  of  the  advocate,  and  give  you  my  real  fentlments, 
 and  if  yours  and  mine  do  not  coincide,  I  will  exert  myfelt  to  the 
 Utmoft  to  make  a  convert  of  you. 
 
 Cautious.  You  have  exprelled  yourfelf  perfedly  to  my  fatif- 
 fa^tion  \  pray  therefore  begin. 
 
 Sudden.  I  would  in  the  firfl:  place  obferve,  that  the  greatefl 
 caution  {hould  be  ufed  in  invedigating  the  actions  of  our  ancef- 
 tors \  and  that  every  favourable  condruiSion  that  can  be-  fuggeftcd 
 is  due  to  them.  You  mud  remember  that  they  are  not  betore  us 
 to  plead  the  dncerity  of  their  intentions,  or  to  fum  up  the  evidence 
 that  appeared  before  them,  and  therefore  I  would  in  the  hrd 
 place  urge  our  incom.petency  to  enter  into  the  examination  ot 
 them. 
 
 Cautious.  I  admit  that  every  favourable  condrudion  that  can 
 t>e  fuggeded  is  no  mcnx  than  their  due,  I  agree  with  you  that 
 the  grcated  caution  fuo^dd  be  ufcd  in  invedigating  the  adions  ot 
 ^jur  ancedors  ;  but  pnicii-  we  come   to  the   refoluiion  to  burn  all 
 
 books 
 
14  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  I. 
 
 books  of  hlftory  as  ufelefs,  or  to  receive  with  implicit  fubmillion 
 not  only  the  fails  recortlcd  by  hiftorians,  but  alfo  the  concluiions 
 drawn  by  them,  we  miiil  be  at  liberty  to  exercifa  thofe  faculties 
 whi^h  God  hath  given  us  in  forming  our  opinions  concerning 
 them  ;  and  the  general  pradlice  ot  Chriltians  in  all  ages  is  here  on 
 my  fide.  It  is  not  the  length  of  time  that  hath  elapfed,that  pre- 
 vents them  from  even  ftigmatizingand  reproaching  thedefcendants 
 and  relations  of  thofe  concerned  in  a  certain  adl  that  was 
 
 Sudden.  I  mud  interrupt  you  to  inquire  what  you  are  refer- 
 ring to. 
 
 Qiuticus.  I  am  referring  to  the  crucifixion  of  our  blefTed  Sa- 
 viour. What  quarrel,  what  caufe  of  difpleafure  have  CHrilHans 
 for  thefe  1700  years  had  againlt  the  Jews  r  No  quarrel,  no  caufe 
 of  difpleafure,  but  that  they  are  the  relations  and  defcendants  of 
 thofe  who  crucified  our  bleiled  Saviour.  Have  they  endeavoured 
 to  convert  them  to  Chviltianity  ?  What  has  been  the  end  propo- 
 fed  ?  The  end  to  which  all  their  arguments  have  tended,  the  point 
 in  which  they  have  all  centred,  is  this  :..  "  Enter  into  the  invefti- 
 *'  gation  of  this  a6l  of  your  anceltors,  and  renounce  and  abhor 
 *'  this  a6i;  of  your  fathers."  Hath  not  this  been  the  end  propo- 
 fed  by  all  thofe  who  have  fought  to  convert  the  Jews  to  Chrif- 
 tianity  ? 
 
 Sudden.      It  certainly  has. 
 
 Caiitigus.  Well,  then,  if  it  is  admitted  that  Chrif!;ians  have  for 
 thefe  1700  years  pa!t  been  urging  the  Jews  to  enter  into  the  re- 
 vifion  of  an  ad  of  their  anceftors,  with  what  face  could  Chrillians 
 refufe  to  enter  into  the  inveftigation  of  the  acts  of  their  anceilors 
 towards  the  Jews,  if  they  were  to  require  it  ? 
 
 Sudden.     But  they  do  not  require  it. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  much  to  their  honour  that  they  do  not.  It 
 fhews  their  moderation,  their  inclination  to  forget  and  forgive  a6ls 
 of  unkindnefs.  It  fliews  their  fubmillion,  and  that  they  bow 
 down  themfelves  in  humility  under  the  rod  of  the  God  of  their 
 fathers,  who  chadifeth  them.  They  know  that  his  providence  is 
 over  them  and  all  his  works,  and  that  no  fufferings  have  come 
 upon  their  nation  hut  what  is  under  the  controul  of  the  God  ol^' 
 their  fathers;  and  they  are  thankful  to  him  for  that  refpite  from 
 fuffering  which  he  hath  granted  them. 
 
 Sudden.      You  view  them  in  a  verv  favourable  \\'A\\.. 
 
 Cautious.  I  trult  I  do  not  view  them  in  a  more  favourable 
 ligRt  than  is  their  due.  If  you  admit  that  the  Jews  would  do 
 well  to  enter  into  the  inveitigation  oi  this  ail  of  iheir  anceflors, 
 however  remote,  which  I  am  fure  you  rnufl:  admit,  you  mulf 
 a!fo  admit  the  propriety  of  our  entering  into  the  inveftigation  of 
 the  afts  of  our  anceftors  towards  their  nation. 
 
 Sudden.  I  do  admit  it,  and  therefore  I  will  proceed.  We 
 catmot  conceive  a  more  horrid  crime  to  exift  tlian  this  great 
 crime  with  which   the  Jews  v. ere  chargedj  viz.  crucifying  young 
 
 children  \ 
 
Part  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  i^ 
 
 children;  if  it  were  proved  and  eflabliHiedas  a  fa£l,  -We  might  truly 
 fay,  that  the  fufFeringsot  thofe  guilty  of  it  could  not  be  too  great. 
 It  is  evident  that  it  was  generally  believed  at  the  time  that  they 
 were  guilty  of  it,  and  the  belief  of  it  is  not  confined  to  the  fiiper- 
 ititious  monks,  and  thofe  kept  by  them  in  Popifh  ignorance;  it  is 
 rnanifeii:  that  even  after  the  reformation  it  continued  to  be  believ- 
 ed that  in  former  times  they  had  been  guilty  of  it.  Fox  the 
 hilforian  and  martyrologift  believed  the  report,  and  confidered  the 
 fufferings  they  endured  in  this  land  in  ancient  times  as  a  just 
 JUDGMENT  upon  them  on  account  of  this  their  fm.  He  quotes 
 the  name  of  the  child  which  was  found  in  the  pit  at  Lincoln 
 whom  the  Jews  were  charged  with  having  cruelly  crucified, 
 whipped,  and  tormented,  and  for  which  crime  thirty-two  Jew^ 
 were  executed. 
 
 Cautious,  I  think  you  ha\  e  afted  the  part  of  a  good  advocate, 
 in  urging  what  you  have  in  favour  of  our  anceftors,  and  I  by  no 
 means  controvert  any  thing  you  have  urged.  It  is  impoflible  to 
 conceive  a  more  horrid  crime  than  this  which  is  laid  to  their 
 charge  ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  was  univerfally  belie\'ed  that 
 they  had  been  guilty  of  it,  and  that  even  Fox  the  martyrologift, 
 who  lived  after  the  dawn  of  the  reformation,  believed  the  report ; 
 he  not  only  records  the  maflacre  of  fo  many  hundreds  of  their  na- 
 tion, but  endeavours  to  fliew  that  it  was  a  jull  judgment  upon 
 them  on  account  of  this  horrid  crime :  but  let  me  obferve,  that 
 there  is  no  ground  on  which  a  Chriltian  Ihould  tread  with  more 
 caution  than  in  commenting  on  the  fuiferings  ot  his  fellow-crea- 
 tures. We  are  particularly  cautioned  upon  this  fubje6l  by  our 
 Saviour  himfelf :  "  There  were  prefentfome  at  that  feafon  which 
 "  told  him  of  the  Galileans,  whofe  blood  Pilate  had  min-'I'.id 
 "  with  their  facrificcs.  And  Jefus  anfwering,  faid  unto  them, 
 "  fuppofe  ye  that  thefc  Galileans  were  linners  above  all  the 
 *'  Galileans,  becaufe  they  frdfered  fuch  things?  I  tell  you 
 *'  nay  ;  but  except  ye  repent  ye  ihall  all  likewife  perifli  ;  or 
 **  thofe  eighteen  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell  and  flew 
 "  them,  think  ye  that  they  were  finners  above  all  men  that 
 "  dwelt  in  Jeruialem  P  I  tell  you  nay  ;  but  except  ye  repent  ye 
 **  fhall  all  likewife  perifli,"  Luke  xiii.  i — 5.  There  is  nothing 
 to  which  mankind,  efpecially  the  fuperftitious,  are  more  prone, 
 than  thus  attributing  the  fuiferings  ot  others  to  particular  crimes, 
 whereas  we  are  in  the  preceding  pallages  cautioned  to  look  to 
 ourfelves,  and  not  fit  in  judgment  upon  others.  How  far  we 
 are  to  confider  the  fufferings  of  the  Jews  as  deferved  fufferings 
 AT  THE  HAND  ofGod,  is  not  the  queflion  which  at  prefent  en- 
 gages our  attention.  In  dwQ  time  we  may  come  to  confider  it  ; 
 but  the  queilion  before  us  is,  how  far  the  a6fs  of  our  fathers 
 towards  the  Jews  can  be  juitified.  The  fufferings  of  Chriffians 
 under  the  Roman  emperors  before  Conllantine  were  very  great ; 
 they  were  confidered  as  the  juft  and  righieous  judgments  of  the 
 
 heathen 
 
i6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Fart  I. 
 
 heathen  deities  againil  them  for  refufing  worfhip  to  them,  but  do 
 we  confider  them  fo  ?  The  Jews  have  not  fulfcred  more  obloquy 
 than  the  Chriflians  were  charged  with  in  thofe  times  to  which  I 
 refer.  Were  they  not  charged  with  the  burning  of  Rom.e  ? 
 Read  the  account  of  the  ten  perfecutions,  and  you  will  find  the 
 Chriltians  charged  with  all  manner  of  crimes.  I  will  quote  a 
 Ihort  paifage  from  Fox,  Vol.  I.  p.  34.  **  What  crimes  foever 
 '*  malice  could  invent,  or  rafli  fufpicion  could  minifter,  that  was 
 *'  imputed  to  the  Chriftians,  as  that  they  were  a  people  inceitu- 
 *'  ous  ;  that  in  the  night  in  their  concourfes,  putting  out  the 
 "  candles,  they  ran  together  in  all  filthy  manner;  that  they 
 *'  KILLED  THEIR  OWN  CHILDREN;  that  they  ufed  to  eat 
 *'  man's  flefh  ;  that  they  were  feditious  and  rebellious-  Briefly, 
 "  whatever  milhappened  to  the  city  or  provinces  of  Rome,  either 
 *'  famine,  peililence,  earthquake,  wars,  wonders,  unfcafonablenefs 
 *'  of  weather,  or  what  other  evils  foever  happened,  it  was  im- 
 *'  puted  to  the  Chriltians,  as  Jultinus  recoraeth."  Now  let  us 
 fuppofe  thofe  Chriftians  apprehended  and  charged  with  thefe 
 crimes  :  they  are  addrelfed  thus,  "  You  have  heard  the  crimes 
 *'  obje6led  againil  you,  what  have  you  to  fay  in  your  defence  ?" 
 
 Sudden.  This  would  be  entirely  inverting  the  order  of  juftice, 
 as  it  is  in  general  next  to  impofTible  to  prove  a  negative.  How 
 ihould  we  ihudder  to  fee  a  man  arraigned  at  the  bar  for  murder, 
 for  the  murder  of  a  man  found  dead  in  a  pit,  who  had  been  long 
 milled  by  his  friends.  The  man  who  is  apprehended,  and  on 
 trial  had  the  unhappinefs  to  re  fide  in  the  houfe  nearefi:  to  the  pit 
 where  the  body  was  found.  He  is  charged  with  the  murder,  and 
 is  afked  what  he  has  to  fay  in  his  defence  ?  What  could  he  fay  ? 
 Could  he  prove  that  he  did  not  commit  the  crim.e  ?  It  would  be 
 impoffiblc.  As  I  faid  before,  if  our  courts  of  juftice  were  to 
 proceed  in  this  manner,  no  one  would  be  fafe,  they  would  be 
 courts  of  injuftice  and  oppreiiion.  Thank  God  our  courts,  and 
 the  courts  ot  almoft  all  civilized  countries,  now  proceed  in  a 
 different  manner.  The  prifoner  is  not  put  upon  his  trial  until 
 evidence  is  produced  to  fix  the  crime  upon  him.  It  is  from  evi- 
 dence we  proceed,  and  when  the  evidence  have  given  their  tefti- 
 mony  upon  oath,  if  it  is  tound  to  affe6^  the  prifoner,  we  then 
 require  him  to  urge  what  he  has  to  fay  in  his  defence. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  obfervations  are  jult,  and  I  would  now  requef^ 
 you  to  apply  your  own  obfervations  (which  arofe  from  your 
 feeling  for  the  unmerited  fufierin^s  of  the  Chrilllans  when  pu- 
 nifhed  on  general  rurnour)  to  the  Jews  in  the  inllance  before  us. 
 How  was  it  poffible  for  them  to  prove  their  innocence  ?  What 
 evidence  was  produced  againil:  them  ?  If  there  was  any  evidence 
 would  it  not  have  been  produced  ?  Is  it  poflible  that  any  one  can 
 now  believe  that  the  Jev,^s  every  Good- Friday  crucified  a  Chrif- 
 tian  child  without  detection?  Does  not  Fox  himfelf  llatc 
 the  firft  alleged  crime  intended  to  have  been  committed  twenty 
 
 years 
 
Part  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  ,7 
 
 years  before  the  other  ?  And  as  all  the  evidence  which  appeared 
 in  the  fecond  inllance  was  general  rumour,  and  that  the  body  of 
 the  loft  child  was  found  in  a  pit ;  fo  all  the  evidence  to  fupport 
 the  firft  acculation  was  that  a  Chriftian  child  had  been  kept  tor  a 
 confiderable  time  by  a  Jew,  and  circumcifed  by  him.  Now  I 
 jQiould  think  that  if  the  Jew  had  intended  to  crucify  it,  he  would 
 never  have  circi'mcifed  it  ;  I  lliould  much  rather  fuppofe  (if  the 
 child  was  adlually  a  Chriftian  child)  that  he  had  conceived  an 
 afFeftion  for  the  child,  and  intended  to  adopt  him  as  his  ov/n.  I 
 know  that  you  have  been  called  upon  to  exercife  that  painful  but 
 neceftary  duty  as  a  juryman,  to  decide  upon  evidence,  when  the 
 life  of  a  fellow-creature  hath  been  involved  in  the  decifion,  and  1 
 therefore  beg  to  recall  to  your  recolled:ion  that  you  were  required 
 to  decide  upon  the  evidence  alone. 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  very  true.  There  was  one  trial  in  particular,  . 
 when  I  was  on  the  jury,  which  excited  very  confiderable  intereft. 
 The  court  was  crowded  in  every  part,  and  as  the  crime  objefted 
 againft  the  prifoner  at  the  bar  had  been  the  fubje£l  of  general 
 converfation,  and  had  been  commented  on  in  the  public  prints,  the 
 judge  who  tried  the  prifoner,  in  the  moft  impreffive  manner, 
 charged  us  to  throw  all  impreliions  which  we  might  have  received 
 from  thefe  circumftances  out  of  the  queftion  ;  we  were  to  re- 
 gard nothing  but  what  appeared  to  us  upon  evidence  ;  the  credibi- 
 lity of  that  evidence  was  alio  to  be  conlideied  and  decided  upon  by 
 us  to  the  bert  of  our  judgmei.t,  and  it  any  doubts  arofe  in  our  minds, 
 the  prifoner  at  the  bar  was  enilih  d  to  ihe  full  benefit  of  them. 
 
 Cautious.  The  impartial  adminiilration  of  juftice  is  that 
 which  makes  Britons  to  prize  tlieir  conftitution  like  their  heart's 
 blood.  You  will  obferve  that  what  you  vv-ere  fo  ftrenuoufly 
 urged  to  guard  againlf  was  prejudice,  general  rumour,  which 
 tends  to  defeat  juftice.  Our  courts  are  fo  very  cautious  upon 
 this  fubjecf,  that  if  from  fuch  circumftances  juftice  is  not  likely 
 to  be  obtained  in  one  county  the  judges  will  permit  the  matter  to 
 be  tried  in  another  county  :  impartiality  being  the_  great  objed 
 to  be  obtained.  Let  us  fee  how  the  cafe  ftands.  The  accufation 
 upon  general  rumour  went  to  the  extent  that  the  Jews  every 
 Good-Friday  crucified  a  Chriftian  child  in  defpite  of  our  re- 
 ligion. What  advantage  could  they  derive  from  it  ?  It  deteded, 
 hov/  much  might  they  have  expedted  to  fulter  ?  It  is  contrary  to 
 ■what  I  fhall  prove  to  be  the  difpofiiion  of  the  Jews,  for  I  fiiall 
 prove  that  they  are  of  all  men  the  ieaft  actuated  by  revenge  or 
 malevolent  palfions  j  but  putting  this  out  of  tiie  queftion,  and, 
 for  the  fake  of  argument,  fuppofing  that  their  inclinations  v/ould 
 have  induced  them  to  commit  luch  an  horrid  crim.e,  is  it  pofiiblc 
 that  the  Jews,  who  v/ere  regarded  with  an  eye  of  jeaioufy  and 
 hatred,  could  have  perpetrated  fuch  a  crime  without  deteclion  ? 
 
 Sudden.  We  muft  certainly  allow  this  general  rumour  to  have 
 been  unfounded,  and  confine  ourfeives  to  the  two  inftances  re- 
 
 D  corded 
 
i8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  I, 
 
 corded  by  Fox  ;  the  firft  of  which  is  Rated  by  him  to  have  been 
 twenty  years  prior  to  the  fccond. 
 
 Cautious.  The  firft  crime  was  not  committed,  but  only  ftated 
 to  be  intended  to  have  been  committed  by  them  ;  but  eighteen 
 WERE  HANGED,  and  many  imprifoncd  for  a  long  time  on  ac- 
 count of  this  crime,  which,  according  to  the  allegation  againfl 
 them,  proceeded  no  further  than  intention  !  It  is  true  that  the 
 intention  with  which  an  a6l  is  done  fhould  ever  be  confidered  ; 
 but  it  is  concerning  the  intentions  of  others  that  we  fhould  chiefly 
 and  moft  feduloufly  guard  againft,  unchriftian,  uncharitable  jud- 
 ment.  *'  Judge  not  that  ye  be  not  judged,  for  with  what  judg- 
 **  ment  ye  judge  ye  fhall  be  judged,  and  with  what  meafure  ye 
 "  mete  it  fhall  be  meafured  to  you  again,"  Matt.  vii.  1,2.  It 
 is  God  only  who  knoweth  the  hearts,  and  we  fhould  never  im- 
 pute an  evil  intention  to  our  fellow-creatures,  without  the  evil 
 intention  is  manifefled  and  rendered  indifputable  by  adlions  which 
 will  admit  of  no  other  conftru6lion.  In  the  inftance  under  con- 
 fideration,  all  the  evidence  was,  that  a  Chriftian  child  was  cir- 
 cumcifed  and  kept  for  a  year.  For  my  own  part,  I  think  that 
 if  they  had  intended  to  crucify  it  they  would  never  have  circum- 
 cffed  it  \  and  if  they  had  intended  to  commit  fuch  wickedncfs, 
 why  keep  the  child  a  year  ?  Was  it  taken  the  day  after  Good- 
 Friday,  and  fo  kept  up  until  Good- Friday  in  the  next  year  ? 
 
 Sudden.  From  my  foul  I  lament  the  fufferings  of  thefe 
 eighteen  Jews  who  were  executed,  and  thofe  who  were  impri- 
 foned  upon  this  imputation.  I  abandon  all  idea  of  juflification  of 
 this,  and  firmly  believe  that  the  Jews  never  intended  to  commit 
 this  crime,  which  Chriflians,  for  want  of  attention  to  the  pre- 
 cepts of  their  Saviour,  unkindly  and  unchriltianly  imputed  to 
 them. 
 
 Cautious.  As  you  have  abandoned  tliis  imputed  crime  of  in- 
 tention, you  will  next  p'roceed  to  the  defence  of  our  anceflors 
 concerning  the  other  inftance  alleged;  but  you  will  obferve,  that 
 this  crime  is  alleged  to  have  been  committed  in  the  month  of  Au- 
 guft,andconfequently  does  not  tally  with  the  accufationof  the  ge- 
 neral rumour,  which  mentions  Good-Friday  as  the  day  of  thefe 
 enormities.      Pray  exert  yourfelf  as  the  advocate  of  our  anceflors. 
 
 Sudden.  I  wifh  it  was  in  my  power,  but  I  have  already  alleged  all 
 I  can  in  their  defence,  and  I  acknowledge  that  it  does  not  amount 
 toa  juftificationof  the  verdidl  againft  the  Jews  ;  and  yet  thirty- 
 two  Jews  were  executed  upon  this  verdidt !  How  the  loft  child 
 came  caft  into  the  pit,  with  marks  of  violence  upon  it,  muff  be 
 left  to  the  decifion  of  that  righteous  judge  who  fearcheth  the 
 heart ! 
 
 Cautious.  It  muft.  It  is  by  no  means  improbable  that  the 
 child  might  have  fallen  into  the  pit,  and  become  bruifed  and  la- 
 cerated by  his  fall  ;  but  if  the  body  bore  evident  mark?  of  violence 
 which  could  not  have  been  inflided  but  by  the  hand  of  man,  we 
 
 mufl 
 
Fart  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II. 
 
 *9 
 
 muft  ftill  acknowledge  that  evidence  fhould  have  been  produced, 
 and  that  no  one  fhould  have  been  convi6led  whom  the  evidence 
 did  not  afFe6t.  If  the  body  had  even  been  found  extended  on  a 
 crofs,  it  Ihould  have  been  confidered  that  an  enemy  of  the  Jewifh 
 nation  having  found  the  body  might  have  done  it  to 
 CAST  AN  ODIUM  UPON  THEM.  We  know  the  delufious  which 
 have  been  called  pious  frauds,  pradlifed  by  thofe  who  were 
 their  greatelt  enemies.  How  excellent  in  this  refpedl  is  the 
 law  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  his  fervant  Mofes,  *'  If  one  be 
 *'  found  ilain  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  tQ 
 *'•  poflefs  it,  lying  in  the  field,  and  it  be  not  known  who  hath 
 *'  Ilain  him,  then  thy  elders  and  thy  judges  Ihall  come  forth,  and 
 *'  they  ihall  meafure  unto  the  cities  which  are  round  about  him 
 *'  that  is  Ilain,  and  it  Ihall  be,  that  the  city  that  is  next  unto  the 
 *'  flain  man,  even  the  elders  of  that  city,  Ihall  take  an  heifer 
 "  which  hath  not  been  wrought  with,  and  which  hath  not  drawn 
 *'  in  the  yoke  ;  and  the  elders  of  that  city  Ihall  bring  down  the 
 *'  heifer  unto  a  rough  valley,  which  is  neither  eared  nor  fown, 
 "  and  fliall  ftrike  off  the  heifer's  neck  there  in  the  valley  ;  and 
 *'  the  priefts  the  fons  of  Levi  Ihall  come  near  (for  them  the 
 "  LoVd  thy  God  hath  chofen  to  miniiler  unto  him,  and  to 
 *'  blefs  in  the  name  of  the  Lord)  ;  and  by  their  word  ihall 
 '*  every  controverfy  and  every  itroke  be  tried  ;  and  all  the  elders 
 "  of  that  city  that  are  next  unto  the  flain  man  ihall  wafh  their 
 "  hands  over  the  heifer  that  is  beheaded  in  the  valley,  and  thr^y 
 **  iliall  anfwer  and  lay,  our  hands  have  not  ihed  this  blood,  nei- 
 "  ther  have  our  eyes  feen  it ;  be  merciful,  O  Lord,  unto  thy 
 **  people  liVael,  whom  thou  haft  redeemed,  and  lay  not  innocent 
 "  blood  unto  thy  people  Ifrael's  charge  ;  and  the  blood  fhall  be 
 **  forgiven  them.  So  flialt  thou  put  away  the  guilt  of  innocent 
 "  blood  from  among  you,  when  thou  ihalt  do  that  which  is  right 
 '*  in  the  light  of  the  Lord."     Deut.  xxi.  i — 9. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  done  with  the  charadler  of  an  advocate  in  thefe 
 inftances,  and  perfc6lly  agree  with  you  in  opinion.  I  think  you 
 have  done  perfedly  right  in  quoting  that  palTage  from  Fox, 
 which  ihews  the  general  odium  in  which  the  ancient  Chriltians 
 were  held,  and  the  enormous  crimes  which  were  imputed  to 
 them.  It  is  exa6liy  a  cafe  in  point.  No  one  now  hath  the 
 hardihood  to  prefume  that  the  primitive  Chriftians  were  guilty  of 
 any  of  theie  crimes  which  were  falfely  laid  to  their  charge ;  their 
 principles  are  now  known,  and  it  is  univerlally  allowed,  that  fo 
 far  from  their  being  as  Chriftians  guilty  of  feditiors  pradices, 
 lafcivioufnefs,  the  murder  of  children,  and  eating  man's  fleiii, 
 they  hold  fuch  things  in  juft  abhorrence,  and  are  of  all  men  the 
 moil  zealoufly  inimical  to  every  thing  of  the  kind. 
 
 Cautious.  In  like  manner,  thefe  crimes  wherewith  the  J-ws 
 were  charged  ihould  be  imputed  to  that  general  odium  under 
 which  they  then  had  the  mifery  to  live  ;  and  as  we  have  conf- 
 
 dered 
 
ao  DIALOGUE     II.  Part  I. 
 
 dered  the  ancient  Chriftian  and  Jewifh  fufFerings  as  capable  of 
 comparifon,  you  will  permit  me  to  aflc  you  this  queftion  :  Do 
 you  conceive  that  the  moft  grievous  perfecutions-under  which  the 
 primitive  Chriftians  were  calumniated,  opprefTcd,  and  flaughter- 
 ed,  are  evidence  that  they  were  the  obje£hs  of  the  divine  hatred, 
 and  endured  thefe  things  m.erely  as  punifhments  for  their  fins  ? 
 
 Sudden.  God  forbid  that  I  Ihould  think  fo  !  So  far  the  reverfe, 
 that  they  were  the  peculiar  favourites  of  Heaven.  Their  fufFer- 
 ings were  endured  for  righteoufnefs-^fake,  and  great  was  the  re- 
 ward that  they  received.     Matt.  v.  12. 
 
 Cautious.  You  are  right,  and  I  doubt  not  that  you  will  alfo 
 allow  that  the  fufFerings  of  Ifrael  in  Egypt,  under  Pharaoh  and 
 his  tafk-maffers,  was  not  evidence  of  the  anger  or  hatred  of  the 
 Lord  the  God  of  their  fathers,  Abraham,  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  to- 
 wards them. 
 
 Sudden.  Undoubtedly  it  was  not ;  fo  far  from  it,  that  they  were 
 then  the  Lord's  peculiar  people  (Exod.  iii.  7.);  and  we  find  the 
 reafon  why  hethus  permitted  their  oppreffion  for  atim-C,  was  that 
 their  deliverance  might  be  fo  confpicuous  that  all  the  world  might 
 hear  thereof,  and  fear  the  Lord  the  God  of  their  fathers,  the  only 
 true  God.     Exod.  xiv.  17,  18, 
 
 Cautious.  I  only  afked  thefe  queftions  to  raife  a  foundation  for 
 this  remark,  viz.  That  fufFerings  are  not  conclusive  evidence 
 of  the  anger  of  the  Lord  againii:  thofe  who  endure  them.  You 
 remember  the  quotation  which  I  lately  made  upon  this  fubjedi 
 from  the  New  Teftament ;  and  now  you  have  admitted  the  truth 
 of  it  in  thefe  inltances  alfo,  I  would  obferve  that  the  Jewifh 
 fufFerings  are  generally  confidered  as  conclusive  evidence  of 
 the  wrath  of  the  God  of  their  fathers  againft  them. 
 
 Sudden,  I  admit  that  it  is  generally  fo  confidered  ;  but  I  fee 
 that  we  muft  not  confider  it  entirely  in  this  light.  It  may  be 
 that  they  are  kept  down  for  fome  wife  purpofe,  as  they  were 
 in  Egypt,  in  order  to  render  their  exaltation  the  more  confpi- 
 cuous. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  glad  to  fee  that  you  are  fo  open  to  convidlion. 
 Let  us  return  to  the  fubject  from  which  we  have  digrefTed.  You 
 will  allow  then  that  there  is  every  reafon  to  believe  that  this  mofl 
 venemous  charge  was  unfounded. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  no  doubt  upon  the  fubjeft ,  and  I  afFure  you 
 that  I  confider  it  a  mofi  uncharitable,  unchrilfian,  imfounded 
 accufiition,  and  I  do  blufh  when  I  confider  thecondudf,  or  rather 
 mifconduft,  of  our  anceftors  tlicrein  ;  and  from  my  foul  I  la- 
 ment the  fiifFerings  of  the  Jews,  as  far  as  they  can  be  attributed  to 
 thefe  wicked  accufatlons. 
 
 Cautious.  I  think  we  may  now  cafl  up  this  article  in  our  ac- 
 count, and  ftrike  a  balance  greatly  in  the  favour  of  the  Jews,  and 
 untortimatelv  much  againft  our  ancefiors. 
 
 Sudden,     We  will  not  as  yet  clofe  the  fubjccl :  for  althoush 
 
 I  halie 
 
Part  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II. 
 
 21 
 
 I  have  clone  with  the  charader  of  the  advocate  in  thefe  inftances, 
 yet  do  I  really  think  that  much  may  be  faid  in  extenuation  of  the 
 condu6l  of  our  anceftors,  although  I  admit  that  nothing  can  be 
 faid  in  jullincation  of  them.  If  the  crime  had  been  proved  by 
 the  moft  fatisfadlory  evidence,  it  could  only  have  been  extended  to 
 the  juftitication  of  our  anccltors,  as  far  as  refpe£ls  their  con- 
 du£l  towards  thofe  who  were  tried  for  the  fuppofed  crime  ;  but  I 
 U'holly  abandon  all  idea  of  julllncation,  as  there  does  not  feem  a 
 fliadow  of  evidence  that  the  crime  was  ever  committed,  or  in- 
 tended to  be  committed,  and  I  Ihall  therefore  confine  myfelf  to 
 mitigation,  extenuation,  excufe  ;  and  I  would  obferve,  that  the 
 firm  belief  there  was  in  the  nation,  that  the  Jews  were  guilty  of 
 fuch  crimes,  is  of  itfelf  fome  excufe  for  thefe  enormities.  If. 
 they  had  exercifed  cruelty  to  the  Jews  without  believing  that  they 
 were  guilty  ;  if  they  liad  cut  them  ofF  merely  to  put  them  out  of 
 the  vv'ay,  and  that  they  might  polfefs  their  wealth,  their  guilt 
 would  certainly  have  been  much  greater  than  it  was. 
 
 Cautious.  I  do  not  deny  it,  and  therefore  we  muft  not  confidcr 
 our  anceifors  as  all  equally  guilty  ;  but  the  misfojrtune  is,  that  in 
 proportion  as  we  extenuate  the  condu6l  of  fome  of  our  anceftors, 
 in  like  proportion  we  aggravate  the  charge  againfl  others  of  them. 
 
 Sudden,  I  think,  however,  that  there  is  fome  confolation  in 
 refte£ling  that  thofe  whoraifed  the  calumny  againit  them  were  the 
 nioit  guiky.  As  we  have  every  reafoa  to  believe  that  the  heathen 
 priells  and  thofe  who  enjoyed  great  dignity  and  opulence,  connedl- 
 ed  with  the  heathen  idolatry  of  Rome,  were  the  revilers  of  the 
 primitive  Chriftians,  and  thofe  who  called  down  the  imperial 
 veni£eance  againit  them  :  fo  can  we  form  a  fhrewd  guefs  who  were 
 the  initigators  of  thofe  calumnies  and  perfecutions  in  which  the 
 Jevv^s  fo  cruelly  fuffered,  and  it  is  fome  confolation  to  us  that  wc 
 are  of  a  church  which  abhors  fuch  anions. 
 
 Cautious,  We  are  fo  (thank  God)  ;  but  they  were  OUR  an- 
 cestors WHO  COMMITTED  THOSE  ENO R M I T I E s, and  there  is 
 therefore  every  reafon  for  us  to  review  tliem.  Ir  you  were 
 urging  a  Jew  to  enter  into  a  revifion  of  the  afts  of  his  anceftors, 
 and  he  were  to  reply,  "  At  the  time  to  which  you  refer,  there 
 "  exifted  in  our  nation  a  very  powerful  party  called  Pharilees, 
 "  and  another  powerful  party  called  Sadducees,  as  well  as  other 
 <'  parties.  I  am  neither  Pbarifee  nor  Sadducee  ;  I  am  only  a 
 '^  Jew;  I  therefore  decline  the  difcuflion  as  no  wife  concerned." 
 You  would  very  properly  urge  that  it  was  greatly  to  his  interelf 
 and  happinefs  to  enter  into  the  revifion  ;  and  in  like  manner  it  is 
 greatly  to  our  interelt  to  do  the  like  concerning  the  adlions  of  our 
 anceltors. 
 
 Sudden.  Let  us  proceed  to  the  confideration  of  fome  other  of 
 the  crimes  objeded'againll  the  Jews  by  our  anceltors.  I  really 
 believe  we  {hall  find  reaf:>n  to  convi6l  them  of  the  crimes  of  clip- 
 ping the  coin,  and  exorbitant  ufurious  oppreflion.     As  to  the  ac- 
 
 cu  fat  ion 
 
aa  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  I. 
 
 cufation  that  they  intended  to  fet  London  on  fire  by  Avildfire,  pre- 
 pared at  Northampton,  it'  it  had  not  had  fuch  a  tragical  end,  viz. 
 being  the  occalion  of  feveral  Jews  being  burnt  for  it,  I  ihould 
 have  hardly  helped  fmiling  at  fuch  an  abfurd  imputation  ;  but 
 .clipping  the  coin  and  exorbitant  ufurtous  opprellion  is  what  I 
 apprehend  they  were  juilly  charged  with,  and  almoil  univerfally 
 addicted  to. 
 
 Cautious.  Clipping  the  coin  being  high  treafon,  is  entitled  to 
 the  tlril:  confideration. 
 
 Sudden.  Very  good.  Edward  I.  who  is  called  the  Englifh 
 Jullinian,  for  the  excellency  of  the  laws  enacled  by  him,  caufed 
 them  to  be  tried  for  this  offence,  and  280  were  executed  for  it  in 
 London  alone,  befides  thofe  who  fuffered  in  other  towns  in  Eng- 
 land for  the  fame  crime.  We  mull  fiippofe,  that  under  a  fove- 
 reign  who  is  to  this  day  celebrated  on  account  of  the  laws  enabl- 
 ed in  his  reign,  thefe  Jews  iriad  all  regular  trials,  and  were  juilly 
 convicted  upon  evidence. 
 
 Cautious.  You  lay  a  ilrefs  upon  the  circumflance  of  Edward 
 I.  being  celebrated  for  his  laws.  It  is  true,  that  where  there  are 
 good  lav\s  enailed,  we  naturally  look  for  an  upright  adminiflra- 
 tion  of  them,  but  it  is  poffible  for  a  prince  to  enadl  good  laws  for 
 the  government  of  his  people,  and  yet  to  be  milled  by  his  mi- 
 niflers  to  condu6l  his  government  without  the  leail  regard  to  law 
 and  juilice  ;  and  there  are  few  reigns  in  which  greater  a6ls  of  op- 
 preflion,  cruelty,  and  injuilice  were  committed,  than  in  the  reign  of 
 Edward  I.  although  the  brilliancy  ot  his  exploits,  and  the  great- 
 nefs  of  his  abilities  have  thrown  an  unmerited  glofs  over  his 
 adminiilration.  Kings  are  ever  entitled  to  profound  refpeiSl,  and 
 it  is  the  liberal  policy  of  the  prefent  age  ever  to  give  tnem  the 
 credit  of  uprightnefs  of  intention,  and  to  confider  every  inveiliga- 
 tion,  as  an  inveftigation  of  the  a'5ls  of  their  minifters,  and  of 
 the  advice  given  unto  them  by  their  minifters  ;  and  I  think  that 
 hillorians  would  do  well  to  conform  to  this  liberal  cullom. 
 We  will  therefore  confider  it  in  this  light,  and  fpeak  of  a6lions  as 
 the  adions  of  the  minifters  of  ftate  ;  and  furcly  the  a6tions  of  the 
 adminiftration  in  his  reign  are  very  reprehenfible.  Their  condu6l 
 towards  the  Welfli  and  the  Scotch,  their  fovereigns  and  people, 
 and  efpecially  the  ilaughter  of  the  Welfti  bards,  will  ever  be  con- 
 fidered  by  thofe  who  are  not  dazzled  by  fuccefstul  cruelty  (Smol- 
 let,  Vol.  III.  p.  131.)  as  dlfgraceful  ads,  which  would  have 
 tarnifhed  the  fplendour  of  this  reign,  had  it  been  a  thoufand  times 
 more  fplendid  \  but  in  their  condu6l  towards  the  Jews  they  a6ted 
 the  part  of  moft  grievous  oppreflbrs.  What  evidence  was  pro- 
 duced againft  them  ?  We  read  that  they  were  fufpe6led  of  the 
 crime,  as  were  alfo  the  Flemings.  It  would  therefore  have  been 
 the  part  of  a  good  and  aftive  government  to  have  fet  its  officers  to 
 feek  for  the  guilty,  whether  Englifti,  Flemings,  or  Jews.  Does 
 this  appear  lo  have  been  dune  ?   By  no  means.     Obferve,  that  I 
 
 do 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  23 
 
 do  not  deny  but  there  might  have  been  Jews  as  well  as  Flemings 
 and  Englilh  concerned  in  thefe  malpradlices.  The  Jews  are 
 men,  and  lubje^l  to  like  temptations  and  like  crimes,  as  the  reft 
 ©f  mankind  ;  and  as  they  dealt  in  money,  and  had  better  oppor- 
 tunities than  others,  the  probability  that  fome  of  them  were  not 
 entirely  innocent  is  itrengthened  ;  but  the  fuddennefs  of  the  inqui- 
 fition,  the  great  number  of  thofe  executed,  and  the  condu£l  of  the 
 government  and  people  at  large  to  thofe  whom  they  did  not  exe- 
 cute, convince  me  that  the  Jews  had  not  fair  play,  but  that  by  far 
 the  majority  of  them  were  unjuftly  convidted.  I  have  obferved 
 that  but  five  lines  before  the  pafTage  which  I  quoted  upon  this 
 fubjc6f,  we  find  that  '*  the  king's  finances  were  exhaufted," 
 and  the  quotation  ends  with  an  account  of  the  vaft  funis  raifed" 
 by  the  fi;izure  of  the  Jews  houfes  and  effefts,  and  the  fines  im- 
 pofed  upon  thofe  of  them,  who  efcaped  death,  and  the  goldfmiths 
 who  were  involved  iovthe  fufpicion  of  being  concerned  with  them. 
 The  only  circumftance  mentioned  by  the  hilforian,  which  feems 
 to  glance  at  the  crimination  of  any  of  them  is,  that  great  fums  of 
 clipped  money  were  found  in  their  houfes.  Here  feems  to  be 
 fom.ethjng  like  evidence,  we  will  therefore  pay  attention  to  it. 
 Ifhehadfaid  that  there  had  been  found  in  their  houfes  great 
 quantities  of  gold  evidently  clipped  from  the  current  coin,  great 
 quantities  of  gold  duft  of  the  fame  ftandard  with  the  current 
 coin,  it  v/ould  have  amounted  to  clrcumftantial  evidence,  which 
 if  ftrongly  corroborated  with  other  proofs,  might  induce  an  im- 
 partial jury  to  convicSl  a  prifoner  ;  but  no  fuch  thing  is  mentioned, 
 it  is  only  faid  that  great  fums  of  clipped  money  were  found  in 
 their  houfes.  Now  this  fo  tar  from  being  evidence  againlf  them 
 ■was  evidence  in  their  favour  if  rightly  confidered  ;  but  what  fig- 
 nified  evidence  in  favour  of  a  Jew  when  he  was  accufed  upon  a 
 general  rumour.  His  judge  and  jury  formed  of  thofe  who  hated 
 him  and  his  nation,  and  who  would  rejoice  and  exult  in  his  con- 
 vidion  and  fufferings.  Who  was  there  to  plead  his  caufe  ?  Is 
 there  the  lealt  ground  to  fuppofe  that  they  had  even  a  fingle 
 chance  of  being  acquitted  ?  The  very  evidence  which  is  conii- 
 dered  as  a  proof  of  their  guilt  iliould  have  produced  their  acquit- 
 tal ;  for  if  they  had  been  concerned  in  clipping  the  coin,  they 
 would  have  hoarded  undipped  money  in  order  to  clip  it,,  and  put 
 the  clipped  money  into  circulation.  They  dealt  in  m.ontv,  and 
 hoarded  money  ;  if  therefore  the  money  v.  hich  was  in  circulation 
 was  clipped  and  depreciated  in  value,  what  could  they  deal  in, 
 what  could  they  hoard  but  clipped  money  ? 
 
 The  Flemings  were  mentioned  as  being  implicated  with  the 
 Jews  in  the  fufpicion  of  being  guilty  of  this  crime  ;  and  in  the  ac- 
 count we  are  now  confidering  we  find  that  the  goldfmiths  were 
 charged  with  being  their  accomplices,  although  they  (being  Chrif- 
 tiansj  were  only  fined,  and  not  hanged  for  it.  I  think  there  is 
 little  doubt  but  thefe  were   the  principal  criminals,   for  if  a  gold- 
 
 iinith 
 
24  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  L 
 
 fmith  were  not  retrained  by  the  dcteftation  of  fuch  a  crime,  but 
 would  become  particeps  crimhiis,  and  fubjc^l  himfelt  to  the  pu* 
 nifhmcnt  of  the  law,  would  he  admit  an  accomplice  to  render  his 
 Jetedlion  the  more  probable  ?  would  he  permit  an  accomplice  to 
 lun  away  with  the  main  part  of  the  plunder  ?  Si;rely  he  would  do 
 all  the  bufinefs  himfelt. 
 
 Sudden.  I  thank  you  for  your  obfervations  upon  this  fubjeft, 
 as  there  is  nothing  I  would  wiui  to  avoid  more  than  prejudice.  I 
 think  with  you,  that  the  luddenncfs  of  the  blow  throws  an  air  of 
 fufpicion  upon  it,  A  government  which  proceeds  upon  equitable 
 principles  Ihould  pimilh  offences  as  they  arife,  and  not  fuffer 
 them  to  accumulate  to  that  degree,  that  the  blow  of  punifliment 
 ihould  feem  like  the  fword  of  extermination.  I  lament  with  you 
 the  helplefs  undefended  fituation  to  which  thefe  Jews  v/ere  ex- 
 pofed,  and  I  perfeftly  agree  with  you,  that  their  being  in  polTef- 
 lion  of  large  fums  of  clipped  m.oney  was  rattjjpr  an  evidence  in  their 
 favour  than  againft  them  ;  but  what  can  you  fay  to  the  remaining 
 articles,  their  uuirious  oppreflion,  their  hard-heartednefs  and  exac- 
 tion ?  This  was  what  gave  rife  to  our  converfation,  and  I  pro- 
 mife  yon  I  feel  an  inclination  to  contend  this  point  with  vigour, 
 as  I  firmly  believe  that  it  was  the  odious  light  in  which  they  had 
 placed  themfeives,  by  the  exercife  of  ufurious  opprefTion  and 
 hard-hearted  exadion,  which  afforded  an  opportunity  tor  the  be- 
 lief of  the  other  enormities  with  which  they  were  charged. 
 
 Cautious.  I  perfeftly  agree  with  you,  that  it  was  in  fomc 
 meafure  the  odious  light  in  which  their  money  tranfadtions  placed 
 them,  that  was  as  it  were  the  foil  on  Vvhich  was  fown  and  nou- 
 riihed  thofe  venemous  calumnies  which  we  have  feen  to  produce 
 fuch  dreadful  fufferings  to  them. 
 
 Sudden.  You  admit  then  that  they  were  juftly  odious  on  ac- 
 count of  their  ufurious  oppreilion,  hard-heartednefs,  and  iiinty 
 exactions  ? 
 
 Cautious.  When  you  have  heard  what  I  have  to  fay  upon 
 the  fubje^f,  you  will  fee  how  far  I  admiit  and  hov/  far  I  contro- 
 vert it.      Did  you  ever  difcount  a  bill,  or  borrow  money  ? 
 
 Sudden.  Certainly,  in  the  way  of  my  bufinefs  I  have  difcount- 
 ed  many  hundred  bills,  and  taken  up  many  large  fums  of  money 
 to  fuit  my  occafions. 
 
 Cautious,  Have  thefe  tranfaftions  been  with  Jews  or  Chrif- 
 tians  ? 
 
 Sudden.  With  Cliriflians,  to  be  fi^rc.  I  never  had  much 
 concern  with  the  Jews:  I  have  not  been  in  the  way  of  dealing 
 with  them. 
 
 Cautious.     You  doubtlefs  was    m.uch   befriended  by   your   fel- 
 
 low-ehrilHans,    they  difcounted  your  bills   merely  to  oblige  you, 
 
 and    did    not    dedu6l    intereft.       They   lent  you  money   cut    of 
 
 pure  friendfliip  and  aife^Pcion,   and   took  neither  fecurity   nor  in- 
 
 .  terelt, 
 
 ,  Sudden, 
 
Part  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IL  23 
 
 Sudden.  I  fee  the  point  you  are  driving  at ;  but  I  muft  tell 
 you  that  it  will  not  do.  We  entered  upon  the  fubje6l  ferioufly. 
 We  have  purfued  it  feriouily.  You  admoniflied  me  to  obferve 
 ferioufnefs,  and  now  you  are  endeavouring  to  difcompofe  my 
 mufcles  by  your  jokes. 
 
 Cautious.     I  beg  your  pardon,  I  will  avoid  it  in  future. 
 
 Sudden.  A6ls  of  kindnefs,  fuch  as  giving  cafli  for  a  bill  with- 
 out deducing  the  difcount,  or  lending  money  without  fecurity  or 
 intereft,  are  ails  of  kindnefs  which  are  never  expected  in  the 
 ufual  courfe  of  bufinefs.  They  may  almoll  be  confidered  as  adls 
 of  charity  or  bounty,  which  a  man  of  confequence  in  bufmefs 
 would  confider  as  an  affront  if  it  were  offered  ;  but  bills  difcount- 
 ed  in  the  regular  courfe  of  bufinefs,  the  difcount  being  dedu6led,. 
 or  money  taken  up  on  good  fecurity,  at  legal  and  reguh^r  interefl, 
 are  never  confidered  as  in  the  lealt  degree  difreputablc,  the  ad- 
 vantage and  obligation  are  equal  \  I  am  obliged  by  the  conve- 
 nience of  ready  money  for  my  trade,  and  the  lender  or  difcounter 
 is  obliged  by  my  affording  him  an  opportunity  to  employ  his  fur- 
 plus  money  without  riik  of  lofs,  and  with  certainty  of  that  fair 
 intereff  which  by  law  he  is  entitled  to  make  of  his  money. 
 
 Cautious.  I  well  know  it.  You  have  alfo  infured  your  fliips, 
 have  you  not  ? 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  ;  and  I  once  paid  a  mod  enormous  per  cent- 
 age,  and  was  very  glad  to  get  my  ihip  infured  at  that. 
 
 Cautious.      How  was  it  ? 
 
 Sudden.  The  fliip  was  to  fail  from  the  Weft-Indies,  and  I  re- 
 ceived a  letter  from  the  captain,'  dated  the  third  of  June,  that  he 
 iliould  complete  his  cargo,  and  fail  by  the  end  of  that  month. 
 This  letter  I  received  towards  the  end  of  the  month,  and  loft  no 
 time  in  giving  orders  for  the  infurance  of  my  lliip,  but  un- 
 fortunately for  me,  there  arrived  advices  by  the  fame  port, 
 that  the  enemy  were  flrong  and  powerful  in  thofe  feas  ;  and 
 as  my  Ihip  Avas  to  fail  without  waiting  for  convoy,  it  was  with 
 the  greateft  difficulty  I  could  get  it  infured  at  all,  and  I  paid  30 
 ^  Ct,  premium,  and  well  it  was  for  me  that  I  did,  for  although 
 the  enemies  fleet  did  not  fall  in  with  her.  ilie  was  wrecked  in  the 
 channel.  The  crew  were  faved,  and  there  was  about  20  ^  Ct. 
 redeemed  from  the  waves,  fo  that  inftead  of  lofing  the  whole  fliip 
 and  cargo,  I  only  loft  30  ^  Ct.  of  its  value,  and  the  under-writers 
 50  f  Ct. 
 
 Cautious.  If  you  could  not  have  got  the  under-writers  to  in- 
 fure  you  without  60  ^  Ct.  premium,  I  prefume  you  would  not 
 have  expreffed  any  anger  againft  them  \  you  would-not  have  faid 
 it  is  your  bufinefs  to  infure  fhips,  and  you  are  unreafonable  and 
 unconfcionable  in  refufing  to  infure  mine  without  fo  great  a  pre- 
 mium. 
 
 Sudden.  They  were  at  liberty  to  do  as  they  pleafed  ;  if  I  had 
 treated  them  in  this  manner  I    fhould  have  thought  my  friends 
 
 E  would 
 
26  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  I. 
 
 would  have  been  juftified  in  providing  an  apartment  for  me  in 
 Bedlam. 
 
 Cautious.  My  dear  friend,  there  is  little  kfs  infanity  in  thofe 
 reproaches  which  you  find  in  hiftory  concerning  the  exactions  of 
 the  Jews.  Trade  and  kindnefs  are  diitinfl  things  ;  and  although 
 the  proverb  is  called  a  Jewifh  proverb,  '*  There  is  no  friendfhip 
 *'  in  trade/''  yet  it  is  no  lefs  a6led  on  by  Chrilfians  than  Jews. 
 I  know  you  lament  the  high  price  of  hay  and  corn,  but  if  you  had 
 more  of  either  of  them  than  you  found  necelfary  for  your  own 
 ufe,  what  would  you  do  with  it  ?  You  would  fend  it  to  market, 
 and  w^ould  be  very  angry  with  the  falefman  it  he  parted  with  it 
 under  the  fair  market  price. 
 
 Sudden.  I  admit  that  your  obfervations  are  juft,  as  far  as  they 
 go.  I  f  I  were  to  fell  it  at  an  inferior  price  I  Ihould  conceive  that  the 
 difference  was  a  gift ;  and  if  I  am  inclined  to  give,  it  fhali  be 
 when  and  to  whom  I  pleafe,  and  not  to  a  ftranger,  who  may  be 
 more  able  to  give  to  me  than  I  to  him. 
 
 Cautious.  In  like  manner  every  perfon  in  trade  calculates  his 
 rifk  in  the  tranfadion,  and  affixes  his  profit  in  proportion  ;  and 
 although  the  Jews,  in  ancient  times  efpecially,  w^ere  branded  as 
 extortioners,  I  apprehend  they  v/ere  no  more  entitled  to  the  re- 
 proach than  the  under-writer  who  requires  50  ^  Ct.  premium, 
 when  the  rifk  of  a  total  lofs  is  equal  to  the  chance  of  fafety  ;  and 
 if  any  reproach  isjuftly  imputable,  it  Ihould  be  imputed  to  thofe 
 perfons  who  made  the  rifk  fo  great.  The  Jews  were  not 
 permitted  to  follow  agriculture,  or  any  of  thofe  employments 
 which  engage  the  great  body  of  the  people.  Their  religion,  as 
 well  as  the  jealoufy  of  government,  prevented  them  ;  for  who 
 would  employ  a  perfon  who  would  be  unable  to  work  part 
 of  every  Friday,  and  the  whole  of  every  Saturday  ;  the  law 
 of  the  land  preventing  his  making  up  the  difference  on  Sunday. 
 Merchandize,  therefore,  became  as  it  were  their  natural  employ- 
 ment ;  and  as  they  were  a  people  remarkable  for  their  abftinence 
 and  frugality,  their  gains  of  courfe  accumulate,  and  they  are 
 enabled  to  deal  in  money.  Now  money,  like  every  other  com- 
 rtjodity,  has  its  fair  market  price,  its  true  value,  and  this  value 
 flu6luates  according  to  circumftances.  If  money  is  fcarce  it  is 
 worth  more,  if  plenty  lefs.     The  legal  rate  of  intereft  is  now 
 
 5  ^  Ct.     Not  very  many  years  ago  it  was  6  ^  Ct.  and  now  is 
 
 6  ^  Ct.  in  the  Wefl-Indies,  and  much  more  in  the  Eaft.  Such 
 was  the  great  fcarcity  of  money  in  this  land  at  the  period  to 
 which  we  refer,  that  great  advantage  was  apparently  made  by  the 
 Jews  of  their  money.  It  was  called  exorbitant  intereft,  ufury, 
 and  extortion,  and  not  being  regulated  by  any  ftatute  for  fome 
 cime  was  flu6tuating  and  arbitrary  ;  but  w  hy  ihould  the  Jews  be 
 reproached  for  it  ?  If  they  had  compelled  any  one  to  take 
 their  monies  at  great  intereft  they  might  juftly  have  merited  re- 
 proach, but  every  one  was  free  to  take  it  on  thofe  terms  or  to  re- 
 
 fufe 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II. 
 
 27 
 
 fufe  it.  We  have  no  good  ground  to  fuppofe  that  the  Jews  were 
 the  only  perfons  who  lent  money  at  interclt.  Does  it  appear  that 
 Chriitians  in  thofe  times  were  content  with  lels  interelt  than  was 
 required  by  the  Jews  ?  It  they  had,  would  any  ChrilHan  have 
 been  fuch  an  ideot  as  to  borrow  of  a  Jew  at  a  large  intereft 
 when  he  could  be  accommodated  by.  his  tellow-chriitian  at  a 
 fmaller  intereil:.  You  juftly  obfervcd,  that  it  you  were  to  have 
 reproached  the  under-writers  for  not  infuring  your  fhip,  except  at  a 
 ivery  large  premium,  that  you  would  have  adled  the  part  of  a 
 madm.an.  Why  fhould  not  the  Jews  ha/e  had  the  fame  privi- 
 lege of  eftimating  the  rifk  they  ran  ?  The  mere  ufe  of  money 
 was  then  very  greatly  more  than  it  is  at  prefent,  rifk  out  of  the 
 queition.  I  f  there  were  but  1 00  horfes  in  London,  could  y ou  expe£l 
 to  hire  one  for  a  day  at  the  fame  price  as  if  there  were  5000"; 
 fo  it  is  with  money,  the  rifk  of  lofmg  it  out  of  the  queftion :  but 
 hew  great  muil  have  been  their  rifk  of  lofmg  their  money  by  the 
 poverty  ot  thofe  to  whom  they  lent  it ;  this  muft  not  be  forgotten 
 in  the  account :  you  Avould  not  forget  it  if  you  made  out  the  ac- 
 count. If  you  fell  for  ready  money,  do  you  not  content  yourfelf 
 with  lefs  profit  than  if  you  trulfed  the  buyer  for  twelve  months. 
 
 Sudden.  Undoubtedly,  and  fhould  put  on  a  profit  not  only 
 equal  to  the  twelve  months  intereft,  but  equal  alfo  to  the  rifk  I 
 ran  of  the  lofs  of  the  debt ;  this  difference  may  be  confidered  as 
 the  premium  for  infuring  the  payment  of  the  debt  at  twelve 
 months. 
 
 Cautious.  Juft  fo.  Now  the  fcarcity  of  money  being  confi- 
 dered in  thofe  times  to  which  we  refer,  and  the  rifk  ot  lofs  of 
 principal  alfo  taken  into  the  account,  together  with  the  trouble  of 
 colledting,  the  fame  being  generally  lent  in  very  fmall  fums,  I 
 am  of  opinion  that  by  far  the  greateft  part  of  the  calumny 
 againfl  them  is  groundlefs,  vexatious,  and  frivolous  ;  and  taking 
 the  other  rifks  they  ran  into  the  account,  I  am  perfuaded  that 
 there  is  not  a  banker  in  London,  or  an  under-writer  at  Lloyd's,  who 
 would  be  content  to  run  fuch  rifks  as  they  did  at  a  lefs  pre- 
 mium. 
 
 Sudden.     I  am  all  attention,  though  I  do  not  reply. 
 
 Cautious.  There  are  other  rifks  as  well  as  thofe  arifing  from  fliips 
 of  war,  pirates,  fforms,  fire,  and  merchant-marring  rocks  ;  and 
 fuch  were  the  rifks  that  v^^ere  conftantly  endured  by  the  Jews  in  the 
 times  of  which  we  are  fpeaking,  that  I  am  almofl  aftonifiied  that 
 they  could  afford  to  lend  their  money  at  the  rate  they  did.  They 
 were  fubje£t  to  continual  exadions,  and  were  periodically  fleeced. 
 Now  thefe  exadions  were  arbitrary,  and  at  times  enormous. 
 Could  the  Jews  lend  their  money  under  fuch  circumftances  at  as 
 low  a  rate  of  intereft  as  they  could  have  afforded  if  they  had  been 
 proteded  in  ihe  poffefTion  of  their  property  ?  You  pay  a  tax  on 
 your  merchandize,  and  you  ccnfider  it  as  an  addition  to  the  price, 
 and  fell  your  merchandize  fo  much  the  dearer  on  account  of  it. 
 
 What 
 
28  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  I. 
 
 What  would  you  do  if  you  not  only  paid  a  fixed  and  regular  tax, 
 but  were  fubjefl:  to  have  a  demand  made  upon  you  for  an  arbitrary 
 fum,  and  no  help,  no  remedy,  no  alternative,  but  fubmillion  ? 
 Would  you  not  infert  this  article  of  rifk  in  the  account  ?  The 
 government  in  this  refpeft  might  juftly  be  confidercd  as  part- 
 ner with  the  Jews ;  an  univerfal  partner,  v/hofe  exa6lions  were 
 the  caufe  of  that  exorbitant  interelt  which  rendered  the  Jews  fo 
 odious  ;  and  it  is  matter  of  aftonifliment  to  me,  that  the  Jews  did 
 not  renounce  all  intercourfe  with  England,  and  feek  deliverance 
 from  fuch  oppreflion  in  fome  defert  land,  rather  than  endure  the 
 fufFerings  to  which  they  were  fubjecl  in  the  fertile  plains  of  Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  nothing  to  fay  in  reply  :  oppreflion  begets 
 cppreifion,  and  if  the  Jews  were  guilty  of  oppreflion  in  any  in- 
 ftances,  they  endured  oppreflion  in  their  turn,  more  than  equal  to 
 balance  the  account,  leaving  a  large  furplus  of  fufFerings  be- 
 lides.  I  admit,  that  it  is  the  univerfal  cuflom  of  trade,  and  a 
 cullom  alfo  which  is  juftifiable,  and  without  which  trade  could 
 not  be  carried  on,  to  throw  all  rifks  and  expences  to  which  your 
 trade  is  fubjefh  upon  the  purchafcr  of  the  commodity  in  which 
 you  deal.  If  I  deal  in  a  commodity  of  a  perifhable  nature  I  mufl 
 calculate  the  probable  lofs  I  fhall  fufFer  from  its  being  a  perifhable 
 commodity,  and  mufl  increafe  the  price  in  proportion.  If  the 
 article  is  peculiarly  hazardous,  and  fubje6f:  to  deftrudfion  by  fire, 
 I  connot  infure  it  from  deftru6tion  by  fire  but  at  an  increafed 
 premium  ;  I  muft  therefore  add  this  premium  to  my  price,  and 
 cannot  fell  my  commodity  at  the  fame  price  as  if  it  was  not  fub- 
 je6f  to  fuch  an  inconvenience  and  expence.  There  is  nothing  difho- 
 nourable  or  unfair  in  this ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  man  who  would 
 embark  in  trade  without  making  fuch  calculation  would  foon  find 
 that  he  Avas  ruined.  The  Jews  therefore  I  find  on  reflexion  are 
 unjuftly  charged  with  extortion.  The  charge  of  extortion  would 
 have  been  with  more  juflice  applied  to  thole  who  increafed  the 
 price  (the  intereft)  of  the  commodity  they  dealt  in  (money)  by 
 fuch  arbitral y  exa6lions  ;  and  the  Jews  were  as  innocent  as  the 
 "wine  merchant,  who  now,  with  no  more  profit  to  himfelf,  fells  his 
 wine  at  eighty  pounds  a  pipe,  which  fome  time  fince  was  fold  at 
 forty  pounds  ;  the  increafed  duties  which  he  pays  making  the 
 difference.  Every  one  hath  a  right  over  his  own  property,  and 
 may  require  what  terms  he  pleafes,  as  the  confideration  for  part- 
 ing witli  it  entirely,  or  for  a  time,  fo  as  he  conforms  to  the  laws 
 of  his  country.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  legiflature  to  interfere  if  one 
 order  of  fociety  bear  too  hard  upon  another,  but  until  fuch  inter- 
 ference every  one  is  at  liberty  ;  and  the  reafon  why  government 
 did  not  interfere  in  this  matter,  feems  to  have  been  that  the  flate 
 coniidercd  thefe  Jews  as  a  kind  of  tax-gatherers,  who  inlfcad  of 
 paying  their  mon^y  regularly  into  the  exchequer  were  to  be  pe- 
 riodically fqueezed  and  tormented  until  they  produced  it. 
 
 Cautiouu 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  O  L  G  U  E     II. 
 
 29 
 
 Cautious.     We   have  now  done   with  all  the    crimes  objefted 
 againft  the  Jews,  and  will  therefore  proceed  to  the  a6ls  of  our  an- 
 ceftors.     We  agreed  that  their  crin^iC  was  greateft  who  raifed  the 
 calumnious  reports  againlf  them.    Here  then  was  the  greateft  guilt. 
 In  the  next  place  you  jultly  obferved,  that  the  guilt  of  thofe  who 
 a£led  on  the  belief  of  thefe  calumnies  was  not  fo  great  as  if  theFe 
 afts  of  cruelty  had  been  committed  merely  with  a  view  to  plunder. 
 It  is  very  true  ;  but  you  will  find  that  many  of  our  anceftors  were 
 a6luated  by  this  bafe  motive.     Plunder  was  a  great  ingredient  in 
 the  crime  committed  by  our  anceftors  at  the  time  of  the  corona- 
 tion of  Richard  I.   and  not  only  plunder  taken  from  the  Jews, 
 but  by  the  (Jeftru6lion  of  the  fecurities,    and  the  malTacre  of  the 
 Jews,  they  fought  to  cancel  their  debts,   as   hath  been  already, 
 noticed  in  the  quotation.     Can  we  conceive  a  more  odious  crime  ? 
 The  debtor  murders  the  creditor,  plunders  his  houfe,  and  then 
 proceeds  to  the  place  where  the  fecurities  are  depofited,  v/hich  he 
 commits  to  the  tiames.     A  miitaken   zeal   and   refentment  for  an 
 imputed  crime  could  not  be  the  motive  for  fuch  a6lions.     It  was 
 an  adlion  of  uncommon  atrocity,  and  yet  the  number  and  confe- 
 quence  of  refpeftable  gentlemen  who  had  committed  thefe  crimes 
 prevents  any  further  inquiry,  and  fecures  them  from  punifhment. 
 We  find  that  three  were  hanged  for  the   outrage  ;  but  was  it  for 
 the  outrage   againft   the  Jews  ?   By  no  means.     One  was  hanged 
 becaufe  he  did  not  confine  his  villany  to  the  Jews,    but  took  ad- 
 vantage of  the  tumult  to  plunder  the  houfe  of  a  Christian,  and 
 the  other  two  were  hanged  for  fetting  fire  to  the  Jews  houfes  to 
 THE  GREAT  DANGER  OF  THE   CITY,  not  for  their  violence  to 
 the  Jews,  but  for  exercifing  that   violence   in   a  manner  which 
 endangered  the  lives  and  property  of  Chriftians.     Another  hilto- 
 rian  informs  us,   **  that  the  inquiry  foon  flopped,  as  many  confi- 
 *'  derable  citizens  were  involved  in  the  guilt,  and  as  the  priefts 
 *'  applauded  the  pious  zeal  which  deflroyed  fo  many  enemies  to 
 "  the  Chriftian  faith,"  Noorthouck,  p.  34.    Was  it  not  chiefly  the 
 bafe  defire  of  plunder  which  induced  the  people  under  Fitz  John 
 to  m.aflacre 50c  Jews,  and  plunder  their  houfesr  What juft  quarrel 
 had  he  with  Koh  Ben  Abraham,  v\  horn   he  murdered   with   his 
 own  hand  ?    It  was  defire  to  poifefs  his  wealth  ;  but  left  he  fhould 
 be  called  to  account  for  it,  he  divided  his  treafure  between  him- 
 felf  and  the  Earl  of  Leicefter,  who  was  thus  retained  to  defend 
 him.      I  have   put  thofe  who   raifed  the   calumnies  againft  the 
 Jews  at  the  head  of  the  lift  of  criminals;  but  I  think  that  no  cri- 
 minal can  exceed  in  atrocity  the  multitude  we  are  conftrained  to 
 include  under  this  fecond  clafs.     Was  there  any  inquiry  made  ? 
 Were  any  of  thefe  enormous  finners  brought  to  punifhment  ?   No. 
 Why  not  ?   Becaufe  great  and  powerful  men  were  leaders  in  the 
 crime,  and  they  only  plundered  and  deltroyed  the  Jews. 
 
 What  crime  had  thefe  Jews  committed  againft  King  Richard, 
 or  his  government  ?    Let  us  take  it  in  the  ftrongeft  light  againft 
 
 the 
 
30 
 
 DIALOGUE     11.  Part  L 
 
 the  Jews.  They  were  guilty  of  an  impertinent  curiofity  in  defi- 
 ring  to  fee  their  new  fovereign  in  his  coronation  robes  ;  this  is  the 
 only  crime  wherewith  .they  can  be  charged.  It  is  rather  impro- 
 bable, for  curiofity  is  not  a  Jewilh  vice.  We  are  informed  by 
 another  authority,  with  more  probability,  that  their  appearance  at 
 court  was  with  intent  to  offer  a  large  prefent  to  their  new  king, 
 with  hope  to  render  him  propitious  to  their  nation  ;  be  their  mo- 
 tive what  it  might,  we  have  fecn  the  refult,  and  dreadful  is  the 
 account  of  blood  againft  our  anceitors.  Let  us  fuppofe  that  great 
 numbers  among  thefe  fons  of  violence  really  believed  the  calum- 
 nies with  which  the  Jews  were  loaded.  Let  us  alfo  fuppcfe  that 
 they  really  believed  that  the  kijng  had  commanded  their  deltru6lion. 
 Will  this  much  mend  the  matter?  What  grofs  ignorance,  and 
 more  than  favage  barbarity  mull  at  this  time  have  prevailed,  that 
 could  think  any  king  had  a  right  to  confign  one  clafs  of  his  peace- 
 able fubjefts  to  deftruction  in  fuch  a  manner,  untried,  unheard  I 
 and  by  fuch  irregular  executors  of  wrath. 
 
 Sudden.  The  account  of  Jewifh  blood  is  certainly  very  heavy 
 againft  our  anceftors  and  the  ancient  governirient  of  this  land  ;  for 
 government  is  a  divine  ordinance,  ordained  for  the  very  end  of 
 aifording  protection  to  all  orders  and  degrees  of  the  people,  and 
 for  the  punidiment  of  criminals  without  refpe6t  of  perfons.  For 
 thefe  purpofes  the  king  is  the  vicegerent  of  God,  and  if  he'does 
 not  punilh  murderers,  the  crime  of  blood  rem.ains  upon  the  land, 
 and  blood  unjuflly  ihed  cries  unto  God,  **  The  voice  of  thy 
 **  brother's  blood  crieth  unto  me  from  the  ground,"  Gen.  iv.  lo. 
 — "  Ye  fliall  take  no  fatisfadion  for  the  life  of  a  murderer," 
 Numb.  XXXV.  31. — "  Blood  defileth  the  land,  and  the  land  cannot 
 *'  be  cleanfed  of  the  blood  that  is  ihed  therein  but  by  the  blood  of 
 *'  him  that  Ihed  it,"  Numb.  xxxv.  33.  The  land  was  not  thus 
 cleanfed  of  the  blood  of  thefe  Jews,  which  was  moft  unjuftly  Ihed  ; 
 on  the  contrary,  we  have  feen  that  thofe  whx)  were  punifhed  were 
 punirtied  becaufe  they  plundered  the  Chriftians,  and  endangered 
 the  lives  and  properties  of  Chriftians.  I  do  not  find  that  any  in- 
 quifition  was  ever  made  concerning  the  blood  of  Koh  Ben  Abra- 
 ham, and  the  500  Jews  who  Averc  maflacred  with  him  in  cold 
 blood,  or  for  the  blood  of  thofe  hundreds  of  Jews  who  wxre 
 drowned  by  mere  wantonnefs  of  barbarity,  iji  the  reign  of  Edward 
 I .  when  he  commanded  them  to  be  baniftied.  Thefe  things  make 
 me  uneafy. 
 
 Cautious.     I  am  not  forry  to  hear  you  fay  fo. 
 
 Sudden.  Notwithftanding  I  abhor  thefe  adions,  yet  ftill  I  think 
 that  although  nothing  can  be  urged  in  juftification  of  op- 
 preftion,  much  may  be  urged  in  mitigation  of  the  ads  of  the 
 ancient  government  of  this  land  in  their  opprefiion  of  the 
 Jews.  We  are  to  confider  the  fituation  of  our  government  in 
 thofe  days.  We  had  then  kings  in  fuccellion,  each  clothed  with 
 a  roval  robe,  a  crown  upon  his  head,  a  fceptre  in  his  hand,   and 
 
 ereat 
 
Part  1.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  g, 
 
 great  nominal  prerogatives  ;  but  in  a  great  degree  they  mioht  be 
 confidered  as  but  the  fhadow  of  royalty.  All  parties  as  it^were 
 agreed  in  giving  him  the  outward  reipcd  and  homage  of  a  fove- 
 reign,  but  as  to  the  power  of  a  king  (without  which  royalty  may 
 julily  be  confidered  as  a  mockery)  thefe  kings  did  not  in  general 
 polTefs  it.  The  power  was  divided  between  the  barons  or  no- 
 bility, the  church,  and  the  king,  and  the  latter  had  by  far  the  leaft 
 fhare  of  it.  Money,  the  fmew  of  power,  was  almoft  wholly 
 engroffed  by  the  church  and  the  nobles  or  barons,  and  the  people 
 in  general  were  poor,  and  led  to  join  whoever  were  of  fufficient 
 power  and  wealth  to  retain  and  pay  them.  To  this  we  are  to  at- 
 tribute the  dreadful  and  fanguinary  contefts  which  difgrace  the 
 page  of  hiftory  of  thofe  times ;  and  the  king  knew  that  it  would 
 ►  be  hazarding  his  crown  and  life  were  he  to  have  attempted  to 
 pimilh  thofe  who  would  have  fupported  each  other,  and  who  were 
 in  reality  more  powerful  than  himfelf. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  obfervation  is  very  juft,  and  it  rnxuft  be  admitted 
 that  it  is  a  great  extenuation  of  the  condu6l  of  thefe  kings  of  Eng- 
 land ;  but  in  proportion  as  yoii  mitigate  the  conduct:  of  our  kino-s,  in 
 like  pr9portion  you  incr^aie  the  load  of  guilt  of  the  others  who 
 had,  as  it  were,  ufurped  his  power  and  authority. 
 
 Sudden.  Certainly,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  in  proportion  as 
 the  conduct  of  the  one  is  extenuated,  the  guilt  of  the  other  is  in- 
 -creafed.  The  fituation  of  our  ancient  kings  was  by  no  means  an 
 enviable  fituation.  The  hiilorian  rcprcfents  our  Henry  III.  as 
 replying  to  the  rem.onftrances  of  the  Jews  (whom  he  had  required 
 to  produce  8000  marks  on  pain  of  hanging)  in  thefe  words: 
 "  How  can  I  remedy  the  oppre^Ilon  you  complain  of?  I  am  my- 
 **  felf  a  beggar;  I  am  defpoiled  ;  I  am  ftripped  of  all  my  reve- 
 **  nues  ;  I  owe  above  200,000  marks,  and  if  I  had  faid  300,000,  I 
 *'  fliould  not  exceed  the  truth  ;  I  am  obliged  to  pay  my  fon 
 **  Prince  Edward  15,000  marks  a  year;  I  have  not  a  farthing  ;  I 
 *'  muft  have  money  from  any  hand,  from  any  quarter,  or  by  any 
 **  means,"  Guthrie,  p.  326.  Poor  King  Henry  III.!  It  was 
 as  much  as  his  crown  and  life  were  worth,  if  he  had  attempted  to 
 draw  money  from  the  barons  or  the  ecclefiaftics,  who  were  fo 
 powerful,  and  well  able  to  iupply  his  w^ants  ;  and  therefore  thofe 
 who  had  neither  the  power  or  will  to  refill,  were  obliged  to  con- 
 tribute more  than  a  hundred  times  their  proportion  of  fair  taxation 
 for  the  neceflities  of  the  fi:ate. 
 
 Cautious.  I  fee  it  in  the  fame  light  as  you  do  ;  but  his  minifters 
 threatening  the  Jews  with  the  halter,  to  infure  a  ready  com- 
 pliance, and  the  means  the  minifters  of  his  father.reforted  to  in 
 drawing  the  teeth  of  a  Jew  to  rack  him  into  compliance,  is  evi- 
 dence of  the  barbarity  of  the  times. 
 
 Sudden.  Notwithftandins  the  fufferino-s  of  the  Tews,  and  the 
 exadlions  exercifed  upon  them  by  many  ot  our  ancient  kings,  yet 
 as  men  I  think  thev  were  pitied  bv  manv  of  them.     When  Henry 
 
 II. 
 
32  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  I. 
 
 II.  was  admonitlied  by  an  enthufiafl,  who  pretended  a  divine  im- 
 pulfe,  and  required  him  to  banifh  the  Jews,  leaving  them  fuffi- 
 cient  property  to  bear  their  expences  on  the  road,  he  defpifed  the 
 melTage  and  the  meflenger,  he  faw  the  iniquity  of  it.  Even 
 •  Richard  I.  John,  and  Henry  III.  I  am  perfuaded  were  a6luated 
 more  by  neceility  than  choice  in  their  exa6lions.  Necelhty  is  a 
 poor  pita,  but  we  fometimes  find  it  reforted  to  as  a  mitigation  of 
 the  groflefl  crimes,  which  even  the  offender  at  the  time  of  his 
 offence  admits  he  cannot  juftify  ;  all  he  can  do  is  to  plead  his 
 necelllties  in  mitigation. 
 
 Cautious.  But  the  cafe  is  different  with  the  adminiflration  of 
 Edward  I.  the  Englifh  Jultinian,  nf)twith(landing  his  boafted  laws, 
 and  the  fplendourof  his  viftories.  Notwithflandingin  fome  things  he 
 refifted  Papal  ufurpations,  yet  he  feems  to  have  been  a  crufader  from 
 principle,  and  to  have  adopted  and  cheriflied  the  gloomy,  auflere, 
 and  vindictive  enthufiafm  of  the  times.  There  is  no  reign  from 
 the  conqueror  inclufive  blotted  with  greater  violence  than  his. 
 They  were  cruelties  gloffed  over  by  ambition  and  thirft  of  empire, 
 which  were  purfued  at  the  expence  of  juflice,  humanity,  and 
 every  other  virtue.  That  which  the  enthufiafl  had  required  his 
 great  grand-father  Henry  II,  in  vain  to  do,  that  he  performed  both 
 in  England  and  Guienne.  Firft,  in  Guienne  the  Jews  were  plun- 
 dered and  then  baniflied  ;  they  were  plundered  for  the  emolu- 
 ment of  the  ftate,  and  they  were  banifhed  to  render  Heaven  pro- 
 pitious to  his  government.  In  his  illnefs  he  had  vowed  to  make 
 another  voyage  to  the  Holy  Land  if  reftored  to  health.  He  was 
 reftored,  and  took  the  crulading-crofs  again ;  but  it  not  being  con- 
 venient to  him  to  leave  his  dominions,  he  compromifed  the  matter 
 by  turning  his  zealous  wrath  againlt  the  Jews,  whom  he  banifhed 
 from  Guienne.  In  England  alfo  his  miniflers  ruled  them  with  an 
 iron  hand,  exa6ling  from  them  enorm.ous  fums ;  throwing  out 
 bribes  to  them  at  the  fame  time  (extorted  from  their  plundered 
 countrymen)  to  induce  fome  ot  them  to  renounce  their  abhorred 
 religion;  but  to  the  honour  of  the  Jewifli  nation  be  it  recorded, 
 that  there  were  none  bafe  enough  to  be  converted  to  Chrillianity 
 by  fuch  arguments.  At  lalt,  in  the  year  1290,  to  conciliate  the 
 affedlions  of  the  ecclefiaftics,  and  the  people  in  general,  the  finifli- 
 ing  hand  is  put  to  the  bufinefs,  and  he  conforms  to  the  exhorta- 
 tion which  was  given  to  his  great  grand-father  ;  the  Jews  are 
 {tripped  of  their  property,  and  banifhed  the  realm  ;  his  minifters 
 permit  them  to  take  fufHcient  with  them  to  bear  their  expences 
 on  the  road,  and  furnifli  them  with  a  fafe  conduct!  Amazing 
 benevolence  !  And  yet  this  fafe  conducf  being  difregarded,  and 
 fome  hundreds  of  the  1,5,000  exiles  drowned  out  of  mere  wan- 
 tonnefs  of  barbarity,  no  inquifltion  is  taken  concerning  it ;  none 
 punifhcd  even  for  difrefpe6l  to  the  king's  fafe  conduft.  Why  r 
 Becaufe  the  perfons  io  deffroyed  were  only  Jews  !  They  were 
 ONLY  Jews!  I  am  an  Englifliman,  and  God  knows  ray  attach- 
 ment 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    II.  33 
 
 merit  to  my  country,  and  that  it  gives  me  pain  to  dwell  upon  the 
 criminal  condu6l  of  my  anceftors  ;  but,  my  dear  friend,  facls  are 
 fa6ls,  and  though  I  am  a  Briton,  and  love  my  country,  yet  am  I 
 (I  truft)  a  Chriltian,  and  love  truth  above  all  other  confiderations. 
 What  mifcondu6l  of  the  Jews  towards  our  ancellors  have  we  to 
 put  upon  the  other  fide  the  account.  Do  we  find  them  felling 
 their  lives  as  dear  as  poflible  ?  By  no  means  ;  we  are  not  inform- 
 ed that  their  perfecutors  received  one  blow.  When  they  were 
 reviled  they  reviled  not  again.  They  were  fo  peaceable  and  paf- 
 five  that  they  may  almolt  be  confidered  as  giving  their  backs  to 
 the  fmiters,  and  their  cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off  the  hair. 
 Do  we  find  revenge  among  them  ?  If  it  had  exifted,  would  it  not 
 have  been  noticed  by  their  enemies,  and  recorded  by  the  hifio- 
 rians  ?  Far  from  it,  they  polfeired  no  more  revenge  than  the 
 lamb  who  fees  his  companions  flain,  and  fcarcely  openeth  his 
 mouth.  Thofe  who  fled  to  the  caftle  for  prote6lion  might  furely 
 have  made  their  perfecutors  pay  dear  for  their  defi:ru6tion.  Did 
 they  ?  All  the  ufe  they  made  of  it  was  to  avoid  prefent  death,  and 
 to  endeavour  to  redeem  their  lives  with  gold ;  but  when  they  found 
 that  their  lives  would  not  be  fpared,  they  preferred  death  from 
 each  other's  hand  to  being  mocked  in  their  laft  moments  by  the 
 infults  of  their  perfecutors,  i  Sam.  xxxi.  Behold,  was  ever  for- 
 row  like  unto  their  forrow  !  What  could  fupport  them  under 
 fuch  fevere  and  long  continued  afflidlions  ?  What  but  the  hand  of 
 the  God  of  their  fathers. 
 
 Sudden.  Let  us  drop  the  fubjed,  for  I  cannot  endure  the  un- 
 eafy  reflexions  which  crowd  upon  my  mind.  It  is  matter  of 
 aftonifhment  to  me,  that  I  have  not  before  made  thefe  obferva- 
 tions,  which  appear  to  me  now  fo  clear  and  obvious  ;  it  mufl; 
 have  proceeded  from  my  eyes  being  clofed  by  prejudice.  I  fin- 
 cerely  thank  you  for  the  pains  you  have  taken  to  convince  me 
 of  the  truth.  Although  it  produces  an  uneafy  fenfation  upon  my 
 mind,  yet  truth  is  molt  precious,  and  the  blufli  which  proceeds 
 from  the  convidlion  of  error  is  more  than  balanced  by  deliverance 
 from  it.  I  aflure  you  that  I  will  endeavour  never  again  to  ufe  a 
 reproachful  expreflion  againfl:  the  Jews,  although  I  cannot  la- 
 ment the  having  ufed  the  expreflion  which  you  noticed,  as  it  has 
 given  rife  to  thefe  converfations. 
 
 Cautious.  My  dear  friend,  I  find  to  my  joy  that  I  am  not 
 miftaken  in  the  opinion  I  have  long  entertained  concerning  you. 
 I  have  many  more  things  to  fay  concerning  the  Jews,  which 
 will,  I  aflure  you,  produce  no  uneafy  fenfation  in  your  mind,  but 
 the  reverfe. 
 
 Sudden.  I  fliall  be  very  happy  to  hear  what  you  have  to  fay 
 when  we  are  both  difengaged  \  in  the  mean  tiir.e,  I  bid  you  fare- 
 well, with  many  thanks. 
 
 F  THIRD 
 
t    34    ] 
 
 THIRD    DIALOGUE. 
 
 In  which  the  frejent  State  of  the  Jews  is  confidcred— There  hath 
 already  taken  place  amofig  them  a  very  conftderablc  Change  for  the 
 hetiery  which  affords  good  Hope  that  their  national  AfjiiSlions  have 
 not  been  endured  by  them  in  vain — An  Inquiry  how  far  they  are 
 tainted  with  Self^Righteoufnefsy  Apofiacy^  Lulewarmnefs,  and  Co- 
 vetoufnefs,  and  th'^fe  other  Crimes  mofi  commonly  ohjeBed  againjl 
 them  in  Holy  Scripture,  but  efpecially  Idolatry — Bijhop  Neivtons 
 Imputation  of  this  Crime  againjl  them  confidcred 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  SUDDEN. 
 
 Cautious.  1\ /IfY  Good  friend,  Sudden,  I  am  glad  to  fee  you  with 
 XvJL  a  cheerful  countenance,  efpecially  as  you  were  fo 
 much  affedled  by  our  laft  difcourfe,  that  I  could  perceive  by  your 
 face  that  your  heart  was  oppreffed. 
 
 Sudden.  I  fincerely  thank  you  ;  yes,  my  heart  was  oppreffed 
 indeed  ;  but  as  I  have  been  often  disciplined  in  the  fchool  of  af- 
 fii6lion,  I  have  fome  knowledge  of  the  road  which  leads  to  de- 
 liverance from  trouble,  and  in  this  road  I  have  met  deliverance 
 from  the  uneafy  refledions  which  our  laft  converfation  gave  rife 
 to. 
 
 Cautious.     I  am  glad  to  hear  it. 
 
 Sudden.  The  word  of  God  is  the  great  lamp  unto  our  feet, 
 and  light  unto  our  path  (Pl'al.  cxix.  105.)  and  every  one  who 
 feeks  the  road  to  peace  of  mind  therein  will  not  feek  in  vain. 
 All  religion  which  is  not  founded  on  that  broad  bafe  contained  in 
 the  books  of  Mofes  is  impotent  and  vain,  and  can  give  no  com- 
 fort to  the  mind  oppreffed  ;  but  in  thefe  moil  precious  fcriptures, 
 every  one  who  fincerely  believes  the  divine  authority  of  them  will 
 find  comfort  and  hope  exceeding  all  account.  We  here  fee  the 
 only  true  and  confident  account  of  human  nature  ;  an  account  cor- 
 roborated by  what  we  daily  fee  and  what  we  daily  feel ;  an  account 
 which  is  the  pure  fource  of  all  religious  knowledge,  and  in  com- 
 parifon  with  which  all  traditions  fade,  and  grow  dim  as  the  taper 
 in  prefence  of  the  fun.  Here  we  find  that  great  truth  recorded 
 that  all  men  are  the  children  of  one  parent,  all  brethren  of  the 
 fame  family  (Gen.  iv.  x.)  all  creatures  of  the  fame  Almighty 
 and  Almcrciful  Creator  (Gen.  i.  26.)  Here  we  find  that  man 
 was  created  perfe<Sl  (Gen.  i.  31.)  and  that  thoie  evils  which  we 
 daily  fee  and  feel  proceed  from  tlie  juft  and  righteous  fejitence  of 
 the  great  Creator  pronounced  upon  man  for  his  difobedience  (Gen. 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    III.  ^ 
 
 iii.) ;  but  above  all,  here  we  find  that  there  is  forgivenefs  of  fins,  to 
 which  mankind  are  now  prone.  We  find  facrifice  pra6lifed  by 
 the  patriarchs.  Gen.  iv.  4.  viii.  20.  xv.  10.  xxii.  13.  and  a  fa- 
 mily feparated  from  the  reft  of  mankind,  for  wife  and  benevolent 
 purpofes  (Gen.  xii.)  to  all  men  ;  feparated  to  be  a  holy  people, 
 a  peculiar  people,  to  be  the  peculiar  favourites  of  Heaven,  to  have 
 the  high  honour  of  preferving  among  them  the  pure  knowledge  of 
 the  only  true  God,  and  to  be  his  witneffes  againft  the  idolatry  an4 
 vice  of  furrounding  nations. 
 
 Opprefied  with  the  uneafy  reflections  which  you  have  noticed, 
 I  fat  me  down  in  my  ftudy,  and  opened  this  moft  precious  trea- 
 fure,  and  before  I  left  it  the  following  fcriptures  were  imprelfed 
 upon  my  mind,  with  fuch  power  that  from  that  time  to  this  I  have 
 not  had  any  uneafy  thought  upon  the  fubjedt:  (Ifaiah  iii.  10,  n.)  • 
 **  Say  ye  to  the  righteous,  that  it  (hall  be  well  with  him,  for 
 "  they  ihall  eat  the  fruit  of  their  doings  ;  woe  unto  the  wicked, 
 **  it  fi'iall  be  ill  with  him,  for  the  reward  of  his  hands  fhall  be 
 "  given  him."  (Ezek.  xviii.)  "  Behold  all  fouls  are  mine  ;  as 
 *'  the  foul  of  the  father  fo  alfo  the  foul  of  the  fon  is  mine  ;  the 
 *'  foul  that  finnethit  fhall  die." — "  Now,  lo,  if  he  beget  a  fon  that 
 "  feetfi  all  his  father's  fins  which  he  hath  done,  and  confidereth 
 **  and  doth  not  fuch  like,  that  hath  not  eaten  upon  the  mountains, 
 **  neither  hath  lift  up  his  eyes  to  the  idols  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael, 
 *'  hath  not  defiled  his  neighbour's  wife,  neither  hath  oppressed 
 *'  ANY,  hath  not  withholden  the  pledge,  neither  hath  fpoiled  by 
 *'  violence,  but  hath  given  his  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  hath 
 "  covered  the  naked  with  a  garment,  that  hath  taken  off  his 
 *'  hand  from  the  poor,  that  hath  not  received  ufury  or  increafe, 
 "  hath  executed  my  judgments,  and  walked  in  my  ftatutes,  he 
 
 **    SHALL    NOT    DIE     FOR     THE     INIQUITY    OF    HIS     FATHER, 
 
 **  HE  SHALL  SURELY  LIVE;  as  for  his  father,  becaufe  he 
 "  cruelly  opprelTed,  fpoiled  his  brother  by  violence,  and  did  that 
 *'  which  is  not  good  among  his  people,  lo,  even  he  fhall  die  in 
 *'  his  iniquity."  Warmed  and  comforted  with  thefe  precious 
 words,  laying  my  hand  upon  my  heart,  I  broke  out  in  the  fol- 
 lowing ejaculation:  "  Lord  God  of  Abraham  and  Ifaac  and 
 *'  Jacob,  the  only  true  God,  who  knoweth  the  fecrets  of  all 
 **  hearts,  I  do  from  my  foul  abhor  and  deteft  the  cruel  adions 
 *'  of  my  anceftors  towards  Ifrael  thy  people,  thou  knoweft  that 
 *'  fooner  than  partake  in  fuch  crimes  I  would  myfelf  prefer  the 
 *'  enduraiK:^-  £tf  dike  fufFerings  with  them  :"  from  that  moment  I 
 have  not  been  troubled  with  one  uneafy  thought  upon  the  fubjeft, 
 but  have  found  my  heart  fo  much  enlarged  towards  Ilrael,  that  I 
 think  I  could  alraoft  endure  any  afHi6tion,  if  it  were  to  contribute 
 to  their  good. 
 
 Cautious.     You  touch   the    fi;ring  which  caufes  tears    of  joy 
 to  ftart  into  mine  eyes,  and  I  can  only  fay,    "  O  give  thanks 
 
 *'  unto 
 
36  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  I, 
 
 "  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  is  good,   his  mercy  endureth  forever!" 
 Pfal.cvi.  1. 
 
 Sudden.  My  dear  friend,  I  am  now  all  attention  to  you,  and 
 beg  to  remind  you  that  at  the  clofc  of  our  lafl:  converfation  you 
 faid  you  had  many  more  obfervations  to  make  concerning  the 
 Jews. 
 
 Cautious.  I  will  proceed  to  their  return  unto  this  land,  and 
 to  the  prefent  ftate  of  their  nation  among  us.  (Noorihouck, 
 Lond.  p.  201.)  *'  In  this  year  (165,5)  Cromwell,  influenced  by  a 
 *'  defire  of  improving  commerce,  and  increafmg  his  reve-- 
 **  nue,  liftened  to  the  overtures  of  the  Jews  for  permiflion  to  fettle 
 *'  again  in  England,  which  they  obtained  365  years  fince  their 
 "  expulfion  by  Edward  I.  in  the  year  1290.  The  Jews  found 
 "  an  able  advocate  in  Manaffeh  Ben  Ifrael,  an  eminent  Jew, 
 "  who  ftyled  himfelf  a  divine  and  dodor  of  phyfic  ;  and  the  pro- 
 <*  tedor  had  too  much  good  fenfe  not  to  perceive  how  ftrongly 
 *'  reafon  and  utility  plead  in  favour  of  liberty  of  confcience.'* 
 Confider  how  rapidly  the  commerce  of  this  nation  has  rifen  fince 
 the  time  of  Cromwell  ;  and  let  me  obferve,  that  much  of  this 
 national  profperity  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  Jews.  We  have  no- 
 thing noticed  in  hiftory  concerning  them,  from  the  time  of  Crom- 
 well until  the  year  1702,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  in  v/hich 
 an  adf  was  paffed,  obliging  the  Jews  to  maintain  and  provide  for 
 their  Proteftant  children.  This  law  never  made  much  noife,  or 
 produced  much  t^e.6i,  and  therefore  we  muft  fuppofe  that  it 
 owed  its  origin  to  fome  peculiar  and  private  circumltance,  which 
 being  almoft  a  folitary  inlfance  (Blackil:one's  Commentaries,  Vol. 
 I.  p.  449.)  renders  it  fcarcely  worth  further  notice  ;  but  it  was 
 not  fo  with  a  fcheme  of  the  minilfry  in  the  year  1753  '•  the  minif- 
 ter,  fenfible  of  the  great  advantage  which  the  ftate  derived  from  the 
 monied  intereft,  wifhed  to  increafe  that  intereft  in  this  kingdom, 
 and  to  invite  the  opulent  Jews  from  the  continent ;  and  for 
 that  purpofe  an  a6l  Avas  pafl^ed  to  permit  perfons  profeffing  the 
 Jewifh  religion  to  be  naturalized  by  parliament ;  this  aft  made  a 
 great  noife  in  the  kingdom,  and  afforded  an  opportunity  to  the  op- 
 pofition  to  raife  a  clamour  againit  the  miniftry,  and  mod  unjuftly 
 againfl:the  Jews,  who  were  infulted  and  reviled  mod;  ungeneroufly 
 and  unjuftly.  It  was  a  meafure  which  originated  in  minillerial  po- 
 licy, and  was  abandoned  and  repealed  in  the  early  part  ot  the  next 
 feflion,  on  account  of  the  clamour  raifed  in  the  nation  againft  it. 
 The  Jews  themfelves  ufing  all  their  intereft,  and  earneftly  en- 
 treating that  it  might  be  repealed,  as  it  was  unhappily  the  occa- 
 fion  of  their  being  publicly  infulted  by  the  vulgar  and  illiberal ; 
 from  that  time  to  this  nothing  hath  ocurred  to  render  them  the 
 obje6ls  of  public  notice. 
 
 Sudden.      It  is    a   great    fatisfaftion    to    me    to    refledl    that 
 our    nation    cannot  be  charged  with  a  fingle  inftance  of  cruel- 
 ty or  opprcflion  againft  the  Jews,   from    their   return  to  Eng- 
 land, 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    III.  37 
 
 land,  in  the  time  of  Cromwell,  to  this  time,  a  period  of  148 
 years,  and  that  the  only  fufferings  they  have  endured  among  us  is 
 the  reproach  of  the  unthinking  (in  which  clafs  I  acknowledge 
 that  I  was  once  included)  the  illiberal,  or  the  vulgar.  The  aft 
 which  you  have  noticed  was  certainly  not  paffed  out  of  any  pe- 
 culiar kindnefs  to  the  Jewifh  people,  but  from  a  defire  to  benefit 
 the  nation.  It  was  repealed  bccaufe  the  oppofition  made  a 
 handle  of  it  to  raife  a  clamour  againlt  the  minillry,  and  the  gene- 
 ral ele£lion  approached.  Any  unkindnefs  therefore  with  which 
 the  Jews  were  treated  at  that  time  in  confequence  of  this  conten- 
 tion, cannot  be'  imputed  to  defign,  but,  as  it  were,  to  accident 
 and,  thank  God,  the  government  has  always  been  ftrong  enoucfh 
 to  prote6l  them  in  the  polTeffion  of  their  perfons,  property,  li- 
 berty, and  reputation,  as  much  as  any  other  clafs  of  our  fellow- 
 fubjedls. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  true  that  the  law  does  proteft  them  in  the 
 poflelTion  of  their  perfons,  property,  liberty,  and  reputation  ;  but 
 yet,  alas  !  my  friend,  I  think  there  is  not  a  clafs  of  our  fellow- 
 fubjedls  who  are  greater  objedls  of  pity  than  the  poor  among 
 them.  It  is  faid  that  the  Jews  ufed  to  give  money  to  the  foldiers 
 for  permifTion  to  fee  the  ruins  of  their  city  and  temple,  and  to 
 weep  over  them,  efpecially  on  the  day  whereon  it  had  been  de- 
 flroyed  i  and  I  have  with  like  difpofition  walked  through  the 
 ftreets,  lanes,  and  alleys  inhabited  by  the  defcendants  of  Abra- 
 ham ;  and  I  truft  my  feelings  have  been  not  far  diftant  from  thofe 
 of  thefe  Jews  who  wept  over  the  ruins  of  their  city  and  their 
 temple.  Our  government  is  a  liberal  government,  but  it  cannot 
 be  fuppofed  that  its  eye  can  penetrate  into  every  corner,  to  feek 
 out  fufferings  in  order  to  relieve  them.  If  any  law  is  made 
 which  bears  hard  upon  any  defcripticn  of  Englilhmen,  or  if  any 
 law  is  wanting  to  relieve  any  defcription  of  Englillimen,  the  le- 
 giflature  is  fure  to  hear  of  it,  and  to  have  full  information  upon 
 the  fubjecl ;  it  is  well  if  they  confine  themfelves  to  refpe6tful 
 folicitation  and  petition,  and  do  not  break  out  into  invedlive  :  but 
 it  is  not  fo  with  the  Jews  ;  if  they  endure  fufferings  ;  if  they 
 want  relief;  if  any  law  bears  hard  upon  them,  they  fuffer  in 
 filence  ;  they  are  habituated  to  endurance,  and  they  are  fcarcely 
 able,  or  if  able  are  unwilling,  to  let  their  wants  or  fufferings  be 
 known.  There  is  a  degree  of  family  pride  about  them.  They 
 are  a  noble  family  in  diltrefs,  and  they  have  a  lofty  fpirit,  which 
 cannot  ftoop  to  folicit. 
 
 I  iliall  now  proceed  to  confider  what  appears  to  me  to  be  the  true 
 flate  of  the  Jews  among  us.  I  am  firmly  perfuaded  that  there 
 hath  already  taken  place  among  them  a  very  confiderable  change 
 for  the  better,  which  affords  good  hope  that  their  national  afflic- 
 tions have  not  been  wholly  endured  by  them  in  vain. 
 
 Sudden.  I  fhall  gladly  attend  to  your  obfervations,  and  in  par- 
 ticular to  your  reafons  for  adopting  the  opinion  that  there  hati 
 
 already 
 
38  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  I. 
 
 already  taken  place  a  very  material  change  for  the  better 
 among  them  ;  if  you  are  right,  and  can  give  good  reafons  for  think- 
 ing fo,  I  fliall  not  only  think  that  their  affliclions  have  not  been  en- 
 dured by  them  in  vain,  but  I  fliall  alfo  think  that  a  good  hope  may 
 be  founded  thereon,  that  a  furtlier  change  for  their  better  may  be 
 reafonably  expelled.  I  have  already  acknowledged  that  for 
 want  of  thought  I  had  been  prejudiced  againft  them,  and  I  own 
 that  I  had  then  adopted  very  different  opinions,  and  thought  that 
 no  change  for  the  better  had  taken  place  among  them.  I  fhall 
 rejoice  to  be  convinced  to  the  contrary. 
 
 Cautious.  In  confidering  the  prefcnt  (late  of  the  Jews,  I  iliali 
 divide  them  into  the  rich,thofe  in  iiiiddling  circumftances,  and  the 
 poor.  We  have  the  happinefs  to  find  the  firil  clafs  niinierous 
 and  refpe6lable. 
 
 Sudden.  On  change  property  conflitutes  a  man  A  good  man  ; 
 but  the  poflellion  of  great  wealth  is  by  no  means  found  to'be  in 
 general  advantageous  to  its  poffeflbr,  as  far  as  it  refpe£ls  religion. 
 It  has  a  tendency  to  make  men  lukewarm  ;  and  we  have  inftances 
 of  its  producing  this  effeft  upon  the  Jews.  I  could  point  out 
 inftances  where  the  pofTeflion  of  great  wealth,  or  the  expecSlalion 
 thereof,  hath  induced  its  poifefrors  to  turn  their  backs  upon  their 
 nation,  and  to  endeavour,  by  changing  their  names,  to  obliterate 
 the  remembrance  of  their  being  of  the  Jewifh  nation.  Again,  I 
 have  been  informed  that  deiftical  principles  have  been  cherifhed 
 by  many  of  this  clafs  of  wealthy  Jews,  and  if  fo  I  cannot  agree 
 with  you  in  calling  them  refpeftable. 
 
 Cautious.  The  poifeftion  of  great  wealth  is  certainly  unfa- 
 vourable to  religion  under  fome  circumftances,  and  I  admit  that 
 inftances  have  occurred  of  rich  Jews  turning  their  backs  upon 
 their  national  faith,  and  that  by  changing  their  names  fome  of 
 them  have  endeavoured  to  obliterate  the  remembrance  of  their 
 being  of  that  nation  ;  and  I  have  alfo  heard  that  there  are  thofe  of 
 this  clafs  who  are  tainted  with  deiftical  principles,  but  I  muft 
 obferve,  that  thefc  are  exceptions,  and  that  I  by  no  means  had 
 thefe  in  my  mind  when  I  aiferted  the  refpeftability  of  the  wealthy 
 Jews.  If  thefe  inftances  were  more  numerous  than  they  are, 
 they  would  not  juftify  our  cafting  any  ftigma  upon  thofe  who 
 retain  their  religion  and  national  attachment.  I  affure  you  I 
 confider  fuch  lukewarm  chara6lers  in  no  favourable  light.  But, 
 my  good  friend,  permit  me  to  aik  this  queftion,  from  whom  have 
 they  imbibed  deiftical  principles  but  from  apoftales  from  the 
 Chriftian  faith  ?  Although  nothing  can  be  urged  in  juftification  of 
 liikewarmjicfs  towards  tiieir  national  religion,  yet  fomething  may 
 be  faid  in  extenuation  of  their  condu6f.  They  are  not  hypocrites. 
 Their  guilt  may  be  confidcred  as  negative  guilt,  or  guilt  of 
 omifTion  :  they  are  not  willing  to  endure  the  reproach  attached  to 
 their  nation  :  but  permit  me  to  make  one  more  remark,  you  will 
 find  that  it  is  generally  the  cafe  v/hcn  a  man  turns  his  back  upon 
 
 a  party 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     III.  gg 
 
 a  party  or  feft  to  which  he  has  been  attached,  that  his  love  is 
 turned  into  hatred  towards  them  ;  now  fo  far  from  this  being  the 
 cafe  with  thole  whofe  mifcondu(Sl  we  are  now  confidering,  that  I 
 firmly  believe  even  they  are  almoft  univerfally  in  fecret  attached 
 to  their  nation,  and  in  fecret  are  liberal  in  their  charity  towards 
 their  diftreifed  brethren  ;  and  when  they  approach  their  end,  and 
 are  convinced  of  the  vanity  of  wealth,  I  doubt  not  but  that  many 
 of  them  fincerely  repent.  Inliances  might  be  produced  where 
 this  hath  been  confpicuonfly  the  cafe.  Apoftacy  from,  or  even 
 lukewarmnefs  towards  the  religion  of  our  anceflors  if  truth 
 is  moft  odious  and  difgraceful  ;  but  in  order  to  form  a  true  com- 
 parifon  and  accurate  eftimate  of  this  charge,  the  fair  way  would 
 be  to  confider  the  proportion  which  the  Jews  bear  as  to  numbers 
 towards  the  other  inhabitants  of  this  iiland.  I  fear  that  for  every 
 apoftate  among  them  it  would  be  found  that  in  the  fame  number 
 of  our  other  inhabitants  we  could  fele6t  more  than  two  for  one 
 and  for  every  Jew  who  was  lukewarm  towards  his  national  reli- 
 gion we  could  number  among  Chriftians  above  ten  for  one.  So 
 that  as  to  apoftacy  or  lukewarmnefs  I  am  of  opinion  they  are  much 
 more  i\ee  from  it  than  we  are. 
 
 Sudden.      I  am  no  llranger  to  the  lukewarmnefs  that  is  to  be  la- 
 mented among  Chriftians,  and  to  that  apoftacy  which  hath  taken 
 place,  but  we  Ihould  ever  remember  that  it  was  forefeen  and  fore- 
 told :   "  There  were  falfe  prophets  alfo  among  the  people,  even 
 '  as  there  fliall  be  falfe  teachers  among  you,  who  privily  fhall 
 '  bring  in  damnable  herefies,  even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought 
 '  them,  and  bring  upon  themfelves  fwift  deftrudlion  ;  and  many 
 '  fliall  follow  their  pernicious  Vv-ays,by  reafonof  whom  the  way 
 
 '  of  truth  lliall  be  evil  fpokenof,"  2  Pet.  ii.  1,  2 *'  This  know 
 
 '  alfo,  that  in  the  laft  days  perilous  times  Ihall  come,  for  men 
 
 *  Ihall  be  lovers  of  their  ownfelves,  covetous,  boafters,  proud,  blaf- 
 '  phemers,  difobedient  to  parents,  unthankful,  unholy,  without  na- 
 '  tural  affe6lion,  truce-breakers,  falfe  accufers,  incontinent,  fierce, 
 '  defpifers  of  thofe  that  are  good,  traitors,  lieady,    high-mind- 
 
 *  ed,  lovers  of  pleafure  more  than  lovers  of  God,  having  a  form 
 *'  of  godlinefs,  but  denying  the  power  thereof,"  2  Tim.  iii.  1 — 5. 
 — *'  There  fhall  come  in  the  laft  days  fcoifers,  walking  after 
 ''  their  own  lufts,  and  faying  where  is  the  promife  of  his  coming  ; 
 
 *  for  fmce  the  fathers  fell  alleep  all  things  continue  as  they  were 
 '  from   the  beginning  of  the    creation,"  2  Pet.  iii,  3,  4.     We 
 
 fliould  therefore  by  no  means  confider  this  as  a  reproach  againfl 
 thofe  Chriftians  who  continue  attached  to  their  religion  ;  fo  far 
 otherwife,  that  they  are  more  confpicuouily  refpectable  by  the 
 contraft.  Thofe  who  retain  their  allegiance  when  rebellion 
 exifts,  are  entitled  to  peculiar  refpe6f  and  honour. 
 
 Cautigiis.  You  will  not  then  deny,  that  if  it  were  proved  that 
 even  MANY  wealthy  Jews  are  lukewarm  to  their  national  reli- 
 gion (which  I  ^o  not  admit]  thofe  v.ho  ftill  retain  their  attach- 
 
 .    ment 
 
40  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  L 
 
 ment  to  it  are  truly  refpe^lable.  I  again  repeat,  that  with  the 
 exception  of  a  fe\v  folitary  inftances,  the  wealthy  Jews  are 
 zealoully  attached  to  their  national  religion,  and  contribute 
 largely  to  the  fupport  of  it,  and  to  the  relief  of  their  poor,  and 
 that  many  of  them  do  not  even  confine  their  liberality  to  them. 
 We  can  point  out  wealthy  Chriftians  who  are  abundant  in  libe- 
 rality, and  excel  in  charity  •  and  I  firmly  believe  the  Jews  are 
 not  one  jot  behind  them  in  bounty  and  liberality  ;  but  as  they 
 know  more  of  the  miferics  of  their  own  poor  than  Chrillians  do, 
 they  world  be  to  blame  if  they  did  not  in  the  liril  place  confider 
 the  neceflities  of  their  own  nation. 
 
 In  the  next  place,  as  to  thofe  who  are  not  diftinguifhed  by 
 their  wealth,  but  are  in  middling  circumflances,  you  will  find 
 fewer  inftances  of  lukewarmnefs  among  thefe  ;  they  are  zealous  for 
 their  religion,  and  as  refpedable  as  any  other  clafs  of  our  fellow- 
 fubje61:s  ;  and  as  to  their  poor,  permit  me  to  afk  you,  Did  you 
 ever  fee  a  Jew  intoxicated  with  liquor?  This  is  a  vice  to  which 
 many  of  the  poor  among  us  are  greatly  addi6led. 
 
 Sudden.  No,  I  never  did  ;  and  I  mull  fay  that  it  is  much  to 
 their  honour,  that  they  feem  a  temperate  and  abftemious  people. 
 
 Cautious.  Notwithftanding  there  is  not  an  Engliihman,  wo- 
 man, or  child,  but  may,  if  in  diftrefs,  demand  fuftenance,  yet  our 
 ftreets  are  thronged  with  beggars.  The  Jews  are  fubje£l  to  as 
 great,  if  not  greater,  diftrefs,  but  you  will  feldom  fee  a  Jew  a 
 beggar.  I  have  never  obferved  but  five,  two  of  them  blind,  and 
 three  cripples  ;  and  although  they  do  not  refufe  the  alms  of 
 Chriftians,  yet  they  are  chieiiy  in  thofe  parts  inhabited  by  Jews, 
 and  of  courfe  feek  charity  from  thofe  of  their  own  nation. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  obferved  what  you  have  noticed,  and  have 
 been  furprifed  at  the  circumftance,  and  more  fo  at  this  :  the  Jev/s 
 who  are  born  in  this  land  are  as  much  entitled  to  relief  in  diftrefs 
 as  any  other  of  our  fellow -fubjedls,  and  yet  1  never  knev/ but 
 one  inftance  of  parochial  relief  being  fought  by  or  extended  to 
 them  ;  the  fingle  inftance  which  I  mentioned  was  a  poor  Jew 
 who  was  afflidled  with  infanity.    • 
 
 Cautious.  I  never  knew  a  fingle  inftance,  although  it  is  pof- 
 fible  feveral  inftances  might  be  found  on  inquiry  to  exift.  But 
 how  is  it  that  they  difdain  to  beg,  or  to  feek  parochial  relief,  to 
 which  they  are  entitled  ?  In  the  firft  place  it  is  to  be  attributed  to 
 their  national  pride  ;  they  are  a  noble  family  in  diftrefs,  and  they 
 cannot  ftoop  to  beg.  I  mention  it  to  their  honour  ;  and,  in  the 
 next  place,  their  attachment  to  their  religion  (of  which  their 
 peculiar  mode  of  feledling  and  preparing  their  food  conftitutes  a 
 part)  is  a  bar  to  their  feeking  parochial  relief,  even  if  they  were 
 not  reftrained  from  it  by  their  family  pride ;  they  therefore 
 fubmit  to  their  neceftities,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  liberality  of 
 their  own  nation  towards  them,  I  am  perfuaded,  that  hundreds  of 
 them  would  aftually   perilh  for  v.'ant.     When  I  think  on  thefe 
 
 things 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     III. 
 
 41 
 
 things  I  not  only  pity  rhsir  fufF^rings,  but  I  honour  and  refpeft 
 them  for  th.;ir  noble  fpirit,  and  their  patient  endurance;  but  to 
 proceed.  Dillrefs  in  general  produces  reftleflhefs  and  a  turbulent 
 difpofition,  but  it  is  only  where  the  mind  is  not  humbled  to  endure 
 it.  Tile  minds  of  the  Jews  are  I  think  thus  humbled  ;  and  to 
 convince  you  that  fo  it  is,  I  beg  you  to  recolIe6l  that  they  are 
 moii  loyal  and  affeftionate  fubje6ls  ;  no  revilers  of  government ; 
 they  are  taught  to  honour  and  obey  the  government  under  which 
 they  live.  Whenever  they  alfemble  in  their  fynagogues,  they  pray 
 tor  the  profperity,  and  tor  a  bleiling  upon  the  king,  the  queen,  and 
 all  the  royal  family.  They  are  taught,  "  Seek  the  peace  of  the 
 **  city  whither  I  have  caufed  you  to  be  carried  away  captives, 
 **  and  pray  unto  the  Lord  for  it ;  for  in  the  peace  thereof  fliall  ye 
 *'  have  peace,"  Jer.  xxix.  7.  They  are  not  in  captivity  in  this 
 land,  but  they  are  fojoiirners  among  us,  and  they  are  good  and 
 obedient  and  loval  fubje£ls.  They  are  grateful  for  every  kind- 
 nefs  they  receive  ;  and,  like  David  their  king,  if  they  are  infulted 
 they  know  their  fiifFerings  are  feen  and  over-ruled  by  the  God 
 of  their  fathers,  and  do  not  give   place  to  revenge,  2  Sam.  xvi. 
 
 ,  Sudden.  Your  obfervation  brings  to  my  mind  what  I  have 
 mylelf  feen.  A  poor  old  Jew,  abufed  and  almofl:  hunted  by  un- 
 thinking boys,  and  other  fons  of  violence ;  they  called  him 
 Mawyer,  but  he  did  not  return  abufe  for  abufe,  but  only  fought 
 to  efcape  from  them  ;  and  when  he  was,  by  the  interference  of 
 thofe  who  palled  by,  delivered  from  their  infults,  he  did  not  ex- 
 prefs  the  lead  refentment,  he  did  not  feem  to  feel  any  emotion, 
 except  it  was  gratitude  to  thofe  who  had  interfered  for  his  re- 
 lief. 
 
 Cauthus.  I  alfo  once  heard  a  poor  Jew,  under  circumftances 
 fomewhat  fmiilar,  fay,  *'  It  would  break  our  hearts,  if  we  did 
 "  not  know  that  we  can  endure  no  fuiferings  but  what  are  feen 
 *'  and  over-ruled  by  our  God."  We  muft  therefore  allow  (not- 
 withftanding  Shakefpeare  has  contributed  to  the  idea,  that  re- 
 venge is  a  Jewilh  vice)  that  they  are  inoft  remarkably  free  from 
 it.  If  a  perfon  of  another  nation  were  to  be  fo  infulted,  what 
 would  be  the  confequence  ?  You  know  as  well  as  I  what  would 
 be  the  confequence  :  a  fray,  and  very  likely  bloodibed.  To 
 confirm  or  invalidate  what  I  have  faid,  I  beg  you  to  ■recolle6l 
 whether  you  ever  remember  a  Jew  being  apprehended  for 
 a  fray,  or  for  any  ads  of  violence  proceeding  trom  revenge. 
 
 Sudden.  I  do  not  remember  any  fuch  inltance,  and  I  have  re- 
 marked that  I  never  heard  or  read  of  a  Jew  fighting  a  duel,  or 
 committing  filicide. 
 
 Cautious.  If  the  European  nations  profcffing  Chriftianity  were 
 not  tainted  at  times  with  inftances  of  revenge,  if  there  were  no 
 duelling  amongft  them,  if  there  were  no  frays  and  contentions, 
 if  there  was  that  fubmjllion  to  the  hand  of  God,  that  there  were 
 
 G  no 
 
4a  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  I. 
 
 no  inftanccs  of  death  being  prefumptuonfly  fought  by  felf-mur- 
 der,  they  would  certainly  be  more  refpedlable  than  they  are  ;  and 
 if  the  Jews  are  freer  from  thefe  vices  than  the  other  inhabitants 
 of  Europe,  we  who  abhor  thefe  vices  are  very  uncandid  if  we  do 
 not  refped  them  for  their  virtues.  I  beg  that  you  will  not  be 
 offended,  and  I  am  very  folicitous  that  I  may  not  be  mifunder- 
 ftood  by  you,  as  nothing  is  further  from  my  intention  than  to 
 depreciate  the  charaiSler  of  others,  in  order  to  raife  the  chara6ler 
 of  the  Jewiih  nation.  It  is  an  old  and  true  faying,  that  compari- 
 fons  are  odious  ;  and  it  would  have  been  far  from  my  wilh  to 
 have  faid  fo  much  as  I  have  done  by  way  of  comparifon,  but 
 how  was  it  to  be  avoided  ?  The  comparifon  does  not  origiuate 
 with  me,  but  with  yourfelf,  and  thofe  who  have  confidered  the 
 Jews  in  an  odious  light.  It  is  alleged  that  the  Jews  were  an 
 odious  people  in  comparifon  with  others  (which  is  certainly  im- 
 plied) ;  how  is  it  polfible  to  examine  the  allegation,  and  to  form 
 an  opinion  upon  it  but  by  entering  into  the  comparifon  ?  We  have 
 all  (both  Jews  and  Chriftians)  as  far  as  refpe6ls  ourfelves,  no 
 caufe  for  boafting ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  much  to  lament,  and 
 fhould  with  deep  humility  acknowledge  and  confefs  our  hns  and 
 unworthinefs.  A  felf-righteous  fpirit  is  of  all  others  the  difpofi- 
 ion  moft  hoftile  to  true  Chriftianity,  for  at  beft     •'  we  are  un- 
 
 *  profitable  fervants,"  and  if  we  were  to  have  done    "  all  thofe 
 
 *  things  which  are  commanded,"  we  have  done  no  more  than 
 '  that  which  was  oisr  duty  ^to  do,"  Luke  xvii.  lo.  ;  but  who  is 
 here  (either  Jew  or  Chriitiau)  that  can  fay,   "  We  have  done  all 
 
 *  thofe  things  which  were  commanded  us  ;"  we  are  therefore 
 aught  the  necellity  of  an  atonement,   and  the  propriety  of  crying 
 
 unto  him  whofe  *'  mercy  endureth  for  ever,"  (Pfal.  cxviii.  i.)  to 
 extend  mercy  unto  us,  and  fay  with  the  publican,    "  God  be  mer- 
 
 *  ciful  i'.nto  me  a  finner,"  Luke  xviii.  13.  And  the  Jews  were 
 aughi:   the   fame  thing  in  their  law,    **  Speak  not  thou  in  thine 
 
 *  heart,  after  that  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  call:  them  out  from 
 '  before  thee,  faying,  for  my  righteoi:fnefs  the  Lord  hath 
 '  brought  me  in  to  poifefs  this  land ;  but  for  the  wickednefs  of 
 
 *  thefe  nations  the  Lord  doth  drive  them  out  from  betore  thee  ; 
 '  not  for  thy  righteoufnefs,  or  for  the  uprightnefs  of  thine  heart 
 
 *  deft  thou  go  to  poifefs  their  land,  but  for  the  wickednefs  of  thefe 
 
 *  nations  the   Lord  thy  God  doth   drive   them  out   from  before 
 
 *  thee,    and  that   he  may  perform  the  word  which  the    Lord 
 
 *  fware  unto  thy  fathers  Abraham,   and  Ifaac,   and  Jacob  ;  un- 
 
 *  derftand  therefore,  that  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  not  this 
 
 *  good  land  to  poffefs  it' for  thy  righteoufnefs,  for  thou  art  a  ftiff- 
 
 *  necked  people,"  Deut.  ix.  4 — 6.  The  Jews  formerly  were 
 ainted   with   a   felf-righteous   fpirit.      It  is  in  fa£l:,    until  it    is 
 
 corre-died  by  true  religion,  the  natural  difpofition  of  mankind, 
 and  the  palTage  juft  quoted  is  evidence  how  much  it  is  needful  to 
 watch  againlh  it;   I    muft  exprefs   my   hope  that  the  Jews  are 
 
 noj; 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    III. 
 
 43 
 
 not  now  much  tainted  with  it  :  I  will  give  you  my  reafons  for 
 adopting  this  hope.  I  think  the  fervency  with  which  they 
 humble  themfelves  before  the  Lord  the  God  of  their  fathers, 
 when  they  annually  commemorate  the  trefpafs  of  their  anceftors, 
 in  the  matter  of  the  golden  calf,  the  lamentations  they  annually 
 make  at  the  remembrance  of  the  defolation  of  Zion,  have  by  God's 
 grace  contributed  to  wean  them  from  a  felf-righteous  difpofition. 
 Again,  if  they  were  influenced  by  fuch  a  difpofition,  I  think  it 
 would  produce  eflays,  and  apologies,  and  efforts,  to  remove  the 
 odium  with  which  they  are  fuilied,  but  you  will  perceive  nothing 
 of  this  kind  among  them  ;  fo  far  from  it,  that,  unreplying  and 
 unrepining,  fufFerance  and  fubmiflion  is  their  great  charadterlllic, 
 and  it  is  a  refpedable  charadleriitic,  for  no  fuiferings  can  be  en- 
 dured that  are  not  over-ruled  by  God  ;  and  therefore,  although  as" 
 a  Chriftian  I  think  myfelf  in  duty  bound  to  endeavour  to  vindi- 
 cate them  from  unfounded  odium,  yet  were  I  a  Jew  I  (hould 
 not  reply  to  the  reproach  wherewith  they  are  reproached,  but 
 fhould  fay,  "  It  is  very  true  that  we  are  an  odious  people  ;  for 
 we  and  our  fathers  have  been  a  difobedient  people,  and  what  is 
 fo  odious  as  difobedience  to  the  moft  bountiful  benefactor  ?  In 
 proportion  as  our  nation  hath  been  peculiarly  blelfed  and  fa- 
 voured, in  like  proportion  has  our  difobedience  become  odious 
 and  difgraceful."  You  will  therefore,  I  truft,  my  friend, 
 acquit  me  of  all  intention  to  depreciate  any,  as  I  alTure  you  it  has 
 not  been  my  intention  ;  my  only  intention  is  to  vindicate  a  fuf- 
 fering  people  from  unfounded  odium. 
 
 Sudden.  I  perfectly  underftand  you,  and  I  am  fatisfied  that  no 
 juft  imputation  can  be  urged  againft  the  Jcavs,  either  as  hufbands, 
 wives,  parents,  children,  maifers,  or  fervants  ;  I  doubt  not  "they 
 are  aifedionate  to  each  other  in  all  the  relations  of  life.  The 
 chief  blot  upon  them  is  that  they  are  too  fliarp  in .  their  dealings, 
 and  certainly  many  of  their  people  carry  their  fliarp  dealing  to 
 the  extent  of  dilhonefty.  I  think  you  will  now  acquit  me  of  any 
 prejudices  againif  thern.  I  would  mxofl  ardently  defire  to  avoid 
 prejudices  either  for  or  againit ;  but  I  am  afraid  nothing  can  be 
 urged  in  their  defence  as  to  this. 
 
 Cautious.  I  will  give  you  my  fentiments  upon  the  fubjeCl  with 
 the  greateif  fincerity  ;  I  have  no  inclination  to  glofs  over  the  de- 
 fe£ts  of  the  Jews,  and  I  will  be  free  to  confefs  that  I  confider  the 
 great  love  and  defire  of  wealth  as  the  greateft  dete6l  in  their  cha- 
 rafter.  If  there  is  any  remains  of  idolatry  among  them  this  is  it ; 
 but  let  us  not  iTiut  our  eyes  to  our  own  faults  whilfl  we  are  be-' 
 holding  thofe  of  the  Jews.  I  have  often  lamented  this  defect  in 
 their  chara6ler,  and  yet,  after  mature  confideration,  I  became 
 convinced  that  although  too  great  a  dehre  and  attachment  to  wealth 
 appears  to  us  fo  odious  when  it  is  feen  in  the  Jew,  it  is  gJoiVea 
 over  when  it  is  the  propcnfuy  of  the  Chriitian.  I  weighed  and 
 confidered  the  fubjed   with  all   the  attention   I   could,  and  the 
 
 rcfult 
 
44  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  I. 
 
 refult  was,  I  became  pcrfiiadcd  that  the  Jews  arc  not  more 
 guilty  than  Chriftians  ;  the  difFerence  is,  that  in  one  it  appears 
 more  odious  than  in  the  other. 
 
 Sudden.  I  am  open  to  convicSlion,  and  I  fhall  be  happy  to  be 
 tionvinced  of  it.  I  know  that  covctoufnefs  is  very  prevalent 
 among  Chriftians,  but  1  muft  fay  that  I  cannot  think  them  near  fo 
 odioufly  attached  to  it  as  the  Jews.  I  do  not  think  that  the  Jews 
 confider  impofition  fo  much  a  crime  as  the  Chrillians  are  taught 
 to  confider  it.  I  have  even  heard  of  their  quoting  the  inftance 
 t)i  their  anceftors  borrowing  jewels  of  the  Egyptians,  and  fpoilr 
 ing  the  Egyptians,  as  a  juftitication  of  their  condu6l  ;'  and  I  niy- 
 felfonce  heard  a  Jew  ufe  this  exprefTion,  "  What,  iliall  the  law 
 "  prote£l  me  in  the  pofTeflionof  my  life,  and  not  in  my  properly, 
 "  which  is  dearer  to  me  than  my  life." 
 
 Cautious.  As  to  their  quoting  the  inftance  of  their  fpoiling  the 
 Egyptians,  I  fcarcely  need  inform  you,  that  it  by  no  means  ap- 
 plies. It  was  the  will  of  God  that  the  Jews  fliould  have  fome 
 recompence  for  their  labour  and  hard  fervice  in  Egypt.  When 
 Mofes  was  commiflioned  for  their  deliverance,  it  is  added,  "  And 
 *'  I  will  give  this  people  favour  in  the  fight  of  the  Egyptians  ; 
 **  and  it  fliall  come  to  pafs,  that  when  ye  go  ye  fhall  not  go  empty, 
 *•  but  every  woman  fhall  borrow  of  her  neighbour,  and  of  her 
 **  that  fojourneth  in  her  houfe,  jewels  of  lilver,  and  jewels  of 
 *'  gold,  and  raiment,  and  ye  fliall  put  them  upon  your  fons  and 
 "  upon  your  daughters,  and  ye  fhall  fpoil  the  Egyptians,"  Exod. 
 iii.  22.  I  fhould  fuppofe  that  what  you  notice  was  rather  an 
 impious  jeft  than  faid  in  earneft  ;  but  if  it  was  faid  in  earneft,  I 
 would  balance  the  account  by  obfcrving,  what  I  doubt  not  that  you 
 will  allow,  viz.  that  if  it  Ihould  appear  (which  I  do  not  admit) 
 that  there  are  a  few  Jews  who  are  fo  depraved  as  to  endeavour  to 
 quote  and  pervert  fcripture  for  evil  purpofes,  that  there  are  in- 
 ftances  proportionably  as  numerous  of  depraved  Chriftians  per- 
 verting their  fcriptures  for  evil  purpofes.  Are  there  not  thofe 
 who  make  void  the  law,  and  reprefent  the  liberty  of  ChrilHans  as 
 a  lawlefs  liberty.  Is  it  not  related  that  the  enthuflafts,  in  the 
 time  of  Cromwell,  thought  that  their  Chriftian  liberty  difcharged 
 them  from  the  obligation  of  paying  their  rent.  I  am  fure  you 
 muft  have  obfervcd  that  there  are  Chriftians  who  pervert  their 
 fcriptures  to  evil  purpofes  ;  even  in  the  apoftolic  age  we  read  of 
 thofe  who  faid,  or  who  were  charged  with  faying,  "  Let  us  do 
 **  evil  that  good  may  come,"  Rom.  iii.  8. 
 
 Sudden.  I  am  forry  to  admit  it,  but  I  do  acknowledge  that 
 there  are  many  Chriftians  who  pervert  their  fcriptures  to  evil 
 purpofes. 
 
 Cautious.  Well,  then  we  will  drop  that  point.  It  is  only 
 among  the  moft  ignorant  and  depraved  of  Jews  and  Chriftians 
 that  fcripture  is  perverted  to  evil  purpofes,  and  I  doubt  not  the 
 
 pious 
 
Part  L  DIALOGUE     III.  45 
 
 pious  Jew  would  as  much  lament  fuch  perverfion  as  the  pious 
 Chriftians  lament  the  perverfion  of  their  Icriptures. 
 
 Sudden.  I  do  not  deny  it,  but  do  you  really  think  that 
 there  are  not  more  ads  of  diflioneity  coznmitted  by  the  Jews  than 
 by  the  fame  nuir.ber  of  Chrifiiians. 
 
 Cautious,  I  fincerely  believe  that  the  Jews  are  as  honeft  as 
 Chriltians,  and  that  this  reproach  is  like  the  other  calumnies  they 
 have  unjuiily  laboured  under  ;  and  as  you  have  been  open  to  con- 
 vi6lion  in  other  inllances,  I  have  good  hope  that  I  Ihall  find  you 
 fo  in  this.  I  have  too  good  an  opinion  of  you  to  fuppofe  that  you 
 are  fo  illiberal  as  to  caft  any  retieclion  upon  the  pious,  the  inno- 
 cent, and  refpedlable  among  the  Jews,  for  any  frauds  or  difgrace- 
 iul  conduct  ot  thofe  over  whom  they  have  no  control,  and  whom 
 they  conlider  as  a  difgrace  to  their  nation. 
 
 Sudden.  Undoubtedly  ;  thofe  who  are  guilty  m.ay  be  confider- 
 ed  as  the  fcum  which  is  thrown  off;  but  the  quellion  is,  whether 
 there  is  not  a  greater  degree  of  this  fcum  from  the  Jews  than  from 
 the  fame  number  of  Chriflians. 
 
 Cautious.  I  will  boldly  aifert  that  there  is  not.  I  will  can- 
 didly tell  you  the  way  I  took  to  afcertain  it,  that  you  may  if  you 
 pleafe  p^urfue  the  fame  method.  I  laid  this  down  as  the  founda- 
 tion :  *'  If  there  are  more  acts  of  robbery  or  fraud  committed  by 
 ''  Jews  than  by  Chriftians,  we  fliall  find  that  they  are  more  than 
 **  others  fubje6l  to  the  punifhmxnt  of  the  law,  there  will  be  m.orc 
 *'  trials,"  I  found  that  the  number  of  Jews  who  had  been  under 
 the  lafli  of  the  law  was  not  more,  if  fo  many,  as  from  their 
 numbers  might  be  expedfed.  I  found  that  their  nation  were  by 
 no  means  inclined  to  fcreen  them,  but  confidered  them  as  aliens 
 from  Ifrael,  and  that  they  exert  themfelves  in  caufing  them  to 
 be  apprehended.  I  found  them  equally  refpecled  and  trufted  as 
 ChrilHans  by  thofe  who  deal  with  them,  and  that  failures  and 
 bankruptcies  were  not  more  frequent  among  them  than  others. 
 "V  ou  will  find  that  your  idea  is  built  upon  prejudice,  and  fupport- 
 ed  by  this,  that  acts  of  this  kind  committed  by  others  are  foon 
 forgotten,  but  when  committed  by  Jews  are  long  remembered. 
 I  do  not  mention  it  fo  much  as  a  fault,  as  a  fadl  v/hich  hath 
 come  under  my  obfervation.  I  remember,  with  the  greateft 
 precifion,  being  once  impofed  upon  by  an  itinerant  Jew-boy, 
 becaufe  the  circumlfance  of  his  being  a  Jew  fixed  it  in  my 
 memory  ;  but  it  is  not  fo  with  the  many  inftances  which  have  oc- 
 curred to  me,  where  the  impofition  hath  been  pra6lifeu  by  others. 
 Why  Ihould  any  mifcondud  of  a  Jew  be  retained  longer  in  the 
 memory  than  the  mifcondu6t  of  another  man  ?  Throw  afidc 
 prejudice,  and  invefligate  the  fubjedl  with  Chriltian  candour,  and 
 you  will  find  that  we  have  no  good  ground  to  retain  the  unkind 
 imputation  againil  them.  If,  on  in\  eltigating  the  fubjedt  in  this 
 way,,  you  are  convinced  that  I  am  wrong,  I  fliall  be  very  happy  to 
 
 hear 
 
46  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  L 
 
 hear  your  obje£lions  ;  for  I  aOure  you  I  am  by  no  means  defirous 
 of  glofling  over  any  mifcondud:,  or  fluitting  my  eyes  againll:  truth. 
 
 Sudden.  The  way  you  have  traced  out  is  reafonable,  and  I  wqll 
 follow  your  advice.  Your  obfervation,  that  evil  atSls  commit- 
 ted by  others  are  foon  forgotten,  and  that  evil  adions  committed 
 by  Jews  are  long  remembered,  is  certainly  juft,  I  fliall  there- 
 fore carefully  avoid  being  fwayed  by  prejudice  ;  but  I  long  to 
 hear  your  reafons  for  thir.king  that  a  change  for  the  better  hath 
 taken  place  among  the  Jews. 
 
 Cautious.  As  you  have  admitted  the  propriety  of  the  courfe 
 purfued  by  me  in  the  inveftigation  of  the  preceding  quellion,  and 
 have  promifed  to  purfueit  for  your  own  fatisfa6lion,  I  will  alfo 
 point  out  the  way  in  which  I  came  to  adopt  the  opinion,  '*  that 
 **  a  very  confiderable  change  for  the  better  hath  already  taken 
 *'  place  among  the  Jews,  which  affords  good  hope  that  their 
 **  national  afflidlions  have  not  been  wholly  endured  by  them  in 
 *'  vain."  In  my  inquiries  upon  this  fubjeil:  I  proceeded  in  this 
 way  :  I  examined  fcripture  with  intent  to  difcover  what  were  the 
 vices  and  mifconducf  imputed  to  them,  and  for  the  punifhment 
 whereof  national  affliftions  were  denounced  againft  them,  and 
 inquired  how  far  the  prefent  Jews  might  be  conlidered  as  tainted 
 ■with  thefe  crimes. 
 
 Sudden.  I  admit  the  propriety  of  it,  and  I  promife  you  that  I 
 ■will  purfue  the  fame  method  ;  but  I  will  thank  you  to  give  me 
 a  brief  account  of  the  refult  of  your  inquiry. 
 
 Cautious.  There  is  no  crime  of  which  the  Jews  are  accufed  in 
 holy  fcripture  which  is  the  foundation  of  fuch  awful  denuncia- 
 tions of  divine  anger  as  idolatry,  and  no  crim.e  to  which  they  feem- 
 edto  have  a  ftronger  propenfity,  notwithllandingthegrie\ous  fuf- 
 ferings  endured  by  them,  for  their  great  fm  in  making  and  wor- 
 fhipping  a  molten  calf  (whilif  Moles  was  in  the  mount)  and  offer- 
 ing facrifices  thereunto,  and  faying,  *'  Thefe  be  thy  gods,  O 
 *'  Ifrael,  which  have  brought  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt," 
 Exod.  xxxii.  4.  We  find  them  again  relapfing  into  this  odious 
 crime  as  foon  as  they  were  fettled  in  the  promifed  land:  they 
 *'  were  mJngled  among  the  heathen,  and  learned  their  works, 
 **  and  they  ferved  tlieir  idols,  which  were  a  fnare  unto  them  ;  yea, 
 *'  they  facrificed  their  fons  and  their  daughters  unto  devils,  and 
 **  Ihed  innocent  blood,  even  the  blood  of  their  fons  and  of  their 
 **  daughters,  whom  they  facrificed  unto  the  idols  of  Canaan, 
 **  and  the  land  was  polluted  with  blood :  thus  were  they  de- 
 '*  filed  with  their  own  works,  and  went  a  \n  boring  with  their 
 **  own  inventions  ;  therefore  was  the  wrath  of  the  J^oxd  kindled 
 **  againft  his  people,  infomuch  that  he  abhoned  his  own  inheri- 
 *'  tance,  and  he  gave  them  into  the  hand  of  the  heathen,  and  they 
 *'  that  hated  them  ruled  over  them  \  their  enemies  alfo  op- 
 *'  preffed  them,  and  they  were  brought  into  fubjedlion  vmder  their 
 "  fiandi  many  times  did  he  deliver  them,  but  they  provoked  him 
 
 '<  with 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     III.  ^^ 
 
 **  with  their  counfel,  and  were  brought  low  for  their  iniquity  ;  ne- 
 *'  verthelefs  he  regarded  their  affliftion  when  he  heard  their  cry,  and 
 <*  he  remembered  for  them  his  covenant,  and  repented  according 
 **  to  the  multitude  of  his  mercies  ;  he  made  them  alfo  to  be  pitied 
 *'  of  all  thofe  that  carried  them  captives,"  Pial.  cvi.  35 — 46. 
 There  was  a  great  national  repentance  in  the  time  of  Samuel, 
 (1  Sam.  vii.  3 — 8.)  which  is  fucceeded  by  the  glorious  reigns  of 
 David  and  Solomon  ;  for  the  Lord  delighteth  in  the  profperity  of 
 Ifrael  his  people  ;  but  alas  !  this  profperity  continued  not  beyond 
 a  century,  for  even  Solomon,  the  beloved  of  the  Lord,  fell  into 
 this  odious  fin  in  his  old  age  :  **  For  it  came  to  pafs,  when  So- 
 **  lomon  was  old,  that  his  wives  turned  away  his  heart  after 
 *'  other  gods,  and  his  heart  was  not  perledl  with  the  Lord  his 
 *'  God,  as  was  the  heart  of  David  his  father  ;  for  Solomon  went 
 '**  after  Afhtaroth  the  goddefs  of  the  Zidonians,  and  after  Milcom 
 **  the  abomination  of  the  Ammonites ;  and  Solomon  did  evil  in 
 **  the  fight  of  the  Lord,  and  yvent  not  fully  after  the  Lord  as  did 
 **  David  his  father^  then  did  Solomon  build  an  high  place  for 
 **  Chemoih  the  abomination  of  Moab,  in  the  hill  that  is  before 
 *'  Jerufalem,  and  for  Molech,  the  abomination  of  the  children  of 
 *'  Ammon  ;  and  likewife  did  he  for  all  his  flrange  wives,  which 
 **  burnt  incenfe,  and  facrificed  unto  their  gods  ;  and  the  Lord  was 
 *'  angry  with  Solomon,  becaufe  his  heart  was  turned  from  the 
 *'  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  which  had  appeared  to  him  twice,  and 
 *'  had  commanded  him  concerning  this  thing,  that  he  fhould  not 
 **  go  after  other  gods  ;  but  he  kept  not  that  which  the  Lord 
 *'  commanded,  wherefore  the  Lord'faid  unto  Solomon,  foraf- 
 *'  much  as  this  is  done  of  thee,  and  thou  haft  not  kept  my  cove- 
 ^'  nant  and  my  ftatutes,  which  I  have  commanded  thee,  I  will 
 *'  furely  rend  the  kingdom  from  thee,  and  will  give  it  to  thy 
 **  fervant ;  notwithilanding  in  thy  days  I  will  not  do  it  for  Da- 
 ^'  vid  thy  father's  fake,  but  I  will  rend  it  out  of  the  hand  of  thy 
 **  fon :  howbeit  I  will  not  rend  away  all  the  kingdom,  but  will 
 ''  give  one  tribe  to  thy  fon  for  David  my  fervant's  fake,  and 
 **  for  Jerufalem's  fake  which  I  have  chofen,"  1  Kings  xi.  4 
 —  13. 
 
 Sudden,  Tiiis  departure  of  Solomon  from  the  fervice  of  the 
 Lord,  who  had  fo  highly  favoured  him,  I  have  ever  confidered  as 
 truly  aftonifliing  ;  I  think  we  can  fcarcely  find  its  parallel  in  the 
 Jewifli  hiftory,  without  we  compare  it  with  the  departure  of 
 Ifrael,  in  the  matter  of  the  golden  calf,  whilft  Mofes  was  in  the 
 mount. 
 
 Cautious.  I  confider  it  in  the  fame  light,  for  the  degree  of 
 turpitude  depends  upon  the  degree  of  light,  and  other  advantages 
 enjoyed.  Solom-on  had  more  wifdom  given  him  than  was  be- 
 ftowed  upon  any  other  man,  and  the  Lord  gave  him  alfo  every  tem- 
 poral gift  which  the  heart  of  man  could  defire,  and  therefore  his 
 iall  was  moft  dreadfully  aggravated.     And  in  this  point  of  view 
 
 the 
 
4$  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  I. 
 
 the  idolatry  and  other  fins  of  Ifracl  are  mod  aggravated; 
 for  what  people  were  ever  fo  favoured  by  God?  Indue  tunc 
 the  houfe  of  Ifrael  will  fee  this  aggravation  of  their  fins:  "  If 
 **  from  thence  thou  fhalt  feek  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou  Ihalt  find 
 **  him;  if  thou  seek  him  with  all  thy  heart  and 
 **  with  all  thy  soul,  when  thou  art  in  tribulation,  and  all 
 *'  thefe  things  are  come  upon  thee,  even  in  the  latter  days  ;  it  thou 
 **  turn  to  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  fliail  be  obedient  unto  his  voice 
 *'  (for  the  Lord  thy  God  is  a  merciful  God)  he  will  not  forfake 
 **  thee,  neither  deltroy  thee,  nor  forget  the  covenant  ot  thy  fa- 
 **  thers,  which  he  fware  unto  them  ;  for  afk  now  of  the  days  that 
 *'  are  paft,  which  were  before  thee,  fince  the  day  that  God  created 
 *'  man  upon  the  earth,  and  ailc  from  the  one  fide  of  Heavea 
 **  unto  the  other,  whether  there  hath  been  any  fuch  thing  as  this 
 *'  great  thing  is,  or  hath  been  heard  like  it  r  Did  ever  people 
 *'  hear  the  voice  of  God  fpeaking  out  of  the  midit  of  the  fire,  as 
 **  thou  haft  heard  and  live  ?  Or  hath  God  allayed  to  go  and  take 
 *'  him  a  nation  from  the  midft  of  another  nation,  by  temptations, 
 "  by  figns,  and  by  wonders,  and  by  war,  and  by  a  mighty  hand, 
 **  and  by  a  ftretched-out  arm,  and  by  great  terrors,  according  to 
 *'  all  that  the  Lord  your  God  did  for  you  in  Egypt  before  your 
 *^  eyes  r'  Deut.  iv.  29 — 34. 
 
 Sudden.  The  palfage  you  have  quoted  affords  exulting  hope 
 for  Ifrael,  There  hath  been  no  nation  under  Heaven  that  hath 
 been  fo  feverely  puniihed  as  Ifrael,  and  the  reafon  feems  to  be 
 that  thofe  fins  which  other  nations  have  fallen  into,  have  been 
 comparatively  rendered  more  virulent  when  fallen  into  by  the 
 Jews,  inafmuch  as  they  polfelfed  fo  much  greater  advantages  than 
 ©ther  nations. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  obfervation  is  juft,  but  there  is  another  reafon 
 to  be  given  why  Ifrael  hath  endured  more  than  others,  it  is  be- 
 caufeof  the  Lord's  covenant.  Other  nations  have  been  rooted 
 out  and  deftroyed,  but  Ifrael  hath  been  chast.ised  ;  and  if  they 
 had  committed  ten  thoufand  times  greater  fins  than  they  have, 
 their  fufferings  might  be  increafed  in  proportion,  but  they  would 
 not  have  been  utterly  deftroyed,  becaufe  of  the  Lord's  covenant 
 with  their  fathers;  his  promifes  therein  contained  are  abso-. 
 iUTE,  and  muft  be  accomplilhcd  ;  but  to  return  to  their  hif- 
 tory.  If  we  confider  them  as  feparated  from  the  reft  of  the  world, 
 to  become  an  holy  nation,  and  a  peculiar  people,  how  greatly  is 
 their  guilt  aggravated  ?  Read  their  hiftory  from  the  reign  of 
 Solomon  until  the  deftrudion  of  the  temple  which  he  built  ; 
 read  of  the  idolatry  of  Jeroboam,  who  made  Ifrael  to  fin,  and  of 
 the  wickednefs  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  that  at  the  time  of  the 
 wonders  wrought  by  Elijah  the  fervant  of  the  Lord. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  often  read  thefe  things  with  great  attention 
 and  deep  concern,  and  I  muft  fay  that  I  think  it  is  clear  that 
 Ifrael  have  not  repented  of  thefe  crimes  of  their  anceftors  ;  for  if 
 
 they 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     III.  45 
 
 they  had,  I  think  that  their  ftate  would  be  better  than  It  is,  and  I 
 own  that  I  entertained  the  opinion  that  they  were  ftill  addidted  to 
 idolatry  ;  poflibly  I  might  adopt  the  idea  from  a  pairage  in 
 BilTiop  Newton's  Diilertations  on  the  Prophecies.  In  Vol.  I. 
 p.  196,  you  will  find  the  paiFage,  it  is  a  commentary  on  Deut. 
 xxviii.  36  and  64.    "  And  the  Lord   fhall  bring  thee,  and  thy 
 
 KING  WHICH   THOU   SHALT  SET  OVER  THEE,  untO  a  nation 
 
 which  neither  thou  nor  thy  fathers  have  known,  and  there 
 flialt  thou  fervc  other  gods,  wood  and  ftone." — '*  And  the 
 Lord  (hall  fcatter  thee  among  all  people  from  the  one  end  of 
 the  earth  even  unto  the  other,  and  there  thou  ihalt  ferve  other 
 gods,  which  neither  thou  nor  thy  fathers  have  known,  even 
 wood  and  itone."  The  palfage  is  as  follows  :  "  They  Ihall 
 ferve  other  gods,  wood  and  Itone,  ver.  36.  And  again,  ver. 
 64.  They  fhall  ferve  other  gods,  which  neither  they  nor  their 
 fathers  had  known,  even  wood  and  (tone.  And  is  it  not  too 
 common  for  the  Jews  in  Popiih  countries  to  comply  with 
 the  idolatrous  worfliip  of  the  church  of  Rome,  and  to  bow 
 down  to  ftocks  and  Hones  rather  than  their  effedls  fliould  be 
 feized  and  confifcated.  Here  again  wc  muft  cite  the  author, 
 who  nath  moft  ftudied,  and  hath  bed  written  their  modern 
 hiftory,  and  whom  we  have  had  occafion  to  quote  feveral 
 times  in  this  difcourfe,  (Bafnage,  Book  VIL  c.  33.  f.  14.) 
 The  Spaniih  and  Portugal  inquifitions,  faith  he,  reduce  them 
 to  the  dilemma  of  being  either  hypocrites  or  burnt ;  the  num- 
 ber of  thefe  dilfemblers  is  very  confiderable  ;  and  it  ought  not 
 to  be  concluded  that  there  are  no  Jews  in  Spain  and  Portugal, 
 becaufe  they  are  not  known;  they  are  fo  much  the  more 
 DANGEROUS,  for  not  only  being  very  numerous,  but  con- 
 founded with  the  ecclefiaftics,  and  entering  into  all  ecclefiafti- 
 cal  dignities."  In  another  place  he  faith  (Book  VII.  c.  21. 
 f.  26.)  The  moft  furprifing  thing  is,  that  this  religion  fpreads 
 from  generation  to  generation,  and  ftill  fubfilts  in  the  perfons  of 
 dilfemblers  in  a  remote  pofterity.  In  vain  the  great  lords  of 
 Spain  (Limborch,  Collat.  cum  Jud.  p.  102.)  make  alliances, 
 change  their  names,  and  take  ancient  fcutcheons,  they  are 
 ftill  known  to  be  of  Jewiih  race,  and  Jews  themfelves  ;  the 
 convents  of  monks  and  nuns  are  full  of  them,  moft  ot  the 
 canons,  inquifitors,  and  bilhops  proceed  from  this-  nation. 
 This  is  enough  to  make  the  people  and  clergy  of  this  country 
 tremble,  fmce  fuch  fort  of  churchmen  can  only  profane  the 
 facraments,  and  want  intention  in  confecrating  the  hoft  they 
 adore.  In  the  mean  time  Orobio,  who  relates  the  htl,  knew 
 thefe  diflemblers ;   he  was  one  of  them  himself,    and 
 
 BENT    THE     KNEE    BEFORE   THE  SACRAMENT.       MorCOVer, 
 
 he  brings  proofs  of  his  affertion.  In  maintaining  that  there  are 
 in  the  fynagogue  of  Amfterdam  brothers  and  lifters,  and  near 
 relations  to  good  families  of  Spain  and    Portugal,    and  even 
 
 H  '*   Francifcan 
 
^6  DIALOGUE     III.  PARt  T. 
 
 *'  Franclfcan  monks,  Dominicans,  and  Jefuits,  who  come  to  do 
 **  penance,  and  make  amends  for  the  crime  they  have  committed 
 *'  in  dilTembling." 
 
 Cautious.  I  do  not  wonder  that  this  paflage  has  made  a  great 
 impreirion  on  your  mind,  bccaufe  I  remember  that  it  once  made 
 as  great  an  impreffion  on  my  mind,  and  I  then  thought  exailly 
 as  you  have  exprefled  yourfelf;  I  will  therefore  give  you  an 
 account  how  I  came  to  adopt  a  different  opinion.  In  the  firft 
 place  let  me  obferve,  that  in  the  36th  verfe,  the  word  *'  king" 
 IS  ufed,  '*  bring  thee  and  thy  king  :"  this  evidently  points  to  the 
 Babylonifh  captivity  (2  Kings  xxv.  7.) ;  for  *'  They  flew  the 
 **  fons  of  Zedekiah  before  his  eyes,  and  put  out  the  eyes  of 
 **  Zedekiah,  and  bound  him  with  fetters  of  brafs,  and  carried 
 *'  him  to  Babylon."  Pray  read  the  verfe,  and  then  let  me  aflc 
 whether  a  doubt  can  remain  as  to  the  entire  fulfilment  of  this  36th 
 verfe  in  the  Jewilh  fufferings  at  Babylon  :  the  bifliop  was  therefore 
 inattentive  in  applying  it  to  any  diflimulation  which  might  have 
 been  pradifed  in  Spain  or  Portugal,  he  would  have  done  better 
 by  contenting  himfelf  with  referring  to  the  64th  verfe  only. 
 
 Sudden.  I  fee  the  force  of  your  obfervation  ;  there  certainly 
 has  been  no  Jewifh  king  carried  captive  fince  the  Babylonifh 
 captivity.  It  does  not  appear  that  they  have  had  any  regular 
 independent  kings  fince  their  return  from  Babylon ;  the  36th 
 verfe  therefore  must  have  been  accompliflied  in  that  event. 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  next  place  let  me  obferve  (although  it  is  very 
 probable  that  there  may  have  been  fome  fuch  diffemblers  as  are 
 noticed  in  the  quotation)  that  the  authority  upon  which  the  whole 
 is  built  is  the  aflertion  of  one  Orobio,  who  is  ftated  to  have  been 
 one  of  thefe  difl^emblers.  In  our  law  we  always  receive  the  tefti- 
 mony  of  an  accomplice  who  is  himfelf  a  criminal  with  great  caution ; 
 but  even  allowing  his  teftimony  (although  he  is  quoted  by  one 
 who  is  evidently  unfriendly  to  the  Jews,  for  he  fpeaks  of  them  as 
 dangerous)  yet  let  not  the  innocent  Jews  be  calumniated,  becaufe 
 they  are  of  the  fame  blood  with  thefe  diflemblers,  if  there  are 
 fuch.  ,Who  was  it  that  compelled  them  to  this  diffimulation? 
 Were  they  not  depraved  Chriftians  ?  How  did  they  compel 
 them  ?  By  fire  1  Hath  every  Jew  the  faith  and  fortitude  of 
 Shadrach,  Mefliach,  and  Abednego  ?  Alas,  alas!  how  frail  is 
 man !  May  there  not  have  been  Proteflants  refiding  in  Catholic 
 countries,  who  have  alfo  for  private  ends  done  violence  to  their 
 confciences  by  conforming  to  the  idolatry  of  the  Roman  church. 
 Shall  we  therefore  caft  a  flone  at  the  houfc  of  Ifrael  in  this  mat- 
 ter ?  We  exult  in  and  praife  God  for  the  noble  conduit  of  our 
 anceftors,  the  martyrs  in  Queen  Mary's  reign  ;  but  let  it  be  re- 
 membered, that  death  by  fire  is  an  awful  thing,  and  even  a  Cran- 
 mer  at  firft  was  unequal  to  the  trial.  We  exult  in  and  praife 
 God  for  the  faith  and  patient  fortitude  of  all  the  martyrs,  and  we 
 do  not  forget  their  fuiferings  under  the  inquifition  ^  and  may  not 
 
 the 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    III. 
 
 5» 
 
 the  Jews  receive  like  confolation.  Have  there  not  great  num- 
 bers of  Jews  endured  the  fiery  trial  under  the  inquilition?  Thefe 
 are  noble  chara6lers,  like  Shadrach,  Mefhach,  and  Abednego,  and 
 they  have  been  much  more  numerous  than  may  be  imagined. 
 
 Sudden.  Although  what  you  have  faid  greatly  moderates  the 
 opinion  I  had  formed  from  the  pafFage  in  Bilhop  Newton,  and 
 although  the  Jews  may  not  be  fo  much  tainted  with  idolatry  as  I 
 fuppofed  they  were,  yet  I  ftill  think  that  they  cannot  have  fully 
 repented  of  the  idolatry  of  their  anceftors ;  for  if  they  had,  I  think 
 they  would  be  in  more  profperous  circumftances  than  they  now 
 are. 
 
 Cautions.  So  fai  I  agree  with  you,  that  I  am  fully  fatisfied  that 
 when  the  time  comes  that  they  fliall  be  found  to  have  turned  to 
 the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  foul,  they  will  be  much 
 improved  ;  but  I  muft  remind  you  that  my  alTertion  only  went  to 
 the  extent,  *'  that  there  hath  already  taken  place  among  them  a 
 *'  VERY  CONSIDERABLE  change  for  the  better,  which  affords 
 *'  good  hope  that  their  national  affli6lions  have  not  been  wholly 
 *'  endured  by  them  in  vain."  I  did  not  fay  that  they  had 
 fully  turned  to  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and  with  all  their 
 foul.  This  would  include  much  more  than  their  abhorring  idola- 
 try, and  repenting  of  and  lamenting  the  idolatry  of  their  anceflors, 
 which  I  hrmly  believe  they  now  do. 
 
 Sudden.     The  beft  evidence  of  repentance  is  reformation. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is;  and  with  re fpedl  to  idolatry  I  think  there  is 
 evidence  of  this  reformation  ever  fmce  their  return  from  Babylon. 
 It  was  chiefly  for  the  crime  of  idolatry  that  they  and  their  king 
 Were  carried  captives  into  Babylon,  and  there  compelled  to 
 worfliip  other  gods,  even  wood  and  ftone.  This  punilhment  pro- 
 duced a  great  efFeft  upon  them,  as  you  will  find  by  their  humilia- 
 tion and  repentance  related  in  the  books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah. 
 The  prophets  in  whofe  writings  their  idolatry  is  rebuked  and 
 threatened,  lived  before  and  in  the  time  of  their  captivity 
 and  return.  The  book  of  the  prophet  Malachi  is  the  only  book 
 of  holy  fcripture  written  any  coniiderable  time  after  their  return. 
 He  is  fuppofed  to  have  written  about  120  years  after  the  return 
 from  Babylon,  and  the  follov/ing  is  the  only  palTage  in  which 
 idolatry  can  be  fuppofed  to  be  rebuked:  "  Judah  hath  dealt 
 **  treacheroufly,  and  an  abomination  is  committed  in  Ifraelandin 
 *'  Jeruialem  ;  for  Judah  hath  profaned  the  holinefs  of  the  Lord 
 *'  which  ye  loved,  and  hath  married  the  daughter  of  a  ffrange 
 <<  god:  the  Lord  will  cut  off  the  man  that  doth  this,  the  mafter 
 <*  andthe  fcholar,  out  of  the  tabernacles  of  Jacob,"  Mai.  ii.  u.  It 
 is  not  a  few  folilary  inflances  of  a  crime  which  conflhiites  a  nation 
 guilty  ;  and  if  this  palTage  applies  to  any  idolatrous  worftiip  at  that 
 time  in  Jerufalem  (which  I  much  doubt)  there  is  no  national  de. 
 nunciatioa  againft  it.     The  denunciation  is  only  againlf   "  the 
 
 "   MAM 
 
52  DIALOGUE    III.  Part  L 
 
 **  MAN  THAT  DOTH  THIS,  THE  MASTER  AND  THE  SCHO- 
 **  LAR." 
 
 Sudden.  You  will  find  that  under  Antiochiis,  the  Jews  were 
 guilty  of  idolatry  ;  for  in  his  days  '*  went  there  out  of  Ifracl 
 *'  wicked  men,  who  perfuaded  many,  faying.  Let  us  go  and  make 
 *'  a  covenant  with  the  heathen  that  are  round  about  us,  for  fince 
 **  we  have  departed  from  them  we  have  had  much  forrow  ;  fo 
 *'  this  device  pleafed  them  well :  then  certain  of  the  people  were 
 *'  fo  forward  herein  that  they  went  to  the  king,  who  gave  them 
 **  licence  to  do  after  the  ordinances  of  the  heathen  ;  whereupon 
 *'  they  built  a  place  of  exercife  at  Jerufalem,  according  to  the 
 "  cuftoms  of  the  heathen,  and  made  themfelves  uncircumcifed, 
 *'  and  forfook  the  holy  covenant,  and  were  joined  to  the  heathen, 
 *'  and  were  fold  to  do  mifchief,"  i  Macab.  i.  ti — 15.  And 
 afterwards,  when  Antiochus  ftrove  to  abolifli  the  Jewiili  religion, 
 *'  many  of  the  Ifraelites  confented  to  his  religion,  and  facrificed 
 *'  unto  idols,  and  profaned  the  Sabbath,"  verfe  43. 
 
 Cautious.  When  true  religion  is  profcribed,  the  incorrigibly 
 wicked  will  almoft  always  be  found  apoftates  ;  but  what  of  that? 
 The  book  of  the  Maccabees  which  you  have  quoted,  affords  glo- 
 rious teftimony  that  the  great  body  of  the  Jews  at  that  time  were 
 attached  to  their  law,  and  held  idolatry  in  detellation,  and  there 
 were  thofe  among  them  who  preferred  death  to  renouncing  their 
 laws.  The  opprelTors  "  put  to  death  certain  women  that  had 
 *'  caufed  their  children  to  be  circumcifed,  and  they  hanged  the 
 *'  infants  about  their  necks,  and  rifled  their  houfes,  and  flew 
 "  them  that  had  circumcifed  them :  howbeit  many  in  Ifrael 
 "  were  fully  refolved  and  confirmed  in  themfelves  not  to  eat  any 
 **  unclean  thing,  wherefore  th^y  chofe  rather  to  die,"  (1  Maccab. 
 i,  60 — 63.)  and  thy  did  nobly  die!  So  far  from  the  books  of 
 Maccabees  being  evidence  ot  ;.  coniinuation  of  the  propenfity  of 
 the  Jtwifh  nation  towards  idolaay,  it  is  a  noble  monument  of 
 their  hatred  againft  it.  Read  the  lamentation  of  Mattathias. 
 His  zeal  was  fo  great  that  he  Hew  an  apoftate  Jew  in  the  aft  of 
 idolatry,  and  the  king's  commifiioner  who  compelled  him  thereto, 
 (1  Maccab.  ii.  24,  25).  Read  thefe  books  with  attention  and  you 
 will  find  them  to  be  i^he  books  of  Martyrs  of  the  Jewilli  chcrch. 
 Compare  the  hiflory  they  contain  vvith  the  lamentable  hiilory  of 
 voluntary  idolatry  in  the  fccond  book  of  Kings,  from  the  death 
 of  Solomon,  and  you  muft  allow  that  the  Jewiih  fufFerings  in 
 Babylon  were  not  endured  by  them  in  vain,  for  their  propenfity  to 
 idolatry  was  nearly  eradicated  by  it. 
 
 Sudden.  If  their  propenfity  to  idolatry  was  nearly  eradicated 
 by  their  captivity  in  Babylon,  their  fufferings  under  it  were  cer- 
 tainly not  in  vain,  and  their  fufFerings  imder  that  cruel  idolatrous 
 tyrant  Antiochus  mult  have,  I  think,  increafed  their  detellation  of 
 idolatry. 
 
 Cautious.     1  have  no  doubt  but  it  did,  and  I  am  confirmed  in 
 
 n\y 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     III. 
 
 53 
 
 my  opinion  by  this,  which  appears  to  me  indifputablc  evidence, 
 that  the  Jewiili  fufferings  in  Babylon  and  under  Antiochus  were 
 over-ruled  to  this  end.  Our  Saviour  reproved  the  Jews  for  many- 
 vices  ;  but  do  you  find  any  pafFage  in  the  gofpels  which  inti- 
 mate that  the  Jews  were  then  in  any  the  leaft  degree  addicted  to 
 idolatry  ? 
 
 Sudden.  I  certainly  do  not  recollefl  any  fuch  pafTage,  and  I 
 am  furprifed  that  it  never  occurred  tome  before,  for  if  it  had  I 
 Ihould  certainly  not  have  fo  eafily  fallen  into  the  opinion  which 
 I  did,  from  reading  the  paffage  in  Biihop  Newton,  which  I  refer- 
 red to.  Neither  do  I  recoliedl  any  palfage  in  the  acts  or  epiftles 
 which  intimate  any  tendency  in  the  Jews  of  thofe  times  to  ido- 
 latry. 
 
 Cautious.  Jofephus,  in  his  hiflory  of  the  Jewifh  wars,  and 
 efpecially  in  that  dreadful  war  in  which  Jerufalem  and  the 
 temple  were  deftroyed,  is  by  no  means  the  advocate  of  his  nation, 
 but  fpeaks  of  their  vices  in  very  flrong  language.  You  may 
 therefore  be  aifured,  that  if  they  had  been  addidled  to  idolatry  we 
 Ihould  find  it  noticed  by  him.  You  have  doubtlefs  read  his 
 hiltory.  Can  you  point  out  any  pafTage  in  his  book  which  charges 
 the  Jevvs  of  his  time  with  idolatry. 
 
 Sudden.  To  the  beft  of  my  recoUeclion  there  is  no  fuch  charge 
 againft  them  in  his  book. 
 
 Cautions.  I  will  not  burden  you  v/ith  turning  over  fo  large  a 
 volume  as  Jofephus  to  refredi  your  memory  upon  this  Aibjeft. 
 It  will  be  enough  for  my  purpofe  to  refer  you  to  Book  XVIII. 
 chap.  11.  in  which  you  will  find  a  moft  noble  national  teftimony 
 of  the  Jews  againlt  the  intended  idolatry  of  Caius  the  empe- 
 ror, who  ordered  his  ftatue  to  be  fet  up  in  the  temple  at  Jeru- 
 falem. This  chapter  deferves  to  be  engraved  on  marble  for  a 
 perpetual  teitimony  in  honour  of  the  Je\'>'S,  We  exuit  in  the 
 noble  conducSl  of  JDaniel,  Shadrach,  Melhach,  and  Abednego, 
 in  Babylon  ;  but  here  we  may  exult  in  a  whole  nation,  like 
 
 ONE  MAN  with  ONE  MOUTH,  TESTIFYING  AGAINST  IDO- 
 LATRY. 
 
 Let  us  now  confider  their  fufferings  in  modern  times.  Vv'^c 
 highly  refpe6l  the  man  who  defpifes  property  or  life  when  put 
 in  competition  with  his  religion.  We  are  all  fubje6l  to  err  ;  and 
 although  we  may  think  differently  from  thofe  under  fuftering  for 
 confcience-fake,  their  enduring  sufferings  for  con- 
 science-sake Ihews  their  integrity  and  fincerity.  The  fgf- 
 ferings  of  the  French  priells  and  people  who  endured  death  or 
 banifhment  rather  than  renounce  their  religion,  has  done  more  to 
 remove  the  unfavourable  opinions  which  prevailed  againfl:  them, 
 than  could  have  been  done  by  any  other  means,  although  it  by 
 no  means  fhould  reconcile  us  to  their  errors  :  but  in  the  inftance  of 
 the  Jews  let  it  be  remembered,  that  their  fuffeiings  which  wc 
 have  noticed  were  endured  becaufe  they  would  not  renounce  the 
 
 reli 'ion 
 
54 
 
 DIALOGUE     IV.  Part  T. 
 
 religion  of  their  fathers.  Behold  them  proceeding  to  leave  the 
 Biiliiii  I  He  in  the  beginning  ot  Winter ;  fee  their  tender  infants 
 clingin?  to  their  mothers,  who  are  fcarcely  able  to  fupport  them  ; 
 fee  them  laying  down  when  unable  to  proceed,  ftripped  of  all 
 their  comforts,  infulted  by  thofe  called  Chriftians  ;  and  when 
 they  arrive  at  the  fea  Ihore,  behold  hundreds  of  them,  in  their 
 embarkation,  drowned  by  the  mere  wanton  barbaiity  of  thofe 
 called  Chrillians,  and  the  reft  ftripped  of  the  poor  pittance  they 
 were  permitted  to  retain.  Review  their  malVacre  in  the  reign 
 of  Richard.  Calculate  their  fufFerings,  and  then  remember  that 
 but  one  Jew  renounced  his  faith,  and  even  he,  like  Cranmer, 
 afterwards  abhorred  and  repented  of  his  diiumulation,  and  avowed 
 it  to  the  king,  aUhough  he  might  expe6t  a  more  dreadful  death 
 than  any  his  countrymen  endured  :  but  in  the  reign  of  Edward,, 
 although  there  was  a  golden  lure  held  out  to  induce  them  to  re- 
 nounce their  religion  and  remain  in  England,  we  do  not  find  that 
 there  were  any  bafe  enough  to  comply.  Death  by  fire  is  as  dreadful 
 a  thing  in  Spain  or  Portugal  as  it  is  in  Babylon,  and  yet  behold 
 the  flames  encompaliing  the  Jewilh  martyrs  under  the  inqui- 
 fition  ;  and  all  this  rather  than  renounce  their  faiih,  or  commit 
 the  odious  crime  to  which  their  anceltors  were  fo  prone- — abhor- 
 red idolatry. 
 
 Sudden.     You  need  fay  no  more  to  convince  me  that  the  Jewifh 
 fuiFerings  have  not  been  endured  by  them  in  vain. 
 
 FOURTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 The  Inquiry  how  far  the  feius  are  now  tainted  tvith  the  Crimes 
 obje^ed  againji  their  Ancejiors  continued — Dijregard  of  the  Divine 
 LaiUy  efpecially  in  the  Injiances  of  Attachment  to  firange  Women — 
 Luxury  and  cojfequent  Qppreffion — Difrrgard  of  the  Sabbatical 
 Tears y  and  withholding  their  Tithes  and  Offcriyigs — The  dreadful 
 Sufferings  of  the  yeivs  are  chief y  to   he  attributed  to  their  Pre~ 
 
 judiccSy  which.tended  to  defeat  the  very  End  and  Intent  for  tvhich 
 they  were  feparaied  as  the  peculiar  People  of  God — The  ynus 
 were  not  feparated  from  the  refr  of  Mankind  for  their  oivn  exclu- 
 
 Jive  Benefit y  but  for  their  high  Honour  and  Advantage,  and  alfo  for 
 the  Good  of  all  Mankind. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  SUDDEN. 
 
 Cautious.  *'^^7'0U  have  allowed  that  a  very  confiderable  change 
 JL    hath  taken  place  among  the  Jews,   as  far  as  con- 
 cernr.  Idolatry,  v/hich  fcniicd  the  moft  odious  article  in  the  cata- 
 logue 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    IV.  ^5 
 
 logue  of  the  crimes  of  their  anceftors  ;  we  will  now  therefore 
 proceed  to  confider  whether  there  is  any  alteration  in  them  in 
 other  refpecls.  I  (hall  confine  myfelf  to  the  following  particu- 
 lars :  their  attachment  to  flrange  women  ;  their  luxury  and  op- 
 preffion  ;  their  difregard  of  the  fabbatical  years :,  and  their  with- 
 holding their  tithes  and  offerings. 
 
 As  to  their  attachment  to  ftrange  women,  efpecially  of  the 
 wicked  nations  whofe  land  the  Lord  promifed  them.  It'was  ex- 
 prefsly  forbidden  in  their  law  :  *'  Neither  ihall  thou  make  mar- 
 **  riages  with  them,  thy  daughter  thou  (halt  not  give  unto  his 
 *'  fon,  nor  his  daughter  (halt  thou  take  unto  thy  fon  ;"  and  the 
 reafon  is  given,  <*  for  they  will  turn  away  thy  fon  from  follow- 
 **  ing  me,  that  they  may  ferve  other  gods  ;  fo  will  the  an^er  of  • 
 **  the  Lord  be  kindled  againft  you,  and  deftroy  thee  fuddenly,'* 
 Deut.  vii.  3,  4.  What  a  remarkable  inftance  have  we  of  the 
 truth  of  this  admonition,  and  the  excellency  of  this  law  in  Numb. 
 XXV.  1 — 3.  '*  The  people  begun  to  commit  whoredom  with  the 
 *'  daughters  of  Moab,  and  they  called  the  people  unto  the  facri- 
 **  fices  of  their  gods,  and  the  people  did  eat  and  bowed  down 
 "  unto, their  gods,  and  Ifrael  joined  himfelf  to  Baal-Peor,  and 
 **  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  againft  Ifrael;"  fo  that 
 24000  Ifraelites  were  cut  off  before  the  plague  was  ftayed.  But 
 never  was  there  an  inftance  of  the  effeds  of  this  fin  more  confpi- 
 cuous  than  in  the  inftance  of  the  aged  Solomon,  the  beloved  of  the 
 Lord:  "  When  Solomon  was  old  his  wives  turned  away  his 
 **  heart  after  other  gods,"  as  we  have  already  noticed,  1  Kings 
 xi.  4.  Ifrael  is  a  peculiarly  diftinguiihcd  houfe  \  it  is  a  royal 
 houfe,  and  a  Jew  Ihould  confider  it  as  a  degradation  to  marry- 
 any  but  a  daughter  of  Ifrael.  Now  let  me  requeft  you  to  con- 
 fider what  has  been  the  condudl  of  Ifrael  in  this  matter  fince  their 
 captivity  in  Babylon. 
 
 Sudden.  On  their  return  it  was  found  that  many  had  married 
 ftrange  wives,  and  even  the  priefts  were  among  the  number ;  but 
 to  be  free  with  you,  I  have  thought  that  Nehemiah's  zeal  againft 
 this  trefpafs  was  almoft  too  violent.  *<  In  thofe  days  alfo 
 **  faw  I  Jews  that  had  married  wives  of  Aftidod,  of  Ammon,  and 
 **  of  Moab,  and  their  children  fpake  half  in  the  fpeech  of  Afhdod, 
 *'  and  could  not  fpeak  in  the  Jews  language,  but  according  to 
 **  the   language   of  each   people;    and   I    contended    with 
 
 **  THEM,  AND  CURSED  THEM,  AND  PLUCKED  OFF  TKEIX 
 <*    HAIR,  AND    MADE  THEM    SWEAR   BY  GoD,  faying,  Ye  ftlall 
 
 *'  not  give  your  daughters  unto  their  fons,  nor  take  their 
 *'  daughters  unto  your  fons,  or  for  yourfelves  ;  did  not  Solomon, 
 **  king  of  Ifrael,  finbythefe  things?  Yet  among  many  nations 
 *'  was  there  no  king  like  him,  who  v/as  beloved  of  God,  and 
 **  God  made  him  king  over  all  Ifrael  ;  neverth.ekfs  even  him  did 
 *'  outlandilh  women  caufeto  fin,"  Nehcmiah  xiii,  23 — 26.  And 
 Ezra  required  the  people  to  put  away  tkeir  strange   wives 
 
 **    AND 
 
l6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  Fap.t  T. 
 
 •*     AND    SUCH     AS      WERE     BORN     OF      THEM,"        Ezra   X,    3. 
 
 This,  1  nuifl  fay,  appeared  to  me  to  be  too  rigid,  and  I  have  had 
 doubts  whether  it  was  confonant  to  reafon  and  fcripture  ;  for  a 
 law  againil  fnch  marriages  may  be  very  juft,  but  if  broken  it  does 
 not  follow  that  it  is  right  to  repudiate  fuch  a  wife  ;  and  certainly 
 the  children  are  not  guilty,  and  fliould  not  becafl  off. 
 
 Caulious.  The  words  you  have  quoted  from  Nehemiah  you 
 Tvill  obfcrve  are  againft  the  commifTion  of  the  crime  in  future, 
 and  as  to  the  pafl'age  in  Ezra,  you  will  find  in  the  margin  ano- 
 ther reading,  inflead  of  "  put  away"  it  may  be  read  "  bring 
 "'  fo!th,"  for  the  dccifion  of  the  judges  concerning  the  matter  ; 
 for  you  will  find  Ruth  the  Moabitefs  in  the  genealogy  of  David 
 the  king,  for  fhc  was  a  convert  to  the  true  religion  ;  and  there- 
 fore I  cannot  but  think  that  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  a£led  with 
 difcretion  and  difcrimination  ;  their  books  are  very  fhort,  and  if 
 ■we  had  more  information  upon  the  fubje£l  you  might  poflibly  fee 
 that  the  impreffion  it  made  on  you  was  erroneous.  Nay,  I 
 think  there  is  evidence  in  the  text  for  what  I  fay  ;  for  if  fuch  a 
 derelidion  of  their  wives  and  children  as  you  imagined  had  been 
 required  of  them,  there  would  have  required  no  deliberation  ;  but 
 the  14th  verfe  of  the  10th  chapter  of  Ezra  is  evidence  that  the 
 matter  was  referred  to  the  rulers  of  the  congregation,  the  elders, 
 :ind  the  judges,  and  I  doubt  not  but  they  decided  righteoufly  :  but, 
 however,  the  whole  hiitory  is  evidence  of  a  national  repentance 
 concerning  it,  and  we  do  not  find  any  reafon  to  confider  the 
 houfe  of  Ifrael  criminal  in  this  matter  iince  the  Babylonifn  cap- 
 tivity. 
 
 Sudden.  There  are  many  infcances  of  wealthy  Jews  who  are 
 ftill  addi6led  to  flrange  women. 
 
 Caut'toiis.  I  do  not  deny  it,  but  it  is  not  a  few  inftanccs  which 
 criminate  a  nation.  It  mull  be  allowed  (with  very  few  excep- 
 tions) that  the  Jews  almoft  univerfally  marry  among  themfelves. 
 You  will  find  the  inllances  you  have  mentioned  almofi;  entirely 
 confined  to  the  rich  among  them,  and  that  it  is  not  only  greatly 
 difapproved,  but  dcteiled  by  the  great  body  of  the  Jews. 
 
 We  will  next  proceed  to  the  great  luxury,  and  its  attendant 
 opprelTion,  for  which  their  anceftors  were  rebuked:  "  Their  land 
 "  alfo  is  full  of  filver  and  gold,  neither  is  there  any  end  of  their 
 *'  treafures  \  their  land  alfo  is  full  of  horfes,  neither  is  there  any 
 *'  end  of  their  chariots,"  Ifaiahii.  7.  *'  The  daughters  of 
 "  Zion  are  haughty,  and  walk  with  ftretchcd-forth  necks  and 
 •'  wanton  eyes,  walking  and  mincing  as  they  go,  and  making  a 
 *'  tinkling  with  their  feet,"  (iii.  16.)  "  Woe  unto  them  that 
 "  rife  up  early  in  the  morning  that  they  may  follow  llrong  drink, 
 **  ihat  continue  until  night  till  wine  inflame  them,  and  the  harp, 
 •*  and  the  viol,  the  tabret,  and  pipe,  and  wine  arc  in  their  fealfs  ; 
 *'  bui  they  regard  not  the  work  of  the  Lord,  neither  confider  the 
 *'  operation  of  his  hands,"  (v.  i».)     Riches,  if  properly  ufed, 
 
 are 
 
Part  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV. 
 
 67 
 
 are  a  great  bleiTing.  It  was  the  Lord  who,  by  his  providence, 
 gave  Solomon  fuch  great  riches  as  never  were  feen  before  ;  but 
 man  is  frail,  and  we  frequently  fee  that  the  pcfTeflion  of  great 
 riches  makes  men  centre  their  trufl  and  happinefs  in  them,  and  by 
 the  luxurious  ufe  of  them  opprefs  the  community  in  v/hich  they 
 live  :  ''  their  land  is  full  of  horfcs,"  v/hich  confume  the  produce 
 of  the  earth,  to  the  dlltrefs  of  the  poor,  by  increaling  the  price  of 
 the  neceliaries  of  life.  They  *'  join  houfe  to  houfe,  and  lay 
 *'  field  to  field,  till  there  be  no  place  ;  and  they  are  placed  alone 
 *'  in  the  midlf  of  the  earth,"  v.  8. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  admitted  the  temperance  and  moderation  of 
 the  prefent  Jews,  and  their  difinclination  to  luxury,  we  will 
 therefore  proceed  to  the  next  head  ;  and  I  wilh  there  was  not  fo 
 (triking  a  refemblance  between  the  pitlure  ot  the  ancient  Jews, 
 as  above  drawn  by  the  infpired  penman,  and  a  country  which  I 
 ardently  love. 
 
 Cautious.  I  wilh  fo  too,  and  if  the  rich  were  well  apprized  of 
 their  own  intereft,  I  think  there  would  be  fewer  horfes  kept  for 
 oftentation,  and  that  they  would  not  be  fo  fond  of  throwing  fo 
 many  fmall  farms  into  one  large  one,  and  thereby  deprefling  the 
 yeomanj'y,  and  tending  to  make  but  two  claifes  of  men,  the  very 
 rich  and  the  very  poor. 
 
 We  will  now  proceed  to  the  charges  againft  the  ancient  Jews 
 for  difregarding  the  fabbatical  years,  and  withholding  their  tithes 
 and  offerings.  The  proprietor  of  a  landed  eftate  lets  it  to  huf- 
 bandmen  on  fuch  terms  as  he  pleafes  \  and  you  know  that  it  is  an 
 univerfal  cuftom  among  landlords  to  reftrain  their  tenants  from 
 fuch  a  mode  of  culture  as  tends  to  the  enriching  the  prefent  cul- 
 tivator at  the  expence  of  the  impoverifhment  ot  the  land  in  time 
 to  come  \  the  tenant  is  therefore  reftrained  by  covenant  to  obferve 
 the  proper  fallow  feafons,  and  if  he  does  not,  he  forfeits  his  leafe. 
 When  (.he  Lord  gave  that  noble  eftate,  the  Holy  Land,  unto  the  chil- 
 dren of  Ifrael,  it  was  not  an  unconditional  gift,  there  vvere  covenants 
 to  be  obferved,  and  a  rent  to  be  paid  :  ''  Six  years  thou  fhalt 
 '■'■  fow  thy  land,  and  fhalt  gather  in  the  fruits  thereof,  but  the 
 ''  fcventh  year  thou  fhalt  let  it  reft  and  lie  ftill,  that  the  poor  of 
 *'  thy  people  miay  eat,  and  what  they  leave  the  beafis  of  the 
 "'  field  ihall  eat :  in  like  manner  thou  {halt  deal  with  thy  vine- 
 *'  yard,  and  with  thy  olive-yard,"  Exod.  xxiii,  io.  See  alfo 
 Levit.  XXV.  3.  There  were  not  only  thefe  conditions  annexed, 
 b'Jt  they  were  encouraged  Vvith  great  prornifes  of  biellings  if  they 
 cbfc;rvfcd  them..  Levit.  xxvi.  2—5.  "  Ye  fl-iail  keep  my  SAB- 
 *'  BATHS,-  and  reverence  my  fandtjary  ,;  i  am  the  Lord.  It  ye 
 **  walk  in  my,  ftatutes,  and  keep  my  commandmems,  and  do 
 *'  them,  then  I  will  give  you  rain  in  due  feafon,  and  the  land 
 "  Ihall  yield  her  increafe,  and  the  trees  of  the  field  fhali  yield 
 "  their  tiuit,  and  your  .threfhing  fliali  reach  t:nto  the  vintage, 
 **  and  the  vintage  fhail. reach  .unto  the  fowing  time,  and  ye  fhall 
 
 I  *'  eat 
 
58  DIALOGUE     IV.  Part  i. 
 
 "  eat  your  bread  to  the  full,  and  dwell  in  your  land  fafely," — 
 "  And  if  ye  fliall  f.\y,  What  fhall  we  eat  the  feventh  year  ? 
 **  behold  we  fnall  not  fow  nor  gather  in  our  increafe,  then  I 
 ■"  will  command  my  bleiling  upon  you  in  the  fixth  year,  and  it 
 *'  fhall  bring  forth  fruit  for  three  years  ;  and  ye  fhall  fow  the 
 "  eighth  year,  and  eat  yet  of  old  fruit  until  the  ninth  year,  until 
 **  her  fruits  come  in  ye  fliall  eat  of  the  old  (tore,"  Levit,  xxv. 
 20 — 22.  And  as  there  was  a  blefling  thus  annexed  to  obferv- 
 ance  of  thefe  Sabbaths,  fo  was  there  a  curfe  annexed  to  non- 
 obfervance  of  them,  even  ejeftment  from  the  poflellion  of  their 
 eftate  therein  :  *'  I  will  fcatter  you  among  the  heathen,  and  will 
 "  draw  out  a  fword  after  you,  and  your  land  fhall  be  defolate, 
 *'  and  your  cities  waile  ;  then  fliall  the  land  ehjoy  her  Sabbaths 
 "  as  long  as  it  lieth  defolate,  and  ye  be  in  your  enemies  land, 
 *'  even  then  fliall  the  land  refl:  and  enjoy  her  Sabbaths  ;  as  long 
 **  as  it  lieth  defolate  it  fliall  reft,  becaufe  it  did  not  reft:  in 
 *'  your  Sabbaths  when  ye  dwelt  upon  it,"  Levit.  xxvi.  33 — 35. 
 There  was  alfo  an  annual  rent  referved  \  and  it  pleafed  the  Lord 
 to  give  no  inheritance  to  the  tribe  of  Levi,  but  to  provide  tor 
 them  by  giving  this  rent  to  them  for  the  fervice  of  the  Lord,  and 
 for  their  own  fuftenance  :  **  And  the  Lord  fpake  unto  Aaron, 
 •*  Thou  flialt  have  no  inheritance  in  their  land,  neither  fliall 
 "  thou  have  any  part  among  them,  I  am  thy  part,  and  thine  in- 
 "  heritancc  among  the  children  of  Ifrael  ;  and  behold  I  have 
 **  given  the  children  of  Levi  all  the  tenth  in  Ifrael  for  aninheri- 
 **  tance  for  their  fervice  which  they  ferve,  even  the  fervice  of  the 
 *'  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,"  Numb,  xviii.  20,  21.  The 
 greateft  good  which  can  be  beftowed  upon  man  is  that  which  will 
 keep  conftantly  in  his  recolledion,  the  great  truth  that  all  that 
 he  poflefles  is  the  gift  of  God  ;  tor  this  purpofe  the  forbidden 
 tree  was  planted  in  paradife  ;  for  this,  am.ong  other  purpofes,  the 
 abftinence  from  blood  was  enjoined  to  all  men  ;  and  for  this 
 purpofe  this  rent  was  referved,  and  furely  it  was  mofl:  reafonable. 
 Inftead  of  the  land  being  divided  among  the  twelve  tribes  of 
 Ifrael,  it  is  divided  among  eleven,  and  the  remaining  tribe  is  pro- 
 vided for  by  a  rent  to  be  paid  by  the  ele\  en,  for  the  fupport  of 
 the  national  eftablifliment,  and  the  maintenance  of  that  tribe  thus 
 feparated  for  the  fervice  of  the  fandfuary. 
 
 We  cannot  fuppofe  but  that  we  fliould  find  fome  notice  in  the 
 books  of  Jofluia,  Judges,  Samuel,  Kings,  and  Chronicles,  if 
 thefe  Sabbaths  had  been  obferved  ;  I  am  not  aware  of  any  paflagc 
 in  them  which  notices  their  obfervance.  Ezekiel  ,  teitifieth, 
 "  My  Sabbaths  they  greatly  polluted,"  (xx.  13.) — "  Thou 
 *'  haft  defpifed  mine  holy  things,  and  hail  profaned  my  Sab- 
 **  baths,"  (xxii.  8.)  and,  in  the  laft  chapter  of  the  2d  of  Chro- 
 nicles, their  captivity  is  evidently  ascribed  to  their  neglect  of 
 this  ordinance :  "  And  them  that  efcaped  from  the  fword 
 "  carried   he   away  to  Babylon,  Avhere  they    were  fervants  to 
 
 **  him 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  ^^ 
 
 "  him  and  to  hisfons,  until  the  reign  of  the  kingdom  of  Perfia,  to 
 **  fulfil  the  word  of  the  Lord  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah,  until 
 
 "    THE    LAND    HAD     ENJOYED    HER     SaBBATHS;    for    aS    long 
 
 "  as  flie  lay  defolate,  ilie  kept  Sabbath  to  fulfil  three  fcore 
 **  and  ten  years,"  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  20,  21.  Jer.  xxv.  n. 
 xxix.  10. 
 
 Sudden.  Is  there  any  mention  of  this  in  the  books  of  Ezra 
 and  Neheniiah  ?  Did  Ifrael  on  their  return  repent  of  this  nati- 
 onal fin  ? 
 
 Cautious.  There  are  fome  general  expreflions  under  which  it 
 might  poflibly  be  confidered  as  included,  but  it  is  moft  manifeft 
 thit  it  was  not  iniprelTed  upon  their  minds  foftrongly  as  was  their 
 trefpals  in  marrying  ftrange  wives,  although  we  have  already  feen 
 that  in  the  laft  chapter  ot  the  2d  of  Chronicles  the  captivity  in  Ba- 
 bylon is  ASCRIBED  to  this  Very  thing.  They  were  negledlful  in 
 paying  their  rent ;  and  they  almoft,  if  not  entitely,  omitted  the 
 performance  of  this  condition,  the  seventh  year's  Sab- 
 bath OF  REST  FOR  THE  LAND,  and  therefore  they  were  at 
 lall  ejedled  out  of  the  polTeflion  of  their  eitate. 
 
 Siiddeh.  Can  you  inform  me  what  was  their  condu£l  concern- 
 ing this  matter  in  the  long  fpace  of  time  from  their  return  until 
 their  overthrow  under  Titus  ? 
 
 Cautious.  You  are  aware  that  we  have  not  fuch  good  informa- 
 tion of  the  ftate  of  the  Jews  after  their  return  as  before  their 
 Captivity  \  but  it  is  clear  that  Ifrael  were  not  free  from  cuilt  in 
 thefe  things,  even  after  their  return  ;  for  in  the  prophet  Malachi 
 he  complains  of  their  oiTering  "  polluted  bread"  upon  the  altar, 
 and  offering  the  blind  and  the  lame  for  faCrinces  (Mai.  i.  j.)  and 
 adds,  *'  Curfed  be  the  deceiver  which  hath  in  his  fiock  a  n^ale, 
 **  andvowethand  facrificeth  unto  the  Lord  a  corrupt  thing," 
 (ver.  14.)  And  again  (chap.  iii.  8 — 12,}  "  Will  a  man  rob  God? 
 **  Yet  ye  have  robbed  me  ;  but  ye  fay,  Wherein  have  we  robbed 
 **  thee  ?  In  tithes  and  offerings  ;  ye  are  curfed  with  a  curfe,  for 
 **  ye  have  robbed  me,  even  this  whole  nation.  Bring  ye  all 
 **  the  tithes  into  the  Itorehoufe,  that  there  may  be  meat  in  mine 
 **  houfe,  and  prove  me  now  herewith,  faith  the  Lord  of  Holts  ; 
 *'  if  I  Avill  not  open  you  the  windows  of  Heaven,  and  pour  you 
 **  out  a  blefling  that  there  Hiall  not  be  room  enough  to  receix  e  it ; 
 **  and  I  will  rebu.ke  the  devourer  for  your  fakes,  and  he  fliall 
 *'  not  deftroy  the  fruits  of  your  ground,  neither  fhall  your  vine 
 "  caft  her  fruit  before  the  time  in  the  field,  faith  the  Lord  of 
 *'  Hofts  ;  and  all  nations  fhall  call  you  blelTed,  for  ye  fhall  be  a 
 **  delightfome  land,  faith  the  Lord  ot  Holts." 
 
 Sudden.  This  feems  to  be  a  heavy  charge  againft  them.,  and 
 doubtlei's,  all  hough  there  was  a  great  change  for  the  better  in 
 Wieir  abhorring  idolatry,  and  in  the  other  inllances  you  have  men- 
 tioned, yet  there  mirll  have  been  fome  dreadful  depravity  among 
 them,  or  we  Ihouid  not  have  to  read  of  their  grievous  fuiFerings 
 
 '  under 
 
6o  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  Part  I. 
 
 under  Titus  and  Adrian ;  and  as  thefe  fufFerings  were  greater 
 than  ever  were  before  endured,  we  have  certainly  good  reafon  to 
 believe,  that  their  wickednefs  was  greater  than  that  of  any  other 
 nation,  or  thev  would  not  have  had  to  endure  fuch  fufFerings. 
 
 Cautious.  Softly,  my  good  friend,  you  form  an  hafty,  and,  I 
 think,  an  unfound  conclufion.  I  acknowledge  that  you  are  fup- 
 ported  in  this  opinion  by  Chriftians  in  general,  who  have  adopted 
 the  idea  that  fhortly,  previous  to,  and  at  the  time  of  the  deftruc- 
 tion  of  Jerufalem,  the  Jewifh  nation  was  utterly  corrupt  and 
 more  depraved  than  any  other  nation,  but  this  I  can  by  no 
 means  allow  ^  on  the  contrary,  I  think  I  can  prove  that  it  was 
 not  fo. 
 
 Sudden.  Let  me  remind  you,  that  it  was  the  Lord  who  gave 
 them  up  to  their  enemies  j  and  he  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways, 
 and  holy  in  all  his  works. 
 
 ■  Cautious.  He  is,  and  their  national  fuffcrings  were  doubtlefs 
 deferved  fufferings  ;  but  it  by  no  means  follows  that  their  nation 
 was  more  depraved  than  any  other  nation.  Think  ye  that  thofe 
 Galileans,  whofe  blood  Pilate  mingled  with  their  facrificcs,  were 
 fmners  above  others,  or  that  thofe  on  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam 
 fell  were  Tinners  above  all  men  that  dwelt  in  Jerufalem  ?  "  I 
 *'  tell  you  nay  ;  but  except  ye  repent  ye  fhall  all  likewife  pe- 
 "  rifh,"  Luke  xiii.  5.  The  Lord  is  jufl  and  righteous  in  all  his 
 ways,  and  no  fufFerings  can  be  endured  that  are  not  fanclioried  by 
 his  permifFive  will  ;  but  if  thofe  who  endure  fufferings  were  to  be 
 confidered  for  that  reafon  as  finn^rs,  it  would  tend  to  the  encou- 
 ragement of  felf-righteoufnefs  and  pride,  which  is  mofl  odious  in 
 the  fight  of  God  ;  it  by  no  means  iollows,  that  thefe  fufFerings 
 were  wholly  to  be  afcribed  to  the  v/rath  of  God :  in  the  rnidfl  of 
 judgment  he  remcrnbereth  mercy  ;  and  we  read  that  whom  the 
 Lord  loveth  he  chalieneth,  even  as  the  father  the  fon,  in  whom 
 he  delighteth.  You  have  allowed  that  the  fufFerings  of  Ifrael  in 
 Egypt  were  not  to  be  afcribed  to  the  anger  of  the  Lord  againft 
 them,  but  have  admitted  that  they  were  then  the  peculiar  favour- 
 ites of  Heaven.  You  have  allowed  the  fame  thing  with  refpe6l 
 to  the  almolt  equally  dreadful  fufferings  of  the  primitive  Chrif- 
 tians,  and  I  therefore  beg  tiiat  you  will  not  conlider  the  fufferings 
 of  the  Jews  as  coNCLtisiVE  evidence  of  their  indulging  greater 
 wickednefs  than  any  other  nation. 
 
 Sudden.  Well,  I  will  not  confider  fufferings  as  conclusive 
 evidence,  but  I  tiiink  tiiat  fuch  great  fufferings  give  good  ground 
 for  us  to  conclude,  cither  that  thofe  that  endure  them  are  linder 
 the  divine  difpleafure,  as  Ifrael  was  when  carried  into  Babylon, 
 or  feleded  as  peculiar  veffels  of  honour,  to  fhew  the  world  the 
 fortitude,  faith,  and  patience,  with  which  a  true  fervant'of  God 
 can  meet  afHidlion,  torture,  and  death,  for  the  fake  of  truth,  as  was 
 the  cafe  with  the  fufferings  of  the  primitive  Chriffians  ;  or  for  fome 
 wife  purpofe,  like  that  of  the  fufferings  of  Ifrael  in  Egypt,  their 
 
 deliverance 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  St 
 
 deliverance  from  which  fo  much  conduced  to  the  glory  of  the 
 God  of  their  fathers,  and  to  their  being  diitingu.iilied  as  the  pe- 
 culiar people  of  God ;  or  as  chaftifements  for  their  reformation 
 and  amendment. 
 
 Cautious.  I  firmly  believe  that  the  Jewifh  afflidions  were  in- 
 tended for  all  thefe  gracious  purpofes.  I  acknowledge  that  my 
 opinion,  that  at  the  time  Jerufalem  was  deftroyed  by  Titus,  the 
 Jews  were  not  more  corrupt  and  depraved  than  other 
 nations,  is  a  folitary  opinion,  and  therefore  it  is  incumbent  on  me 
 to  give  you  my  reafons  for  adopting  it.  In  the  firit  place,  let  m.e 
 oberve,  that  as  to  the  rife  and  fall  of  empires  we  can  generally 
 trace  the  caufe  of  their  rife  and  their  decay  and  ruin.  The  Ro- 
 man empire,  for  inftance,  rofe  by  the  flern  intrepidity  of  its  peo- 
 ple ;  their  hardy  manners,  ftritl  difcipline,  and  ardent  patriotifm, 
 raifed  them  to  the  fummit  of  power  ;  but  when  they  degenerated 
 into  luxury  and  effeminacy  their  patriotifm  decayed,  and  they 
 were  broken  by  thofe  nations  whom  they  had  accounted  bar- 
 barians:  unnerved  by  luxury,  and  what  has  been  called  refine- 
 ment, they  could  no  longer  refift  the  hardy  valourof  the  northern 
 hive.  Now  let  us  confider  whether  the  Jews  at  the  time  of 
 Titus  were  thus  degenerate.  Had  they  loll  their  love  of  indepen- 
 dence ?  By  no  m.eans  ;  it  was  their  lofs  of  independence,  and  ha- 
 tred of  the  yoke  of  the  invaders  of  their  country,  that  in  a  great  mea- 
 fureoccafioned  their  fufferings.  We  read  with  pleafure  the  efforts 
 of  the  Grecian  ilates  to  preferve  their  independence  when  invaded  ; 
 or  of  the  efforts  of  our  anceftors,  the  ancient  Britons,  to  oppofe  the 
 invafion  of  Cafar  ;  and  why  fhould  we  not  refpe6l  the  fame  love 
 of  independence  in  the  Jews,  in  bravely  refilling  the  Romans ; 
 although  they  were  unfuccefsful,  they  exceeded  ail  the  heroes  of 
 antiquity,  as  is  manifell:  in  Jofephus's  account  of  the  war.  A 
 nation  tliat  could  fo  nobly  refill  its  invaders,  could  not  be  fo  dege- 
 nerate as  is  generally  imagined. 
 
 If  we  compare  the  New  Teftament  with  the  Old  we  (hall  not 
 fmd  much  reafon  for  this  opinion,  which  has  been  fo  generally 
 entertained  concerning  the  degeneracy  of  the  Jewifli  nation.  In 
 the  prophets  v/e  find  them  much  more  feverely  reprehended  than 
 in  the  New  T'eltarnent.  It  is  not  the  love  of  dillindion  of  a  few 
 infincere  men  that  is  to  ll:amp  the  charafter  of  a  nation,  as 
 corrupt,  depraved,  and  degenerate  \  neither  are  we  to  conclude 
 that  there  were  gi-eater  finners  among  them,  becaufe  they 
 •endured  fuch  fufferings.  That  which  would  be  a  fmall  offence 
 if  committed  by  an  uneducated,  unthinking  boy,  would  be  very 
 reprehenfible  if  it  was  the  action  of  a  man  ;  how  much  more 
 odious  v/ould  it  appear  if  it  was  the  crime  of  a  clergyman.  In 
 like  manner,  thofe  crimes  which  might  be  fmall  in  comparifon 
 with  the  crimes  of  other  nations,  became  more  odious  in  tiie 
 Jews,  the  peculiar  people  of  God.  If  we  compare  the  allega- 
 tions contained   in   the  New  Teftament  againfi:  the  Jews,  and 
 
 without 
 
62  DIALOGUE     IV.  Part  I. 
 
 without  partiality  examine  how  far  we  as  a  nation  are  afFe£^ed, 
 1  think  v/e  fhall  not  gain  much  felf  exaltation  by  the  comparifon. 
 I  think  the  Jewifh  fufferings  are  to  be  attributed  to  their  preju- 
 dices, their  national  prejudices,  which  tended  to  defeat  the  very 
 end  and  intent  for  which  they  were  feparated  from  the  reft  of 
 mankind.  The  Lord's  purpofe  mufl  and  will  be  accomplifhed  ; 
 and  as  they  by  their  prejudices  counteradled  for  a  time  this  end 
 and  intent,  it  was  proper  that  an  alteration  fliould  be  made,  in 
 order  to  eradicate  thele  prejudices,  and  when  this  is  fully  accom- 
 plifhed, their  profperity  will  immediately  follow.  When  I  have 
 fully  explained  myfelf  upon  this  fubjecl.  you  will  fee  how  far 
 I  coafider  their  fufFerings  as  the  eiTe£ls  of  fm,  and  how  far  I  en- 
 tertain the  hope  that  their  national  afflidions  have  conduced  to 
 their  reformation  as  a  nation,  and  what  a  great  bleffing  they  are 
 defigned  to  become  unto  the  reft  of  mankind. 
 
 Sudden.     You  do  not  deny  then  that  thefe  fufferings  were  the 
 efFedls  ot  fin. 
 
 Cautious.     I  by  no  means  deny  it  ;  but  mercy  was  mixed  with 
 judgment,  and  will  in  due  time  trium.ph  over  it. 
 
 Sudden.  Do  you  think  that  any  of  their  fufFerings  have  been 
 for  righteoufnefs-fake  ? 
 
 Cautious.  Yes,  I  do,  and  believe  that  among  the  fufferers 
 there  hath  been  a  noble  army  of  martyrs,  and  that  their  prefent 
 deprtlhon  is  fomething  like  their  national  depreftion  in  Egypt,  in 
 order  to  render  the  returning  favour  of  the  God  of  their  fathers 
 more  evidently  confpicuous  when  it  arrives.  I  muft  firft  dire6t 
 your  attention  to  the  end  and  intent  for  ^^'hich  the  houfe  of  Ifvael 
 were  feparated  from  the  reft  of  the  world  as  the  peculiar  people 
 of  God.  Was  this  feparation  intended  to  be  an  ENTIRE  sepa- 
 KATiON  from  the  reft  of  the  world,  and  intended  merely  for 
 THEIR  EXCLUSIVE  BENEFIT,  or  Vv'as  it  a  feparation  intends 
 ed  not  only  for  their  benefit,  but  alio  for  the  benefit  of  all  man- 
 kind } 
 
 Noah  and  his  family  were  feparated  from  the  reft  of  man- 
 kind, who  had  univerfally  corrupted  their  ways,  fo  that  the  whole 
 earth  was  filled  with  violence.  Noah  and  his  family  were 
 feparated  and  preferved  in  the  ark,  in  order  to  become  a  new 
 ilock,  by  whom  the  earth  was  to  be  again  peopled  after  the  flood  ; 
 but  the  feleftion  of  the  children  of  Ifrael  to  be  the  peculiar  peo- 
 ple ot  God  was  not  a  feparation  of  this  kind.  It  was  not  a  fepa- 
 ration intended  merely  tor  their  exclufive  benefit.  It  was  not  a 
 feparation  intended  to  remove  them  from  all  intercourfe  with 
 other  nations  ;  for  if  it  had,  we  fliould  doubtkTs  have  feen  them 
 removed  into  fome  ifland,  and  feparated  from  all  intercourfe  with 
 other  nations. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  always  confidercd  it  as  evident  from  the  books 
 of  Mofes,  Joftiua,  Judges,  and  Samuel,  that  the  reafon  the  wick- 
 ed nations  vvctc  to  be  deftro^■!.d  by  the  fword  of  Ifrael,  was  not 
 
 only 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV. 
 
 63 
 
 only  btcaiife  it  was  a  deferved  piinifhment  on  them,  but  that  it 
 was  defigned  alfo  as  a  trial  of  the  obedience  of  Ifrael,  and  to  ex- 
 cite in  them  an  utter  deteftation  of  the  horrid  crimes  for  which 
 thefe  nations  were  devoted  to  utter  deflruftion. 
 
 Cautious.  Undoubtedly  it  was  ;  and  to  their  d'ifobedience  under 
 this  trial,  to  their  mingling  with  them,  and  learning  their 
 works,- is  to  be  attributed  all  the  calamities  which  their  nation 
 fufFered  :  but  there  were  other  nations  whofe  land  was  not  given 
 to  Ifrael,  from  whom  they  were  to  be  kept  diftinft  ;  and  as  to 
 thefe  furrounding  nations  the  eitablifhment  of  Ifrael  in  the  Holy 
 Land  was  intended  to  be  a  bleihng  to  them.  We  have  full  infor- 
 mation in  holy  fcripture  upon  this  fubjedl,  I  fhall  therefore  re- 
 lort  to  it,  to  prove  that  the  feparation  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  from 
 the  reil  of  mankind,  was  not  intended  to  be  an  entire  feparation, 
 it  was  not  a  feparation  intended  for  their  exclufive  benefit,  but  it 
 was  a  feparation  intended  for  their  honour  and  advantage,  and  alfo 
 for  the  good  of  all  mankind. 
 
 The  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  is  the  creator  and  preferver  of  all 
 mankind,  and  we  are  not  to  fuppofe  that  by  his  felefting  one 
 family  to  be  peculiarly  honoured  and  favoured  by  him,  that 
 all  the  fell  of  mankind  were  renounced  by  him  as  outeafts  de- 
 voted to  deftru£tion,  like  thofc  wicked  nations  whofe  land  wa? 
 given  to  Ifrael,  The  fcleftion  of  Ifrael  to  be  his  peculiar  people 
 did  not  invalidate  his  covenant  with  Noah  and  his  defcendants,  or 
 repeal  that  law  which  was  given  to  him. 
 
 Sudden.     Undoubtedly  it  did  not. 
 
 Cautious.  As  the  law  given  to  Noah  is  obligatory  upon  all 
 mankind,  and  as  it  is  but  too  much  forgotten,  I  Ihall  fay  a  few 
 words  thereon,  as  I  think  that  it  will  be  by  no  means  a  digreffion 
 from  the  fubjefl  \  for  it  will  confirm  the  idea  that  Ifrael  were  not 
 feparated  from  the  reft  of  mankind  for  their  own  exclufive  bene- 
 fit, but  that  the  good  of  all  mankind  was  intended,  as  well  as  th^ 
 honour  and  advantage  of  the  Jews."  The  law  given  to  Noah  v/as 
 moft  advantageous  to  all  men,  and  will  on. examination  be  founi 
 to  include  the  following  great  points.  It  communicated  to  mankind- 
 ift.  The  knov^^ledge  of  the  only  true  God,  the  creator  of  heaven 
 and  earth. — sdly.  That  this  true  God  is  the  governor  of  the  uni- 
 verfe,  and  that  he  doth  interfere  by  his  providence  in  the  affairs  of 
 men,  fhewing  favour  to  the  righteous,  and  punifhing  the  v^^icked. 
 He  preferved  righteous  Noah  and  his  family  in  the  ark,  and  de- 
 ftroyed  all  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  earth  by  the  deluge^  be- 
 caufethey  had  univerfaliy  corrupted  their  ways,  and  the  earth  by 
 them  was  filled  with  violence,  Gen.  vi.  13. — 3dly.  That  this 
 true  God,  the  creator  and  preferver,  and  governor'  of  heaver, 
 and  earth,  hath  not  left  mankind  unaiTifted  as  to  the  knowledge 
 of  fpiritual  things,  but  has  revealed  his  will  unto  mankind^  a!>i 
 aiflually  entered  into  covenant  with  them,  by  iigns  and  tokens 
 communicated   by    him   to   their  common  anceflor   Noah,    and 
 
 '  through 
 
C4  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  Part  L 
 
 through  him  to  all  his  de fee nd ants,  Gen.  ix.  9. — 4thly.  That 
 this  divine  communication  was  made  to  Noah  whilfl:  in  the  moit 
 folemn  adl  of  worfliip,  the  offering  of  facrifices,  whereby 
 mankind  are  taught  that  the  Lord  is  to  be  worfliipped  and 
 adored,  Gen,  viii.  20. — ^thly.  In  this  covenant  they  have  aifu- 
 rance  that  the  earth  will  never  again  be  deftroyed  by  a  flood  of 
 ■waters:  *'  And  God  fpake  unto  Noah,  and  to  his  fons  with 
 "  him,  faying,  And  I,  bcliold,  I  ellablilh  my  covenant  with  you, 
 '•  and  with  your  feed  after  you,  and  with  every  living  creature 
 **  that  is  with  you,  of  the  fowl,  of  the  cattle,  and  of  every  beall 
 **  of  the  earth  with  you,  from  all  that  go  out  of  the  ark  to 
 *'  every  bead  of  the  earth  ;  and  I  will  eilablifh  my  covenant 
 "  with  you,  neither  Ihall  all  lleflr  be  cut  off  any  more  by  the 
 **  waters  of  a  flood,  neither  fhail  there  be  any  more  a  flood  to  de- 
 *'  ftroy  the  earth  ;  and  God  faid.  This  is  the  token  of  the  covenant 
 *'  which  I  make  between  me  and  you,  and  every  living  creature 
 **  which  is  with  you,  for  perpetual  generations,  I  do  fet  my  bow 
 **  in  the  cloud,  and  it  fhall  be  for  a  token  of  a  covenant  between 
 **  me  and  the  earth  ;  and  it  fhall  come  to  pafs,  when  I  bring  a 
 *'  cloud  over  the  earth,  that  the  bow  fliall  be  feen  in  the  cloud, 
 **  and  I  will  remember  my  covenant  which  is  between  me  and  you, 
 '*  and  every  living  creature  of  all  flefh,  and  the  waters  (hall  no 
 *'  more  become  a  flood  to  deftroy  all  fiefh  ;  and  the  bow  fhall  be 
 *'  in  the  cloud,  and  I  will  look  upon  it,  that  I  may  remember 
 **  the  everlafling  covenant  between  God  and  every  living  crea- 
 *'  ture  of  all  fleih,  that  is  upon  the  earth  ;  and  God  faid  unto  Noah, 
 **  This  is  the  token  of  the  covenant  which  1  have  ellablifiied  be- 
 "  tweenmeand  all  flefh  that  is  upon  the  earth,"  Gen.  ix.  8 — 17. 
 — 6thly.  This  covenant  contains  a  grant  and  a  bleiling  to  all  m.an- 
 kind  :  "  And  God  blefTed  Noah  and  his  fons,  and  faid  unto  them, 
 "  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  rcplenifh  the  earth  ;  and  the 
 *'  fear  of  you,  and  the  dread  of  you  Ihall  be  upon  every  bealt  of 
 *'  the  earth,  and  upon  every  fowl  of  the  air,  and  upon  all  that 
 **^  moveth  upon  the  earth,  and  upon  all  the  hfhes  of  the  fea^  into 
 *'  your  hand  they  are  delivered  ;  every  moving  thing  thai  liveth 
 *'  fhall  be  meat  for  you,  even  as  the  green  herb  have  I  given  you 
 *'  all  things,"  Gen.  ix.  1 — 3.  This  is  the  divine  grant  to  all 
 mankind,  and  as  this  grant  is  daily  enjoyed,  it  fhould  be  daily 
 acknowledged. — /thly.  As  there  was  an  exception,  a  condi- 
 tion, requiring  abftinence  from  the  fruit  of  one  tree  in  Paradife, 
 fo  is  this  grant  to  niankind  attended  with  one  condition:  "  But 
 "  flefh  with  the  life  thereof,  which  is  the  blood  there- 
 *'  OF,  fliall  ye  not  eat ;  and  furely  the  blood  of  your  lives  will  I 
 *'  require;  at  the  hand  of  every  beast  will  I  re- 
 **  QUIRE  IT,  and  at  the  hand  of  man;  at  the  hand  of  every  man's 
 *'  brother  wall  I  require  the  life  of  man  :  whofo  fheddeth  man's 
 •*  blood,  by  man  fliall  his  blood  .be  fhed  ;  for  in  the  image  ol  God 
 "  made  htrr.an,"  Gen.  ix,  4 — 6,     Hovfcvcr  little  this  condhion 
 
 is 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     IV.  65 
 
 is  regarded,  yet  is  it  the  law  of  God,  and  will  be  required  and 
 enforced,  to  the  fhame,  if  not  the  deftrudion,  of  thofe  who  know- 
 ing it  yet  regard  it  not. 
 
 Sudden.  Certainly  this  great  covenant  fhould  be  more  con- 
 fidered  and  regarded  than  it  is,  for  it  is  the  grant  whereby  man- 
 kind enjoy  the  gift  of  animal  food  and  the  rent  referved,  viz. 
 abitinence  from  blood,  as  food  is  moll;  reafonable  and  proper;  and 
 I  wilh  I  could  fay  that  this  nation,  who  polTcfs  that  precious 
 book  in  which  this  covenant  is  contained,  were  more  attentive  to 
 it ;  for,  alas,  it  muft  be  admitted,  that  it  is  common  to  fee  bircjs 
 and  other  creatures  expofed  to  fale,  in  which  the  blood  is  not 
 removed,  and  there  are  places  where  food  prepared  in  blood  is 
 daily  fold. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  but  too  true  ;  but  to  a  perfon  who  confults  even 
 the  New  Teftament  as  well  as  the  Old,  it  will  be  found  that  it  is 
 as  unlawful  for  a  Chriflian,  or  in  fa6l  for  any  man,  to  eat  blood 
 as  for  the  Jew  himfelf.  It  is  unlawful  for  any  man  to  eat  blood  ; 
 the  laws  ot  God  are  not  like  the  laws  of  man,  to  be  enabled  one 
 year,  and  afterwards  repealed  and  altered,  they  are  for  the  good 
 of  thofe  for  whofe  government  they  were  ena6led,  and  this  law 
 given  to  *Noah  is  of  univerfal  obligation.  On  the  contrary, 
 many  of  the  laws  given  unto  Ifrael  were  never  intended  for  uni- 
 verfal obligation  upon  all  men,  for  that  would  have  tended  to 
 remove  the  diitindliion  ;  they  were  to  be  a  peculiar  people, 
 more  honoured  and  dilHnguilhed  by  God  than  any  other  people  ; 
 and  when  a  queftionupon  this  fubje6l  was  laid  before  the  apoltles, 
 they  gave  this  decifion,  which  thofe  who  confider  this  as  a  light 
 thing  would  do  well  to  obferve :  '*  Then  pleafed  it  the  apoftles  and 
 '*  elders,  with  the  whole  church,  to  fend  chofen  men  of  their  own 
 "  company  to  Antloch,  with  Paul  and  Barnabas  \  namely,  Judas, 
 **  furnamed  Barfabas,  and  Silas,  chief  men  among  the  brethren, 
 "  and  they  wrote  letters  by  them  after  this  manner,  the  apoftles 
 **  and  elders,  and  brethren,  fend  greeting  unto  the  brethren  which 
 "  are  of  the  Gentiles  in  Antioch,  and  Syria,  and  Cilicia.  Foraf- 
 **  much  as  we  have  heard,  that  certain  which  went  out  from  us, 
 **  have  troubled  you  with  words,  fubverting  your  fouls,  faying,  ye 
 "  muft  be  circumcifed,  and  keep  the  law,  to  whom  we  gave  no 
 '*  fuch  commandment ;  it  feemed  good  unto  us,  being  all'embled 
 **  with  one  accord,  to  fend  chofen  menuntoyou,  with  our  beloved 
 '*  Barnabas  and  Paul,  men  that  have  hazarded  their  lives  for  the 
 '*  name  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chrift  ;  we  have  fent  therefore  Judas 
 "  and  Silas,  who  ftiall  alfo  tell  you  the  fame  things  by  mouthy 
 **  for  it  feemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghoft,  and  to  us,  to  lay  upon 
 "  you  no  greater  burden  than  thefe  neceiTary  things:  That  ye 
 *'  abftain  from  meats  oifered  to  idols,  and  from  blood,  and  from 
 "  things  ftrangled,  and  from  fornication  ;  from  which  if  ye  keep 
 **  yourfelvesye  fnall  do  v/ell.  Fare  ye  v/ell."  Ads  xv.  22 — 29, 
 All  the  lav-'s  oi  the  l.^-:<^  are  intended  for  the  good  of  thofe  to 
 
 K  whom 
 
66  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  Part  L 
 
 whom  they  are  given.     Food  is  daily  confumcd,  and  by  this  law 
 
 given  to  Noah,  and  enforced  by  the  apofHes,  all  men  are  admo- 
 nifhed  that  what  they  enjoy  is  the  gift  ot  God. 
 
 Suddi'ii.  Your  cbfervation,that  the  laws  of  God  are  not  like  the 
 laws  of  man,  ci^adted  one  year,  and  amended  or  repealed  the  next, 
 is  certainly  juil.  They  may  be  extended  and  enlarged  by  a  fub- 
 fequent  law,  but  they  cannot  be  repealed  or  altered.  Thus  the 
 law  given  to  Noah  is  enforced,  extended,  and  enlarged  in  the  law 
 of  the  Lord  given  unto  Ifrael.  They,  as  the  peculiar  people  of 
 God,  are  not  only  required  to  cbftrve  the  law  given  to  Noah, 
 ■which  is  obligatory  upon  them  and  all  mankind,  but  they  are  re- 
 quired as  a  peculiarly  holy  nation  to  extend  their  obedience  to 
 abftinence  from  particular  animals,  which  are  not  forbidden  as 
 food  to  the  other  defcenda.its  of  Noah. 
 
 Cautious.  All  this  was  intended  for  their  good, — their  honour. 
 Thofe  perfons  to  whofe  care  it  is  committed  to  preferve  the  records 
 of  a  kingdom  are  perfons  entitled  to  great  honour.  How  much 
 greater  honour  is  due  to  thofe  to  whom  it  hath  pleall-d  God  to 
 commit  the  prefervation  of  this  great  charter,  in  which  the  whole 
 race  of  mankind  are  fo  materially  interefted.  It  is  the  Jcwifh  na- 
 tion whoni  it  hath  pleafed  God  to  ordain  to  this  high  honoi:r,  and 
 therefore  you  muft  perceive  that  this  feparation  of  Ifiael  from 
 the  reft  of  the  world  is  not  only  intended  for  their  honour  and 
 advantage,  but  for  the  benefit  of  all  mankind. 
 
 To  proceed  to  another  inftance  ;  the  call  and  feparation  of 
 Abraham.  If  the  feparation  of  Abraham  and  his  feed  trom  the 
 reft  of  mankind  had  been  intended  as  an  entire  feparation,  having 
 no  other  objeft  than  their  exclufive  good,  we  ftiould  undoubtedly 
 difcover  in  his  character  a  difinclination  to  intercourfe  with  the 
 reft  of  m.ankind  ;  he  would  have  confidtred  himfelt  and  his  tamily 
 as  it  were  infulated,  and  would  have  difregarded  all  events  in 
 which  he  and  his  family  were  not  pcrfonally  concerned  ;  but  the 
 charafter  of  Abraham  is  the  direft  reverfe.  He  was  a  molt  be- 
 nevolent msn,  who  refpeclcd  others,  and  fought  their  good  as 
 well  as  iiis  own.  As  to  the  benevolence  of  his  charader,  and  his 
 love  to  his  fellow-creatures,  pray  read  Gen.  xviii.  17 — 33.  in 
 which  you  will  hnd  hina  interceding  for  thofe  cities  cone  rning 
 the  extent  of  whofe  guilt  he  was  not  well  informed.  Obferve 
 the  deep  humility  with  which  he  proceeds  in  his  interceflion. 
 Read  The  23d  chapter  of  Genefis,  and  obferve  the  refpect  with 
 which  he  behaves  to  the  children  of  Heth.  Faith  and  obedience 
 to  God  are  moft  conipicuous  in  thecharadlers  of  Abriiham,  Ifaac, 
 zvA  Jacob  :  thcfe  are  duties  towi-rds  God  ;  and  they  were  alio  as 
 eijunently  confpicuous  for  their  benevolence  towards  ali, 
 MEN  ;  but  we  are  not  left  to  draw  our  conclufions  from  the  cha- 
 radttis  of  the  patriarchs,  we  have  pofitive  information  upon  the 
 fubjccl.  The  firft  piom.ife  to  Abraham,  when  he  was  called 
 ^nd  feparattd  from  the  reft  of  mankind  as  the  peculiar  favourite  of 
 
 Heaven, 
 
Tart  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  67 
 
 Heaven,  contains  thefe  words:  *'  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great 
 *.'  nation,  and  I  will  blefsthee,  and  make  thy  name  great,  and  thou 
 **  fhalt  be  a  bleffing,  and  I  will  blefs  them  that  blefs  thee,  and 
 **  curfe    him  that  curfeth  thee,    and   in   thee   shall  all 
 
 *'     FAMILIES  OF  THE    EARTH     BE     BLESSED,"    (Gen.  xii.  2,   Q.) 
 
 and  again  in  xxii.  18.  **  And  in  thy  feed  Oiall  all  the  nations  of 
 **  the  earth  be  bleffed."  This  promife  is  again  repeated  unto 
 Ifaac,,  xxvi.  4.  and  to  Jacob,  xxviii.  14.  It  is  therefore  manifeit 
 that  the  divine  intent  for  which  they  v/cre  felecfhed  and  feparated, 
 was  not  EXCLUSIVELY  for  their  own  benefit,  but  that  it  was  a 
 feparation  for  their  great  honour  and  advantage,  and  alfo  for  the 
 advantage  of  all  mankind. 
 
 Sudden,  All  nations  have  been  blessed  indeed  in  the  feed 
 of  Abraham. 
 
 Cautious.  I  know  you  think  fo,  as  do  all  true  Chridians ;  but 
 I  am  of  opinion  that  the  generally  received  opinions  upon  this 
 point  are  by  no  means  fufEciently  enlarged  and  extended.  So  far 
 from.  Ifrael  being  feparated  from  the  other  nations  for  their  own 
 exclusive  benefit,  that  we  find  the  refl  of  mankind  deeply  inte- 
 refted  in  all  that  concerns  them  ;  they  are  interefted  both  in 
 their  pl-ofperity  and  in  their  adverfity.  Are  not  all  the  defcen- 
 dants  of  Noah  interefted  in  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  being  ordained  by 
 God  to  the  high  honour  of  preferving  thefacred  record  of  his  cove- 
 nant with  Noah  and  his  fons,  the  great  benefit  and  importance  of 
 which  we  have  already  noticed.  The  feed  of  Abraham  v/ere  to  be 
 a  blelling  unto  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  this  v/hich  I  have 
 noticed  is  part  of  that  bielTing  j  it  is  too  much  forgotten,  arid  it 
 is  maniielt  that  the  generality  of  mankind  regard  it  not,  and  give 
 not  unto  the  Jews  that  high  honour  to  which  their  appointment  to 
 fo  high  an  otfice  entitles  them.  Was  not  the  great  kingdom  of 
 Egypt  bleffed  in  the  houfe  of  Abraham  ?  It  pleafed  God  fo  to 
 over-rule  the  events  of  the  life  of  Jofeph,  that  he  was  fold  into 
 Egypt,  and  by  the  wifdom  v/hich  God  gave  unto  him,  and  by  tliat 
 fpirit  of  prophecy  whh  which  he  was  infpired,  he  foretold  tlie 
 grievous  famine  which  Avas  at  hand,  and  by  his  v/ifdom  prepared 
 againft  the  calamity.  Gen.  xli.  34 — 36.  This  was  another  exem- 
 plification of  the  divine  will  declared  by  anticipation  to  Abraham, 
 **  In  thee  ihall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blelfed,"  That  is 
 truly  the  nobleft  family  which  is  honoured  by  God  to.  produce 
 the  greaieft  benefactors  to  mankind.  What  family  in  this  can 
 vie  with  Ifrael,  the  Lord's  peculiar  people?  What  family  can 
 produce  fuch  charadlers  in  their  pedigree  as  Abraham,  liaac, 
 Jacob,  and  Jofeph?  and  yet  thefe  are  but  the  beginning  of  that 
 noble  roll  ot  anceftcrs,  whofe  blood  now  tuns  in  the'veins  of  the 
 Jews.  If  they  had  no  other  claim  to  diilin<hhon  than  this,  they 
 would  be  entitled  to  deep  refpeft  and  high  ccnfideration.  The 
 time  will  come  when  this  high  confideiation  will  be  no  longer 
 ■withholden  from  them.      It  nu.ifl:   w;   fo,   for    the  God  of  their 
 
 tathcrs. 
 
68  DIALOGUE    IV.  Part  I. 
 
 fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Ifaac,  and  the  God  of 
 Jacob,  hath  fo  ordained  it. 
 
 Even  the  fufferings  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  are  fufferings  en- 
 dured by  them  not  merely  on  their  own  account,  but  for  the 
 benefit  of  all  mankind:  **  In  thee  fhall  all  the  families  of  the 
 **  earth  be  bleffed."  Let  me  requeft  you  to  confider  the  fuffer- 
 ings of  Ifrael  in  Egypt.  Were  thefe  fufferings  endured  by  the 
 defcendants  of  Abraham  on  account  of  any  peculiar  fins  to  which 
 they  were  addi£led  ?  By  no  means.  If  it  had  been  fo,  we  fhould 
 have  been  informed  of  it  ;  but  nothing  of  this  kind  is  noticed  in 
 Gen.  XV.  13,  14.  where  it  is  foretold  by  the  Lord  to  Abraham. 
 They  were  for  a  time  degraded  and  opprefied  in  Egypt  for  wife 
 purpofes ;  it  was  for  the  honour  of  their  nation,  which 
 was  by  their  deliverance  from  their  oppreiTors  rendered  more 
 CONSPICUOUSLY  the  peculiar  people  of  God  than  they  could 
 have  been  by  the  mod  uninterrupted  profpcrity.  It  was  for  the 
 honour  of  the  God  of  their  fathers  Abraham,  Ifaac,  and  J  acob  ; 
 for  he  delivered  them  with  an  high  hand,  and  by  means  of  great 
 wonders  wrought  by  him  in  Egypt,  thereby  manifefting  his  hatred 
 ofoppreflion,  fhewing  his  fovereign  power,  and  his  love  to  Ifrael, 
 **  his  fon,  his  firll  born,"  Exod.  iv.  22. — "  I  will  get  me 
 "  honour  upon  Pharaoh,  and  upon  all  his  hoft,  upon  his  chariots, 
 *'  and  upon  his  horfemen,"  Exod.  xiv.  17. — *'  Sing  ye  to  the 
 **  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  glorioully,  the  horfe  and  his 
 **  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the  fea,"  Exod.  xv.  21.  Since  the 
 deliverance  of  Noah  and  his  family  from  the  waters  of  the 
 flood,  there  never  hath  been  fuch  a  wonderful  difplay  of  the 
 power  of  God  as  in  this  great  deliverance  "of  Ifrael  out  of  Egypt. 
 How  greatly  fhould  this  deliverance  of  their  anceftors  out  of 
 Egypt  by  the  hand  of  God  operate  upon  all  men  who  are  inform- 
 ed of  it ;  and  how  can  it  be  better  expreifed  and  acknowledged 
 than  by  fhewing  refpe6l  and  honour  to  thofe  who  are  the  lineal 
 defcendants  from  them,  who  were  fo  highly  honoured  and  fa- 
 voured by  the  only  true  God,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth. 
 
 But  this  high  honour  was  not  intended  for  their  exclufive  bene- 
 fit, all  mankind  were  interefted  therein,  even  the  Egyptians  were 
 benefited  thereby  ;  for  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  cannot  be 
 attained  at  too  high  a  price.  We  find  that  the  wonders  wrought 
 in  Egypt  communicated  to  m.any  of  them  this  great  good  :    **  He 
 
 *'    THAT  FEARED  THE  WORD  OF  THE  LoRD  AMONG  THE' 
 
 **  SERVANTS  OF  Pharaoh,  made  his  fervants  and  his  cattle 
 *'  flee  into  the  houfes,"  (Exod.  ix.  20.)  and  they  were  preferv- 
 ed  from  the  great  hail :  "  And  the  Egyptians  shall  know 
 *'  that  I  AM  THE  LoRD,  when  I  have  gotten  me  honour 
 **  upon  Pharaoh,  upon  his  chariots,  and  upon  his  horfemen," 
 Exod.  xiv.  18.  Th^  effe£l  produced  by  thefe  wonders  wrought 
 in  Egypt  was  very  great,  fo  that  a   "  mixed  multitude  went  up 
 
 "  with 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  69 
 
 *'  with  them,"  and  they  had  favour  in  the  fight  of  the  Egyp- 
 tians, Esod.  xii. 
 
 Kjudden,  This  affords  a  gloriouily  extended  profpecSt  of  the 
 mercy  of  the  Lord  towards  all  men. 
 
 Cautious.  It  does,  and  it  is  fo  far  from  any  diminution  of  the 
 houfc  of  Ifrael,  that  it  greatly  exalts  the  idea  of  the  honour  con- 
 ferred upon  Ifrael  }v/  the  Lord  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth  ; 
 for  they  were  to  be  preferved  a  diilinch  people,  under  more  itridl 
 and  enlarged  laws,  and  peculiar  ordinances,  which  other  nations 
 had  no  right  to  perform  ;  but  by  their  being  preferved  a  diiHncl 
 people,  and  by  the  manifeniadon  of  the  Lord's  interference  for  the 
 honour  and  advantage  of  the  Jews,  ail  nations  were  to  be  inurudl:- 
 ed,  that  **  the  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  m.erciful  and  gracious,  long- 
 "  fuffering,  and  abundant  in  goodnefs  and  truth,"  Exod.  xxxiv. 
 6.  The  god  of  Abraham  and  Ifaac  and  Jacob  is  the  only  true 
 God. 
 
 Legiflators,  and  thofe  who  have  delivered  nations  from  oppref- 
 fion,  and  formed  them  into  regular  communities,  have  generally 
 been  honoured  as  the  benefaftors  of  mankind  ;  but>how  do  all  the 
 legiHators  who  ever  lived,  and  all  the  deliverers  of  mankind  from 
 violence  and  opprefTion,  fade  like  the  glow-worm  when  fur- 
 rounded  with  meridian  fplendour,  if  compared  with  the  hiilory  of 
 Moles  the  fervant  of  the  Lord.  To  whom  did  the  Lord  commit 
 the  deliverance  of  Ifrael  from  the  oppreJiion  of  Pharaoh  ?  It  was 
 Mofes  whom  the  Lord  ordained  to  this  high  honour.  It  was  he 
 who  was  commiffioned  by  God  to  demand  their  releafe  from 
 Pharaoh.  It  was  by  his  hand  that  the  Lord  v/rought  all  the 
 wonders  in  Egypt.  It  was  by  the  lifting  up  his  rod  that  the 
 waters  of  the  ^Lcd  Sea  were  divided,  fo  that  Ifrael  palfed  through 
 on  dry  ground.  It  was  by  lifting  up  his  rod  that  the  waters  re- 
 turned to  their  place,  and  overwhelmed  Pharaoh  the  oppreifor 
 and  his  holl. 
 
 To  the  inTpired  pen  of  Mofes  we  are  indebted  for  the  only 
 true  and  confilient  account  of  the  formation  of  heaven  and  earth, 
 and  all  creatures.  In  his  writings  we  are  informed  that  God 
 created  all  things  very  good,  and  here  we  are  enabled  to  difcover 
 the  way  in  v/hich  death  and  evil  were  introduced  ;  and  in  his 
 writings  we  are  taught  to  expecl  deliverance  from  thefe  evils. 
 As  a  facred  hilforian,  to  him  it  was  committed  to  record  the 
 hiilory  of  the  antediluvian  world,  the  general  deluge,  the  Lord's 
 interference  for  the  prefervation  of  the  righteous,  and  the  pu.nilli- 
 rnent  of  the  wicked;  the  hiil:ory  of  the  houfe  0/  liVael  and 
 their  mil aculous  deliverance  out  of  Egypt,  and  no  lefs  miracu- 
 lous prefervation  in  the  wildernefs. 
 
 To  Mofes  it  was  committed  to  record  the  law  given  to  Ifrael 
 at  Sinai,  and  that  moft  eixcellent  body  of  jurifprudence,  which 
 hath  been  an  inelHmable  treafure  to  alV  nations ;  for  although  there 
 are  peculiarities  in  it  which  other  na<ioF>shav-e  no  rigfit<to  copy,  in- 
 
 aimuch 
 
70  DIALOGUE     IV.  Part  I. 
 
 afmuch  as  the  Jews  alone  are  entitled  to  the  cbfervance  offundry 
 ordinances  therein  ;  yet  are  there  lawc  alfo  which  relate  to  jullice 
 and  ricrhteoufnefs,  which  have  been  copied  by  many  nations,  to  the 
 great  benefit  ot  mankind.  Ifthe  Jewilh  nation  had  produced  no 
 other  cclc  brated  chara6ler  than  Mofes,  they  would  have  been  entitled 
 to  high  confidcration  and  grateful  refpecl ;  but  we  are  aimed  loll  in 
 the  contemplation  of  the  auguft  charafters  of  their  ancellors  Abra- 
 ham, and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  Jofeph  and  his  brethren,  Mofes  and 
 Aaron,  Caleb  and  Jofliua,  David  and  Solomon,  Ifaiah,  Daniel  and 
 his  friends  Shadrach,  Mefliach,  andAbednego,  Jeremiah  and  Eze- 
 kiel,  and  that  goodly  fellowlhip  of  the  prophets  by  whofe  ineiti- 
 mable  writings  the  world  at  large,  as  well  as  the  houfe  of 
 Ifrael,  have  been  benefited  and  improved.  Thofe  who  have  the 
 hi<>'h  honour  to  be  defcendants  of  (v.ch  great  men  are  entitled  to 
 peculiar  honour  ;  for  they  were  not  fele£led  merely  for  their  own 
 fakes,  but  for  their  honour  and  advantage,  and  for  the  benefit  of 
 all  mankind:  "  Nov/  therefore  if  ye  will  obey  m.y  voice  indeed, 
 ^'  and  keep  my  covenant,  then  ye  fhall  be  a  peculiar  treafure 
 *'  unto  me  above  all  people  ;  for  all  the  earth  is  mine  : 
 **  and  ye  fliall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests  and  an 
 "  HOLY  nation,"  Exod.  xix.  5,  6.  Kings  are  the  fervants  of 
 God,  ordained  to  govern  ^  and  prielts  are  the  fervants  of  God, 
 ordained  to  inftruft  m.ankind,  and  to  miniltcr  in  holy  things.  If 
 therefore  the  Jewifh  nation  were  ordained  ultimately  to  become 
 a  kingdom  of  priefts,  we  have  good  reafon  to  believe,  that  in  due 
 time  they  will  willingly  become  the  inftrudlors  and  bene- 
 factors of  mankind.  Obfcrve  the  following  words  extr afhed  from 
 the  prayer  of  King  Solomon  on  the  dedication  of  the  temple  :. 
 "  Moreover,  concerning  the  ftranger  v/hich  is  not  of  thy  people 
 *'  Ifrael,  but  is  come  from  a  far  country,  for  thy  great  name's 
 *'  fake,  and  thy  mighty  hand,  and  thy  ftretched-out  arm  ;  if 
 "  they  come  and  pray  in  this  houfc;  then  hear  thou  from  the 
 *'  heavens,  even  trom  thy  dv/eiling-piace,  and  do  according  to 
 **  all  that  the  ftranger  callcth  to  thee  for ;  that  all  the  people 
 **  OF  THE  earth  MAY  KNOW  THY  NAME,  and  fear  thee,  as 
 *'  doth  thy  people  Ifrael,  and  may  know  that  this  houfe  which  I 
 **  have  built  is  called  by  thy  name,"    2  Chron.  vi.  32,  33. 
 
 I  am  fare  I  need  not  refort  to  any  more  quoiaticns  to  prove 
 that  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  were  not  feparated  rrcm  the  reft  of 
 mankind  for  their  exclusive  benefit,  or  that  their  feparation 
 was  intended  for  their  high  honour,  and  for  the  good  of  all  man- 
 kind. 
 
 Sudden.  I  am  pcrfcfl.ly  fatisficd,  and  I  never  yet  faw  the 
 diftinguifncd  honour  to  which  the  Lord  hath  called  the  children 
 of  Ifrael  in  ^o  glorious  and  amiable  a  light  as  I  do  at  this  m.o- 
 mcnt.  It  is  but  too  much  the  difpofition  of  mankind  to  view 
 thofe  who  are  placed  above  them  v.-jih  an  envious  eye  ;  but  here  it 
 is   manifeft,  that   the    moft  diftinguif])cd  family  upon  earth  are 
 
 thus 
 
Part  I.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  71 
 
 thus  diftinguifhed,  in  order  that  their  profperlty  may  become  a 
 bleflirig  to  the  whole  race  of  mankind. 
 
 Cautious.  But  it  was  not  only  to  become  an  holy  nation,  and  a 
 kingdom  of  priells,  and  inftru6lors  of  mankind,  for  which  the 
 houfe  of  Ifracl  were  feparated  ;  the  divine  intent  extends  in 
 due  time  (when  tht:y  are  fufficiently  educated)  to  their  tilabliih- 
 ment  in  empire,  and  univerfal  honour  and  rerpc:cl,  as  the  greateil 
 nation  upon  earth.  I  Ihall  not  multiply  quotations  to  prove 
 this,  but  ihall  content  myfelf  with  reterring  to  the  following 
 chapters  and  paiTages.  Pray  read  Ifaiah,  60th  chap,  and  par- 
 ticularly note  thele  words:  "  The  Gentiles  Ihall  come  to  thy 
 *'  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightnefs  of  thy  rifing,"  ver,  3. — 
 *'  The  abundance  of  the  fea  (hall  be  converted  unto  thee  ;  the 
 *'  wealth  ot  the  Gentiles  ihall  come  unto  thee  ;  the  multitude  of 
 **  camels  shall  cover  thee;  the  c'romedaries  of  Midian 
 *'  and  Epliah,  all  they  from  Sheba  Ihall  come,  they  Ihali 
 ^*  bring  gold  and  incenfe,  and  they  fliall  Ihew  torth  the  praifes 
 *'  of  the  Lord,  and  the  flocks  of  Kedar  fhall  be  gathered 
 '*  together  unto  thee,  the  rams  of  Nebaioth  (hall  minilter  unto 
 *'  thee,  they  fhali  come  up   with  acceptance  upon  mime 
 
 **    ALT^R,  and  I    WILL  GLORIFY   THE   HOUSE   OF   MY   GLORY. 
 
 *•  Who  are  thefe  that  iiy  as  a  cloud,  and  as  the  doves  to  their 
 **  windowgf?  Surely  the  illes  ihall  wait  for  me,  and  the  fhics  of 
 *'  Tarfhifh  firfl  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,  because  he  hath  glorifjed 
 **  thee  ;  and  the  fons  of  Itrangers  ihall  build  up  thy  walls,  and 
 *'  their  kings  fiiall  minifter  unto  thee,  tor  in  my  wralh  I  fm'ota 
 **  thee,  but  in  m.y  favour  have  I  had  mercy  on  thee,  therefore  thy 
 *'  gates  fhall  be  open  continually,  they  Ihall  not  be  fhut  day  nor 
 "  night,  that  m.en  may  BRING  TO  thee  the  wealth  of  the 
 *'  Gentiles,  and  that  their  kings  may  be  brought  ;    for  the 
 
 *'    NATION    and    kingdom    THAT    WILL    NOT  SERVE    THEE 
 
 *'  SHALL  PERISH;  yea,  thofe  nations  fhall  be  utterly  wafted  ; 
 *'  the  glory  ot  Lebanon  Ihall  come  unto  thee,  the  fir  tree,  the  pine 
 **  tree,  and  the  box  tree  together,  to  beautify  the  place  of  my 
 *'  fandluary  ;  and  I  will  make  the  place  of  my  feet  glorious  ;  the 
 *'  fons  alfo  of  them  that  aftlifted  thee  fhall  come  bending  unto 
 **  thee,  and  all  they  that  despised  thee  shall  bov/ 
 **  themselves  DOWN  AT  the  SOLES  OF  THY  FEET,  and  they 
 **  Ihall  call  thee  the  city  of  the  Lord,  the  Zion  of  the 
 "  Holy  One  of  Israel,"  Ifaiah  Ix.  5 — 14.  Pray  read  alfo 
 Daniel,  2d  and  7th  chapters,  and  particularly  note  thefe  words : 
 *'  And  in  the  days  of  thele  kings  ihall  the  God  of  heaven  fet 
 **  up  a  kingdom  which  fhall  never  be  dellroyed,  and  the  king- 
 **  dom  Ihall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it  fhall  break  in 
 **  pieces  and  confume  all  thefe  kingdoms,  and  it  fhall  ffand  for 
 <*  ever/'   ii.  ^4. — <*   And  the  kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the 
 
 "  greatnefs 
 
/2  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  Part  I. 
 
 "  greatncfs  of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven  fhall  be 
 *'  given  to  the  people  of  the  faints  of  the  Moft  High,  whofe 
 "  kingdom  is  an  everlalting  kingdom,  and  all  dox-ninions 
 **  (hiill  ferve  and  obey  him,"  vii.  27.  Pray  at  your  kifiire  read 
 Ifaiah  Ixvi.  Zech.  xiv.  Pfal.  ii.  and  thole  parts  of  fcripture 
 you  will  find  referred  to  in  the  margin  of  the  Bible  in  thofe 
 chapters. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  ever  confidered  it  as  a  fa6l,  which  appears 
 moil  refplendent  in  all  the  books  of  the  prophets,  that  Ifrael  will 
 be  refloredto  great  profperity  and  empire  in  their  own  land  ;  and 
 the  Jewifh  fulferings  under  Titus  and  Adrian  feem  to  me  to 
 have  been  occafioned  by  a  miftaken  hope,  that  the  time  v/as  then 
 come  in  which  they  iliould  be  thus  emancipated  from  fubjedion, 
 and  exalted  to  become  the  great  nation.  I  (hall  be  happy  to 
 hear  your  reafons  for  thinking  that  they  had,  previous  to  their 
 fulferings  under  Titus,  departed  from  the  very  end  and  intent 
 for  which  they  were  feparated  from  the  reft  of  mankind ;  but 
 you  muit  remember  that  as  to  their  zeal  to  fpread  their  religion, 
 we  read  that  they  would  **  compafs  fea  and  land  to  make  one 
 **  profelyte,"  Matt,  xxiii.  15, 
 
 Cautious.  Government  is  a  divine  ordinance  for  the  good  of 
 mankind,  but  it  is  very  pofhble  for  a  government  lightly  to  regard 
 the  good  of  the  fubjeft,  and  to  have  no  other  view  than  its  own 
 aggrandizement  ;  and  I  think  that  it  is  evident  that  fuch  were  the 
 defircs  and  difpofitions  of  the  Jews  at  the  time  to  which  we  are 
 referring,  that  if  they  had  then  eftablifhed  their  empire,  it  would 
 not  have  been  a  blefling  to  the  world  at  large.  But  true  religion 
 is  the  very  foundation  of  good  government,  and  every  blelling 
 which  man  can  enjoy.  This  compafling  fea  and  land  to  make  one 
 profelyte,  is  the  charader  of  almoft  all  religious  parties  ;  it  may 
 be  done  with  a  good  intent,  to  benefit  the  convert  by  communi- 
 cating to  him  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  it  may  be  done  from 
 a  corrupt  motive,  viz.  the  defire  to  aggrandize  and  ftrengthen  the 
 party  to  which  we  are  attached  ;  and  1  think  it  is  manifell  that 
 the  defire  of  making  profelytes  at  that  time  was  chielly  exerted  in 
 order  to  ftrengthen  their  own  intereft.  Let  me  fubmit  this  cafe 
 for  your  confideration.  A  good  king,  who  loves  his  fubjedts 
 moft  ardently,  hath  a  beloved  fon,  whom  he  is  defirous  to  advance 
 and  promote  :  it  is  his  wiib  to  promote  him  to  the  government  of 
 one  of  his  faireft  provinces  \  but  notwithrtanding  he  has  bellowed 
 great  pains  in  his  education,  he  finds  that  he  hath  conceived  fuch 
 a  lofty  opinion  of  his  own  dignity,  and  fuch  a  contemptuous 
 opinion  of  others,  that  he  has  well  grounded  fear  that  if  he  was  to 
 inveft  him  with  the  government  of  the  province,  he  would  have 
 to  endure  the  grief  oi  being  obliged  to  difplace  and  difgrace  him. 
 What  line  of  ccndud  would  be  the  beft  to  pr.rfue  under  fuch  cir- 
 curxiftances  ? 
 
 Sudden, 
 
Fart  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V.  73 
 
 Sudden.  I  fliould  think  that  under  fuch  circumftances  it  would 
 be  advifable  by  all  means  to  avoid  the  danger  and  difgrace,  by 
 fufpending  the  appointment  until  an  alteration  was  obfervable  in 
 the  difpofition  ot  the  intended  governor.  In  the  next  place  every 
 means  Ibould  be  ufed  to  efFed  this  change.  The  prince  fhould 
 be  inltruded  that  his  father's  fubjedls  are  beloved  by  him  as  his 
 own  children  ;  that  the  end  of  all  government  is  the  good  of 
 the  governed,  and  not  merely  the  aggrandizement  of  the  prince  ; 
 and  as  there  is  nothing  which  tends  fo  much  to  humble  pride  as 
 fufFerings,  I  fhould  think  that  means  fhould  be  taken  to  humble 
 the  loftinefs  of  his  fpirit. 
 
 Cautious.  I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  opinion.  Preparatory 
 fufFerings. — The  fchool  of  affliction  is  that  in  which  wifdom  and 
 good  difpofitions  are  mofl  likely  to  be  attained;  the  Jewifh  nation 
 were  educated  in  this  fchool  in  Egypt,  and  afterwards  in  Babylon. 
 We  have  not  time  at  prefent  to  proceed  to  their  fubfequent  fuf- 
 ferings,  but  I  have  no  doubt  I  fhall  convince  you  that  thefe  fufFer- 
 ings have  been  infiicled  upon  them  for  their  good,  and  pre- 
 paratory to  their  exaltation,  which  will  not  only  have  their  ho- 
 nour and  advancement  for  its  obje6l,  but  will  be  a  great  blef- 
 fmg  to  ^11  mankind.  The  Jewifh  nation  hath  been  preferved  to 
 become  a  bleffing  to  all  mankind  :  "I  will  make  of  thee  3 
 "  great  nation,  and  I  will  blefs  thee,  and  make  thy  name  great, 
 "  and  thou  fhalt  be  a  blefling  ;  and  I  will  blefs  them  that  blefs 
 **  thee,  and  curfe  him  that  curfeth  thee,  and  in  thee  fhall  all 
 "  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blelTed,"  Gen.  xii.  2,  3. — *'  In 
 **  thy  feed  fliall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blefTed,"  Gen, 
 xxii.  18. 
 
 FIFTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 In  ivh'ich  the  SubjeSf  is  continued,  and  by  flotations  from  yofephus,  i^c. 
 it  is  proved  that  the  yeivijh  Calamities  under  Titus  and  Adrian  were 
 endured  by  them  in  confequence  of  their  Prejudices,  which  tended  to 
 defeat  the  -very  End  and  Intent  for  which  they  were  feparated  as  'the 
 peculiar  People  of  God — The  prefent  jfnvs  are  in  a  great  .meafure 
 weaned  from  thefe  Prejudices — Even  zvhen  under  the  greateft  na- 
 tional Afflidions  the  Jews  havcjhezvn  the mf elves  to  he  a  noble  Nation. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  SUDDEN.       . 
 
 Sudden.   ITN  our  lad:  converfaticn   you  fully  proved  to  my  fatif- 
 
 JL   fatlion,  that  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  were  feparated  from 
 
 the  refl  of  the  world  for  the  good   of  all    mankind,  as 
 
 well  as  for  their  own  peculiar  honour  and  advantage  ;  ^nd  you 
 
 L  were 
 
74  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  Part  I. 
 
 were  about  to  give  your  reafons  for  having  adopted  the  opinion 
 that  their  fufFcrings  under  Titus  and  Adrian  were  endured  by 
 them'becaufe  they  had,  by  adopting  certain  prejudices,  departed 
 from,  and  for  a  time  defeated  the  very  end  and  intent  for  which 
 they  were  thus  feparated  from  the  reft  of  mankind. 
 
 Cautious.  "  The  works  of  the  Lord  are  great,  fought  out  of 
 **  all  them  that  have  pleafure  therein.  His  work  is  honourable 
 **  and  glorious,  and  his  righteoufnefs  endureth  for  ever,"  Pfal. 
 cxi.  2,  3.  What  a  great  idea  is  formed  by  contemplating  that 
 bleflednefs  which  the  Lord  hath  referved  for  Ifrael,  and  for  all 
 mankind  who  will  join  in  triumphing  in  his  name  and  finging  his 
 praife.  It  is  impoflible  to  conceive  a  fcheme  fo  well  adapted  to 
 the  good  of  all  mankind,  and  the  honour  of  the  Jewilh  nation. 
 Behold  the  glorious  temple  in  the  holy  of  holies,  whereof  none 
 is  permitted  to  enter  but  the- high  prieft  clothed  in  his  glorious 
 robes.  See  him  attended  by  the  priefts  of  his  own  kindred,  the 
 facred  houfe  of  Aaron,  miniliered  unto  by  the  houfe  of  Levi,  and 
 thefe  exempted  from  all  fervile  employment,  and  feparated  for 
 the  fervice  of  the  fan6luary.  They  fhout  the  high  praifes  of 
 their  God,  and  the  burthen  of  their  fong  is  his  mercy  and  his 
 goodnefs,  *'  for  he  is  good,  his  mercy  endureth  forever,"  Pfal. 
 cxviii.  1.  **  And  it  came  to  pafs,  when  the  priefts  were 
 **  come  out  of  the  holy  place  (for  all  the  priefts  that  were  prefent 
 "  were  fanilified,  and  did  not  then  wait  by  courfe  :  alfo  the 
 **  Levites,  which  were  the  fingers,  all  of  them  of  Afaph,  of 
 **  Heman,  of  Jeduthun,  with  their  fons  and  their  brethren,  being 
 '*  arrayed  in  white  linen,  having  cymbals,  and  pfalteries,  and 
 '*  harps,  ftood  at  the  eaft  end  of  the  altar,  and  with  them  an 
 **  hundred  and  twenty  priefts,  founding  with  trumpets) :  it  came 
 **  even  to  pafs,  as  the  trumpeters  and  fingers  were  as  one,  to 
 **  make  one  found  to  be  heard  in  praifing  and  thanking  the  Lord; 
 "  and  when  they  lift  up  their  voice  with  the  trumpets,  and  cym- 
 "  bals,  and  inftruments  of  mufic,  and  praifed  the  Lord,  faying, 
 **  For  he  is  good,  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever  ;  that  then 
 "  the  houfe  was  filled  with  a  cloud,  even  the  houfe  of  the 
 "  Lord,  fo  that  the  priefts  could  not  ftand  to  minifter  by  reafon 
 *<  of  the  cloud  ;  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  houfe  of 
 **  God,"  2  Chron.  v.  11 — 14. 
 
 What  a  noble  eftablifhment  was  there  provided  for  the  main- 
 tenance of  this  auguft  fervice,  even  the  tithes  of  all  the  produce  of 
 the  Holy  Land,  and  participation  of  almoft  all  the  offerings. 
 Confider  the  high  honour  of  that  peculiar  nation,  thus  feparated 
 to  perform  and  maintain  this  holy  fervice,  and  behold  by  anticipa- 
 tion the  honour  and  refpeil  with  which  this  nation  is  univerfally 
 treated  by  all  minkind,  as  the  peculiar  people  of  God,  the  Creator 
 of  heaven  and  earth  ;  for  by  reafon  of  the  manifeftation  of  the 
 perfedlions  of  the  Lord  in  his  treatment  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael, 
 his  mercy  and  goodnefs,  his  righteoufnefs  and  juftice,  his  wifdom 
 
 and 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    V. 
 
 75 
 
 and  power,  his  prefcience  and  perfeftions  are  become  fo  confpi- 
 cuous,  that  '*  from  the  rifing  of  the  fun  until  the  going  down  of 
 <'  the  fame,"  the  name  of  the  Lord  hath  become  great  among 
 the  Gentiles,  and  in  every  place  incenfe  offered  unto  his  name, 
 ana  a  pure  offering :  **  For  my  name  fhall  be  great  among  the 
 **  heathen,  faith  the  Lord  of  holts,"  Mai.  i.  ii.  Behold  the 
 ftranger  from  the  uttermoft  part  of  the  earth  bowing  down  in  the 
 outer  court  of  this  temple,  and  thinking  it  his  high  honour  fo  to 
 do  (2  Chron.  vi.  32,  33.)  as  it  is  the  temple  of  the  only  true 
 God.  So  univerfally  will  be  diffufed  the  knowledge  of  the  only 
 true  God,  that  the  tribes  of  Ifrael  will  not  then  be  the  only  per- 
 fons  who  will  come  up  to  Jerufalem  to  keep  the  Lord's  feafts, 
 and  to  bring  their  offerings  for  the  fervice  of  the  Lord's  houfe, 
 and  tor  the  confequent  aggrandizement  of  the  priefts  and  people" 
 of  the  Lord:  *'  It  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  from  one  new  moon 
 *'  to  another,  and  from  one  Sabbath  to  another,  fhall  all  flefh 
 **  come  to  worfhip  before  me,  faith  the  Lord,"  Ifaiah  Ixvi. 
 23.  And  the  feail  of  tabernacles  will  be  peculiarly  cele- 
 brated in  this  manner;  "  And  it  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  every 
 *'  one  that  is  left  of  all  the  nations  which  came  againft  Jerufalem, 
 "  fhali  even  go  up  trom  year  to  year  to  worfhip  the  King,  the 
 **  Lord  ot  holts,  and  to  keep  the  feaff  of  tabernacles  ;  and  it 
 "  fhall  be  that  whofo  will  not  come  up  of  all  the  families  of  the 
 **  earth  unto  Jerufalem  to  worfhip  the  King,  the  Lord  of  hofts, 
 **  even  upon  them  fliall  be  no  rain  ;  and  if  the  family  of  Egypt 
 **  go  not  up,  and  come  not,  that  have  no  rain  ;  there  fhall  be  the 
 *'  plague  wherewith  the  Lord  will  fmite  the  heathen  that  come 
 "  not  up  to  keep  the  feaft  of  tabernacles.  This  fhall  be  the 
 **  punifhment  ot  Egypt,  and  the  punifhment  of  all  nations 
 '*  that  come  not  up  to  keep  the  feafl  of  tabernacles,"  Zech.  xiv. 
 
 Sudden.  What  you  have  now  faid  is  a  further  illuftration  of 
 the  fa<£l,  that  the  good  of  all  mankind  is  the  end  and  intent  for 
 which  the  houfe  ot  Ifrael  was  feparated  from  the  reft  of  man- 
 kind, and  that  their  high  honour  is  intended  to  confifl:  in  that  high 
 refpedt  with  which  they  will  be  treated  by  all  nations  as  the  pe- 
 culiar people  of  God.  You  may  therefore  proceed  to  your 
 reafons  for  thinking  that  previous  to  their  lufferings  under  Titus 
 and  Adrian  they  had  departed  from  the  very  end  and  intent  for 
 which  they  were  thus  feparated  from  the  reft  of  mankind  j  if 
 fo,  thofe  awful  fufferings  may  be  imputed  to  fuch  departure. 
 
 Cautious.  They  may  be  certainly  in  a  great  meafure  imputed 
 to  this  departure.  A  fruit  tree  is  planted  for  its  fruit,  and  if  it 
 bears  not  or  produces  degenerate  fruit,  it  is  cut  down  as  a  cum- 
 berer  of  the  ground,  but  it  is  not  fo  with  Ifrael;  they  fhall  be 
 pruned  and  tranfplanted,  and  in  due  time  be  again  removed  to  that 
 bleffed  garden  which  was  fet  apart  for  their  reception.  The  firft 
 quotation  I  fhall  produce  to  convince  you  of  this  departure  of 
 
 the 
 
76  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  Part  I. 
 
 the  houfe  of  Ifrael  from  this  very  end  and  intent  for  which  they 
 were  feleded,  as  the  peculiar  people  of  God,  you  will  find  in 
 Jofephus's  Wars  of  the  Jews,  Book  II.  chap.  xvii.  "There  hap- 
 *'  pened  another  diforder  alfo  in  the  temple  at  Jerufalem  ;  one 
 **  Eleazer,  the  fon  of  Ananias  the  high  prieft,  a  defperate  daring 
 **  young  man,  and  a  military  officer,  then  in  command,  preffcd 
 *'  fome  of  his  friends  among  the  priefts  not  to  receive  any  offer- 
 **  ing  or  facrifice  but  from  the  nation  of  the  Jews.  Now  this 
 *'  was  the  very  ground  and  foundation  of  a  war  with  the  Ro- 
 **  mans  ;  for  upon  this  inftance  of  Eleazar's,  Cefar's  facrifices 
 *'  came  to  be  rejected  that  were  offered  up  in  cocrfe  for  the 
 "  welfare  of  the  people  of  Rome.  The  high  priefts  and  men  of 
 *'  beft  quality  declared  themfelves  extremely  unfatisfied  with 
 **  the  novelty  of  that  prohibition,  and  with  great  importunities 
 *'  defired  the  continuance  of  fo  pious  a  cuitom  as  the  offering  up 
 *'  of  prayers  for  princes  and  governors  ;  but  the  mutineers  were 
 *'  ftiff  and  inexorable,  depending  upon  the  ftrength  of  their  num- 
 **  bers,  for  all  that  were  foi  innovations  were  on  their  fide, 
 *'  Eleazar  being  looked  upon  more  particularly  as  the  head  of 
 **  the  fedition,  a  perfcn  (as  I  faid  before)  of  courage  and  in 
 **  command.  This  occafion  brought  together  the  princes,  the 
 **  high  prielts,  and  Pharifees  of  the  fiift  quality,  to  ad\ife  what 
 **  was  beft  to  be  done  upon  the  prefcntjundure  ;  for  they  faw  ma- 
 **  nifeftly  the  mortal  confequences  that  threatened  the  city  by  this 
 *<  tumult.  They  debated  the  point,  and  csmt  to  this  refolution, 
 **  to  try  what  they  were  able  to  do  toward  pacifying  the  minds  of 
 **  the  people.  In  order  to  this  experiment,  they  called  the  peo- 
 **  pie  together  in  a  body,  before  the  brazen  gate  (as  they  called 
 **  it)  on  the  infide  of  the  temple,  to  the  eartward;  and  there 
 **  they  began  their  difcourfe,  m  ith  refltftions  rpon  the  rafhnefs 
 **  of  the  enterprize,  and  of  involving  their  coiintiy  in  lo  deitruc- 
 **  tive  a  war.  From  thence  they  proceeded  to  the  unreafonable 
 *<  ground  of  the  difpute,  and  the  irjuftice  of  the  caufe  ;  for  fo 
 **  far  were  their  predeceffors,  they  faid,  from  pTf^hibiting  or  re- 
 **  fufing  -oblations  from,  flrangers  (\J''ch  would  have  been  a 
 '*  very  wicked  thing)  that  they  were  in  fome  fort  a  part  of  their 
 **  wotfhip  ;  their  prefents,  as  appears  to  this  very  cay,  being  pre- 
 **  ferved  in  the  temple  as  ouiamentj;,  andin  hcnoi't  to  the  memory 
 '*  of  the  prefcnters. 
 
 "  But  to  be  now  provoking  the  Rom.ans  to  a  dangerous  war, 
 *'  i;nd  to  the  fcandal,  if  not  the  ruin  of  Jerufalem  itfelf,  by  fet- 
 **  ting  up  new  methods  of  religion  (for  this  impious  interdiction 
 **  to  the  excluding  of  all  forts  of  people  but  Jews  from  offering 
 **  up  prayers  and  oblations  to  God  in  his  holy  temiple,  imports  no 
 **  leis)  this  had  the  face,  they  faid,  of  fo  extravagant  an  impo- 
 **  fition,  ihat  the  very  inhumanity  of  it  were  not  to  be  excufed 
 **  even  in  the  cafe  of  a  private  pcrfon,  but  to  niake  it  general, 
 **  and  carry  it  to  the  whole  people  of  Rome,  and  effedually  to 
 
 "  the 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     V. 
 
 17 
 
 "  the  excommunicating  of  Czefar  himfelf,  the  affront  muft:  needs 
 **  be  unpardonable  ;  but  what  if  this  contempt  fhould  be  turned 
 *'  upon  us  now,  and  we  that  refufe  to  offer  up  prayers  and  ob- 
 **  lations  for  other  people  fhould  not  be  allowed  the  liberty  here- 
 **  after  of  worfhipping  for  ourfelves  when  the  city  (hall  be  left 
 **  without  all  manner  of  difcipline  ;  all  this  we  are  to  expe£l, 
 **  except  we  repent  and  make  fatisfadion,  before  Caefar  comes 
 **  to  the  knowledge  of  the  uncharitable  and  foolifii  things  we 
 *'  have  been  guilty  of  already. 
 
 *'  With  thefe  words,  feveral  of  the  befl  read  men  they  had  in 
 '*  the  Jewifh  rites  and  laws  flood  forth,  with  precedents  and 
 "  reports  of  the  praftices  of  former  times  upon  the  point  in 
 *'  queflion,  who  did  all  agree  and  declare  that  their  anceftors 
 *'  never  refufed  the  receiving  oblations  from  ftrangers  ;  but  the 
 *'  innovators,  whofe  bufmefs  was  war,  not  peace,  gave  no  heed 
 "  to  what  they  faid,  NEITHER   did  the   Levites  so  much 
 
 *'  AS  SHEW  THEMSELVES  AT  THE  ALTAR,  BEING  WHOLLY 
 *'    INTENT   UPON  THE    WAR." 
 
 This  was  in  the  time  of  Agrippa,  and  it  is  full  evidence  that 
 notwithftanding  the  remonftrance  of  the  better  inftruded  of  the 
 Jews,  thit  the  Levites  and  the  bulk  of  the  people  had  fo  far  de- 
 parted from  the  very  end  and  intent  for  which  they  were  fepa- 
 rated  from  the  relf  of  the  world,  that  they  determined  to  the  ut- 
 moll  of  their  power  to  exclude  all  but  Jews  from  partaking  in  the 
 bleillngs  annexed  to  the  v/orfhip  of  the  true  God. 
 
 Sudden.  One  would  think  that  they  had  never  read  that  in 
 Abraham's  feed  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  to  be  blefTed,  or 
 that  palfage  in  the  prayer  of  Solomon,  on  dedication  of  the 
 temple,  which  you  quoted.  The  prophet  L'aiah  (Ivi.  7.)  fpeak- 
 ing  of  ftrangers,  faith,  "  Their  burnt  offerings  and  their  facrifices 
 *'  ihall  be  accepted  upon  mine  altar,  for  mine  houfe  fhall  be 
 "  called  an  houle  of  prayer  for  all  people  ;"  but  I  cannot  recon- 
 cile this  paifage  of  Jofephus  with  their  defire  of  making  profelytes, 
 and  compafling  fea  and  land  for  this  purpofe. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  eaiily  to  be  reconciled,  the  profelytes  they  were 
 fo  defirous  to  make  were  required  to  conform  in  all  things  to  the 
 Jewifh  cuftoms,  to  become  circumcised,  and  keep  the  whole 
 law,  and  in  fa6f  to  incorporate  themfelves  as  members  of  the 
 Jewifli  community  ;  and  all  that  would  not  thus  conforrri  they 
 endeavoured  to  cut  off  from  all  participation  of  the  benefits  of  the 
 worlhip  of  the  true  God. 
 
 Sudden.  I  remember  a  pafTage  in  Ezra  (iv.  2,3.)  which  feems 
 to  convey  the  idea  of  fomething  of  this  difpofition  ev£n  at  that 
 time:  there  were  thofe  who  **  came  to  Zerubbabel,  and  to  the 
 *'  chief  of  the  fathers,  and  faid  unto  them.  Let  us  build  with  you, 
 *'  for  we  feek  your  God  as  ye  do,  and  we  do  facrifice  unto  him 
 *'  fmce  the  days  of  Efar-Haddon,  king  of  AfTur,  which  brought 
 ♦*  us  up  hither  j  but  Zerubbabel  and  Jefhua,  and  the  reft  of  the 
 
 **  chief 
 
78  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  Part  I. 
 
 **  chief  of  the  fathers  of  Ifrael,  faid  unto  them,  Ye  have  nothing 
 **  to  do  with  us  to  build  an  houfe  unto  our  God,  but  we  ourfelves 
 f*  together  will  build  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  as  King  Cyrus 
 **  the  king  of  Perfia  hath  commanded  us."  In  chap.  Ix.  ver.  lo, 
 of  Ifaiah,  it  is  noted  as  a  blclling,  '*  The  fons  of  itrangers  fhall 
 "  build  up  thy  walls,  and  their  kings  fljall  minilter  unto  thee." 
 But  the  Jews  were  jealous  of  receiving  any  affiftance  ;  and  as  there 
 is  nothing  more  grating  to  the  feelings  than  fuch  a  repulfe,  I 
 have  thought  that  this  might  be  the  foundation  of  that  enmity 
 with  which  they  treated  the  Jews,  infomuch  that  the  building  was 
 greatly  impeded  thereby. 
 
 Cautious.  I  cannot  but  think  that  the  Tewifh  elders  had  evi- 
 dence that  their  profcJlion  of  friendship  was  infmcere,  they 
 alleged  that  they  facrificed  to  the  Lord,  this  they  had  no  right  to 
 do,  they  ihould  have  brought  their  facrifice  to  the.  Jewilh  prieft. 
 I  think  the  elders  of  Ifrael  would  not  have  negle6ted  to  exhort 
 and  encourage  them  to  the  fear  of  the  only  true  ^od,  if  they  had 
 conceived  their  motives  to  be  pure  ;  but  certainly  there  was  a 
 great  jealoufy  among  the  Jews-left  the  Gentiles  lliould  participate 
 with  them  in  religious  blellings,  although  the  converhon  ot  the 
 Gentiles  to  the  fear  of  the  only  true  God  is  molt  amply  declared  in 
 their  facred  books,  and  efpecially  in  Malachi,  who  wrote  after 
 the  captivity,  and  fpoke  of  the  odious  want  of  zeal  of  the  Jewilli 
 priefts  in  particular,  as  to  the  fervice  of  the  Lord. 
 
 Sudden.  The  New  Teftament  is  alfo  evidence  of  this  jealoufy 
 of  the  Jews  towards  the  Gentiles,  and  difinclination  to  their  par- 
 taking in  the  benefits  of  religious  knowledge,  except  on  the  terms 
 of  circumcifion  and  abforption  into  the  Jewiih  community : 
 **  Then  faid  the  Jews  among  themfelves,  Whither  will  he  go  that 
 **  v*'e  fhall  not  find  him  ?  Will  he  go  unto  the  difperfed  among 
 *'  the  Gentiles  and  teach  the  Gentiles?"  John  vii.  35.  In  the 
 10th  chapter  of  the  A6fs,  ver.  28.  it  appears  that  Cornelius  the 
 centurion  was  a  devout  man,  and  feared  God,  and  yet  it  was  not 
 until  Peter  was  better  inftrufted  by  a  vifion,  that  he  gave  up  his 
 prejudice,  and  found  that  it  was  not  wrong  for  him,  being  a  Jew, 
 .to  vifit  one  of  another  nation  for  his  good;  and  in  the  nth 
 chapter,  ver.  18.  you  will  find  that  his  brethren  contended  with 
 him  concerning  it  ;  this  is  evidence  of  the  difinclination  there  was 
 in  the  Jewifh  nation  againft  the  Gentiles  being  inftrufted.  The 
 15th  chapter  of  the  A6ls  is  alfo  evidence  that  this  prejudice  was 
 influential  upon  even  the  Chriftians  of  the  Jewiih  nation,  for 
 they  taught  the  Gentiles,  faying,  '*  Ye  muft  be  circumcifed  and 
 **  keep  the  law,"  ver.  24. — **  Except  ye  be  circumcifed  after  the 
 *'  mannerof  Mofes  ye  cannot  be  faved,"  ver.  1.  And  the  perfecu- 
 tion  againft  St.  Paul  was  grounded  on  this  jealoufy,  left  the  Gen- 
 tiles fhould  partake  of  their  advantages  ;  for  no  fooner  did  they 
 hear  him  declare  unto  them  his  converfion,  and  that  the  Lord  had 
 faid  unto  him,    <*   I   v/ill  fend  thee  far  hence  unto  the  Gentiles," 
 
 than 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V.  yg 
 
 than  they  lift  up  their  voices  and  faid,  *'  Away  with  fuch  a 
 *'  fellow  from  the  earth,  for  it  is  not  fit  that  he  fhould  live," 
 A6ts  xxii.  21,22.  They  accufed  him  of  teaching  '*  all  men 
 *'  every  where  againit  the  people,  and  the  law,  and  this  place,'* 
 (tiie  temple)  and  that  he  liad  brought  Greeks  into  the  temple, 
 and  thereby  polluted  that  holy  place,  A6ls  xxi.  28.  but  the  ac- 
 cufation  was  a  falfe  accufation,  as  may  be  feen  by  the  context, 
 and  is  only  mentioned  by  me  to  fliew  the  jealoufy  of  the  Jews 
 towards  the  Gentiles,  and  that  they  were  determined  to  entirely 
 exclude  ftrangers  from  worfhipping  the  Lord,  except  upon  thofe 
 terms  which  they  faw  fit  to  enjoin,  and  that  the  words  of  So- 
 lomon,  Ifaiah,  and  the  other  prophets,  were  unheeded  by  them. 
 
 Cautious.  There  is  nothing  that  hath  a  more  dire6l  tendency 
 to  defeat  its  own  end  than  miitaken  zeal  ;  for  let  us  fuppofe  that 
 thefe  miitaken  Jews  could  have  fucceeded  in  their  attempt,  let  us 
 imagine  them  fuccefsful,  and  that  they  have  excluded  all  other 
 nations  from  partaking  in  the  worfhip  of  the  God  of  Ifrael,  ex- 
 cept thofe  who  by  fubmitting  to  circumcifion  and  the  obfervance 
 of  all  the  Jewilh  cuftoms,  became  incorporated  into  their  com- 
 munity. Let  us  imagine  that  they  were  fuccefsful  in  making 
 profelytee  ofthisclafs,  what  muft  have  been  the  natural  refult  of 
 it,  but  the  contamination  of  the  pure  gold.  It  is  evidently  the 
 will  of  God  that  the  defcendants  of  Ifrael  fhould  be  preferved 
 di-ftind  from  all  other  people  ;  they  are  the  pure  gold,  which 
 is  contaminated  if  mixed  with  bafer  metal.  Thus  the  very  zeal 
 of  the  Jews  would  have  done  that  which  would  have  been  a  dif- 
 honour  to  them,  and  they  are  therefore  prevented  from  proceed- 
 ing further,  and  means  are  taken  to  preferve  them  a  diflin6f  peo- 
 ple by  their  fufferings. 
 
 Sudden.  If  their  fufferings  were  intended  to  preferve  them  as 
 a  dillintSf  people,  they  have  certainly  anfwered  this  end,  for  they 
 have  been  molt  wonderfully  continued  a  diftinct  people  to  this 
 day  \  and  to  be  fure  there  feems  to  be  good  reafon  for  what  you 
 fay.  What  is  it  that  preferves  the  nobility  of  this  land,  a  diitin- 
 guiihed  clafs  of  the  community,  but  the  impradicability  of  its 
 augmentation  except  by  the  favour  of  the  crown.  If  it  were 
 poilible  that  on  certain  terms  any  one  could  acquire  this  order,  the 
 diilintlion  would  be  loft.  Wine  poured  into  water  is  loft  as  to  its 
 diilinguilhing  qualities  by  the  mixture.  But  how  are  the  Jews 
 now  difpofed  as  to  this  matter  ?  Are  they  as  zealous  as  they  were 
 to  make  profelytes  r  J}o  they  require  profelytes  to  conform  •  to 
 circumcifion,  and  hold'the  language  of  their  anceftors,  "  Except 
 *'  ye  be  circumcifed,  after  the  manner  of  Mofes",  ye  cannot  be 
 **  favedr"  A£ts  xv.  1. 
 
 Cautious.  •  Their  fufferings  under  Titus  and  Adrian,  and  their 
 fubfequent  fufferings,  have  not  only  been  over-ruled  by  the  God 
 of  their  fathers,  to  their  continuing  a  diftincf  people,  but  a  very 
 material  change  for  the  .better  is  obfer.yabl&intheia'  prefent  con- 
 
8o  DIALOGUE    V.  Part  I. 
 
 du£l  as  to  the  fubje£l  under  confideration.  They  are  not  now 
 zealous  to  compafs  fea  and  land  to  make  profelytes  ;  on  the  con- 
 trary, they  (hew  a  marked  difmclination  to  admit  any  one  to  be- 
 come a  profelyte.  They  do  not  now  think  that  except  a  man  be 
 circumcil'ed  after  the  manner  of  Mofes  **  he  cannot  be  faved." 
 They  are  not  now  inclined  to  confider  the  other  nations  as  dogs 
 and  outcafts,  but  as  younger  brethren,  to  whom  their  God  is  good 
 and  gracious,  although  he  hath  not  called  them  to  fuch  high  ho- 
 nour as  he  hath  referved  for  the  Jews.  I  think  this  is  evident 
 from  the  following  pailage  in  Mr.  David  Levi's  Letters  to  Dr. 
 Prieftley,  in  anfwer  to  his  letters  to  the  Jews :  **  But  whether 
 "  you  are  hearty  in  the  caufe  or  no,  I  mean  to  confer  and  reafon 
 **  freely  with  you  on  the  fubje£t,  and  candidly  confider  your 
 **  arguments,  but  not  with  a  view  of  converting  either  you  or 
 "  any  other  Chriftian  to  the  Jewifh  faith,  I  alfure  you.  No, 
 **  fir,  we  never  attempt  it  ;  for  we  do  not  think  ourfelves  bound 
 **  (as  the  Chriftians)  to  propagate  our  religion  either  by  argu- 
 "  ments  or  perfecution ;  nor  (like  the  Mahometans)  by  the 
 *'  fword.  On  the  contrary,  we  think  that  confcience  ought 
 **  to  be  free  ;  and  therefore  leave  every  perfon  at  liberty  to 
 **  judge  for  himfelf ;  and  this  I  may  allege  as  a  third  reafon  in 
 **  favour  of  thofe  of  our  nation  declining  the  difcuflion,  as  no 
 *'  REAL  benefit  is  likely  to  accrue  from  it.  For  if  you  and  the 
 **  other  writers  of  your  fe6t  have  not  been  able  to  convince  thofe 
 *'  that  account  themfelves  orthodox  Chriftians,  of  the  true  unity 
 **  of  God,  nor  they  you  of  the  divinity  of  Chrift,  how  fhall  a 
 **  fimple  Jew  (who  is  perhaps  defpifed  by  both)  be  able  to  con- 
 *'  vince  either  ?  This  would  be  the  higheft  degree  of  prefump- 
 **  tion,  which  none  of  our  nation  are  ambitious   of  meriting. 
 
 **  No,  fir  ^" "  we  muft  not  expedt  it.     And  we  are  really  fo  far 
 
 **  from  purfuing  the  fpirit  of  converfion,  or  coveting  profelytes, 
 **  that  when  any  one  is  defirous  (of  his  own  accord)  to  embrace 
 **  Judaifm,  we  endeavour  to  deter  him  from  his  purpofe,  by  re- 
 *'  prefenting  to  him  the  confequence  of  his  defign.  For  thus  it 
 *'  is  laid  down  by  Maimonides :  When  a  perfon  is  willing  to 
 **  become  a  profelyte,  and  ftrift  inquiry  being  made  concerning 
 **  him,  and  no  (finifter)  caufe  found,  they  queftion  him  thus : 
 "  What  is  it  that  moves  thee  to  become  a  profelyte  to  Judaifm  ? 
 "  Doft  thou  not  know  that  Ifrael  at  this  time  is  fubjed  to  woe, 
 "  and  are  hurried,  expelled,  and  devoured  by  all  na- 
 *'  tions,  and  that  afflictions  are  continually  coming  on  them  ? 
 **  &c.  They  alfo  inform  him  of  the  punifhment  he  becomes 
 **  liable  to  for  tranfgrcfling  the  commandments  ;  as  death  for 
 **  profaning  the  Sabbath,  excifion  for  eating  forbidden  meats, 
 **  &c.  Hence  it  is  manifcft,  that  we  not  only  faithtuUy  point 
 **  out  to  him  the  ftridnefs  of  our  law,  but  alfo  an  exaft  pi£lurc 
 '*  of  what  he  is  to  expe6l  in  temporal  matters,  in  thus  joining 
 **  himfelf  to  a  nation  labouring  under  opprelfion,  mifery,  and 
 
 almofl 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  8s 
 
 **  almoft  univerfal  contempt :    all  which  fully  demonftrates  how 
 
 *'  inclinable  we  are  tov»auis  con\  citing  any  to  our  religion.     But 
 
 *'  do  not  think,   fn,  that  this  proceeds  trom  our  unwillingnefs  that 
 
 '*  others  fhouid  b.  partakers  of  the  heavenly  blifs  annexed  to  the 
 
 *'  due  pertoimance  of  the  Mofaical   difpenlation,  but  from  a  juft 
 
 **  and  liberal  way  of  thinking,   and  the  univerfal  charity  we  are 
 
 *'  taught  to  live  in  with  mankind  in  general  ;    FOR  it    is  the 
 
 *'    UNANI.MOUS    OPINION  OF  OUR    RABEINS,    THAT   THE    LAW 
 
 *'  OF  Moses  is  obligatory  on  our  nation  only  :  for  as 
 "  we  entered  into  a  covenant  with  God  to  keep  his  lavv^  and  com- 
 *'  mandments,  we  confequently  are  bound  to  t}\e  due  performance 
 "  thcreot.  But  that  we  hold  not  to  be  the  cafe  of  the  rell  of 
 "  mankind;  for  if  they  do  but  keep  the  law  of  nature,  that  is, 
 "  the  feven  precepts  of  the  fons  of  Noah  or  Noachides,  we 
 *'  maintain  that  they  thereby  perform  all  that  God  requires  of 
 **  them,  and  will  certainly  by  this  fervice  render  themfelves  ac- 
 *'  ceptable  to  him.  And  it  is  fuch  as  conform  to  thefe  rules  that 
 "  we  call  the  pious  of  the  nations  of  the  world, 
 "  and  who  will  be  partakers  of  eternal  life."  Maimonides  on 
 Repentance,  chap.  iii. 
 
 Thefa  precepts  are  as  follow  :  '<  ift.  Not  to  commit  idolatry. 
 *'  2d.  Not  to  blafpheme.  3d.  To  appoint  and  conlfitute  juil  and 
 *'  upright  judges,  that  juitice  may  be  maintained  and  impartially 
 "■  adminiifered  to  all.  4th.  Not  to  commit  inceif.  5th.  Not  to 
 "  commit  murder.  6th.  Not  to  rob  or  fleal,  &c.  7th.  Not  to 
 *'  eat  the  member  of  a  livinc;  creature." 
 
 *'  Thus,  fir,  you  may  perceive  that  we  do  not  think  our  reli- 
 *'  gion  obligatory  upon  all  mankind,  nor  the  only  infallible  one 
 "  to  falvation,  as  every  other  religion  and  fedt  that  I  have  hitherto 
 **  heard  of,  efteeras  itfelf.  With  thefe  juft  and  noble  fentimentg 
 *'  inculcated  into  me  i'rom  my  earlielt  youth,  it  miuft  be  obvious 
 *'  to  every  impartial  and  liberal  mind,  that  I  do  not  aim  at  the 
 *'  converiion  of  Chriitians  to  the  Jewifh  faith."     Page  9 — 14. 
 
 Again,  in  page  19,  he  thus  exprelTes  himfelf :  "  We  do  not 
 **  bear  fo  great  a  diilike  to  Chriftians,-  nor  fo  great  an  abhorrence 
 *'  of  their  faith  as  you  feem  to  infmuate  (page  2.)  although,  were 
 "  we  like  fome  who  call  themfelves  Chriitians,  we  might  enter- 
 "  tain  fuch  fentimenis,  confidering  the  many  cruel  periecutions 
 *'  we  have  fufFered  under  them;  and  notwithlfanding  that  their 
 *'  doftrines  are  fo  contrary  to  the  fundamental  principles  of  our 
 "  religion,  yet  do  we  not  ablior  them  :  for  I  freely  confefs 
 *'  that  thofe  do£lrines  do  not  teach  or  authorise  them  to 
 "  fhed  the  blood  of  Jews.  No,  iir,  we  carefully  diftinguiih  be- 
 ''  tween  the  do£frine  and  its  profeiTors  ;  and  though  we  have 
 "  fufFered  fuch  cruel  perfecutions  from  Chriftians,  yet  thanks  be 
 "  to  God,  and  the  reformiation,  we  now  enjoy  many  privileges 
 "  and  immunities  in  the  feveral  Chriftian  ftates  in  which  we  are 
 '^'  fettled,  as  our  anceftors  were  ftrangers  to  in  their  difperllons. 
 
 M  *<  For 
 
82  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  Part  I. 
 
 "  For  this  we  are  not  ungrateful,  but  in  return  pjray  for  the  prof- 
 **  perity  of  the  liate,  as  mentioned  in  my  introchi£tory  letter. 
 *'  So  MUCH  FOR  OUR  ABHORRENCE  of  the  Chrillian  faith." 
 
 Sudden.  I  rejoice  to  find  that  you  have  in  this  inltance  alfo 
 fully  convinced  me  that  a  great  change  for  the  better  hath  taken 
 place  among  the  Jews,  and  that  their  fufferings  under  Titus  and 
 Adrian,  and  their  fubfequent  opprelfors,  have  not  been  endured  by 
 them  in  vain  ;  but  I  would  notice  one  thing  which  Itruck  me  in 
 the  quotation  from  Mr.  Levi :  he  fays,  "  If  they  do  but  keep  the 
 *<  LAW  OF  NATURE,  that  is,  the  feven  precepts  of  the  fons  of 
 *'  Noah  or  Noachides,  we  maintain  that  they  thereby  perform 
 *'  all  that  God  requires  of  them."  I  do  not  objedl  to  the  words 
 *'  law  of  nature,"  for  there  is  fuch  a  thing  as  natural  confcience  ; 
 but  the  law  given  fo  Noah  is  as  much  a  law  of  the  Lord,  and  a 
 covenant  entered  into  by  the  Lord  v/ith  man,  as  is  his  covenant 
 with  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  although  it  is  not  fo  extenfive,  and  the 
 one  is  perfe6lly  confident  with  the  other;  for  the  Jewiih  law  is 
 in  no  inltance  hoflile  to  the  law  given  to  Noah,  but  is  a  confirma- 
 tion and  enlargement  of  it. 
 
 Cautious.  I  think  he  would  have  better  expreffed  himfelf  if  he 
 had  called  it  the  law  of  the  Lord  given  to  Noah  for  the  benefit  of 
 all  mankind,  and  a  covenant  of  the  Lord,  for  fo  it  is  called  in 
 Genefis  by  the  Lord  himfelf.  I  think  alfo  that  the  feven  precepts 
 would  have  been  better  expreffed  in  the  very  words  ot  fcripture. 
 If  you  compare  them  with  the  text  you  will  find  them  implied  ; 
 but  where  the  Lord  condefcends  to  give  a  law,  it  is  belt  enforced 
 in  the  very  vvords  made  ufe  of.  The  fubilance  of  the  ten  com- 
 mandments might  be  expreffed  in  other  words,  but  could  not  be 
 expreffed  with  fuch  propriety  as  in  the  very  words  made  ufe  of  in 
 Exodus  ;  and  in  like  mianner  there  are  no  words  fo  proper  to  be 
 iiledin  the  great  law  and  covenant  with  Noah  as  the  very  words 
 made  ufe  of  in  Genefis.  I  will  alfo  make  a  remark  on  the  paffage 
 I  quoted  from  Jofephus.  It  appears  to  me  to  be  enjoined  in 
 fcripture  as  the  duty  of  a  Jew  to  pray  for  the  peace  and  profpe- 
 rity  of  the  city  in  which  he  dwells,  and  for  the  government  under 
 which  he  lives,  be  it  what  it  may,  Jer.  xxix.  7.  Thus  did  they 
 pray  for  the  peace  of  Babylon  itfelf ;  but   I  am  of  opinion  that 
 
 NONE  BUT  A   WORSHIPPER   OF    THE    TRUE  GOD,    none  but    an 
 
 obferver  of  the  great  law  given  to  Noah  and  his  fons  (for  fuch  I 
 confider  the  Itranger  to  be  referred  to  by  .Solomon  in  his  prayer)  ;  I 
 fay,  that  it  is  my  opinion,  that  none  but  fuch  are  entitled  to  par- 
 take of  the  Jewifii  rites,  by  being  permitted  to  bring  an  offering, 
 and  to  w^orfhip  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael ;  and  therefore  if  the  zeal 
 of  Elcazar  had  been  confined  to  the  rcfufal  to  offer  the  facrifice  of 
 an  idolater,  I  am  of  opinion  that  his  zeal  would  have  been  well 
 founded  ;  for  there  is  a  material  difference  between  praying  for 
 and  worfhipping  Avith,  the  one 'is  an  ad  of  piety  and  charity,  the 
 
 othc( 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  $3 
 
 other  an  aft  of  communion  •  but  the  zeal  of  Eleazar  Avas  not  con- 
 fined to  this,  but  was  a  refolution  not  to  offer  the  facrifice  of  any- 
 one but  a  Jew. 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  but  too  common  for  all  fe61:s  and  parties  of  re- 
 ligion to  conlider  all  others  as  outcalts  and  objedls  of  the  divine 
 hatred. 
 
 Cautious.  If  the  Jews  in  this  inftance  in  ancient  times  departed 
 from  the  very  end  and  intent  tor  which  they  were  feparated  from 
 the  reft  of  mankind,  we  have  to  lament  that  the  Chriftian 
 church  has  walked  in  the  fam.e  fteps.  No  fooner  were  they 
 ^itabliihed  than  they  began  to  confider  the  Jewilh  nation  as  hated 
 and  configned  to  perdition  by  the  God  of  their  fathers.  Then 
 they  began  to  excommunicate  and  anathematize  each  other;  and  • 
 doth  not  the  church  of  Rome  to  this  day  confider  all  that  are 
 not  of  her  communion  as  heretics  configned  to  everlafting  per- 
 dition. The  great  invention  of  printing  hath  by  God's  blelfinp- 
 improved  the  minds  of  mankind,  and  taught  them  to  think  for 
 themfelves ;  and  therefore  we  may  encourage  the  hope  that 
 thefe  uncharitable  and  unreafonable  opinions  are  daily  lofing 
 ground^  but  notwithftanding  this,  with  all  our  advantages,  have 
 v/e  not  reaion  to  conclude  that  there  are  multitudes  even  among 
 Proteftants  who  Itill  think  that  falvation  is  confined  to  their  own 
 party.  It  fiatters  their  vanity  to  confider  themfelves  exclufively 
 the  favourites  of  Heaven,  and  they  think  th'at  the  perdition  of  the 
 reft  adds  refplendence  to  themfelves. 
 
 .  Sudden.  I  hope  that  thefe  odious  opinions  are  lofing  ground, 
 and  it  gives  me  great  fatisfa6tion  to  find  that  the  Jews  are  in 
 this  inftance  fetting  an  example  v/orthy  to  be  imitated  by  Chrif- 
 tians. 
 
 Cautious.  As  we  have  concluded  this  article,  we  will  now,  if 
 you  pleaie,  proceed  to  the  confideration  of  the  miftaken  opinions 
 entertained  by  the  Jews  previous  to  and  during  the  times  of  Titus 
 and  Adrian,  concerning  the  eftablifliment  of  that  empire,  which 
 was  promifed  them  :  you  have  juftly  obferved  that  their  miftaken 
 opinion  concerning  thefe  things,  viz.  their  opinion  that  the  time 
 was  then  arrived  in  which  they  were  to  be  delivered  from  fubjec- 
 tion,  and  become  the  great  nation,  was  a  chief  ground  and  caufe 
 of  their  fuiferings  under  Titus  and  Adrian.  In  this  I  perfe6tiy 
 agree  with  you  ;  I  fliall  therefore  contraft  their  prefent  expec- 
 tations as  to  thefe  things  with  their  former  thoughts  and  pra6tices, 
 and  I  doubt  not  but  you  will  in  this  inftance  alfo  allow  that  there 
 hath  taken  place  a  great  change  among  the  Jews  tor  the  bet- 
 ter. 
 
 Sudden.  In  the  New  Teftament  there  is  evidence  that  the 
 Jews  were  not  eafy  under  the  government  of  the  Romans.  W"e 
 read  in  John  vi.  15.  "  When  Jefus  therefore  perceived  that  they 
 **  would  come  and  take  him  by  force  to  make  him  a  king,  he  de- 
 **  parted  into  a  mountain  himfclf  alone  j"  and  we  readin  Atfts  v. 
 
84  DIALOGUEV  Part  L 
 
 36,  37.  "  Before  thefc  days  rofe  v.v)  Theudas,  boaftlng  himfelf  to 
 *'  be  fomebody,  to  whom  a  number  ot  nien>  about  tour  hundred, 
 "  joined  themfelves,  who  was  (lain,  and  all,  as  many  as  obe)ed 
 "  hina,  were  fcattered  and  bro'.ight  to  nought ;  alter  this  man 
 "  role  up  Judas  of  GJilee,  in  the  days  of  the  taxing,  and 
 *'  drew  away  much  people  alter  liim  ;  he  alfo  perifhed,  and  all, 
 **  even  as  many  as  obeyed  him,  were  difptifed." 
 
 GcTutious.  Jofephus  gives  an  awtul  account  of  that  fermenta- 
 tion which  exiited  in  the  Jewifh  nation  previous  to  its  iuiferings 
 under  Titus.  The  following  palTage  you  wdll  find  in  jofcphus's 
 wars  of  the  Jews,  Book  II.  chap.  xii.  "  The  remainder  ot  Judea 
 **  he  (Nei'o)  gave  to  Felix,  M'ho  no  fooner  had  his  commilHorr 
 ''  than  he  made  war  upon  the  robbers,  took  Eleazar  their  cap- 
 *'  tain,  with  feveral  others,  and  fent  them  a.11  bound  to  Rome, 
 *^  after  they  had  haraifed  the  country,  at  pleafure  for  twenty 
 "  years  to,2;ether.  In  fine,  what  wath  the  thieves  that  were 
 *'  kept  prifoners,  or  put  to  death,  and  the  country  people  that 
 **  joined  v/ith  them,  the  number  ot  the  killed  raid  taken  was  almoil 
 "  incredible. 
 
 ''  So  foon  as  the  land  was  well  cleared  of  thefe  ruffians  there 
 *'  flarted  up  another  fort  of  cut -throats,  under  the  name  of 
 **  Sicarii,  from  Sica,  the  weapon  they  ufed.  Now  thefe  people 
 **  made  no  difficulty  of  doing  their  work,  even  at  noon-day,  in 
 *'  the  very  Itreets  of  Jerufalem,  and  in  the  face  of  the  fun, 
 "  efpecially  upon  great  days,  when  the  town  was  crowded  with. 
 *'  people.  Their  way  was  to  carry  fliort  daggers  under  their 
 *'  coats,  and  mixing  with  the  multitude  privily  to  flab  their  ene- 
 *'  mies  ;  and  then  as  any  man  tell,  none  fo  forward  as  they 
 *'  themfelves  to  complain  of  the  villany.  This  pradtice  went 
 *'  on  a  great  while,  not  only  without  difcovery,  but  the  aftors  in 
 "  it  were  not  fo  much  as  fufpefted.*  The  firif  man  that  fell  by 
 *'  thefe  alTaflins  was  Jonathan  the  high  prieft,  after  which  not  a 
 ^'  day  pailed  for  a  good  while  without  feveral  executions  of  tho 
 **  fame  kind.  This  fo  ftartled  the  city  that  the  very  fear  was  in 
 "  fome  refpeft  worfe  than  the  mifchief ;  for  it  was  as' dangerous 
 *'  to  walk  the  ftreets  as  to  be  in  a  battle..  They  fufpefted  every 
 *'  man  for  an  enemy  at  adiftance,  and  durft  not  truft  their  friends 
 *'  when  they  came  near  them  ;  and  after  all,  this  watchfulnefs 
 *<  and  guard  was  not  enough  to  fecure  them,  fo  bold  and  dex- 
 *'  terous  were  thefe  bravos  in  the  cxercife  of  their  profeffion. 
 ;  *'  There  was  another  fort  of  mifcreants  now  that  did  yet 
 "  more  mifchief  with  their  tongues  than  the  other  did 
 "  with  their  weapons.  It  is  true  they  fpilt  no  blood,  but 
 *'  they  deftroyed  more  with  their  dodrines  than  the  other  did 
 *•  with  their  rlaggers,  and  utterly  corrupted  the  happy  and  or- 
 ^^-  derly  ftate  of  the  city..  Thele  were  impoftors  and  fe- 
 "-  ducers,  that,  imder  the  colour  of  religion,  fet  men  a  mad- 
 "  ding  after  ftrange  opinions  and  innovations.     They  withdrew 
 
 ^'  the 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  8^ 
 
 *'  the  people  into  woods  and  folitudcs,  under  pretence  that  God 
 *'  had  a  work  in  hand  to  fet  them  at  perfect  liberty,  and 
 **  that  he  wonld  reveal  himfelf  further  to  them  by  tokens  from 
 **  heaven,  that  would  give  them  an  infallible  ailurance  of  it. 
 "  Felix  fcLW  manifeflly  ^vhat  they  were  doing,  and  found  it  ne- 
 **  ceifary  to  nip  the  defign  of  a  rebellion  in  the  bud,  fo  that  he 
 *'  fent  out  a  body  of  horfe  and  foot  after  thefe  enthufiafts,  and 
 *'  deftroyed  a  great  number  of  their  difciples. 
 
 '*  This  mifchief  was  followed  by  that  of  an  Egyptian  preten- 
 "  der,  that  fell  heavier  upon  the  Jews  than  the  other.  This 
 "  Egyptian  was  a  magician,  but  paifed  for  a  prophet;  he  had 
 "  inveigled  at  leail  30,000  men  into  his  congregation,  v.hom  he 
 *'  led  about  by  the  way  of  the  vv  ildernefs,  and  fo  to  Mount  Olivet, 
 *'  propofuig  to  march  thence  to  Jerufalem,  beat  out  the  Roman 
 "  garrifon,  and  make  him.felf  maftef  of  the  place  and  country, 
 "  with  his  friends  and  guards  about  him  all  this  while  to  afliil 
 **  in  the'  enterprize.  Felix  finding  it  to  be  a  growing  evil,  ad- 
 *'  vanced  up  to  the  Egyptian  with  his  Roman  legions,  and  a  con- 
 *'  fiderablc  body  of  the  Jews  to  join  him.  Felix  gave  him  battle, 
 *'  and  tptally  defeated  him  ;  the  Egyptian  himfelf,  with  fome 
 *■'  fev/  of  his  followers,  faving  themfelves  by  flight.  There  v/ere 
 "  great  numbers  of  his  people  killed,  others  taken  and  put  in; 
 *'  chains,  and  the  reft  difpcrfed  to  their  own  homes. 
 
 "  It  is  witii  a  dillempered  nation  as  in  the  cafe  of  an  ill  habit 
 "  of  body,  one  trouble  is  no  fooner  removed  but  another  imme- 
 *'  diately  fucceeds  It ;  for  the  magicians  and  the  robbers  were  novT 
 **  complotting  how  they  might  fet  up  for  abfolute  liberty,  and  en- 
 <<  gage  the  multitude  in  a  refoiution  to  iluxke  off  the  Roman  yoke. 
 "  Thi?  they  attempted  both  by  argument  and  menace,  thteaten- 
 '*  ing  death  without  mercy  for  any  man  to  own  that  jurifdiftion, 
 ''  propofing  to  reduce  thole  by  terror  that  would  othervdfc 
 ■''  fi'ibjecl:  themfelves  to  a  voluntary  flavery.  This  party  difperfed 
 **  itfelf  all  over  the  country,  plundering  great  men's  houfes,  cut- 
 •'  ting  of  throats,  and  burning  wherever  they  came,  fo  that  Judea 
 "  was  brought  to  the  lait  extremity  of  dcfperation  with  dread  and 
 *'  trouble,  the  v/ar  growing  every  day  more  cruel." 
 
 Sudden.  This  is  a  moit  awful  piilure,  and  there  is  great  pro- 
 priety in  Jofephus's  comparifon.  A  broken  and  difcafed  cpnftitu- 
 tion  is  the  exaft  emblem  of  a  difordered  ftate,  aifeded  by  thofe 
 convulfions  which  precede  dilTolution. 
 
 Cautions.  I  muft  make  one  more  quotation  from  Jofephiis, 
 Book  VII.  clrap.  xxix.  "There  were  divers  of  the  fadtion  of 
 "  the  Sicarii  that  fled  to  Alexandria  for  fancfuary  ,  'and  it  was 
 "'  not  enough  for  thefe  people  to  live  eafy  and  quiet  thefe,  but 
 **  they  muft  be  tampering  with"  the  citizens  into  an  hankering 
 *'  after  innovations,  and  darting  invidious  queftions  about  li- 
 *'  berty.  They  looked  upon  the  Romans^  they  fald,  to  be  no 
 '''  better  than  themJelves,    and  no  other  lord  would  thev  own-. 
 
 *■*   thaii. 
 
85  DIALOGUE     V.  Part  L 
 
 **  than  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth  ;  and  ftill  as  they  met  with 
 **  any  contradiclion,  though  trom  the  bell  of  their  own  profeflion, 
 **  it  was  as  much  as  their  lives  were  worth.  Some  they  mur- 
 '*  dered,  others  they  debauched  from  their  allegiance,  or  at  lead 
 **  endeavoured  to  do  it.  And  in  hne,  thcfe  pratlices  of  theirs 
 *<  became  fo  bold  and  dangerous,  that  the  leading  men  among 
 **  them  did  not  think  it  fate  to  call  them  to  any  public  account. 
 *'  But  the  courfe  they  took  was  to  call  a  general  meeting  of  the 
 *.*  Jews,  and  there  to  arraign  the  lolly  and  temerity  of  the  Sicarii, 
 "  and  to  expofe  them  to  the  people  as  the  root  and  caufe  of  all 
 *'  their  mistortunes.  Now  what  would  be  the  end  of  it,  faid 
 **  they,  if  we  Ihould  force  them  to  tiy  for  their  fecurity  ?  They 
 ••*  would  be  never  the  better  for  it,  and  we  the  worfe.  For  fo 
 *'  foon  as  ever  the  Romans  ihall  be  well  informed  of  the  defign, 
 "  their  way  will  be  to  fall  upon  all  promifcuoully,  and  fo  deilroy 
 *<  the  innocent  with  the  guilty.  Wherefore  they  cautioned  the 
 **  Jews  not  to  involve  themfelves  with  the  Sicarii,  but  rather  to 
 *<  provide  for  their  OM'n  fafety  by  delivering  up  thofe  cut-throats 
 *'  to  the  Romans. 
 
 "  This  gave  them  fuch  a  profpecl  of  the  hazard  they  were  in, 
 *'  that  they  fell  violently  upon  the  Sicarii,  and  took  600  of  them  im- 
 •*  mediately.  The  relt  lied  to  Egypt,  Thebes,  and  thereabouts  ; 
 *'  where  they  were  retaken  foon  after  and  brought  back  again, 
 **  behaving  themfelves  to  admiration  for  the  infuperable  hardinefs 
 *'  of  their  refolution.  What  a  variety  of  exquifite  torments  did 
 *'  they  endure,  rather  than  acknowledge  Ca^far  for  their  mafter  ; 
 *'  and  not  one  foul  that  would  fo  much  as  deliberate  upon  the 
 "  doing  of  it  ;  but  they  (food  all  as  lirm,  as  if  their  fouls  had  not 
 */  been  concerned  in  what  their  bodies  endured.  And  the  tran- 
 "  fcendenl  miracle  of  all  is  yet  behind  ;  which  is,  th^t  the  boys 
 *'  and  the  children  flood*  the  f^ame  Ihock  with  the  reft,  and  when 
 **  they  had  fuffered  all  that  malice  or  invention  could  inflict  upon 
 *^  them,  not  fo  much  as  one  foul  of  them  would  own  Cxlar  to 
 "  fave  his  life;  fo  much  was  their  contempt  of  torments  above 
 '*  the  fenfe  of  them." 
 
 Sudden.  How  very  much  muft  this  fa6lion  have  increafed,  to 
 produce  the  efFefts  it  did  upon  Jeruialem  under  Titus,  and  in  fadl 
 upon  the  whole  Jewifh  nation! 
 
 -Cautious.  It  is  very  true,  never  was  there  fuch  defperation 
 as  among  the  Jews  under  thefe  fufferings.  Bifhop  Newton,  Vol. 
 1.  p,  194.  jultly  reprefents  it  as  a  fulfijment  of  the  denunciation 
 of  Moles,  Deut.  xxviii.  34.  '*  Thou  fhalt  be  mad-  for  the  fjght 
 **  of  thine  eyes,  which  thou  flialt  fee." — **  And  into  what  mad- 
 "  nefs,  fury,  and  defperation,  have  they  beenpuihedby  the  cruel 
 "  ufage,  extortions,  and  oppreflions  which  they  have  undergone. 
 "  After  the  deftrudlion  of  Jerufalem  by  Titus,  fome  of  the  worft 
 **  of  the  Jews  took  refuge  in  the  caff le  of  Mafada,  wdiere  being 
 *'  clofely    befieged   by  the  Romans,  they,   at  the  perfuafion    of 
 
 ^-'  Eleazar 
 
Part  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E      V.  87 
 
 **  Eleazar  their  leader,  firft  murdered  their  wives  and  children, 
 *'  then  ten  men  were  chofen  by  lot  to  (lay  the  reft  ;  this  being  done, 
 *'  one  ot  the  ten  was  chofen  in  like  manner  to  kill  the  other  nine, 
 *'  which  having  executed  he  fct  fire  to  the  place  and  Itabbed  him- 
 "  felf.  There  were  960  who  periilied  in  this  miferable  manner  ; 
 *'  and  only  two  women  and  five  boys  efcaped,  by  hiding  them- 
 **  felves  in  the  aquedu6ls  under  ground." 
 
 In  Vol.  II.  p.  316.  you  will  find  that  ^'  the  firft  who  rebuilt 
 *'  Jeruialem,  though  not  all  exadlly  on  the  fame  fpot,  was  the 
 *'  Roman  Emperor  Elius  Adrian  ;  and  he  called  it  after  his  ov/n 
 *'  name  Elia,  and  placed  in  it  a  Roman  colony,  and  dedicated  a 
 **  temple  to  Jiipitcr  Capitolinus,  in  the  room  of  the  tem.ple  of  the 
 *'  true  God.  Whilft  he  was  vifiting  the  eaftern  parts  of  the  empire  ' 
 **  he  came  to  Jerufalem,  asEpiphanius  informs  us,  47  years  after 
 '*  its  deftru<£lion  by  Titus,  and  found  the  city  all  levelled  Vvdth  the 
 **  ground,  and  the  temple  ot  God  trodden  under  foot,  except 
 *'  a  few  houfes  :  and  he  then  formed  the  refolution  of  rebuilding 
 "  it,  but  his  deiign  was  not  put  into  execution  until  towards  the 
 *'  latter-end  of  his  reign.  The  Jews,  naturally  of  a  sedi- 
 *'  Tioys  SPIRIT,  were  inflamed  upon  this  occafion  into  open 
 *'  rebellion,  to  recover  their  native  city  and  country  out  of  the 
 *'  hands  of  heathen  violators  and  oppreflbrs  :  and  they  were 
 *'  headed  by  a  man  called  Barchochab,  a  vile  robber  and  murderer, 
 *'  whofe  name  fignifying  the  fon  of  a  ftar,  he  confidently  pretended 
 "  that  he  was  the  perfon  prophefied  of  by  Balaam  in  thofe  words, 
 "  (Nnmb.  xxiv.  17.)  *  There  fliall  come  a  ftar  out  of  Jacob,  and 
 ''  a  fceptre  ihall  arife  out  of  Ifrael.'  They  were  fuccefsful 
 **  in  their  firft  enterprizes  through  the  neglect  of  the  Romans; 
 *'  and  it  is  probable,  as  the  rebellion  was  raifed  for  this  purpofe, 
 "  that  thev  made  themfelves  maftersof  Elia  or  the  new  Jerufalem, 
 "  and  malfacred  or  chafed  from  thence  the  heathen  inhabitants  ; 
 *'  and  the  Romans  befieged  and  took  it  again  ;  for  we  read  in  feveral 
 *'  authors,  in  Eufibius,  in  Jerome,  in  Chryfoftom,  and  in  Appian, 
 *'  who  lived  at  that  time,  that  Jerufalem  was  befieged  again  by  the 
 **  Romans  under  Adrian,  and  was  entirely  burnt  and  confuraed. 
 "  However  that  be,  the  Jews  were  at  length  fubdued  with  moft  ter- 
 *'  rible  flaughter  \  fifty  of  their  ftrongeit  caftles,  and  985  of  their 
 *'  beft  towns  were  facked  and  demoliilieJ,  ^80,000  men  fell  by 
 **  the  fword  in  battle,  befides  an  infinite  multitude  who  perifhed 
 *'  by  famine,  and  ficknefs,  and  fire  ;  fo  that  Jiidca  w^as  almoft  all 
 *'  defolated.  The  Jewifh  writers  themfelves  reckon  that  doubly 
 *'  more  Jews  were  ilain  in  tiiis  war  than  came  out  of  Egypt  ;  and 
 **  their  fufferings  under  Nebuchadnezzar  and  Titus  were  not 
 "  fo  great,  as  what  they  endured  under  the  Emperor  Adrian. 
 *'  Of  the  Jews  who  furvived  this  fecond  ruin  of  their  nation, 
 *^  an  incredible  number  of  every  age  and  fex  were  fold  like  horfes, 
 *'  and  difperfed  over  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  Emperor  com- 
 *'  plettd  his  delign,rebuilt  the  city,re-cftablilhed  the  colony, ordered 
 
 «'  the 
 
88  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  Part  I. 
 
 **  the  ftatu€  of  a  hog  in  marble  to  be  fet  up  over  the  gate  that 
 **  opened  towards  Bethlehem,  and  publiilieclan  edi6t  flridly  for- 
 **  bidding  any  Jew  upon  pain  of  death  to  enter  the  city,  or  To 
 **  much  as  to  look  upon  it  at  a  dirtance." 
 
 Sudden.  The  good  bilhop  fpeaks  of  the  Jews  of  ihofe  times 
 as  being  naturally  of  a  feditious  fpirit,  but  opprefHon  will  make 
 even  a  wife  man  mad. 
 
 Cautious.  The  bilhop  certainly  makes  ufe  of  too  flrong  anex- 
 preflion  \  but  although  I  moll  itrenuoufly  deny  that  the  Jews  were 
 NATURALLY  of  a  feditiou;j  fpirit  (for  the  quotations  I.  have  made 
 prove  that  the  learned  men  and  higher  orders  of  the  Jews  exerted 
 themfelves  to- overcome  and  eradicate  fedition)  yet  m.ull  it  be  aU 
 lowed,  that  previous  to  the  Jewilh  fufferiiigs  imder  Titus  and 
 Adrian,  there  was  a  reltlefs  turbulence  and  feditious  fpirit  preva- 
 lent among  the  Jews  ;  but  one  would  think  that  there  was  fome 
 kind  of  infatuation  in  the  cafe,  fo  that  the  fame  difpofitions  apd  qua- 
 lities which  have  been  the  caiife  of  fpreading  the  fame  of  many  of 
 the  ancients,  if  found  inajew,  they  became  immediately  the  dire6l 
 reverfe  from  what  they  were  in  any  other  people.  I  beg  that  I 
 may  not  be  mifunderllood  by  you,  the  obfervation  I  am  making 
 relates  only  to  the  opinions  of  mankind,  and  does  not  go  to 
 the  extent  of  the  juftification  of  thofe  opinions  ;  for  inltance,  how 
 greatly  have  thofe  called  heroes  of  ancient  Greece,  been  celebrated 
 for  their  ardent  ftruggles  to  preferve  the  independence  of  their 
 dates  ;  their  names  have  been  handed  down  to  pofterity  as  the 
 braveil  of  mankind  ;  and  yet  the  Itruggles  of  the  Jewilh  nation  to 
 throw  off  the  Roman  yoke,  is  feen  in  another  light,  and  is  never 
 dwelt  on  by  thefe  admirers  of  Grecian  patriotifm.  Never  were  there 
 a6ls  of  greater  heroifm  performed  than  by  the  Jews  in  their  de-, 
 fenc<;  (you  will  remember  they  were  attacked  and  aded  on  the 
 defence)  and  yet  the  Grecian  name  is  refpefted,  and  the  Jev\-iih 
 nation  is  defpifed.  My  motive  for  mentioning  it  is  to  fnew  you  how 
 partial  mankind  are  in  forming  their  opinions,  and  when  formed, 
 that  they  follow  each  other  like  a  liock  of  ihcep. 
 
 Sudden.  Certainly,  if  bravery  and  a  love  ot  independence  is 
 deferving  of  honour  in  a  Grecian,  it  fhould  be  equally  refpeftedin 
 the  Jew;  but  pofllbly  the  difference  m.ay  be  attributed  to  this, 
 the  Greeks  were  fuccefsful,  and  the  Jews  fubdued. 
 
 Cautious.  I  cannot  attriblite  it  to  this  caufe,  Cvirthagc  was 
 fubdued  by  the  Romans,  but  yet  who  has  not  heard  of  the  bravery 
 of  Xlannihal  and  the  Carthagiivlans.  Roman  patriots  have  been 
 praifed  almoil  to  adoration,  and  yet  if  thofe  qualities  for  which  they 
 were  celebrated  were  virtues,  how  greatly  were  they  outdone 
 even  by  thofe  Jewilh  boys,  as  well  as  men,  who  endured  all  imagi- 
 nable torments,  and  death  at  lait,  ratiier  than  confefs  Ca^far  for 
 their  mafter  !  .they  would  acknowledge  no  mafter  but  God,  the 
 Creator  of  heaven  and  earth, 
 
 I  attribute  this  partiality  ty  that  rancorous  hatred  with  whicK 
 
 the 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  Hg 
 
 the  Jews  have  been  fo  nnjuftly  treated  by  the  reft  of  mankind  ;  I 
 have  already  obferved  that  the  virulence  of  this  rancorous  hatred 
 hath  greatly  abated.  There  is  more  liberality  in  the  opinions  of 
 mankind  than  there  was  in  the  darker  ages,  and  we  can  fee  and 
 admire  noble  qualities  in  thofe  who  are  not  of  our  own  party,  and 
 yet  the  admirers  of  Roman  and  Grecian  patriotifm  continue  to 
 conhne  their  admiration  to  the  exclulion  ot  the  Jews. 
 
 Sudden.  When  Ifrael  were  in  the  wildernefs,  their  difpofition 
 was  very  different,  for  although  they  then  poifelfed  conltant  and 
 evident  tokens  of  the  divine  prefence  among  them,  and  recent  inllan- 
 ces  of  the  moltaftonilhing  miraculous  interference  in  their  favour; 
 fo  that  one  would  be  apt  to  conclude,  that  with  fuch  advantages  in 
 favour  of  a  courageous  difpofition,  nothing  could  deprefs  them: 
 yet  how  do  we  obferve  them  giving  way  to  defpondence,  and  an  un- 
 believing timid  difpofition.  (Numb.  xiv.  2 — 4.)  "  And  all  the 
 **  children  of  Ifrael  murmured  againll:  Mofes,  and  againft  Aaron  ; 
 **  and  the  whole  congregation  faid  unto  them.  Would  God  that 
 **  we  had  died  in  the  land  of  Egypt !  or  would  God  we  had 
 **  died  in  the  wildernefs  !  and  wherefore  hath  the  Lord  brought 
 **  us  unto  this  land  to  fall  by  the  fword,  that  our  wives  and  our 
 "  children  fliould  be  a  prey  ;  were  it  not  better  for  us  to  return 
 *'  into  Egypt  ?  And  they  faid  one  to  another,  Let  us  make  a  captain, 
 **  and  let  us  return  into  Egypt." 
 
 Cautious.  This  national  tear,  unbelief,  and  defpondence,  was  the 
 caufe  of  their  wandering  in  the  -wildernefs,  * '  As  truly  as  I  live,  faith 
 **  the  Lord,  as  ye  have  fpokcn  in  mine  ears,  fo  will  I  do  to  you  ; 
 **  your  carcalfes  Ihall  fall  in  this  wildernefs  ;  and  all  that  were 
 "  numbered  of  you,  according  to  yourwhole  number  fromtwentv 
 *'  years  and  upward,  which  have  murmured  againft  me.  Doubtlefs 
 *'  ye  fliall  not  come  into  the  land  concerning  which  1  fware  to 
 **  make  you  dwell  therein,  fave  Caleb  the  fonof  Jephunneh,  and 
 **  Jolhua  the  fon  of  Nun  ;  but  your  little  ones  which  ye  faid 
 *'  Ihould  be  a  prey,  them  will  I  bring  in,  and  they  fliall  know  the 
 **  land  which  ye  have defpifed  :  but  as  for  you,  your  carcaiTes,  they 
 **  fhall  fall  in  this  wildernefs  ;  and  your  children  fliall  wander  in 
 *'  the  wildernefs  forty  years,  and  bear  your  whoredoms,  until 
 *'  your  carcalfes  be  wafted  in  the  wildernefs  ^  after  the  number  of 
 **  days  in  which  ye  fearched  the  land,  even  forty  days  feach 
 *'  day  for  a  year)  Ihall  ye  bear  your  iniquities,  even  forty  years.'' 
 Numb.  xiv.  28 — 34. 
 
 Sudden.  There  certainly  hath  taken  place  a  great  change  in 
 their  national  difpofition  ;  there  is  nothing  of  this  fearful  unbe- 
 lieving timid  difpofition  obfervable  in  their  fubfequent  hiilory  ;  and 
 in  their  great  national  fufterings  under  Titus  and  Adrian,  we  find 
 that  they  ran  to  the  other  extreme,  and  were  fo  verv  brave,  that 
 they  held  out  to  their  deftruclion. 
 
 Cautious.  They  are  ftlll  a  courageous  people  ;  but  fmce  their 
 great  national  fufferings  under  Adrian,  their   courage  has  aft\imed 
 
 N  a  more 
 
9d  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V.  Part  I. 
 
 a  more  refpcdable  afpeft ;  every  quality  annexed  to  it  which 
 had  any  tendency  to  its  being  of  diilerviee  to  themfelves  or  in- 
 jurious to  others  is  now  eradicated.  The  Jews  believed  that  the 
 time  approached  in  which  the  Lord  would  deliver  them  from  fub- 
 jedion,  and  cltabliiTi  them  in  that  empire  which  is  fo  clearly 
 promifed  in  their  facred  books  ;  can  we  then  wonder  at  their 
 exertions  ?  They  aded  on  a  miftaken  idea,  for  by  the  refult  it  is 
 evident  that  the  time  was  not  then  come  ;  for  their  fins,  for  their 
 puniihment,  or  for  fome  good  caufe,  they  were  permitted  to  fall 
 into  the  error,  but  they  are  not  likely  to  fall  into  it  again  ;  for  they 
 pronounce  moft  dreadful  malediftions  againft  that  man  who  fhall 
 prefume  to  compute  the  times,  with  intent  to  Ihew  that  their  de- 
 liverance will  be  accomplifhed  in  fuch  or  fuch  a  year. 
 
 Sudden.  Thofe  who  mifled  them  were  proved  to  be  liars  and 
 falfe  prophets  by  the  event,  and  therefore  the  Jewifh  elders  are 
 certainly  right  in  deeply  impreiTing  it  upon  the  minds  of  their 
 nation,  that  there  is  no  enemy  of  the  Jewifh  nation,  who  can 
 aflume  an  afpeft  fo  malignantly  hoftile  to  them,  as  that  of  holding 
 out  the  fignal  for  their  return  and  deliverance  prematurely. 
 
 Cautious.     Their  courage  is    now  alfo  entirely  free   from  all 
 mixture  of  fedition.     The  charge  of  fedition  which  hath  been 
 brought  againft  the  ancient    Jews,  is  like  the  other  charges  that 
 have  been  made  againft  them,  magnified  and  diftorted,  and  if  view- 
 ed without  prejudice,  great  part  of  it  will  be  feen  to  be  unfounded. 
 Pray  turn  to  Ezra  iv,  ii — 24.  you    will  find  the  building  of  the 
 city  and  temple  impeded  by  the  allegation,  that  Jerufalem  was  a 
 rebellious  and  bad  city  ;  and  fearch  being  made,  it  is  pronounced 
 to  be  a  rebellious  and  feditious  city  :  but  obferve  the  reafon  that  is 
 given,     *'  There  have  been  mighty   kings  alfo   over  Jerufalem, 
 *'  which  have  ruled  over  all  countries  beyond  the  river  ;  and  toll, 
 *'  tribute,  and  cuftom  was  paid  unto  them."     In  other  words, 
 the  Jevs's  have  been  a  great   and  independent    nation,    therefore 
 they  muft  be  deprefled  for  fear  they  become  fo  again.  This  is  the 
 ground  of  the  charge  which  we  find  brought  againft  them  by  their 
 enemies  in  the   time  of  Ezra  ;  and  their  fedition  againft  the  Ro- 
 man government,  was  no  more  than  their  ardent  defire  of  inde- 
 pendence and  refiftance  of  a  foreign  yoke,    grounded  on  a  miftaken 
 opinion,  that  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  they  ftiould  then  fpeedily 
 attain  it;  is  this  an  unpardonable    offence?    But  no  fooner  were 
 they  convinced  of  their  miftake  by  the  calamitous  refult,  than  their 
 courage  was  direfted  into  another  channel,  and  entirely  confined 
 to  their  fupport  under  that  contempt,  oppreftion,  violence,  and 
 torture  unto  death,  which  they  endured  from  mankind  in  general. 
 In  a  former  converfation,  you  allowed  that  fedition  was  entirely 
 eradicated  from  among  them.     They  have  for  ages  been  entirely 
 pafiive  under   fufferings,  putting  their  whole  truft  in  their  God  ; 
 and  in  this  inftance,  there  is  a  ftriking  refemblance  between  the 
 
 prefent 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  i    V. 
 
 91, 
 
 prefent  Jews  and  David  their  king,    who  w\s  a  man  after  God's, 
 own  heart.     2  Sam.  xvi.  5 — 14,    1  Sam.  xiii^  14. 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  certainly  highly  to  the  honour  cvt  the  Jewifli  na- 
 tion, that  notwithftanding  the  long  continuance  o£  their  national- 
 fufferings,  Cvjut.  xxviii.  59.  they  have  not  given  up  iheir  national 
 hope,  and  have  -now  continued  for  many  ages  in  patient  ex- 
 pcdiation,  without  ihewing  the  lead  degree  of  impatience. 
 
 Cautious.  They  trult  in  him  who  is  omnipotent,  they  know 
 that  he  hath  all  hearts  in  his  hand,  and  they  have  very  different- 
 ideas  as  to  their  deliverance,  to  what  their  anceftors  had  in  the  times 
 of  Titus  and  Adrian.  They  know  that  the  Lord  their  God  can 
 a6f  without  the  arm  of  man,  or  weapons  of  war  ;  and  they  be- 
 lieve that  asit  isby  his  jufl:  and  righteous  judgment,  and  in  fulfilment 
 of  the  denunciations  of  Mofes  and  the  prophets,  that  they  have 
 endured  fuch  heavy  calamities,  and  of  fuch  long  continuance  :  fo 
 do  they  believe,  that  when  they  fliall  have  fully  called  thefe  things  to 
 mind,  among  the  nations  whither  the  Lord  their  God  hath  driven 
 them,  (Deut.  XXX.)  and  lliall  return  unto  the  Lord  their  God  and 
 obey  his  voice  with  all  their  heart  and  with  all  their  foul,  that 
 then  will  be  accomplilhed  that  blefling  which  is  referved  for  them  : 
 **  Then  the  Lord  thy  God  will  turn  thy  captivity,  and  have  com- 
 "  pafIionuponthee,and  will  return  and  gather  thee  from  all  the 
 **  nations  whither  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  fcattered  thee.  If  any 
 **  of  thine, be  driven  out  unto  the  utmoff  parts  of  heaven,  from 
 **  thence  will  the  Lord  thy  God  gather  thee,  and  from  thence  will 
 "  he  fetch  thee  ;  and  the  Lord  thy  God  will  bring  thee  into'th'6 
 **  land  which  thy  fathers  polfeifed,  and  thou  flialt  polTefs  it  ;  and 
 **  he  w  ill  do  thee  good,  and  multiply  thee  above  thy  fathers^ 
 "  Andthe  Lord  thy  Godwin  circuracife  thine  heart  and  the  heart  of 
 *'  thy  feed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  allthine  heart,  and 
 **  with  all  thy  foul,  that  thou  mayeftlive.  And  the  Lord  thy  God 
 **  will  put  all  thefe  curfes  upon  thine  enemies,  a'nd  on  them  that 
 **  hate  thee,  which  perfecuted  thee  ;  and  thou  flialt  return  and 
 **  obey  the  voice  of  the  Lord  and  do  all  his  comma^idments 
 **  WHICH  I  COMMAND  THEE  THIS  DAY.  And  the  Lord  thy 
 *'  God  will  make  thee  plenteous  in  every  work  of  thy  hand,  in 
 '*  the  fruit  of  thy  body,  and  in  the  fruit  of  thy  cattle,  and  in  the 
 **  fruit  of  thy  land  for  good  :  for  the  Lord  will  rejoice  over  thee 
 '*  foP"good,  as  he  rejoiced  over  thy  ifathers."  Deut.  xxx.  1 — 10. 
 
 Sudden.  There  certainly  is  not  a  fingle  expreflion  in  this  paf- 
 fage  which  intimates  that  this  blelfednefs  is  to  be.  effeded  by  the 
 fword  of  Ifrael. 
 
 Cautious.  The  houfe  of  Ifrael  are  now^  well  aware  of  it,  and 
 only  expe6l  it  to  be  efFv^cled  by  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers  ; 
 vVho  hath  all  hearts  in  his  hand,  and  who  can  and  will  fo  order  and 
 difpofe  the  otherwife  unruly  wills  and  affections  of  fmful  men, 
 that  inftead  of  Ifrael  being  defpifed  when  he  relfores  them  to  fa- 
 vour, they  v/ill  be  greatly  refpedled  ;  and  all  nations  confider  it 
 
 an 
 
9* 
 
 DIALOGUE     VI.  Part  I. 
 
 an  honour  to  contribute  to  their  exaltation  :   "  Thus  faith  the  Lord 
 
 *'  God     Behold  I  will  lift  up  mine  hand  to  the  Gentiles,   and  fet 
 
 **  up  a  llandard  (o  the  people;  and  they  (hall  bring  thy  fons  in 
 
 *'  their  arms,  and  thy  daughters  (hall  be  carried  upon  their  (hould- 
 
 *<  ers  •  and  kings  (hall  be  thy  nurfi.ig  fathers,  and  their  queens 
 
 *<  thy  nurling  mothers ;  they  fliali  bow   down  to  thee  with  their 
 
 <<  face  toward  the  earth,  and  HlIc  up  the  dull  of  thy  feet,  and  thou 
 
 **  fhalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  :  for  they  Ihall  not  be  alhamed 
 
 <<  that  wait  for  me."    Ifaiah  xlix.  22,  23. 
 
 SIXTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 The  Reajon  why  the  Jew'ijh  Priejls  and  Lev'ites  became  degraded  was 
 want  of  Zeal — An  Inquiry  how  far  the  modern  feivs  have  JIkwyi  a 
 DJJpoJttion  the  Reverfe  of  this — Chjcrvations  on  the  great  ^ejiion. 
 What  it  is  that  keeps  the  fews  in  a  degraded  Situation  ? — Chrlfiians 
 mifiaken  in  their  general  Opinions  upon  this  Subject — The 
 true  Caufesflatedy  and  Means  pointed  out  towards  removing  this  Bar 
 to  their  Profperity. 
 
 CAUTIOUS    AND    SUDDEN. 
 
 Sudden.   *'  ||  ^HE  heavieft  charge  againft  the  Jews  contained  in  the 
 JL     New  Teitament  appears  to  me  to  be  infincerity  and 
 hypocrify  ;   I    (liould  be  glad  to  hear  your  fentiments  upon  this 
 fubjecl:. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  certainly  the  heavieft  charge  againft  them,  but 
 I  muft  obferve  that  you  will  find  it  chietiy  confined  to  the  Scribes 
 and  Pharifees  and  thofe  who  might  be  deemed  their  leading  men: 
 When  thou  doeft  thine  alms,  do  not  iound  a  trumpet  before  thee, 
 as  the  hypocrites  do,  in  the  Synagogues  and  in  the  Itreets,  that 
 they  may  have  glory  of  men,"  Matt.  vi.  2.  "  When  thou 
 prayeft,  thou  fhalt  not  be  as  the  hypocrites  ;  for  they  love  to 
 pray  ftanding  in  the  fynagogues  and  in  the  corners  ot  the  ftreets, 
 that  they  may  be  feen  of  men,"  Matt.  vi.  5.  "  Moreover, 
 when  ye  faft,  be  not  asthe'hypocrites,  ofa  fad  countenance;  for 
 they  disfigure  their  faces,  that  they  may  appear  unto  men  to 
 faft."  Matt.  vi.  16. 
 The  woes  denounced  by  our  Saviour,  are  chiefly  dire6led  againft 
 the  Scribes  and  Pharifees,  hypocrites  ;  and  therefore  I  think  we 
 may  conclude,  tiat  the  hypocrites  noHced  in  the  preceding  paifages 
 were  moft  likely  chiefly  of  thofe  {c€\.s. :  there  can  be  no  doubt 
 as  to  the  following  paifages,  '*  Woe  unto  you  Scribes  and  Pha- 
 "  rifees,  hypocrites,  for  ye  fhut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
 **  againft  men  :  for  ye  neither  go  in  yourfelves,  neither  fufFer  ye 
 
 **  them 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI. 
 
 93 
 
 them  that  are  entering  to  go  in.  Woe  unto  you  Scribes  and 
 Pf>arifees,  hypocrites,  for  ye  devour  widows  houfes,  and  for 
 a  pretence  make  long  prayers  :  therefore  ye  fhall  receive  the 
 greater  damnation.  Woe  unto  you  Scribes  and  Pharifees,  hy- 
 pocrites :  for  ye  compafs  fea  and  land  to  make  one  profelyte, 
 and  when  he  is  made,  you  make  him  twofold  more  the  child 
 of  hell  than  yourfelves.  Woe  imto  you  ye  blind  guides,  which 
 fay  whofoever  fhall  fwear  by  the  temple,  it  is  nothing  ;  but 
 whofoever  fhall  fwear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple  he  is  a  debtor. 
 Ye  fools  and  blind  :  for  whether  is  greater,  the  gold,  or  the 
 temple  that  fan6lifieth  the  gold  ?  And  whofoever  iTiall  fwear 
 by  the  altar,  it  is  nothing  :  but  whofoever  fweareth  by  the 
 gift  that  is  upon  the  altar  he  is  bound.  Ye  fools  and  blind:  for 
 whether  is  greater,  the  gift,  or  the  altar  that  fanclifieth  the 
 gift  r  Whofoever  therefore  fhall  fwear  by  the  altar,  fweareth 
 by  it,  and  by  all  things  thereon.  And  whofo  fweareth  by  the 
 temple,  fv/eareth  by  it,  and  him  that  dwelleth  therein.  And 
 he  that  fhall  fwear  by  heaven,  fweareth  by  the  throne  of 
 God,  and  by  him  that  fitteth  thereon.  Woe  unto  you  Scribes 
 and  Pharifees,  hypocrites  ;  for  ye  pay  tithe  of  mint  and  anife, 
 and  cummin,  and  have  omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the 
 la'w,  judgment,  mercy,  and  faith  :  thefe  ought  ye  to  have 
 done,  and  not  have  left  the  other  undone.  Ye  blind  guides,  which 
 ftrain  at  a  gnat,  and  fwallow  a  camel.  Woe  unto  you  Scribes 
 and  Pharifees,  hypocrites  ;  for  ye  make  clean  the  outfide  of  the 
 cup  and  of  the  platter,  but  within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and 
 excefs.  Thou  blind  Pharifee,  cleanfe  firfl  that  which  is 
 within  the  cup  and  platter,  that  the  outfide  may  be  clean  alfo. 
 Woe  unto  you  Scribes  and  Pharifees,  hypocrites;  for  ye  are 
 like  unto  whited  fepulchres,  which  indeed  appear  beautiful 
 outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones,  and  of  all 
 uncleannefs.  Even  fo  ye  alfo  outwardly  appear  righteous  unto 
 men,  but  within  ye  are  full  of  hypocrify  and  iniquity,"  Matt. 
 xxiii.  13 — 28.  They  v/ere  zealoufly  attached  to  the  traditions 
 of  the  elders,  and  are  reproved  by  our  Lord  alfo  in  thefe  words, 
 *'  Why  do  you  alfo  tranfgrefs  the  commandment  of  God  by  your 
 "  tradition  ?  For  God  commanded,  faying,  Honour  thy  father  and 
 mother  :  and  he  thatcurfeth  father  or  mother,  let  him  die  the 
 death.  But  ye  fay,  Whofoever  fhall  fay  to  his  father  or  his 
 mother.  It  is  a  gift  by  whatfoever  thou  mighteft  be  profited  by 
 me,  and  honour  not  his  father  or  his  mother,  he  lliall  be  free. 
 Thus  have  ye  made  the  commandment  of  God  of  none  effect  by 
 your  tradition.  Ye  hypocrites,  well  did  Efaias  prophefy  of 
 you,  faying.  This  people  draweth  nigh  unto  me  with  their 
 mouth,  and  honoureth  me  with  their  lips ;  but  their  heart  is  far 
 from  me  :  but  in  vain  dothey  worfhip  me,  teaching  for  dodlrines 
 the  commandments  of  men."  Matt.  xv.  3 — 9. 
 
 Sudden. 
 
^  D  I  A  L  Q  G  U  E     VI.  Part  I; 
 
 Sudden.  The  word  of  the  Lord  is  clear,  *<  Ye  fh all  not  add 
 "  unto  the  word  which  I  command  you,  neither  Ihall  you  ^iini- 
 **  niih  from  it,"  Dent.,  iv.  2.  Thefe  traditions  fcem  to  have 
 been  of  this  delcription,  whereas  it  is  the  fpirit  of  the  law,  the 
 intent  exprelled  in  the  letter  of  it,  which  Ihould  be  urged  and 
 cntorced. 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  New  Teftament  we  read  but  little  concerning 
 the  Levites,  they  were  the  regular  miniiters  of  the  fan£fuary, 
 the  ordained  attendants  on  their  kinfmen,  the  priefts  of  the  houf© 
 of  Aaron  the  Levite  ;  and  being  difperfed  in  Ifrael,  they  were  beft- 
 qualified  to  teach  the  people  ;  and  we  find  that  good  king  Hezekiah 
 **  (pake  comfortably  to  the  Levites,  that  taught  the  good  know- 
 **  ledge  of  the  Lord,"  2  Chron,  xxx.  22.  and  in  the  reign  of 
 good  Joliah  he  fpake  urtto  *'  the  Levites  that  taught  all  Ifrael," 
 2  Chron.  XXXV.  3.  Jeholhaphat  did  likewife,"  2  Chron.  xvii.  8, 
 9.  The  prieitsand  Levites  were  the  regularly  ordained  miniifers^ 
 b«t  about  the  time  to  which  we  are  referring,  the  Levites  appear 
 to  have  dwindled  into  infignificance,  it  not  contempt ;  they  are 
 feidom  mentioned. 
 
 Sudden.  Was  not  this  a  fulfilment  of  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
 by  the  mouth  of  Malachi  r  You  will  find  them  fliarply  rtproved 
 for  the  moft  odious  lukewarmnefs  or  their  ferviccs  ;  ,they  offered 
 polluted  bread  upon  the  altar,  (Mai.  i.  7. )  and  the  blind,  the  lamey 
 and  the  fick  for  facrifices  !  The  prophet  contrails  their  odious 
 condu£l,  with  the  zealous  piety  of  their  anceilors  of  the  houfe  of 
 l>evi :  '*  My  covenant  was  with  him  of  life  and  peace,  and  I  gave 
 *'  them  to  him  for  the  fear  wherewith  he  feared  me,  and  was  afraid 
 **  before  my  name  \  the  law  of  truth  v^'asin  his  mouth,  and  iniquity 
 "  was  not  f-ound  in  his  lips  :  he  walked  with  me  in  peace  and- 
 *'  equity,  and  did  turn  many  away  from  iniquity  :  for  the  prielf  s  lips 
 "^  Ihould  keep  knowledge,  and  they  fnould  feek  the  law  at  his 
 *'  mouth  ;  for  he  is  the  meifenger  of  the  Lord  of  Holts.  But  ye- 
 '*  are  departed  out  of  the  way,  ye  have  caufed  many  to  flumble  at- 
 '*  the  law,  ye  have  corrupted  the  covenant  of  Levi,  faith  the  Lord 
 "  of  Holts  ;  therefore  have  I  alfo  made  you  contemptible  and 
 "■  bafe  before  all  the  people,  according  as  ye  have  not  kept  my 
 "   vi^ays,  but  have  been  partial  in  the  law."  Mai.  ii.  5 — 9. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  quotation  is  very  applicable,  and  fatisfa6torily 
 accounts  for  the  fait,  and  for  the  account  we  have  of  the  high  re- 
 fpe£t  in  which  the  Scribes  and  Pharifees  were  held  ;   for  when* 
 
 AN  ODIOUS  WANT  OF  ZEAL  AND  LOKEWARMNESS  TAKES 
 PLACE    AMONG   THE   REGU  LA  RLY  ORD  A  INED   MINISTERS   OF 
 
 RELIGION,  the  natural  refult  is,  that  fe£ts  and  parties  arife  ; 
 the  progreJs  is  very  plain  :  there  is  lei's  zeal  among  the  Levites,- 
 the  regularly  ordained  minifters,  than  among  the  bulk  of  the  nation  ;- 
 this  not  being  fanned  and  encouraged  in  the  way  it  fhould  have 
 been  by  the  regularly  ordained  minifters,  naturally  feeks  another 
 chunnel ;  for  religious  zeal  is  of  a  communicative  nature,  and  by 
 
 degrees 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI. 
 
 95 
 
 degrees  a  new  fecEl  is  formed,  and  the  leading  men  of  the  fed  are 
 fo  much  carefled  and  refped^led,  that  they  Life  their  utmoft  endea- 
 vours to  extend  tl\e  fphere  of  their  influence,  and  compafs  fea  and 
 land  to  make  one  profelyte.  This  is  the  mould  in  which  the 
 Pharifee  is  caft,  and  although  it  is  an  ancient  mould,  one  would  think 
 that  it  had  never  been  damaged  by  wear  ;  for  many  are  the  feds 
 which  feem  to  have  been  call;  in  the  fame  mould.  The  Lord  only 
 knoweth  the  heart,  and  in  the  inflance  before  us  we  are  affured 
 that  the  deiire  of  the  praife  of  men,  was  the  generally  prevailing; 
 motive  of  adion  of  thefe  fedaries  the  Pharifees  :  *'  All  their  works 
 "  they  do  for  to  be  feen  of  men  :  they  make  broad  their  phy- 
 **  laileries,  and  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  garments,  and  love 
 *'  the  uppermoll  rooms  at  fealls,  and  the  chief  feats  in  the  fyna- 
 "  gogues,  and  greetings  in  the  m.arkets,  and  to  be  called  of  men 
 *'  Rabbi,  Rabbi,"  Matt,  xxiii.  v.  They  make  long  prayers, 
 make  preteniions  to  the  moll  rigid  punduality  in  the  payment  of 
 tithes;  they  boaft  that  they  fail:  twice  a  week,  and  comment  upon 
 the  law  until  they  entirely  explain  away  the  meaning  of  the  text;  and 
 all  that  they  do  is  "  that  they  may  have  glory  of  men."  Matt.  vi.  2. 
 
 Sudden.  The  prophet  Malachi  gives  a  dreadiul  pidure  of  the 
 want  of  zeal  of  the  Levites,  but  yet,  bad  as  they  were,  the  feda- 
 ries  feem  to  me  to  have  been  much  worfe  ;  for  although  a  lukewarm* 
 nefs  and  want  of  zeal  is  odious  and  difgraceful,  yet  making  an 
 hypocritical  profeflion  of  religious  zeal  and  aufterity,  in  order  to 
 deceive  mankind,  and  obtain  refped  and  honour  from  men,  is  fuch 
 an  execrable  meannefs,  that  words  canfcarcely  be  ufed  to  convey 
 a  juft  idea  of  it  Let  me  now  requeft  you  to  inform  me,  whether 
 you  think  that  there  hath  any  change  taken  place  iov  the  better 
 among  the  modern  Jews  in  this  matter  r  Is  the  fed  of  the  Pharifees 
 flill  in  exiftence  among  them,  or  what  other  feds  are  there  now 
 in  exiftence  ?  And  is  there  this  odious  deiire  of  the  praiie  of  men 
 to  be  perceived  among  them  ? 
 
 Cautious.  I  believe  that  there  are  now  no  feds  among  them, 
 although  there  is  not  an  entire  imiformity  ;  but  the  diftindions  are 
 chiefly  national  diftindions  arifing  from  their  being  difperfed  into 
 various  countries  :  it  cannot  be  fuppofed  that  although  they  all 
 polTefs  the  fame  law,  yet  that  all  would  be  equally  ftrid  and  en- 
 tirely agree  in  their  opinions,  how  far  fuch  and  fuch  culloms  can  be 
 obferved  in  their  prefent  fituation.  The  Jews  therefore  that  come 
 from  fome  foreign  parts,  are  not  fo  ftrid  in  fundry  matters  as  the 
 Jews  that  come  from  fome  others,  and  have  diftind  fynagogues  j 
 but  there  is  no  aniraofity  between  them,  and  they  are  one  people, 
 and  all  a^ree  in  the  main  points  of  their  religion.  This-  is  the  bell 
 anfwer  I  can  give  to  your  qu.eftion,  and  as  to  the  defire  of  praiie 
 of  men,  and  how  far  they  are  lincere  in  their  profeilion,  I  mull 
 premife  that  we  (hould  be  ading  very  improperly,  if  we  were  to 
 prefume  to  fpeak  decidedly  upon  the  quellion.  It  is.  God  only 
 that  knoweth  the  heart,  and  he  onj-y  can  pronmiiv;e  as  to.the.fin- 
 
96  '  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  Part  I. 
 
 cerlty  of  his  creatures.  By  the  mouth  of  Malachi  he  reproved  the 
 Levites,  for  this  odious  wantot  zeal  for  his  fervice.  Our  Saviour 
 aUb  knew  what  was  in  man,  (Matt.  xii.  25.  Luke  vi.  8.  John 
 ii.  24,  25.  vi.  64.  xiii.  11.)  and  could  fee  their  hearts;  but  this 
 knowledge  is  infpiration  which  is  not  given  to  us,  and  therefore 
 we  are  enjoined  "  Jvidge  not."  Matt.  vii.  1. 
 
 Sudden.  We  are  certainly  incompetent  to  judge,  and  therefore 
 it  is  forbidden  ;  but  we  are  not  commanded  to  fhut  our  eyes  :  all 
 our  conclufions  are  fubjeil  to  error,  becaufe  we  can  only  form  our 
 opinions  from  appearances,  and  appearances  may  be  fallacious  ; 
 but  thus  guarded  we  may  examine  external  appearances,  and  are 
 not  forbidden  fo  to  do.  Matt.  xvi.   3.   Luke  xii,  56. 
 
 Cautious.  Well  then,  from  appearances  we  exult  in  the  zeal 
 and  fincerity  of  the  primitive  Chriltians,  who  endured  fuch 
 grievous  fufferings  rather  than  renounce  their  faith  ;  in  like  manner 
 "vve  form  the  fame  concluhons  concerning  the  Proteftants,  whofe 
 faith  was  tried  by  fire  in  the  days  of  Queen  Mary  ;  and  concerning 
 the  Puritans  and  eje6led  miniilers,  who  endured  imprifonment 
 and  protracted  fufferings  in  after  times  ;  and  from  appearances  we 
 jfhould  form  the  fame  opinion  concerning  the  Jews,  who  have  palfed 
 through  greater  c6ntempt  and  more  extended  fufferings,  rather 
 than  renounce  their  faith  :  and  although,  thank  God,  neither  Pro- 
 teftants  nor  Jews  in  latter  times,  have  been  called  to  give  fuch  con- 
 vincing proofs  of  their  fincerity,  yet  let  us  hope  that  both  would, 
 if  tried,  walk  in  the  Iteps  of  their  anceftors,  and  endure  all  fuffer- 
 ings and  even  death  itfelf  (if  required)  rather  than  renounce  their 
 faith  by  compulfion. 
 
 Sudden.  You  think  then  that  there  is  good  ground  from  ap- 
 pearances, to  adopt  the  opinion  that  the  Jews  are  as  fincere  in  the 
 profelfion  of  their  faith,  as  the  Chrillians  are  in  theirs. 
 
 Cautious.  I  fincerely  hope  and  believe  that  they  are.  It  would- 
 require  a  much  more  accurate  knowledge  of  the  Jews  than  is 
 poifelfed  by  the  generality  of  Chriilians,  to  trace  among  them 
 io  fecret  a  principle  as  that  of  undue  defire  of  the  praife  of  men. 
 It  certainly,  if  it  exills  among  them,  does  not  manifeif  itfelf  as  it 
 did  in  the  times  to  which  we  are  referring,  by  feeking  to  form  new 
 feds. 
 
 Sudden.  In  ecclefiaftical  hlllory  we  read  of  moft  dreadful  aufle- 
 rities  praclifed  by  fuperltitious  Chriftians  ;  men  flanding  for  years 
 upon  pillars ;  others  carrying  chains  ;  and  penitents  lafhing  their 
 backs  until  they  were  covered  with  blood.  I  think  we  have  good 
 reafon  to  conclude  the  defire  of  praife  of  men  to  be  the  chief 
 inducement  to  fuch  aufierities. 
 
 Cautious.  When  we  reiie6f  on  thefe  things  it  fhould  fill  us  with 
 deep  humility:  "  Lord  what  is  man  !"  Pf.  cxliv.  3.  How  different 
 is  the  religion  of  the  only  true  God  ;  that  is  a  rejoicing  religion, 
 an  exulting  religion,  a  religion  calculated  to  fpread  the  glory  of 
 the  Lord  trom  pole  to  pole,    and  make  the  melodious  foimd  ot  his 
 
 praife 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI.  t^^^ 
 
 praife  to  echo  from  fhore  to  fliore !  It  is  a  religion  of  the  heart, 
 calcuhited  to  engage  the  whole  affeftions  of  the  worfliipper,  who 
 is  taught  therein,  *'  Thou  llialt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
 *'  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  foul,  and  with  all  thy  might," 
 Deut.  vi.  ^.  Matt.  xxii.  37.  Mark  xii.  30.  Luke  x.  27.  and 
 rejoice  before  him.  "  Unto  the  place  which  the  Lord  thy  God  fhall 
 **  choofe  out  of  all  your  tribes  to  put  his  name  there,"  (even  Je- 
 rufalem  the  Zion  of  the  Holy  One  of  Ifrael)  *■'■  even  unto  his  ha- 
 **  bitation  fhall  ye  feek,  and  thither  thou  Ihalt  come  ;  and  thither 
 **  ye  fhall  bring  your  burnt-offerings,  and  your  facrifices,  and 
 "  your  tithes,  and  heave-offerings  of  your  hand,  and  your  vows, 
 *'  and  your  free-will  offerings,  and  the  firftlings  of  your  herds,  and 
 **  of  your  flocks ;  and  there  ye  fhall  eat  before  the  Lord  your' 
 **  God,  and  ye  fhall  rejoice  in  all  that  you  put  your  hand  unto, 
 *'  ye  and  your  houfehold,  wherein  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  bleffed 
 *'  thee,"  Deut.  xii.  ^ — 7.  "  And  ye  fhall  rejoice  before  the 
 *'  Lord  your  God,  ye  and  your  fons,  and  your  daughters,  and 
 '■^  your  men  fervants,  and  your  maid  fervants,  and  the  Levite  that 
 *^  is  within  your  gates,"  Deut.  xii.  12.  xiv.  26,  "27.  and  not  only 
 with  *,*  the  Levite,"  but  with  "  the  flranger,  and  the  fatherlefs 
 *'  and  the  widow  that  are  within  thy  gates  ;  feven  days  flialt  thou 
 *'  keep  a  foleran  feast  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  in  the  place 
 *'  that  the  Lord  fhall  choofe,  becaufe  the  Lord  thy  God  fhall 
 **  blefs  thee  in  all  thy  increafe,  and  in  all  the  works  of  thine 
 **  hands,  therefore  thou  fhalt  furely  rejoice.  Three  times  in  a 
 *'  year  fhall  all  thy  males  appear  before  the  Lord  thy  God,  in 
 *'  the  place  which  he  fliall  choofe,  in  the  feast  of  unleaven- 
 *'  ed  bread,  and  ill  the  feast  of  weeks,  and  in  the  feast  of 
 *'  tabernacles,  and  they  fhall  not  appear  before  the  Lord  empty," 
 Deut.  xvi.  14 — 16.  xxvi.  11.  **  The  heavens  are  thine,  the 
 *'  earth  alfo  is  thine  ;  the  world  and  the  fulnefs  thereof  thou  hafl 
 '*  founded  them  ;  the  north  and  the  fouth  thou  hafl  created  them  ; 
 **  Tabor  and  Hermon  fliall  rejoice  in  thy  name,"  Pfal,  Ixxxix. 
 12.  *'  From  the  rifmg  of  the  fun  to  the  going  down  of  the 
 **  fame  my  name  fliall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles,  and  in  every 
 **  place  incenfe  offered  unto  my  name,  and  a  pure  offering,  for 
 **  my  name  fhall  be  great  among  the  heathen,  faith  the  Lord  of 
 *'  hofls,"  Mai.  i.  11.  And  they  fhall  partake  in  the  joy  of  this 
 exulting  religion,  by  going  *'  up  from  year  to  year  to  worfliip  the 
 **  King,  the  Lord  of  Hofls,  and  to  keep  the  feafl  of  tabernacles," 
 Zech.  xiv.  16.  **  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  Hofls,  The  fafl  of 
 "  the  fourth  month,  and  the  fafl  of  the  fifth,  and  the  fafl  of  the 
 **  feventh,  and  the  fafl  of  the  tenth  fliall  be  to  the  hbufe  of  Ju- 
 '*  dah  joy  and  gladnefs,  and  cheerful  feasts;  therefore 
 '*  love  the  truth  and  peace.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  Hofls,  It 
 *'  fhall  yet  come  to  pafs  that  there  fliall  come  people,  and  the 
 *'  inhabitants  of  many  cities,  and  the  inhabitants  ot  one  city  ihali 
 *^  go  to  another,  faving,   Let  us  go  fpeedily  to  pray  before  the 
 
 "O  '       *'   Lord« 
 
98  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI.  Part  I. 
 
 *^  Lord,  and  to  feck  the  Lord  of  Hofls,  I  will  go  alfo,  yea  many 
 **  people  and  itrong  nations  fhall  come  to  feck  the  Lord  of  Hoils 
 "  in  Jenifalem,  and  to  pray  before  the  Lord.  Thus  fait,h  the 
 **  Lord  of  Hoits,  In  ihofe  days  it  ftiall  come  to  pafs  that  ten  men 
 <*  fliall  take  hold  out  of  all  languages  of  the  nations,  even  fliall 
 *^  take  hold  of  the  fkirt  of  him  that  is  a  Jew,  faying,  We  w41I 
 *'  go  with  you,  for  we  have  heard  that  God  is  with  you,"  Zech. 
 viii.  19 — 23.  I  hope  I  have  not  tired  you  with  quotations.  It  is 
 an  exulting  fubje6t. 
 
 Sudden.  By  no  means,  I  am  now  nn  ardent  defirer  of  the  prof- 
 perity  of  Zion,  and  can  fay  Amen  with  all  my  heart  and  all  my 
 foul  to  that  prayer  which  fhould  now  be  *the  conltant  prayer  of 
 Ifrael :  ",  Save  us,  O  Lord  our  God,  and  gather  us  from  among 
 **  the  heathen,  to  give  thanks  unto  thy  holy  name,  and  to 
 **  triumph  in  thy  praife,"  Pfal.  cvi.  47. 
 
 Cautious.  Although  the  prefent  Jews  appear  to  have  fuch 
 little  caufe  for  joy,  although  they  weep  when  they  *'  remember 
 *'  Zion,"  although  they  hang  their  "  harps  upon  the  willows,'* 
 and  do  not  make  ufe  of  mufical  inftruments  in  their  worftiip, 
 whilft  Zion  lies  defolate,  although  it  is  difficult  to  fing  *'  the 
 **  fongs  of  Zion"  in  a  "  ftrange  land,"  Pfal.  cxxxvii.  2 — 4. 
 yet  do  they  ftill  rejoice  and  exult  in  their  religion  much  more 
 than  is  generally  imagined. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  obferved  a  marked  difference  between  the 
 Jewifh  feftivals  and  Chriftian  feiiivals.  Among  Chriftians  their 
 feftivals  are  kept  up  with  feafting  it  is  true,  but  with  very  little 
 reference  to  religion,  whereas  on  the  Jewifh  feftivals  it  is  very 
 different. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  much  to  their  praife.  All  the  laws  of  the 
 Lord  have  the  good  and  happinefs  of  mankind  for  their  object. 
 An  eftate  is  granted  unto  them  upon  this  eafy  tenure  :  enjoy  it — 
 rejoice  and  be  happy  !  Keep  the  feftivals  with  joy  and  gladnefs 
 of  heart.  All  you  pofTefs  is  his,  and  all  the  ordinances  you  are 
 required  to  obferve  are  for  your  benefit.  In  proportion  as  the 
 law  is  eafy  and  good,  in  like  proportion  is  difobedience  difgrace- 
 ful,  and  the  denunciation  againft  it  feen  to  be  juft  and  righteous  : 
 *'  Becaufe  thou  fervedft  not  the  Lord  thy  God  with  joyful- 
 "  NESS  and  gladness  of  heart  for  the  abundance  of 
 **  ALL  things;  therefore  fhalt  thou  ferve  thine  enemies 
 *'  which  the  Lord  fliall  fend  againft  thee,  in  hunger  and  in  thirft, 
 **  and  in  nakednefs  and  in  want  of  all  things,"    Deut.  xxviii, 
 
 47-  ^ 
 
 Sudden.  Your  laft  obfervation  brings  to  my  mind  fome  reflec- 
 tions I  made  whilft  I  was  meditating  upon  the  deliverance  of 
 Ifrael  out  of  Egypt.  Your  remark  thereon  was,  that  it  was  evi- 
 dent that  the  Lord's  interference  in  behalf  of  Ifrael  was  intended 
 to  make  an  impreflion  upon  all  the  furrounding  nations,  and  to 
 fpread  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  the  only  true  God,  who  had 
 
 thus 
 
Part  I.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E    VL 
 
 99 
 
 thus  miraculoufly  delivered  them.  You  eftabliihed  your  remark 
 by  quotations  from  the  books  of  Mofes,  and  from  thence  inferred 
 that  the  feledtion  of  Ifrael  to  be  the  peculiar  people  of  God  was  not 
 intended  for  their  exclusive  advantage,  but  for  their  high 
 honour,  and  for  the  benefit  of  all  mankind  ;  and  it  fliould  feem 
 that  this  being  the  divine  intent,  it  cannot  be  defeated  ;  for  al- 
 though the  difobedience  of  Ifrael  fpolled  the  effed:  of  their  de- 
 liverance cut  of  Egypt,  yet  that  which  their  difobedience  prevent- 
 ed being  effected  by  their  honour,  and  the  favour  of  their  God 
 hath  been  in  a  great  meafure  eife6led  by  their  diflionour  and  the 
 punifhments  they  have  endured  for  difobedience;  for  they  have 
 been  difperfed  into  all  nations,  and  the  peculiarities  of  their 
 fituation  have  attra6led  the  attention  of  all  people,  and  almoil  all 
 the  families  of  the  eai'th  have  thereby  been  bleffed  with  the 
 knowledge  of  the  one  true  God,  and  are  fenfjble  that  the  pre- 
 fentdifperiionof  the  Jews  is  the  juft  and  righteous  judgment  of  the 
 God  ot  their  fathers,  denounced  againft  them  in  cafe  of  difobe- 
 dience, and  that  their  fcriptures,  which  they  preferve  with  fuch 
 care,  contain  full  evidence  of  their  difobedience,  and  confequently 
 confirm  the  truth  of  thofe  fcriptures. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  obfervation  is  very  jufl,  and  give  me  leave  to 
 obferve,  that  the  fame  fcriptures  contain  moil  glorious  prOf 
 miles  that,  after  the  Jews  have  endured  their  long  continued  pu- 
 nilhments,  they  ihall  be  reftored  to  their  own  land  by  as  confpi- 
 cuous  an  emigration  as  that  of  their  anceilors  from  Egypt,  When 
 thefe  things  are  accomplillied,  how  greatly  will  it  conduce  to  the 
 glory  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael ;  but  if  you  turn  to  Deut.  xxix. 
 22 — 28.  you  will  find  that  this  is  one  great  obje£l  which  will  be 
 accomplilhed  by  their  difperfion  and  removal  from  their  own 
 land  :  **  So  that  the  generation  to  come  of  your  children  that 
 **  fhall  rife  up  after  you,  and  the  stranger  that  shall 
 *'  COME  FROM  A  FAR  LAND,  fnall  fay,  when  they-  fee  the 
 *'  plagues  of  that  land,  and  the  ficknefTes  which  the  Lord  hath 
 *'  laid  upon  it,  and  that  the  whole  land  thereof  is  brimllone  and 
 **  fait,  and  burning,  that  it  is  not  fov/n,  nor  beareth,  nor  any 
 **  grafs  groweth  therein,  like  the  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
 **  morrah,  Admah  and  Zeboim,  which  the  Lord  overthrew  in  his 
 **  anger  and  in  his  wrath  ;  even  all  nations  fhall  fay.  Wherefore 
 *'  hath  the  Lord  done  thus  unto  this  land?  What  meaneth  the 
 '<  heat  of  this  great  anger  ?  Then  men  fhall  fay,  Because  they 
 
 **  have  forsaken  the  COVENANT  OF  THE  LORD  GOD 
 *'  OF  THEIR  FATHERS,  WHICH  HE  MADE  WITH  THEM 
 "    WHEN     HE    BROUGHT     THEM   FORTH    OUT    OF'THE   LAND 
 
 **  OF  Egypt;  for  they  went  and  served  other  gods, 
 **  and   worshipped    them,    gods    whom    they    knew 
 
 **    not,  AND  who  had  NOT  GIVEN  TO  THEM  ANY  PORTION. 
 
 **  And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  agalnlf  this  land,  to 
 **  bring  upon  it  all  the  curfes  that  are  wjitten  in  this  book,    and 
 
 <'  the 
 
ioo  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  Part  I. 
 
 '*  the  Lord  rooted  them  out  of  their  land  in  anger,  and  in  wrath, 
 **  and  in  oreat  indignation,  and  caft  them  into  another  land,  as  it 
 "  is  this  day."  And  again  the  conditional  covenant  and  promife 
 to  Solomon  contains  this  denunciation  upon  difobedience  and  fcrv- 
 in^  other  Gods.  "  Then  will  I  cut  off  lirael  o\it  ot  the  land 
 *<  which  I  have  given  them,  and  this  houfe  which  I  have  hallow- 
 *'  ed  tor  my  name  will  I  cait  out  ot  m.y  Tight,  and  Ifracl  fliall  be 
 *'  a  proverb  and  a  by-word  among  all  people  ^  and  at  this  houfe 
 "  which  is  high,  every  one  that  paffcth  by  it  Ihall  be  allonilhed, 
 <'  and  (hall  hifs,  and  they  fliall  fay,  Why  hath  the  Lord  done 
 "  thus  unto  this  land  and  to  this  houfe  ?  And  they  fliall  anfwer, 
 *'  Becaufe  they  forfook  the  Lord  their  God,  who  brought  forth 
 *'  their  fathers  out  of  the  land  ot  Egypt,  and  have  taken  hold  upon 
 *'  other  gods,  and  have  worfliipped  them  and  ferved  them  ;  there- 
 *'  fore  hath  the  Lord  brought  upon  them  all  this  evil,"   i  Kings 
 
 ix.  7 — g. 
 
 Sudden.  Whether  in  profperity  or  adverfity,  it  feems  to  be  the 
 divine  intent  that  all  the  families  of  the  earth  fhall  be  blelTed  in 
 the  feed  of  Abraham ;  but  what  appears  to  me  to  be  the  moft 
 aflonifliing  circumftance  attendant  upon  their  difperfion  is  this, 
 that  above  1700  years  ihordd  have  paifed  (for  it  is  above  1700 
 years  fince  the  delfrudion  of  Jerufalem  by  Titus)  and  yet,  that 
 the  Jews  fliould  not  have  in  ail  that  time  turned  unto  the  Lorcf 
 with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  fori.  Their  rclloiation  to  the 
 favour  of  God  is  pofitively  promifed  in  Deut.  xxx.  2,  upon  their 
 thus  returning  unto  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and 
 ALL  THEIR  SOUL,  and  therefore  the  Continuance  ot  their  furFer- 
 inps  is  evidence  that  they  have  not,  as  yet,  returnedi  nto  the  Lord 
 with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  foul.  I  have  now  very  different, 
 and  far  more  favourable  fentiments  concerning  the  Jews,  than  I 
 had  before  I  was  favoured  with  yoi:r  conv.  rTation  on  thefe  fub- 
 je6ts;  and  I  admit  and  rejoice  in  the  comolation  to  be  derived 
 therefrom,  but  this  feem.s  to  be  yet  wanting  in  them. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  never  yet  aiTerted  that  th.ry  have  thus  turned 
 unto  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their 
 SOUL.  My  obfervations  have  been  chieriy  eoinparative,  and  have 
 by  no  means  tended  to  prove  that  they  are  in  ihat  flate  ot  mind 
 which  they  will  polTefs  in  due  time  ;  b'.t  there  are  degrees  in  all 
 things,  and  the  words,  witli  ail  the  heart  and  ail  the  foul  implies 
 an  ardency  of  affedion  a;'d  devotedncfs,  which  although  it  is 
 attainable  (for  if  it  war  not  attainable  it  wordd  not  be  required)  yet 
 is  it  fiA  h  a  degree  of  pcrftclic;n  as  hath  been  as  yet  attained  by 
 but  few.  A  fon  inay  be  a  good  fon  and  h(>nour  his  lather  and  his 
 mother,  and  condu£l  himfelf  with  unexceptionable  duty  towards 
 them,  and  yet  he  may  not  pofTtfs  that  ardency  of  afFedion  which 
 may  be  felt  by  another  towards  his  parents.  The  fame  may  be 
 faid  of  the  condudt  of  a  parent  towards  his  offspring,  and  of  a  wife 
 or  hufband.     llov/  frequently  do  we  fee  inltajices  of  hufbapds 
 
 and 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI. 
 
 101 
 
 and  wives  who  live  unexceptionably  together,  and  yet  have  not 
 that  exquifite  happinefs  of  polIeHing  fuch  an  ardency  of  affedion 
 for  each  other  as  tails  to  the  lot  of  fome  others.  In  like  manner 
 in  religion  ;  it  is  poflible  tor  the  judgment  to  be  convinced,  and 
 for  a  nation  to  be  fo  well  alfured  of  the  truth  of  their  religion, 
 that  they  will  endure  perfecution,  banilhm.ent,  or  death  itfelf, 
 rather  than  fwerve  from  it,  although  they  may  be  ftrangers  to 
 that  ardour  of  religious  affediion  and  rapturous  devotion  which 
 animated  David,  who  was  the  man  after  God's  own  heart. 
 
 Sudden.  If  ever  the  Jews  poffeired  this  ardour  of  religious 
 affection  and  rapturous  devotion  almoll  univerfally,  it  feems  to 
 have  been  at  that  m.oft  folemn  and  rejoicing  fedival,  the  dedication 
 of  Solomon's  temple,'  which  you  have  already  noticed. 
 
 Cautions,  And  it  was  attended  with  a  correfpondent  efFe6l ;  for 
 on  thefe  afFeftions  being,  as  it  were,  concentrated  in  the  praife  of 
 the  Lord,  **  For  he  is  good,  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever,"  an 
 evident  token  of  the  divine  favour  was  vouchfafed,  and  *'  the 
 "  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  houfe  of  God,"  2  Chron.  v.  it. 
 It  is  by  joining  in  fuch  auguil  fervices  as  this  that  this  ardour  of 
 devotion  is  to  be  attained  ;  and  it  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  is  only  to 
 be  attained  by  his  gitt.  It  was  the  pofiellicn  of  this  ardency  of 
 .'iffeclion  and  habitual  devotednefs  unto  Gc^d,  which  conftituted 
 David  the  man  after  God's  own  heart ;  and  whoever  reads  his 
 Plalms  will  be  fenfible  that  it  was  by  the  grace  and  gift  of  God 
 that  he  obtained  it. 
 
 Sudden.  It  certainly  appears  from  the  Pfalms  of  David,  par- 
 ticularly the  H9th,  that  he  attained  this  in  feeking  the  Lord  ;  and 
 doubtlefs  in  the  fame  way  in  which  he  attained  it,  it  may  be  at- 
 tained by  others  ;  for  you  juilly  obferved  that  it  is  commanded, 
 and  if  it  was  not  attainable  it  would  not  have  been  required. 
 
 Cautious.  There  hath  been  evidently  a  want  of  fuccefs  in  this 
 matter ;  but  we  are  not  to  conclude  that  there  have  been  no 
 inllances.  I  have  firm  and  good  hope  that  there  have  been  mul- 
 titudes of  Jews  in  modern  as  well  as  in  ancient  times,  who  have 
 thus  fought  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  foul,  and 
 are  now  confpicuous  among  the  heavenly  hoit,  and  linging  the 
 high  praifes  of  their  God  in  heaven.  I  have  good  hope  that  there 
 are  many  fuch  Jews  now  difperfed  in  all  parts  of  the  world ;  bu^ 
 you  will  obferve,  that  the  promife  is  a  national  promife,  and  i^ 
 not  attached  to  a  few,  or  even  m.any  individuals,  but  to  them  as  a 
 nation  (Deut,  xxx.  1— lo.)  and  certainly  they  have  not  unitedly  as 
 a  nation  thus  turned  unto  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and  all 
 their  foul,  or  the  abfolute  promife  of  the  Lord  would  "have  been 
 fulfilled  in  their  reftoration.  I  have  that  opinion  of  the  piety  of 
 the  Jews,  that  I  doubt  not  they  would  confider  it  impious  if 
 any  one  were  to  afiert  that  they  have  unitedly  as  a  nation  thus 
 turned  unto  the  Lord,  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  foul,  for 
 tiut  wouldj  by  implication,  contain  an  accufalion,  that  the  Lord 
 
 is 
 
ica 
 
 DIALOGUE     VI.  Part  T. 
 
 is  regardlefs  of  his  promife.  Where  there  is  a  manifest  want 
 OF  SUCCESS,  it  is  natural  .for  us  to  endeavour  to  trace  out  the 
 caufe  to  which  this  want  of  fuccefs  is  to  be  attributed,  and  I 
 have  examined  this  matter  and  formed  my  opinion  upon  it,  but  I 
 do  not  pretend  to  know  the  fentimcnts  of  the  Jews  upon  the 
 /iibjed. 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  a  moft  important  queftion,  and  fliould  engage  the 
 Enoft  ardent  examination  of  every  Jew.  It  is  on  all  hands 
 admitted  that  their  difperfion  is  an  accomplifhment  of  the  Lord's 
 denunciation  againil  their  difobedience,,  and  that  the  promife  is 
 abfolute,  that  on  their  returning  to  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart 
 and  all  their  foul,  their  reftoration  fliali  be  effecled.  They  are 
 zealoufly  attached  to  their  law,  andferve  the  Lord  their  God  only, 
 although  they  are  diiperfed  in  ftrange  lands  ;  and  yet  by  the 
 promifed  effe6l  not  being  produced,  it  is  evident  that  they  are 
 under  fome  defect,  fome  error,  or  fome  miitake,  and  that  this 
 muft  be  removed  before  their  profperity  can  commence. 
 
 Cautious.  You  know  the  fentiments  of  the  generality  of 
 Chriftians  as  to  this  bar  to  the  profperity  of  ifrael,  I  by  NO 
 MEANS  AGREE  WITH  THEM,  but  think  that  the  bar  to  the 
 profperity  of  Ifrael  is  diRin6l  from  all  queftions  concerning  the 
 Chrirtian  religion.  There  is  no  mention  of  any  fuch  thing  in 
 Deut.  XXX.  or  Levit.  xxvi.  The  words  in  Leviticus  are  as  fol- 
 low :  **  If  they  fhall  confefs  their  iniquity  and  the  iniquity  of 
 **  their  fathers  with  their  trefpafs,  which  they  have  trcfpalTed 
 **  againft  me,  and  that  alfo  they  have  walked  contrary  unto  me, 
 **  and  that  I  alfo  have  walked  contrary  unto  them,  and  have 
 **  brought  them  into  the  land  of  their  enemies  ;  if  then  their 
 *'  uncircumcifed  hearts  be  humbled,  and  they  then  accept  of  the 
 "  punifliment  of  their  iniquity  \  then  will  I  Remember  my  cove- 
 **  nant  with  Jacob,  and  alfo  my  covenant  with  Ifaac,  and  alfo 
 **  my  covenant  with  Abraham  will  I  remember,  and  I  will 
 **  remember  the  land,"  Levit.  xxvi.  40 — 42.  In  Di-ut.  xxx. 
 1,  2,  the  words  are  as  follow:  "  And  it  fliall  come  to  pafs 
 *'  when  all  thefe  things  are  come  upon  thee,  the  blelTing  and  the 
 *'  curfe,  which  I  have  fet  before  thee,  and  thou  iTialt  call  them 
 "  to  mind  among  all  the  nations  whither  the  Lord  thy  God  hath 
 **  driven  thee,  and  flialt  return  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  fhak 
 *'  obey  his  voice  according  to  all  that  I  command  thee  this  day, 
 **  thou  and  tiiy  children,  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
 **  foul."  Let  us,  as  far  as  we  are  enabled,  proceed  to  an  exami- 
 nation of  each  particular  ;  we  may  juitly  confider  them  as  ordi- 
 na-nces  to  be  obfcrved  by  them,  as  preparations  for  their  reti:rn. 
 
 ift.  The  firft  ordinance  is  reflexion,  calling  to  m.ind  the 
 bleffings  beftowed  upon  them  as  a  nation,  and  the  curfcs  which' 
 have  been  endured  by  them.  They  do  call  thefe  things  to  mind 
 by  keeping  the  paflbver  with  great  fl:ri(^nefs,  and  commemorating 
 the  Lord's  dcHverence  of  their  anceftors  from  Egyptian  bondage 
 
 and 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI. 
 
 103 
 
 and  oppreflion,  and  acknowledging  the  goodnefs  of  the  X^ord  in 
 the  bleffings  beftowed  upon  them.  They  do  call  thefe  things  to 
 mind  by  keeping  with  great  ftri6tnef;s  the'  annual  falls,  in  com- 
 memoration of  the  trefpafs  of  Ifracl  in  the  matter  of  the  golden 
 calf,  and  the  anniverfary  of  the  dellrudlion  of  Jerufalem  ;  and 
 they  do  call  to  mind  the  grievous  fufferings  of  their  anceftors,  and 
 the  continuance  of  the  dilperfion  of  themfelves.  God  grant  that 
 they  may  increafe  in  the  ardour  with  which  they  call  thefe  things 
 to  mind. 
 
 2d.  The  fecond  ordinance  to  be  obferved  by  them  is  confe/Iion, 
 **  If  they  fhall  confefs  their  iniquity,  and  the  iniquity  of  their 
 *'  fathers,  with  their  trefpafs  which  they  have  trefpaffed  againft 
 *'  me,  and  alfo  that  they  have  walked  contrary  to  me,"  Levit. 
 xxvi.  40.  They  do  confefs  their  iniquity,  and  the  iniquity  of  their 
 fathers,  and  in  their  folemn  falls  mourn  and  lament,  and  confeis 
 thefe  things  before  the  Lord.  God  grant  that  they  .may  be  foon 
 enabled  to  remember  thefe  things,  and  confefs  thefe  things  with 
 more  heart-rending  contrition  than  they  have  yet  done,  and  as 
 a  whole  nation,  to  fee  and  confefs  that  the  continuance  of.  their 
 difperfion  is  evidence  that  they  have  not  yet  fully  called  to  mind 
 and  confeHed  thefe  things ;  for  if  they  had,  the  promife  is  abfolutc, 
 and  they  would  have  been  rellored  to  confpicuous  profperity, 
 
 3d.  The  confeflion  is  not  merely  to  be  confined  to  their  iniqui- 
 ties, and  the  iniquities  of  their  fathers,  and  their  trefpaiTes,  and 
 walking  contrary  to  the  Lord,  but  is  to  extend  to  the  confefiion 
 and  acknowledgment,  that  the  Lord  hath  alfo  "  walked  contrary 
 ^'  to  them,  and  brought  them  into  the  land  of  their  enemies," 
 Levit.  xxvi.  41.  They  do  not  deny  it,  they  confefs  that  it  is  the 
 Lord  their  God  who  hath  difperfed  them  into  all  nations ;  but 
 there  are  degrees  in  all  things,  and  it  is  poffible  to  remember  and 
 to  confefs  all  thefe  things  by  the  mind  being  fatisfied,  that  fo  it  is, 
 and  yet  the  heart  be  as  it  were  a  ilranger  to  emotion,  and  confe- 
 quently  not  come  up  to  the  requilite  ardour;  for*  the  promife  is 
 annexed  to  their  engaging  in  thefe  repentant  proceedings,  with  ali 
 their  heart  and  all  their  foul.  When  they  thus  call  thefe  things 
 to  mind,  their  hearts  will  be  rent  at  the  remembrance  of  the  ingra- 
 titude and  difobedience  of  their  fathers  and  themfelves  towards  fo 
 bountiful  a  benefaclor,  fo  good  a  God! 
 
 4th.  The  next  ordinance  to  be  obferved  by  them  is  humility. 
 Their  uncircumcifed  heart  muft  be  humbled,  and  they  muft 
 accept  of  the  puniihment  of  their  iniquity,  Levit.  xxvi.  41.  I 
 will  acknowledge  the  juitice  of  the  fentence  under  which  I  fuffer, 
 I  will  accept  of  the  puniihment,  I  will  not  turn  away  my  back, 
 I  will  give  my  back  to  the  fmiters,  my  cheeks  to  them  that  pluck 
 off  the  hair,  I  will  not  even  hide  my  face  from  fliame  and  fpit- 
 ting,  if  it  is  the  will  of  my  righteous  and  merciful  God  that  I 
 fhould  endure  it.  Thefe  things  do  not  rend  my  heart,  my  heart 
 is  only  rent  by  the  refledtion  that  I  and  my  fathers  fhould  have  I'o 
 
 grievoully 
 
104 
 
 DIALOGUE     VI.  Part  I. 
 
 grievoufly  offended  fo  good  a  God,  fo  bountiful  a  benefador,  fo 
 kind  a  parent. 
 
 5th.  The  return.  "  Therefore,  alfo  now  faith  the  Lord« 
 **  turn  ye  even  to  me  with  all  your  heart,  and  with  fafting,  and 
 "  with  weeping,  and  with  mourning,  and  rend  your  heart  and 
 '^  not  your  garments,  and  turn  unto  the  Lord  youi  God  ;  for  he 
 *'  is  gracious  and  merciful,  flow  to  anger,  and  of  great  kindnefs, 
 *'  and  repenteth  him  of  the  evil,"  Joel  ii.  12. 
 
 6th.  The  laft  ordinance  which  I  Ihall  mention  is  obedience  j 
 they  are  to  be  more  exa6l  in  their  obedience  :   "  And  fhalt  obey 
 
 ^'    HIS  VOICE  ACCORDING  TO  ALL   THAT  I  COMMAND  THEE 
 
 *'  THIS  DAY,  thou  and  thy  children,  with  all  thine  heart,  and 
 "  with  all  thy  foul,"  Deut.  xxx.  2.  If  there  were  no  other 
 pafTage  in  fcripture  than  this  upon  the  fubjeft  of  the  durability  of 
 the  mofaical  difpenfation  tow^ards  the  Jews,  it  would  be  enough 
 to-fhew  the  abfurdity,  enthufiafm,  and  ignorance  of  thofe  Chrif- 
 tjans  who  have  endeavoured  to  feduce  the  Jews  from  their 
 religion,  and  to  purfuade  them  to  renounce  Judaifm.  The  law 
 of  the  Lord  is  not  to  be  call  alide  like  an  old  garment,  or,  like  the 
 laws  of  man,  to  be  altered,  repealed,  or  renounced. 
 
 Sudden.  My  idea  is,  that  notwithftanding  the  attachment  of 
 the  modern  Jews  to  almofl  all  thofe  ordinances  of  their  law  (that 
 can  be  obferved  in  ftrange  lands  in  whjch  they  have  no  power) 
 yet  that  they  look  upon  the  continuance  of  their  diiperfion  to  be 
 chiefly  afcribable  to  their  failures  in  this  matter,  viz.  their  not 
 being  fufficicntiy  ftridt  in  the  obfervance  of  their  ritual. 
 
 Caiiticus.  I  think  you  are  not  much  miftaken,  and  that  if  fuch 
 are  the  fentiments  of  the  Jews,  that  they  are  well  founded,  although 
 my  thouiThts  may  be  very  different  as  to  the  particulars  in  which 
 they  fail  in  cxadnefs.  It  feems  to  me  that  the  obje6l  in  view  in 
 all  the  Jewiili  ordinances,  is  the  good  of  thofe  to  whom  the  ordi- 
 nances are  given;  they  appear  to  me  to  have  been  given  to  keep 
 up  in  their  minds  a  conltant  acknowledgment  of  the  mercy  and 
 goodnefs  of  the  Lord,  and  of  their  conlrant  dependance  upon  him. 
 Where  this  effedl  is  not  produced  by  them,  they  become  odious, 
 even  in  the  fight  of  that  God  who  ordained  them.  ''  To  what 
 *'  purpofe  is  the  multitude  of  your  facrifices  unto  me  ?  faith  the 
 **  Lord:  I  am  full  of  the  burnt-offerings  of  rams,  and  the  fat  of 
 *'  fed  bcafts  ;  and  I  delight  not  in  the  blood  of  bullocks,  or  of 
 *'  lambs,  or  of  he-goats.  Wiicn  ye  come  to  appear  before  me, 
 "  who  hath  required  this  at  your  hand  to  tread  my  courts?  Bring 
 *'  no  more  vain  oblations ;  incenfe  is  an  abomination  unto  me; 
 **  the  new  moons  and  fabbaths,  the  calling  of  aflemblies,  I  cannot 
 **  away  with  ;  it  is  iniquity,  even  the  folemn  meeting.  Yournew 
 *'  moons  and  your  appointed  feafts  my  foul  hateth;  they  are  a 
 **  trouble  unto  me,  I  am  weary  to  bear  them:  and  when  ye 
 '^  fprcad  forth  your  hands  I  will  hide  mine  eyes  from  you  ;  yea, 
 '*  when  ye  make  many  prayers  I  will  not  hear  :"  and  the  reafon 
 
 is 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  loj 
 
 is  given,  "  your  hands  are  full  of  blood,"  Ifaiah  i.  ii — 15. 
 They  are  therefore  required  to  '*  feek  judgment,  relieve  the 
 "  opprefTed,  judge  the  fatherlefs,  and  plead  for  the  widow," 
 ver.  xj .  I  do  not  think  that  if  they  could  externally  perform  all 
 the  other  mofaic  ordinances  with  the  mod  exa£l  precilion,  that  it 
 would  contribute  {o  much  to  their  relloration  to  profperity  as  a6ls 
 of  kindnefs  to  their  brethren  in  diltrefs.  In  Deut.  viii.  18.  they 
 are  commanded,  *'  Thou  ihalt  remember  the  Lord  thy  God,  for 
 "  it  is  he  that  giveth  thee  power  to  get  wealth,"  Prov.  xxviii. 
 27.  "  He  that  giveth  unto  the  poor  Ihall  not  lack,"  Prov.  xix. 
 17.  "  He  that  hath  pity  upon  the  poor  lendeth  unto  the  Lord, 
 *'  and  that  which  he  hath  given  will  he  pay  him  again."  The 
 Jews  who  have  ability  may  therefore  feel  no  difficulty  in  extending 
 the  PRECISION  of  their  obedience;  for  although  they  have  no 
 produce  of  corn  or  oil  to  tithe,  or  flocks  or  herds  to  offer ; 
 although  the  Levite  is  no  longer  (at  prefent)  to  be  dillinguifhed. 
 among  them  ;  yet  will  the  Lord  be  as  well  pleafed  with  the  tithe 
 of  their  increafe  of  wealth  being  devoted  to  his  fervice,  in  comfort- 
 ing the  poor  of  their  own  peculiar  nation.  The  law  given  by 
 Mofes  i^  alfo  exprefs  upon  this  fubjecl.  That  injun6lion  which 
 they  feem  almoit-  univerfally  to  have  negledled,  and  the  negle6t 
 whereof  was  one  great  caufe  of  their  captivity  in  Babylon, 
 2  Chron.  xxxvi.  21.  viz.  the  feventh  year's  reii  of  the  land  was 
 intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  "  but  the  feventh  year  thou 
 "  flialt  let  it  reit  and  lie  ftill,  that  the  poor  of  thy  people  may 
 *'  eat,"  Ex.  xxiii.  n.  "  And  when  ye  reap  the  harveft  of  your 
 **  land  thou  fhalt  not  wholly  reap  the  corners  of  thy  field,  neither 
 *'  fhalt  thou  gather  the  gleanings  of  thy  harveli;  and  thou  flialt 
 *'  not  glean  thy  vineyard,  neither  fhalt  thou  gather  every  grape 
 **  of  thy  vineyard  \  ihou  fhalt  leave  them  for  the  poor  and  (franger : 
 *'  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,"  Levit.  xix,  9,  10.  What  a 
 gracious,  what  a  glorious  ordinance  was  that  of  the  year  of 
 jubilee;  it  was  calculated  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  for  the 
 blowing  of  the  jubilee  trumpet  was  the  fignal  for  the  poor  man  to 
 return  to  the  pofiefTion  of  his  alienated  inheritance.  "  If  thy 
 **  brother  be  waxen  poor  and  fallen  into  decay  with  thee,  then 
 **  thou  fhalt  relieve  him;  yea,  though  he  be  a  ftranger  or  a 
 "  fojourner,  that  he  may  live  with  thee:  take  thou  no  ufury  of 
 "  him  or  increafe,  but  fear  thy  God,  that  thy  brother  may  live 
 *'  with  thee  ;  thou  fhalt  not  give  him  thy  money  upon  uiury,  nor 
 *'  lend  him  thy  vidfuals  for  increafe  :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God, 
 *'  which  brought  you  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  to  give  you 
 */  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  to  be  your  God,"  Levit.  xxV.  35 — 38. 
 The  feventh  year's  reieafe  alfo  is  as  much  the  law  of  the  Lord 
 God  of  Ifrael  as  is  the  law  whereby  the  fealf  of  the  paffover  is 
 enjoined  to  be  obferved.  *^  At  the  end  of  every  feven  years  thou 
 **  fhalt  make  a  reieafe,  and  this  is  the  manner  of  the  relcafj, 
 "  every  creditor  that  lendeth  ought  unto  his   neighbour    fhall 
 
 P  "  rc-Ieafe 
 
io6  DIALOGUE     VI.  Part  L 
 
 *'  releafe  it,  he  fhall  not  exaft  it  of  his  rtcighboiir  or  of  his 
 '*  brother,  becaufe  it  is  calkd  the  Lord's  roleafe  ;  of  a  foreigner 
 *'  thou  mayeft  exa£l  it  again,  bnt  that  which  is  thine  with  thy 
 *^  brother  thine  hand  Ihall  releafe,"  Dcut.  xv.  i — 3.  "  If  there 
 **  be  among  you  a  poor  man  of  one  of  thy  brethren  within  any  of 
 **  thy  gates  in  thy  land  v/hich  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  ;  thou 
 *<  (halt  not  harden  thy  heart  nor  (hut  thine  hand  from  thy  poor 
 *<  brother,  but  thou  fhalt  open  thine  hand  wide  unto  him,  and 
 **  fhalt  purely  lend  him  fufficient  for  his  need  in  that  which  he 
 "  wanteth.  Beware  that  there  be  not  a  thought  in  thy  wicked 
 *'  heart,  faying.  The  feventh  year,  the  year  of  releafe  is  at  hand; 
 ^'  and  thine  eye  be  evil  againft  thy  poor  brother,  and  thou  giveil 
 *'  him  nought,  and  he  cry  unto  the  Lord  againif  thee,  and  it  be 
 *^  fin  unto  thee;  thou  fhalt  furcly  give  him,  and  thine  heart  fhall 
 *'  not  be  grieved  when  thou  giveft  unto  him;  becaufe,  that  for 
 '*  this  thing  the  Lord  thy  God  iliall  blefs  thee  in  all  thy  woiks, 
 *'  and  in  all  that  thou  puttell:  thine  hand  unto,  for  the  poor  fhall 
 '^*  never  ceafe  out  of  the  land  :  therefore  I  command  thee,  faying, 
 *'  Thou  flialt  open  thine  hand  wide  unto  thy  brother,  to  thv  poor, 
 **  and  to  thy  needy  in  thy  land ;  and  if  thy  brother,  an  Hebrew 
 **  man,  or  an  Hebrew  woman  be  fold  unto  thee,  and  ferve  thee  fix 
 **  years ;  then  in  the  feventh  year  thou  fhalt  let  him  go  free  from 
 **  thee;  and  when  thou  fendeft  him  out  free  from  thee  thou 
 ''  fhalt  not  let  him  go  away  empty,  thou  fhalt  furnifh  him 
 **  liberally  out  of  thy  flock,  and  out  of  thy  floor,  and  out  of  thy 
 **  wine-prefs  ;  of  that  wherewith  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  bleiTed 
 **  thee  thou  fhalt  give  unto  him ;  and  thou  fhalt  remember  that 
 **  thou  waft  a  bondman  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  the  Lord  thy 
 "  God  redeemed  thee  :  therefore  I  command  thee  this  thing  to 
 **  day,"  Deut.  xv.  7 — 15.  In  fa6l  the  law  of  the  Lord  given  by 
 Mofes  feems  to  be  cliflinguifhed  from  all  other  laws,  by  having 
 the  good  of  the  poor  and  needy  for  its  conlfant  objcrt.  "  When 
 *'  thou  comeff  into  thy  neighbour's  vineyard,  then  thrMi  mayelt  eat 
 **  grapes  thy  fill,  at  thine  own  pleafure  ;  but  thou  fhalt  not  put 
 **  any  in  thy  veffel.  When  thoii  comeft  into  the  fianding  corn  of 
 **  thy  neighbour,  then  thou  mayeft  pluck  the  ears  with  thine 
 **  hand  ;  but  thou  fhalt  not  move  a  fickle  upon  thy  neighbour's 
 **  fianding  corn,"  Deut.  xxiii.  24,  2,5. 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  poflible  that  the  Jews  may  think  that  thefe  are 
 fome  of  thofe  laws  which  cannot  be  obferved  in  their  prcfent  cir- 
 cumflances.  They  may  poffibly  ground  fuch  opinion  upon  thefe 
 words:  *'  If  there  be  among  you  a  poor  man  of  one  of  thy 
 **  brethren  within  any  of  thy  gates  in  thy  land  which  the  Lord 
 *'  thy  God  giveth  thee,"  Deut.  xv.  7.  and  may  fay  that  the 
 circum.ftances  do  not  agree,  inafmuch  as  this  was  the  required 
 duty  of  the  many  rich  when  in  their  own  land  towards  the  few 
 poor,  whereas  the  cafe  now  is,  that  the  many,  the  great  bulk  of 
 their  nation  are  very  poor,  and  there  are  but  very   few  .rich  in 
 
 comparifon  ; 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VI,  107 
 
 coinparifon;  fo  that  if  the  rich  were  even  to  divide  their  whole 
 wtaltli,  and  reduce  themfelves  to  an  equality  with  their  brethren, 
 it  would  fcarcely  lift  them  above  aclual  indigence. 
 
 Cautious.  I  do  nut  think  that  the  rich  Jews  are  called  to  give 
 fuch  a  felf-denying  and  tianiing  proof  of  their  attachment  to  their 
 laws  and.their  nation  a;;  to  rcdijce  themfelves  to  poverty.  When  the 
 bleifcd  time  comes  that  they  are  reilored  to  their  eflate,  there  will 
 be  MANY  RICH  among  them  as  there  is  now,  for  they  will  take 
 their  iilver  and  their  gold  with  them,  Ifaiah  Ix.  9.  I  look  upon 
 the  prcf|Derity  with  v>'hich  many  of  the  Jews  are  blcllcd,  as  a 
 lulhhnent  of  the  proniife  which  we  have  noticed.  "  Thou  (hall 
 "  furely  give  him,  and  thine  heart  'hall  not  be  grieved  when  thou 
 *'  giveit  unto  him  :  becaufethat  for  this  thing  the  Lord  thy  God 
 *'  Ihall  blefs  thee  in  all  thy  works,  and  in  all  that  thou  putteft 
 "  thinehand  unto,"  Deut.  xv.  10.  Itis  true  that  the  moil  accept- 
 able charity  in  the  fight  of  God  is  that  which  is  moft  free  from 
 oltentation,  and  this  prevents  our  being  able  to  fpeak  from  aftunl 
 knov*' ledge  ;  but  I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  if  we  could  difcern 
 fecrct  charity,  that  we  Ihould  find,  that  all  the  wealth  given  unto 
 the  individuals  of  the  Jewifh  nation^  is  fo  given  unto  them  by  the 
 God  of  their  tathers,  because  they  have  been  good,  and  kind, 
 ^wi  liberal,  to  their  diltreiled  countrymen,  and  have  given  unto 
 them  with  a  free  fpirit  unconllrained,  not  grudging,  not  grieved  ; 
 or  at  lealt  that  they  are  the  fens,  grandfons,  or  defeendants  of 
 thofe  who  have  thus  lent  unto  the  Lord. 
 
 Sudden.  I  am  happy  to  hear  you  fay  fo,  and  hope  that  in  this 
 way  their  wealth  will  be  greatly  increafed,  fo  that  when  they  re- 
 turn to  their  ov/n  land,  and  take  their  gold  and  filver  with  them, 
 they  may  have  great  Here  of  it ;  but  as  you  have  quoted  thofe  palfa- 
 ges  from  Leviticus  and  Deuteronomy,  permit  me  to  alk  you 
 whether  you  think  that  the  Jews  are  capable  of  fulfilling  thofe 
 laws  in  their  prefent  circumllances  ? 
 
 Caution: t  Human  laws  are  frequently  defeated  by  the  want  of 
 precifion  wherewith  they  are  exprcifed  \  but  even  in  the  interpreta- 
 tion of  human  laws,  although  the  words  in  which  they  are  ex- 
 prcifed, the  context,  the  fubjecl  matter,  and  the  effects  and  con- 
 lequences,  are  all  to  be  reforted  to,  in  order  to  form  a  found  in- 
 terpretation of  them  ;  yet  is  an  inquiry  into  the  fpirit  and  reafon 
 of  the  law,  the  moll  effe6lual  way  whereby  to  difcover  the  true 
 intent  and  meaning  of  the  legiilator.  (Blackitone's  Commentaries, 
 Vol.  L  p.  59 — 61.]  And  yet  it  fiequently  happens  that  human 
 laws  are  defeated  by  advantage  being  taken  of  want  of  preciilon  ; 
 but  in  the  law  of  the  Lord  it  is  veryditferent,  for  it  is  required  that 
 they  be  obferved  with  a  difpofition  the  dire£l  reverfe  of  this,  even 
 %vith  all  the  heart  and  all  the  foul.  If  the  intent  of  the  divine  legiila- 
 tor were  to  have  been  fatisfied  with  the  performance  of  the  fervice 
 required,  without  the  main  point,  viz.  the  obedience  becoming  an 
 ;a£l  of  piety  in  the  perfon  obeying,  v/e  fhould  doubtlefs  have  had 
 
 laws 
 
io8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VL  Part  I. 
 
 laws  enforcing  their  obfervance.  The  tithes  paid  by  Chriftians  to 
 their  clergy  cannot  be  confidcred  as  a£ls  ot  piety  performed  by 
 them,  becaufe  they  are  compellable  by  the  law  of  the  land  to  pay 
 them  ;  and  if  they  pay  them  not,  the  clergy  to  whom  they  arc 
 payable,  may  fue  them  at  law,  and  do  fiie  them  at  law.      It  there- 
 fore there  is  any  a£l  of  piety  in  the  payment  of  tithes  by  Chriilians, 
 it  is  the  piety  of  that  legiflature  which  enabled  the  law  requiring 
 the  payment  of  tithes;  but  there  is  no  greater  piety  in  the  Chriitians 
 paying  his  tithes,  or  even  his  poor's  rale,  than  there  is  in  his  paying 
 his  rent :  but  it  is  otherwife  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  that  is  no  com- 
 pulfory  law,  but  it  is  left  to  the  honour,  the  confcience,  the  grati- 
 tude, the  piety  of  the  party,  and  confequently  becomes  his  own 
 aft,  a  willing  a6l  of  piety  and   devotion.     Examine  the   law  in 
 Exodus,  Leviticus,  and  Deuteronomy,  and  you  will  find  that  the 
 laws  therein  enjoined  were  all  diredled  to  this  end,  the  mental  and 
 fpiritual  improvement  of  the  people  ;  to  teach  them  the  know- 
 ledge and  fear   of  the    only    true    god,    to   increafe    their 
 love  to  him,    to  teach    them    their  dependence    upon  him,    to 
 make  their  hearts  overflow    with   gratitude  to  him,  and  to  Ian 
 that  flame  of  devotion  which  is  moit  pleaflng  to  the  Lord  ;    the 
 ardour  of  it  in  David  conllituted  him  the  man  after  God's  own 
 heart,  and  it  was  the  Lord's  remem.brance  of  this  that  kept  up  the 
 glory  of  his  houfe,  even  under  and  notwithfl:anding  the  difobedience 
 of  his  pofl:erity,    i  Kings  xi.  13,  32,   34.     Now  give   me   leave 
 to  put  this  quefl;ion,  What  is  the  fpirit  and  meaning,  the  objeft  of 
 thefe  laws  ?   Are  they  not  evidently  intended  to  imprefs  the  minds 
 of  the  peculiar  people  of  God  with  the  deep  fenle  of  this  fa<3:, 
 that  all  that  they  polfefs,  they  poflefs  by  the  free  gift  of  the  Lord 
 their  God,  and  that  every  act  of  charity  performed  by  them  to- 
 wards their  poor  brethren,    the  defcendants   from  their  own  an- 
 cefl:ors,    of  the  fame  houfehold  of  faith  with  themfelves,   is  fo 
 pleafingto  him,  that  he  accounts  it  an  adl  of  piety  towards  himfelf. 
 The  Lord  is  as  well  pleafcd  by  the  a6l  of  fuch  piety  from  a  poor 
 Jew,  if  it  be  but  the  gift  of  a  penny,  as  with  the  liberal  gift  of  gold 
 coming  froin  the  hand  of  the  rich,  and  doth  reward  it  accordingly  ; 
 and  I  have  no  doubt  if  we  could  fee  the  seed    from  wiiich  the 
 abundant  profperity   and  wealth  of  individuals  among  the  Jews 
 have  proceeded,    we  Ihould  perceive  it  to  be  fome  fmall  mite  of 
 chaiity  given  by  their  immediate  anceftors,  v/ith  a  willing  mind, 
 to  a  diflirelTed  brother  for  the  love  of  God.      1  would  by  no  means 
 fay  any  thing  that  fliould  tend  to  the  depreciation  of  the  ft;ricf  ncfs 
 wherevi'ith  the  Jews  obfcrve  their  folemnities  ;  but   I   am  firmly 
 perfuadedit  will  be  by  the  ardent  zeal  with  which  they  will  in  due 
 time  contribute  to  the  comfort  of  theirdiltreifed  brethren,  with  all 
 their  heart  and  all  their  foul,  that  the  returning  favour  of  the  Lord 
 God  of  their  fathers  Vxdll  begin  to  be  manifelted  towards  them. 
 The  Lord  haflen  it ! 
 
 Sudilc?!.     I  fay  Araen,  I  trufl,  with  all  my  heart  and  with  all 
 
 .     my 
 
P^RT  I.  DIALOGUE    VII. 
 
 109 
 
 lYiy  foul.  We  muft  expc6l  thefc  bleflings  upon  Ifrael  to  be  effe£l« 
 ed  by  the  Lord  ;  for  no  man  poifeires  power  or  wifdom  in  himfelf, 
 it  is  *•  the  infpirationof  the  Almighty''  that  **  giveth  them  under- 
 *'  (landing,"  Job  xxxii.  8. 
 
 SEVENTH     DIALOGUE. 
 
 Containing  further  Ohferuaticns  concerning  the  Bar  to  the  Profpcrliy 
 of  Ifrael,  and  how  they  are  to  proceed  In  order  to  its  being  removed—' 
 The  dreadful  Wrath  which  will  he  poured  out  upon  thofe  Nations  that 
 have  oppreffed  and  perfecuted  them  Jhould  induce  us  to  repent  of  the 
 Mif conduct  of  our  Anceflors  towards  them — There  feems  good  Ground 
 to  hope  that  the  fewifh  Sufferings  are  nearly  ended. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  SUDDEN.  . 
 
 Sudden.  'YN  our  laft  converfation  the  fubjeft  which  engaged  our 
 A  attention  was  of  the  greatell  importance  ;  we  were 
 inquiring  what  was  the  bar  to  the  profperity  of  Ifrael.  It  has 
 iince  been  much  upon  my  mind,  and  I  think  that  we  muft  attri- 
 bute this  long  continued  difperfion  of  the  Jev/s  to  the  irrevo- 
 cable DECREE  of  the  God  of  their  fathers.  When  their  ancef- 
 tors  were  in  Egypt  we  find  that  the  time  was  limited:  *'  Know 
 **  of  a  furety,  that  thy  feed  fljall  be  a  itranger  in  a  land  that  is 
 **  not  theirs,  and  fhall  ferve  them,  and  they  fhall  afflidt  them 
 **  400  years  ;  and  alfo  that  nation  whom  they  fi'iall  ferve  will 
 •'*  I  judge,  and  afterwards  fliall  they  come  out  wiih  great  fub- 
 **  fiance,''  Gen.  xv.  13,  14.  "  Bat  in  the  fourth  generation 
 **  they  Ihall  come  up  hither  again  ;  for  the  iniquity  of  ihe 
 "  Amorites  is  not  yet  full,"  Gen.  xv.  16.  They  were  fo- 
 journers  at  firft,  and  were  to  be  afliifted  400  years,  and  obfcrve 
 how  piinclually  this  was  fulrilled,  Exod.  xii.  40,  41.  *'  Now 
 ^*  the  fcijoLirningof  the  children  of  Ifrael  who  dwelt  in  Egypt  was 
 ^*  430  years  ;  and  it  came  to  pafs  at  the  end  of  430  years,  even 
 ^'  the  felf  fame  day  it  came  to  pafs,  that  all  the  hoils  of  the  Lord 
 ^^  went  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt."  The  punilliments  denounced 
 againit  their  difobedience  by  Mofes  were  great  plagues,  and  of 
 long  continuance,  Deut.  xxviii.  59.  They  have  been  fubjecl  to 
 great  plagues,  and  of  long  continuance  ;  but  although  I  fliould 
 aimed  tremble  were  I  to  prefume  to  calculate  the  times,  yet  I 
 think  it  is  evident  from  the  book  of  Daniel  that  there  is  a  fet 
 time  for  the  continuance  of  their  difperfion  and  degradation  as 
 there  v/ac  in  Egypt  ;  if  fo,  we  may  depend  upon  it,  that  no  fooner 
 v/ill  that  day  arrive,  than  there  will  be  a  great  change  take  place, 
 
 as 
 
no 
 
 DIALOGUE     Vir.  Part  I. 
 
 as  there  was  when  their  fathers  were  in  Egypt ;  for  no  fooner  "w^s 
 the  day  arrived  than  the  event  proved  the  (luth  and  preciiion  of 
 the  limitation.  I  was  the  more  confirnacd  in  this  opinion  by  the 
 CQnrideration  that  the  great  change  that  will  take  place  in  the  dif- 
 pofitions  of  the  Jews  ;  the  ardour  with  which  they  will  turn 
 unto  the  Lord  their  God,  and  ferve  him  with  all  their  heart  and  all 
 their  foul,  is  fpoken  of  as  the  aS:  of  the  Lord:  '*  And  the  Lord 
 **  THY  God  will  circumcife  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of  tliy 
 **  feed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with 
 **  all  thy  foul,  that  thou  mayelt  live,"  Deut.  xxx.  6.  And  aguia 
 in  Jer.  xxxi.  31 — 34.  **  Behold  the  days  come,  faith  the  Lord, 
 **  that  I  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  and 
 **  with  the  houfe  of  Ju(!ah,  not  according  to  the  covenant  that  I 
 **  made  with  their  fathers  in  the  day  that  I  took  them  by  the 
 **  hand  to  bring  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  (which  my  cove- 
 •*  nant  they  brake,  although  I  was  an  hufband  unto  them,  faith  the 
 *'  Lord)  but  this  fhall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with  the 
 •'  houfe  of  Ifrael  after  thofe  days,  faith  the  Lord  ;  I  will  put 
 *'  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts,  and 
 **  will  be  their  God,  and  they  fhall  be  my  people  ;  and  they  fliall 
 **  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbour,  and  every  man  his 
 **  brother,  faying,  Know  ye  the  Lord,  for  they  fhall  all  know 
 ""  me,  from  the  lead  of  them  to  the  greateft  of  them,  faith  the 
 **  Lord  ;  for  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  remember 
 **  their  fin  no  more."  See  alfo  Ifaiah  liv.  13.  Jer.  xxxii.  38 — 
 40.  Ezek.  xi.  19,  20.  and  xxxvi.  26,  27.  Mic.  vii.  18 — 20. 
 The  houfe  of  Ifrael  muft  therefore  wait,  and  there  are  great  and 
 gracious  promifes  to  ihofe  who  do  wait  with  a  hrm  faith  upon 
 their  God:  **  I  will  look  unto  the  Lord:  I  will  wait  for  the 
 **  God  of  my  falvation:  miy  God  will  hear  me,"  Micah  vii.  7, 
 O  Ifrael  *'  turn  thou  to  thy  God;  keep  mercy  and  judgment, 
 "  and  wait  on  thy  God  continually,"  Hofea  xii.  6.  The 
 "  Lord  is  good  to  them  that  wait  for  him,  to  the  foul  that 
 **  feeketh  him.  It  is  good  that  a  man  Ihould  both  hope  and 
 *'  quietly  v.ait  for  the  falvation  of  the  Lord,"  Lam.  iii.  25,  26. 
 **  Thou  fhalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  for  they  Ihall  not  be 
 **  aihamed  that  wait  for  me,"  Ifaiah  xlix.  23.  '*  The  Lord  is  a 
 **  God  of  judgment ;  bledcd  are  all  they  that  wait  for  him,"  Ifaiah 
 xxx.  18.  And  he  who  was  honoured  by  being  called  the  man 
 after  God's  own  heart,  feems  above  all  others  to  have  been  confpi- 
 cuous  for  thus  waiting  upon  God:  '*  O,  my  God,  I  truit  in 
 *'  thee  ;  let  me  not  be  aihamed  ;  let  not  my  enemies  triumph 
 ^*  over  me  :  yea,  let  none  that  wait  on  thee  be  aihamed.  Lead 
 *'  me  in  thy  truth,  and  teach  me  ;  for  thou  art  the  God  of  my 
 *'  falvation,  on  thee  do  I  wait  all  the  day,"  Pfal.  xxv.  2, 
 3,  ,5.  **  Be  filent  before  the  Lord,  and  wait  patiently  for  him," 
 Pfal.  xxxxii.  7.  *'  Evil  doers  fhall  be  cut  off,  but  thofe  that 
 **   WAIT  lipon  tlic  Lord  flivdl  inherit  thctaiih,"  ver.  9.     **  Thee 
 
 *'  do 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII.  m 
 
 **  do  I  wait  for,  O  Lord  ;  thou  wilt  anfwer,  O  Lord  my  God," 
 Ffal.  xxxviii.  1,5,  "  And  now,  Lord,  what  wait  I  for  ?  my  hope 
 is  j'lthee,"  Flat,  xxxix.  7.  It  therefore  feems  to  me  that  the 
 hoi-'Tc  oi  Ifracl  cannot  do  better  than  to  follow  the  example  of 
 their  anceltors,  and  in  faith  and  hope  continue  patiently  to  wait 
 upon  their  God. 
 
 Couiious.  I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  almofl;  all  you  have 
 faid,  but  you  will  permit  me  to  make  fome  obfervations.  I  admit 
 that  the  long  contmued  diltrefs  and  difperfion  of  Ifrael  is  to  be 
 attributed  to  the  decree  of  their  God  pronounced  upon  their  dif- 
 obt.dience,  I  admit  that  the  time  in  which  their  anceftors  were 
 a'Flifted  in  Egypt  was  a  limited  .time,  and  that  the  very  day  on 
 which  the  term  expired  they  were  delivered  out  of  Egypt  with  a 
 mightv  hand  and  great  figns  and  wonders  ;  but  there  is  this  mani- 
 feil:  oifFercnce  between  their  depreflion  in  Egypt  and  their  pre- 
 fent  depredion.  That  is  no  where  faid  to  be  on  account  ot  fm 
 or  difobedience,  and  there  is  no  admonition  to  them  to  repent, 
 and  turn  to  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  foul ;  nei- 
 ther ■was  there  any  conditional  promife  to  them  in  Egypt,  as  there 
 is  in  the,  la:  ter  cafe.  The  captivity  in  Babylon  alio  appears  to 
 have  been  for  a  limited  time,  '*  until  the  land  had  enjoyed  hex 
 **  Sabbaths,  e  Chron.  xxxvi.  21.  The  term  of  the  captivity  in 
 Babylon  bears  an  evident  relation  to  the  law  of  the  feventh  year's 
 reft  of  the  land,  v/hich  had  not  been  obferved.  From  the  efta- 
 blillnnent  of  Sa\il  in  the  kingdom  unto  the  deftruftion  of  Solom.on's 
 temple  and  the  commencement  ot  the  captivity,  was  a  period €/f 
 about  ^00  years;  the  fabbatical  years  in  that  period  would  there- 
 fore amount  to  feventy  years,  the  period  of  that  captivity.  The 
 term  they  continued  in  Jerufalem  and  the  Holy  Land,  after  their 
 return  to  the  deftrud ion  of  Jerufalem  by  Titus,  was  a  period  of 
 near  600  years  ;  now  the  fabbatical  years  in  that  period  could  jQot 
 amount  to  near  one  century,  and  yet  their  dil'perfion  has  beeri 
 above  1700  years:  let  us  therefore  inquire  whether  there  is  any 
 good  ground  to  fuppofe  that  the  jews  are  now  bound  do-wn  undeV 
 any  irrevocable  decree  Ci  difpcrlion  and  degradation  for  any  li- 
 mited time.  There  are  Certainly  limited  times  mentioned  in  the 
 book  of  the  prophet  Daniel,  which  will  be  fully  underilood  to 
 the  glory  of  the  Lord  when  the  time  arrives  for  their  accomplifh- 
 ment  j  and  until  that  time  arrives,  the  Jews  I  truft  will  con- 
 tinue to  Ihev/  their  good  fenfe  and  humility  in  abftaining  from 
 prying  into  futurity.  They  know  the  calamities  which  their 
 nation  have  endured  by  milfaken  opinions  in  fuch  myfterious  m.at- 
 ters,  and  they  therefore  are  julUy  jealous  of  every  thing  which 
 looks  that  way  \  and  I  muft  fay  that  I  willi  Chriftians  would  imi- 
 tate them  in  their  moderation,  or  at  leaft  proceed  with  caution 
 and  humility.  If  there  is  any  limited  time,  I  fhould  think  that  it 
 is  a  limited  time  which  affe^fs  the  Gentile  nations.  When  the/ 
 Were  in  Egypt  the  reafon  why  their  return  was  polfponed  to  the 
 
 four:h 
 
lis  DIALOGUE    VIL  Part  I. 
 
 fourth  generation,  was  beca'ife  the  iniquity  of  the  Amorites 
 "was  not  yet  iiiH,  Gen.  xv.  16.  In  like  manner  there  may  now 
 be  feme  fuch  reference  to  the  Gentile  nations.  In  Luke  xxi.  42. 
 our  Saviour  ufcs  tliefc  words  :  "  And  they  fliall  fall  by  the  edge 
 **  of  the  fword,  and  (hall  be  led  away  captive  into  all  nations  ;  and 
 •'  Jcrufalem  fhall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the 
 •*  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled."  The  times  of  the  Gen- 
 tiles, v/hen  they,  like  the  Amorites  of  old,  will  have  filled 
 up  the  meafure  of  their  iniquities,  therefore  feems  to  have  a 
 great  relation  to  the  Jews  ;  and  thefe  times  of  the  Gentiles  feem 
 fixed  and  limited  times.  The  Jews  polfefTed  more  advantages 
 than  other  nations,  and  therefore  their  iniquities  v/ere  lefs  excufa- 
 ble,  and  they  were  puniihed  iirfl ;  but  the  period  of  punilhment 
 will  at  length  arrive,  when  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  will  be  ful- 
 filled, and  then  Jerufalem  Avill  no  longer  be  trodden  down  by  the 
 Gentiles.  It  is  a  moft  awful  fu bjeft,  and  the  books  of  Daniel 
 and  Ezekiel  afford  good  ground  to  us  to  prefume  that  the  prelude 
 to  the  a6lual  approach  of  that  awiul  time  in  which  the  iniquity  of 
 the  Gentiles  will  be  filled  up  (the  times  of  the  Gentiles  become  lul- 
 iilled]  and  the  great  fin  which  will  be  committed  by  them,  and  will 
 make  the  fcale  defcend,  Vv'ill  be  committed  under  the  control  of 
 the  great  enemy  of  truth  and  righteovifneis,  who  will  exceed  Pha- 
 raoh in  wickednefs,  and  will  meet  his  overthrov^^  in  intentional 
 hoftility  towards  the  Jews  after  the  commencement  of  their  return. 
 
 Sudden.  Pray  excufe  my  interrupting  you,  to  inquire  why 
 you  make  ufe  of  the  word  intentional,  and  lay  fuch  anempha- 
 £is  upon  it. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  not  furprifed  at  your  queftion.  Hopes  which 
 caufe  the  heart  to  rejoice  and  exult  cannot  be  exprefibd  without 
 emotion,  and  I  will  notice  it  again  when  we  have  further  confi- 
 dered  this  awful  fubje6l,  viz.  the  connexion  there  is  between  the  de- 
 preilion  of  Ifrael  and  thofe  great  judgments  which  hang  over  the 
 Gentile  nations  in  general,  and  efpecially  the  lifelefs  and  unfruit- 
 ful branches  of  the  Chriilian  church,  and  v/hich  will  moft 
 Tiffuredly  fall  upon  them  when  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  become 
 fulfilled,  Luke  xxi.  24.  and  the  meafure  of  their  iniquities, 
 like  that  of  the  Amorites  of  old,  is  filled  up,  Gen.  xv.  16. 
 
 Sudden.  This  is  a  moft  awful  fubieft  indeed,  and  the  profpe6l 
 fhould  induce  us  moft  ardently  to  feek  to  liee  from  the  wrath  to 
 come,  Matt.  iii.  7. 
 
 Cautious.  The  wrath  to  come  will  be  confpicuoufly  poured  out 
 upon  Edom  and  thofe  nations  who  have  moil  opprelTcd  and  perfc- 
 cuted  the  Jews  :  Pfal.  cxxxvii.  7,  '*  Remember,  O  Lord,  the 
 *'  children  of  Edom  in  the  day  ot  Jerufalern,  who  faid,  Rafe  it, 
 *'  rafe  it,  even  to  the  foundations  thereof."  Woe  unto  that  man 
 that  delighteth  in  the  inifery  of  his  relations  ;  this  Edom  did  in 
 the  day  of  Jerufalem,  theretore  alfo  his  turn  will  come  :  and 
 **  Edom  fhall  be  a  defolation  j    eveiy  one  that  goeth  by  it  fiiallbe 
 
 ♦'  ailonilhed, 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII. 
 
 113 
 
 **  aftoniffied,  and  fhall  hifs  at  all  the  plagues  thereof,"  Jer.  xlix. 
 17.  **  Thus  faith  the  Lord  God,  becaufe  that  Edom  hath  dealt 
 *'  againft  the  houfe  of  Judah,  by  taking  vengeance,  and  hath 
 **  greatly  offended  and  revenged  himfelf  upon  them  ;  therefore 
 **  thus  faith  the  Lord  God,  I  will  alfo  ftretch  out  mine  hand 
 "  upon  Edom,  and  will  cut  off  man  and  beaif  from  it,  and  I  will 
 *'  make  it  defolate,"  Ezek.  xxv.  12,  13,  <*  Edom  Hiall  be  a 
 **  defolate  wildernefs  for  their  violence  againft  the  children  of 
 **  Judah,"  Joel  iii.  19.  But  it  is  in  the  book  of  the  prophet 
 Obadiah  that  the  bloody  malice  of  the  Edomitcs  againft  the  Jews 
 is  moft  fully  fet  forth:  "  For  thy  violence  againft  thy  brother 
 **  Jacob  fhame  (hall  cover  thee,  and  thou  ftialt  be  cut  off  for  ever. 
 *'  In  the  day  that  thou  ftoodeft  on  the  other  fide,  in  the  day  that 
 **  the  ftrangers  carried  away  captive  his  forces,  and  foreigners 
 **  entered  into  his  gates,  and  call  lots  upon  Jerufalem,  even  thou 
 **  waft  as  one  of  them  :  but  thou  fhouldeft  not  have  looked  on  the 
 *'  day  of  thy  brother  in  the  day  that  he  became  a  ftranger  ;  nei- 
 "  ther  fhouldeft  thou  have  rejoiced  over  the  children  of  Judah  in 
 "  the  day  of  their  deftru6lion  ;  neither  fhouldeff  thou  have  fpoken 
 •"  proudly  in  the  day  of  diftrefs.  Thou  fliouldeil  not  have  enter- 
 *'  ed  into  the  gate  of  my  people  in  the  day  of  their  calamity  ;  yea, 
 "  thou  fliouldeft  not  have  looked  on  their  afiiidlion  in  the  day  of 
 **  their  calamity,  nor  have  laid  hands  on  their  fubftance  in  the 
 '*  day  of  their  calamity  ;  neither  fhouldeft  thou  have  Ifood  in  the 
 **  crofs-v/ay,  to  cut  off  thofe  of  his  that  did  efcape ;  neither 
 "  fhouldeft  thou  have  delivered  up  thofe  of  his  that  did  remain 
 **  in  the  day  of  diftrefs :  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  near  upon 
 **  all  the  heathen  ;  as  thou  haft  done  it  fliall  be  done  imto  thee  ; 
 *'  thy  reward  ftiall  return  upon  thine  own  head  :  for  as  ye  have 
 *'  drunk  upon  my  holy  mountain,  fo  fhall  all  the  heathen  drink 
 **  continually  ;  yea,  they  fhall  drink,  and  they  fhail  fwallow 
 *'  down,  and  they  fliall  be  as  though  they  had  not  been,"  Obad. 
 10 — iO.  .  When  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  fhall  be  fulfilled; 
 when  the  iniqri'y  of  the  Gentile  nations  fhall  be  (like  the 
 Amoritcs)  filled  up  by  afting  under  the  control  of  the  great 
 enemy,  with  AiM  intention  of  hostility  toavards 
 THE  Jews,  after  their  return:  "  Then  v/ill  thj  Lord  go 
 forth  and  fight  againft  thofe  nations,  as  when  he  fought  in  the 
 ''  day  of  battle,"  Zech.  xiv.  iii.  "  And  this  fluftl  be  the 
 *'  plague  wherewith  the  Lord  will  fm/ite  all  the  people  that  have 
 ''  fought  againft  Jerufalem ;  their  fiefli  fliall  confume  away 
 ''  while  they  ftand  upon  their  feet,  and  their  cyes'fhali  confume 
 **  away  in  their  holes,  and  their  tongue  fliall  confume  away  in 
 **  their  mouth  ;  audit  ihall  come  to  pafs  in  that  day,  that  a  great 
 *<  tumult  from  the  Lord  fliall  be  among  them,  and  thcv  fliall  lav 
 "  hold  every  one  on  the  hand  of  his  neighbour,  and  his  hand  fhall 
 **  rife  up  againft  the  hand  of  his  neighbour,  and  Judah  fliall  alfo 
 '*  fight  at  Jerufalem,  and  the  v/calih  of  all  the  heatlien  round 
 "  about  fliall  be  gathered  together,  gold,  and  filvcr,  and  apparel, 
 
 Q  -    in 
 
114 
 
 D  I  A   L  O  (i  U  E     VII.  Part  1. 
 
 "  in  abundance  ;  and  fo  Hiall  hi-  the  plague  of  the  horfc,  of  the 
 "  mule,  of  the  camel,  and  of  the  afs,  and  of  all  the  beails  that 
 **  fhall  be  in  their  tents,  as  this  plague  ;  and  it  ihall  come  to 
 **  pafs,  that  every  Qne  that  is  left  ot  all  the  nations  which  came 
 **  againfl:  Jerufalem  Ihall  even  go  up  from  year  to  year  to  wor- 
 "  fhip  the  King,  the  Lord  of  Hofts,  and  to  keep  the  feaft  of  taber- 
 *'  nacles  ;  and  it  (liall  be  that  whofo  will  not  come  up  of  all  the 
 <*  families  of  the  earth  unio  Jerufalem  to  worlhip  the  King,  the 
 *'  Lord  of  Holts,  even  upon  them  Ihall  be  no  rain  ;  and  if  the  fa- 
 *'  mily  of  Egypt  go  not  up,  and  come  not,  that  have  no  rain, 
 "  there  fhall  be  the  plague  wherewith  the  Lord  will  fmite  the 
 **  heathen  that  come  not  up  to  keep  the  feall:  ot  tabernacles  ;  this 
 "  fliall  be  the  punifhment  of  Egypt,  and  the  puniHiment  of  all 
 **  nations  that  come  not  up  to  keep  the  fealt  of  tabernacles," 
 Zech.  xiv.  12 — 19. 
 
 "  I  will  contend  with  him  that  contcndeth  with  thee,  and  I 
 *'  will  fave  thy  children  ;  and  I  will  feed  themi  that  opprefs  thee 
 *<  with  their  own  flelb,  and  they  Ihall  be  drunken  with  their  owa 
 *'  blood  as  with  fweet  vv-ine  ;  and  all  iielh  fhall  know  that  I  the 
 **  Lord  am  thy  Saviour  and  thy  Redeemer,  the  mighty  one  of 
 **  Jacob,"  Ifaiah  xlix.  2,3,  26.  **  Behold,  at  that  time  I  will 
 "  undo  all  that  affli6l  thee,"'  Zeph.  iii.  19.  "  Thus  faith  the 
 *'  Lord,  when  I  fliall  have  gathered  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  from  the 
 "  people  among  whom  they  are  fcattered,  and  ihall  be  fandlified 
 *'  in  them  in  the  fight  of  the  heathen,  then  iliall  they  dwell  in 
 "  their  land  that  I  have  given  to  my  fervant  Jacob  ;  and  they 
 *'  fliall  dwell  fafclv  therciii,  and  lliall  build  houfes,  and  plant 
 "  vineyards  ;  vea,  they  Ihall  dv/ell  with  confidence,  when  I 
 "  have  executed  iudgments  upon  all  thofe  that  despise  them 
 "  round  about  them,  and  they  Ihall  kuijw  that  I  am  the  Lord 
 "  their  God,"   Ezck.  xxviii.  2j,  126. 
 
 Experience  fiiew's  that  it  is  an  awful  thing  for  any  nation  to 
 a£f  with  hoftility  againft  the  Jews  without  a  commiilion  trom 
 the  Lord  God  of  Ifratl  ;  and  where  there  is  fuch  a  commiliion, 
 the  leaft  excefs  committed  in  the  execution  ot  it  is  fure  to 
 bring dowqi  heavy  judgments.  When  Sennacherib,  \'ng  of  AlYy- 
 ria,  warred  againlf  Hezekiah  and  Jerufalem,  "  The  angel  of  the 
 "  Lord  went  out  and  fmote  in  the  camp  of  the  Aifyrians  an  hun- 
 "  dred  and  fourfcore  and  five  thoufand,"  (2  Kings  xix.  35.)  be- 
 caufe  he  had  no  commiilion,  and  blafphemed  the  name  ot  the 
 Lord  ;  and  thofe  who  had  a  commiilion  againfl  them  for  their 
 puniihment,  generally  were  viiited  with  calamity  in  their  turn  : 
 "  It  (hall  come  to  p'^fs  that  w^hen  the  Lord  hath  performed  his 
 *'  whole  work  upon  Mount  Zion  and  on  Jerufalem,  I  will  punilh 
 *'  the  fruit  of  the  ftout  heart  of  the  king  of  Ailyria,  and  the  glory 
 *(  of  his  high  looks  ;  for  he  faith,  by  the  Ifrength  of  my  hand  I 
 "  have  done  it,  and  by  my  wifdom,  for  I  am  prudent,"  Ifaiah  x. 
 12,  13.     "  Shall   the    axe    bouil   itfelf  againlt   him   that   heweth 
 
 "   therewith  ? 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII.  115 
 
 ''  therewith  r  or  fhall  the  faw  magnify  itfelf  againft  him  that 
 '  fliaketh  it  r  as  if  the  rod  fliould  ihake  itfelf  againft  them  that 
 ■*'  lift  it  up,  or  as  if  the  ftafF  Ihould  lift  up  itfelf  as  if  it  were  no 
 "  wood,"  Ifaiah  x.  1,5.  You  will  find  that  Nebuchadnezzar 
 had  a  peculiar  commiHion  againft  the  Jews,  which  he  executed 
 upon  Jerufalcm,  the  people,  and  the  temple  ;  but  he  was  not 
 without  calamity,  for  his  heart  being  lift  up  with  pride  his 
 kingdom  departed  from  him  for  a  feafon,  Dan.  iv,  28 — 33.  The 
 Jews,  notwithilanding  their  afflictions,  are  itill  preferved  a  diftincSt 
 people,  but  where  is  the  empire  of  Aifyria  ?  Where  is  the  empire 
 of  the  Babylonians  ?  What  is  become  of  their  capitals  ?  Diflblv- 
 ed  like  the  bafelefs  fabrick  of  a  vifion.  The  miferable  end  of 
 Antiochus  (2  Maccab.  ix,  4 — 29.)  is  a  warning  to  all  men  how. 
 they  indulge  holHlity  towards  the  Jews:  "  Thus  faith  the 
 **  Lord  of  Hods,  I  am  jealous  for  Jerufalem  and  for  Zion,  with 
 *'  a  great  jealoufy;  and  I  am  xery  fore  difpleafed  with  the  hea- 
 **  then  that  are  at  eafe  :  for  I  was  but  a  little  difpleafed,  and  they 
 "  helped  forward  the  affliction,"  Zech.  i.  14,15.  "  Sit  thou  filent, 
 *'  and  get  thee  into  darknefs,  O  daughter  of  the  Chaldeans  ;  for 
 "  thoji  flialt  no  more  be  called  the  lady  of  kingdoms.  I  was 
 "  wroth  with  my  people,  I  have  polluted  my  inheritance,  and 
 **  given  them  into  thine  hand  ;  thou  didft  fliew  them  no  mercy  ; 
 *'  upon  the  ancient  thou  haft  very  heavily  laid  thy  yoke,"  Ifaiah 
 xlvii.  5,  6.  "  Thus  (iiith  the  Lord,  If"rael  is  my  fon,  even  my 
 *^  firft  born,"  Exod.  iv.  22.  "  He  that  toucheth  you  toucheth 
 "  the  apple  of  his  eye,"  Zech.  ii.  8.  The  Edomites  were  re- 
 lations to  the  Jews,  and  could  ftiew  no  commilTion  againft  them  ; 
 and  pray  what  commilTion  can  either  Chriftians  or  Mahometans 
 fliev/  to  juftify  the  hoftility  and  hatred  they  have  in  former  times 
 exerted  tow^ards  the  Jews. 
 
 Suf^den.  Certainly,  ihcy  cannot  fnev,^  any  commiftion,  and  the 
 Chriftians  in  particular  have  acfed  in  direct  hoftility  to  their  re- 
 ligion in  tvcrv  a£l  of  cruelty  and  opprelFion  they  have  been  guilty 
 of  towards  the  Jews ;  and  one  would  think  that  the  malice  of 
 Edom  towards  Ifrael  was  fo  particularly  recorded  by  Obadiah,  to 
 convi6f  the  Chriitians  ;  for  the  ground  of  tlieir  mifconducf  towards 
 Ifrael  proceeded  from  malice  and  hatred,  and  I  fear  that  the  ma- 
 lice and  hatred  of  Chriftians  in  former  ti)7nes  towards  the  Jews 
 have  exceeded  the  malice  and  hatred  of  the  Edomites  towards 
 them. 
 
 Cautious.  Therefore  v.'ill  the  fufferings  of  thofe  A\'ho  do  not 
 repent  of  thcfe  things  be  like  the  fufferings  of  the  Edomites  when 
 the  times  of  the  Gentiles  are  fulfilled  ;  but  let  us  not  confine  our 
 contemplation  to  the  awful  part  of  the  picture;  there  will  be 
 thofe  v/ho  will  flee  from  and  efcape  the  wrath  to  come  ;  and  who 
 will  thcfe  be  but  thofe  who  are  friendly  towards  the  Jews,  who 
 fear  and  worftiip  the  only  true  God,  the  God  of  Abraham  and  Ifaac 
 and  Jacob,  and  who  will  confider  it  their  honour  to  go  up  from 
 
 year 
 
ii6  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  I 
 
 year  to  year  to  worfhip  the  King,  the  Lord  of  Hofts,  and  to  keep 
 the  feait  ot"  tabernacles,  Zech.  xiv.  16. 
 
 Sudden.  From  this  profpedl  we  may  conclude  that  the  return 
 of  Ifrael  to  ihcir  own  land,  and  their  elbblilhment  therein,  as  the 
 pe>.uliar  people  of  God,  will  be  more  glorioufly  conrpicuoiis 
 than  their  deliverance  out  oi  Egypt,  and  that  they  will  then  fee 
 that  they  were  feparated  from  the  reif  of  mankind,  not  only  for 
 their  own  honour  and  advantage,  but  for  the  good  of  all  mankind. 
 
 Cautions.  Undoubtedly  it  will  be  fo  when  the  great  prophecies 
 which  concern  their  return  (a  few  only  of  which  we  have  noticed) 
 come  to  be  accompliJlied.  Their  deliverance  out  ot  Egypt  was 
 only  out  of  one  country,  but  their  now  expelled  deliverance  and 
 emigration  vv^ill  be  from  every  part  of  the  world,  and  confe- 
 quently  much  more  confpicuous.  In  faft,  the  efFett  intended  to 
 be  produced  upon  all  nations  by  their  deliverance  out  of  Egypt 
 was  fpoiled  by  their  dilobedience,  and  thereiore  they  are  pu- 
 niihed  and  fcattered  into  all  nations,  and  mult  adt  the  part  de- 
 figned  for  them  over  again:  and  the  manifeft  interferen>-e  ct  the 
 Lord  their  God  in  their  behalf,  by  the  molt  awtul  puniihirient  of 
 their  opprciTors  and  enemies,  will  operate  to  the  converfion  of 
 all  the  reft  of  mankind,  to  the  fear  and  worfhip  ot  the  Lord  God 
 ot  Abraham  and  Ifaac  and  Jacob,  the  cnly  true  G''d, 
 
 Sudden.  Weil  then,  to  return  to  the  point  under  confideration, 
 I  think  you  agree  with  me  that  the  Jews  cannot  do  better  than 
 patiently  to  wait  upon  their  God  ;  and  I  may  add,  that  the  beft  way 
 for  Chriftians  is  to  repent  of  the  cruel  ails  of  their  anceltors 
 towards  the  Jews,  and  by  a  kind  and  refpedlfui  behaviour  to- 
 v/ards  them,  to  Ihew  the  Jews  that  they  abhor  fuch  atfions : 
 '*  Remember  me,  O  Lord,  with  the  favour  that  rhou  bearell  unto 
 *'  thy  people.  O  vilit  me  with  thy  fahation,  that  I  may  fee  the 
 **  good  ot  thy  chofen,  that  I  may  rejoice  in  the  gladnefs  of  thy 
 **  nation,  that  I  may  glory   with  thine  inheritance,"    Pfal.  cvi. 
 
 4--  5- 
 
 Cautious.  If  it  were  to  be  eftablifhed,  that  the  Jews  were 
 bound  down  under  an  inefiicible  and  irreveriible  deciee,  fo  that 
 their  profperity  could  not  commence  betore  a  given  day  :  if  it 
 were  impoffible  that  they  could  return  unto  the  Lord  with  all 
 their  heart,  and  all  their  foul,  until  the  accomplilhment  of  that 
 promife  which  you  quoted  from  Jeremiah "xxxi.  31 — 34.  there 
 xnight  be  reafon  to  fay  that  they  cannot  do  better  than  merely  to 
 wait  patiently.  But  although  we  know  that  the  plagues  to  be  en- 
 dured by  Ifrael,  were  to  be  great  plagues  and  of  long  continuance, 
 yet  are  we  no  where  told  that  they  are  limited  to  a  prccil'e  day, 
 as  in  the  inftance  of  their  oppreilion  in  Egypt  and  Babylon.  It  is 
 true  there  are  times  fpecified  in  Daniel,  but  the  paiiages  do  not  go 
 to  the  extent  to  fay,  that  Ifrael  must  be  inmi.fery  and  degradation 
 until  the  expiration  of  thofe  times.  Our  Saviour's  words  alfo  by 
 no  means  imply  fo  much  :    *'  Jerufalcm  fliall  be  trodden  down  of 
 
 "  the 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII.  117 
 
 **  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled,  "  Luke 
 xxi.  24.  But  is  there  no  ftep,  no  gradation,  no  difference  beween 
 the  Jews  being  in  their  prefent  ftate,  and  in  full  polfellion  ot  their 
 capitill  and  country.  Is  not  the  prefent  fituation  of  the  jews  great- 
 ly better,  than  it  was  in  the  days  of  Adrian,  or  even  than  it  was  in 
 the  time  of  thecrufadcs  ?  As  there  hath  been,  by  the  mercy  and 
 goodnefs  of  the  God  of  their  fathers  towards  then^,  a  great  abate- 
 ment of  that  virulence  of  malace  and  hatred  wherewith  they  were 
 formerly  perfecuted,  fo  there  may  be  a  great  change  yet  for  the 
 better  am.ong  them.  It  is  the  difgrace  ot  fome  fedts  and  parties 
 among  Chriltians,  that  by  their  doclrines  they  confider  men  as 
 mere  machines,  who  have  no  more  a  will  ot  their  own  in  religious 
 fervices,  than  the  milhtone  hath  in  grinding  the  corn  ;  but  no  fuch 
 doclrine  will  be  found  either  in  the  Old  or  New  Teftament.  If 
 fuch  a  change  in  their  difpoiitions  were  to  be  v/rcight  in  them 
 by  the  Lord,  without  their  own  will  being  in  any  wife  concerned, 
 why  iliould  the  Jews  have  endured  fuch  long,  extended,  and  com- 
 plicated calamities  ?  Might  not  the  Jews,  whilfi:  in  the  a6t  of  wor- 
 Ihipping  the  golden  calf,  have  been  thuschanged,  andinltantly  have 
 been  converted  and  new  moulded  byfovereign  grace  ;  but  this  is  not 
 the  way'the  Lord  God  ot  Ifrael  converts  his  people,  they  arepu- 
 nifhed  and  tried,  and  the  way  they  will  be  thus  moulded,  and  the 
 ftony  heart  removed,  is  by  calling  to  mind  (by  experience)  the 
 blelhngs  and  the  curfes  they  and  their  fathers  have  endured,  and 
 by  returning  unto  the  Lord,  and  by  obeying  his  voice  ;  by  heark- 
 ening diligently  unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord  their  God,  and  obferving 
 all  his  comitaandments  with  all  their  heart,  and  with  all  their  foul  ; 
 by  conteifing  their  iniquity,  and  the  iniquity  of  tiieir  fathers,  and 
 the  trefpafs  which  they  have  trefpaffed  againft  their  God  ;  by  con- 
 teffing  that  they  have  v/alked  contrary  to  him,  and  alfo  that  he 
 hath  walked  contrary  to  them,  and  that  it  is  he  that  hath  brought 
 them  into  the  land  of  their  enemies,  and  hath  difperfed  them.  It 
 is  by  deep  contrition  for  thefe  things,  and  by  humbling  their 
 uncircumcifed  hearts,  and  accepting  the  punifhment  of  their  ini- 
 quities, and  acknowledging  the  jultice  and  righteoufnefs  of  that 
 fentence,  under  which  they  have  fuffered.  It  is  in  this  way  that 
 the  Lord  will  circumcife  their  hearts,  and  the  heart  of  their  feed, 
 to  love  him  with  all  their  heart  and  with  all  their  foul,  Deut. 
 XXX.  1 — 10.  Levit,  xxvi.  40 — 42.  Pray  turn  to  the  36th  chap, 
 of  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  and  you  will  find  that  the  returning  favour, 
 and  re-eltabliihment  of  Ifrael  in  their  own  land,  is  as  it  were 
 haftencd  by  the  malignity  of  the  enemy.  The  enemy  is  defcribed 
 as  exultingly  exclaiming,  "  Aha  !  even  the  ancient  high- places  are 
 •"  ours  in  polleflion,"  Ezek.  xxxvi.  2.  You  will  do  well  tore- 
 member  that  moil  aitonilhing  deliverance  of  the  Jews,  in  the  days 
 of  good  King  Hczekiah,  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Alfyrians,  2  Kings 
 xviii.  xix.  and  obferve  that  it  is  immediately  preceded  by  a  fimilar 
 vaunting  i  '^  Then  Rablhakch  Hood  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice 
 
 ''  in 
 
ji8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VII.  Past  }, 
 
 **  in  the  Jews  language,  and  Tpake,  faying,  Hear  the  word  of 
 **  the  great  king,  the  king  of  AlF)  ria  :  thus  faith  the  king,  Let  not 
 **  Hezekiah  deceive  you  ;  for  he  jhali  not  be  able  to  deliver  you  out 
 *'  of  his  hand:  neither  let  Hezckiah  make  you  trnit  in  the  Lord, 
 *<  faying,  the  Lord  will  furely  deliver  us,  and  this  city  (hall  not 
 *<  be  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Alfyria  ;  hearken  not 
 "  to  Hezekiah  ;  for  thus  faith  the  king  of  Ailyria,  make  an  agree- 
 "  ment  with  me  by  a  prefcnt,  and  come  out  to  me,  and  then  eat 
 *'  ye  every  man  of  his  own  vine,  and  every  one  of  his  fig  tree, and 
 **  drink  ye  every  one  the  waters  of  his  ciilern  :  until  I  come  and 
 *'  take  you  away  to  a  land  like  your  own  land,  a  land  of  corn  ai^id 
 **  wine,  aland  of  bread  and  vineyards,  a  land  of  oil  olive  and  of  ho- 
 **  ney,  that  ye  may  live,  and  not  die  :  and  hearken  not  unto  Heze- 
 **  kiah,  when  he  perfuadeth  you,  faying,  The  Lord  will  Jl liver  us: 
 **  hath  any  of  the  gods  of  the  nations  delivered  at  all  his  land  out 
 "  ofthehandofthekingof  Ailyria?  Where  arethegodsofHamath, 
 "  and  of  Arpad  ?  where  are  the  gods  of  Sepharvaim,  Hena,  and 
 **  Ivah  ?  have  they  delivered  Samaria  out  of  mine  hand  ?  Who 
 **  are  they  among  all  the  gods  ot  the  countries,  that  have  delivered 
 •*  their  country  o\it  of  mine  hand,  that  the  Lord  fhould  deliver 
 *'  Jerufalem  out  of  mine  hand?"  2  Kings  xviii.  28 — 3,5.  This 
 Taunting  of  the  Affyrianis  followed  by  the  mourning  of  Hezekiah  ; 
 all  his  truft  is  in  ihe  Lord,  and  by  the  mouth  of  Ifaiah  the  pro- 
 phet he  is  comforted  :  Thus  faith  the  Lord,  be  not  afraid  of  the 
 '  words  which  thou  ha fl  heard,  with  which  the  fervants  of  the 
 '  king  of  Aifyria  have  blafphemed  mc  ;  behold,  I  will  fend  a 
 *■  blart  upon  him,  and  he  fhall  hear  a  rumour,  and  Ihall  return 
 '  to  his  own  land,  and  I  will  caufe  him  to  fall  by  the  fwofd 
 '  in  his  own  land,"  2  Kings  xix.  6,  7,  Tlii's  encouraged,  Avhen 
 le  receives  the   blalphenious    letter  nolired  in    \ \  1^.  he  "   went 
 
 *  up  into  the  houfe  of  the  Lord,  and  fpread  it  before  the  Lord  ; 
 '  and  Hezekiah  pr:i)ed  before  the  Lord,  and  faid,  O  Lord  God 
 '   of  Ifrael,    v/lnch  dv.tUelt   between   the  chenibinis,   thou    art 
 
 *  the  God,  c\en  thou  alor.e,  ot  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  ; 
 '   thou  hah  made  hea\  en  and  earth  :    Lord,  bow  down  thine  ear, 
 
 *  and  hear  ;    open,     Lord,    tiiine   eyes,   and  fee  ;  and   hear   the 
 
 *  words  of  Sennacherib,  which  hath  fent  him  to  reproach  the 
 '   living  God.     Ofatnitli,    Lord,   iIk-  kings  of  Aifyria  have   de- 
 
 '   flroved  the  nations  and  their  lands  ;     and  ha\e  caft  their  gods  , 
 
 '  into  the  fire  :  for   they   were   no  gods,  but  the  work  of  men's 
 
 '   hands,    wood  and  ftone  :   therefore  they  have  deftroyed  them. 
 
 '   Nov/     therefore,    O     Lord   our  God,     I  befeech    thee,    fave 
 
 '  thou  )is  out  of  his  hand,   that  all    the   kingdoms  of  the    earth 
 
 '   may   know   that    thou    art    tlie    J^ord   God,   even  thou   only," 
 
 Kings  xix.  14 — 19.     He  then  receives   the  fecond   confolitary 
 
 mellage  from  the    propliet    Ifaiah,   and   that    night  the  angel    of 
 
 the  Lord   fmote    "  an   hundred  fourfcore    and   h\'e  thoufand"    in 
 
 the  camp    of   the   AllVrians  !   2  Kings  xix.  3,5.      1 1    is  an    awful 
 
 thins; 
 
^ART  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E       VI!.  119 
 
 thing  to  provoke  the  wrath  of  tlie  Lord  God  of  Ifracl,  for  he  is 
 the  only  true  God!  In  like  manner  the  fame  evil  difpoiltions  in 
 the  Gentile  nations,  in  time  to  come,  -when  their  iniquities  are. 
 full  aiid  their  tin-ie  expired,  i'Gen.  xv.  16.  Luke  xxi.  24.)  will 
 bring  down  the  divine  \  engeance  upon  them,  and  operate  to- 
 ■wards  the  deVueranre  oi  IlVviel,  and  their  reitoration  to  profpcritv 
 and  bleilednefs  ;  tor  you  will  nnd  that  the  remainder  of  the  36th 
 vhapter  of  EzekieJ  coiitains  ample  information,  that  all  the 
 bL-)lings  that  will  come  upon  liVael  will  be  freely  beftowed  bj 
 tb.e  Lord  upon  them.  He  will  fprinkle  clean  water  upon  them 
 ai>d  they  fhall  be  clean  :  '^  A  new  lieart  alio  will  I  give  you, 
 *''  and  a  new  fpirit  will  I  put  within  you  :  and  I  v/iU  take  away 
 ^'  the  flony  heart  out  of  )  our  llelli,  and  I  v/ill  give  you  an  heart 
 ■"^  offlelh:  and  I  will  put  my  fpirit  within  you,  andcaufe  you  to 
 *'^  walk  in  my  llatutes,  and  ve  iiiall  keep  my  judgments,  and  do 
 "■  them  ;  and  ye  iiiall  dwell  in  the  land  that  I  gave  to  your 
 *'  fathers;  and  ye  j'iiall  be  m\-  people,  and  I  will  be  your  God. 
 "  I  will  alio  fave  you  from  all  \  our  uiicleanneires :  and  I  will 
 ■"  call  for  the  corn,  and  will  increafe  it,  and  lay  rio  famine  upun 
 "■  ycMi  ;  and  I  will  multipl\  ihe  fruit  ot  the  tree,  and  the  increafc 
 **  of  the  field,  tliat  ye  Oiall  receive  no  more  reproach  of  famine 
 "'  among  the  heathen/'  Ezek.  wxvi.  2,5 — 30.  And  left  they  Ihouid 
 think  that  any  part  of  this  bleilednefs  was  the  refult  of  their 
 merat-and  notof  Gtjd's  faec  p;r;-»ce,  ir  fa^mediately  is  added,  "  Then 
 "  lliulln"  remember  your  ov>'n  evil  ^■vays,  and  your  doings  that 
 •"  were  jiot  good,  and  (hall  lothe  )"oiirfelves  in  your  own  fighl 
 "  for  your  iniquities  and  tor  ^()!!r  abominations:  not  for  your 
 "  fakes  do  I  this,  iaith  the  Lord  God,  be  it  known  unto  you: 
 ^'  be  alhamed  and  confounded  for  your  own  ways,  O  houfe  of 
 ■*'  Ifrael,"  Ezek.  xxKvi-  31,  32.  And  to  guard  them  front 
 drawing  that  miftaken  concluilon  which  I.  ha\'e  been  noticing, 
 that  they  may  not  be  induced  to  itdd  their  arms  and  fay,  *'  If  all 
 *'  the  blelTednels  ^v'c  are  to  enjoy  is  to  be  eifedled  by  the  Lord 
 •"  our  God  ;  if  it  is  he  tliat  is  to  give  us  a  ntW  heart,  and  a  new 
 "  fpirit,  and  takeaway  the  (iony  heart  out  of  our  flefli  ;  w^c  can 
 "  do  nothing,  but  wait  and  be  as  paliive  as  the  clay  in  the  hand  of 
 ""  (he  potter  ;"  it  is  im.mediatcly  added,  "Thus  faith  the  Lord  God, 
 "  I  vvill  yet  FOR  THIS  BE  INQUIRED  OF  by  the  houfe  of  Ifrael, 
 "  'lo  DO  IT  FOR  THEM,"  Ezck.  xx\vi,37.  They  are  therefore 
 recpiired  not  only  to  wait  jxiiiently,  but  to  pray  ardently,  and  to 
 walk  in  ti'.e  wa)-  of  rtj3CP.'ancc  and  reformation  which  he  has  io 
 ampl}  pointed  out  to  tirem. 
 
 iSuildsn.  I  am  perfediv  fatisHed  tl'.at  it  will  be. in  this  way 
 that  the  Lord  will  turn  the  h.eavts  of  Ifrael. 
 
 Cautious.  The  puniinnieitts  denounced  againft  the  Jews, 
 are  conditional  and  progreifiv'e  punilliments.  ^-*ray  turn  to 
 Le\il.     \\\i.    14.     from    the    i^lh    to  tlie    17th    verfe   there   are 
 
 dieadiul 
 
|20  DIALOGUE     ViL  Part  I. 
 
 dreadful  punirnmenis  denounced  againfi:  their  difobedience;  and 
 then  in  the  i8th  verfe  it  is  added,  "  And  if  ye  will  not  for  all 
 **  this  hearken  unto  me,  then  I  will  punllh  you  feven  times 
 **  more  for  your  fins."  The  additional  puniihments  are  fpeci- 
 fied  ;  and  then  in  the  sifl  verfe,  '*  and  if  ye  walk  contrary  unto 
 **  me,  and  will  not  hearken  unto  me,  I  will  bring  feven  times 
 **  more  plagues  upon  you  according  to  your  fins  ;"  and  fo  again 
 in  the  23d  and  27th  verfes  :  fo  that  it  is  manifeft.  that  all  the  pu- 
 nifliments  denounced  againft  Ifrael,  are  not,  only  punifhments 
 for  fin,  but  that  mercy  is  blended  with  judgment  towards  them, 
 inafmuch  as  every  ftroke  is  intended  to  produce  reformation  in 
 them.  If  they  were  bound  down  and  had  no  power  to  turn  unto 
 the  Lord,  would  there  be  any  promifes  to  them  that  they  fhall 
 be  reftorcd  to  the  tender  mercies  of  their  God,  on  their  turning 
 unto  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart,  and  with  all  their  foul  ? 
 The  Lord  God  of  Ifrael. doth  not  thus  mock  his  creatures;  it 
 is  only  the  heathen  aboniintion  of  fate,  which  hath  been  grafted 
 into  the  religion  of  Mahomet,  and  hath  been  cultivated  by  fome 
 fefts  of  Chriltians,  that  can  reprefent  a  Deity  fliutting  up  his 
 creatures  in  a  prifon,  bound  hand  and  foot,  and  then  fetting  fire 
 to  the  building,  and  mocking  them  by  crying  out  to  them,  "  Why 
 '*  will  ye  perilh,  why  Avill  ye  be  burnt." 
 
 Sudden.  Certainly  every  exhortation  to  obedience  or  repent- 
 ance, every  admonition  to  iiec  from  the  wrath  to  com.e,  implies 
 that  the  perfon  thus  admoniflicd,  cither  poffcfles  power,  or  may 
 acquire  the  pofieffion  of  power,  to  do  that  to  which  they  are 
 thus  exhorted. 
 
 Cautious.  Yourdlfiindlion  betv/een  pofTcfling  power,  and  pof- 
 felling  ability  to  acquire  povrer,  is  a  very  juft  diitinclion,  and 
 ■will  illuftrate  the  fubjeft.  The  hulbandman  is  blefied  with 
 health  and  ilrength  to  hold  the  plough,  they  are  the  gifts  of  God 
 unto  him.  He  pOifeircs  knowledge  of  agriculture,  he  hath  ac- 
 quired it  by  experience  through  God's  bleffing.  He  poliefies 
 good  ground,  and  oxen  firong  for  labour,  by  the  gift  ot  God's 
 good  providence.  He  ploughs  and  fows,  and  then  can  do  no  more  ; 
 he  muit  fiiill  depend  upon  God's  blelling  :  for  it  is  God  that  giveth 
 the  incrcafe.  But  fuppofe  that  he  hath  more  ability  given  him,  an 
 infallible  prefcription,  .which  fliall  without  doubt  infure  him  an 
 abundant  crop.  In  that  cafe  an  abundant  crop  is  in  his  pov/er. 
 The  Jews  poirdTed  this  infallible  prefcription  ;  an  abfolute  pro- 
 mife  from  him  who  alone  can  give  the  increafc,  that  l-e  would 
 give  them  abundant  crops  on  certain  conditions,  viz.  obedience 
 to  his  law,  and  efpecially  obedience  to  the  conditions,  the  pro- 
 vifoes  contained  in  the  grant  whereby  they  polfelTed  the  land  they 
 cultivated  ;  the  pavm.ent  of  their  tithes,  and  the  obfervancc 
 of  the  land's  fabbath  of  reft  :  **  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the 
 '*  ftorehoufe,  that  there  may  be  meat  in  mine  houfe,  and  prove 
 '^*  ^.i.  Ko  V,'  HER  fiVviTH,  faith  the  Lord  of  Holls,  if  I  will  not  open 
 
 '*  you 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII. 
 
 ■I2.t 
 
 you  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  you  out  a  blefTing,  that 
 there  fliall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it ;  and  I  will  re- 
 buke the  devourer  for  your  fakes,  and  he  fliall  not  deftroy  the 
 fruits  ot  your  ground  ;  neither  lliall  your  vine  call  her  fruit 
 before  the  time  in  the  field,  faith  the  Lord  of  Hofts.  And 
 ail  nations  (hall  call  you  blelfed  :  for  ye  Ihall  be  a  delightfome 
 land,  faith  the  Lord  of  Hoils,"  Mai.  iii.  lo — 12.  But 
 this  is  but  a  fniall  part  ot  the  blelling  attached  to  Jewifh  obedi- 
 ence ;  for  by  thefe  adts  being  pertormed  with  all  the  heart,  and 
 all  the  foul,  a  facred  flame  of  true  fpiritual  piety  would  be  kept 
 up,  and  their  fouls,  like  David's,  would  have  polIefTed  that  holy 
 fpirit  of  joy  in  the  Lord,  and  exulting  confidence  in  the  God  of 
 their  falvation  ;  fo  that  great  as  would  have  been  their  temporal 
 profperity,  it  would  have  been  ten  thoufand  times  exceeded  by 
 their  fpiritual  improvement:  *'  As=  the  hart  panteth  after  the 
 *'  water  brooks,  lo  panteth  my  foul  after  thee,  O  God  ;  my 
 *'  foul  thirfteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God,  "  Pf.  xlii.  1,2. 
 *'  Come  and  hear  all  ye  that  fear  God,  and  I  will  declare  what 
 **  he  hath  done  for  my  foul,"  Pf.  Ixvi.  16.  How  amiable  are 
 *'  thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  Plolf  s  !  my  foul  longeth,  yea,  even 
 *'  faintt*th  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord  ;  my  heart  and  my  flefli 
 "  crieth  out  for  the  living  God  ;  yea,  the  fparrow  hath  found 
 "  an  houfe,  and  the  f wallow  a  neit  for  herfelf,  where  Ihe  may 
 **  lay  her  yoimg,  even  thine  altars,  O  Lord  of  Holls,  my  King, 
 *'  and  my  God.  Bleffed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy  houfe  :  they 
 **  fliall  be  ftill  praiiing  thee.    Selah."  Pf.  Ixxxiv.    1 — 4. 
 
 Although  the  day  may  be  limited  in  which  the  firlt  flone  of 
 the  temple  is  to  be  laid  ;  although  the  day  may  be  limited  and 
 fixed  on  when  this  great  judgment  will  overtake  the  enemies 
 of  the  Jews  ;  although  the  precife  day  may  be  recorded  in  heaven, 
 beyond  which  the  Gentile  nations  ihall  be  no  longer  fpared,  but 
 their  iniquities  being  filled  up,  by  an  intention  of  hoitility  to- 
 wards tire  people  of  God,  (Dan.  xi.  36.  vii.  8,  2^.  viii.  11. 
 Zech.  xii.  1 — 8.  xiv.  12 — 19.)  they  fhall  be  delivered  up  to  the 
 fword  of  divine  julfice  ;  yet  the  confide  ration  of  thefe  things 
 afford  no  good  ground  either  to  us  or  to  the  Jews  to  fold  our 
 arms,  and  wait  the  event  in  patient  infenfibilily  :  fo  far  from 
 it,  that  the  confideration  of  thefe  tilings  Ihould  induce  us  to  feek 
 how  and  in  what  manner  we  may  flee  from  the  wrath  to  coine.  I 
 have  already  fhewnthat  the  wrath  to  come,  peculiarly  hangs  over 
 thofe  nations,  who,  without  being  authorized,  without  polfelTing 
 any  commiiTion  from  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  have  perfecuted 
 and  affllcfed  his  people.  Nebuchadnezzar  had  fuch  acammiflion  ; 
 Titiis  and  the  Romans  had  fuch  a  commiflion;  but  what  corn- 
 million  can  the  Mahometans  llicw  r  arid,  in  particular,  what  com- 
 miflion  can  the  Chriitians  fhew  r  Our  Saviour  wept  at  the  profpe6l, 
 (Luke  xix.  41.)  but  Chriftians  in  former  times  have  (jxulted  in 
 increafmg  thofe  fufferings,  which  made  their  Saviour  weep !  • 
 They  have  in  former  times  aif  ed  the  part  of  Edom  with  re- 
 
 R  doubled 
 
ia»:  DIALOGUE     VII  Past   1, 
 
 doubled  fury  and  malignity  ;  and  the  only  way  that  we  as  tlicir 
 defcendants  can  cfcape  the  wrath  to  come,  is  to  repent  of  the 
 adls  of  our  fathers,  and  by  a  kind,  refptidftnl,  and  aircciionate  be- 
 haviour to  the  Jews,  prove  that  we  are  of  anotlier  mind  :  but 
 above  all,  fhould  it  be  impreflld  on  our  minds,  that  he  who  lifts 
 up  his  hand  in  hollility  againlt  a  Jew,  ii  he  is  not  commiifioned 
 fo  to  do  by  the  God  of  Ifrael,  will  furely  provoke  the  fury  of  the 
 only  true  God,  Zech.  xii.  i — 6. 
 
 It  is  a  bafe  part  that  the  Edomites  aded  againft  the  Jews  ;  they  ' 
 affli£led  the  fallen  !  ti.eir  diftreded  relations  !  Are  the  Jews  con- 
 fidered  as  difmherited,  and  do  the  Chriltians  boaft  that  they  pofTefs 
 that  favour  which  was  formerly  ihev/n  to  them  r  Be  it  fo  ;  con- 
 fider  yourfelf  a  parent,  you  have  for  a  time  (until  he  reforms) 
 withdrawn  your  favour  from  your  formerly  beloved  firit  born,  and 
 have  advanced  your  younger  fon  ;  your  younger  fon  hath  feen  you 
 weep  at  the  contemplation  of  thofe  fufrerings  which  your  beloved 
 hath  by  his  mifcondudl  brought  upon  himfelf  ;  he  hath  evidence 
 in  writing,  family  papers,  which  defcribe  the  ardour  wherewith 
 you  loved  him,  but  he  doth  not  intercede  with  you  in  his  behalf; 
 ne  doth  not  meniion  his  name  with  regret  and  commiferation  ; 
 he  doth  not  watch  with  eagernefs  to  fee  if  he  can  difcover  any 
 fymptoms  of  repentance  and  amendment,  that  he  may  embrace 
 the  opportunity  to  plead  in  his  behalf.  This  muft  furely  be  ob- 
 ferved  by  you  ;  but  what  will  be  your  feelings  when  viewing 
 them  unobferved,  you  fee  your  beloved,  dejefted  and  forlorn, 
 born  down  by  your  difpleafure  !  he  remembers  the  day  of  your 
 favour,  when  you  rejoiced  to  do  him  good,  and  he  rejoiced  in 
 your  fmiles  ;  he  now  fees  and  feels  by  experience  that  you  told 
 nim  truth  when  you  admonilhed  him.  His  high  looks  are  brought 
 down,  his  uncircumcifed  heart  is  humbled  ;  he  accepts  of  his 
 afflidlion  becaufe  he  now  fees  that  he  hath  deferved  it,  and  that 
 he  hath  endured  it  from  your  fatherly  hand  ;  but  behold  !  doth 
 his  brother  comfort  him,  and  ilrive  to  mitigate  his  affliction  r  You 
 obferve  him  infulting  him.  and  adding  to  his  affliftion  ;  yovir  iu{- 
 picion  being  thus  awakened,  you  inquire  into  his  conduct  towards 
 his  diilreded  brother,  and  you  find  it  an  uniform  alfemblage  of 
 infults,  opprelhon,  and  ails  of  unkindnefs  and  hoftility  ;  infults 
 unprovoked,  oppreiTion  unrefifted.  You  are  Informed  that  when 
 with  an  heavy  heart  he  emibarked  for  banillim.ent,  his  brother  rob- 
 bed him  of  that  fmall  pittance  which  was  allowed  him  to  pay  his 
 travelling  expences,  and  that  when  he  had  (o  robbed  him,  and 
 his  affli6led  brother  was  (tepping  into  the  fliip,  he  removed  the 
 plank  and  call  him  into  the  fea.  You  find  that  he  hath  held  him 
 up  as  the  mark  of  fcorn  and  ridicule  ;  that  he  hath  reviled 
 him,  and  exulted  in  his  fufferlngs.  Thus  informed,  what  w.ould 
 be  yourcondu6l  ?  would  not  your  love  be  rekindled  ?  would  you 
 not  reftore  him  to  your  favour  ?  would  you  not  with  an  ardency 
 of  affection  run  towards  him,  and  encircle  him  in  your  embrace  ? 
 
 Sudden.     1  think  I  Ihould  not  only  do  fo,  but  I  think  I  Ihould 
 
 audrefs 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII. 
 
 J23 
 
 addrefs  the  youngcil  thus  :  "  Who  gave  you  any  orders  to  afflldl 
 **  your  brother?  Thou  {hoiltleit  not  have  looked  on  the  day  of 
 **  thy  biothtr  in  the  day  tliat  he  became  a  llranger  from  his 
 **  father's  hoiife,  but  thou  fiiouideit  have  covered  thy  face;  thou 
 "  Ihoiildcit  not  have  rejoiced  over  him  in  the  day  ot  his  diiUcfs  ; 
 "  thou  (ho  Ideit  not  h.ive  ipoken  proudly  in  the  day  of  hisdiftrefs; 
 *'  yea  thou  Ihouldelt  not  iiave  looked  on  his  affliclion  in  the  day 
 *'  of  his  calamity,  nor  have  laid  hands  on  his  fubllauce  in  the  day 
 **  of  his  calamity."  But  inl'ults  are  the  evidence  ot  a  moft  de- 
 praved mind,  and  inUilts  againit  the  fallen  and  afflicted  can  come 
 from  none  but  the  defpicably  bale:  *'  For  thy  violence  againfl 
 **  thy  brother  Jacob  Ihame  ihalt  cover  thee.  As  thou  haft  done, 
 *'  it  ihall  be  done  unto  thee  ;  thy  reward  fliall  return  upon  thine. 
 *'  own  head,'' Obad.  lo — 15.  I  now  beg  to  remind  you  that  you 
 promifed  to  notice  my  queition  concerning  the  holtility  ot  the 
 enemi^^s  of  the  Jews.  You  fpoke  of  it  as  an  intentional 
 hoitility,  and  pronounced  the  word  v^ith  emphafis.  Can  there 
 be  any  hoilility  without  its  being  intentional  ?  When  a  nation 
 with  arms  in  their  hands  invade  another  nation,  it  is  of  itfelf 
 fufficicnt  evidence  of  their  intention  to  commit  hoftilities. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  fo,  and  there  will  be  no  more  doubt  concerning 
 their  intentions  than  there  was  of  the  intention  of  Pharaoh  and 
 his  hoit  when  he  purfued  liVael  to  his  deltruftion  :  but  I  have 
 good  hope  that  the  fufferings  of  the  Jewilh  nation  are  nearly 
 ended,  and  that  the  holtility  of  thofe  who  may  become  hoifile 
 towards  them  will  not  be  permitted  to  any  great  extent  to  ripen 
 into  adion,  but  that  the  intention  will  be  puniilied,  and  the 
 Jews  delivered  from  their  fears,  without  enduring  the  fufferings 
 that  their  enemies  will  intend  to  inflict  upon  them. 
 
 Sudden.  It  will  give  me  much  pleafure  if  you  can  by  quo-« 
 tations  trom  fcripture  give  good  reafons  for  your  hope. 
 
 Cautious.  You  willobferve  that  I  do  not  aifert  that  it  is  fo, 
 I  only  mention  it  as  my  hope  and  opinion,  and  the  grounds  and 
 reafons  on  which  this  my  hope  is  founded  are  thefe  : 
 
 lit.  When  I  confidcr  the  fufferings  w^hich  the  Jews  have 
 already  endured,  I  cannot  but  hope  and  believe  alfo,  that  they 
 will  not  have  to  endure  much  more. 
 
 2dly.  If  there  hath  already  taken  place  a  very  confiderable 
 change  in  them  for  the  better,  fo  that  their  fufFeriiigs  have 
 IN  SOME  MEASURE  produced  that  effeft  upon  them  which 
 they  were  intended  to  produce,  their  fufferings  are  certainly 
 nearly  ended.  I  have  given  you  my  reafons  for  believing  that  a 
 very  confiderable  change  hath  already  taken  place  .among  them 
 for  the  better.  We  can  only  form  our  judgment  from  external 
 APPEARANCES,  and  are  therefore  fubjed  to  error;  and  it  it 
 fhould  unhappily  be  proved  by  the  event  that  the  Jews  have  yet 
 to  endure  very  great  fufferings,  it  will  be  plain  that  I  have  formed 
 too  favourable   an  opinion  concerning  them  ;  for  we  may  reft 
 
 alfurcd 
 
124  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  L 
 
 afTnred  that  the  Lord,  who  fearcheth  the  heart  (i  Sam.  xvi.  7. 
 1  Chron.  xxviii.  9.  xxix.  17.  Pfal.  vii.  9.  cxxxix.  1 — 24.) 
 doth  not  delight  in  the  mifery  or  affliftion  of  his  creatures  ;  he 
 hath  no  plealure  in  the  death  of  the  finner,  (Ezek.  xviii.  1—22. 
 xxxiii.  7 — 20.)  but  delighteth  in  the  happinefs  of  his  creatures, 
 efpecially  of  his  fervants,  (Pfal.  xxxv.  27.)  how  much  more  then 
 oi  Iftael,  his  fon,  his  hrlt  born,  Exod.  iv.  22. 
 
 3dly.  I  think  that  the  afflldions  which  the  Jews  have  already 
 palled  through,  have  in  a  great  meafure  anfwered  the  end  they 
 were  defigned  to  produce  upon  the  other  nations  of  the  earth  ;  for  I 
 have  I  truit  already  proved  that  alt  nations  are  interelted  in  their 
 profperity  and  afFe(?ced  by  their  advcriky.  Events  preach  much 
 more  powerfully  than  the  tongue  ot  man,  and  the  accomplilhment 
 of  their  fcripturesin  their  being  prticrved  a  diilindl  people,  and  in 
 their  fufFerings,  hz\e  lully  inltruded  the  nations  who  do  not  refift 
 inftrudion,  that  the  Lord  Gi^d  ot  Ifrael,  the  God  of  Abraham, 
 the  God  of  Ifaac,  and;he,Godof  Jacob,  (Exod.  iii.  16.)  is  the 
 only  true  God,  (Deut.  vi.  4.  Mark  xii.  2b — 34.  Deut.  iv.  35 — ■ 
 39.  1  Kings  viii.  60.  Ifaiah  xlv.  5,  6,  14,  18,  22,  xlvi  9.)  and 
 that  he  hath  revealed  unto  mankind  his  will  by  the  mouth  of  his 
 fervants  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  Dci.t.  x.vix.  29.  1  Sam.  iii.  21. 
 Pfal.  xcviii.  2.  Dan.  ii.  19.  ix.  6,  10.  9.  Kings  xvii.  13,23.  xxi. 
 10.    Jer.  xxvi.  5.   Ezek.  xxxviii.  17.    Amos  iii.  7.   Zech.  i.  6. 
 
 4thly.  My  hope  is  alfo  confirmed  bv  meditation  on  the  revealed 
 perfeftionsand  attributes  of  the  Lord  God  ot  Ifrael,  the  only  true 
 God  (I  fhould  have  m.entioned  this  firii).  "  He  is  gracious  and 
 *'  merciiul,  flow  to  anger,  and  ot  great  kindnels,  and  repenteth 
 ^*  him  of  the  evil,"  Joel  ii.  13. 
 
 ,5thly.  Let  us  confider  things  that  are  paifed.  The  Lord  hath 
 delivered  Ifrael  out  of  Egypt,  "  t!irui:gh  a  mighty  hand  and  a 
 *'  llretched  out  arm,"  (Deut.  v.  15.)  "  and  great  judgm.tnts,'' 
 (Exod.  vi.  6.)  nnd  Pharaoh  thinks  that  *'  they  ere  entangled  in 
 ''*  the  land,  the  wildernefs  hath  fhi'tthem  in,"  (Exod.  xiv.-3.)he 
 therefore  marches  againil  them  with  all  his  hoft  !  and  he  hath 
 overtaken  them,  encamped  by  the  Tea.  The  children  ot  Ifrael 
 are  fore  afraid,  and  they  cry  unto  the  Lord,  Exod.  xiv.  9,  10,  . 
 *'  They  cry  unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble,  and  he  bringeth  them 
 *'  oi!t  of  their  dllfreffes,"  Pfal.  cvii.  ?H.  Behold  the  rod  of 
 Mofes  lifted  up  by  the  command  of  God,  and  the  children  of 
 Ifrael  are  to  *'  go  forward  ;"  the  waters  ol  the  fea  become 
 divided,  and  are  a  wall  unto  them  to  the  right  and  to  the  left. 
 Pharaoh  purfues,  and  M-,fcs  again  lifts  up  his  rod,  ;uid  the  waters 
 return  unto  their  ftrength,  and  overwhelm  the  opprefTor  and  his 
 holt,  Exod.  xiv.  10 — 31.  Hearken  unto  the  eAilting  fong  of 
 Mofes  :  Miriam  the  prophetefs,  and  the  women,  with  timbrels, 
 and  with  dancing,  join  in  the  chorus,  and  the  burden  of  the  fcng 
 is,  **  Sing. ye  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  glorioully, 
 «*  the  horfe  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the  fea,"  Exod.  xv. 
 
 21, 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    VII.  125 
 
 31.  **  The  Lord  is  my  ftrength  and  my  fcng,  and  he  is  become 
 **  my  falvation  ;  he  is  my  God,  and  I  will  prepare  him  an  habi- 
 **  tation;  my  lather's  God,  and  I  will  exalt  him.  The  Lord  i$ 
 *'  a  man  of  war:  the  Lord  is  his  name.  Pharaoh's  chariots  and 
 *'■  his  holt  hath  he  call  into  the  lea  ;  his  chofen  captains  alfo 
 "  are  drowned  in  the  Red  Sea.  The  depths  have  covered  them  : 
 *'  they  fank  into  the  bottom  as  a  Hone.  Thy  right  hand,  O 
 *'  Lord,  is  become  glorious  in  power  ;  thy  right  hand,  O  Lord, 
 *'  hath  dafhed  in  pieces  the  enemy  ;  and  in  the  greatnefs  of 
 **  thine  excellence  thou  haft  overthrown  them  that  rofe  up 
 **  againft  thee  ;  thou  fenteft  forth  thy  wrath,  which  confumed 
 **  them  as  ftubble  ;  and  with  the  blalt  of  thy  noftrils  the  waters 
 **  were  gathered  together;  the  floods  flood  upright  as  an  heap, 
 *'  and  the  depths  were  congealed  in  the  heart  of  the  lea.  The 
 *'  enemy  faid,  I  will  purfue,  I  will-  overtake,  I  will  divide  the 
 *'  fpoil  ;  my  luft  Ihall  be  fatisfied  upon  them  ;  I  will  draw  my 
 *'  fword,  mine  hand  Ihall  deiiroy  them.  Thou  didll  blow  with 
 *'  thy  wind,  the  lea  covered  them,  they  Tank  as  lead  in  the  mighty 
 "  waters.  Who  is  like  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  amongft  the  gods  ; 
 **  who  is  like  thee,  glorious  in  holinefs,  learful  in  praifes,  doing 
 *'  wonders?  Thou  itretchedit  out  thy  right  hand,  the  earth 
 "  fwallowed  them.  Thou  in  thy  mercy  hail  led  lorth  the  peo- 
 *'  pie,  which  thou  haft  redeemed;  thou  haft  guided  them  in  thy 
 "  ftrength  unto  thy  holy  habitation.  The  people  fhall  hear  and 
 *'  be  atraid  :  forrow  Ihall  take  hold  on  the  inhabitants  of  Palef- 
 *'  tina.  Then  the  dukes  of  Edom  ftiail  be  amazed:  the  mighty 
 "  men  of  Moab  trembling,  fliall  take  hold  upon  them:  all  the 
 **  inhabitants  ot  Canaan  Ihall  melt  away.  Fear  and  dread  (hall 
 *'  fall  upon  them  ;  by  the  greatnefs  of  thine  arm  they  fnall  be  as 
 **  ftill  as  a  ftone  till  thy  people  pafs  over,  O  Lord,  till  the  people 
 *'  pafs  over  which  thou  haft  purchafed.  Thou  Ihalt  bring  them 
 *'  in,  and  plant  them  in  the  mountain  of  thine  inheritance,  in  the 
 "  place,  O  Lord,  which  thou  haft  made  for  thee  to  dwell  in,  in 
 *'  the  fandtuary,  O  Lord,  which  thy  hands  have  eftabliined. 
 "  The  Lord  ftiall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.  For  the  horfe  of 
 "  Pharaoh  went  in  with  his  chariots  and  with  his  horfemen  into 
 "  the  fea,  and  the  Lord  brought  again  the  waters  of  the  fea 
 *'  upon  them,;  but  the  children  of  Ifrael  went  on  dry  land  in  the 
 *'  midft  of  the  fea,"  Exod.  xv.  1 — ig.  This  deliverance  was  a 
 great  deliverance,  but  it  will  be  eclipfed  by  that  greater  deliver- 
 ance which  they  will  in  due  time  experience  :  '<  Behold, 
 '*  the  days  come,  faith  the  Lord,  that  they  ftiall  no  more  fay, 
 *'  The  Lord  liveth  which  brought  up  the  children,  of  Ifrael 
 *'  out  ol  the  land  of  Egypt,  but  the  Lord  liveth  which  brought 
 *'  up  and  led  the  feed  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  out  of  the  North 
 *'  Country,  and  Irom  all  countries  whither  I  had  driven  them, 
 *'  and  they  (hall  dwell  in  their  own  lahd,"  Jer.  xxiii.  jy^, 
 
 6thly.     Let  me  refer  you  to  the  .18th  and  ipth  chapters  of  the 
 ,^•4  book  of   Kings.     The   great  events   therein  recorded  have 
 
 already 
 
J26  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  T. 
 
 alreadv  been  noiiced  by  us,  I  (iiall  not  thcrefv)re  repeat  tliem 
 here  any  further  than  as  another  inllaiKe  oi  that  miraci;lous  dc- 
 liveiance  which  the  Lord  God  of  I-lrael  vouchfates  to  his  people, 
 WHEN  THEY  CRY  UNTO  HIM  in  their  diilrefs.  Hezekiah  mourn- 
 ed, and  went  into  the  ho  ife  of  the  Lord,  2  FCings  xix.  1,  Ke 
 prayed  betore  the  Lord  with  fervour  in  his  trouble  (2  Kings  xix, 
 19.)  and  the  next  morning  185,000  of  his  invading  enemies  were 
 dead  corpfes  w  ithout  a  weapon  of  \\  ar  being  lifted  up  againll  them, 
 o  Kings  xix.  C3 — 37. 
 
 7<hiy.  Although  there  can  be~  no  doubt  but  that  an  aw^ 
 ful  vifitation  approaches,  and  great  judgments  will  be  intii6ied 
 upon  thofe  who  are  inimical  to  true  religion,  or  profelfmg  it  are 
 unimproved  by  it,  yet  (the  Jews  having  been  already  punish- 
 ed) the  judgments  to  come  feem  chiefly  to  be  impendent  ispon 
 thofe  who  are  not  of  the  Jewifh  nation:  <'  Behold  in  thofe 
 *'  days,  and  in  that  time,  when  I  fhall  bring  again  the  captivity 
 ♦'  of  Judah  and  Jerufalem,  I  will  alfo  gather  all  nations, 
 **  and  will  bring  them  down  into  the  valley  of  Jehofhaphat,  and 
 '*'  will  plead  with  them  there  tor  my  people,  and  my  heritage 
 *'  Ifrael,  whom  they  have  fcattered  among  the  nations,  and 
 "  parted  my  land,"  Joel  iii.  t,  2.  This  judgment  theretore 
 evidently  comes  upon  the  nations  fo  affembled,  becaufe  of  their 
 mifcondudf  towards  the  Lord's  people  Ifrael.  Events  will  be  fa 
 over-ruled  by  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  that  the  enemies  of  his 
 people  vIU  run  into  the  fnare  as  Pharaoh  of  old  did  into  his 
 watery  grave  :  "  Proclaim  ye  this  among  the  Gtntiles  ;  prepare 
 *'  war,  wake  up  the  mighty  m.en,  let  all  the  men  of  war  draw 
 *'  near,  let  them  come  up.  Beat  your  plow-iliares  into  fwords, 
 *'  and  your  pruning  hooks  into  fpears  :  let  the  weak  fay,  I  am 
 **  firong.  Aifembie  ycurfelves,  and  come  all  ye  heathen,  and. 
 *'  gather  ycurfelves  together  round  about,  thither  caufe  thy 
 *'  mighty  ones  to  come  down,  O  Lord.  Let  the  heathen  be 
 '*  weakened,  and  come  up  to  the  valley  of  Jehofliaphat  ;  for 
 "  there  will  I  fit  to  judge  all  the  heathen  round  about.  Put  ye 
 *'  in  the  fickle,  for  the  harveit  is  ripe  ;  come,  get  you  dowm,  tor 
 **  the  prefs  is  full,  the  fats overfiov/,  for  their  wickednefs  is  great. 
 *'  Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  valley  of  decifion  ;  tor  the  day  of 
 <*  the  Lord  is  near  in  the  valley  of  decifion.  The  fun  and  the 
 *'  moon  fhall  be  darkened,  and  the  ftars  ihall  withdraw  their 
 "  fhining.  The  Lord  alfo  Ihall  roar  out  of  Zion,  and  utter  his 
 *'  voice  from  Jerufalem,  and  the  heavens  and  the  earth  fliall 
 *'  fhake,  but  the  Lord  will  be  the  hope  of  his  people,  and  the 
 **  ftrength  of  the  children  of  Ifrael.  So  Ihall  ye  know  that  I 
 **  am  the  Lc^rd  your  God,  dwelling  in  Zion,  my  holy  mountain  ; 
 **  then  fhall  Jerufalem  be  holy,  and  there  fhall  no  Itrangers  pafs 
 "  through  her  any  more.  And  it  fhall  come  to  pafs  in  that  day, 
 **  that  I'le  mountains  fhall  drop  down  new  wine,  and  the  hills 
 **  fhall  flow  with  milk,   and  all  the  rivers  of  Judah   fliall   flow 
 
 <*  witk 
 
''ART  T.  DIALOGUE    VIT.  iif 
 
 *"•■  with  watcrsj  and  a  fountain  fliall  come  forth  of  the  honfe  of 
 ''  the  Lord,  and  ihall  water  the  vjilley  of  Shittim.  Egypt  ihall 
 *'  be  a  defolation;  and  Edom  fhall  be  a  defolate  wildernefs,  for 
 *'  the  violence  againil  the  children  of  Judah,  becaufe  they  have 
 *'■  fhed  innocent  blood  in  their  land.  But  Judah  Ihall  dwell  for 
 *'  ever,  and  Jeriifalem  from  generation  to  generation^  .  For  I 
 **  will  cleanfe  their  blood  that  I  have  not  cleanftrd  :  for  the  Lord 
 **  dwelleth  in  Zion,"  Joel  iii.  9 — 21,  There  is  great  confo- 
 lation  for  Ifrael  in  this  palfage,  and  this  remarkable  valley 
 feems  to  have  been  chofen  as  the  theatre  on  which  this  great 
 event  is  to  be  accomplilhed,  in  order  to  imprefs  it  upon  the  mind^ 
 of  the  Jews,  that  although  the  Lord  fometimes  makes  ufe  of  the 
 arm  of  man  toaccomplilh.  hispurpofes,YET  that  no  dependence 
 is  to  be  placed  thereon  :  when  his  people  cry  unto  him  he 
 caufeth  the  very  elements  to  fight  for  them,  thus  Pharaoh  and  his 
 hod  were  .overwhelmed  by  the  mighty  waters,  Exod.  xiv.  28.  xvw 
 10.  The  EARTH  opened  her  mouth  and  fwallowed  up  thofe  who 
 rebelled  againft  the  Lord  and  his  fervant  Mofes,  and  wifhed  to 
 repeal  that  law  of  the  Lord  whereby  the  houfe-of  Aaron  was 
 feparated  for  the  priefthood,  and  the  fire  of  the  Lordconfumed 
 thofe  of  ihcm  who  had  ufnrped  the  prieilly  office,  and  prefumed 
 to  burn  incenfe  before  the  Lord,  Numb.  xvi.  1 — 50,  At  his  com- 
 mand, when  his  people  cry  unto  him,  the  air  generates  hail, 
 (Exod,  ix.  22.)  or  its  capacity  to  communicate  light  is  fufpended, 
 and  the  enemies  of  his  people  grope  in  darknefs  at  noon-day, 
 (Exod.  X.  21.)  they  are  fmitten  with  fore  boils,  (Exod.  ix.  8.)  the 
 waters  are  congealed  into  bloody  (Exod.  vii.  19.)  and  the  firft 
 born  of  their  enemies  are  cut  off"  (Exod.  xii.  29.)  at  a  ftroke. 
 What  great  efrefts  follow  Jev/ifh  prayers  unto  the  God  of  Ifrae!, 
 uttered  in  faith  and  full  dependence  upon  him.'  Even  when  the 
 Lord  condefcendeth  to  employ  the  hand  of  man  for  the  deliverance 
 of  his  people,  it  hath  been  generally  attended  with  circumltances 
 intended  to  convince  them  that  the  deliverance  was  not  of  their 
 own  acquiring  :  thus,  "  It  came  to  pafs,  when  Mofes  held  up 
 *'  his  hand,  that  Ifrael  prevailed,  and  when  he  let  down  his  hand 
 "  Amakk  prevailed  ;  but  Mofes'  hands  were  heavy,  and  they 
 *'  took  a  Itone,  and  put  it  under  him,  and  he  fat  thereon ;  and 
 "  Aaron  and  Hur  flayed  up  his  hands,  the  one  on  the  one  fide, 
 **  and  the  other  on  the  other  fide,  and  his  hands  were  fteady, 
 *'  until  the  going  down  of  the  fun,"  Exod.  xvii.  11,  12.  And 
 when  they  experienced  the  great  deliverance  recorded  in  the  loth 
 chapter  of  Jolhua,  the  lord  difcomfited  their  enemies  before  them, 
 and  "  (lew  them  with  a  great  llaughter  at  Gibeon,  and  chafed 
 **  them  along  the  way  that  goeth  up  to  Beth-horon,  and  fmote 
 '*  them  to  Azekah,  and  unto  Makkedah.  And  it  came  to  pafs, 
 *'  as  they  tied  before  Ifrael,  and  w^ere  in  the  going  down  to 
 "  Beth-horon,  that  the  Lord  caft  down  great  {tones  ^rom  heaven 
 ''  upon  them  unto  Azekah,  and  they  died  \  and  there  were  more 
 
laB  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VIL  Part  L 
 
 **  which  died  with  hail-ftoncs  than  they  whom  the  children  of 
 **  IlVacl  Hew  with  the  Iword,"  Jofli.  x.  lo,  ii.  The  taith  of 
 Jolhua  is  llrengthened,  and  praying  unto  the  Lord  without  doubt- 
 ing, he  is  enabled  to  fay,  *'  Sun,  Itand  thou  Itill  upon  Gibeon, 
 *'  and  thou  moon  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon  \  and  the  fun  Itood  fl:ill, 
 *'  and  the  moon  llaid  until  the  people  had  avenged  thcmfLlves 
 *<  upon  their  enemies,  is  not  this  written  in  the  book  of  Jalher  ? 
 *'  So  the  fun  ftood  Itill  in  the  midll  of  heaven,  and  halfed  not  to 
 *'  go  down,  about  a  whole  day,  and  there  was  no  day  like  that 
 **  before  it  or  after  it,  that  the  Lord  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of 
 *'  man;  for  the  Lord  fought  for  Ifrael,"  Jofn.  x.  12 — 14.  And 
 if  the  Jews  in  time  to  come,  when  in  fear  from  their  enemies, 
 cry  thus  unto  the  Lord  in  faith,  that  he  doth  hear  and  will  inter- 
 fere for  their  deliverance,  the  fame  eifedls  will  be  produced.  And 
 I  think  that  we  have  good  ground  to  conclude,  that  they  will  thus 
 cry  unto  the  Lord  with  fervency  and  in  faith,  and  that  the  valley 
 of  Jeholhaphat  was  felefted  and  appointed  as  the  theatre  of  this 
 great  deliverance  of  the  Jews  in  time  to  come,  in  order  to  en- 
 courage their  faith,  and  to  remind  them  that  the  Lord,  when  his 
 people  cry  unto  him,  caufeth  their  enemies  to  fall  by  each  other's- 
 hand,  and  by  his  miraculous  interference:  "  It  came  to  pafs 
 *'  after  this  alfo,  that  the  children  of  Moab,  and  the  children  of 
 "  Am.mon,  and  with  them,  other  befide  the  Ammonites,  came 
 *'  againlt  Jehofhaphat  to  battle.  Then  there  came  fome  that 
 *'  told  Jehofhaphat,  faying,  There  cometh  a  great  multitude 
 **  againit  thee  from  beyond  the  fca,  on  this  fide  Syria;  and, 
 *'  beheld,  they  be  in  Hazazon-tamar,  which  is  Engedi.  And 
 *'  Jehofliaphat  feared,  and  fet  himfelf  to  feek  the  Lord,  and  pro- 
 **  claimed  a  falf  throughout  all  Judah.  And  Judah  gathered 
 *'  themfelves  together,  to  afk  help  of  the  Lord  ;  even  out  of  all 
 *'  the  cities  of  Judah  they  came  to  feek  the  Lord.  And  Jehofha- 
 *'  phat  Itood  in  the  congregation  of  Judah  and  Jerufalem,  in  the 
 "  houfe  of  the  Lord,  before  the  new  court,  and  faid,  O  Lord  God 
 **  of  our  fathers,  art  not  thou  God  in  heaven;  and  ruleltnot 
 **  thou  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  heathen,  and  in  thine  hand  is 
 *'  there  not  power  and  might,  fo  that  none  is  able  to  withitand 
 *'  thee  ?  Art  not  thou  our  God,  who  didil  drive  out  the  inliabi- 
 "  tants  of  this  land  before  thy  people  Ifrael,  and  gaveft  it  tcr 
 "  the  feed  of  Abraham  thy  friend  for  ever  ?  And  they  dwelt 
 *'  therein,  and  have  built  thee  a  fan6tuary  therein  for  thv  name, 
 **  faying,  If,  when  evil  cometh  upon  us,  as  the  fword,  judgment, 
 "  or  peitilence,  or  famine,  we  Iband  before  this  houfe,  and  in 
 *'  thy  prcfence  (for  thy  name  is  in  this  houfe)  and  cry  unto  thee 
 **  in  our  afiiidlion,  then  thou  wilt  hear  and  help.  And  now  be- 
 "  hold  the  children  of  Ammon  and  Moab,  and  Mount  Seir, 
 **  whom  thou  wouldeft  not  let  Ifrael  invade,  when  they  came  out 
 *'  of  xhz  land  of  Egypt,  but  they  turned  from  them,  and  deftroyed 
 
 **  them 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII.  129 
 
 *'  them  not  ;  behold,  I  fay,  how  they  reward  us,  to  come  to  caft 
 *'  us  out  of  thy  poffeflion,  which  thou  haft  given  us  to  inherit. 
 **  O  our  God,  wilt  thou  not  judge  them  ?  for  we  have  no  might 
 *'  againlt  this  great  company  that  coraeth  againft  us  ;  neither 
 *'  know  we  what  to  do  ;  but  oureyes  are  uponthee.  Andalljudah 
 **  flood  before  the  Lord,  with  their  little  ones,  their  wives,  and 
 **  tReir  children.  Then  upon  Jahaziel  the  fon  of  Zechariah, 
 **  the  fon  of  Benaiah,  the  Ion  of  Jehiel,  the  fon  of  Mattaniah,  a 
 **  Levite  of  the  fons  of  Afaph,  came  the  fpirit  of  the  Lord  in  the 
 *'  midft  of  the  congregation  ;  and  he  faid,  Hearken  ye,  all  Judah, 
 **  and  ye  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem,  and  thou  King  Jehoihaphat, 
 *'  thus  faith  the  Lord  unto  yon,  Be  not  afraid,  nor  difmayed  by 
 **  reafon  of  this  great  multitude  ;  for  the  battle  is  not  yours,  but" 
 *'  God's.  To-morrow  go  ye  down  againft  them  ;  behold  they 
 **  come  up  by  the  cliff  of  Ziz,  and  ye  fhall  find  them  at  the  end 
 **  of  the  brook  before  the  wildernefs  of  Jeruel.  Ye  fliall  not 
 **  need  to  fight  in  this  battle  ;  fet  yourfelves,  ftand  ye  ftill,  and 
 •'  fee  the  falvation  of  the  Lord  with  you,  O  Judah  and  Jerufa- 
 *'  lem  :  fear  not,  nor  be  diimayed,  to-morrow  go  out  againft 
 **  thenj  ;  for  the  Lord  will  be  with  you.  And  Jehofhaphat  bow- 
 *'  ed  his  head,  with  his  face  to  the  ground;  and  all  Judah  and 
 *<  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem  fell  before  the  Lord,  worlLip- 
 *<  ping  the  Lord;  and  the  Levites  of  the  children  of  the  Koha- 
 *<  thites,  and  the  children  of  the  Korhites,  ftood  up  to  praife  the 
 "  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  with  aloud  voice  on  high.  And  they  rofe 
 "  early  in  the  morning,  and  went  forth  into  the  wildernefs  of 
 *'  Tckoa ;  and  as  they  Vv-ent  forth,  Jeholliaphat  ftood  and  faid, 
 **  Hear  me,  O  Judah,  and  ye  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem;  Believe 
 "  in  the  Lord  your  God,  fo  Ihall  ye  be  eflablillied  ;  believe  hi^ 
 **  prophets,  fo  Ihall  ye  profper.  And  when  he  had  confulted  with 
 "  the  people,  he  appointed  fingers  unto  the  Lord,  and  that 
 "  fliould  praife  the  beauty  of  holinefs,  as  they  went  out  before 
 *5  the  army,  and  to  fay,  Praife  the  Lord  ;  for  his  mercy  endureth 
 *'  for  ever^  And  when  they  began  to  ling,  and  to  praife,  the 
 **  Lord  fet  ambufhments  againft  the  children  of  Ammon,  Moab, 
 '*  and  Mount  Seir,  which  were  come  againft  Judah,  and  they 
 *'  were  fmittcn  ;  for  the  children  of  Ammon  and  Moab  Ifood  up 
 **  againft  the  inhabitants  of  Mount  Seir,  utterly  to  flay  and  de- 
 **  ftroy  them  :  and  when  they  had  made  an  end  of  the  inhabitants 
 **  of  Seir,  every  one  helped  to  deftroy  another.  And  when  Judah 
 "  came  toward  the  watch-tower  in  the  wildernefs,  they  looked 
 **  unto  the  multitude,  and,  behold,  they  were  dead  bodies  fallen  to 
 '*  the  earth,  and  none  efcapod.  And  when  Jehoihaphat  and  his 
 **  people  came  to  take  away  the  fpoil  of  them,  they  found  among 
 **  them  in  abundance  both  riches  with  the  dead  bodies  and  pre- 
 "  cious  jewels  (which  they  ftript  off  for  themfelves)  more  than  they 
 "  could  carry  away  ;  and  they  were  three  days  in  gathering^of  the 
 '    ■       ■  '       S  *'  fpoii. 
 
13&  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  I. 
 
 "  fpoil,  it  was  fo  much  :  and  on  the  fourth  day  they  alTemblcd 
 **  themfelves  together  in  the  valley  of  Berachah  ;  for  there  they 
 *'  blefled  the  Lord  :  therefore  the  name  of  the  fame  place  was 
 "  called,  The  valley  of  Berachah  unto  this  day.  Then  they  return- 
 *'  ed  every  man  of  Judah  and  Jerufalem,  and  Jehofliaphat  in  the 
 *'  fore  front  of  them,  to  go  again  to  Jerufalem  with  joy;  for 
 *'  the  Lord  had  made  them  to  rejoice  over  their  enemies  :  and 
 *'  they  came  to  Jerufalem  with  pfalteries,  and  harps,  and  trum- 
 **  pets,  unto  the  houfe  of  the  Lord  ;  and  the  fear  of  God 
 *'  was  on  all  the  kingdoms  of  thofe  countries,  when  they  had 
 '*  heard  that  the  Lord  fought  againfl  the  enemies  of  Ifraei:  fo 
 *'  the  realm  of  Jeholhapbat  was  quiet;  for  his  God  gave  him 
 *'  reft  round  about."  2  Chron.  xx.  i — 30.  As  this  great  deli- 
 verance of  the  Jews  and  Jehofliaphat  their  king,  w^as  accom- 
 plifhed  by  the  Lord's  caufing  them  to  miftake  their  allies  for  thofe 
 whom  they  fought  to  deftroy,  fo  will  it  be  in  time  to  com.e  :  "It 
 "  fliall  come  to  pafs  that  a  great  tumult  from  the  Lord  ihall  be 
 "  among  them,  and  they  fliall  lay  hold  every  one  on  the  hand  of 
 *'  his  neighbour,  and  his  hand  fnall  rife  up  againlt  the  hand  of 
 *'  his  neighbour, "  Zech.  xiv.  13.  Ezek.  xxxviii.  21.  but  it  is 
 not  only  in  this  way  that  the  enemies  of  Ifraei  will  be  deftroyed. 
 The  Lord  God  of  Ifraei  is  the  giver  of  life  and  health,  and  thefe 
 gifts  he  can  take  away  :  "  This  fliall  be  the  plague  wherewith  the 
 **  Lord  will  fmite  all  the  people  that  have  fought  againft  Jeru- 
 *'  Ailem  ;  their  flefli  fliall  conlume  away  while  they  ftand  upon 
 **  their  feet,  and  their  eyes  fliall  confume  away  in  their  holes, 
 **  and  their  tongue  fliall  confume  away  in  their  mouth,"  Zech. 
 xiv.  12.  "  Thou  takeft  away  their  breath,  and  they  die  and  are 
 **  turned  again  to  their  dufi:,"  Pi.   civ.   29. 
 
 8thly.  I  fliall  mention  but  one  circumftance  more,  which 
 confirms  me  in  the  hope  that  the  Jews  will  not  have  to  endure 
 much  more  fufferings,  although  they  will  no  doubt  be  in  great 
 apprehenfion,  and  cry  mightily  unto  the  Lord  their  God.  The 
 prophet  Jeremiah  fpeaking  of  the  time  of  the  reftoration  of  the 
 Jews,  defcribes  it  as  a  time  of  great  trouble  ;  but  there  is  mental 
 trouble  arifing  from  apprehenfion,  and  there  is  trouble  ariflng 
 from  actual  fufferings  ;  there  is  this  exprefllon  in  the  pallage 
 Jer.  xxx.  7.  '*  It  is  even  the  time  of  Jacob's  trouble,  but  he 
 "  fliall  be  faved  out  of  it."  You  will  find  Jacob's  trouble  re- 
 corded in  Gen.  xxxii.  and  as  that  was  only  mental  trouble 
 arifing"  from  apprehenfion,  fo  do  I  think  we  may  hope  and  be- 
 lieve, that  the  trouble  to  come,  as  far  as  it  refpedls  the  Jews, 
 will  be  chiefly  a  mental  trouble,  like  that  of  Jacob  their  pious 
 anceftor,  efpecially  as  it  is  declared  that  they  will  be  ''  delivered 
 "  out  of  it." 
 
 Sudden.  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  pains  you  have 
 taken  to  convince  me  of  that  v\'hich  I  ardently  hope  will  be  the 
 cafe,  but  you  will  remember  that  in  Zech.  xiv.  immediately  be- 
 fore 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII.  131 
 
 fore  that  miraculous  deliverance  which  the  Jews  will  experience, 
 confiderable  fufterings  are  noticed  :  "  Behold  the  day  of  the  Lord 
 *'  Cometh,  and  thy  Ipoil  ihall  be  divided  in  the  midll  of  thee  :  for 
 *'  I  will  gather  all  nations  againll  Jerulalem  to  battle  ;  and  the  city 
 "  fliall  be  taken  and  the  houfes  rifled,  and  the  women  raviihed  ; 
 "  and  half  the  city  fhall  go  forth  into  captivity,  and  the  re- 
 "  fidue  of  the  people  lliall  not  be  cut  off  from  the  city," 
 Zech.   xiv.    ly   2. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  very  true  this  paflage  feems  to  indicate  confi- 
 derable fufterings  \  but  I  wou.ld  obferve,  that  I  cannot  but  en- 
 tertain hope  that  thefe  fufferings  are  not  the  fufferings  of  the 
 Jews.  It  feems  to  me  that  the  eftablilliment  of  Ifrael  in 
 their  own  land,  will  be  at  firll  partial  and  gradual,  and  at  that" 
 time  Jerufalem  and  the  Holy  Land  will  be  inhabited  by  a  mixed 
 multitude  of  all  nations  as  well  as  Jews  ;  Sheba,  Dedan,  and  the 
 merchants  of  Tarihilh,  are  in  Ezek.  xxxviii.  13.  particularly 
 mentioned  ;  and  m.ay  not  thefe  fufFerers  be  of  Sheba,  and  Dedan, 
 and  thofe  of  them  who  particularly  m.erit  fufferings?  In  the 
 book  of  the  Revelation,  Jerufalem  is  fpoken  of  iri  the  11th  chap- 
 ter, and  therein  defcribed,  as  I  conceive  it  will  be,  about  the 
 time  fpoken  of  in  the  pafTage  of  Zechariah  which  you  have 
 quoted  ;  and  it  is  then  fpoken  of  as  a  very  corrupt  city,  of  which 
 the  Jews  have  not  at  that  time  the  government,  and  they  appear 
 to  be  free  from  that  corruption  of  manners  by  which  they  will 
 then  be  furrounded.  The  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem  will  then 
 confift  of  different  "  people,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  nations,"  Rev. 
 xi.  9.  who  are,  previous  to  their  great  converfion  therein  noticed, 
 inimical  to  the  caufe  and  people  of  God.  Why  therefore  may 
 we  not  hope  that  the  fufferings  noticed  in  Zech.  xiv.  1,  2.  will 
 be  confined  to  thofe  who  thus  merit  fufferings  ?  In  Ezekiel  xxxviii. 
 and  xxxix.  in  which  the  ads  of  the  great  enemy  of  Ifrael  are  fo 
 particularly  noticed,  I  cannot  find  any  evidence  that  the  Jews 
 have  to  endure  much  fufferings  except  mental  fufferings  from 
 apprehenfion,  which  make  them,  like  Jacob  their  pious  anceftor, 
 to  cry  mightily  unto  the  Lord  their  God, 
 
 Sudden.  In  the  18th  and  19th  verfes,  it  is  faid,  ''  It  fliall 
 *'  come  to  pafs  at  the  fame  time  when  Gog  fliall  come  againfl  the 
 <'  land  of  Ifrael  faith  the  Lord,  that  my  fury  fhall  come  up  in 
 *'  my  face  ;  for  in  myjealoufy,  and  in  the  fire  of  my  wrath  have 
 "  I  fpoken."  Does  not  this  feem  to  indicate,  that  he  hath  com- 
 mitted violent  a6lions,  as  well  as  conceived  malignant  intentions 
 againfl  his  people  Ifrael  ? 
 
 Cautious.  Againfl  a  few  individuals  he  may,  but  as  a  nation 
 I  think  they  will  be  mofl  miraculoufly  preferved,  and  the  fury 
 of  the  Lord,  and  the  fire  of  his  wrath  may  be  kindled  as  much 
 by  a  manifefl  intention,  as  by  an  hoftile  accomplifhment  of  an 
 evil  intention.  The  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  fearcheth  the  heart! 
 In  the    12th   chapter  of  the  prophet  Daniel,    the  time  we  are 
 
 fpeaking 
 
132  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  I. 
 
 fpcaking  of  is  declared  to  be  "a  time  of  trouble,  fuch  as  never 
 *'   vvas  fince  there  was  a  nation,    even  to  that  fame  time  ;  and  at 
 *'   that  time  thy  people  fliall  be  delivered,   every  one  found  writ- 
 *'  ten  in  the  book,"  ver.  i.   and   truly   it  will  be  the    time   of 
 Jacob's  trouble.  **  Aflc  ye  now  and  fee  whether  a  man  doth  travail 
 *'  with  child  ?    wherefore  do  I  fee  every  man  with  his  hands  on 
 **  his  loins,   as  a  woman  in  travail,    and  all  faces  are  turned  into 
 "  palenefs  ?  Jer.  xxx.  6.   How  great  muit  be  the  mental  fuffer- 
 jngs   to    produce  fuch   an  effecl  ;  but  it  is  immediately  fucceeded 
 by  complete  deliverance.     And  it  feems  that  this  great   mental 
 trouble  is  to  induce  them  to  cry  mightily  unto  the  Lord  their  God, 
 like  Jacob    their  pious  ancertor.     Prayer   in  faith  is  the  great 
 means    whereby    they  will    overcome  ;     and  joy  ihall   fucceed 
 their  forrow  :   *<  Thus  faith  the  Lord,  fing  ye  with  gladnefs  for 
 *'  Jacob,  and  fliout  among  the  chief  of  the  nations  ;  publifli  ye, 
 *'  praife  ye,  and  fay,    O  Lord,  fave  thy  people,  the  remnant    of 
 *'   IlVael,  "  Jer.  xxxi:  7.     **  They  fliall    come  and  fmg  in   the 
 *'  height  of 'Z  ion,"  ver,  12.   "Then  lliall  the   virgin  rejoice   in 
 **  the  dance,  both  young  men  and  old  together  ;  for  I  will  turn 
 *'  their  mourning  into  joy,  and  comfort  them,  and  make  them 
 "  rejoice  from  their  forrow,"  ver.  13.     Whether  this  deliver- 
 ance from  their  mental  affli6lion  will  precede  or  follow   the  de- 
 ftrudlion  of  their  enemies,  time  will  difcover.    In  the  inftance  of 
 Jeholliaphat   it    preceded  their   deliverance^  for  the  only  part 
 he  and  his   people    afted  was,    to    fmg    praifes  to   their    God. 
 Jehofhaphat  and  the  people  mourned   and  prayed  fervently  unto 
 the   Lord  :  but    no  fooner  is    the    melfage  of  confolation  deli- , 
 vered,  than  they  with  firm  faith  believe  and  fall  down  before 
 the  Lord,  "  worfhipping  the  Lord."    "  And  the  Levites  of  the 
 *'  children  of   the  Kohathites,  and  the  children  of  the  Korhites, 
 *'  ftood  up  to   praife  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  with  a  loud  voice 
 **  onhigh,"  2Chron.  XX.   18,   19.     And  when  they  went  forth 
 towards   the  enemy,    Jehofhaphat   "  appointed  fingers  unto  the 
 <*  Lord,    and  that  ihould    praife  the  beauty  of  holinefs  as  they 
 *'  went  out  before  the  army,  and  to  fay,  "  Praife  the  Lord  ;  for 
 **  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever  :"    and  when  they  began  to  fmg 
 and   praife  the  Lord,    he  brought   deftru6lion  upon  their  foes  ; 
 and  the  people  of  the  Lord  have  only  to  gather  up  the  fpoil,  and 
 return  with  joy  to  Jerufalem  :    *'  And  they  came   to  Jerufalem 
 *'  with  pfalteries,  and  harps,  and  trumpets,  unto  the  houfe  of  the 
 <*   Lord,"   ver.  28. 
 
 Sudden.  I  think  that  it  is  clearly  eftablifhed,  that  the  Jews 
 will  experience  a  far  greater  and  more  confpicuous  deliverance 
 than  their  anceflors  experienced  from  their  Egyptian  bondage  ; 
 but  I  am  not  fo  well  fatisfied  that  their  previous  fufferings  will 
 be  entirely  confined  to  mental  depreflion  arifmg  from  apprehen- 
 fion  only. 
 
 Cautious.     You  will  pleafe  to  recolle6l  that  I  have  not  afferted 
 
 that 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    VIT.  133 
 
 that  their  previous  fufFerings  will  be  entirely  confined  to  mental 
 depreffion  ariling  from  apprehenfion  only,  I  have  only  exprefTcd 
 my  hope  and  belief  that  their  fufFerings  are  nearly  ended,  and 
 that  th,eir  fufFerings  to  come,  preparatory  to  their  great  deliverance, 
 will  be  chiefly  confined  to  mental  depreflion  arifing  from 
 apprehenfion,  which  will  be  a  great  bleffing  to  them  ;  for  any 
 event  which  cauf'es  the  people  of  God  to  cry  fervently  to  him, 
 mufl;  be  confidered  as  a  blefling^     Pray  permit  me  to  explain. 
 
 You  have  already  allowed  that  fufFerings  are  not  to  be  confi- 
 dered as  CONCLUSIVE  evidence  of  the  divine  difpleafure  towards 
 the  fufFerers  ;  let  us  therefore  review  fome  ofthe  Jewifh  fufFer- 
 ings, and  in  the  firfl  place,  we  will  confider  thofe  fufFerings 
 which  are  juftly  the  ground  for  humiliation,  mourning,  and 
 bitter  lamentation  to  the  Jews,  and  to  all  thofe  who  interell 
 themfelves  in  their  profperity,  and  are,  like  Ruth  of  old,  attach- 
 ed in  afFe6lion  to  the  peculiar  people  of  God.  ''Entreat  me 
 *'  not  to  leave  thee,  or  to  ceafe  from  following  after  thee  ;  for 
 "  whither  thou  goeft  I  will  go ;  and  where  thou  lodgeft  I  will 
 *'  lodge  :  thy  people  Ihall  be  my  people  and  thy  God  my  God  ; 
 **  where  thou  diell  will  I  die,  and  there  will  I  be  buried  ;" 
 "  nouglit  but  death  fhall  part  us,"  Ruthi.  i6,  17.  The  humiliating 
 and  aff!i6ling  fufFerings,  the  remembrance  of  which  are  grievous 
 unto  Ifrael,  are  fufFerings  on  account  of  fin  and  difobedience, 
 efpecially  ingratitude  towards  their  gracious  God.  Thefiifferings  iri 
 confequcnce  of  their  fin  in  the  matter  of  the  golden  calf,  forwhich 
 3,000 men  fell, in  the  wildernefsby  the  hand  of  the  fons  of  Le\i, 
 Ex.  xxxii.  26,  28.  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  (although  it  was  rc- 
 ftrained)  waxing  hot  againlF  them,  (7 — 13.)  Thefe  fufFerings  are  to 
 be  remembered  with  lamentation ;  not  fo  much  on  account  o{ 
 thofe  who  were  thus  cut  ofF,  as  on  account  of  the  fin  which 
 Ifrael  committed!  In  like  manner  the  rebellion  of  Koran, 
 Dathan,  and  Abiram,  Numb.  xvi.  1 — .50.  is  to  be  remembered 
 with  lamentation  ;  not  fo  much  on  account  of  the  multitude  who 
 were  fwallowed  up  by  the  gaping  earth,  as  on  account  of  the 
 fin,  the  rebellious  fin  committed  by  them,  which  provoked  the 
 wrath  of  God  againlFthem  !  The  fame  may  be  faid  concerning  the 
 death  ofthe  24,000  who  were  cutofFbythe  anger  of  the  Lord  being 
 kindled  againfl  Ifrael,  for  their  idolatry  and  trefpafs  in  committing 
 whoredom  with  the  daughters  of  Moab,  Numb.  xxv.  1 — 9,  We 
 do  not  lament  the  death  of  thefe  finners  fo  much  as  the  fin  that 
 they  committed.  Ifrael  bore  their  fin  for  forty  years  in  the  wil- 
 dcrnefs,  and  it  is  much  to  be  lamented  that  their  rebellion  and 
 unbelief  prevented  that  generation  from  feeing  and  poileifing  the 
 good  land  ;  but  it  is  not  their  punifhment,  fo  much  as  their  re- 
 bellious fin  and  unbelief,  which  is  the  ground  of  our  lamentation  ; 
 for  they  provoked  the  Lord  to  anger  againfl  them,  Numb.  xiii. 
 J — 33'  xiv.  1 — 4 J.  The  fame  may  be  laid  of  the  fufFerings  of 
 the  Jews  by  enemies'   whom  the  Lord    raifed  againil:  them  for 
 
 their 
 
,34  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  I. 
 
 their  p\inifhment  when  they  were  in  their  own  land.  The  fame 
 may  be  faid  of  the  captivity  in  Babylon,  and  of  iheir  grievous 
 fufferinf^s  under  Titus  and  Adrian,  and  their  other  fcourges  ;  but 
 much  as  we  lament  for,  and  mourn  on  account  ofthefefuiFerings, 
 we  lament  and  mourn  much  more  at  the  thought  that  fuch  an 
 highly  favoured  nation,  Ihould  provoke  the  vv^rath  and  indigna- 
 tion of  fo  gracious  a  God,  fo  bountiful  a  bencfailor;  who  is 
 *'  merciful  and  gracious,  How  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy," 
 F{.  ciii.  8.  It  is  to  be  afcribed  to  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 their  fathers,  and  to  his  regard  to  his  abfolute  promife  to  Abra- 
 ham, Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  that  although  a  full  end  is  made  of  other 
 nations,  yet  they  are  corrected  in  meafure  :  *'  Though  I  make  a 
 *'  full  end  of  all  nations  whither  1  have  fcattered  thee,  yet  will 
 *'  I  not  make  a  full  end  of  thee  :  but  I  will  correct  thee  in  mea- 
 •'  fure,  and  will  not  leave  thee  altogether  unpunidied,"  Jer. 
 XXX.  11.  In  the  midft  of  judgment  he  remembereth  mercy. 
 *♦  Many  times  did  he  deliver  them,  but  they  provoked  him  with 
 **  their  counfel,  and  were  brought  low  for  their  iniquity ; 
 '*  neverthelefs  he  regarded  their  afRicHon  when  he  heard  their 
 *'  cry,  and  he  remembered  for  them  his  covenant,  and  repented 
 **  according  to  the  multitude  of  his  mercies  ;  he  made  them  alfo 
 **  to  be  pitied  of  all  thofe  thul  carried  ihcm  captives,"  Pf.  cvi. 
 j^a — ^6.  The  Jews  have,  thank  God,  been  long  in  a  ilate  of  com- 
 parative reft,  and  I  afcribe  it  to  the  mercy  and  returning  favour 
 of  the  Lord  their  God  towards  them  ^  and  it  is  with  refpe6l  to 
 thefe  fufFerings  proceeding  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael  againft  them,  on  account  of  their  national  fnis,  Deut.  xxviii. 
 ig — 68.  J^evt.  xxvi.  14 — 39.  that  I  have  expreiied  my  hope  and 
 belief  that  the  fufFerings  of  the  Jews  are  nearly  ended. 
 
 Sudden.  You  think  then  that  the  actual  fulferings  which  the 
 Jews  may  have  to  endure  in  time  to  come,  are  chieiiy  fuffcrings 
 which   they  will  endure  for   righteoufnefs--fake. 
 
 Cautious.  That  is  my  ardent  hope  !  and  my  exr.ltingexpe6tation 
 in  favour  of  their  nation,  and  this  rny  hope  is  I  tnift  grounded 
 on  fcripturc.  When  you  have  deliberately  confidered  the  pallages  I 
 have  already  quoted,  I  truft  that  your  hope  will  accord  with  mine  ; 
 for  the  burden  of  the  prophetic  fong  concerning  them  in  the  latter 
 day,  is  deliverance,  divine  favour,  and  miraculous  prefcrvation. 
 Let  me,  at  the  fame  time  that  I  am  endeavouring  to  bring  you  to 
 adopt  this  my  hope,  fay  a  few  words  to  guard  you  from  carry- 
 i:ig  it  too  far  \  I  know  that  it  is  an  ancient  opinion,  that  when 
 the  great  antichrift  arifes,  a  fmall  band  of  apoftate  Jews  will 
 ))inhim,  and  become  active  inftruments  of  his  perfecutions  for 
 a  time  (fee  the  bifliop  of  Rocheflcr's  letter  to  Mr.  King,  p.  103, 
 104,  105.)  When  perfecution  rages,  unbelievers  profess 
 their  unbelief,  and  become  apoftates.  So  it  was  in  the  time  of 
 Antiochns,  1  Mac.  i.  11 — 13.  43.  ii.  23.  but  thefe  are  excepti- 
 f  ns,  and  tiic;    will  not  be  long  in   their  apoftatc  Ihite,  but  will 
 
 be 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VII.  135 
 
 be  converted  by  the  manifeft  interference  of  the  Lord  in  favour 
 of  their  nation,  or,  if  not  converted,  be  cue  off  in  righteous  judg- 
 ment. Manyalfo  may  from  corrupt  motives,  and  in  a  ftate  ot 
 unbelief,  feek  to  return  to  the  promifed  land ;  I  think  it  is  of 
 thefe  v/e  read  in  Ezek.  xx.  38.  "  I  will  purge  out  from  among 
 **  you  the  rebels,  and  them  that  tranfgrefs  againft  me  ;  I  will 
 *^  bring  them  forth  out  of  the  country  where  they  fojourn,  and 
 *'  they  fhall  not  enter  into  the  land  of  Ifrael,  and  ye  Ihall  know 
 '*  that  1  am  the  Lord;"  but  thefe,  as  I  have  before  obferved,  are 
 but  exceptions,  and  by  no  means  (hake  my  hope  that  the  fuf- 
 ierings  ot  the  Jews,  on  account  of  their  national  fins,  are  nearly- 
 ended.  Thofe  of  thefe  offenders  who  are  cut  off,  are  purged 
 out  from  among  them,  and  their  fm  docs  not  feem  to  be  in  any 
 degree  imputed  to  the  nation  of  the  Jews,  becaufe  the  great  body 
 of  the  Jewifh  nation  will  fliew,  that  they  are  by  no  means  par- 
 takers of  thefe  crimes,  but  would  prefer  the  endurance  of  death, 
 rather  than  deliberately  to  fm  againll:  their  gracious  God,  It  is 
 noticed  in  Jer.  xxxi.  29,  30.  as  a  blelfmg  to  the  nation  at  large 
 that  offenders  lliall  be  punifhed  :  "  In  thofe  days  they  (hall  fay 
 "  no  niore,  the  fathers  have  eaten  a  four  grape,  and  the  children's 
 "  teeth  are  let  on  edge,  but  every  one  (liall  die  for  his  own 
 **  INIQUITY;  every  m.an  that  eateth  the  four  grape,  his  teeth 
 "  fhall  be  fet  on  edge," 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  certainly  to  the  benefit  of  a  nation  that  crimes 
 (liould  be  punilhed,  for  otherwifc,  the  nation  at  large  are  fuf- 
 ferers.  Numb.  xxxv.  33,  34.  Levit.  xviii.  25 — ■27.  Jo(h.  vii.  18. 
 xxii.  20.  andthe  punilhment  of  the  Jewi(h  nation  for  fo  lono-  a 
 time,  is  evidence  of  the  certainty  of  puniihment  fucceediaw 
 crimes  that  for  a  time  are  palfed  by  without  puniihment. 
 
 Cautious.  You  will  do  well  to  recolleft  that  the  fins  of  Ifrael, 
 for  which  they  have  been  fo  feverely  puniflied,  were  national 
 (ins,  in  which  their  whole  nation  with  very  few  exceptions  were 
 involved.  Their  trefpafs  in  the  matter  of  the  golden  calf,  Teems 
 to  have  involved  all  Ifrael,  Exod.  xxxii.  3.  for  no  oppofition 
 to  the  idolatry  is  noticed  until  Mofes  defcends  from  the  mount- 
 The  unbelief  and  rebellion  after  the  fpies  had  made  their  report, 
 appears  to  have  involved  all  Ifrael  except  Mofes  and  Aaron, 
 Joihua  and  Caleb,  Numb.  xiii.  1 — 33,  xlv.  1 — 4,5.  Even  the 
 idolatry  of  Solomon,  appears  to  have  been  a  crime  which  involved 
 the  nation  ;  for  we  do  not  read  of  any  oppofition  made  to  his  build- 
 ing high  places  for  idolatrous  purpofes,  as  maght  have  been  cx- 
 peded,    1  Kings   xi.    1,  9.   Deut.  xiii.   6,   18.    but  .although 
 
 m 
 
 thofe  ancient  inftances  their  crimes  were  national  crimes,  we 
 have  good  reafon  to  hope  that  in  time  to  come,  piety  w^ili  be 
 their  national  character,  and  crimes  punifhed  as  they  occur.  We 
 have  not  time  at  prefe/it  to  proceed  further,  refkcl  on  what  I 
 have  faid,  and  I  Ihall  be  happy  to  renew  tue  fubje>5l  at  our  next 
 nitr'wiing. 
 
 EIGHTH 
 
(     136     ) 
 
 EIGHTH  DIALOGUE. 
 
 Containing  further  Reaf oris  for  the  Hope,  that  the  cahmiitous  Sufferings 
 of  the  Jewifh  Nation  are  nearly  ended,  and  that  the  chief  Sufferings 
 to  he  endured  hy  them  in  Time  to  cotne,  will  be  for  Righteoufnefs- 
 Sake  :  in  which  they  will  experience  miraculous  Aid  and  Deliverance  ; 
 and  the  Gentile  Nations  an  awful  Day  of  Judgment,  in  which 
 great  Multitudes  will  be  dejiroyed. 
 
 CAUTIOUS   AND    SUDDEN. 
 
 Cautious.  T  HOPE  you  have  had  leifure    to  examine  fcripture, 
 A   and  maiurely    weigh  the  reafons  I  gave  you  for  my 
 hope  that  the  Jewifh  lufferings  are  nearly  ended. 
 
 Sudden.  I  have  to  the  beft  of  my  ability  examined  fcriptnre 
 tipon  the  fubject.  ;  and  after  mature  confideration,  my  doubts 
 have  been  confirnied,  and  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  calamitous 
 fufrerings  of  the  jews,  thofe  fufFerings  which  they  endure  from 
 the  wrath  of  their  jullly  offended  God,  ARt  not  yet  accom- 
 plished, and  I  will  give  you  my  reafons  for  thinking  fo.  In 
 the  firft  place  let  me  obferve,  that  in  the  28th  and  29th  chapters 
 of  the  book  of  Deut.  the  curfes  they  are  to  endure  for  difobe- 
 dience  are  fet  forth  at  large  ;  if  therefore  there  are  curfes  de- 
 nounced in  thofe  chapters,  which  have  not  as  yet  been  com- 
 pletely accomplifiied,  it  affords  il;rong  ground  for  fear,  that  their 
 fufFerings  have  not  as  yet  produced  that  effecl  upon  them  and 
 the  refl  of  mankind,  which  you  have  imagined,  but  that  they 
 must  endure  much  greater  sufferings,-  before  the 
 returning  favour  of  the  Lord  is  exerted  for  their  relloration  to 
 that  great  profperity  which  they  will  ultimately  enjoy.  I  admit 
 that  their  fufFerings,  and  efpecialiy  their  long  continued  difper- 
 fion  and  degradation,  have  produced  a  very  confiderablc  effedi 
 upon  them  and  alfo  upon  all  nations.  It  is  generally  believed 
 and  admitted,  that  they  have  been  punifhed  for  their  difobedience, 
 and  that  their  land  hath  been  in  agreat  meafure,  and  ilill  is  in  that 
 barren  and  defolate  ftate  that  is  delcribed  in  Deut.  28th  and  29th. 
 Bifhop  Newton,  in  his  7th  dilLrtation  on  the  prophecies,  which 
 have  remarkably  been  fulfilled,  and  at  this  time  are  fulfilling  in 
 the  world,  fpeaks  of  the  accompliiliment  of  thole  curfes  upon 
 them,  and  of  the  defolate  fiate  of  their  land  ;  and  in  dillertation 
 8th  (p.  223.  Vol.  I.)  lie  obfcrves,  '*  But  there  is  no  need  of 
 **  citing  authorities  to  prove  that  the  land  is  forfaken  of  its  in- 
 *'  habitants,  is  uncultivated,  unfruitful,  and  defolate  ;  for  the 
 "  enemies  of  our  religion,  make  thisvery  thingan  objetflionto  the 
 *'  truth  of  our  religion.     They  fay,  that  fo  barren  and  wretched  a 
 
 *'  country 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE    VIII.  I37: 
 
 '  country  could  never  have  been  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
 '  honey,  nor  have   fupplied  and  maintained  fuch  multitudes  as 
 
 *  it  is   reprefented  to  have  done  in  Icripture  ;  but  they  do  not- 
 '  confider  that  hereby  the  prophecies  are  fulfilled  :  fo  that  it  is 
 
 *  rather  an  evidence  for  the  truth  of  our  religion,  than  an  argu- 
 
 *  ment   againft  it."     But,  notwithftanding  the  fulfilment  of  fo 
 many  of  thofe  denunciations,  it  feems  to  me  that  some  of  the 
 
 MOST  AWFUL    OF  THEM  REMAIN   TO   BE     FULFILLED,       I  rc- 
 
 queft  you  to  read  from  the  2 2d  verfe  of  the  29th  of  Deut.  to 
 the  end  of  the  26.th  verfe  :  *'  So  that  the  generation  to  come  of 
 your  children  that  fhall  rife  up  after  you,  and  the  ftranger 
 that  fhall  come  from  a  far  land,  (hall  fay,  when  they  fee  the 
 plagues  of  that  land,  and  the  ficknelTes  which  the  Lord  hath 
 laid  upon  it  ;  and  that  the  whole  land  thereof  is  brimflone, 
 and  fait,  and  burning,  that  it  is  not  fown,  nor  beareth,  nor  any 
 grafsgroweth  therein,  like  the  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
 morrah, Admah  and  Zeboim,  which  the  Lord  overthrew  in 
 his  anger,  and  in  his  wrath  :  even  all  nations  lliall  fay,  Where- 
 fore hath  the  Lord  done  thus  unto  this  land  ;  what  meanetli 
 the*  heat  of  this  great  anger  ?  Then  men  fhall  fay,  Becaufe  they 
 have  forfaken  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers, 
 which  he  made  with  them  when  he  brought  them  forth  out 
 of  the  land  of  Egypt  ;  for  they  went  and  ferved  other  gods, 
 and  worfhipped  them,  gods  whom  they  knew  not,  and  whoin 
 he  had  not  given  unto  them  ;  and  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was 
 kindled  againft  this  land,  to  bring  upon  it  all  the  curfes  that 
 are  written  in  this  book  ;  and  the  Lord  rooted  them  out  of 
 their  land  in  anger,  and  in  wrath,  and  in  great  indignation,  and 
 caft  them  into  another  land,  as  it  is  this  day."  And  now  let 
 me  afk  you  whether  barren  and  defolate  as  the  Holy  Land  now 
 is,  and  hath  continued  for  ages,  yet  is  the  whole  land  thereof 
 BRIMSTONE,  and  SALT,  and  burning?  Doth  no  grafs  grow 
 thereon  r  I  s  it  as  yet  like  that  plain  in  which  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
 Admah  and  Zeboim  once  ftood,  which  the  Lord  overthrew  in 
 his  anger,  and  in  his  wrath  ?  They  have  endured  much,  it  is 
 true,  more  than  any  other  nation  ;  but  hath  the  Lord  yet  made 
 the  heaven  that  is  over  their  head  to  be  brafs,  and  the  earth  that 
 is  under  them  to  be  iron  r  Hath  he  turned  the  rain  of  their  land  into 
 powder  and  duft  ?  Deut.  xxviii.  23,24.  Have  their  carcafes become 
 meat  unto  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  unto  the  beafts  of  the  earth  ? 
 Hath  the  Lord  yet  fmitten  them  with  the  botch  of  Egypt,  with 
 the  emcrods,  the  fcab,  and  the  itch,  whereof  they  cannot  be 
 healed  ?  Have  they  yet  groped  in  noon-day  as  the  blind  gropeth 
 in  darknefs  ?  Hath  the  Lord  yet  fmitten  them  in  the  knees  and 
 in  the  legs  with  the  fore  botch  which  cannot  be  healed,  from 
 the  fole  of  the  foot  unto  the  top  of  the  head  ?  (26,  27,  29,  35.) 
 Notwithftanding  many  of  the  denunciations  have  been  accom- 
 plilhed,  yet  I  cannot  think  that  thefe,  the  moil  awful  in  the  dread-r 
 
 T  ful 
 
138  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  I. 
 
 ful  lift,  have  yet  been  accomplifhed  ;  and  if  fuch  dreadful  de- 
 nunciations yet  remain  to  be  fulfilled,  does  it  not  fliake  that 
 good  opinion  you  have  formed  concerning  them,  from  which 
 you  have  concluded  that  their  fufFerings  are  nearly  ended  r 
 
 Cautious,  I  am  very  glad  to  find,  that  you  have  been  fo  dili- 
 gent in  examining  and  weighuig  the  queilion  before  us  \  although 
 I  flill  truft  that  I  fhall  yet  bring  you  to  hope  as  I  do,  and  fhall 
 convince  you  that  you  have  dravi^n  a  wrong  conclufion  concern- 
 ing thofe  awful  paffages  which  you  have  quoted. 
 
 Sudden.  I  fhall  rejoice  greatly  if  you  are  able  ;  for  I  aflure 
 you  it  gave  me  great  pain  to  relinquifh  that  gleam  of  hope 
 which  1  enjoyed  before  I  examined  the  paffages  I  have  quoted. 
 
 Cautious,  Does  it  neccifarily  follow  that  a  denunciation 
 MUST    be   executed  ? 
 
 Sudden,     Can  there  be  a  doubt  upon  the  fubje6l  ? 
 
 Cautious.  I  will  acknowledge  that  in  the  progrefs  of  my 
 thoughts  upon  this  fubjeft,  I  was  ftruck  with  the  fame  paffages 
 which  you  have  quoted,  and  I  was  diftreiled  with  the  fame  fear 
 as  you  have  expreifed  ;  for  I  entirely  agree  with  you,  that  not- 
 ■withftanding  fo  many  of  thofe  denunciations  have  been  fulfilled, 
 yet  that  thofe  which  you  have  extra6ted  have  not  yet  been  ful- 
 filled. That  which  we  ardently  hope  for,  we  feel  an  ;  inclina- 
 tion to  believe,  and  it  was  poflibly  the  ardour  of  my  hope  which 
 firft  raifed  the  doubt  in  my  mind  ;  and  ardently  hoping  that  the 
 fufFerings  of  the  Jews  were  nearly  ended,  I  noted  this  as  a 
 queflion  deferving  very  ferious  confideration,  '*  Is  it  abfolutely 
 **  neceffary  that  every  denunciation  fliould  be  accomplifhed  ? 
 And  the  refult  of  my  inquiry  was,  that  it  was  by  no  means  ne- 
 ceffary, and  that  fcripture  proves  that  It  is  by  no  means  neceffary  ; 
 and  at  laft  I  became  almofl  aftoniflied,  that  I  fhould  have, 
 even  for  a  moment,  doubted  upon  the  fubjedf. 
 
 Sudden,  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  you  fay  fo,  and  beg  you  to 
 lead  me  in  the  fame  way,  and  I  fincerely  hope  that  you  will  be 
 able  to  convince  me,  that  my  fears  are  unfounded. 
 
 Cautious.  Leaving  the  denunciations  againft  the  Jews,  let  us 
 firft  turn  to  the  book  of  Jonah.  It  commences  with  the  de- 
 nunciation, the  awful  denunciation  which  Jonah'was  required 
 to  make  to  the  inhabitants  of  Nineveh  ;  he  endeavoured  to  flee 
 from  the  prefence  of  the  Lord,  is  miraculoufly  detefted,  and 
 brought  back,  and  receives  a  fecond  command,  which  he  obeys  ; 
 and/*  he  cried  and  faid.  Yet  forty  days  and  Nineveh  fhall  be 
 *'  overthrown,"  Jonah  iii.  4.  Here  is  a  positive  denunci- 
 ation, and  the  time  limited  in  which  it  was  to  be  executed  ; 
 and  yet  this  denunciation  was  not  executed. 
 
 Sudden.  It  did  not  occur  to  me  before  you  noticed  it,  but 
 there  can  be  no  doubt  th»t  in  this  cafe,  there  was  a  denunciation, 
 a  pofitive  denunciation,  and  yet  that  denunciation  was  not 
 executed. 
 
 *  Cautious,     It  was  not  executed  becaufe  '*  the  people  of  Ni- 
 
 <'  neve]^ 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  139 
 
 "  neveh  believed  God,  and  proclaimed  a  faft,  and  put  on  fack- 
 **  cloth,  from  the  greateil  ot  them  even  to  the  lealt  of  them; 
 *'  for  w^ord  came  unto  the  king  of  Nineveh,  and  he  arofe  from 
 **  his  throne,  and  he  laid  his  robe  from  him,  and  covejed  him 
 **  vv^ith  fackcloth,  and  fat  in  allies  ;  and  he  caufed  it  to  be  pro- 
 **  claimed  and  publilhed  through  Nineveh  (by  the  decree  of  the 
 ■*'  king  and  his  nobles)  faying,  Let  neither  man  nor  beaft,  herd 
 *'  nor  flock  taite  any  thing  ;  let  them  not  feed,  nor  drink  water. 
 *'  But  let  man  and  beaff  be  covered  v/ith  fackcloth,  and  cry 
 **  mightily  unto  God  :  yea  let  them  turn  every  one  from  his 
 '*  evil  way,  and  from  the  violence  that  is  in  their  hands,  who 
 *'  can  tell  if  God  will  turn  and  repent,  and  turn  away  from  his 
 *'  fierce  anger  that  we  perifh  not  ?  And  God  faw  their  works, 
 *'  that  they  turned  from  their  evil  way,  and  God  repented  of 
 *'  the  evil  that  he  had  faid  that  he  would  do  unto  them,  and  he 
 **  did  it  not."  Jonah  iii.  5 — lo.  Inthe  next  chapter  we  are  in- 
 formed of  the  efFeft  this  produced  upon  Jonah,  who  evidently- 
 thought  that  being  denounced,  the  denunciation  fhould  have  been 
 executed,  but  it  is  faid  unto  him,  "  Doll  thou  well  to  be  angry  ?" 
 ^chap.'iv.  4.  It  is  true  that  the  denunciation  was  positive, 
 there  was  no  condition  expreffed,  but  there  was  a  condition  im- 
 plied by  the  mefQige  being  fent  ;  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  is  ''  a 
 *'  gracious  God,  and  merciful,  flow  to  anger,  and  of  great  kind- 
 *^  nefs,  and  repenteth  of  the  evil,"  chap.  iv.  2.  *'  Should  not  I 
 *'  fpare  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  wherein  are  more  thanfixfcore 
 ^'  thoufand  perfons  that  cannot  difcern  between  their  right  hand 
 *'  and  their  left  hand,  and  alfo  much  cattle  ?"  verfe  x\. 
 
 Sudden.  I  thank  you  for  referring  to  a  book  which  contains 
 fuch  great  confolation  ;  the  Lord  heareth  even  the  cry  of  the 
 ravens,  and  the  fparrow  falleth  not  to  the  ground  without  his 
 notice  and  permiffion,  Matt.  x.  29.     Pf.  cxlvii.  9. 
 
 Cautious.  Hath  he  pity  upon  the  young  ravens,  and  doth  he  re- 
 gard even  the  little  fparrow,  and  will  he  not  regard  and  fpare  man, 
 who  is  of  fo  much  greater  rank  among  his  creatures  ?  Did  he  fpare 
 the  inhabitants  of  Nineveh  becaufe  they  repented,  and  can  we 
 entertain  a  doubt  of  his  fparing  and  reftoring  his  fon,  even  his  firft- 
 born,  Exod.  iv.  22.  his  beloved  Ifrael,  to  favour  on  repentance  ? 
 The  inhabitants  of  Nineveh  had  no  affurance  of  this,  there  was 
 no  condition  annexed  to  the  denunciation,  it  was  only  implied  ; 
 but  it  is  not  fo  in  the  chapters  we  ape  confidering,  they  contain 
 an  exprefs  condition.  The  curfes  denounced  are  to  come  upon 
 them  on  their  difobedience,  '*  If  thou  wilt  not  hearken  unto  the 
 *'  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  obferve  to  do  ail  his  command- 
 *<  ments,  and  his  ftatutes  which  I  command  thee  this  day," 
 Deut,  xxviii.  15.  Thank  God  for  the  ifs  that  are  mixed  with 
 thefe  denunciations.  There  is  another  in  verfe  58,  "  If  thou 
 "  wilt  not  obferve  to  do  all  the  words  of  this  law  ;"  if  thou 
 wilt  not,  fully  expreffes  why  thefe  evils  are  threaten^ed,  they 
 
 are 
 
140  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  I. 
 
 are  conditional  ;  if  thou  wilt  not  obferve,  they  will  be  inflided  ; 
 but  not  fo  if  thou  wilt  obferve. 
 
 Sudden.  I  acknowledge  that  I  was  inattentive,  for  had  thefe 
 IFS,  thefe  conditions  been  obferved  by  me,  they  would  have  pre- 
 vented my  forming  the  conclufion  I  did  ;  and  I  now  acknoAvledge 
 that  there  can  be  no  necellity  for  thefe  denunciations  being  ac- 
 complifhed,  in  cafe  the  Jews  repent,  and  return  unto  the  Lord. 
 
 Cautious.  They  will  undoubtedly  be  all  accomplished 
 if  they  do  not  repent  and  return;  but  my  hope  is  that  they  are 
 BEGINNING  to  repent  and  return  unto  the  Lord;  and  that  this 
 difpofition  will  grow  and  increafe  among  them,  until  it  arrives 
 tothat  perfe6lion,  that  it  may  with  truth  be  faid,  they  turn  unto 
 the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and  all  their  foul,  Deut.  xxx.  2. 
 And  this  hope,  the  reafons  for  which  I  have  already  given  you,  is 
 the  ground  on  which  I  build  my  belief,  that  the  calamitous  {\\i- 
 ferings  of  the  Jewifh  nation  are  nearly  ended.  Pray  read  at  your 
 leifure  the  30th  of  Deut.  and  26th  of  Levit.  and  particularly 
 notice  the  ifs  contained  therein  ;  you  will  hnd  ten  in  the  chapter 
 laft  referred  to. 
 
 Sudden.  My  dear  friend,  you  have  convinced  me  ;  and  your 
 hope  is  now  my  hope,  your  belief  my  belief,  and  if  any  of  thefe 
 denunciations  which  have  not  yet  come  upon  them,  remain  to  be 
 inflifted,  I  truft  we  have  good  ground  to  believe  that  they 
 will  not  be  inflicted  upon  the  nation  at  large,  but  only  upon  the 
 rebels,  and  thofe  who  tranfgrefs  againll  their  gracious  God ! 
 Ezek.  XX.  38.  And  now  as  you  have  brought  this  matter  to  an 
 iflue,  fo  much  to  my  fatisfa6lion,  permit  me  to  requeft  you  to 
 give  me  an  anfwer  to  a  few  queftions  concerning  thofe  fufferings 
 which  the  Jews  may  have  to  endure  for  righteoufnefs-fake  ;  I 
 fear  thefe  fufferings  will  be  very  grievous  fufferings,  and  that 
 you  will  not  be  able  to  convince  me  to  the  contrary.  I  have  ex- 
 amined fcripture  upon  this  point,  and  fhall  refer  you  to  a  few 
 pafTages.  The  kingdom  or  government  under  which  they  meet 
 with  their  diftrefs,  feems  to  me  to  be  fpoken  of  in  the  40th  verfe 
 of  Dan.  ii.  it  is  an  iron  kingdom,  breaking  in  pieces  and  bruifing 
 with  violence. 
 
 Cautious,  Well,  hath  not  the  Roman  empire,  the  remains  of 
 which  now  exift  (42,  43,  44,)  broken  to  pieces,  and  bruifed  all 
 nations  ;  but  efpecially  hath  it  not  broken  to  pieces,  and  bruifed 
 and  fcattered  the  Jewiih  nation  ? 
 
 Sudden.  I  do  not  controvert  it,  but  in  the  7th  chapter  it  feem.s 
 to  me,  that  we  have  fome  further  information  concerning  times 
 to  come,  and  it  is  particularly  noticed  of  the  little  horn  therein 
 mentioned  :  *'  I  beheld,  and  the  fame  horn  made  war  with  the 
 **  faints,  and  prevailed  againft  them.,  until  the  ancient  of  days 
 **  came,  and  judgment  was  given  to  the  faints  of  the  Moft  High, 
 **  and  the  time  came  that  the  faints  poifelfed  the  kingdom, 
 Dan.  vii.  21,  22.     He  is  permitted  to  prevail,  and  for  a  giAcn 
 
 period 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  141 
 
 period  they  will  be  ''  given  into  his  hand,"  verfe  25  ;  and  in  the 
 next  chapter  are  matters  fomewhat  lunilar,  and  particularly  in 
 the  24th  and  25th  verfes  are  thefe  words,  *'  And  he  fliall 
 **  profper,  and  pra6tife,  and  fhall  deftroy  the  mighty,  and  the 
 *'  holy  people  ;  and  by  peace  (or  profperity)  fhall  deitroy  many," 
 Dan.  viii.   24,   25. 
 
 Cautious.  The  fufferings  of  the  Jews  in  time  to  come,  may  be 
 great  fufterings  ;  but  if  they  are  endured  lor  attachment  to  their 
 moft  excellent  religion  and  laws,  they  cannot  be  confidered  as 
 calamitous  fuffejrings,  like  thofe  they  in  tormer  times  endured. 
 Sufferings  on  account  of  fm  are  calamitous,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
 fufferings  for  righteoufnefs-fake  are  honourable  and  advantageous  ; 
 ^'  Bleifed  are  they  which  are  perfccuted  for  righteoufnefs-fake, 
 *'  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  Matt.  v.  10.  Do  we 
 mourn  when  we  read  the  account  of  Daniel  being  calf  into  the 
 lion's  den  ?  Dan.  vi.  1 — 28.  By  no  m.eans,  v/e  read  the  account 
 with  exultation,  and  an  increafed  faith  in  him  who  fent  his  angel 
 for  his  deliverance,  to  clofe  up  the  lions  mouths.  Do  we  pe- 
 rufe  the  account  of  the  fiery  trial  of  Shadrach,  Melliach,  and 
 Abedhego,  with  an  heavy  heart  r  Dan.  iii.  1 — 30.  Or  do  the  fuf- 
 ferings of  Ifrael  in  Egypt,  immediately  preparatory  to  their  mi- 
 raculous deliverance,  excite  any  regret  in  our  minds  r  So  far 
 otherv/ife,  that  the  Jew^s  mud  read  thefe  things  with  fenfations  of 
 joy,  that  they  are  members  of  a  nation  that  hath  been  fo  miracu- 
 loufly  protected,  preiervcd,  and  delivered ;  and  that  they  are 
 worlhippers  of  him,  who  thus  miraculoufly  delivered  them  ;  and 
 we  who  have  not  the  high  honour  of  being  the  defcendants  of 
 thofe  who  were  fo  highly  favoured  by  God,  can  yet  partake  in  their 
 joy,  as  we  willi  and  pray  for  the  profperity  of  their  nation,  and  are 
 "vvorftiippers  of  the  Lord  their  God.  Even  the  accounts  we  havo 
 of  Jewilh  fufferings  for  righteoufnefs-fake,  in  the  book  of  Mac- 
 cabees, are  read  with- pleafure,  inftead  Oi  pain,  bccaufe  their  fuf- 
 ferings (though  grievous  during  the  period  ot  time  in  w  hich  they 
 exilled)  are  honourable,  and  advantageous  to  the  futferers,  and  to 
 the  nation  that  could  produce  fuch  exalted  characlers.  The 
 Jewifli  fufferings  in  time  to  come,  will  I  think  bear  a  {hiking  re- 
 femblance  to  thofe  of  their  anceilors  under  Antiochus  ;  but  then 
 let  us  recollect  that  their  deliverance  will  be  m.ore  confpicuous. 
 Let  us  not  dwell  too  much  upon  the  dark  fide  of  the  profpedt. 
 It  is  true  there  will  be  "•  a  time  of  trouble,  fucli  as  never 
 "  was  fmce  there  was  a  nation,"  and  much  of  this  trouble  may 
 be  Jewifh  trouble  ;  but  let  us  recollect  that  in  the, fame  verfe  we 
 are  informed,  that  "  at  that  time  fhall  Michael  ftand  up, 
 *'  the  great  prince,  which  ffandeth  for  the  children  of  thy 
 *'  people  ;"  and  alfo,  that  ''  at  that  time  thy  people  shall 
 *'  BE  DELIVERED,  every  one  found  written  in  the  book," 
 Dan.  xii.  1.  It  is  trud  that  it  will  be  "  the  time  of  Jacob's 
 *'  trouble;"    but  It    is    equally  true,  and  declared    iii  the   fame 
 
 verfe. 
 
142  DIALOGUE     Vllf.  Part  I, 
 
 verfe,  that  '*'  he  fliall  be  faved  out  of  it,"  Jer.  xxx.  7.  It  is 
 true  that  it  will  be  given  to  the  enemy  for  a  time  (we  hope  a  very 
 fhort  time)  to  make  war  with  the  faints,  aud  to  prevail  againil  ^ 
 them  j  but  let  us  remember  that  this  is  immediately  followed 
 by  the  reftoratipn  of  the  kingdom  unto  Ifrael,  Acts  i,  6.  and  the 
 faints  poHeillng  the  kingdom,  Dan.  vii.  21,  22.  Was  it  not 
 given  unto  Pharaoh  to  prevail  againft  their  anccftors,  and  w-ere 
 they  not  given  into  his  hand?  But  what  "did  he  get  by  it?  He 
 only  got  the  endurance  of  fufferings  the  moll  awful,  and  a  watery 
 grave  in  the  bed  of  the  fea  !  But  the  deliverance  of  Ifrael  which 
 approaches  will  be  a  far  more  univerfal  and  confpicuous  deliver- 
 ance, Jer.  xxiii.  8.  xxxi.  8.  and  attended  with  as  evident  tokens 
 of  the  Lord's  prefence  ^nd  gracious  interference.  The  Jews 
 and  the  other  worfhippers  pt  the  only  true  God,  will  have  no 
 jufl:  caufe  of  apprehenfion  from  acts  of  violence  ;  it  they  are 
 faithful  unto  death  in  fuch  a  glorious  caufe,  as  attachment  to  the 
 worlhip  and  law  of  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  they  will  re- 
 ceive the  *' crown  of  life,"  Rev.  ii.  10.  That  which  they  an4 
 the  Avorfliippers  of  their  God  will  have  moft  to  guard  againft, 
 and  to  pray  to  be  kept  from,  will  be  fedu61ion  ! — by  peace  or  at- 
 tachment to  their  profperity  and  property,  the  enemy  will  deifroy 
 many,  Dan.  viii.  25.  but  he  will  not  proceed  undiiturbed  in  his 
 career:  *'  Remember  ye  the  law  of  Mofes  my  lervant,  which  I 
 *'  commanded  him  in  Horeb  for  all  Ifrael,  with  the  ilatutes  and 
 *'  judgments.  Behold  I  will  fend  you  Elijah  the  prophet,  before 
 "  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord,  and  he 
 **  fhall  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart 
 "  of  the  children  to  their  fathers,  left  I  come  and  fmite  the 
 *'  earth  with  a  curfe."  Mai.  iv.  4 — 6.  The  Lord's  witnefles  of 
 the  Jewiih  nation  will  be  inverted  with  power  duriugthe  term  of 
 their  miniftry,  and  "  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth 
 "  out  of  their  mouth  and  devoureth  their  enemies:  and  if  any 
 **  man  will  hurt  them,,  he  muit  in  this  manner  be  killed;  thcfe 
 **  have  power  to  fhut  heaven  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days  of  their 
 **  prophecy,  and  have  power  over  waters  to  turn  them  to  blood, 
 "  and  to  fmite  the  earth  with  all  plagues  as  oiten  as  they  will," 
 Rev.  xi.  ^,  6.  And  although  they  are  clothed  in  fackcloth,  and 
 the  worfliippers  of  the  true  God  are  obliged  for  a  time,  like 
 Elijah,  to  iiee  into  the  wildernefs,  1  Kings  xvii,  1 — 7.  yet  as  he 
 was  there  miraculouily  fed  and  preferved,  fo  will  they  be  fed  and 
 nouriflred  there  for  the  appointed  time-,  Rev.  xii.  6,  1-4.  and  not 
 only  fed,  in  that  place  which  ispreparedby  God,  but  protected 
 alfo,"  Rev,  xii.  15,16.  Has  the  enemy  the  audacity  to  "  fpeak  great 
 '*  words  againll  the  Moft  High,"  Dan.  vii.  25.  and  to  '*  exalt 
 **  and  magnify  himfelf  above  every  God,"  and  "  fpeak  marvellous 
 **  things  againll  the  God  of  gods,"  Dan.  xi.  36.  Pharaoh  fpake 
 great  words,  *'  Who  is  the  Lord,  that  I  fliould  obey  his  voice  to  let 
 •*   Ifrael  go?   I  know  not  the  Lord,    neither  will  I  let  Ifrael  go," 
 
 Exod. 
 
Part  I,  DIALOGUE     VIII. 
 
 M3 
 
 Exod,  V,  2.  But  Pliaraoh,  bad  as  he  was,  did  not  require  his 
 image  to  be  worlliipped  j  Nebuchadnezzar  exceeded  him  in  this, 
 he  not  only  required  it,  but  became  furious  againft  thole  who 
 would  not  conform,  Dan.  iii.  13.  and  after  he  had  pronounced 
 fentence  againft  the  non-conformifts,  he  vauntingly  exclaims, 
 *'  Who  is  that  God,  that  fhall  deliver  you  out  ot  m.y  hands?" 
 We  know  the  refult,  and  how  much  it  redounded  to  the  glory 
 of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  and  the  honour  of  the  Jewiili  nation. 
 Antiochus  feems  to  have  exceeded  even  Nebuchadnezzar, 
 although  he  did  not  ere<5l  an  image  of  himself  for  idolatrous 
 purpofes.  I  muit  quote  one  pailage  from  the  2d  book  of  Mac- 
 cabees, it  is  fo  much  to  the  honour  of  the  Jevvilh  nation,  and  fp 
 point  blank  contradicts  that  audacious  calumny  wherewith  they 
 have  been  calumniated,  as  if  they  looked  for  no  bleilings  but  in 
 this  life  ;  and  were  ignorant  concerning  therefurreclion  oi  thedead, 
 and  the  life  of  the  world  to  come,  2  Mac.  vii.  9,  n,  14,20,  23, 
 29,  36.  **  It  "came  to  pafs  alfo  that  feven  brethren  with  their 
 mother  were  taken,  and  compelled  by  the  king  againft  the  law, 
 to  tafte  f wine's  flefti,  and  were  tormented- with  fcourges  and 
 whelps  ;  but  one  of  them  that  fpake  firft,  faid  thus  :  What 
 Vouldeft  thou  af]<  or  learn  of  us  ?  we  are  ready  to  die,  rather 
 than  to  tranfgrefs  the  laws  of  our  fathers.  Then  the  king 
 being  in  a  rage,  commanded  pans  and  caldrons  to  be  made  hot  ; 
 which  forthwith  being  heated,  he  commanded  to  cut  out 
 the  tongue  of  him  that  fpake  firft,  and  to  cut  off"  the  utmoft 
 parts  of  his  body,  the  reft  of  his  brethren  and  his  mother 
 looking  on.  Now  when  he  was  thus  maimed  in  all  his  mem- 
 bers, he  commanded  him  being  yet  alive,  to  be  brought  to  the 
 fire  and  to  be  fryed  in  the  pan  ^  and  as  the  vapour  of  the  pan 
 was  for  a  good  fpace  difperfed,  they  exhorted  one  another, 
 with  the  mother,  to  die  manfully,  faying  thus  :  The  Lord- 
 God  looketh  upon  us,  and  in  truth  hath  comfort  in  uf,,  as 
 Mofes  in  his  fong,  which  witnefled  to  their  faces,  declared 
 faying,  And  he  Ih all  be  comforted  in  his  fervants.  So  when 
 the  firit  was  dead,  after  this  manner,  they  brought  the  fecond 
 to  miake  him  a  mocking  ftock :  and  when  they  had  pulled  off 
 the  fkinof  his  head  with  the  hair,  they  afked  hnn,  "Wilt  thou. eat 
 before  thou  be  puniflied  throughout  every  member -of  thy  body? 
 But  he  anfwered  in  his  own  language,  and  faid,  No.  Where- 
 fore he  alfo  received  the  next  torment  in  order,  as  the  former  did. 
 And  when  he  was  atthelaft  gafp,  he  faid.  Thou  like  afury  takeft 
 us  out  of  this  prefent  life,  but  theKing  of  the  world  fliall  raife 
 us  up,  who  have  died  for  his  laws,  unto  everlnfi'mg  lift. 
 After  him  was  the  third  made  a  mocking  ftock,  and  when  he 
 was  required,  he  put  out  his  tongue,  and  that  right  foon,  hold- 
 ing forth  his  hands  manfully,  and  faid  courageoufly,  Thefe  I 
 had  from  heaven,  and  for  his  laws  I  defpife  them,  and  fro  in 
 him  1  hope  to  receive  thein  again  :  infomuch  that  the  king,  and  they 
 
 **   that 
 
144 
 
 DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  I. 
 
 **  that  were  with  him  mavelled  at  tlie  young  man's  courage,  for 
 **  that  he  nothing  regarded  the  pains.  Now  when  this  young 
 **  man  was  dead  alfo,  they  tormented  and  mangled  the  fourth  in 
 *'  like  manner:  fowhen  he  was  ready  to  die,  he  faid  thus;  It  is 
 **  good  being  put  to  death  by  men,  to  look  for  hope  from  God 
 *'  to  he  raijed  up  again  by  hint',  as  for  thee,  thou  Jhalt  have  no 
 **  rejurreition  to  life.  Afterward  they  brought  the  fifth  alfo  and 
 **  mangled  him  ;  then  looked  he  u.nto  the  king,  and  faid;  Thou 
 *'  halt  power  over  men,  thou  art  corruptible,  thou  doeft  what 
 **  thou  wilt,  yet  think  not  that  our  nation  is  forfaken  of 
 **  God  :  but  abide  av/hile,  and  behold  his  great  power,  how  he 
 **  will  torment  thee,  and  thy  feed.  After  him  alfo  they  brought 
 **  the  fixth,  who  being  ready  to  die,  faid.  Be  not  deceived  without 
 *'  caufe,  for  we  fuffer  thefe  things  for  ourfelves,  having  finned 
 *'  againil  our  God  ;  therefore  marvellous  things  are  done  unto  us. 
 **  But  think  not  thou,  that  takeft  in  hand  to  ftrive  againft  God, 
 **  that  thou  (halt  efcape  unpunifhed.  But  the  mother  was  mar- 
 **  vellous  above  all,  and  worthy  of  honourable  memory :  for 
 **  when  llie  faw  her  feven  fons  ilain  within  the  fpace  of  one  day, 
 **  file  bare  it  with  a  good  courage,  bccauje  of  the  hope  that  Jhe 
 **  had  in  the  Lord.  Yea,  fhe  exhorted  every  one.  of  them  in  her 
 **  own  language,  filled  with  courageous  fpirits,  and  Ifirring  up  her 
 *'  womanifii  thoughts  with  a  manly  ftomach,  file  faid  unto  them, 
 '*  I  cannot  tell  how  you  came  into  my  womb  :  for  I  neither  gave 
 "  you  breath  nor  life,  neither  was  it  I  that  formed  the  members  of 
 *'  every  one  of  you  :  butdonhtlcfs  the  Creator  of  the  v^'orld,  who 
 **  formed  the  generation  of  man,  and  tound  out  the  beginning  of 
 **  ail  things,  ivillaljo  of  his  own  mercy  give  you  breath  and  life  again  y 
 *'  as  you  now  regard  not  your  own  felves  for  his  law's  fake. 
 **  Now  Antiochus  thinking  himfelfdefpifed,  and  fufpe^ting  it  to 
 *'  be  a  reproachful  fpeech,  whilftthe  youngefi:  was  yet  alive,  did 
 *'  not  only  exhort  him  by  words,  but  alfo  afflired  him  with 
 **  oaths,  that  he  would  make  him  both  a  rich  and  a  happy  man,  if 
 "  he  would  turn  from  the  lawsof  his  fathers,  and  that  alfo  he  would 
 **  take  him  for  his  Iriend,  and  truft  him  with  affairs.  But  when 
 "  the  young  man  would  in  no  cafe  hearken  unto  him,  the  king 
 **  called  his  mother,  and  exhorted  her,  that  file  would  counfel  the 
 "  young  man  to  fave  hislife.  And  when  he  had  exhorted  her  with 
 **  many  words,  file  promifed  him  that  fhe  would coimfel  her  fon. 
 *'  But  (he  bowing  herfelf  towards  him,  laughing  the  cruel  tyrant 
 **  to  fcorn,  fpake  in  her  country  language  on  this  manner;  O 
 *'  my  fon,  have  pity  upon  me  that  bare  thee  nine  months  in  my 
 **  womb,  and  gave  thee  fuck  three  years,  and  nourifiied  thee, 
 "  and  brought  thee  up  unto  this  age,  and  endured  the  troubles  of 
 "  education.  I  befeech  thee,  my  fon,  look  upon  the  heaven  and 
 **  the  earth,  and  all  that  is  therein,  and  confider  that  God  made 
 **  them  of  things  that  were  not,  and  fo  was  mankind  made  likewife  ; 
 *.*  fear  not  this  tormentor,  but,   being  v/orthy  of  thy  brethren, 
 
 *'  take 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  145 
 
 take  thy  death,  that  I  may  receive  thee  again  In  mercy  tv'tth  thy 
 brethren.  Whiles  ihe  was  yet  fpeaking  thofe  words,  the  young 
 man  faid,  Whom  wait  ye  tor  ?  1  will  not  obey  the  king's  com- 
 mandment: but  I  will  obey  the  comm.andment  of  the  law  that 
 was  given  unto  our  fathers  by  Mofes.  And  thou,  that  haft 
 been  the  author  of  all  mifchiefagainft  the  Hebrews,  flialt  not 
 efcape  the  hands  of  God.  For  we  fuffer  becaufe  of  our  fins. 
 And  though  the  living  Lord  be  angry  with  us  a  little  while 
 for  our  chaifeningand  correftion,  yet  fhall  he  be  at  one  again 
 v/ith  his  fervants.  But  thou,  O  godlefs  man,  and  of  all  other 
 moft  wicked,  be  not  lifted  up  without  a  caufe,  nor  puffed  up 
 with  uncertain  hopes,  lifting  up  thy  hand  againfl  the  fervanjs 
 of  God  :  for  thou  haft  not  yet  efcaped  the  judgment  of  Al- 
 mighty God  who  feeth  all  things.  For  our  brethren,  who 
 now  have  fuffered  a  fliort  pain,  are  dead  under  God' s  covenant 
 of  everlafting  life ;  but  thou  through  the  judgment  of  God 
 (halt  receive  juit  punifliment  for  thy  pride.  But  I,  as  my 
 brethren,  offer  up  my  body  and  life  for  the  laws  of  our  fathers, 
 befeechingGod  that  he  would  fpeedily  be  merciful  unto  our  na- 
 tion ;  and  that  thou  by  torments  and  plagues  mayeft  confefs, 
 that  he  alone  is  God  ;  and  that  in  me  and  my  brethren  the 
 wrath  of  the  Almighty,  which  is  juftly  brought  upon  all  our 
 nation,  may  ceafe.  Then  the  king,  being  in  a  rage,  handled 
 him  worfe  than  all  the  reft,  and  took  it  grievoully  that  he  was 
 mocked.  So  this  man  died  undefiled,  and  put  his  whole  trull 
 in  the  Lord.  Laft  of  all,  after  the  fons,  the  mother  died. 
 Let  this  be  enough  now  to  have  fpoken  concerning  the  idola- 
 trous feaffs,  and  the  extreme  tortures."  2  Mac.  vii.  1 — 42. 
 Alexander  wilhed  to  be  confidered  as  a  god,  and  Caligula  re- 
 quired his  image  to  be  erected  in  the  temple,  but  to  the  honour  of 
 the  Jews  it  is  recorded,  that  as  one  man  they  preferred  death 
 to  the  endurance  of  fuch  an  abomination  ;  and  it  pleafed  God 
 to  delivner  them  from  fuch  a  trial  at  that  time  ;  and  whatever 
 temporary  fuccefs  may  attend  the  enemy,  yet  the  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael  will  receive  more  glory  from  his  deflru6lion,  than  in  the 
 inftance  of  Pharaoh  and  his  hoft.  Doth  this  enemy  exceed 
 Pharaoh  in  wickednefs,  doth  he  require  his  own  image  to  be 
 worfhipped,  and  caufe  all  his  adherents,  and  thofe  who  will  be 
 bafe  enough  todefire  proteftion  from  the  enemy  of  God  and  man, 
 to  receive  a  mark  on  their  hands,  or  foreheads,  as  a  certificate  of 
 conformity,  (Rev.  xiii.  16,  17.)  contrary  to  the  exprefs  law  of 
 the  Lord  ?  Ex.  xx.  2 — 6.  Levit.  xix.  28.  The  prote£lion  they 
 will  thus  acquire  will  be  of  fhort  duration  !  He  who  hath  forbid- 
 den it,  will  vindicate  his  law.  The  Egyptian  oppreifors  were 
 fmitten  with  boils,  Ex.  ix.  8 — 11.  but  thofe  to  come  will  be 
 more  noisome,  and  more  grievous  far;  and  thofe  who 
 have  fought  the  protedion  of  the  great  enemy,  by  breaking  the 
 commandments  of  God,  fliall  become  awful  monuments  of  his 
 
 U  wrath. 
 
146  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part   I. 
 
 •wrath,  and  power  to  punifh  :  '*  And  I  heard  a  voice  out  of  the 
 **  temple  faying  to  the  feven  angels,  Go  your  ways  and  pour  out 
 **  the  vials  of  the  vv^rath  of  God  upon  the  earth  ;  and  the  firll 
 **  w-ent  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  earth,  and  there  fell  a 
 **  noifome  and  grievous  fore  upon  the  men  which  had  the  mark  of 
 **  the  bead,  and  upon  them  which  worlliipped  his  image,"  Rev. 
 xvi.  1,2. 
 
 Sudden.  The  fufFerings  which  the  Jewfidi  nation  have  endured 
 in  times  paft,  were  on  account  of  difobedience.  Thefe  were 
 Calamitous  fufFerings,  and  they  were  not  delivered  out  of  the  hand 
 of  their  oppreilors,  until  the  llorm  of  their  fury  had  fpent  its  force  ; 
 
 but  SUFFERINGS   FOR    RIGHTEOUSNESS-SAKE     (if    the  JeWS  in 
 
 time  to  come  are  to  be  honoured  by  the  endurance  of  fuch  fnrFer- 
 ings)  are  very  different,  they  cannot  be  called  calamitous  fufFerings, 
 efpecially  as  the  power  of  God  will  be  fo  confpicuoufly  exerted 
 in  fupporting  and  delivering  them,  and  puniOiing  their  enemies. 
 
 Cautious.  To  verify  the  power  of  him  who  required  Pharaoh  to 
 let  his  people  go,  that  they  might  ferve  him,  the  waters  were 
 turned  into  blood  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  Exod.  vii. 
 ig — 25.  It  is  an  awful  thing  to  a6l  inoppofition  to  the  fervants 
 of  the  true  God,  this  Pharaoh  did ;  but  he  did  not  Hay  Mofes 
 and  Aaron,  whereas  the  great  enemy  will  for  a  fhort  time  prevail 
 againft  the  Jewifh  witnelFes,  Rev.  xi.  7,  13.  But  the  judgments 
 to  come  are  greater  by  far  than  came  upon  Egypt ;  it  was  only 
 m  that  land  that  the  waters  were  turned  into  blood,  Ifrael  at  that 
 time  being  only  in  Egypt  ;  but  as  they  arc  in  due  time  to  be  delivered 
 out  of  all  nations,  the  miracles  in  their  favour  will  be  more  ex- 
 tenfive  far:  for  '*  the  fecond  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
 *'  fea,  and  it  became  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man  ;  and  every 
 **  living  foul  died  in  the  fea.  And  the  third  angel  poured  out 
 **  his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  v^^aters,  andthey  became 
 **  blood.  And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  w.aters  fay.  Thou  art 
 **  righteous,  O  Lord,  which  art,  and  wail,  and  fhalt  be,  be- 
 "  caufe  thou  haft  judged  thus.  For  they  have  ihed  the  blood  of 
 ^*  faints  and  prophets,  and  thou  haft  given  them  blood  to 
 **  drink;  for  they  are  worthy.  And  I  heard  another  out  of  the 
 '^'  altar  fay,  Even  fo,  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righte- 
 f*  ous  are  thy  judgments."  Rev.  xvi.  3 — 7.  That  part  of 
 Egypt  that  was  not  inhabited  by  Ifrael  was  fmitten  with  darknefs, 
 even  darknefs  that  might  be  felt,  Exod.  x.  21 — 23.  and  the 
 enemy  and  his  adherents  will  find  by  experience,  that  light  and 
 darknefs  are  under  the  abfolute  control  of  the  creator  of  light, 
 the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  the  only  true 
 God,  Gen.  i.  3.  Exod.  iii.  15.  for  behold  the  awful  eftedf  pro- 
 duced by  the  vials  of  the  4th  and  ,5th  angels  :  "  And  the  fourth 
 **  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  fun  :  and  power  was  given 
 *^  unto  him  to  fcorch  men  with  fire.  And  m.en  were  fcorched  with 
 **  great  heat,  aixl  blafphemcd  the  name  of  God;  which  hath  power 
 
 .  *♦  over 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VIII. 
 
 H7 
 
 "  over  thefe  plagues :  and  they  repented  not,  to  give  him  glory. 
 **  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  feat  of  the 
 **  beail  ;  and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darknefs ;  and  they  gnawed 
 **  their  t6ngucs  for  pain  ;  and  blafphemed  the  God  of  heaven  be- 
 **  caufe  of  their  pains  and  their  fores,  and  repented  not  of  their 
 "  deeds."  Rev.  xvi.  8 — ii.  After  all  that  Pharaoh  endured,  we 
 obferve  him  impelled  by  fury  purfuing  Ifrael,  who  had  received 
 fuch  evident  tokens  of  the  divine  favour  und  protc6lion  ;  but  we  are 
 at  no  lofs  to  account  for  it,  it  was  in  coniequence  of  his  heart  being 
 hardened,  it  was  to  bring  him  and  his  hoft  to  their,  awful  end> 
 their  watery  grave,  Exod.  xiv.  i — 31.  and  that  the  Ifraelites  and 
 the  world  might  be  delivered  from  fuch  opprelTors  ;  and  fimilaf 
 though  more  awful  calamity  will  overtake  the  great  enemy  in  time 
 to  come  ;  the  deftoyersof  the  earth  (Rev.xi.  18.)  will  be  delfroyed. 
 For  this  purpofe  they  are  coile6led  together  :  "Andthefixth  angel 
 **  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great  river  Euphrates ;  and  Uie 
 **  water  thereof  was  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  eail 
 **  might  be  prepared.  And  I  faw  three  unclean  fpirits  like  frogs 
 *'  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
 **  bealf,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  falfe  prophet.  For  they  are 
 "  the  fpirits  of  devils,  working  miracles,  which  go  forth  unto  the 
 *'  kings  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the 
 *'  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty.  Behold,  I  come  as  a 
 "  thief.  Bleifed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his  garments, 
 *'  left  he  walk  naked,  and  they  fee  his  ihame.  And  he  ga- 
 *'  gathered  them  together  into  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew 
 **  tongue  Armageddon."  Rev.  xvi.   12 — 16. 
 
 This  is  the  awful  period  ;  let  us  paufe  to  contemplate  it.  It  Is 
 like  that  period  in  which  their  anceftors  (beholding  Pharaoh  and  his 
 hoft  approach  in  furious  purfuit  of  them)  *'  cry  out  unto  the 
 **  Lord"  in  the  extremity  of  their  diftrefs,  Exod.  xiv.  10. 
 "  Behold,  every  man  with  his  hands  on  his  loins,  as  a  woman  in 
 **  travail,  and  all  faces  turned  intopalenefs  ;  alas  !  for  that  day  is 
 "  great,  there  is  none  like  it!  it  is  even  the  time  of  Jacob's 
 *'  trouble  !  But  he  fhall  be  faved  out  of  it,"  Jer.  xxx.  6»  7, 
 Dan.  xii.  i.  They  come  !  They  come!  '' as  a  cloud  to  cover 
 *'  the  land,"  Ezek.  xxxviii.  i6.  and  like  Pharaoh  of  old,  they 
 exult  in  the  expelled  dell:ru6tion  of  the  nation  of  the  Jews ;  but  we 
 have  no  reafon  to  be  apprehenlive  concerning  the  refult ;  the  Jewidi 
 nation  are  invulnerable  when  they  are  attacked  because  they  are 
 God's  elect,  and  because  they  will  obey  his  laws  ! 
 If  therefore  the  enemy  is  hoftile  againft  them  bccaufe  all  the 
 fpiritual  knowledge  that  is  in  the  world  hath  flowed  through  a 
 Jewifh  channel,  he  will  meet  a  like  reward  with  thofe,  who 
 could  find  no  accufation  againft  Daniel,  except  it  were  concerning 
 his  attachment  to  the  law  of  his  God,  Dan.  vi.  What  revelation 
 hath  there  ever  been  made  of  the  will  of  God  to  mankind,  that  did 
 not  flow  through  a  JewiQi  channel  ?  Is  there  a  fingle  book  of  holy 
 
 fcripturcj 
 
148  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  I. 
 
 fcripture,  that  was  not  written  by  a  Jew  !  The  intention  of 
 lioftility  againft  their  nation  by  the  deniers  of  the  truth  of  reve- 
 lation, is  therefore  eafily  accounted  tor.  What  knowledge  do  any 
 of  the  nations  of  the  earth  poflcfs  concerning  the  creation  of  heaven 
 and  earth,  but  what  they  derive  from  the  book  o{  Gcnefis  written 
 by  Mofc-s  the  Jew  ? 
 
 What  knowledge  do  the  nations  poITefs  concerning  the 
 great  dodrine  that  all  men  are  brethren,  and  that  the  end  and 
 intent  of  government,  is  the  good  of  the  people;  and  that  the 
 Lord  by  his  providence  does  over-rule  even  kings,  and  puniflieth 
 them  whcnthey  depart  from  the  end  and  intent  for  which  they  were 
 ordained  ?  All  knowledge  poiTeired  by  mankind  upon  thefe  intereft- 
 ing  fubjeds,  hath  been  conveyed  by  means  of  the  Jcwilh  nation  ! 
 In  a  word,  the  Jews  are  that  nation  whom  it  has  pleafed  God 
 to  ordain,  to  be  a  blefling  to  the  whole  earth  :  "In  thee  (hall  all 
 the  **  families  of  the  earth  be  bleifed,"  Gen.  xii.  3.  and  even  the 
 enmity  of  the  enemies  of  truth  towards  them,  and  thofe 
 who  receive  their  teilimony  fliall  work  together  for  good  ; 
 for  thereby  the  deftroyers  of  the  earth  will  be  deliroyed.  Rev.  xi. 
 18.  It  is  an  awful  thing  to  entertain  hatred  againll  God's  eleft. 
 When  therefore  thefe  enemies  of  truth  and  righteoufnefs  are  thus 
 congregated  together,  and  cover  the  land  like  a  cloud,  with 
 hoitile  intentions  towards  God's  ele6l,  they  provoke  the  wrath  of 
 God  to  their  exemplary  deltrudion.  It  is  exprelfed  in  the  moft 
 nervous  language,  "  It  fhall  come  to  pafs  at  the  fame  time, 
 **  when  Gog  ihall  com.e  againft  the  land  of  Ifrael,  faith  the  Lord 
 
 *'    God,      that     MY     FURY     SHALL     COME    UP     IN     MY     FACE," 
 
 Ezek.  xxxviii.  18.  and  the  confequence  is,  that  five-fixth  parts 
 of  this  immenfe  multitude  are  deitroyed  by  each  others  hands, 
 by  peflilence,  and  by  the  Lord's  raining  "  upon  him  and  upon  his 
 "  bands,  and  upon  the  many  people  that  are  with  him,  an  over- 
 **  flowing  rain,  and  great  hailltones,  fire  and  brimllone.  Thus 
 *'  will  I  miagnify  myfelf,  and  fanftify  myfelf ;  and  I  will  be 
 *'  known  in  the  eves  of  many  nations,  and  they  fhall  know  that 
 *'   I  am    the  Lord,"  P^zek.   xxxviii,  22,  23,     xxxix.  2. 
 
 In  Zechariah,  the  plague  or  peftilence  with  which  they  will 
 be  fmittenis  more  particularly  defcribed  :  "  And  this  Ihall  be  the 
 *'  plague  wherewith  the  Lord  will  fmite  all  the  people  that  have 
 **  fought  againft  Jerufalem ;  their  flefh  fhall  confume  away 
 **  while  they  ftand  upon  their  feet,  and  their  eyes  fhall 
 **  confume  away  in  their  holes,  and  their  tongue  fhall  confume 
 **  away  in  their  mouth.  And  it  Ihall  come  to  pafs  in  that  day, 
 *'  that  a  great  tumult  from  the  Lord  (hall  be  among  them,  and 
 *'  they  fhall  lay  hold  every  one  on  the  hand  of  his  neighbour,  and  his 
 "  hand  fhall  rife  up  againft  the  hand  of  his  neighbour.  And  Judah 
 **  alfo  ftiall  fight  at  Jerufalem  ;  and  the  wealth  of  all  the  hea- 
 **  then  round  about  ihall  be  gathered  together,  gold,  and  filver, 
 «.*  and  appartl  in  great  abundance.     And  fo  Ihall   be  the  plague 
 
 "  of 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VIII. 
 
 M9 
 
 of  the  horfe,  of  the  mule,  of  the  camel,  andoftheafs,  and 
 of  all  the  beaCrs  that  Ihall  be  in  thefe  tents,  as  this  plague." 
 Zech.  xiv.  12 — 15.  It  is  alfo  attended  by  an  earthquake  :  "  Then 
 Ihall  the  Lord  go  forth  and  fight  againft  thofe  nations,  as  when 
 he  fought  in  the  day  of  battle.  And  his  feet  fliall  Hand  in  that 
 day  upon  the  mount  of  Olives,  which  is  before  Jerufalem  on 
 the  eall,  and  the  mount  of  Olives  fliall  cleave  in  the  midft 
 thereof  toward  the  eali  and  toward  the  well:,  and  there  fhall 
 be  a  very  great  valley  ;  and  half  of  the  mountain  ihall  remove 
 toward  the  north,  and  half  of  it  toward  the  fouth.  And  ye 
 fhall  flee  to  the  valley  of  the  mountains  •  for  the  valley  of  the 
 mountains  fhall  reach  unto  Azal  :  yea,  ye  ihall  flee  like  as  ye 
 fied  from  before  the  earthquake  In  the  days  of  Uzziah  king  of 
 Judah  :  and  the  Lord  my  God  ihall  come,  and  all  the  faints 
 with  thee.  And  it  ihall  come  to  pafs  in  that  day,  that  the  light 
 ihall  not  be  clear,  nor  dark.  But  it  ihall  be  one  day  which 
 fhall  be  known  to  the  Lord,  not  day,  nor  night :  but  it  ihall  come 
 to  pafs,  that  at  evening  time  it  fhall  be  light.  And  it  fliall  be  in 
 that  day,  that  living  waters  fliall  go  out  from  Jerufalem  ;  half 
 of  them  toward  the  former  fea,  and  half  of  them  toward  the 
 hinder  fea  :  in  fummer  and  in  winter  fhall  it  be.  And  the 
 Lord  fliall  be  king  over  all  the  earth  :  in  that  day  ihall  there  be 
 one  Lord,  and  his  name  one.  All  the  land  fliall  be  turned 
 as  a  plain  from  Geba  to  Rimmon,  fouth  of  Jerufalem  :  and  it 
 fhall  be  lifted  up  and  inhabited  in  her  place,  from  Benjamin's 
 gate  unto  the  place  of  the  firft  gate,  unto  the  corner  gate,  and 
 from  the  tower  of  Hananeel  imto  the  king's  wine-preffes.  And 
 men  fhall  dwell  in  it,  and  there  fhall  be  no  more  utter  de- 
 firu6lion  ;  but  Jerufalem  fliall  be  fately  inhabited."  Zech.  xiv. 
 -11.  You  will  find  this  alfo  noticed  in  Ezek.  xxxviii.  19,  p.o. 
 And  the  feventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air  •  and 
 there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  from  the  throne, 
 faying.  It  is  done.  And  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and 
 lightnings  ;  and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  fuch  as  was  not 
 fmce  men  were  upon  the  earth,  fo  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  fo 
 great.  And  the  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the 
 cities  of  the  nations  fell  :  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remem- 
 brance before  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the 
 fiercenefs  of  his  wrath.  And  every  illand  fled  away,  and  the 
 mountains  were  not  found.  And  there  fell  upon  men  a  great 
 hail  out  of  heaven,  every  flone  about  the  weight  of  a  talent : 
 and  men  blafphemed  God  becaufe  of  the  plague,  of  the  hail ; 
 for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great."  Rev.  xvi.  17 — 21. 
 The  waters  covered  Pharaoh  and  his  hofl ;  but  it  will  not  be 
 fo  in  this  great  judgment,  their  remains  will  be  left  a  prey  for 
 the  fowls  and  wild  bealfs,  and  the  moil  confpicuous  of  the 
 enemies  will  feel  the  pains  of  **  fire  and  brimitone."  *'  And 
 '*  I  faw  heaven  opened,  and  behold  a  white  horfe  ;  and  he  that  fat 
 
 **  upon 
 
150  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  I. 
 
 *'  upon  him  was  called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in  Tlghteoufnefs 
 *'  he  doth  judge  and  make  war.  His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  hre, 
 "  and  on  his  head  were  many  crowns  ;  and  he  had  a  name  written, 
 **  that  no  man  knew,  but  he  himfelf.  And  he  was  clothed  with  a 
 '*  Vi-ilure  dipped  in  blood  ;  and  his  name  is  called,  The  Word  of 
 **  God.  And  the  armies  v/hich  were  in  heaven  followed  iiira 
 "  upon  white  horfes,  clothed  in  fine  linert,  white  and  clean. 
 *'  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  fliarp  fword,  that  with  it  he 
 *'  fliould  fmite  the  nations  ;  and  he  fhall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of 
 *'  iron  :  and  he  treadeth  the  wine-prefs  of  the  fiercenefs  and 
 "  wrath  of  Alinighty  God.  And  he  hath  ori  his  velture  and 
 "  on  his  thi!.;h,  a  name  v/ritten,  KING  OF  KINGS, 
 *'  AND  LORD  OF  LORDS.  And  I  faw  an  angel  ftanding  in 
 *'  the  fun;  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  faying  to  all  the  fowls 
 **  that  fly  in  the  midft  of  heaven.  Come  and  gather  yourfelves 
 *'  together  unto  the  fupper  of  the  great  God;  that  ye  may 
 "  eat  the  flefh  of  kings,  and  the  flelh  of  captains,  and  the  fleih' 
 "  of  mighty  men,  and  the  flefli  of  horfes,  and  of  them  that  fit' 
 **  on  them,  and  the  flcfli  of  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both' 
 **  fmall  and  great.  And  I  faw  the  bead,  and  the  kings  of  the 
 *'  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered  together  to  make  war  againft 
 '*  him  that  fat  on  the  horfe,  and  againft  his  army.  And  the 
 *'  bead  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  falfe  prophet  that  wrought 
 *'  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  deceived  them  that  had  re- 
 *'  ceived  the  mark  of  the  beaft,  and  them  that  worlhipped  his 
 *'  ima-ge  :  thefe  both  were  caft  alive  into  a  lake  of  Are  burning 
 *'  with  brimftone.  And  the  remnant  Avcre  flain  with  the 
 "  fword  of  him  that  fat  upon  the  hori^e,  wiiich  fword 
 *'  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth  :  and  all  the  fowls  were  filled  with 
 **  their  fleih,"  Rev.  xix.  ii — 21.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  by 
 the  mouth  of  Ezekiel  the  prophet,  *'  And,  thou  fon  of  mian, 
 *'  thus  faith  the  Lord  God,  Speak  unto  every  feathered  fowl, 
 "  and  to  every  bealt  of  the  field,  AiTemble  yourfelves,  and  come  ; 
 **  gather  yourfelves  on  every  fide  to  my  facrihce  that  1  do 
 '*  facrifice  for  you,  even  a  great  facrifice  upon  the  mountains 
 *'  of  Ifrael,  that  ye  may  eat  flefli,  and  drink  blood.  Ye  fliall 
 **  eat  the  flefh  of  the  mighty,  and  drink  the  blood  of  the  princes 
 *'  of  the  earth,  of  rams,  oMambs,  and  of  goats,  of  bullocks,  all 
 *<  of  them  fatlings  of  Balhan.  And  ye  fliall  eat  fat  till  ye  be 
 **  full,  and  drink  blood  till  ye  be  drunken,  of  my  facrifice  which 
 *'  I  have  facrificed  for  you.  Thus  ye  ihall  be  filled  at  my  table 
 **  with  horfes  and  chariots,  with  mighty  men,  and  with  all  men 
 **  of  war,  faith  the  Lord  God.  And  I  Avill  fet  my  glory  among 
 *'  the  heathen,  and  all  the  heathen  ihall  fee  my  judgment  that  I 
 **  have  executed,  and  my  hand  that  I  have  laid  upon  them.  So 
 <*  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  fliall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  their  God 
 **  from  that  day  and  forward.  And  the  heathen  fliall  know  that 
 "  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  went  into  captivity  for  their  iniquity  :  be- 
 
 "  caufe 
 
Part  I.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  151 
 
 caiife  they  trefpafTed  againfl:  me,  therefore  hid  I  my  face  from 
 them,  and  gave  them  into  the  hand  of  their  enemies  :  fo  fell 
 they  all  by  the  fword.  According  to  their  imcleannefs,  and 
 according  to  their  tranfgrefiions  have  I  done  unto  them,  and 
 hid  my  lace  from  them.  Therefore  thus  faith  the  Lord  G  -d, 
 Now  will  I  luring  again  the  captivity  of  Jacob,  and  liave  mercy 
 upon  the  whole  houfe  ot  Ifrael,  and  will  be  jealous  ior  rny 
 holy  name  ;  after  that  they  have  borne  their  ihame,  and  all 
 their  trelpalfes  v/hereby  they  have  trefpalfed  againit  me,  when 
 they  dwelt  fafely  in  their  land,  and  none  made  them  airaid. 
 When  I  have  brought  them  again  from  the  people,  and  gathered 
 them  out  ot  their  enemies  lands,  and  am  fan6tified  in  them  in. 
 the  light  of  many  nations  ;  then  iliall  they  know  that  I  am  the 
 Lord  tlicir  God,  which  caufed  them  to  be  led  into  capti.  ity 
 among  the  heathen  :  but  I  have  gathered  them  unto  their  own 
 land,  and  have  left  none  of  them  any  more  there.  Neither 
 will  I  hide  my  face  any  more  from  them  :  for  I  have  poured 
 out  my  fpirit  upon  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  faith  the  Lord  God." 
 Ezek.  xxxix.  17 — 29.  And  again  in  the  laft  chapter  of  I  faiah,  "It 
 *'  ihals  come,  that  I  will  gather  all  nations  and  tongues,  and  they  lli  all 
 come  and  fee  my  glory.  And  I  vvill  let  a  fign  among  them,  and 
 I  will  f.;nd  thofe  that  efcape  of  them  unto  the  nations,  to 
 Tarlhilh,  Pul,  and  Lud,  that  draw  the  bow,  to  Tubal,  and 
 Javan,  to  the  iiles  afar  off,  that  have  not  heard  my  fame, 
 neither  have  i'een  my  glory  ;  and  they  fliall  declare  my  glory 
 among  the  Gentiles.  And  they  Ihall  bring  all  your  brethren 
 for  an  offering  unto  the  Lord,  out  of  ail  nations,  upon  horfes, 
 and  in  chariots,  and  in  litters,  and  upon  mules,  and  upon 
 fwift  bcafts,  to  my  holy  mountain  Jerufalem,  faith  the  Lord, 
 as  the  children  ot  Ifrael  bring  an  offering  in  a  clean  veffel  into 
 the  houfe  of  the  Lord,  And  I  will  alio  take  of  them  for 
 prielts  and  for  Levites,  faith  the  Lord.  For  as  the  nuvv 
 heavens,  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will  make,  Ihall  rem.ain 
 before  me,  Aiith  the  Lord,  fo  (hall  your  feed  and  your  name 
 remain.  Audit  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  from  one  new  moon 
 to  another,  and  from  one  fabbath  to  another,  Ihall  all  fle^i 
 come  to  worfhip  before  me,  faith  the  Lord.  And  they  (hall 
 go  forth,  and  look  upon  the  carcafes  of  the  men  that  have 
 tranfgreifed  againft  me  :  for  their  worm  fliall  not  die,  neither 
 fhall  their  fire  be  quenched  ;  and  they  fhall  be  an  abhorring 
 unto  allfleih."  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  18 — 24.  I  might  fay  much  more, 
 but  I  trult  that  I  have  in  a  good  meafure  eafed  -your  appre- 
 henfions  concerning  the  iufferings  which  Ifrael  will  have  to  en- 
 dure in  time  to  come. 
 
 Sudden.  You  have  indeed.  We  fpeak  with  honour  of  thofe  who 
 fall  in  defence  of  their  king  and  country ,  how  much  more  honourable 
 will  they  be,  who  nobly  die  like  the  feven  brethren  and  their 
 mother,     merely    on-    account    of    attachment    to    their  laws, 
 
 given 
 
152  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  I. 
 
 given  unto  their  anceftors  by  God  himfelf ;  the  profpcit,  though 
 awful,  abounds  with  confoiation,  tor  the  aid  they  will  receive, 
 and  the  high  exaltation  which  will  immediately  fucceed  thefe 
 trials  of  their  faith,  throw  fuch  a  fplendour  around,  that  their 
 fufferings  are  as  it  were  eclipfed  thereby,  they  appear  to  me  to 
 be  like  the  pains  endured  by  a  queen,  preparatory  to  the  birth  of 
 an  heir  to  the  throne. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  comparison  is  a  jufl  comparifon,  and  yoti  will 
 find  the  idea  contained  both  in  Jer.  xxx.  6.  and  Rev.  xii.  5.  **  A 
 "  woman  when  (he  is  in  travail  hath  forrow,  becaufe  her  hour 
 **  is  come  ;  but  as  foonasfhe  is  delivered  of  the  child,  (lie  remem- 
 *'  bereth  no  more  the  anguiili,  for  joy  that  a  man  is  born  into  the 
 world,"  John  xvi.  21.  And  great  will  be  the  joy,  not  only  of 
 Ifrael,  but  of  all  nations  who  will  thenceforth  go  up  to  Jerufalem 
 "  to  worlhip  the  King,  the  Lord  of  Hofts,  "  and  "  to  keep  the 
 **  feart  of  tabernacles,"  Zech,  xiv.  17,  18.  and  fuch  will  be  the 
 honour  with  v/hich  the  Jews  will  then  be  treated,  as  God's  ele61:,, 
 and  chofen  nation,  his  peculiar  people,  that  kings  themfelves 
 are  not  now  treated  with  that  reipe6l  that  they  will  then  receive. 
 Among  us,  for  inftance,  the  great  officers  of  ftate  have  their 
 trains  borne  :  the  king  on  fome  occafions  hath  his  train  borne  by 
 fix  fons  of  his  nobles  ;  but  when  the  Lord  reftores  Ifrael  to  his 
 favour,  ten  of  different  nations  will,  as  it  were,  flrive  for  the  honour 
 of  being  a  train-bearer  to  a  Jew,  in  his  progress  towards  Zion  ! 
 Zech.  viii,  23. 
 
 Sudden.  The  profpeft  is  full  of  confoiation  to  the  Jews,  and 
 thofe  v/ho  intereit  themfelves  in  their  profperity  ;  and  we  ir.ay 
 hope  that  thofe  who  are  not  of  the  Jewiih  nation,  will,  in  fo  righ- 
 teous a  caufe,  likewile  experience  the  prote6tion  of  the  Lord,  the 
 God  of  Ifrael. 
 
 Cautious.  I  truft  they  will  ;  and  although  I  am  of  opinion  that 
 the  rage  of  the  enemiy  will  be  permitted  to  be  exerted  with 
 greater  violence  towards  the  worihippers  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael,  who  are  not  of  the  Jewidi  nation,  than  towards  thofe  who 
 are  of  that  confpicuoufly  favoured  nation,  yet  I  have  good  hope 
 that  it  will  have  this  good  effe£l,  that  it  will  be  over-ruled,  to 
 excite  the  love  of  the  Jev/s  towards  them,  and  to  convince  them 
 that  their  profperity  is  entirely  confillent,  and  conne6ted  with 
 the  profperity  of  the  Gentile  nations  :  *'  For  from  the  rifing  of 
 **  the  fun  even  unto  the  going  down  of  the  fame  my  name  fhall 
 *'  be  great  among  the  Gentiles  ;  and  in  every  place  incenfe  fliall 
 *'  be  offered  unto  my  name,  and  a  pure  offering  :  for  my  name 
 
 *<    SHALL    BE     GREAT     AMONG     THE     HEATHEN,    SAITH    THE 
 
 "  Lord  of  Hosts,"  Mai.  i.   11. 
 
 NINTH 
 
C    »53    1 
 
 NINTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 Confa'ining  Ohjervations  concerning  Idolatry;  and tt  h proved ^  that  as 
 Idolatry  was  the  Sin  that  brought  the  greatejl  Cala??iitles  upon 
 the  Jewijh  Nation,  Jo  is  Idolatry  the  Sin  which  will  caufe  the 
 greatejl  Sufferings  to  the  Gentile  Nations^  and  particularly  to  the 
 lifelejs  Branches  of  the  Chrijiian  Church ;  and  therefore^  thai  it 
 is  nectffary  to  guard  againji  every  Thing  which  borders  upon,  or  tends 
 toward  it y  with  the  ?nojijcdulous  Attention, 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  SUDDEN. 
 
 Cautious.  "WJ  E  can  fee  faults  in  others  which  we  cannot  fee 
 V  V  in  ourfelves,  it  is  an  infirmity  (to  give  it  no  worfc 
 a  name)  to  which  we  are  all  too  much  inclined.  Who  is  there 
 that  does  not  exprefs  a  kind  of  aftonifhment  at  the  idolatry  of 
 the  ancient  Jews  ?  And  yet  notwithftanding  this  exultation  over 
 the  Jews,  thofe  who  thus  exult  over  them,  are  in  general  more 
 or  lefs  tainted  with  this  very  crime,  and  will  ultimately  find 
 by  woful  experience  that  it  brings  down  awful  puniihments. 
 At  the  fame  time  therefore  that  we  acknowledge  the  judlce  and 
 righteoufnefs  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  towards  his  own  peculiar 
 people,  let  us  not  exult  over  them,  as  if  we  were  wholly  un- 
 tainted whh  thofe  crimes  which  have  caufed  their  fufferings.  If 
 we  werp  entirely  free  from  their  crimes,  exultation  over  them 
 would  not  become  us,  but  be  very  reprehenfible  !  How  much 
 more  reprehenfible  then  is  it  in  thofe  who  are  tainted  with 
 the  very  crimes  for  which  the  Jews  have  fufFered.  When  there- 
 fore we  acknowledge  that  the  heat  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael's 
 great  anger  hath  come  upon  them,  "  becaufe  they  have  forfaken 
 "  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  which  he  made 
 *'  with  them,  when  he  brought  them  forth  out  of  the  land  of 
 **  Egypt,"  and  becaufe  *'  they  went  and  ferved  other  gods  and 
 "  worlhipped  them,  gods  whom  they  knew  not,  and  who  had 
 *'  not  given  to  them  any  portion  \"  when  we  acknowledge  that  it 
 was  becaufe  of  thefe  things  "  that  the  anger  of  the  Lord"  hath 
 been  "  kindled  againfl:  this  land,  to  bring  upon  it  all  the  curfes 
 *'  that  are  written  in  this  book,"  and  becaufe  of  thefe  things  that 
 the  Lord  hath  *'  rooted  them  out  of  their  land  in  anger,  and  in 
 "■  wrath,  and  in  great  indignation,  and  call  them  into  another 
 "  land,  as  it  is  this  day,"  Deut.  xxix.  24 — 28.  Let  us  not  omit 
 that  inquiry  which  fo  materially  concerns  ourfelves  ;  but  with  dili- 
 gence examine  whether  we  are  not  in  fome  meafure  tainted  with, 
 or  inclinable  towards,  the  fame  crimes  as  have  laid  fo  heavily 
 upon  the  Jews, 
 
 X  Sudden. 
 
154  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  I, 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  reafonablc  and  right  that  we  fhoulcl ;  b\it  I  think 
 that  the  idolatry  of  the  Jews  in  ancient  times,  might  in  general 
 be  called  VOLI/NTARY  IDOLATRY  ;  they  were  not  compelled  to 
 it,  hilt  cxercifed  it  with  a  freedom  of  will,  whereas  I  think  th^t 
 the  idolatry  of  the  enemies  you  noticed  in  our  lad  converfatiun, 
 will  be  CONSTRAINED  IDOLATRY  ;  idolatry  to  which  they 
 are  compelled  under  pain  ot  confifcation  of  property,  and  feclu- 
 fion  from  the  charities  of  fociety,  and  even  by  the  fentence  of  death 
 itfelf  againft  nonconfprmity.  He  caufeth  *'  that  as  many  as 
 **  would  not  worfhip  the  image  of  the  beaft,  lliould  be  killed  ; 
 ^-  and  he  caufeth  all,  both  fmall  and  great,  rich  and  poor,  free 
 *'  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand,  or  in  their 
 **  foreheads  ;  and  that  no  man  might  buy  or  fell,  fave  he  that 
 **  had  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beaft,  or  the  number  of  his 
 *'  name."     Rev.  xiii.    15 — 17. 
 
 Cautious.  This  compulfion  by  no  means  proves  that  it  will 
 not  be  in  general  a  voluntary  idolatry  ;  tor  compuliion  is  not 
 noticed  as  the  only  means  whereby  it  is  fp read,  compulsion 
 COULD  NOT  BE  USED,  uulcfs  that  evil  party  who  will  be  zealous 
 to  enforce  it  were  to  becom.e  very  numerous,  and  they  do  not 
 refort  to  compulfion  only;  deceit,  fedudlion,  is  firll  reforted 
 to,  and  it  is  only  towards  thofe  who  are  proof  againft  this  fe- 
 du6lion,  that  compulfion  is  employed.  Delufion  and  fedu6lion 
 are  the  chief  means  reforted  to  by  idolaters,  to  fpread  their  idola- 
 try, and  therefore  they  are  particularly  noticed  in  Deut.  xiii. 
 "  If  there  arife  among  you  a  prophet,  or  a  dreamer  of  dreams, 
 *'  and  giveth  thee  a  fign  or  a  wonder ;  and  the  fign  or  the 
 *'  Avonder  come  to  pafs,  whereof  he  fpake  unto  thee,  faying, 
 *'  Let  us  go  after  other  gods,  which  thou  haft  not  known,  and 
 '*  let  us  ferve  them  ;  thou  Ihalt  not  hearken  unto  the  words  of 
 ^*  that  prophet,  or  that  dreamer  of  dreams  :  tor  the  Lord  your 
 *'  God  proveth  you,  to  know  whether  you  love  the  Lord  your 
 *'  God  with  all  your  heart,  and  with  all  your  foul.  Ye  fliall 
 **  walk  after  the  Lord  your  God,  and  fear  him,  and  keep  his 
 *'  commandments,  and  obey  his  voice,  and  you  lliall  ferve  him, 
 **  and  cleave  unto  him.  And  that  prophet,  or  that  dreamer  of 
 *'  dreams,  fhall  be  put  to  death,  becaufe  he  hath  fpoken  to  turn 
 *'  you  away  from  the  Lord  your  God,  which  brought  you  out 
 *'  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  redeemed  you  out  of  the  houfe  of 
 *'  bondage,  to  thruft  thee  out  of  the  way  which  the  Lord  thy 
 *'  God  commanded  thee  to  walk  in.  So  ftialt  thou,  put  the  evil 
 *<  away  from  the  midft  of  thee.  If  thy  brother,  the  fon  of  thy 
 *'  mother,  or  thy  fon,  or  thy  daughter,  or  the  wife  of  thy 
 *'  bofom,  or  thy  friend,  which  is  as  thine  own  foul,  entice  thee 
 "  fecretly,  faying,  Let  us  go  and  ferve  other  gods,  which  thou 
 ^'  haft  not  known,  thou,  nor  thy  fathers  ;  namely,  of  the  gods 
 **  of  the  people  which  arc  round  aboiit  you,  nigh  unto  thee,  or 
 f*  far  oiF  from  thee,   from  the  one  end  oi  the  e^jrth  even   unto 
 
 "  the 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  155 
 
 "  the  other  end  of  the  earth  ;  thou  fhalt  not  confent  unto  him, 
 *^  nor  hearken  unto  him,  neither  fhall  thine  eye  pity  him,  neither 
 *'  f^ialt  thou  fpare,  neither  ihalt  thou  conceal  him  :  but  thou 
 **  Ihalt  furely  kill  him  ;  thine  hand  Ihall  be  firft  upon  him  to 
 **  put  him  to  death,  and  afterwards  the  hand  of  all  the  people. 
 **  And  thou  ilialt  {tone  him  with  Hones,  that  he  die  ;  becaufe  he 
 "  hath  fought  to  thruft  thee  away  from  the  Lord  thy  God,  which 
 *'  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  the  houfe  of  bondage. 
 *'  And  all  Ifrael  fhall  hear,  and  fear,  and  fhall  do  no  more  any 
 *'  fuch  wickednefs  as  this  is  among  you.  If  thou  fhalt  hear  fay 
 *'  in  one  of  thy  cities,  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  given  thee 
 "  to  dwell  there,  faying,  Certain  men  the  children  of  Belial, 
 *'  are  gone  out  from  among  you,  and  have  drawn  the  inhabitants, 
 "  of  their  city,  faying.  Let  us  go  and  ferve  other  gods,  which  ye 
 "  have  not  known  ;  then  ilialt  thou  inquire  and  make  fearch, 
 **  and  afk  diligently  ;  and,  behold,  if  it  be  truth,  and  the  thing 
 *'  certain,  that  fuch  abomination  is  wrought  among  you  ; 
 "  thou  fhalt  furely  fmite  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  with  the 
 **  edge  of  the  fword,  deflroying  it  utterly,  and  all  that  is  therein, 
 "  and*the  cattle  thereof,  with  the  edge  of  the  fword.  And  thou 
 *■'  ffialt  gather  all  the  fpoil  of  it  into  the  midft  of  the  Itreet 
 **  thereof,  and  fhalt  burn  with  fire  the  city,  and  all  the  fpoil 
 **  thereof  every  whit,  for  the  Lord  thy  God :  and  it  fliallbean 
 "  heap  for  ever  ^  it  fhall  not  be  built  again.  And  there  fliall  cleave 
 *'  nought  of  the  curfed  thing  to  thine  hand  :  that  the  Lord  may 
 *'  turn  from  the  fiercenefs  of  his  anger,  and  fliew  thee  mercy, 
 *'  and  have  compafiion  upon  thee,  and  multiply  thee,  as  he  hath 
 *'  f\vorn  imto  thy  fathers  ;  when  thouflialt  hearken  to  the  voice  of 
 *'  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  keep  all  his  commandments  which  I  com- 
 *'  mand  thee  this  day,  to  do  that  which  is  right  in  the  eyes  of  the 
 *'  Lord  thy  God."  Deut.  xiii.  1 — iB.  There  never  has  been  fuch 
 delufion  permitted  to  exift,  as  will  be  at  the  times  to  which  we 
 are  referring  ;  the  enemies  will  exert  the  fury  of  the  dragon,  whilft 
 profefling  the  peaceful  innocence  of  the  lamb  :  "  And  I  beheld 
 "  another  beaff  coming  up  out  of  the  earth;  and  he  had  two 
 *'  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he  fpake  as  a  dragon.  And  he  ex- 
 '*  ercifeth  all  the  power  of  the  firft  beafl  before'him,  and  caufeth 
 "  the  earth  and  them  which  dwell  therein  to  worfhip  the  firfl  beafl, 
 "  whofe  deadly  wound  was  healed.  And  he  doeth  great  wonders, 
 **  fo  that  he  maketh  fire  come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth 
 **  in  the  fight  of  men,  and  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the 
 **  earth  by  the  means  of  thofe  miracles  which  he  bad  power  to 
 *'  do  in  the  fight  of  the  beafl  ;  faying  to  them  that  dwell  un  the 
 *'  earth,  that  they  fliould  make  an  image  to  the  bcaft,  which  had 
 "  the  wound  by  a  fword,  and  did  live.  And  he  had  power  to 
 "  give  life  unto  the  imageof  the  beaft,  that  the  image  of  the  beafl 
 **  fhould  both  fpeak,  andcaufe  that  as  many  as  would  not  worfliip 
 *'  the  image  of  the  beafl  fhould  be  killed."  Rev.  xiii.  11 — 15. 
 
 Miracles. 
 
iSS  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  Part  t 
 
 Miracles  affi  hot  therefore  you  perceive  in  themfelvcs  to  be  con- 
 fidered  as  conclusive  evidence  of  the  truth  an  1  righteoufnefs 
 of  that  caufe  to  further  which  they  are  performed,  Deut.  xiii. 
 J — 3.   Ex.  vii.  11,  12. 
 
 Sudden.  I  admit  it ;;  "but  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  thofe  who  will 
 thus  be  deluded  into  idolatry,  will  be  chieily  of  thofe  nations  who 
 are  now  idolaters  ^  for  there  are  many  nations  bordering  upon  the 
 Euphrates,  or  at  leafl  at  no  great  dillance  from  it,  who  are  llill  Pa- 
 gans or  idolaters  :  thefe  may  eafily  be  perfuaded  to  adopt  one  kind 
 of  idolatry,  initead  of  that  which  they  now  praitife,  and  I  cannot 
 but  hope  that  they  who  compofe  that  great  multitude,  of  which 
 five  parts  in  fix  will  be  deftroyed,  are  not  apollates  from  Chriiti- 
 anity.    Ezek.  xxxix.  2.  Rev,  xvi.  12 — 16. 
 
 Cautious.  Whatever  may  be  the  cafe  with  thefe  particular  na- 
 tions who  are  thus  gathered  together  to  the  valley  ot  Jehofliaphat, 
 Joel  iii.  1 — 21.  from  the  other  fide  of  the  Euphrates,  yet  you  will 
 perceive  that  they  do  not  com.e  as  it  were  of  their  own  accord, 
 but  are  invited  to  join  the  great  adverfary,  and  to  make  one  caufe 
 with  him.  It  is  he  and  his  adherents  who  delude  them  into  the 
 fnare,  Rev.  xvi.  12 — 16.  and  I  am  perfuaded  that  the  great  ene- 
 my will  prove  an  apoftate  from  the  Chriltian  caufe,  and  his  chief 
 captains  be  of  his  own  nation.  There  hath  been  evidence  enough  in 
 thefe  latter  times  how  very  inclinable  many  Chrillians  are  to  apoflacy. 
 We  have  feen  apoftacy  fpread  like  a  flame  throughout  a  large,  a 
 very  large  nation,  and  a  kind  of  idolatrous  fury  prevail  almoft 
 univerfally  therein:  it  is  true,  the  idol  of  one  month,  was  not  al- 
 ways the  idol  of  the  next ;  but  enough  has  occurred  to  convince  us 
 how  very  potent  is  that  delufion,  which  takes  hold  upon  men 
 whofe  fpirits  are  in  great  agitation,  and  who  have  not  the  hap- 
 pinefs  to  poffefs  the  anchor  of  hope,  but  have  quitted  that  firm 
 rock  of  faith  which  alone  can  fupport  them  in  the  trying  hour, 
 when  the  plaufibility  of  delufion  furrounds  them. 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  but  too  true  ;  but  we  may  derive  fome  fatisfac- 
 tion  from  the  reflexion,  that  the  nation  you  refer  to  was  not  a 
 Proteftant  nation,  but  a  branch  of  that  church  which  is  fadly 
 tainted  with  idolatry. 
 
 Cautious.  I  refer  you  to  the  9th  chapter  of  the  Revelations,  to 
 prove  that  Chriftian  idolatry  has  been  feverely  punilhed,  and 
 yet  the  fufFerers  ihut  their  eyes,  and  will  not  acknowledge  where- 
 fore they  have  been  punifhed.  Thofe  who  are  regardlefs  of  the 
 commands  of  God  in  a  matter  of  fo  great  importance,  may  be 
 eafily  deluded  to  further  oppofition  to  the  caufe  and  people  of 
 God;  and  though  an  unprovoked  uncommifiloned  intention  of  hof- 
 tility  towards  the  people  of  God  will  be  the  fin  whereby  the 
 iniquity  of  tUe  Gentiles  will  be  filled  up,  and  the  times  of  the 
 Gentiles  become  fulfilled,  to  the  deftru6lion  of  all  thofe  who  are 
 inimical  to  the  fervice  and  people  of  God ;  yet  there  is  good  ground 
 in  fcripture  for  us  to  conclude,  that  they  will  alfo  be  as  it  were 
 
 bound 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  t^f 
 
 bound  down  by  the  very  fin  which  hath  in  former  times  laid  fo 
 heavily  upon  the  Jews;  even  idolatry.  The  Jewilh  hiltory 
 is  evidence  that  puniflinient  does  not  always  immediately  follow 
 the  crime  \  and  even  where  punifliment  does  immediately  follow, 
 it  may  be  frequently  coniidered  as  but  a  fcretalte  of  what  is  to  be 
 afterwards  expeded.  Thus,  concerning  the  fin  of  Ifrael  in  the 
 matter  of  the  golden  calf,  we  are  not  to  conclude  thv.t  the  death 
 of  the  3000  in  the  wildernefs,  by  the  hand  of  the  Levites,  was  of 
 that  nature,  that  it,  as  it  were,  purified  the  people  from  all  fub- 
 fequent  viiitatinn  on  account  thereof;  fo  far  from  it,  that  after 
 their  deatli  the  Lord  faith  unto  Mofes,  Exod.  xxxii.  34.  *'  Be- 
 •'  hold  mine  angel  fhall  go  before  thee:  neverthelefs,  in  the  day 
 *'  WHEN  I  vifit,  I  WILL  VISIT  their  fin  upon  them."  It  was 
 a  national  fin,  and  although  as  a  nation  there  was  a  refpite  granted, 
 yet  was  it  not  a  free  pardon.  In  like  manner  in  the  inltance  of 
 Solomon's  fail  into  the  encouragement  of  idolatry,  the  fcntencc 
 of  hanilhment  of  the  Jews,  and  deilruftion  of  their  temple, 
 1  Kings  ix.  7.  and  the  departure  of  the  kingdom  from  his  houfe, 
 is  pronounced,  1  Kings  xi.  xx.  yet  is  the  execution  of  it  refpited 
 during  the  life  of  Solomon,  and  mitigated  even  to  his  fons,  for 
 David  his  father's  fake.  Neverthelefs,  although  the  full  execution 
 of  the  fentence  was  refpited  for  about  400  years,  yet  was  it  exe- 
 cuted at  the  expiration  of  that  time.  We  muit  therefore  confider 
 thefe  refpites,  and  the  fubfequent  eftablifhment  of  Ifrael  from 
 Cyrus  to  Titus,  as  proceeding  from  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  God 
 of  Ifrael  towards  his  people.  He  is  a  1  ong-iufFe ring  God ;  ne- 
 verthelefs, in  the  day  when  he  vifits  he  doth  vifit  their  fin  upon 
 them.  We  are  not  therefore  to  conclude  that  becaufe  Chriltian 
 idolatry  has  been  punifhed,  that  therefore  it  is  obliterated;  and 
 the  reafon  is  plain,  becaufe  they  have  not  humbled  themfelves 
 9nd  repented,  for  idolatry  is  Itill  committed  by  ChrifHans;  and 
 you  will  find  it  molt  pradifcd  in  thofe  Chrillian  countries,  which 
 are  molf  inimical  to  the  Jews:  "  The  reft;  of  the  men  which  were 
 "  not  killed  by  thefe  plagues,  yet  repented  not  of  the  works  of 
 "  their  hands,  that  they  Ihould  not  worfhip  devils,  and  idols  of 
 "  gold,  and  filver,  and  brafs,  and  ft:one,  and  of  wood:  which 
 "  neither  can  fee,  nor  hear,  nor  walk:  neither  repented  they  of 
 **  their  murders,  nor  of  their  forceries,  nor  of  their  fornication, 
 *'  nor  of  their  tiiefts,"  Rev.  ix.  20.  It  is  therefore  plain,  that 
 unrepented  idolatry  (till  hangs  like  a  millltone  about  the  neck  of 
 the  Gentile  nations,  and  of  thofe  Chriifian  nations  who  have  fal- 
 len into  idolatry  in  particular. 
 
 Sudden.  We  have  reafon  to  ihank  God,  that  Pfoteftant  coun- 
 tries now  form  a  confiderable  objedl  in  the  map  of  Europe,  and 
 America;  and  that  the  Protefiant  religion,  which  is  inimical  to 
 idolatry,  is  even  tolerated  in  many  nations  Vvhcre  the  Roman  i% 
 the  eftablifiied  religion. 
 
 CautisuSi 
 
1^5  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  I. 
 
 Cautious.  Wc  have  fo,  but  we  mun:  not  prcfume  too  much. 
 We  have  rcafon  it  is  true  to  blcfs  God  for  the  reformation,  and  for 
 tlie  zeal  and  finccrity  of  many  of  our  anceilors,  but  we  have 
 nothing  to  be  proud  of;  on  the  contrary,  we  have  much  to  be 
 alhamed  of  in  this  very  thing.  How  ready  were  otir  anceftors  to 
 model  their  opinions  concerning  idolatry  to  the  whims  and  caprice 
 of  Henry  tl  »  8th  ;  and  though  in  the  reign  of  his  fuccelfor,  the  re- 
 formation iioLiriilied,  how  readily  was  it  abandoned  in  the  very 
 dawn  of  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary.  Have  we  not  real  caufe  to 
 be  alhamed  of  the  ads  of  thofe  (jf  o.ir  anceftors,  who  llicwed,  that 
 a  defire  to  plunder  the  church  of  its  pofleflions  and  revenues,  was 
 the  prevailing  motive  of  their  actions  ;  and  that  zeal  againlt  ido- 
 latry was  with  many  but  a  pretence. 
 
 But  independent  of  reference  to  remote  periods,  I  alFure  you  I 
 am  by  no  means  free  from  fnfpicion,  but  that  even  Protestant 
 NATIONS  liave  more  of  the  seeds  OF  idolatry  luikiiig  in 
 them,  than  is  generally  imagined. 
 
 Sudden.     I  am  furprifed  to  hear  you  fay  f o :   pray  explain. 
 
 Cautious.  Firft  let  me  requeft  you  to  explain,  why  you  are 
 furprifed  at  my  exprefling  fome  degree  ot  fear  upon  the  fubjecl. 
 
 Sudden.  Becaufe  it  appears  to  me  to  be  an  unfounded  appre- 
 henfion.  Idolatry  is  of  all  crimes  the  molt  Itupid  and  unreafon- 
 able.  It  is  a.  wickednefs,  in  the  com.mifiion  whereof  there  can  be 
 no  gratification.  It  is  fo  hoftile  to  reafon  and  common  fenfe,  that 
 one  would  think  that  it  could  not  be  committed  even  by  the  moil 
 ignorant  and  unenlightened;  but  (thank  God)  our  nation,  and 
 other  Protcftant  countries  efpecially,  and  in  fa6f  the  inhabitants 
 of  Europe  in  general,  are  much  enlightened,  and  capable  of  rea- 
 foning  ;  and  wherever  there  is  ability  to  reafon  upon  and  conlider 
 things,  there  I  think  is  no  fear  of  relapiing  into  the  fhipid  dark- 
 nefs  of  idolatry. 
 
 Cautious.  Although  I  admit  that  idolatry  is  of  all  crimes  the 
 moft  fhipid  and  unreafonable,  yet  experience  is  the  beft  in- 
 flruftor;  and  if  we  fuffer  ourlelves  to  draw  conclufions  which 
 are  contradicted  by  experience,  by  fa£ts,  we  do  not  a6t  the  part 
 of  reafonable  creatures.  No^v  facts  and  experience  contradict 
 you.  You  fay  that  it  is  fo  unreafonable,  that  one  would  think 
 that  it  could  iiot  be  committed  even  by  the  moft  ignorant  and  un- 
 enlightened :  init  fa6ts  prove,  that  in  all  ages  it  has  been  com- 
 mitted, not  only  by  the  ignorant  and  unpolilhed  nations,  but  even 
 by  thofe  moft  celebrated  in  other  things  for  their  knowledge,  and 
 for  the  ftrength  of  their  reafon  and  refinements.  The  ruins  of. 
 Grecian  architecture  to  this  day  excite  the  aftonifhment  of  man- 
 kind, and  inftruct  our  architeds  in  the  beauties  of  juft  propor- 
 tion. The  remains  of  Grecian  literature,  are  the  admiration  of 
 the  learned  of  the  prefent  day;  and  the  love  of  independence 
 "vsiiich  per\'aded  the  Grecian  ftates,  hath  been  celebrated  and 
 commended,  even  beyond  meafure ;  and  yet  where  was  idolatry 
 
 carried 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX. 
 
 59 
 
 carried  to  fuch  great  extent,  as  in  the  Grecian  Hates?  What  na- 
 tion upon  earth  ever  yet  polTeired  fuch  power  as  the  Romans? 
 Are  not  the  remains  of  their  buildings  and  literature,  the  deliglit 
 and  admiration  of  mankind ;  and  yet  were  not  they  idolaters,  and 
 did  they  not  in  vindication  of  their  idolatry  moll  cruelly  periecute 
 the  Chriitians,  who  would  have  converted  them  from  idolatry  to 
 ferve  the  only  true  God,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth  ? 
 
 SuMen.  You  have  certainly  experience  on  your  fide:  I  ufcd 
 an  unfound  argument.  I  Uiould  have  faid,  that  there  is  no  good 
 ground  to  apprehend  any  relapfe  towards  idolatry,  whilll  we  poi- 
 fefs  the  holy  fcriptures. 
 
 Cautious.  You  now  lay  hold  of  a  furer  anclior,  but  let  us  fee 
 what  fadls  and  experience  teach  us  concerning  this  ;  without 
 referring  to  the  ancient  Jewilh  hiftory,  which  might  be  dwelt  up- 
 on with  great  propriety,  let  us  content  ourfelves  with  referring  to 
 the  practices  of  Chriitians.  Although  the  fcriptures  were  locked 
 up  and  kept  from  the  laity,  yet  the  Romifh  clergy  were  in  pof- 
 fellion  of  them  ;  and  yet  what  idolatry  hath  been  more  pnblic  and 
 notorious,  than  the  idolatry  of  the  Roman  church  ?  You  think 
 Europe  is  greatly  improved  in  learning  ;  and  yet,  notwithllanding 
 the  fuffcrings  of  the  Roman  church,  hath  it  Ihewn  any  iymptoni 
 of  repentance  on  account  of,  or  any  inclination  to  renounce  its  ido- 
 latry ?  I  know  you  are  a  fteady  churchman,  but  I  think  you  have 
 never  read,  or  heard  read,  thole  excellent  homilies  coiiccrning  the 
 peril  of  idolatry,  which  form  apart,  and  (however  unheeded  tliey 
 may  at  prefent  be)  I  will  fay  an  important  part  of  the 
 DOCTRINE  of  that  church  of  wliich  you  are  a  member. 
 
 Sudden.  I  acknowledge  that  I  have  never  read  them,  althou^Th  I 
 feel  fome  fhame  in  making  the  acknowledgment,  and  promifc  you 
 I  intend  to  read  them  as  foon  as  pollible. 
 
 Cautious.  When  you  have  read  them,  you  will  fee  that  fo  far 
 from  idolatry  being  a'crime,  concerning  wliich  tliere  is  no  appre- 
 henfion  to  be  entertained,  that  the  fathers  of  our  cinirch  thought 
 otherwife,  and  fhew  the  pronenefs  of  mankind  to  fall  thereby; 
 but  as  you  have  promifed  to  read  them,  I  need  fay  no  more  upon 
 this  point.  I  fhall  therefore  proceed  to  notice  your  obfervation, 
 that  idolatry  is  a  crime  in  the  commiflion  whereof  there  can  be 
 no  gratification.  The  patrons  of  idolatry  were  aware  r^f  tliis,  and 
 therefore  joined  and  annexed  thereto  the  commiflion  of  crimes,  in 
 ■which  there  was  gratification  to  tiie  corrupt  defires  of  mankind. 
 The  ancient  idolatry  was  (as  is  plain  from  the  25th  of  the  book  of 
 Numbers)  conne6led  with  whoredom.  Ancient  hiftory  corrobo- 
 rates the  faft,  and  you  will  fee  in  the  43d  verfe  of  the  6th  chap- 
 ter of  Baruch,  that  fornication  was  a  rite  of  idolatry.  Idolatry 
 and  wickednefs  ever  have  been,  and  ever  will  be  inlVparably  con- 
 jiefted  together ;  I  refer  you  for  proof  to  the  ill  chapter  of  St. 
 Paul's  Epiftle  to  the  Romans  ;  and  it  has  been  well  obferved  that 
 in  proportion  to  the  zeal  of  the  Papacy,  for  the  eltablifTiment  of 
 
 idolatry. 
 
i6o  DIALOGUE     IX.  Part  L 
 
 idolatry,  in  like  proportion  hath  been  its  zeal  againfl:  the  marriage 
 of  its  clergy.  But  we  ihould  very  poHibly  exceed  truth,  if  we 
 were  to  fay,  tliat  this  feducing  wickednefs  was  attached  to  ali  He 
 idolatry  of  ancient  times ;  although  it  undoubtedly  was  to  the  worihip 
 et  fome  of  their  gods  :  for  inftance,  there  appears  nothing  of  this 
 kind  attached  to  the  worfhip  of  the  golden  image  which  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar the  king  fet  up,   Dan.  iii. 
 
 8udden.  Certainly  this  idolatry  confiifed  merely  in  the  a£l:  of 
 ■w-orlliipping  the  golden  image  which  Ntbuchadiiezzur  the  king 
 fet  up  \  and  it  appears  to  me  to  have  been  a  kind  of  political 
 
 IDOLATRY. 
 
 Cautious.  It  does  fo,  but  it  was  no  lefs  abominable  upon  that 
 account ;  and  the  deliverance  of  Shadrach,  Mefhach,  and  Abcd- 
 nego,  from  the  horrid  fentence,  is  evidence  ot  the  Lord's  detef- 
 tation  of  idolatry,  whether  it  be  political  idolatry,  or  merely  fu- 
 perllitious  idolatry.  In  fa£l,  you  will  find  that  idolatry  has  fre- 
 quently been  the  refult  of  an  evil  policy.  Thus  "  Jeroboam  faid 
 *'  in  his  heart.  Now  fhall  the  kingdom  return  to  the  houfe  of 
 **  David  :  if  this  people  go  up  to  do  facrince  in  the  houfe  of  the 
 **  Lord  at  Jerufalem,  then  fliall  the  heart  of  this  people  turn 
 **  asrain  unto  their  lord,  even  unto  Rehoboam  king  ot  Judah,  and 
 **  they  fhall  kill  me,  and  go  again  to  Rehoboam  king  of  Judah  : 
 **  wherefore  the  king  took  counfel,  and  made  two  calves  of  gold, 
 **  and  faid  unto  them,  It  is  too  much  for  vou  to  go  up  to 
 **  Jerufalem:  behold  thy  gods,  O  Ifrael,  which  brought  thee  up 
 *'  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  he  fet  the  one  in  Bethel,  and 
 **  the  other  put  he  in  Dan,  And  this  thing  bxame  a  fm :  for 
 *'  the  people  went  to  worthip  before  the  one,  even  unto  Dan.  And 
 **  he  made  an  houfe  of  high  places,  and  made  priefls  of  the  iowell 
 "  of  the  people,  which  were  not  of  the  fons  of  Le\i."  x  Kings 
 zii.  26 — 31. 
 
 Sudden.  It  is  but  too  true,  that  an  evil  policy  may,  as  in  the 
 jnftance  before  us,  refort  to  idolatry  to  ferve  its  own  purpofes. 
 
 Cautious.  When  you  have  read  the  homilies  of  our  church  upon 
 this  fubjeif,  as  you  have  promifed  to  do,  you  will  fee  the  great 
 zeal  difplayed  therein  to  guard  againlf  that  unhappy  pronenefs  to 
 lean  towards  idolatry,  Avhich  is  therein  proved  by  example  and 
 experience,  to  be  a  weaknefs  and  lin,  to  which  mankind  in  their 
 prefent  fallen  itate  are  greatly  inclined:  and  I  think 
 that  you  will  thereby  be  enabled  to  fee,  that  an  evil  policy 
 hath  had  much  to  do  with  the  idolatry  of  Chriftians.  The  idola- 
 try of  the  Roman  church  hath  been  cherifhed  and  encouraged 
 by  an  evil  policy,  in  the  fame  manner  as  Jeroboam's  idolatry  of 
 the  golden  calves. 
 
 Sudden.  I  fliall  be  happy  to  receive  information  upon  this 
 fubied,  for  I  rauft  confcfs  my fclf  ignorant  of  it. 
 
 Cautious.  You  will  find,  that  alter  the  emperor  Condantinc 
 the  Great,  removed  the  feat  of  empire  from  Rome  to  Conftan- 
 tinople,  it  ^vas  unhappily  too  foon  followed  by  an  inclination  in 
 
 the 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  i6i 
 
 the  Roman  church  to  contention  for  fupremacy.  The  emperor 
 and  the  ealtern  church  were  inimical  to  idolatry;  and  the  wedern 
 church  (the  Roman)  patronifed  idolatry,  and  took  occafion  to 
 ftir  up  Tuch  a  contention  about  it,  that  **  the  eaft  and  weft 
 **  churches,  which  agreed  evil  before,  upon  this  contention 
 *'  about  images,  fell  to  utter  enmity,"  Homilies,  p.  119.  edi- 
 tion of  1676.  The  emperor  Leo  the  3d,  caufed  the  idolatrous 
 images  at  Conftantinople  to  be  burnt  and  defaced,  and  required 
 the  bifhop  of  Rome,  who  was  his  subject,  to  do  the  fame  by 
 thofe  at  Rome;  but  he  refufed,  and  "  llirred  up  the  Italians 
 *'  againft  the  emperor,  firft  at  Ravenna,  and  moved  them  to  re- 
 "  bellion;"  and  he  caufed  Rome  and  all  Italy  *'  to  refufe  their 
 ''  obedience,  and  the  payment  of  any  more  tribute  to  the  em- 
 "  peror;  and  fo  by  treafon  and  rebellion,  they  maintained  their 
 *'  idolatry,"  page  120. 
 
 Sudden.  Jeroboam's  idolatry  was  adopted  to  maintain  his 
 power ;  but  here  treafon  and  rebellion  was  reforted  to,  in  order  to 
 maintain  their  idolatry. 
 
 Cautious.  Many  of  them  might  refort  to  treafon  and  rebellion, 
 to  ma'intain  their  beloved  idolatry  ;  and  many  of  them  might  refort 
 to  and  make  uic  ot  idolatry,  to  maintain  their  treafon  and  rebel- 
 lion. Obferve  this  pafl'age,  *'  Note  ye  that  the  biihops  of  Rome, 
 *'  being  no  ordinary  magillrates  appointed  of  God,  out  of  their 
 "  diocefs,  but  usurpers  of  princes  authority,  contrary  to  God's 
 "  word;  were  the  maintainers  of  images  againft  God's  word, 
 *'  and  ftirrers  of  fedition  and  rebellion,  and  workers  of  continual 
 "  treafon  againft  their  fovereign  lords  ;  contrary  to  God's  law, 
 "  andithe  ordinances  of  all  human  laws  ;  being  not  only  enemies  to 
 *'  God,  but  alfo  rebels  and  traitors  againft  their  princes.  Thefe 
 "  be  the  firft  bringers  in  of  images  openly  into  the  churches^ 
 **  thefe  be  the  maintainers  of  them  in  the  churches;  and  thefe 
 *'  be  the  means,  whereby  they  have  maintained  them:  to  wit, 
 "  confpiracy,  treafon,  and  rebellion,  againft  God  and  their 
 **  princes,"  page  121.  This  is  the  teftimony  of  that  church, 
 of  which  we  are  members. 
 
 Sudden.  I  admit  that  the  homilies  contain  the  dodrine  of  our 
 church,  and  I  am  well  difpofed  to  give  them  due  confideration. 
 
 Cautious.  You  will  find  that  treafon  and  idolatry,  ever  go  hand 
 in  hand;  Irene,  the  emprefs,  fought  to  deprive  her  fon  of  his 
 imperial  crown,  during  her  life.  She  was  the  great  patronefs  of 
 idolatry  in  the  eaft,  and  her  adlions  fhewed  the  bitter  root  that 
 produced  fuch  evil  fruit.  She  dug  up  the  body  of  her  father-in- 
 law  Conftantine  the  5th,  commanded  it  to  be  cpenly  burnt,  and 
 the  allies  to  be  thrown  into  the  fea ;  and  in  the  end,  deprived  her 
 fon  of  his  crown,  put  out  his  eyes,  and  after  many  tofrnents, 
 moft  cruelly  ilew  him.  And  it  is  a  circumftance  well  worthy  to 
 be  fixed  in  our  memories,  that  the  French  nation,  were  the 
 ^reat  fupporters  of  the  Papal  power  :  the  great  fupporters  of 
 
 Y  its 
 
i5s. 
 
 DIALOGUE    IX.  Part  I. 
 
 its  idolatry ;  for  nhich  caufe,  the  pope,  by  his  ufurped  autho- 
 rity, conferred  the  imperial  dignity  upon  the  French  king. 
 Thus,  "  the  empil-e,  which  was  one  before,  was  divided  into 
 **  two  p;3rts,  upon  occafion  of  idols  and  images,  and  the  wor- 
 **  (hipping  of  them;  even  as  the  kingdom  ot  the  Ifraelites  was 
 **  in  old  time,  for  the  like  caufe  of  idolatry  divided  in  king  Re- 
 «  hoboam's  time,"  page  i2j. 
 
 "Sudden.  There  is  much  food  for  meditation  in  what  you  ha^'c 
 mentioned,  and  much  force  in  your  quotations,  which  prove  the 
 connexioii  there  hath  been  between  rebellion  and  idolatry. 
 
 Caiitwus,  As  there  has  been  this  evil  union  between  rebellion 
 and  idolatry  in  time  part,  fo  will  there  in  time  to  come  be  a 
 much  more  confpicuous  union  between  them,  if  the  union  hath 
 not  already  taken  place. 
 
 Sudden.  As  I  have  hitherto  found  that  you  can  produce  reafons 
 for  your  opinion,  fo  I  doubt  not  )  ou  can  produce  them  to  fupport 
 your  prefent  aiVertion. 
 
 Cdiifious,  It  would  take  more  time  than  we  can  fpare  at  pre- 
 fent, were  we  to  review  fo  copious  a  fubje<St.  In  addition  to  the 
 homilies  which  I  have  advifed  you  to  perufe,  I  would  recom- 
 mend to  your  attention  Bifhop  Newton's  diifertations  on  thofe 
 prophecies  which  relate  to  the  Papacy  (although  I  do  not  entirely 
 agree  in  opinion  with  him)  and  the  Bifhop  of  Rochefter's  letter 
 to  Mr.  King;  and  I  hope  you  will  not  accufe  me  of  prefiimption 
 li  I  put  into  your  hands  a  book  publiilied  in  the  year  1800,  being 
 obfervations  on  Mr.  Bicheno's  Reftoration  of  the  Jews  the  Crifis 
 of  all  Nations.  You  will  fee  that  the  mod  horrid  idolatry  men- 
 tioned in  2  ThefiT.  ii.  and  in  the  xiiith  and  other  chapters  of  the 
 Revelation,  is  an  idolatry  vvHicH  springs  out  of  sedi- 
 tion AND  USURPATIO-N. 
 
 Sudden.  I  will  thankfully  receive  the  afliftance  you  promifc 
 me;  it  is  an  important  fubje6l:  I  acknowledge  that  I  have  not 
 ftudied  it,  but  I  well  remember  making  an  obfervation  upon  the 
 fubje£l  to  which  you  refer,  vvhich  I  will  mention  to  you,  that  you 
 may  fee  that  I  have  no  difinclination  to  confider  it.  It  was  this, 
 that  the  idolatry,  the  horrid  idolatry,  mentioned  in  the  xiiith  chap- 
 ter of  the  Revelation  (concerning  the  lead  participation  whereof 
 there  are  fuch  awful  threatnings  in  Rev.  xiv.  9 — 12)  feems  to  come 
 neareft  to  the  idolatry  enjoined  by  Nebuchadnezzar  to  the  golden 
 image  which  he  fet  up,  than  any  idolatry  that  hath  exilted  from 
 that  time  to  this. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  obfervation  is  very  well  founded.  When  you 
 have  read  the  homily  to  which  I  have  referred,  you  will  fee  the 
 flrong  arguments  ufed  to  guard  againfl  any  return  of  fuperftitious 
 idolatry ;  and  I  doubt  not  you  will  then  admit,  that  the  fame  cautions 
 are  needful  in  order  to  guard  againft  any  thing  that  Ihould  feem 
 to  have  any  relation  to  that  idolatry  vv  hich  approaches,  and  which 
 you  jufUy  obfervedto  be  very  analogous  to  the  idolatry  enjoined  by 
 Nebuchadnezzar  in  the  initance  of  the  golden  image  fet  up  by  him. 
 
 Sudden. 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  jfig 
 
 Sudden.  I  will  admit  this  even  now  before  I  iQzd  the  homily 
 you  refer  to,  for  too  great  caution  cannot  be  ukd  upon  fuch  a 
 Aibje<5l. 
 
 Cautious.  The  great  perfection  to  which  the  imitative  arts  are 
 carried,  will  I  fear  be  prodii(ilive  of  evil  in  this  matter.  There 
 j,s  a  degree  of  fafcination  in  the  admiration  of  thefe  things,  which 
 cannot  be  admitted  to  be  reafonable  ;  and  although  it  may  be  difficult 
 to  define  it,  yet  I  think  that  the  kind  of  enthuliafm  that  is  fome- 
 times  obfcrvable,  is  evidence  that  the  feeds  of  idolatry  are  lurking 
 in  the  foil,  and  only  wait  for  a  feafon  adapted  to  their  growth. 
 Moil  happy  fhould  I  eiteem  myfelf,  if  you,  or  any  one  would 
 convince  me  that  I  am  milfaken ;  but  the  iraprefHon  hath  been 
 made  on  my  mind,  and  therefore  until  I  am  convinced  that  h  is"  a 
 millaken  opinion  which  I  have  adopted,  I  cannot  but  retain  it. 
 
 Sudden.  That  the  imitative  arts  are  capable  of  bei.ng  corrupted 
 to  the  moft  abominable  piirpofes,  I  believe  every  one  will  allow; 
 and  I  am  happy  to  fay,  that  there  have  been  of  late  years,  Ibmc 
 examples  made  of  thole  who  have  in  this  way  contributed  to  cor- 
 rupt the  miorals  of  the  people  1  but  I  jcannot  fay  that  i  have  ob- 
 ferv^d  any  circumflances  in  which  the  imitative  arts  have  tended 
 to  the  encouragement  of  idolatry,  or  any  thing  tending  to  idolatry. 
 You  will  obferve  that'  I  refer  to  Proteifants  only,  for  every  one 
 knows,  that  a  picture  or  fculpture,  which  a  Proteftaat  wxiuld 
 merely  admire  as  the  production  of  the  hand  of  a  mafter,  is  ieea 
 ;by  a  Roman  Catholic  with  different  fenfations. 
 
 Cautious.  The  general  ideas  we  form  of  the  times  we  live  in, 
 are  gathered  from  the  daily  and  weekly  publications,  and  I  ac- 
 Jcnowledge  that  it  is  from  them  (corroborated  by  my  own  obfer- 
 vationsj  that  I  have  been  induced  to  adopt  this  idea  \  I  remember 
 reading  a  few  years  ago,  an  account  of  the  opening  to  \  lew  of  mi 
 image  ere6led  by  a  man  of  great  opulence  of  one  oi  his  remote 
 anceltors.  It  was  attended  with  fuch  parade  and  rejoicings,  that 
 notwithltanding  the  great  piety  of  the  proprietor,  I  mulf  fay,  that 
 refpedt  for  the  memory  of  an  honourable  anceftor,  appeared  to 
 me  a  poor  excufe  for  proceedings  which  bore  fome  refemblance  to 
 the  dedication  of  the  image  that  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  fet  up. 
 
 Sudden.  I  acknowledge  that  fuch  circumftanccs  tend  to  no 
 good ;  nay  more,  I  will  admit  that  they  have  an  evil  tendency, 
 notwithltanding  the  party  himfelf  and  all  prefent  might  be  as  ini- 
 mical to  idolatry  as  you  are;  but  idolatry  is  a  crime,  which  like 
 treafon,  cannot  be  committed  vv'ithout  there  exilts  an  inten- 
 tion to  commit  it. 
 
 Cautious,  I  l^now  that  in  faying  fo  you  fpeak  the  fentiments  of 
 great  numbers ;  but  what  fays  fcripture  upon  this  fubject.  oi  in- 
 tention: Shadiach,  Meihach,  and  Abednego,  ai?ledwith  noble  firm- 
 nefs,  they  knew  that  it  being  hostile  to  their  inclination 
 AND  INTENTION  would  be  no  excufe  for  their  compliance,  they 
 therefore  commit  their  caufe  into  the  hands  of  him  whofe  fervants 
 they  are.     Behold  the  condud  of  the  primitive  Chriiliaii:  he  is 
 
 not 
 
164  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  L 
 
 not  infcnfible  of  the  advantages  he  polTeires,  but  all  his  advan- 
 tages, all  the  endearing  connexions  ot  life,  all  the  temporal  blef- 
 fnigs  which  God  hath  given  him,  are  brought  into  peril.  He 
 is  required  to  conform  to  the  eftablifhed  idolatry.  He  is 
 polTibly  elteemed  by  thofe  before  whom  he  is  brought  as  a  cri- 
 minal. They  are  difpofed  to  make  his  conformity  as  eafy  as  pof- 
 liblc  to  him,  and  all  he  is  required  to  do,  is  to  call  a  few  grains 
 of  corn  into  the  vellel  which  is  at  his  hand  to  receive  them,  or  to 
 fprinkle  a  few  crums  of  incenfe  upon  the  altar.  Shall  all  worldly 
 pofTeflions  and  advantages  be  renounced?  Shall  all  the  endearing 
 ties  of  conjugal  and  paternal  afFeftion,  all  the  bonds  of  friendihip, 
 be  relinquifhed?  Shall  even  life  itfelf  be  difregarded,  and  a  death 
 of  torture  embraced,  rather  than  comply  with  fo  fmall  a  matter? 
 I  fear,  alas!  I  fear,  that  Ihould  fuch  trials  come,  there  would  be 
 many  who  would  think  that  nonconformity  was  little  ihort 
 of  madnefs  !  but  the  martyrs  who  endured  death,  and  renounced 
 all  earthly  comforts,  rather  than  comply  with  fuch  things,  have 
 hadno  reafon  to  repent  of  their  faith  and  patience. 
 
 Sudden.      I  entirely  agree  with  you. 
 
 Cautious.  So  in  the  lart  effort  of  idolatry,  there  may  be,  and 
 there  will  be  much  fedu6lion ;  but  the  fame  denunciation  extends 
 to  every  degree  of  the  crime  :  **  If  any  man  wordiip  the  bealt  and 
 *'  his  image,  and  i-eceive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  the 
 *'  fame  fhall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  ot  God, which  is  poured 
 **  out  without  mixture  into  the  cop  of  his  indignation,  and  he  Ihall 
 "  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimftone  in  the  prefence  of  the  holy 
 *'  angels,  and  in  the  prefence  of  the  lamb:  and  the  fmokc  of  their 
 ■*<  torment  afcendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever,  and  they  have  no  reft 
 '*'  day  nor  night,  who  worfhip  the  beaft  and  his  image,  and  whofo- 
 "  ever  receiveththemarkof  his  name,"Rev.xiv.  9,  10,  n.  With 
 fuch  an  admonition  as  this  before  us  (notwitiiltanding  we  may  ar- 
 dently pray,  that  we  may  be  prefervcd  from  having  any  concern  in 
 the  enormities  denounced)  can  we  be  too  cautious?  When  the 
 extent  of  the  delufion  is  ftated,  and  we  are  told  that  all  that  dwell 
 upon  the  earth  will  worfhip  him,  whofe  names  are  not  written  in 
 the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  flain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
 world.  Rev.  xiii.  8.  We  furely  cannot  be  too  timidly  cautious 
 in  a  matter  of  fo  great  moment,  and  ihall  do  well  to  endeavour, 
 not  only  to  abhor  every  thing  which  in  the  fmalleft  degree  feems 
 to  approach  to  fuch  idolatry,  but  to  endeavour  alfo  to  eradicate 
 thofe  .feeds,  which  by  now  and  then  fpringing  up,  feem  to  imply 
 that  there  exifls  the  embrio  even  among  us,  which  fome  future 
 opportunity  may  bring  to  maturity. 
 
 Sudden.  We  certainly  cannot  be  too  cautious  in  a  matter  of 
 fuch  vaft  importance.  Will  you  mention  any  other  inltances 
 which  have  induced  you  to  think,  that  there  are  the  feeds  of  this 
 idolatry  lurking  among  us. 
 
 Cautious.  My  fear  hath  this  for  its  foundation,  that  Chriflians 
 in  general  feem  almoll  ignorant  of,  or  lukewarm,  concerning  the 
 
 noble 
 
Part  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  i% 
 
 noble  concIu6l  and  teftimony  of  the  martyrs,  and  by  no  means 
 aware  of  that  great  trial  which  is  yet  to  come.  It  they  are  not 
 initrufted  that  there  is  a  time  of  trial  approaching,  how  can  they 
 be  exhorted  to  arm  themfelves  with  that  taith  and  patience  in 
 which  they  are  to  overcome.  The  people  ought  to  be  in- 
 structed CONCERNING  these  THINGS.       ThE  DOCTRINES 
 
 OF  OUR  CHURCH  Concerning  them  contained   in  our   homilies., 
 
 OUGHT     NOT     TO    REMAIN     UNHEEDED     A  N  D    UNJR  N  FORC  ED  ; 
 
 for  there  is  no  fecurity  in  ignorance.  The  good  of  our  nation  is 
 moft  materially  concerned  in  thefe  things  being  examined  and  en- 
 forced, and  therefore  loyalty  to  our  lovereign,  and  love  to  our 
 <:ountry,  as  well  as  religious  zeal,  iliould  induce  us  to  urge  thefe 
 things  with  all  due  diligence  and  refpe6f  to  thofe  in  authority  ;' 
 for  there  is  a  progreilion  obfervable'  in  thefe  things,  and  one  im- 
 proper a61:ion  paves  the  way  for  another.  I  remember  a  few  years 
 iince  reading  that  the  fubjefts  of  a  Proteftant  prince  on  the  con- 
 tinent, when  they  took  their  oaths  ot  allegiance,  actually  per- 
 formed their  homage  before  his  picture  as  his  reprefentative! 
 I  fliould  be  very  happy  to  find  that  this  was  a  mifreprefentation. 
 
 Sudticn.     This  lalt  inftance,  if  true,  was  undoubtedly  idolatry, 
 to  all  intents  and  purpofes. 
 
 Cautious.  I  own  that  I  can  confider  it  in  no  other  light  than 
 idolatry!  If  the  homage  had  been  performed  to  any  of  the  kings 
 .-officers  deputed  to  receive  it,  there  would  have  been  no  harm  in 
 that ;  we  are  enjoined  to  obey  and  refpeft  thofe  put  in  authority^ 
 by  the  king,  but  the  a6l  of  bowing  before  apidture,  or  image,  is 
 lank  idolatry,  and  nothing  but  idolatry  ;  for  the  command  is  plain, 
 ,"  Thou  fhalt  not  bow  down  unto  them,"  Ex.  xx.  ,5.  I  think 
 we  may  derive  fome  advantage  by  conlidering  this,  let  us  there- 
 fore fuppofe  for  example  that  fome  one  among  them  had  polielled 
 fufhcient  knowledge  and  zeal  to  fay,  "  Conlider  what  you  are 
 *'  about  to  do,  and  beware  of  idolatry  ;  read  the  denunciations 
 *'  againft  it  contained  in  holy  fcripture,  and  in  particular  read  the 
 *'  3d  chapter  of  the  book  of  Daniel."  Let  us  in  the  next  place 
 confider  what  might  have  been  the  reply,  *'  Your  caution  is  an 
 '■'■  unnecefTary  caution:  firft,  you  bring  religion  into  that  which 
 "  hath  no  reference  to  religion.  Religion,  it  is  true,  teaches  us, 
 *'  that  we  are  to  worlhip  God  only,  but  this  is  not  v.  orfliip  \  it 
 "  hath  only  reference  to  that  refpedl  and  fubmiifion  which  we 
 "  owe  to  our  fovereign,  and  v/hich  we  would  willingly  pay  to 
 *'  him,  if  he  were  prefent  with  us.  As  it  does  not  fuit  him  to 
 *'  attend  in  perfon  to  receive  our  homage  and  refpeft,  we  there- 
 *<  fore  think  no  evil  in  performing  the  fame  betore  his  pidlure. 
 *'  The  fame  arguments  would  apply  to  jultity  our  periorming 
 **  this  homage  before  his  image  ;  we  are  to  look  to  the  intea- 
 *<  tion.  If  the  king  were  prefent,  it  would  not  be  our  intention 
 '*  to  offer  any  a6t  of  religious  adoration  to  him,  neither  would  he 
 **  be  fo  irreligious  as  to  deiire  it.     It  v/ould  only  be  our  intention 
 
 "  to 
 
x65  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  I. 
 
 **  to  ofFer  unto  him  that  homage,  refpe<S,  andfubmifllon,  which 
 **  is  required  from  loyal  and  obedient  lubjetts  to  their  Ibvereign  ; 
 **  and  therefore  nothing  more  is  intended  by  us  in  this  homage  and 
 •*  refpe£f,  that  we  perform  beiore  his  pifture  ;  and  as  religious 
 **  adoration  is  entirely  out  of  the  quellion,  there  can  be  no  ido- 
 *'  latry  in  that  aft  which  you  objeci  to  as  idolatrous," 
 
 Sudden,  1  think  you  have  urged  their  excufe  or  extenuation  in 
 the  Ilrongeft  manner  it  could  be  urged  ;  and  although  our  conver- 
 fation  is  evidence,  that  I  have  not  viewed  thele  things  in  fo  ilrong  a 
 light  as  you  have,  yet  I  think  that  even  I  could  point  out  the  tal- 
 lacy  of  fuch  arguments,  for  which  purpofe  1  would  have  obferved 
 to  them,  that  the  fame  arguments  would  have  applied  to  the  jufti- 
 fication  of  Shadrach,  Pvlcihach,  and  Abednego,  in  worlhipping  the 
 golden  image  that  Nebuchadr^ezzar  the  king  let  up  \.  Ni;buchad- 
 nezzar  was  a  king,  and  entitled  to  homage  and  refpeft.  This 
 homage  and  refpeft  is  differently  expreii'ed  by  different  nations  ; 
 infome  it  is  expreifed  by  a  reverend  bow;  in  others  by  kneeling 
 before  ;  and  in  moil  eailern  nations,  it  was  anciently,  and  now  is 
 expreir^d  by  proftration,  Gen.  xliv.  14.  1.  18.  2  Sam,  ix. 
 6.  xviiii.  28,  This  was  that  homage  with  which  Nebuchadnezzar 
 was  honoured  as  king,  and  no  greater  reverence  was  required  to  . 
 be  performed  before  his  golden  image,  which  it  pleafed  him  to  fet 
 up,  and  require  to  be  thus  worihipped.  \¥hat  but  an  external 
 ad:  was  required  ?  The  herald  did  not  inquire  of  thofe  who  con- 
 formed to  it,  whether  they  believed  in  the  divinity  of  the  image  ; 
 all  that  Nebuchadnezzar  required,  was  conformity  to  an  ex- 
 ternal a6l ;  and  thofe  who  conformed  to  this  external  a6l,  had  no 
 further  queftions  aflced  them.  I  Ihould  therefore  have  urged  them 
 to  conlider,  that  it  neceil'arily  followed,  either  that  thele  confpi- 
 cuous  fervants  of  God,  were  unreafonably.  fcrupulous  (which 
 "*vhcn  their  miraculous  deliverance  is  conlidered  would  be  next  to 
 felalphemy  to  aifert)  or  that  the  a6l  in  quellion,  could  not  admit 
 •of  any  explanation  which  would  clear  it  irom  idolatry. 
 
 Cautious.  I  entirely  agree  with  you,  and  I  may  add,  that  the 
 fame  excufq  might  be  urged  in  extenuation  of  that  idolatry  which 
 will  be  required  by  the  great  Antichrifl  ^  all  that  he  will  require, 
 "will  be  an  external  adt,  and  the  reception  of  a  mark,  as  a  certi- 
 ficate of  conformity  to  this  external  a6l,  Rev.  xiii,  16,  17  :  but 
 it  feems  to  me  impoflible  for  any  perfbn  who  reads  the  word  of 
 God  with  intention  to  be  inflruded  thereby,  to  entertain  the  leaft 
 fhadow  of  a  doubt  upon  the  fid>je6l,  Exod.  xx.  4,  g.  Deut.  iv. 
 Levit,  xix.  28.  xxvi.  1.   Dan.  iii. 
 
 Sudden.  I  am  perteclly  fatisficd  that  a  perfon  who  reads  the 
 fcriptures  with  a  deli  re  to  form  his  opinions  therefrom,  cannot 
 entertain  a  doubt  upon  the  fubjeft. 
 
 Cautious.     We  may  always  reil  fatisfied  that  every  command  of 
 God  is  juft  and  righteous,  whether  we  are  enabled  to  difcover  the 
 reafon  whereon  it  is  grounded,  or  not :  but  we  are  reasonable  crea- 
 tures, 
 
•Tart  L  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  167 
 
 tures,  and  therefore  it  is  a  great  fatisfadlion  to  us  to  fee  the  rea- 
 fonablenefs  of  the  divine  conmiands  ;  and  in  the  infliance  betore  us 
 I  think  the  reafon  of  the  divine  command  is  very  conipicuous. 
 We  are  the  creatures  of  the  great  Creator,  and  are  under  his  go~- 
 vernment,  and  kings  derive  tiieir  authority  from  liim^  they  are  Ms 
 fervants,  and  their  authority  extends  to  the  punilhment  of  evil 
 doers.  Thofe  in  authority  under  the  king,  are  entitled  to  due 
 refpeft  and  honour,  for  a  portion  of  authority  committed  to  the 
 king  is  delegated  by  him  to  his  officers.  Now  let  us  fuppofe  that 
 an  officer  ot  the  king,  abuling  the  authority  committed  to  him, 
 was  to  encourage  evil  doers,  and  puniih  thofe  only  that  do  well, 
 what  remedy  Ihould  M-e  have  ? 
 
 Sud/len.  A  fure  and  certain  remedy,  by  appealing  to  the  king. 
 He  would  examine  whether  his  officer  had  conformed  to  his  direc- 
 tions, and  if  f\ich  officer  was  proved  to  have  at'^ed  in  contradiction 
 to  the  dirediions  given  to  him,  and  to  have  abufed  the  powers 
 vetted  in  him,  the  opprclFed  would  be  relieved,  and  the  officer  dif- 
 placed  and  punilhed. 
 
 Cautious,  You  are  right,  all  delegated  power  is  sub- 
 ject  \o   THE    LAWS  AND   CONDITIONS  ANNEXED    THERETO 
 
 BY  HIM  WHO  DELEGATES  THE  POWER.  The  honour,  ho- 
 mage, and  refpeft,  therefore,  that  fubjedls  pay  to  their  fovereign, 
 .  is  paid  to  him  as  the  honoured  servant  of  him  by  whom 
 KINGS  reign.  He  is  bound  to  conform  to  the  lawo?^ 
 him  whose  servant  he  is;  and  he  hath  faid,  "I  am  the 
 "  Lord,  that  is  my  name,  and  my  glory  will  I  not  give  to  another, 
 *'  neither  my  praife  to  graven  images,"  Ifai.  xlii.  8.  The  au- 
 thority of  no  fovereign  extends  to  this ;  if  he  is  the  fer\ant  of  God, 
 he  is  bound  by  the  law  of  him  whofe  fervant  he  is,  and  his  law  i« 
 exprefs  upon  the  fubje6l:  "  Thou  Ihalt  not  make  imto  thee  any 
 **  graven  image,  or  the  likenefs  ot  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven 
 *'  above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water 
 *'  under  the  earth;  thou  Ihalt  rot  bow  down  Thyself  to 
 **  them,  nor  ferve  thera:  for  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous 
 **  God,  vifiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  un- 
 *'  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me,  and 
 "  fliewing  mercy  unto  thoufands  of  them  that  love  me,  and  keep 
 '*  my  commandments,"  Ex.  xx.  4 — 6.  If  therefore  a  fovereign 
 ihould  fo  far  difregard  the  law  of  him  whofe  fervant  he  is,  as 
 to  command  the  performance  of  that  which  is  positively  for- 
 'Bidden  by  him  whofe  fervant  he  is,  and  by  whofe  authority  he 
 acts,  all  that  can  be  done  is  to  appeal  to  him  whp  hath  given 
 power  to  him.  Thus  did  Shadrach,  Mefhach,  and  Abcdnego  ap- 
 peal: "  O  Nebuchadnezzar,  we  are  not  careful  to  anfvver  thee  in 
 "  this  matter;  it  it  be  fo,  our  God  whom  we  ferve  is  able  to  de-- 
 ^'^  liver  us  from  the  burning  tiery  furnace,  and  he  will  deliver-us 
 **  out  of  thy  hand,  O  king  ;  but  if  not,  be  it  known  unto  thee, 
 **  O  king,  that  we   will  not  ferAc  thy  goJs,  nor  worfnip  -the 
 
 "  golden 
 
r6S  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  L. 
 
 *^  golcFcn  Image  which  thou  haft  fct  up,"  Dan.  iii.  16 — 18,  In 
 this,  inltance  the  appeal  was  anfwered  by  their  miraculous  deli- 
 verance, to  the  glory  ot  God;  but  it  does  not  follow  that  every, 
 or  any  lubfequent  appeals  ot  this  kind,  will  be  produftive  ot  like 
 inlerterence  ;  on  the  contrary,  we  are  informed  that  it  is  given  to 
 the  great  enemy  for  a  time  to  "  make  war  with  the  faints,  and  to 
 *'  overcome  them,"  Rev.  xiii.  7.  Dan,  vii.  21.  and  there  is  no 
 intimation  that  there  will  be  fuch  like  deliverance,  Rev.  xii.  14, 
 xi.  11.  it  will  therefore  be  move  confpicuoully  to  the  honour  of 
 thofe  who  are  faithful  unto  death  !  Their  reward  is  an  heavenly 
 reward,  and  their  honou.r  greater,  and  their  blifs  more  perfect, 
 Rev.  XV.  2 — 4.  than  could  be  deri\  ed  from  any  deliverance  like 
 that  recorded  in  Dan.  iii.  Faith  and  patience  are  the  virtues  in 
 and  by  which  the  fervLints  ot  God  Ihall  overcome  ;  and  what  loy- 
 alty can  exceed  that  loyalty  which  will  aci  the  part  prefcribed  in 
 holy  fcripture  :  "  We  are  obedient  fubjeds  ;  we  willingly  obey 
 *'  in  all  things  that  can  with  prop'-iety  be  required  of  us  ;  but  if 
 *'  we  are  required  to  do  that  which  we  conceive  to  be  torbidden 
 *'  by  God,  we  cannot,  we  will  not  obey:  we  are  in  your  hand; 
 '^^  we  are  iubjeit  to  your  puniiliments ;  we  commit  our  caufe  to 
 *'  God,  and  he  will  recompenfe  our  fufFerings." — '*  Whether  it 
 **  be  right  in  the  fight  of  God,  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than 
 *'  unto  God,  judge  ye,"  Adts  iv.  19. 
 
 Sudden.  I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  all  that  you  have  laid,  and 
 I  affure  you  that  my  fentiments  are  very  different  concerning  peril 
 of  idolatry,  from  what  they  were  bctore  we  began  this  converfa- 
 tion; 
 
 Cautious.  I  repeat  again,  that  I  fear  the  great  perfedlion  to 
 which  the  imitative  arts  are  carried,  will  be  produdive  ot  evil  in 
 this  matter.  The  Grecian  cuilom  of  honouring  great  men  by  the 
 creftion  of  their  images,  even  during  their  lives  time,  feems  ra- 
 pidly advancing,  and  has  become  almoft  the  prevailing  taihion  of 
 the  times.  With  what  avidity  Avas  this  puriued  during  the  ab- 
 fence  of  a  late  celebrated  charadfer.  His  modcfty  prevented  its 
 being  accompliihed,  and  the  hrmncfs  wath  which  he  oppofed  it, 
 feemed  to  imply,  that  he  was  acluated  by  religion  as  well  as  mo- 
 dcfty in  oppoftng  it :  I  refer  to  the  late  Mr.  Howard.  In  the 
 Ihort  fpace  of  a  few  months,  or  even  weeks,  you  may  have  no- 
 ticed public  fubfcriptions,  for  the  ereftion  of  ftatues  of  celebrated 
 men,  living  characters,  as  well  as  thofe  deccafed. 
 
 Sudden.  1  have  obfcrved  it,  and  hope  that  you  have  now  no 
 further  circumftances  to  notice. 
 
 Cautious.  I  wiih  I  had  nut,  for  few  things  would  give  me 
 more  pain  than  to  be  acculed  ot  a  captious  diipolition, which  where 
 it  e.Kifts  impels  its  unhappy  poileftbr  to  find  tault.  If  I  am  in  the 
 leaft  degree  acquainted  with  myfelf,  I  truft  that  I  am  not  under 
 the  influence  of  any  fuch  difpoiition.  Again,  there  are  few  things 
 that  i  would  more  ftrenuouily  avoid,  than  that  rigid  pharifaical 
 
 difpofition. 
 
J^ART  I.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  169 
 
 difpofition,  which  was  reproved  by  our  Lord  as  hypocrlfy.  Where 
 there  exifts  a  difpofition  to  "  drain  at  a  gnat,"  Matt,  xxiii.  24. 
 it  is  too  frequently  a  mere  difpofition  to  contend  and  objeft  ;  and 
 where  fmall  matters  are  entorced  with  unreafonable  zeal,  it  is 
 often  attended  by  a  difpofition  to  comply  with  real  errors  of  great 
 magnitude.  Again,  there  is  no  inclination  that  I  would  wifli 
 more  ardently  to  cheriih,  than  deference  and  respec^t  to 
 thofe  who  poifefs  the  advantages  of  fuperior  education,  and  con- 
 fpicuous  Itation  ;  and  yet  I  am  aware,  that  in  the  obfervation  I  am 
 going  to  make,  I  run  the  hazard  of  having  thefe  difpofitions  called 
 in  queltion. 
 
 Sudden.  We  are  neverthelefs  to  alTert  the  truth,  and  by  no 
 means  to  llirink  from  declaring  (with  modefty  and  moderation") 
 thofe  truths  which  we  think  to  be  unheeded,  or  forgotten  by 
 thofe  among  whom  we  dwell.  In  this  refpe6l  the  words  of  Chrht 
 our  Lord  are  our  great  diredory,  and  they  apply  to  every  part  of 
 the  word  of  God;  "  Whofoever  therefore  Ihall  be  aOiamed  of 
 *'  me  and  of  m.y  words,  in  this  adulterous  and  finful  generation, 
 **  of  him  alfo  fliall  the  Son  ot  Man  be  afliamed,"  when  he  cometh 
 *'  in  'the  glory  of  his  father,  with  the  holy  angels,"  Mark 
 viii.  38. 
 
 Cautious,  Thus  encouraged  by  you  I  will  proceed.  There 
 are  degrees  in  idolatry,  as  well  as  in  all  ather  crimes  ;  and  every 
 thing  which  tends  to  convey  the  idea  that  any  creature,  however 
 exalted,  partakes  of  thofe  attributes  which  can  only  be  polTeffed 
 by  the  one  living  and  true  God,  tends  to  idolatry.  It  hath  often 
 raifed  my  aftoniihment  (although  it  is  required  by  no  law)  that  it  is 
 Cuflomary  on  an  impeachment  or  trial  in  the  fupreme  court  in  this 
 land,  the  Houfe  of  Peers,  for  the  peers  to  make  a  reverend  bow 
 towards  the  throne,  as  they  pafs  it  in  proceflion;  the  chair  is 
 empty.  Is  not  this  built  upon  the  idea,  that  the  king  is  ever 
 prefent  in  his  courts,  and  is  not  this  an  idolatrous  fuppofition. 
 There  is  but  one  being  poifefTed  of  omniprefence,  and  any  a6l 
 which  tends  to  convey  the  idea,  that  a  fovereign  polfefTes  this  at- 
 tribute of  God,  tends  to  idolatry.  I  will  fpeak  plain,  I  do  firmly 
 believe  it  to  be  an  aft  of  idolatry,  and  I  am  aflonifhed  that  it  hath 
 not  been  noticed  and  forbidden.  A  king  may  delegate  a  portion 
 of  his  honour  and  his  power  to  his  officers  and  fervants,  but  he 
 cannot  delegate  any  part  of  His  Majelfy  to  an  image,  a  pifture, 
 or  a  chair. 
 
 Sudden.  In  a  neighbouring  country  we  have  had  evidence  that" 
 idolatry  may  be  connected  with  politics,  and  reforted  to  for  poli- 
 tical as  well  as  religious  purpofes,  and  become  more  cruel,  into- 
 lerant, and  vindictive,  than  that  idolatry  which  Nebuchadnezzar 
 endeavoured  to  ellablilh  ;  and  I  am  forry  to  fay,  that  I  think  you 
 have  too  well  ellablilhed  your  opinion,  that  there  are  obfervable, 
 at  leaft,  the  seeds  of  idolatry  in  Protelf ant  countries. 
 
 Z  Cautious. 
 
170  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  I. 
 
 Cautious.  All  the  power  exercifed  by  any  of  the  judges  or 
 officers  of  the  king,  is  exercifed  by  his  authority  dele- 
 gated TO  THEM  ;  if  therefore  thefe  bows  were  made  to  the 
 lord  high  (teward,  as  the  king's  prefiding  officer,  there  would  be 
 no  harm  in  it ;  but  the  kingly  dignity,  which  is  dignity 
 AND  HONOUR  DELEGATED  TO  HIM  BY  GoD,  Cannot  be  given 
 to  any  inanimate  matter,  whether  it  be  an  image,  a  pidlure,  or  a 
 chair,  without  idolatry  being  committed. 
 
 Sudden.  It  certainly  has  not  been  feen  in  this  light,  but  I 
 think  your  obfervation  is  worthy  ferious  confideration. 
 
 Cautious.  I  admit  that  it  has  not  been  feen  in  this  light,  and  if 
 if  were  mentioned,  I  cannot  entertain  a  doubt  but  it  would  be 
 forbidden.  We  live  in  a  country  which  hath  been  peculiarly 
 blelfed  by  God,  and  have  had  mofl  confpicuous  deliverances  in 
 ancient,  as  well  as  in  modern  times,  which  can  only  be  afcribed  to 
 the  favour  of  God,  who  hath  by  his  good  providence  watched 
 over  us  for  good.  Our  nation  hath  been  highly  favoured  by 
 God,  as  the  refuge  of  thofe  in  other  countries  oppreffed  for  their 
 attachment  to  the  word  of  God.  Our  flrength  and  profperity  is 
 given  unto  us  by  God,  and  therefore  we  cannot  be  too  zealoufly 
 cautious  of  any  circumilance  (however  trivial  it  may  appear  to 
 fome)  which  feems  to  be  related  to  idolatry,  which  he  hath  de- 
 nounced. The  times  we  live  in  peculiarly  enforce  the  propriety 
 of  this  caution  ;  efpecially  if  that  man  of  fin,  that  fon  of  per- 
 dition, who  will  become  the  great  patron  of  idolatry,  is  rapidly 
 advancing  to  full  ifature  and  ripe  age.  (See  the  Bifhop  of  Rochelter's 
 Letter  to  Mr.  King,  pages  105  and  106.)  We  live  in  the  reign  of 
 a  beloved  king,  who  hath  been  mofl  wonderfully  and  confpicu- 
 ouily  preferved  by  God's  good  providence;  and  God  grant,  that 
 the  fame  good  providence  of  God  may  long  preferve  him,  and  his 
 family,  even  to  the  lateft  pofterity.  Whatever  infidelity  may 
 have  prevailed  in  foreign  courts ;  and  I  am  forry  to  obferve  that 
 the  publication  of  the  Abbe  Barruel  (where  he  treats  of  the 
 antichriltian  confpiracy)  affords  a  fad  profpedl  of  them  ;  yet  thank 
 God  that  our  king  hath  been  confpicuous  for  his  difcouragement 
 of  infidelity,  not  only  by  his  laws,  but  what  is  even  more  to  his 
 honour,  by  his  example  :  not  only  by  his  conilant  attention  to 
 the  duties  of  religion,  but  by  his  feizing  every  opportunity  to 
 GIVE  GLORY  TO  GoD,  by  acknowledging  in  the  molf  public 
 manner,  his  mercies.  As  he  hath  been  like  good  king  Heze- 
 kiah,  confpicuous  for  his  piety,  we  cannot  entertain  a  doubt,  but 
 that  were  he  informed  of  it,  he  would  a6l  as  Hezekiah  ailed,  and 
 lliew  a  like  zeal  in  iorbidding  any  thing  which  in  the  leail  degree 
 borders  on  impiety. 
 
 End  of  Part  I. 
 
AN 
 
 ATTEMPT 
 
 TO    REMOVE 
 
 PREJUDICES 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 THE   JEWISH   NATION. 
 
 BY    WAY    OP 
 
 DIALOGUE. 
 
 PART  II. 
 
 HEAR  THEWORD  OF  THE  LORD,  OYE  NATIONS, 
 AND  DECLARE  IT  IN  THE  ISLES  AFAR  OFF, 
 AND  SAY,  HE  THAT  SCATTERED  ISRAEL 
 WILL  GATHER  HIM,  AND  KEEP  HIM,  AS  A 
 SHEPHERD   DOTH   HIS   FLOCK.    JER.XXXI.IO, 
 
 ILontion: 
 
 PRINTED  BY  STEPHEN  COUCH?^ AN,  THROG MORTON-STREET. 
 
AN 
 
 ATTEMPT 
 
 TO    REMOVE 
 
 PREJUDICES 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 THE    JEWISH    NATION. 
 
 PART    II. 
 
 FIRST    DIALOGUE. 
 
 In  which  the  general  Opinion  of  Chrljilam^  that  the  Jews  are  hi  n 
 State  of  Condemnation,  in  Confequence  of  their  Fathers  requiring 
 our  Saviour  to  be  crucified,  is  examined  and  refuted — The  Mlfcon-' 
 du£i  of  Chrljllans  towards  the  Jews,  and  the  Errors  of  Chrljllans 
 concerning  them,  have  been  the  Means  of  keeping  them  from  lnvef-~ 
 iigatlng  the  Chrljilan  Religion — The  Opinion  of  DoSfor  Newton, 
 Blfliop  of  Brljiol,  that  our  Saviour  took  Vengeance  on  the  Jews 
 by  the  Romans,  examined  and  refuted  ;  and  the  Bljhop's  Rotation  of 
 Scripture  proved  to  be  lncorre£l. 
 
 CAUTIOUS   AND   ZEALOUS. 
 
 Zealous.  IVTO  fir,  I  can  by  no  means  allow  that  the  Jews  are 
 JL^  now  in  any  fenfe  the  people  of  God  ;  they  are 
 caft  off  and  difinherited.  The  prefent  difperfed  Itate  of  the  Jews 
 may  be  confidered  as  a  (landing  miraculous  evidence  ot  the  truth 
 of  the  fcripturcs,  both  of  the  Old  and  New  Teltament  ;  they  are 
 imder  the  curfe  of  God;  they  are  fuffering  for  the  acls  of  their 
 fathers,  who  were  ever  a  ftiffnecked  people,  Ex.  xxxii.  9.  xxxiii. 
 3 — 5.  xxxiv.  9.  Deut.  ix.  13.  x.  16.  A6lsvii.  51.  the  blood  of 
 the  prophets  is  upon  them,  Matt,  xxiii.  35.  but  more  efpecially 
 
 '  arc 
 
174  DIALOGUE!.  Part  IT. 
 
 are  they  fuffcring  under  that  curfe  which  they  imprecated  upon 
 themfelves,  when  they  required  the  crucifixion  of  our  Saviour. 
 *'  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children,"  Matt,  xxvii. 
 25.  were  their  words ;  and  his  blood  has  been  upon  them,  and 
 weighed  them  down  ever  fince,  and  become  accumulated  with 
 the  weight  of  the  blood  of  Stephen,  and  that  noble  army  of  mar- 
 tyrs, who  v/ere  perfecuted  by  them  to  death.  This  is  the  load 
 which  keeps  them  from  rifing:  this  is  the  great  bar  to  their  prof- 
 perity  ;  and  until  they  repent  of  ihefe  a6ts  of  their  fathers,  there 
 is  no  hope  left  unto  them.  The  Lord  vifits  the  fins  of  the  fathers 
 upon  the  children,  Ex.  xx.  5.  they  are  defpifed  and  difperfed  in 
 this  world,  and  will  in  the  world  to  come  have  to  endure  that 
 wrath  which  is  referved  for  the  impenitent  aind  unbelievers. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  aflfertions  are  evidence  of  the  (frength  of  your 
 zeal.  I  am  no  enemy  to  zeal ;  hut  in  proportion  as  we  feel  an 
 inclination  to  zeal,  in  like  proportion  ihould  we  exercife  meek- 
 nefs,  charity,  and  every  other  Chrhtian  virtue,  and  efpecially  a 
 found,  well-informed  judgment.  Zeal  is  much  to  be  commended^ 
 if  it  is  built  on  true  faith.  There  is  nothing  more  odious  than 
 a  lukewarm  difpofition  ■  but  zeal,  without  it  is  well-founded,  i& 
 mod  mifchievous.  To  this  zeal  without  knowledge,  zeal  in  an 
 improper  caufe,  we  are  to  attribute  all  the  perfecutions  which 
 have  been  raifcd,  in  which  the  zealots  of  one  opinion  have  moft 
 miferably  flaughtered,  burnt,  and  deltroyed  their  fellow-crea* 
 tures. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  no  advocate  for  fuch  zeal,  I  well  know  that 
 imfounded  zeal  is  of  a  mifchievous  tendency,  and  I  can  point  out 
 inllances  of  this  unfounded  zeal,  A6fs  vii.  54.  ix.  1.  xiii.  50. 
 Rom.  x.  2.  Phil.  iii.  6,  and  that  not  only  in  the  inflance  of  the  zeal 
 of  the  Jews,  who  perfecuted  the  Lord  of  life,  his  fervant  Ste- 
 phen, and  the  other  primitive  martyrs ;  but  I  can  refer  to  the 
 heathen  zeal  of  the  ancient  Romans  for  their  idolatry,  which  was 
 the  caufe  of  the  great  perfecutions  of  the  Chriftian  church  before 
 its  eftablifhment  in  the  feat  of  power.  I  can  alfo  trace  the  fame 
 principle  in  the  fervice  of  error,  which  produced  the  perfecution 
 of  thofe  who  would  not  conform  to  the  errors  of  the  church  of 
 Rome.  It  was  zeal  without  knowledge,  zeal  for  error,  which 
 caufed  the  fires  in  Smithfield  to  blaze,  and  the  malfacre  of  thQ 
 Protefiants  in  France. 
 
 Cautious.  "Well  then,  my  friend,  permit  me  to  fay  to  you, 
 beware  that  your  zeal  does  not  lead  you  alfo  affray.  Try  your 
 zeal  whether  it  be  grounded  in  faith  ;  bring  it  to  the  tefl 
 of  truth. 
 
 Zealous.  I  have  noobjedion.  I  trufl  that  my  zeal  will  bear 
 the  teft.  I  admit  no  otht^r  telt  but  the  word  of  God,  the  fcrip- 
 tures  of  the  Old  and  New  Tefiament  ;  and  if  my  zeal  (in  which  I 
 follow  all  Chriflians  who  have  gone  before  me)  is  not  founded 
 f)Ti  afiddexiycd  thertfrom,  I  would  not  wiih  to  retain  it. 
 
 Cautious^ 
 
Part  IT.  DIALOGUE!. 
 
 J75 
 
 Cautious.  That  was  well  fpokcn.  I  defire  no  more,  and 
 will  appeal  to  no  other  authority  as  decifive,  and  the  firil  queftion 
 we  will  difcufs  fhall  be  your  aiFertion,  *'  that  the  Jews  are  now 
 **  fuffering  under  that  curie  which  they  imprecated  upon  them- 
 **  felves,  when  they  required  the  crucifixion  of  our  Saviour, 
 *<  and  laid,  **  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children,'* 
 Matt,    xxvii.   25. 
 
 Zeakus.  I  amaflonifhed  that  you  can  have  any  thing  to  obferve 
 upon  foclear,  and  (amonglt  Chriitians)  univerfally  acknowledged 
 a  point.  You  will  not  furely  deny  that  fuch  words  were  ufed  by 
 them.  You  will  not  deny  that  Jerufalem  was  dellroyed,  and 
 that  ever  fince  the  Jews  have  been  a  perfecuted,  defpifed,  and 
 difperfed  people  ? 
 
 Cautious.  I  will  not  deny  any  of  thefe  fa£ts,  I  admit  that  the 
 words  were  ufed  by  them,  that  Jerufalem  was  deftroyed,  and 
 that-they  have  been  ever  fince  a  defpifed,  perfecuted,  and  dif- 
 perfed people  ;  and  yet  I  think  there  are  objeftions  to  the  ge- 
 nerally received  opinion,  that  they  are  now  fuffering  under  the 
 effeils  of  this  imprecation,  "  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon 
 "  our'children." 
 
 Zealous.  I  almoft  repent  that  I  fpoke  upon  the  fubjed,  as  it 
 has  given  caufe  for  you  to  ftart  fuch  abfurd  doubts  ;  you  will  par- 
 don me  for  fpeaking  fo  plain,  but  as  I  have  engaged  in  the  ar- 
 gument I  will  proceed,  and  promife  you  I  will  keep  my  temper 
 as  well  as  I  can,  and  I  tear  I  fliall  have  it  exercifed  to  the  ex- 
 tent of  it. 
 
 Cautious.  I  promife  you  I  will  not  intentionally  try  your 
 temper,  and  if  it  fhould  unfortunately  happen  to  be  ruffled,  I 
 will  bear  with  it  and  make  every  allowance  in  my  power. 
 
 Zealous.  What  can  be  urged  in  fupport  of  even  a  doubt  con- 
 cerning it  ? 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  firfl:  place  I  would  obferve,  that  I  do  not 
 think  the  idea  can  be  retained,  when  we  confider  the  weaknefs 
 of  human  nature.  Experience  proves  this  weaknefs,  and  the 
 word  of  God  defcribes  man  as  im.potent,  dVvelling  in  hoiifes  of 
 elay,  and  as  cruflied  before  the  moth,  Job  iv.  19.  What  power 
 hath  man  even  to  blefs  ?  He  cannot  control  events,  and  there- 
 fore even  his  deiire  to  blefs,  can  only  be  expreffed  as  a  prayer  to 
 God,  **  The  Lord  blefs  thee:"  and  if  his  power  to  do  good  and 
 blefs  is  thus  circumfcribed,  how  much  more  his  power  to 
 curfe  ! 
 
 Zealous.  No,  they  had  no  power  it  is  true,  b^ft  the  Lord,  the 
 jull:  and  righteous  God,  who  vifits  the  fms  of  the  Tathers  upon 
 the  children;  he  who  heard  the  imprecation,  and  could  caufe  it 
 to  be  confirmed,  it  is  to  him  We  are  toafcribe  the  accompli (liment 
 of  it.  Obferve  what  Biihop  Newton  fays  upon  the  paifage, 
 Matt.  xxiv.  28.  Luke  xvii.  37.  "  Wiicrefoever  the  carcafe"is, 
 *'  there   will  the  eagles  be  gathered  together,"    (vol..  ii.   28^.) 
 
 *'   Wherefoever 
 
,76  t)  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  Part  if. 
 
 **  Wherefoever  the  Jews  are,  there  will  Christ  be  taking 
 **  VENGEANCE  iipon  them  by  the  Romans,  who  are  properly 
 •*  compared  to  eagles,  as  the  fierceil  birds  of  prey,  and  whofe 
 •*  enfi'm  was  an  eagle,  to  which  alfo  probably  our  Saviour  in 
 **  this  palTiigc  alluded."  Again  in  page  354,  the  biihop  expreifes 
 himfelt  in  thele  words,  when  fpeaking  ot  the  dcitruclion  of  Jcru- 
 falcm,  and  the  fuiferings  of  the  Jews  :  *'  The  predidions  are 
 *'  tlie  clearett,  as  the  calamities  were  the  greateit  which  the 
 **  world  ever  faw  :  and  what  henio'.is  fin  was  it  that  could  bring 
 <<  down  fuch  heavy  judgments  upon  the  Jewilh  church  and 
 **  nation  ?  Can  any  other  with  half  fo  much  probabdity  be 
 «♦  affigned  as  what  the  fcriptr.re  alTigns,  their  crucifying  the 
 *'  Lord  of  glory  ?  As  St.  Paul  exprelTes  it,  (1  Theif.  ii.  15,  16.) 
 "  They  both  killed  the  Lord  Jefus  and  their  own  prophets, 
 «  and  perfecuted  the  apoftles,  and  so  filled  up  their  fins,  and 
 *'  wrath  came  upon  them  to  the  uttermolf.'  This  is  always 
 *<  objeded  as  the  mod  capital  fin  of  the  nation  :  and  upon  re- 
 *'  fledlion,  we  (hail  find  really  tome  correfpondcnce  betw^een  their 
 "  crime  and  their  punifhment.  They  put  Jefus  to  death  when 
 *<  the  nation  was  alTembled  to  celebrate  the  palTover  ;  and  when 
 *<  the  nation  was  aifembled  too,  to  celebrate  the  pairover,  Titus 
 *<  fliut  them  up  within  the  walls  of  Jerufalem.  The  reje6tion 
 *'  of  the  true  Meihah  was  their  crime,  and  the  following  of 
 *'  falfe  Meifiahs  to  their  deftrudion,  was  their  punilhment. 
 *<  They  fold  and  bought  Jefus  as  a  Have,  and  they  themfclves 
 <<  were  afterwards  fold  and  bought  as  Haves  at  the  lowell  prices. 
 *<  They  preferred  a  robber  and  murderer  to  Jefus,  whom  they 
 "  crucified  between  two  thieves,  and  they  themfelves  were  after- 
 *<  wards  infelted  with  bands  of  thieves  and  robbers.  They  put 
 <'  Jefus  to  death  left  the  Romans  fhould  come  and  take 
 <<  away  their  place  and  nation,  and  the  Romans  did  come  and 
 <'  take  away  their  place  and  nation.  They  crucified  Jefus  be- 
 *'  fore  the  walls  of  Jerufalem,  and  before  the  walls  of  Jerulalem 
 "  they  themfelves  were  crucified  in  fuch  numbers,  that  itisfaid, 
 "  room  was  wanting  for  the  croffes,  and  crolTes  for  the  bodies. 
 "  I  fhould  think  it  hardly  possible,  (obferve  this)  I  fhould 
 *'  think  it  hardly  possible  for  any  man  to  lay  thefe  things 
 "  too-ether  and  not  conclude  the  Jews  own  imprecation  to  be 
 *'  remarkably  fulfilled  upon  them,  Matt,  xxvii.  25.  *  His 
 "  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children." 
 
 I  would  alfo  remark,  that  whenever  there  is  a  feparation  made, 
 whenever  a  new  [edi  or  party  arifes  among  Chriftians,  we  find 
 that  the  party  which  feparates,  uniformly  endeavour  to  charge 
 the  party  fromi  whom  they  feparate  with  every  error  which  they 
 hold,  in  order  thereby  to  wipe  off  the  odium  of  their  feparation; 
 and  in  like  manner  whenever  a  fed  or  party  are  excommunicated, 
 ejedled,  or  deipiied,  they  are  fiirc  to  be  charged  with  every  error 
 which  they  have  adopted.  Now  let  me  afk  you  to  refer  to  the  great 
 
 feparation 
 
Part   II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I. 
 
 ^77 
 
 reparation  and  divifion  which  was  made  in  the  Chriftian  church  in 
 the  time  of  Luther.  Do  we  find  any  of  the  Romans  charging 
 the  reformers  with  believing  that  the  then  exiiting  fufFcrings 
 oi  the  Jews  were  not  to  be  imputed  to  their  fin  in  crucifying  the 
 Lord  of  life  and  glory  ?  Do  we  find  them  charged  with  doubting 
 whether  their  then  prefent  fufferings  were  an  accompliihment  of 
 their  imprecation,  '*  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  child- 
 "  ren?"  Do  we  find  the  reformers  charging  the  church  of 
 Rome  with  error  in  their  opinions  concerning  the  Jews  ?  Did 
 not  both  parties  firmly  believe  that  the  long  continued  fufFerings 
 of  the  Jews  were  to  be  attributed  to  their  crucifixion  of  our 
 Lord,  and  to  the  divine  accomplifhment  of  their  own  wifh, 
 *'  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children?"  Elood-guilti- 
 nefs  is  a  moll  dreadful  fin,  and  that  in  proportion  to  the  innocence 
 and  excellency  of  the  perfon  whofe  blood  is  unjuftly  fhed  ;  and 
 *'  no  murderer  hath  eternal  life  abiding  in  him,''  ijohniii.  i^. 
 We  mull  therefore  conclvide  that  the  opinion  held  as  I  have  proved 
 both  by  the  church  of  Rome  and  the  reformers,  was  ajult  and 
 "vvill  founded  opinion.  The  Jews  are  now  fufFering  under  their 
 own  i6f  and  imprecation,  **  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon 
 **  our  children,"  and  their  fufFerings  here  terminate  in  greater 
 fuifcrings.  I  can  quote  Luther  upon  this  fubjecl,  *'  It  is  enough 
 "  to  break  one's  heart  to  fee  the  Jews  fcattered  and  difperfed  up 
 *'  and  down  the  whole  empire,  infomuch  that  almolt  all  the 
 "  blood-kindred  of  Chrilt  burn  in  hell  ;  they  are  rightly  ferved,and 
 *'  even  according  to  their  ovs^n  words  which  they  fpake  to  Pilate." 
 Luther's  Familiar  Difcourfes,  chap.lxxiii.  page  469.  Now  among 
 the  words  fpoken  by  them  to  Pilate  were  thefe,  "  His  blood  be 
 **  upon  us,    and  upon  our  children,"  Matt,  xxvii.  2^5. 
 
 Cautious.      I  admit — 
 
 Zealous.  My  good  friend,  pardon  me  for  interrupting  you,  as 
 I  have  not  yet  concluded  my  obfervation.  I  meant  to  proceed  to 
 more  modern  times,  and  the  fame  obfervation  will  be  found 
 equally  to  apply  to  them.  The  reformers  became  divided  into 
 the  Lutherans  and  Calvinifts,  and  each  party  were  inclined  to 
 bring  every  charge  of  error  againft  the  other  which  they  could  with 
 any  truth  or  propriety.  How  much  have  difputes  about  church 
 government  and  other  things,  tended  to  feparate  and  caufe  divi- 
 fions  among  thefe.  Do  you  think  that  the  Puritans  would  have 
 pafied  by  and  not  taken  advantage  of  what  they  might  confider  as 
 error  in  thofe  they  deemed  their  perfecutors  i*  Would  the  Con- 
 formifls  h^ive  exercifed  fuch  moderation  towards  the  Puritans,  as 
 to  pafsby  an  opinion  which,  it  their  opponents  had  held  it,  would 
 have  rendered  them  odious  to  the  generality  of  Chriifians  r 
 
 When  that  mofi:  unhappy  feparation  took  place  in  the  church 
 of  England  on  St.  Bartholomew's-Day,  in  the  reign  of  Ciiarles 
 II.  which  fplit  the  church  of  England  afunder,  and  gave  rife  to 
 the  great  body  of  DifTenters,  did  either  party  charge  the  other 
 with  erroneous  opinions  concerning  the  Jews  I     When  the  Me- 
 
 A  a  thodiits 
 
ijS  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  Part  IL 
 
 thodifts  arofe,  did  they  charge  the  regular  dergy  with  holding 
 erron-^ous  opinions  concerning  the  Jews  r  On  the  contrary,  were 
 they  not  more  ilrong  in  their  attachment  to  thefe  ancient  opinions 
 concerning  the  Jews,  than  the  regular  clergy  themfelves  ;  tor 
 althorgh  the  regular  clergy  ho\e  long  been  inclined  to  fay 
 but  little  upon  the  fubjefi:,  contenting  themfelves  with  believing 
 that  the  Jews  endure  their  prefent  fufferings  in  confcquence  of 
 this  a6l  Cf  their  fathers,  and  their  imprecation,  "  His  blood  be 
 *<  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children  ;"  yet  among  fomxC  of  the 
 Methodills  you  will  fometimes  diicover  a  degree  of  vehemence, 
 when  the  fubjeft  of  damnation  is  in  queftion,  v»^hich  you  will  not 
 in  general  find  in  the  church  ;  a  vehemence  which  would  almoft 
 incline  one  to  think  that  they  dwell  upon  the  fubjed  v^ith 
 pleafure. 
 
 All  thefe,  Papifls,  Proteftants,  Roman  Catholics,  Lutherans, 
 Calvirtifts,  Churchmen,  DilTenters,  Methodifts,  and  their  mul- 
 titudinous ramifications  and  minuter  divifions,  all  agree  with  me 
 in  opinion  concerning  the  Jews.  I  follow  in  a  beaten  traft,  in 
 which  all  thefe  have  walked  before  me  ;  yet  notwithitanding  one 
 feels  Itrong  when  one  is  furrounded  by  fuch  numerous  company, 
 I  am  not  inclinable  to  follow  any  man  or  multitude  of  men, 
 however  refpedtable  they  may  be  in  other  refpeds,  one  inch 
 further  than  the  road  of  truth  extends.  The  holy  fcriptures  are 
 our  map  in  which  alone  this  road  of  truth  is  to  be  infallibly  found  ; 
 and  it  will  infallibly  be  found  if  it  is  fought  after  with  that  meek 
 and  dependant  faithful  fpirit  which  is  required  therein  :  "  If 
 ^'  any  man  lack  wifdom,  let  him  aik  of  God,  that  giveth  to  alt 
 <■'  men  liberally,  and  upbiaideth  not;  and  it  ihall  be  given  him, 
 "  but  let  him  afk  in  faith  nothing  wavering,"  James  i.  5.  "  1 
 *^  fay  unto  you,  afk,  and  it  fhall  be  given  you  ;  feek,  and  ye  fhall 
 *■*  find;  knock,  and  it  fhall  be  opened  unto  yon.  For  every  one 
 <■*  that  afketh  receivetlr ;  and  he  that  feekcth  findeth  ;  and  to 
 "  him  that  knocketh  it  fhall  be  opened.  If  a  fon  fhall  afk 
 *'  bread  of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father,  will  he  give  him  a  ffone, 
 <*  or  if  he  afk  a  fifh,  will  he  for  a  fifh  give  him  a  ferpcnt  ?  Or 
 "  if  he  fliall  afk  an  egg,  will  ke  offer  him  a  fcorpion  ?  If  3'e 
 *<  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  child- 
 <■''  ren  :  how  much  more  fhall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the 
 "  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  afk  him  ?"  Luke  xi.  .9 — 13.  In  this 
 way  coming  unto  fcripture,  we  fhall  be  at  no  lofs  for  dire6lion  ; 
 and  if  I  have  follov/ed  a  multitude  in  drawing  a  wrong,  an  er- 
 roneous conclufion,  it  is  my  wif1i  and  prayer  that  I  may  be  fet 
 right,  for  I  am  not  required  to  follow  even  an  apoftle,  any  fur- 
 ther than  he  is  a  follower  of  Chrill  the  Lord,  "  Be  ye  followers 
 <<  of  me,  as  I  am  alfo  of  Chrifl,"'   1  Cor.  xi.  1. 
 
 Caiitirjiis.  My  dear  friend,  you  exprefs  yourfelf  fo  much  to 
 my  falisfaclion,  that  I  cannot  but  exprefs  my  joy  thereat.  Be 
 allured  that  the  chief  arguments   I   fhall  ufe    will  be  extraftcd 
 
 from 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I. 
 
 ^79 
 
 from  thofe  fcriptures  which  you  fo  juflly  prize,  and  concerning 
 the  true  way  to  come  to  the  right  underlVanding  whereof  you  have 
 fo  excellently  expreifed  yourlelf.  It  is  alfo  my  wilh  and  prayer, 
 that  I  may  retain  no  opinion  inconfiftent    therewith. 
 
 Zealous.  I  have  but  few  words  more  to  fay  upon  the  fubje6l 
 of  human  authorities,  and  the  univerfality  of  the  opinions  which 
 I  hold  concerning  the  Jews.  Bifhop  Newton  may  be  confidered 
 as  having  lived  in  our  own  day.  Hath  any  one,  either  churchman 
 or  diilenter,  objeiled  to  the  light  in  which  he  places  it  ?  We 
 live  in  a  day  which  hath  brought  to  great  maturity  a  paity,  who 
 are  not  contented  to  propofe  alterations  in  the  church  of  which 
 we  are  members;  they  aim  at  the  deflruilion  of  do6lrines  which 
 we  juftly  conceive  to  be  foundation  doctrines,  (as  for  in- 
 llance  the  great  do6trine  of  the  atonement)  and  fliew 
 a  difpofition  to  controvert  and  fift  every  opinion  held  by  the 
 generality  of  Chriftians  :  now  if  it  ihould  happen  that  the  opini- 
 ons of  Chriftians  concerning  the  Jews  are  not  objected  to  by  them 
 as  erroneous,  I  think  it  wouldbethe  belt  evidence  I  could  produce 
 ot  the  univerfality  of  the  opinion  ;  and  I  will  therefore  now  direct 
 your  attention  to  the  champion  of  thefe  reformers.  Dr.  Prieitley 
 himfelf :  in  his  Letters  to  the  Jews,  he  reprefents  the 
 prefent  difperfed  and  calamitous  fituation  of  the  Jews,  not  only 
 as  a  proof  that  they  are  at  this  very  tim.e  under  the  divine  difplea- 
 fure,  but  tJjat  according  to  appearances  there  is  no  other  cauje  of  God's 
 cnger  againj}  them,  bcjides  their  rejection  and  perj edition  of  the  prophets 
 of  their  ozvn  nation,  Chrijl  and  the  apofUes,  who  were  jent  to  th.m  in 
 the  frd  place,  and  zvho  confined  their  injirufiions  to  their  nation,  until 
 being  rejected  by  them,  they  were  directed  to  preacb^  to  the  Gentiles. 
 I  have  now  done  with  my  quotations,  and  I  cannot  but  again 
 exprefsmy  aftonilhment,  thatyou,  my  friend,  fhould be  induced  by 
 the  defire  of  novelty,  to  adopt  opinions  contradictory  (as  I  have 
 proved)  to  the  univerfal  teftimony  of  Chriltians  of  all  denomina- 
 tions ;  let  me  exhort  you  to  beware  of  pride,  which  is  the  root 
 from  which  new-fangled  opinions  generally  fpring  up.  You 
 acknowledge  that  you  do  not  poffefs  the  advantage  of  learning  ; 
 on  the  contrary,  thofe  whom  I  have  quoted  did  poflefs  it,  and 
 therefore  were  not  fubje£t  to  fuch  abfurd  opinions.  You  will  ex- 
 cufe  my  fpeaking  fo  plain,  for  in  contradicting  fuch  a  cloud  of 
 refpectable  witnefTes,  vou  feem  tome  not  only  to  be  guilty  ofpre- 
 fumption,  but,  if  your  opinion  were  well  founded,  it  would  thro'A*- 
 difgrace  upon  thofe  Chriftians  who  have  gone  before  us,  and  fo 
 zealouOy  maintained  the  reverfe  ;  and  I  cannot  but  think  that 
 it  would  tend  as  it  were  to  caft  a  refle£tion  on  hirn  whom  I  truft 
 I  love,  and  would  wifti  to  ferve  with  every  power  of  my  foul, 
 the  exalted  head,  ruler,  and  foundation  of  the 
 Chriftian  church,  if  he  had  permitted  his  church  fo  long  to  remain 
 in  error.  Again,  it  is  an  opinion  which  tends  to  weaken  the 
 Chriftian  faith  ;  for  it  has  ever  been  confidered  as  a  moft'  remark- 
 able 
 
i8o  DIALOGUE!.  Part  IL 
 
 able  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  Chriftian  religion  ;  and  if 
 you,  by  your  new  opinion,  feek  to  remove  the  fupport  derived  to 
 Chriflianity  by  this  circumltance,  are  you  not  undermining  the 
 Chriftian  faith?  My  friendfliip  was  exprtflfed  to  you  as  a 
 Chriftian,  but  if  you  become  an  oppofer  of  the  Chriftian  religion, 
 alas  !  I  muft  give  up  my  fricndfhip  for  you. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  not  quite  fo  nice.  I  have  a  fincere  friendfliip 
 for  many  who  think  differently  from  me  and  from  each  other  ; 
 and  this  I  truft  I  can  find  not  only  juftified,  but  encouraged  in 
 fcripture.  Read  the  14th  of  the  Romans  at  your  leifure,  you 
 will  there  find  that  it  is  poffible  for  Chriltians  to  love  each  other, 
 and  moft  ardently  to  love  and  ferve  their  Lord  and  Mafter,  with- 
 out being  axa6lly  agreed  in  opinion,  "  Let  not  him  that  eateth 
 *'  defpife  him  that  eateth  not ;  and  let  not  him  that  eateth  not 
 *<  judge  him  that  eateth." — **  Let  every  man  be  fully  perfuaded 
 ''  in  his  own  mind,"  for  *'  every  one  of  us  Ihall  give  account  of 
 *'  himfelf  to  God."  If  therefore  we  are  required  to  be  fully 
 perfuaded  in  our  own  mind,  we  are  to  examine  and  inveftigate,  and 
 fo  form  our  opinions;  at  the  fame  time  making  allowances  for 
 thofe  who  may  not;  poffefs  our  advantages,  and  may  therefore  in 
 many  things  thiVik  very  differently  from  us.  But  if  we  obferve 
 in  any  a  departure  from  the  great  fundamental  dodrines  of  our 
 religion,  in  that  cafe,  although  our  love  to  them  and  to  our  Lord 
 Ihould  induce  us  moft  ardently  to  defire  and  ftrive  after  their  con- 
 verfion  and  reftorationto  the  truth,  yet  in  this  cafe  I  entirely  agree 
 with  you,  that  the  bond  of  Chriflian  friendftiip  cannot  but  be 
 broken.  The  words  of  the  apoftle  John  are  in  this  cafe  our  di- 
 reftory,  "  Whofoever  tranfgrefteth,  and  abideth  not  in  the  doc- 
 *'  trine  of,  Chrift,  hath  not  God  :  he  that  abideth  in  the  doclrine 
 *'  of  Chrift,  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son.  If  there  come 
 **  any  manuntoyou,and  bringnotthisdoftrine,  receive  him  not  into 
 *'  your  houfe,  neither  bid  him  God  fpeed.  For  he  that  biddeth. 
 *'  him  God  fpeed,  is  partaker  of  his  evil  deeds,"  2  John  9 — 11.  I 
 am  therefore  well  content  to  let  our  friendlhip  depend  upon  this 
 fcriptural  foundation,  and  if  you  think  I  depart  from  the  foun- 
 dation of  the  Chriftian  faith  and  become  an  apoftate,  we  will  part; 
 but  my  dear  friend  Zealous  (I  will  call  you  fo)  beware  of  a  hafty 
 judgment  ;  you  have  no  right  in  this  hafty  manner  to  condemn  my 
 opinion  without  hearing  my  reafons  for  it. 
 
 7,ealoHS.      I  am  ready  to  proceed. 
 
 Cautious.  No,  my  good  friend.  We  cannot  with  propriety 
 proceed,  until  I  have  removed  the  erroneous  principles  which 
 you  have  thrown  in  our  way.  You  may  continue  that  look  ot 
 aftonifhment  as  long  as  you  pleafe,  and  fliall  find  that  I  can  be 
 zealous  as  Avell  as  you  ;  I  fay  errors,  and  you  will  acknowledge 
 them  to  be  errors  before  we  proceed.  You  faid,  that  it  my 
 ■opinion  were  to  be  cftablifticd,  "  that  it  would  throw  diigrace 
 ^■'  upon  thofc  Chrillians  who  have  gone  before  us,  and  zealouliy 
 
 **  maintained 
 
Part  It.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  JE    I.  iSi 
 
 •*  maintained  the  reverfe  ;  and  that  it  would  tend,  as  it  were,  to 
 *'  caft  a  refledion  upon  the  great  ruler  of  the  Chriftian  church, 
 *'  if  he  had  permitted  his  church  fo  long  to  remain  in  error.'" 
 You  fpake  highly  of  the  character  of  Luther,  but  you  mufl 
 permit  me  to  tell  you,  that  you  and  Luther  are  far  afunder  in  your 
 ideas  of  propriety.  He  prized  the  truth,  and  you  are  the  ad^ 
 vocate  for  error.. 
 
 Zealous.     I    would   not   knowingly   become  the  advocate    for 
 error. 
 
 Cautious.  Let  us  fuppofe  thai  Luther  had  been  a£l:uated  by  your 
 fentiments,  how  would  they  have  afFe6fed  his  condu6l  ?  He  fees  the 
 -wickednefs  and  impofition  of  Papal  indulgencies ;  he  examines  fur- 
 ther, and  fees  the  abfurdity  of  tranfubftantiation, works  of  fuperero- 
 gation,  and  the  hundred  other  errors  held  by  the  Romifh  church.' 
 He  obferves  the  high  pretenfions  and  haughty  deportment  of  the 
 Papal  church,  and  contrafts  it  with  the  meek  fpirit  obfervable  in 
 the  gofpels  ;  and  he  is  no  ftranger  to  the  works  of  the  many  pro- 
 foundly learned  men  which  the  church  of  Rome  hath  produced. 
 If  he,had  been  a6luated  by  the  fentiments  you  have  juft  approved, 
 what  would  have  been  his  condu6l  ?  He  would  have  confidered 
 that  moft  of  thefe  things  had  exifted  in  the  church  for  many  ages, 
 and  would  have  fuffered  his  zeal  for  truth  to  have  died  away,  as 
 it  would  be  impollible  to  teftify  againft  any  of  thefe  errors,  with- 
 out as  it  were  by  implication,  bringing  the  charge  of  error  ao-ainfl 
 thofe  Chriftians  who  had  gone  before  him  ;  nay  more,  he  would 
 have  hefitated  and  llified  all  thefe  thoughts,  for  fear  he  ftioiild 
 be  confidered  as  calumniating  his  Saviour,  and  charging  him  with 
 permitting  his  church  fo  long  to  remain  in  error.  Was  he  adluatcd 
 by  fuch  abfurd  fentiments?  Far  from  it,  he  knew  that  the 
 boafted  infallibility  of  the  Papal  church  was  a  claim  which  could 
 not  be  fupported  ;  he  knew  that  all  men  are  fubje£f  to  error,  and 
 that  the  fervants  of  the  God  of  truth  are  never  better  employed  in 
 their  mailer's  fervice,  than  when  they  are  deteding  error,  and  re- 
 moving it.  He  knew  that  fo  far  from  the  great  ruler  of  the 
 church  being  calumniated  thereby,  that  his  honour  and  glorv 
 would  be  thereby  rendered  more  vifibly  refplendent.  He  could 
 point  tjo  the  facred  page  where  the  apoftacy  which  he  rebuked 
 was  foretold  by  his  Saviour  himfelf ;  and  when  the  glory  of  his 
 Saviour  was  concerned,  his  zeal  would  not  permit  him  to  com- 
 promife  with  error.  When  he  was  advifed  not  to  trull  hirafelf 
 among  his  enemies  by  going  to  the  Diet  at  Worms,  he  replied, 
 that  in  the  fervice  of  Chrifl  he  would  go,  being. thereunto  law- 
 fully called;  and  in  this  determination  he  perfilled,  and  declared 
 that  if  as  many  devils  were  cortfpired  againit  him,  as  there  were 
 tiles  on  the  houfes  of  the  city,  yet  to  defend  his  Saviour's  caufe 
 (the  caufe  of  truth)  would  he  go:  he  went,  and  in  the  ftreno-th 
 of  his  Lord  and  Mailer,  he  overcame.  But  although  you  would 
 have  aded  fo  difrerently,   I  do  not  prefume  that  you  will  conterid 
 
 for 
 
i2z  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  Part  11. 
 
 for  the  infallibility  of  the  Papal  church  in  every  point.  It  is 
 ohly  in  thofe  inftances  in  which  the  Papal  and  the  Proteitant 
 churches  agree.  Unitedly,  you  confider  them  to  be  infallible, 
 or  rather  the  church  in  general  in  thofe  points  which  have  not 
 been  objected  to,  but  acknowledged  by  Chriilians  of  all  deno- 
 minations; they  muft  of  couife,  you  prefume,  be  infallibly  true. 
 You  will  therefore  pleafe  to  put  this  claim  to  Protellant  Papal 
 infallibility  into  fon;ae  (hape,'ior  until  you  do  fo  I  fhall  be  at  a 
 lofs  to  know  how  and  in  what  manner  to  argue  with  you. 
 
 Zealous,  I  renounce  all  fuch  infallibility.  It  is  the  word  of 
 God  which  I  confider  as  the  only  infallible  ftandard  of  truth. 
 I  acknowledge  that  I  fpake  halHly  and  unadvifedly,  we  will 
 therefore  if  you  pleafe  proceed. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  glad  to  find  you  open  to  convi<5lion,  and  we 
 will  in  due  time  proceed";  but  I  mult  firft  notice  your  fear  that 
 I  was  about  to  undermine  an  opinion  which  you  and  our  predc- 
 celfors  have  confidered  a  great  bulwark  and  fupport  to  the  Chrif- 
 tian  caufe.  Concerning  this  I  (hall  only  obferve,  that  the  Chrif- 
 tian  religion  is  founded  on  fo  folid  and  broad  a  bafis,  that  it 
 does  not  need  any  foreign  aid.  Did  it  receive  any  real  fupport, 
 or  advantage,  from  the  pious  frauds  of  monks  and  priefts  ?  So  far 
 from  it,  that  their  pious  frauds  brought  that  very  party  into  dif- 
 credit,  which  they  were  intended  to  fupport.  You  muft  permit 
 me  alfo  to  tell  you,  that  although  I  acknowledge  myfelf  to  be  an 
 unlearned  man,  yet  that  receiving  the  opinions  of  the  learned 
 with  IMPLICIT  SUBMISSION  (however  it  may  be  commended 
 in  the  Romifh  church)  is  neither  required,  or  encouraged,  in 
 the  church  of  England.  I  remember  reading  that  when  that  im- 
 inenfe  mafs  of  iione,  which  fo  many  ages  lay  proifrate  in  the 
 city  of  Rome,  was  decreed  to  adorn  the  area  before  their  cathe- 
 dral, the  architecSl  employed  moft  potent  engines  to  effecl  it: 
 their  united  exertions  were  applied,  and  the  mafs  was  fufpended 
 to  the  aftonifhment  of  the  beholders;  but  by  the  ropes  Ifretching 
 more  than  had  been  conceived  to  be  poffible  by  the  archite6f,  he 
 found  that  it  was  Ifill  fome  inches  beneath  the  bafe  on  which  it 
 was  to  reft.  In  this  dilemma,  a  voice  was  heard  from  among 
 the  croud  of  fpeftators  (from  the  mouth  of  an  imeducated  man] 
 crying,  *' Wet  the  ropes."  The  expedient  was  reforted  to,  and 
 the  difhculty  overcome.  According  to  your  idea,  this  was  great 
 prefumption.  What!  fhall  an  uneducated  man  prefume  to  fuggefl 
 any  thing?  If  you  had  been  placed  in  fuch  a  fituation,  in  order 
 to  have  a6led  confiftently,  you  fhould  have  impofcd  filcnce  upon 
 yourfelf,  for  fear  of  being  accufed  of  prefumption. 
 
 Zealous.  If  I  have  been  loo  warm,  it  has  proceeded  from  the  fear 
 that  you  Avere  trying  to  fhake  an  opinion  which  many,  as  well  as 
 myfelf,  have  conhdered  as  a  great  fupport  to  the  religion  which 
 we  profefs. 
 
 Cautious . 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    I.  1S3 
 
 '  Cautious.  My  dear  friend,  the  Chriftian  religion  is  founded  on 
 that  rock  which  Ihall  ever  remain  unihaken;  "the  gates  of 
 *'  hell  fhall  not  prevail  againll  it,"  Matt.  xvi.  18.  but  if  our 
 predeceilors  have  been  fo  weak,  as  to  think  that  a  buttrefs  of 
 hay,  or  itraw,  would  add  to  its  fupport,  ihall  that  man  be  ac- 
 cufed  of  prefumption  who  would  attempt  to  Ihew,  that  it  is  only 
 an  incumbrance  and  a  blemifh,  and  lliould  be  removed.  Prove 
 to  me  that  the  opinion  I  have  controverted  is  founded  in  fcrioture, 
 and  I  have  done:  this,  I  firmly  believe,  that  you  will  not  be 
 able  to  do ;  but  that  I  Ihall  be  able  to  prove,  that  it  is  not  founded 
 in  fcriptiire. 
 
 Zealous.     I  defire  no  more,  therefore  let  us  proceed. 
 
 Cautious.  Well  then,  I  admit  the  univerfality  of  the  opinion  you 
 have  adopted,  although  I  am  glad  to  fay  that  it  is  not  now  dwelt 
 upon,  except  by  the  very  zealous,  with  thatftrength  and  vehem.ence 
 which  was  obfervable  in  the  darker  ages.  Liberality  and  charity 
 have  increafed  with  Chrillian  knowledge  :  the  time  has  been, 
 when  the  generality  of  Chrillians  held,  that  all  thofe  to  whom 
 the  gofpel  had  never  been  preached,  muft  as  it' were  neceffarily 
 periTh'everlaftingly ;  but  the  horrid  tendency  of  fuch  opinions, 
 and  their  hoftility  to  the  fpirit  of  the  gofpel,  is  now  generally 
 feen  and  acknowledged,  and  the  Jews  have  been  benefited  by 
 this  change  in  the  public  mind;  lor  although  I  am  not  aware  that 
 any  one  hath  urged  what  I  have  already  hinted  to  you  as  my 
 opinion;  yet  inilead  of  rejoicing  in  the  calamities  of  the  Jews  as 
 our  anceftors  did,  I  am  perfuaded  that  there  are  very  many  Pro- 
 teftants  who  really  pity  them,  and  have  hope  concerning  them  -' 
 hope  that  God  will  not  impute  to  them  the  a6ls  of  their  fathers  - 
 hope  that  great  allowance  will  be  made  for  the  prejudices  under 
 which  they  are,  without  any  fault  of  their  own,  educated  ;  hope 
 that  their  fulferings  in  this  life  will  not  be  followed  by  greater  fuf- 
 ferings  in  the  world  to  come.  Thefe  are  the  fruits  of  true 
 Chrillianity,  my  good  friend ;  and  notwithifanding  they  are  not 
 your  fentlments,  I  have  good  hope  that  you  will  yet  adopt  them. 
 Although  the  paffage  quoted  by  you  from  Luther  was  very  appli- 
 cable to  your  purpofe,  as  it  proved  what  you  afTerted;  yet  did  I 
 receive  great  plcafure  from  the  words  with  which  it  is  intro- 
 duced, "  It  is  enough  to  break  one's  heart,  to  fee  the  Jews  fcat- 
 *'  tered,  and  difperfed  up  and  down  the  whole  empire,  &:c." 
 Luther  felt  for  them  !  He  thought ;  and  although  the  great  v/ork 
 in  which  he  was  engaged,  is  a  good  excufe  for  his  following  the 
 generally  received  opinions  concerning  the  Jews  ;  yet  the  libera- 
 lity of  his  fpirit  burjl  out  as  it  were  from  the  cloud  of  prejudice; 
 and  he  pities  them  in  the  fame  paffage,  in  which,  following  a 
 miftaken  judgment,  he  condemns  them  to  the  endurance  of  hell- 
 jfire.  This  fpirit  of  liberality,  charity,  and  true  Chriftian  bene- 
 volence, has  increafed  v/ith  increaiing  knowledge  :  it  has  increafed, 
 
 is 
 
iS^  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  Part  IL 
 
 is  increaiin<-',  and  I  ardently  hope  that  it  never  again  will  be  di- 
 
 minilhcd. 
 
 'Leaious..  Your  obfervation,  that  the  Jews  as  foon  as  the  refor- 
 mation dawned  were  treated  with  greater  lenity,  and  lefs  hatred 
 than  they  had  been  in  preceding  times,  is  certainly  juft ;  and  I 
 lee  the  force  of  your  obfervation  on  the  quotation  of  Luther, 
 which  I  produced;  and  I  ailure  you,  that  the  high  regard  I  have 
 for  the  memory  of  that  fervant  of  God,  is  not  in  the  leaft  degree 
 diminiflied  by  his  expreffion  of  pity  towards  them,  in  which  I  trull 
 I  am  alfo  his  follower  ;  tor  who  can  help  pitying  the  fufrerings. 
 of  the  Jewilh  nation? 
 
 Cautious.  Our  anceftors  did  not  pity  them  ;  nay,  fo  far  were 
 they  irom  pitying  them,  that  we  hnd  them  exulting  in  their  fuf- 
 ferings,  and  thinking  that  they  rendered  God  fervice  by  perfecuting^ 
 them;  nay,  we  find  them  reforting  to  this  as  a  means  to  render 
 heaven  propitious  to  themfelves. 
 
 Zealous.  I  do  not  deny  it;  but  you  muft  recollect  that  the 
 times  to  which  you  refer,  were  times  of  Popifh  ignorance ; 
 grofs  ignorance,  and  darknefs,  in  which  the  people  were  not 
 permitted  to  think  for  themfelves,  but  implicitly  followed  the 
 prieif .  We  are  now,  thank  God,  permitted  to  read  the  fcriptures, 
 and  think  for  ourfelves;  and  the  refult  is,  that  ChrilHans  in  ge- 
 neral fee  that  a  fpirit  of  hatred  and  revenge  is  moft  inimical  to 
 the  fpirit  of  true  Chriftianity.  The  hatred  and  revenge  with 
 Avhich  the  Jews  have, in  former  times  been  treated,  has  not  blotted 
 the  page  of  modern  hift ory ;  but  they  have  been  pitied,  and  not 
 periecuted,  except  by  the  moft  ignorant  and  uneducated  part  of 
 mankind. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  exprefs  pity  towards  them, 
 I  am  agreeably  furprifed  thereby  ;  for  I  Ihould  not  have  expected 
 it  from  you,  by  the  manner  in  which  you  expreffed  yourfelf  at 
 the  beginning  of  our  converfation. 
 
 Zealous.  Why  not  ?  You  feem  to  me  not  yet  to  have  learnt, 
 that  the  head  and  the  heart  poffefs  diitinft  qualities  :  the  head 
 and  the  heart  are  diftin6t,  and  are  often  at  variance  in  their  de- 
 cifions.  It  is  the  part  of  the  head  to  inveifigate,  to  try,  to  fit, 
 as  it  were,  in  judgment,  and  approve  or  difapprove  ;  but  the  heart 
 is  more  fufceptible  of  pity  :  the  head  guides  the  hand  to  fign  the 
 death  warrant;  but  the  heart  endeavours  to  wafh  out  the  writing, 
 by  the  tears  of  pity  it  calls  to  its  affillance.  In  the  paflTage  I 
 quoted  from  Luther,  his  dccifion  that  the  Jews  are  rightly  ferved, 
 according  to  their  own  wilii,  "  his  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon 
 *'  our  children,"  is  the  a6t  of  his  head;  his  reafon  tells  him  that  fo 
 it  is,  and,  of  courfe,  he  concludes,  that  almoit  all  the  blood- 
 kindred  of  our  Lord  Chriff,  burn  in  hell.  His  judgment  is  con- 
 vinced of  it,  he  cannot  help  it  if  fo  it  Is:  but  his  heart  is  not 
 concerned  in  the  fentence  ;  fo  far  from  it,  that  he  burfls  out  ia 
 the  expreflion,  "  Who  can  but  pity!"  He  did  pity,  and  that  ar- 
 dently t 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE!.  485 
 
 dently !  In  like  manner  you  are  to  attribute  the  words  I  ufed  at 
 the  beginning  of  our  converfation  (and  which  you  may  recolle£t 
 were  ufed  by  me,  in  reply  to  an  obfervation  of  yours  concerning 
 the  Jews,  which  I  thought  to  be  incorrect) ;  I  fay,  you  are  to 
 attribute  my  words  to  my  head,  and  not  to  my  heart.  I 
 hope  you  have  a  better  opinion  of  me,  than  to  fuppofe  (if  the 
 matter  depended  upon  my  fiat,  in  giving  which  I  were  to  be  at 
 liberty  to  follow  the  didates  of  my  heart)  that  I  would  fuffer 
 the  Jews  to  continue  under  fufferings. 
 
 Cautious.  I  find  then  that  you  are  a  divided  man,  and  that  your 
 heart  was  a  convert  to  my  opinion  before  we  began  the  conver- 
 fation, and  that  it  is  only  your  head,  your  judgment,  which  I  have 
 to  attack ;  and  my  hope  therefore  increafes,  that  I  fliall  b6  ■ 
 enabled  to  reconcile  your  head  to  your  heart,  in  which  cafe  there 
 will  exift  no  difference  of  opinion  between  us. 
 
 Zealous.  I  think  you  feem  to  fneer,  or  as  it  were  ^o  throw" 
 a  glance  of  ridicule  upon  this  dilfinilion  which  I  made  between 
 the  head  and  the  heart;  but,  notwithftanding,  is  it  not  a  juft  dif- 
 tindionr  It  is  right  that  the  murderer  fhould  "be  put  to  death, 
 and  that  the  criininal,  whofe  life  is  forfeited  to  the  laws  of  his 
 country,  fliould  fuffer;  but  although  our  judgment  (grounded  on 
 the  exercife  of  our  reafon,  which  is  a  quality  of  the  head)  ap- 
 proves the  execution  of  the  fentence,  yet  the  heart  is  not  con- 
 cerned in  it.  The  heart  pities  the  fufferings  of  the  criminal  be 
 he  ever  fo  vile,  and  would  mitigate  it  if  polTible. 
 
 Cautious.  I  did  not  mean  to  fneer,  or  call  any  ridicule  upon 
 the  idea:  if  any  ridicule  attaches  to  it,  it  is  not  from  me ;  my 
 head  and  my  heart  are  not  fo  much  at  variance.  A  man,  on  the 
 clearelt  evidence,  is  convicted  of  deliberate  murder  ;  he  laid  in 
 wait,  and  committed  the  crime  of  murder,  with  deliberate  and 
 aggravating  cruelty.  It  is  the  command  of  God  that  fuch  a  one 
 Ihould  be  put  to  death:  "  Whofo  Iheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man 
 '^  ihall  his  blood  be  Ihed;  for  in  the  image  of  God  made  he  man," 
 Gen.  ix.  6.  This  is  the  law  given  by  God  to  Noah,  the  common 
 anceftor  of  all  mankind,  and  confequently  of  univerfal  obliga- 
 tion ;  and  the  law  of  God,  given  by  Mofes,  w^as  like  unto  it : 
 *'  Ye  Ihall  take  no  fatisfadlion  for  the  life  of  a  murderer,  which 
 *'  is  guilty  of  death:  but  he  fhallbe  furely  put  to  death,"  Numb. 
 XXXV.  31.  Now  fo  far  from  my  head  and  my  heart  performing 
 diltin6t  offices  in  this  matter,  that  my  head  approves  the  fentence, 
 and  my  heart  approves  it  alfo,-  and  would  not  move  me  to  dif- 
 penfe  with  the  execution  of  the  fentence,  if  it  was  committed 
 unto  me  to  exercife  the  kingly  prerogative.  If  being  authorized 
 to  exercife  fuch  a  prerogative,  I  were  to  pardon  a  murderer,  I 
 lliould  think  myfelf  guilty  of  an  impious  adion. 
 
 'Zealous.  You  would  wilh  then  that  this  prerogative  did  not 
 exilL 
 
 B  b  Cautit 
 
 iOUS. 
 
%m  DIALOGUE    I.  Part  II. 
 
 Cautious.      God  forbid !    So   far  from  it  that  I   confider  the 
 prerogative  of  the  king,  as  the  treafure  and  defence  of  the  peo- 
 ple ;  aad  where  the  prerogative  is  exerted  in  pardoning,  or  mi- 
 tigating the  punilhment  of  a  man  condemned  tor  murder,   I  al- 
 ways prefume  that  it  proceeds  from  the  king's  entertaining  fome 
 do'jbt  or  diffatisfaftion  with  the  evidence  on  which  the  conviction 
 took  place,    or  from   fome   fufpicion  of  partiality  in  the  jury, 
 or  fome  miftake  of  the  judge.     I  never  attribute  it   to  the  heart 
 of  the  king  triumphing  over  his  head.     You  believe  the  divine 
 authority  of  the  Jewifli   fcriptures  equally  with  our  own:  let  us 
 fee  what  they   fay  upon  this  fubje£l  of  the  head  and  the  heart ; 
 they  require  the  heart  to  approve,  and  not  rebel  againll  the  divine 
 commands.     "If  thy  brother,    the  fon  of  thy  mother,  or  thy 
 **  fon,  or  thy  daughter,  or  the  wife  of  thy  bofom,  or  thy  friend, 
 **  which  is  as  thine  own  foul,  entice  thee  fecretly,  faying,  Let 
 <*  us  go  and  ferve  other  gods,  ^vhich  thou  haft  not  known,  thou, 
 **  nor  thy  fathers ;  namely,  the  gods  of  the  people  which  are 
 **  round  about  you,  nigh  unto  thee,  or  far  off  from  thee,  from 
 **  the  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth  ; 
 "  thou  fhalt   not  confent  unto  him,  or  hearken  unto  him  ;    nei- 
 <*  ther  Ihall  thine   eye  pity  him,  neither  fhalt  thou  fpare, 
 *'  neither  fhalt  thou  conceal  him :  but  thou  fhalt  furely  kill  him  ; 
 ^*  thine  hand  fhalt  be  firft  upon  him  to  put  him  to  death,    and 
 **  afterwards  the  hand   of  all   the  people:   and  thou   fiialt   ftone 
 *'  him  with  ftones,  that  he  die;  becaufe  he  hath  fought  to  thrufl 
 **  thee  away   from  the  Lord  thy  God,  which  brought  thee  out 
 <*  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  the  houfe  of  bondage ;  and  all 
 *'  Ifrael  fhall  hear,  and  fear,  and   fhall  do  no  more  any  fuch 
 *'  wickednefs  as  this  is  among  you,"  Deut.  xiii.  6 — ii. 
 
 Zealous.  I  fee  that  this  is  a  fubjecl  on  which  much  may  be 
 faid,  and  I  fear  that  if  we  purfue  it  further  at  this  time,  we  fhall 
 wander  too  far  from  the  main  point.  I  have  already  proved,  and 
 you  have  admitted,  that  the  opinion  you  hold,  is  contrary  to  the 
 uniform  opinion  of  Chriflians  of  every  denomination.  I  do  not 
 wifli  to  filence  you  by  human  authorities,  but  it  is  otherwife  with 
 the  word  of  God;  and  if  an  opinion  is -clearly  contradictory  to 
 any  exprefs  text  of  fcripture,  it  fliould  no  longer  be  retained. 
 Now  I  conceive  that  your  opinion  is  contradiftory  to  this  exprefs 
 text,  the  words  of  our  blefled  Lord  himfelf,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
 **  world,  and  preach  the  gofpel  to  every  creature.  He  that  be- 
 *'  lieveth  and  is  baptized  fhall  be  faved:  but  he  that  believeth  not 
 "  SHALL  BE  DAMNED,"  Mark  xvi.  1,5,  16.  The  Jews  be- 
 lieved not,  and  confequently  they  are  under  fentence  of  damna- 
 tion. They  were  not  even  contented  with  reje6ting  the  gofpel, 
 but  they  oppofedit:  they  required  that  our  blelfed  Lord  Ihould 
 be  crucified,  and  fo  vehement  were  they,  that  they  tor)k  the 
 refponfibility  of  the  ailion  upon  themfelves,  *'  His  blood  be 
 UPON  us,    AND  UPON  OUR  CHILDREN,"    Matt.  XXvii.  2J. 
 
 Cautious. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    I.  187 
 
 Cautious.  I  entirely  agree  "with  you,  that  if  an  opinion  is  con- 
 tradicted, by  even  a  lingle  text  ot  fcripture,  that  it  fhould  no 
 longer  be  retained  ;  but  we  are  to  beware  that  we  do  not  quote 
 fcripture  untairly.  It  is  to  this  we  are  to  attribute  fo  many 
 errors.  You  know  that  the  Roman  church  confiders  all,  who 
 are  not  of  their  communion,  as  under  this  fentence  of  damnation. 
 You  know  that  there  are  fe(5ls,  even  of  thofe  called  Proteftants, 
 who  are  in  fome  degree  tainted  with  a  like  want  of  charity  ;  but 
 I  hope  that  you,  my  friend,  have  more  liberality. 
 
 Zealous,  I  will  be  very  tree  with  you,  and  will  acknowledge 
 that  I  once  was  tainted  v/ith  this  uncharitable  opinion;  and  be- 
 lieved that  all  who  were  not  blefled  with  what  I  confidered  to  be 
 the  true  faith,  would  undoubtedly  perifh.  I  thought  it  the  na- 
 tural refult  of  dodlrines  I  then  was  taught  to  confider  as  truth. 
 I  need  not  take  up  your  time  with  a  relation  of  thofe  circum- 
 ftances,  which  led  me  to  the  examination  of  the  fubjecl ;  but  the 
 refult  was,  that  I  became  convinced  that  the  greateft  caution 
 lliould  be  ul'ed,  in  attributing  any  actions  to  the  Lord,  which 
 might  by  any  means  be  deemed  unequal :  and  1  came  to  this  de- 
 cifion,  '*  That  wherever  atlions  are  attributed  to  the  Lord,  which 
 *'  appear  to  us  to  be  unequal,  it  is  our  duty,  in  the  firft 
 **  place,  to  examine  whether  we  are  authorized  by  scrip- 
 **  TURE  to  attribute  fuch  a6tions  to  the  Lord.  If  It  fhould  on 
 *'  examination  be  found,  that  fuch  adions  are  not  juftly  to  be 
 ■*  attributed  to  the  Lord,  but  are  the  diftorted  errors  of  thofe 
 *'  who  pretend  to  knowledge  which  they  do  not  pofTefs ;  it  is 
 *'  OUR  DUTY,  whether  we  be  clergy  or  laity,  to  testify 
 *'  againfl  fuch  errors,  as  tend  to  charge  the  Lord  with  unequal 
 *'  ways.  It  is  our  duty  to  the  extent  of  our  ability  to  fhew, 
 *'  that  thefe  are  not  the  actions  and  ways  of  God ;  but  on  the 
 **  contrary,  that   his   ways  are  equal,  that  he   is  just 
 
 *'    AND   RIGHTEOUS   IN   ALL    HIS   WAYS,    AND   HOLY     IN   ALL 
 
 ♦/  HIS  WORKS.  On  the  other  hand,  if  we  cannot  but  admit 
 **  that  fuch  and  fuch  actions  are  really  to  be  attributed  to  the 
 **  Lord,  which  may  appear  to  us  to  be  unequal.  In  fuch  cafe, 
 *'  it  is  our  duty  to  mourn  over  the  imperfe£lion  of  our  judgment, 
 *'  and  ilill  to  fay,  the  ways  of  the  Lord  are  equal,  it  is 
 *'  our  WAYS  which  are  unequal,  and  our  eyes  which  are  too 
 **  dim  to  fee  their  equality." — "Open  thou  mine  eyes,  that  I  may 
 <'  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  thy  law,"  Pf.  cxix.  18. 
 
 Cautious,  You  exprefs  yourfelf  fo  much  to  my  fatisfa(5Hon, 
 that  I  cannot  help  interrupting  you  to  notice  it,,  but  pray  pro- 
 ceed. 
 
 Zealous.  -  Our  faith  is  always  bed  exprefled  in  the  very  words 
 of  fcripture  ;  and  I  truft  I  can  from  my  heart  fay,  that  I  firmly 
 believe,  "  that  the  Lord  is  gracious,  and  full  of  compaffion,  flow 
 <*  to  anger,  and  of  great  mercy  ;  the  Lord  is  good  to  all, 
 <'    AND  HIS  TENDER  MERCIES  ARE  OVER   ALL    HIS  WORKS," 
 
 Pf.  cxlv 
 
iS8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  Part  IL 
 
 Pf.  cxlv.  9.  '*•!  believe  that  the  Lord  hath  NO  pleasure  in  the 
 *'  death  ot  him  that  dieth,"  Ezek.  xviii.  32.  *'  As  I  live,  faith 
 *'  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  plcafuee  in  the  death  of  the  wicked, 
 *'  but  that  the  wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live,"  Ezek.  xxxiii. 
 1 1.  The  Lord  is  "  not  willing  that  any  fhould  perifh,  but  that 
 *<  all  lliould  come  to  repentance,"  2  Pet.  iii.  9.  He  is  not  a  hard 
 mafler,  but  although  "  that  fervant  which  knew  his  Lord's  will, 
 *'  and  prepared  not,  neither  did  according  to  his  will,  fhall  be 
 *'  beaten  with  many  ftripes;"  yet  "he  that  knew  not,  and  did 
 **  commit  things  worthy  of  ftripes,  fhall  be  beaten  with  few 
 *'  ftripes,"  Luke  xii.  47. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  perfedtly  fatisfied,  and  rejoice  that  you  have  pro- 
 ceeded fo  far  in  the  road  to  truth.  Obferve  what  I  fay  unto 
 you :  the  ideas  you  ftill  retain  concerning  the  Jews,  proceed 
 from  the  fame  fource  as  thofe  fentiments  which  you  ha\e  re- 
 nounced, they  are  branches  from  the  fame  bitter  root  that  you 
 have  ceafed  to  cultivate.  You  have  feen  the  horrid  tendency  of 
 thefe  falfe  doctrines,  as  they  are  applied  to  others;  but  you  have 
 not  yet  refledfed,  that  the  uncharitable  opinions  concerning  the 
 Jews  are  built  upon  the  fame  foundation.  How  can  you  con- 
 ilftently  with  the  opinions  you  have  already  exprefted,  continue 
 to  think  that  the  Jews  are  not  only  affli^led,  and  difperfed  in  this 
 world,  but  bound  down  under  a  fentence  of  damnation  as  to  the 
 world  to  come  ? 
 
 Zealous.  The  reafon  is  very  plain,  they  have  had  the  gofpel 
 preached  unto  them,  and  have  rejected  it:  they  have  perfecuted 
 the  Lord  of  life,  and  his  fervants  the  apoftles.  They  have  but 
 their  own  wifti,  '*  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children." 
 The  words  of  our  Saviour  are  pohtive  :  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
 **  world,  and  preach  the  gofpel  to  every  creature.  He  that  be- 
 *'  lieveth  and  is  baptized  Ihall  be  faved  ;  but  he  that  be- 
 **  lieveth  not  shall  be  damned,"  Mark  xvi.  16.  The 
 Jews  have  had  the  gofpel  preached  unto  them,  and  they  have  re- 
 je6led  it. 
 
 Cautious.  You  would  now  think  it  very  abfurd  and  unreafon- 
 able,  if  any  one  was  to  fay  to  you,  fuch  and  fuch,  of  your  ancef- 
 tors  had  the  gofpel  preached  unto  them  ;  they  rejedled  it,  and 
 therefore  you  will  be  damned.  Have  the  preient  Jews  the 
 gofpel  preached  unto  them  ? 
 
 Zealous.  If  it  were  to  be  admitted,  that  the  prefent  Jews  have 
 not  the  gofpel  preached  tmto  them,  and  that  they  poiTefs  no 
 means  of  acquiring  juft  ideas  concerning  the  Chriftian  religion, 
 I  ftiould  be  inclined  to  admit  the  force  of  your  obfervation  ;  but 
 may  they  not  enter  our  churches  to  hear  it,  if  they  will  ?  May 
 they  not  perufe  the  New  Teftament  as  well  as  the  Old,  and  judge 
 for  themfelves  ?  May  they  not  renounce  J udaifm,  and  embrace 
 Chriftianity,  if  they  will  ?  But  they  wont,  they  rejedl  it  with 
 their  eyes  open,  and  therefore  it  is  their  own  act. 
 
 Cautious^ 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  ,89 
 
 Cautious.  I  hope  I  fliall  not  ruffle  your  temper;  but  I  muft 
 affert,  that  the  prelent  Jev/s  have  not  the  gofpel  preached  unto 
 them,  and  that  they  do  not  at  prefent  poffcfs  the  means  of  ac- 
 quiring juft  ideas  concerning  the  ChrilHan  religion;  that  there 
 are  bars    in  their  way,  which  are  in  the  prefent  Hate  of  things 
 
 INSURMOUNTABLE   DIFFICULTIES. 
 
 Zealous.  If  you  can- prove  this,  I  fhall  alter  my  opinion;  for 
 the  Lord  doth  not  require  the  fruits  of  faith,  vvhere  there  is  no 
 capacity  to  obtain  it. 
 
 Cautious.  Let  us  firfl  confider  the  conduit  of  Chriftians  to- 
 wards the  Jews,  fmce  the  time  of  Conftantine.  You  v/ill  allow 
 that  ailions  fpeak  more  forcibly  than  words,  and  that  mankind 
 will  be,  and  have  a  right,  to  be.  more  influenced  by  the  a6tionsj 
 than  the  words  of  thofe  who  feek  to  convert  them.  If  therefore 
 the  condu6l  of  Chriftians  towards  the  Jews  hath  been  in  former 
 times  mod  decidedly  hoftile,  aud  vindiilively  cruel ;  can  we 
 fay  that  they  have  had  the  gofpel  preached  unto  them?  Send  mif- 
 fionaries  to  a  foreign  land,  let  them  feek  to  convert  the  heathen  ; 
 and  as  a  means  of  converfion,  let  them  plunder  thofe  they  feek  to 
 convert  of  all  their  property,  and  then  offer  to  return  them 
 half,  if  they  will  adopt  their  principles,  and  become  their  con- 
 verts. What  eifeil  will  be  produced  ?  AflTure  yourfelf  it  would 
 produce  the  fame  effe6l  that  this  mode  of  converfion  produced 
 when  employed  by  the  Englilh  Juftinian.  The  Jews  have  feel- 
 ings like  other  men ;  they  have  paternal  and  m.aternal  feelings, 
 and  attachments:  go  to  them,  and  tell  them  that  all  their  anceffors 
 who  have  lived  during  the  laft  feventeen  centuries,  are  undoubt- 
 edly damned?  Will  they  become  converted  by  thefe  means? 
 They  have  jufter  ideas  of  the  divine  attributes,  than  Chriftians 
 who  believe  fo  horrid  a  do6trine ;  and  they  will,  of  courfe,  turn 
 a  deaf  ear  to  any  arguments  which  can  be  produced  bv  fuch 
 liberal-minded  cafuilts.  Are  the  Jews  entirely  void  of  difcern- 
 ment?  They  are  capable  of  reflection;  they  are  capable  of  con- 
 trafting  the  do£trines  preached  unto  them,  with  the  practices  of 
 thofe  who  preach,  and  profefs  them:  they  pofTefs  fenfation,  and 
 if  fiiey  know  that  the  teeth  of  a  Jew  have  been  deliberately  re- 
 forted  to,  to  rack  him  into  compliance  with  an  arbitrary  demand ; 
 can  we  be  fo  blind  as  to  think,  that  the  Jews  can  help  being 
 prejudiced  againft  the  religion  which  was  profelfed  by  thofe  who 
 could  refort  to  fuch  means,  without  being  reproved  by  the  minif- 
 ters  of  that  religion.  The  Gentoos,  in  the  eaft,  are  many  of 
 them  wealthy  men:  go  to  them,  and  reprefent^  to  them  how 
 much  the  Chriftian  religion  is  to  be  preferred  above  their  fuper- 
 ftitions ;  borrow  money  of  them,  and  then  fall  upon  them  with 
 the  edge  of  the  fword  ;  let  none  of  your  creditors  efcape,  and  then 
 exult  in  their  deftrudtion,  and  commit  their  fecurities  to  the 
 flames:  do  this  deliberately,  and  with  much  folemnity;  and  then 
 fee  how  many  Gentoo  converts  you  can  perfuade  to  embrace  your 
 
 religion : 
 
>9o  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  Part  II, 
 
 religion  :  this  part  was  a6led  towards  the  Jews  in  this  land,  in  the 
 yeign  of  Richard  the  firil,  can  wc  then  wonder  that  the  Jews  are 
 prejudiced  againfl  the  religion  which  was  profeffed  by  thofe  who 
 were  capable  ot  fiich  aftions?  The  miniiters  of  leligionare  ever 
 prcfumed  to  have  jufter  ideas  of  it,  and  to  be  more  influenced  by 
 Its  precepts,  than  the  bulk  of  the  people.  If  the  Jews  have  any 
 recouls,  if  they  have  any  hiltories  or  traditions  among  them,  and 
 if  thefe,  like  the  Chrhiian  hiftories,  elf  ablifi^  this  i'^S.,  that  the  priells 
 and.  monks,  thofe  who  made  a  llricSler  profeilion  of  religion  than 
 other  men,  were  ever  their  bitterest  enemies,  can  we  won- 
 der that  the  Jews  are  prejtidiced  againif  that  religion,  the 
 jniniif  ers  whereof  in  former  times  were  their  bittereft  enemies  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit  the  force  of  your  obfervations  as  far  as  they 
 go»  I  do  not  wonder  that  the  Jews  were  not  converted  to  Chrif- 
 fiianity  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  I  begin  to  have  good  hopes 
 concerning  thofe  Jews  whofe  eyes  were  bound  up  by  the  enor- 
 mities of  Papal  eruelty,  and  thus  kept  from  embracing  the  gofpel  \ 
 the  guilt  of  their  unbelief,  feenis  therefore  to  be  ghietly  charge- 
 able I'pon  corrupt  Chriitians  :  but  it  is  not  fo  with  the  modern 
 Jews,  they  are  not  perfecuted,  they  are  not  ill  treated  now  ;  and 
 yet  they  continue  unbelievers. 
 
 Cautious.  I  thank  God  that  they  are  not  now  perfecuted ;  but 
 although  the  conduct  of  Chriftians  towards  them  is  improA-ed, 
 are  they  not  in  general  too  much  treated  with  contempt  ?  What 
 will  a  Roman  Catholic  even  now  fay  concerning  them  ?  What 
 will  a  Calvinidic  Proteftant  fay  of  them?  What  did  Luther 
 iliy  of  them  ?  You  remember  you  quoted  his  very  words.  And, 
 laftly,  let  me  afk,  what  did  my  good  friend  Zealous  fay  of  them, 
 when  he  began  this  converfatioii  r  Although  the  Jews  are  thank- 
 ful for  that  difference  they  find  in  the  conduct  of  Chriftians 
 towards  them,  can  v/e  think  that  they  are  fuch  ideots  as  to  be 
 ignorant,  that  it  is  the  generally  received  opinion,  even  among 
 Proteftants,  that  they  are  in  a  ilate  of  damnation;  and  that  all 
 THEIR  ANCESTORS,  who  have  lived  during  the  lalt  1700  years, 
 are  in  a  ftate  of  damnation.  You  had  a  pious  tathcr  and  mother, 
 whom  you  loved  with  great  aftection  ;  you  remember  to  have 
 heard  them  fpeak  with  exulting  affe6tion  of  the  piety  of  their 
 parents.  What  then  would  you  fay  to  the  liberal-minded 
 difputant,  who  fliould  profefs  that  it  was  his  firm  opinion,  that 
 they  and  all  their  anceftors  are  in  torments  ;  and  that  iinlefs 
 you  adopted  their  liberal  fcntiments,  and  gave  your  fiat  to  it, 
 by  believing  them  to  be '  fo,  you  would  alfo  foon  partake  of 
 the  fame  puniHiment  ?  Now  I  will  tell  you  candidly, 
 that  had  I  been  born  a  Jew  and  were  to  be  addreffed  in  this 
 manner,  or  by  them  whom  I  knew  to  believe  fuch  things,  I 
 iiioiild  profefs  that  I  was  perfe6tly  fatisfied  with  my  religion, 
 that  I  had  been  taught  to  believe  that  the  Lord  my  God  is  good 
 unto  all,    and  His  TENDER  .mercjes   over  all    his  works  ; 
 
 that 
 
Part  it.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I.  igi 
 
 that  I  had  been  taught  to  confider  all  his  ways  equal,  and 
 that  whatever  might  be  the  extent  of  our  national  unworthinefs, 
 yet  that  I  could  not  believe  that  the  Lord  would  have  fpared  any 
 of  our  nation  lor  i'uch  purpofes  ;  that  it  would  have  been  much 
 greater  mercy  to  have  left  neither  root  nor  branch,  than  to  fuifer 
 our  nation  for  1700  years,  to  remain  in  fuch  a  Hate  as  Chriftians 
 believe  them  to  be  in  ;  that  although  I  would  by  no  means  prefurae 
 to  difpute  the  point;  or  to  di61:ate  to  them,  yet  I  could  not  con- 
 fider fuch  ways  to  be  equal.  The  ways  of  the  Lord  my 
 God  are  equal,  it  is  our  ways  that  are  unequal. 
 
 Xealous.  I  have  often  lamented  that  the  irregular  lives  of 
 Chriftians  fliould  be  fuch  a  bar  to  the  fpread  of  truth,  but  I  never 
 faw  it  in  fo  Ilrong  a  light  as  I  now  do  ;  I  have  lamented  that  the 
 difputes  among  Chrillians  ihould  be  fuch  a  bar  to  the  fpread  of 
 thegofpel,  but  I  was  not  avvare  that  any  opinions  generally  ad- 
 mitted by  Chriftians  are  fo  hoftile  to  the  feelings  of  mankind. 
 I  begin  to  doubt  that  fuch  opinions  are  as  unicriptural  when  ap- 
 plied to  the  Jews,  as  they  are  Avhen  applied  to  others  ;  for  where 
 is  the  difference  between  a  nation  never  having  heard  the  gofpel, 
 or  hav'ing  heard  it  fo  diftorted,  or  accompanied  with  fuch  attend- 
 ants, as  to  render  it  revolting  to  the  feelings  ;  or  with  fuch  mif- 
 condu<3:  from  thofe  who  ihould  recommend  it  by  their  pradlice, 
 that  it  mull:  produce  fenfations  of  horror  inftead  of  complacency. 
 
 Cautious.  There  are  many  other  circumilances  which  I  might 
 mention  as  insuperable  bars  to  the  convcrfion  of  the  Jews  to 
 Chriftianity  in  the  prefent  Hate  of  things,  but  I  fhall  not  notice 
 them  at  prefent,  as  I  wiih  to  proceed  to  the  other  points  in  debate 
 between  us  ;  and  if  I  am  not  now  much  miftaken,  I  have  nearly 
 reconciled  (to  ufe  your  own  language)  your  head  and  your 
 heart. 
 
 Zealous.  I  truft  I  am  open  to  conviSion,  and  I  muft  acknow- 
 ledge that  I  have  received  much  fatisfa-flion  from  what  you  have 
 urged  ;  and  you  have  fo  m^uch  Ihaken  the  opinion  I  held  (as  far 
 as  it  rcfpe£ls  the  unavoidable  condemnation  of  the  Jews  in  the 
 world  to  come)  that  although  I  will  not  entirely  renounce  it  until 
 I  have  further  confidered  it,  yet  I  requeft  you  to  leave  this  point 
 at  prefent  out  of  the  quellion  ;  you  ihali  foon  be  informed  whe- 
 ther i  retain  or  renounce  my  opinion.  However,  I  cannot  help 
 faying,  that  I  think  the  Jews  have  advantages  which  are  not 
 poffelfed  by  fome  others  ;  and  if  th'ey  are  faithful  to  thofe  advan- 
 tages, I  (hould  hope  they  are  in  a  (late  of  falvatioh.  As  Chrif- 
 tians, we  believe  that  we  pollefs  greater  advantages  than  they  do ; 
 and  God  grant,  that  our  greater  advantages  may  not  increafe  our 
 guilt,  as  they  certainly  increafe  our  refponiibility :  to  whom 
 much  is  given,  of  him  will  mucli  be  required  ;  you  will  there- 
 fore diredl  your  obfervations  accordingly.  Putting  all  idea  there- 
 fore concerning  their  Hate  in  the  world  to  come  out  of  the  quef- 
 tion,  we  will  only  conhder  the  continuation  of  the  temporal  fuf- 
 
 fe  rings 
 
192 
 
 DIALOGUE     I.  Part  IL 
 
 ferinps  of  the  Jews  ;  and  furely  wc  iTnifl:  conlkler  thcfe  as  a  ful- 
 filment of  their  own  imprecation,  "  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and 
 *'  upon  our  children," 
 
 Cautious.  As  you  leem  inclined  to  give  up  the  point  in  which 
 I  thought  your  opinion  was  mo't  inimical  to  fcripture  and  reafon, 
 I  allure  you  I  do  not  feel  difpofed  to  controvert  the  remaining 
 points  with  that  vigour  and  vehemence  which  I  might  have  em- 
 ployed, in  contelling  the  point  you  feem  inclined  to  give  up  ;  all 
 that  we  have  is  the  gift  of  God ;  he  giveth  and  he  taketh  away  our 
 comforts  :  the  poffeifion  of  riches,  honours,  and  other  advantages, 
 are  no  abfolute  fign  of  his  love  towards  us  ;  the  endurance  of 
 fufferings  are  no  proof  of  his  hatred  towards  us  ;  but  it  intended 
 for  our  reformation,  they  may  be  tokens  of  his  love  :  **  As  a  man 
 **  chafteneth  his  fon,  fo  the  Lord  thy  God  chafteneth  thee," 
 Deut.  viii.  5.  **  If  his  children  forfake  my  law,  and  walk  not 
 *'  in  my  judgments  ;  if  they  break  my  ftatutes,  and  keep  not  my 
 *'  commandments  i  then  will  I  vifit  their  tranfgreflion  with  the 
 *'  rod,  and  their  iniquity  with  (Iripes,  Neverthelefs,  my  loving- 
 *'  kindnefs  will  I  not  utterly  take  from  him,  nor  fuffer  my 
 *'  faithfulncfs  to  fail.  My  covenant  will  I  not  break,  nor  alter 
 **  the  thing  that  is  gone  out  of  my  lips,"  Pf.  Ixxxix.  30.  "  Whom 
 *'  the  Lord  loveth,  he  corredeth,  even  as  a  father  the  fon  in 
 *'  whom  he  delighteth,"  Prov,  iii.  12.  There  are  times  in  which 
 the  iniquities  of  a  nation  being  filled  up,  they  bring  down  national 
 affli£lions  \  fuch  was  tlie  deftruclion  oi  Jerufalem  and  the  temple, 
 at  the  time  of  the  captivity  ;  fuch  were  the  Jewifh  fufferings 
 under  Titus  and  Adrian:  but  as  there  were  glorious  evidences  of 
 Jewifh  piety,  even  in  Babylon ;  fo  do  I  believe  that  there  have 
 been,  and  are,  fimilar  charadlers  among  the  Jews  in  their  long 
 continued  difperfion ;  and  I  muil  profefs  that  I  flili  retain  the 
 opinion,  that  the  prefent  difperfion  and  fufferings  of  the  Jews, 
 are  not  endured  by  them  in  confequence  of  their  crucifixion  of 
 our  Saviour,  or  in  confequence  of  their  imprecation,  "  His  blood 
 *'  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children."  I  have  admitted  that 
 you  have  Chriitians  of  all  denominations  on  your  fide,  in  fupport 
 of  the  opinion,  and  I  admit  that.  I  never  heard  or  read  of  a  doubt 
 being  ftarted  concerning  it,  and  yet  I  believe  that  you  cannot  prove 
 it  from  fcripture,  and  that  I  can  prove  from  fcripture  that  it  is  not 
 fo.  If  you  pleafe,  therefore,  I  willfirfimake  fome  obfervations 
 upon  the  paifages  you  quoted  from  Bifliop  Newton,  and  then  I 
 will  requelt  you  to  lay  what  you  can  in  reply,  to  lupport  his  and 
 your  opinion  ;  and  I  will  give  you  my  reafons  for  adopting  fo  very 
 different  an  opinion. 
 
 Zealous.  The  way  you  have  chalked  out  I  entirely  approve, 
 pray  therefore  make  what  obfervations  you  pleafe  upon  my 
 quotations. 
 
 Cautious.  The  firfl:  paffage  which  I  fliall  notice  in  your  quo- 
 tation fromBilhop  Newton's  works  is  as  follows  :   fpeuking  ot  the 
 
 fuffer  injis 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I. 
 
 '93 
 
 fufFerings  of  the  Jews  under  the  Romans,  *'  Wherefoever  the 
 *'  carcafsis,  there  will  the  eagles  be  gathered  together  ;"  he  fays, 
 **  Wheresoever  THE  Jew  sake,  there  will  Christ  be 
 
 *'    TAKING  vengeance    UPON   THEM    BY  THE   RoMANS."'       I 
 
 think  that  the  idea  contained  in  thefe  words  is  not  jultified  by 
 fcripture  ;  and  fo  far  from  its  being  analogous  to  fcripture,  1  think 
 it  is  entirely  the  reverfe.  You  will  find  thefe  words  in  John 
 V.  45.  "  Do  not  think  that  I  will  accufe  you  to  the  Father  :  there 
 **  is  one  that  accufeth  you,  even  Mofes,  in  whom  ye  truft  :  for 
 *'  had  ye  believed  Mofes,  ye  would  havebelievedme  ;  for  he  WTOte 
 "  of  me."  Our  Saviour  here  evidently  refers  to  thofe  promifes 
 recorded  by  Mofes  in  Genefis  iii.  15.  xii.  3.  xviii.  18.  xxii.  18. 
 and  xlix.  10.  which  promifes  are  the  glory  of  the  Jewilh  nation": 
 **  In  thee  fliall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blelTed," — *'  In 
 "  thee  and  in  thy  seed  fhall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
 *'  bleifed."  And  again,  to  that  promife  recorded  by  Mofes  in 
 Deut.  xviii.  "  The  Lord  thy  God  will  raife  up  unto  thee  a  pro- 
 "  phet  from  the  midft  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me; 
 "  unto  him  ye  fliall  hearken,  according  to  all  that  thou  defiredft 
 *'  of  "the  Lord  thy  God  in  Horeb,  in  the  day  of  the  alfembly, 
 *'  faying.  Let  me  not  hear  again  the  voice  of  the  Lord  my  God, 
 "  neither  let  me  fee  this  great  fire  any  more,  that  I  die  not. 
 **  And  the  Lord  faid  unto  me,  they  have  well  fpoken  that  which 
 *'  they  have  fpoken.  I  will  raife  them  up  a  prophet  from  among 
 **  their  brethren,  like  unto  thee,  and  will  put  my  words  in  his 
 "  mouth  ;  and  he  fliall  fpeak  unto  them  all  that  I  fliall  command 
 *'  him.  And  it  fliall  come  to  pafs,  that  whofoever  will  not 
 "  hearken  unto  my  words  which  he  ihall  fpeak  in  my  name, 
 *'   I  WILL  REQUIRE  IT  OF  HIM."     The  words  are  not   that 
 
 prophet  shall  REQUIRE  IT  OF  HIM  AND  SHALL  TAKE 
 VENGEANCE  ON  THEM  THAT  REFUSE  TO  HEARKEN  UNTO 
 
 HIM,  but  "  I  WILL  REQUIRE  IT  OF  HIM."  The  word 
 VENGEANCE  conveys  to  my  mind  an  idea  of  all  others  the  moft  op- 
 pofite  to  our  bleiTed  Saviour's  uniform  character ;  vengeance  conveys 
 the  idea  of  vehemence  and  revenge  ;  how  different  from  him  who 
 was  meek  and  lowly  in  heart !  "  Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  la- 
 *'  hour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  refl.  Take  my 
 *'  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  me,  fori  am  meek  and  lowly 
 *'  IN  HEART  ;  and  ye  Ihall  find  reft  unto  your  fouls :  for  my  yoke 
 *'  is  eafy,  and  my  burthen  is  light,"  Matt.  xi.  28 — 30.  "  Lord 
 *'  wilt  thou  that  we  command  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven  and 
 *'  confume  them,  even  as  Elias  did  ?"  He  rebuked  them  and  faid, 
 **  Ye  know  not  what  manner  of  fpirit  ye  are  of,  for  the  Son  of 
 **  man  is  not  come  to  deflroy  men's  lives,  but  to  fave  them," 
 Luke  ix.  55.  It  is  an  idea  entirely  contradi6lory  to  every  precept 
 of  our  Lord :  **  I  fay  unto  you  love  your  enemies,  blefs  thcni 
 "  that  curfe  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for 
 "  them   which  defpitefully  ufc  you,  and  pcrfccute  you,  that  ye 
 
 C  c  "  may 
 
194 
 
 DIALOGUE     I.  Part  II. 
 
 **  may  be  the  children  of  your  father  which  is  in  heaven  ;  for  he 
 "  maketh  his  fun  to  rife  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  fendcth 
 **  rain  on  the  juft  and  on  the  unjuft,"  Matt.  v.  44,  45,  It  is  anidea 
 contradictory  to  every  a6lion  ot  our  blelTed  Saviour,  meekness 
 not  vengeance  was  his  charadlerift ic  !  He  gave  his  back  to  the 
 fmiters,  his  cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off  the  hair,  he  hid  not 
 his  face  from  fhame  and  fpltting,  (Ifaiah  1.  6.)  he  mourned,  he 
 lamented,  he  wept,  at  the  profpeft  of  thofe  calamities  which 
 his  nation,  his  beloved  nation,  his  relatives  were  about  to  fuffer  ! 
 **  O  Jerufalem,  Jcrufalem,  thou  that  killell  the  prophets,  and 
 **  ftoneft  them  that  are  fent  unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have 
 **  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
 **  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !   Matt,  xxiii.  37. 
 
 Zealous.  I  acknowledge  that  it  is  manifeft  that  meeknefs,  the 
 reverfe  of  wrath,  pity,  the  reverfe  of  implacability,  and  com- 
 paflion,  the  reverfe  of  vengeance,  are  the  chara6leriilics  of  our 
 blefTed  Saviour. 
 
 Cautious.  How  anxious  then  fiiould  we  be  to  avoid  this  dread- 
 ful error  of  the  learned  bifliop,  v/hich  reprefents  our  blefTed  Lord 
 in  a  chara61er  fo  different  from  his  real  charadler,  as  fet  forth  in 
 the  evangel ifts  ;  but  thisdoftrine  of  the  learned  bifhop  is  asdireftly 
 hoftile  to  the  teftimony  of  the  prophets,  as  it  is  to  the  doiSlrine  of 
 the  apoftles  and  evangelifts  ;  for  give  me  leave  to  requeft  you  to 
 confider  thofe  paffages  which  fpeak  of  their  Melliah,  do  they  re- 
 prefent  him  as  arifmg  among  them  for  the  purpofe  of  their  de- 
 Itruclion  ?  By  no  means,  it  is  for  the  purpofe  of  their  relief, 
 their  exaltation,  their  good,  that  he  is  to  be  revealed  to  them. 
 If  he  was  to  come  for  the  purpofe  of  their  deltruftion,  would  the 
 Tews  have  exulted  in  the  anticipation  of  his  kingdom,  which  they 
 did  and  ftill  do  ?  By  no  means,  they  would  have  feared,  and 
 not  hoped  for  and  anxioufly  defired  his  coming;  and  they  were 
 and  are  right,  for  when  their  Mefliah  is  revealed  to  them,  it  will 
 be  for  their  good,  their  deliverance,    their  exaltation  ! 
 
 Zealous.  I  acknowledge  that  your  obfervation  hath  much 
 force  in  it. 
 
 Cautious.  But  I  conceive  that  our  blefTed  Lord  himself,  in 
 pofitive  and  dire£l  terms,  hath  guarded  us  againfl  this  dreadful 
 error  ;  and  it  excites  my  aftonifliment  that  fuch  a  learned  man 
 could  fo  flatly  contradi6l  the  pofitive  declaration  of  our  blefTed 
 Saviour.  Bifliop  Newton's  words  are,  '*  Wherefocver  the  Jews 
 **  are,  there  will  Chrift  be  taking  vengeance  upon  them  by  the 
 **  Romans  ;"  and  he  confiders  this  as  the  coming  of  our  Lord, 
 mentioned  in  Matt.  xxiv.  and  Mark  xiii.  but  our  bleffed  Saviour 
 declares  that  his  coming  is  not  to  be  expefted,  until  after  the 
 Jewish  tribulations  (which  he  foretold)  are  accom- 
 plished; **  immediately  a  fter  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days," 
 Matt,  xxiv,  29.  '*  After  that  tribulation"  (Mark  xiii.  24.)  it  is 
 
 that 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE!. 
 
 '95 
 
 that  the  Son  of  Man  cometh  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
 and  great  glory. 
 
 Zealous.  I  acknowledge  that  it  is  impoflible  for  words  to  be 
 more  plain  ;  if  an  event  is  to  take  place  after  another  event  is 
 PAST,  one  would  think  it  next  to  impoilible  to  confound  the 
 two  events  together  \  but  this  is  what  the  bifliop  feems  to  have 
 done. 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  next  place  I  Ihall  notice  the  other  quotation 
 you  made  from  the  fame  right  reverend  author.  I  agree  with 
 him  as  to  the  clearnefs  of  the  predi£lions,  and  that  the  calamities 
 endured  by  the  Jewifh  nation  were  the  greateft  which  the  world 
 ever  faw.  He  then  proceeds  to  afk,  "  What  heinous  fin  was  it 
 *'  that  could  bring  down  fuch  heavy  judgments  on  the  Jewilh 
 **  church  and  nation  ?  Can  any  other  with  half  fo  much  probability 
 *'  be  afligned,  as  what  the  scripture  assigns,  their  cruci- 
 *'  fying  the  Lord  of  glory  ?  As  St.  Paul  exprefles  it  (i  ThefT.  ii. 
 *'  ij,  16.  '  They  both  killed  the  Lord  Jefus,  and  their  own 
 *'  prophets,  and  perfccuted  the  apoftles,  and  so  filled  up  their 
 *'  'iw^^y  and  wrath  came  upon  them  to  the  uttermoft.'  This 
 "  is  always  objedcd  as  the  moft  capital  fin  of  the  nation."  And 
 then  after  noticing  how  much  their  fufFerings  correfponded  with 
 their  fin,  in  which  he  fiiews  a  fertile  imagination,  he  concludes 
 in  the  words  which  you  dwelt  on  with  fuch  exultation,  *<  I 
 "  fhould  think  it  hardly  polTible  for  any  man  to  lay  thefe  things 
 *'  together,  and  not  conclude  the  Jews  own  imprecation  to  be 
 "  remarkably  fulfilled  upon  them,  Matt,  xxvii.  25.   His  blood 
 
 **    BE     ON     us,    AND     ON     OUR      CHILDREN."         It     is    not     for 
 
 want  of  confideration,  and  becaufe  I  have  not  laid  "  thefe  things 
 *'  together,"  that  I  am  not  convinced  ;  whenever  a  writer  lets 
 his  imagination  range  at  large,  it  feems  to  imply  a  defed;  of  folid 
 argument;  if  indeed  any  of  thefe  things  had  been  predi6led,  as,  for 
 inftance,  if  it  had  been  faid  to  the  Jews,  '*  You  bought  and  fold 
 "  Jcfus  as  a  flave,  and  you  yourfelves  fhall  be  fold  and  bought  as 
 "  Haves  at  the  loweft  prices,"  there  would  be  fome  propriety  in 
 the  obfervation.  The  Jewifh  fufFerings  were  great  fufFerings,  and 
 furely  if  they  were  endured  by  them  because  they  crucified  our 
 Saviour,  we  fhould  poffefs  certain  and  pofitive  information  in 
 fcripture,  that  so  it  was.  The  bifhop  refers  to  one  paifagc  of 
 fcripture  to  prove  it,  viz.  1  ThelL  ii.  15,  16.  but  furely  if  it 
 had  been  on  account  of  the  crucifixion  of  our  Saviour,  we  fhould 
 not  have  been  left  to  gather  it  from  a  palFage  written  in  an  epiftle 
 to  the  Theffalonians  ;  our  Saviour  foretold  tire  deftru6lion  of 
 Jerufalem,  he  foretold  his  own  crucifixion  ;  can  we  then  imagine, 
 that  if  the  one  event  had  refulted  from,  and  been  the  conse- 
 quence of  the  other,  that  he  would  not  have  informed  his  dif- 
 ciples  that  fo  it  would  be.  I  am  not  aware  that  there  is  a  fingle 
 word  in  the  four  gofpels  which  gives  tlie  leall  intimation  of  it, 
 nor  can  I  find  any  pallage  in  the  other  parts  of  the  New  Teftament. 
 
 which 
 
196  DIALOGUE     I.  Part  If. 
 
 which  eflabliHies  it ;  the  Jews  were  mistaken,  all  afts  which 
 are  performed  under  miftuke  are  capable  of  mitigation.  Wlieii 
 St.  Peter  exhorts  them  to  repentance,  for  killing  "  the  Prince  of 
 **    life,"   he  acknowledges,     "  and    now   brethren    I    wot  that 
 
 **    THROUGH     IGNORANCE   YE   DID   IT,     AS    DID     ALSO    YOUR 
 
 **  RULERS,  biit  thofe  things  which  God  before  had  (hewed  by  the 
 '''  mouth  of  all  his  prophets,  that  Christ  should  suffer, 
 **  he  huth  fo  fulfilled,"  A6ls  iii.  17.  If  the  Jews  were  to  be 
 convinced  that  their  anceftors  a£led  haftily  and  unadvifedly  ;  if 
 they  were  to  ufe  the  language  of  Jofeph's  brethren,  "  Forgive 
 *'  I  pray  thee  now  the  trefpafs  of  thy  brethren,  and  their  lin, 
 *'  for  they  did  unto  thee  evil,"  (Gen.  1.)  what  could  be  faid 
 in  reply  ?  Could  any  Chriftian  reply,  Oh  that  you  had  never 
 done  it  I  What  mifchief  have  you  done  !  What  mifery  have  you 
 occaiioncd!  By  no  means,  the  reply  muft  be  like  that  of  Jofeph 
 unto  his  brethren,  '*  And  Jofeph  faid  unto  them.  Fear  not." 
 *'  As  for  you,  ye  thought  evil  againft  me,  but  God  meant  it 
 *'  UNTO  good,  to  bring  to  pafs,  as  it  is  this  day,  to  save  much 
 *'  people  alive  i  now  therefore  fear  ye  not."  The  fufFerings 
 of  Chrifl  were  predi6ted,  pre-ordained:  "  He  fhall  grow  up 
 **  before  him  as  a  tender  plant,  and  as  a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground  r 
 *'  he  hath  no  form  nor  comelinefs  ;  and  when  we  fliall  fee  him, 
 *'  there  is  no  beauty  that  we  ihould  deilre  him.  He  is  despised 
 *'  and  rejected  of  men,  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  ac- 
 **  quainted  with  grief:  and  we  hid  as  it  were  our  faces 
 '*  from  him;  he  was  despised,  and  we  efteemed  him  not. 
 *'  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and  carried 
 **  our  sorrows  :  yet  we  did  efteem  him  ftricken,  fmitten  of 
 "  God,  and  afflided.  But  he  was  wounded  for  our 
 *'  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniqui- 
 "  ties:  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon 
 "  him  ;  AND  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed.  All  we 
 *'  like  Iheep  have  gone  aftray  ;  we  have  turned  every  one  to  his 
 *'  own  way;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  ini- 
 *'  QUITY  of  us  all.  Fie  was  opprefled,  and  he  was  afHicled, 
 *'  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth  :  he  is  brought  as  a  lamb 
 **  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before  her 
 <*  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth  not  his  mouth. 
 "  He  was  taken  from  prifon  and  from  judgment:  and  who  (hall 
 **  declare  his  generation?  For  he  was  cut  o(f  out  of  the  land  of 
 *'  the  living:  for  the  transgression  of  my  people 
 **  WAS  he  stricken.  And  he  made  his  grave  with  the  wicked, 
 *'  and  with  the  rich  in  his  death;  becaufe  he  had  done  no  vio- 
 '^  lence,  neither  w^as  any  deceit  in  his  mouth.  Yet  it  pleafcd 
 **  the  Lord  to  bruife  him  ;  he  hath  put  him  to  grief:  when  thou 
 *'  Oialt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  (liall  fee 
 'i  his  feed,  he  fliall  prolong  his  days,  and  the  picafure  ot  the 
 */  Lord  (hall  profper  in  his  hand.     He  (hall  fee  the  travail  of  his 
 
 ♦'  foul, 
 
Part  II,  DIALOGUE!. 
 
 *97 
 
 "  foul,  and  fliall  be  fatlsfied :  by  his  knowledge  fliall  my 
 *'  righteous  fervant  juftify  many;  for  he  fhall  bear  their 
 *'  INIQUITIES.  Therefore  will  I  divide  him  a  portion  with  the 
 *'  great,  and  he  fliall  divide  the  fpoil  with  the  ftrong;  becaufe 
 **  he  hath  poured  out  his  foul  unto  death:  and  he  was  numbered 
 *'  with  the  tranfgreilbrs ;  and  bare  the  sin  of  many,  and 
 *'  made  intercession  for  the  transgressors,"  Ifaiah 
 liii.  2 — 12. 
 
 If  the  Jews  had  univerfally  feen  that  their  Mefliah  was  to  have 
 been  a  man  of  forrows,  before  he  became  an  exalted  Saviour, 
 would  they  have  crucified  him  ?  and  would  the  fcriptures  have 
 been  fulfilled?  They  were  not  to  fee  it,  for  the  fiuTerings  of 
 Chrifl  were  pre-ordained  fufferings,  to  be  "  an  offering," 
 an  *'  atonement  for  sin;"  and  not  only  for  the  fins  of  the 
 Jews,  "  for  the  tranfgreflion  of  my  people,"  but  for  the  finof 
 the  whole  world.  "  He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  fms  :  and  not 
 *'  for  our  fins  only,  but  alfo  for  the  whole  world,"  i  Joha 
 ii.  2.  "  I  am  the  good  fhepherd  :  the  good  fhepherd  giveth  his  life 
 *'  for, the  iheep." — ''I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  fheep." — 
 *'  Therefore  doth  my  father  love  me,  becaufe  I  lay  down  my 
 **  life,  that  I  might  take  it  again.  No  man  taketh  it  from  me, 
 *<  but  I  LAY  IT  down  of  MYSELF.  I  have  power  to  lay 
 "  IT  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take  it  again.  This 
 *'  commandment  have  I  received  of  my  father,"  Johnx.  ii, 
 1,5,    17,   18. 
 
 When  thefe  things  are  duly  weighed  by  you,  I  truft  that  your 
 WRATH  againft  the  Jews  for  crucifying  our  Saviour,  will  greatly 
 abate.  Although  there  are  fo  many  bars  and  difficulties  in  the 
 way  of  the  Jews,  which  prevent  their  thinking  well  of  the 
 Chriftian  religion  ;  yet  alfure  yourfelf  that  the  time  will  come, 
 when  the  Jews  will  fee  that  however  well  grounded  their  pre- 
 judices may  have  been,  as  far  as  they  have  had  reference  to 
 Christians,  (fince  they  have  been  in  power)  yet  that  their 
 prejudices  againft  him  whom  their  fathers  crucified,  will  abate  ; 
 they  will  fee  that  the  chapter  before  tranfcribed,  certainly  relates 
 to  a  great,  though  fufxering  characSfer  of  their  own  nation.  They 
 will  paufe  and  refjed,  that  by  the  farne  tokens  that  their  anceiiors 
 formed  their  judgment,  an  erroneous  judgment  might  be  formed 
 concerning  themfelves.  *'  He  faved  others,  himfelf  he  cannot 
 **  fave.  If  he  be  the  King  of  Ifrael,  let  him  now  come  down 
 "  from  the  crofs,  and  we  will  believe  him.  He  trufled  in  Gjd; 
 "  let  him  deliver  him  now,  if  he  will  have  him:  fi^r  he  laid,  J 
 *'  am  tlie  Son  of  God,"  Matt,  xxvii.  42.  They  will  reflect,  that 
 although  they  are  the  peculiar  people  of  God,  they  liave  been 
 afflicted,  dcfpifed,  and  rejected  of  men,  and  have  in  fufferings 
 been  made  conformable  to  this  great  fufFering  character;  and  yet 
 they  believe  themfelves  to  be,  and  are,  the  peculiar  people  of 
 God  iiutwithllanding:   ''Thus  faith  the  Lord,,    Ilrael  is  m\  Sov, 
 
198  DIALOGUE     I.  Part  II. 
 
 *'  even  my  firft-born,"  Ex.  iv.  22.  **  He  that  touchcth  you, 
 **  toucheth  the  apple  of  his  eye,"  Zech.  ii.  8.  Deut.  xxxii.  io# 
 Notwithltanding  the  Jewifh  prejudices  may  by  this  means  abate, 
 you  are  not  to  think  that  they  will  according  to  your  language, 
 and  the  language  of  other  Chriitians,  '*  renounce  Judaism, 
 **  AND  EMBRACE  CHRISTIANITY."  God  forbid  that  they 
 fhould  !  But  their  prejudices  may  be  foftened,  if  not  removed; 
 and  if  in  this  frame  of  mind  they  vi^ere  to  experience  a  great 
 DELIVERANCE,  and  weve  by  fure  and  certain  tokens  to  be  con- 
 vinced, that  their  deliverer  was  the  very  individual  perfon  whom 
 their  anceftors  crucified,  how  great  muft  be  the  effe6l  produced 
 by  fuch  a  circumitance  !  The  prophet  Zechariah  fpeaking  of  the 
 itate  of  the  Jews  after  their  latter  return,  and  that  Jerufalem 
 will  become  a  cup  of  trembling,  and  a  burdenfome  Hone  to  them 
 that  come  againft  it;  fpeaks  ot  the  miraculous  aid  the  Jews  will 
 experience,  and  ufes  thefe  words,  "  And  it  Ifiall  come  to  pafs  in 
 **  that  day,  that  I  will  feek  to  deftroy  all  the  nations  that  come 
 "  againit  Jerufalem.  And  I  will  pour  upon  the  houfe  of  David, 
 *'  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem,  the  fpirit  of  grace  and 
 •'  fupplication :  and  they  shall  look  upon  me  whom 
 *'  THEY  HAVE  PIERCED,  and  they  lliall  mourn  for  him,  as 
 *'  one  mourneth  for  his  only  fon,  and  fhall  be  in  bitternefs  for 
 "  him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitternefs  for  his  firll-born.  In  that 
 "  day  fhall  there  be  a  great  mourning  in  Jerusalem, 
 *'  as  the  mourning  of  Hadadrimmon  in  the  valley  of  Megiddon. 
 *'  And  the  land  lliall  mourn,  every  family  apart;  the  family 
 *'  of  the  houfe  of  David  apart,  and  their  wives  apart;  the 
 "  family  of  the  houfe  of  Nathan  apart,  and  their  wives  apart ; 
 *'  the  family  of  the  houfe  of  Levi  apart,  and  their  wives  apart ; 
 '*  the  family  of  Shimei  apart,  and  their  wives  apart;  all  the 
 '*  families  that  remain,  every  family  apart,  and  their  wives 
 "  apart,"  Zech.  xii.  9 — 14,  What  can  be  the  fubje£l  of  this 
 mourning?    Who  is  this  whom  they  had  pierced  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  have  heard  you  Avith  great  patience,  and  fee  that 
 however  solitary  you  may  be  in  the  opinion  you  hold,  that 
 you  have  adopted  it  from  conviction;  and  I  am  ready  to  admit  that 
 your  arguments  deferve  mature  examination,  and  I  aifurc  you  it 
 is  my  intention  to  re-examine  fcripture  upon  the  fubje£l,  and  if 
 I  cannot  find  paflages  to  fupport  the  opinion,  you  fliall  find  that 
 I  am  not  bound  dawn  to  retain  it,  becaufe  it  is  the  univerfal 
 opinion  held  by  all  fedfs  and  parties.  Papal  and  Proteftant,  Lu- 
 theran and  Calvinii'l,  Conformilts  and  Nonconformifts.  But 
 permiit  me  to  remind  you,  that  although  the  biOiop  quotes  but 
 one  text  to  prove  that  the  Jewifh  calamities  were  endured  by  them 
 on  account  of  their  crucifying  our  saviour,  which  he 
 calls  the  capital  fin  of  their  nation,  yet  you  have  not  made  any 
 obiervations  on  that  paffage. 
 
 Cautious. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     I. 
 
 '99 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  not,  but  I  now  will ;  and  firft  let  me  notice 
 it,  as  produced  by  the  bilhop:  '*  They  both  killed  the  Lord  Jefus, 
 **  and  their  own  prophets,  and  perfecuted  the  apoitles,  and  fo 
 **  filled  up  their  fins;  and  wrath  came  upon  them  to  the  utter- 
 *'  moft,"  1  Their,  ii.  i^,  16.  Let  me  obferve  that  here  are 
 three  diftinil  crimes,  adlions  committed  againll  our  Saviour,  their 
 own  prophets,  and  the  apoftles.  Now  it  feems  to  me,  that  fup- 
 pofing  the  above  quotation  to  be  a  faithful  quotation,  that 
 it  would  not  go  to  the  extent  for  which  it  was  produced,  viz.  elta- 
 blilhing  it  as  a  fa£t,  that  the  crucifixion  of  our  Saviour  was,  as 
 the  bidiop  obferves,  the  capital  sin  of  the  nation.  You  will 
 allow  that  although  in  the  way  in  which  he  quotes  the  paifage, 
 three  fins  are  mentioned,  yet  he  confiders  the  crucifixion  of  our 
 Saviour,  as  the  capital  fin  of  the  Jewifii  nation. 
 
 Zealous.  Certainly  I  will  allow  it,  and  that  it  has  been,  and 
 is  confidered  by  Chrillians,   the  capital  sin  of  their  nation. 
 
 Cautious.  How  then  is  it,  that  this  capital  fin  is  as  it  were 
 weakened,  by  being  placed  in  a  lift  with  others;  but  if  you  Avill 
 turn  to  the  palfage  itfelf,  you  will  find  that  the  bifhop's  quotation 
 is  an  H»ASTY  quotation.  The  words  run  thus,  "  Who  both 
 **  killed  the  Lord  Jefus,  and  their  own  prophets,  and  have  per- 
 *'  fecuted  us;  and  they  pleafe  not  God,  and  are  contrary  to  all 
 *'  men:  forbidding  us  to  speak  to  the  Gentiles 
 *'  that  they  might  be  saved,  to  fill  up  their  sins 
 *'  alway  :  for  the  wrath  is  come  upon  them  to  the  uttermoft," 
 I  Their,  ii.  15,  16.  You  muft  perceive  that  the  words  bear  a 
 very  different  afpe6l,  and  if  there  is  one  fin  noticed  in  the  paf- 
 fage,  which  might  be  deemed  the  capital  sin,  I  think  it  is 
 not  only  by  the  time  in  which  it  was  committed,  and  by  the  cli- 
 max, but  even  by  the  plain  conftrudtion  of  the  words  pointed 
 out,  to  be  the  crime  laft  mentioned,  viz.  '*  forbidding  us  to  fpeak 
 "  to  the  Gentiles  that  they  might  be  faved  ;"  this  was  the  capital 
 fin  which  filled  up  their  iniquities. 
 
 The  Jews  had  formed  miftaken  ideas  of  the  do61:rine  of 
 election.  Their  principles  as  to  this  doftrine  v/ere  very 
 fimilar  to,  if  not  exactly  the  fame  as  the  principles  of  a  very 
 numerous  party  among  us ;  they  confidered  election  as  having 
 reference  only  to  the  ele61 ;  they  confidered  themfelves  to- be  the 
 elect,  and  endeavoured  to  exclude  all  others  from  participating 
 in  the  benefits  of  their  religion,  and  thereby  they  ftrove  to  defeat 
 the  very  end  and  intent  for  which  they  were  feparated 
 from  the  reft  of  mankind,  to  become  the  peculiar  people  of  God. 
 PLxamine  fcripture,  and  you  will  find  that  it  was  not 
 merely  on  their  own  account  that  they  were 
 elected,  and  separated  from  the  rest  of  mankind 
 TO  BE  the  PECULIAR  PEOPLE  OF  GoD;  it  was  for  their  great 
 honour  and  advantage,  and  also  for   the   benefit  of  all 
 
 MANKIND. 
 
 I  have 
 
*oo 
 
 DIALOGUE     I.  Part  If. 
 
 I  have  but  one  more  reqiieft  to  make  to  you.  In  the  book  of 
 Deuteronomy  you  will  find  the  way  moft  clearly  pointed  out, 
 in  which  the  Jews  will  be  rcftorcd  to  prosperity,  in  confc- 
 quence  of  the  returning  favour  of  the  God  of  their  fathers :  they 
 are  to  call  to  mind  the  blefhng!-  they  have  as  a  nation  enjoyed  ; 
 the  curfes  and  affli^lions  they  have  as  a  nation  endured:  they  are 
 to  confefs  their  fins,  and  the  fins  of  their  fathers  :  and  that  they 
 have  walked  contrary  unto  the  Lord  their  God:  they  are  to  con- 
 fefs that  the  Lord  their  God  hath  alfo  walked  contrary  unto 
 them,  and  that  all  their  fufferings  have  been  deferved :  they  are 
 to  humble  their  uncircumcifed  hearts,  and  to  accept  of  their 
 CORRECTION,  and  obferve  all  the  Mofaic  law,  with  all  their 
 heart,  and  all  their  foul,  Deut.  xxx.  Levit.  xxvi.  40.  Now 
 give  me  leave  to  requeft  you  to  confider,  whether  if  there  was 
 ONE  CAPITAL  SIN,  which  had  been  the  great  caufe  of  their 
 mod:  aiionilhing  calamities,  one  capital  fin  which  peculiarly 
 weighed  and  bound  them  down  to  fuch  accumulated  and  long 
 continued  afRidions  ;  is  it  probable  that  they  would  not  be  re- 
 quired to  repent  of  it  in  particular  in  the  paifages  to  which 
 I  refer?  It  is  plain  from  the  prophet  2'echarfah,  already  quoted, 
 that  they  will  look  upon  him  whom  they  ha  ve  pierced, 
 and  bitterly  lament,  and  mourn ;  but  this  is  not  reprefented  as 
 2ny  thing  required  of  them,  and  which  they  mud:  do  previous  to 
 being  reftored  to  the  favour  of  God;  for  the  interpolitions  of  God 
 in  their  favour  are  fpoken  of  as  prcceeding  this  event.  This 
 event  is  therein  fpoken  of,  as  an  event  proceeding  from  a  com- 
 munication to  them,  by  the  free  gift  of  the  God  of  their  fathers 
 of  the  "  fpirit  of  grace  and  fupplication,"  Zech.  xii. 
 
 Think  not  that  the  opinion  I  have  endeavoured  to  fupport, 
 however  novel  it  may  appear  to  you,  is  any  ways  calculated  to 
 fully  the  glory  of  your  Saviour.  I  trulf  I  would  rather 
 die  than  adopt  any  opinion  which  (hould  have  any  fuch  tendency, 
 and  I  beg  you  to  ferioufly  confider  whether  you  have  fuch  an 
 exalted  opinion  of  the  greatnefs  of  our  Saviour's  character  as  you 
 fhould  have  ;  for  1  alfure  you  I  fpeak  the  dictates  of  my  heart 
 when  I  fay,  that  I  firmly  believe,  that  you  and  thofe  who  are 
 of  the  fentiments  you  have  adopted,  either  do  not  fully  reflect: 
 upon  the  fubje6t,  or  that  you  mult  be  far  from  honouring  your 
 Saviour  as  you  ought. 
 
 Zealous.  I  cannot  help  exprefiing  my  aftonilhment,  and  beg 
 you  to  explain. 
 
 Cautious.  Can  you  fay  as  the  officers  faid,  "  Never  man 
 **  fpake  like  this  man,"  John  vii.  46.  Do  you  believe  that  alt 
 the  words  fpoken  by  our  Saviour,  were  fpirit  and  life,  John  vi. 
 63.  Do  you  believe  that  our  Lord  hath  power  to  forgive  fins. 
 Matt.  ix.  6. 
 
 Zealous.      I  truft  I  do  believe  thcfe  things  !   God  forbid  that  I 
 
 fh'juld  harbour  a  thought  againft  them! 
 
 Cautious. 
 
t»ART  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    I. 
 
 £01 
 
 Cautious.  Our  Saviour  "lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  faid,  Father, 
 *'  I  thank  thee  that  thou  haft  heard  me.  And  I  knew  that  thou 
 *'  HEAR  EST  ME  A  LWA  YS  :  but  becaufe  of  the  people  which  ftand 
 *'  by  I  faid  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  thou  haft  fent  me," 
 John  xi.  41,  42.  Can  we,  without  impiety,  admit  a  doubt  of 
 the  EFFICACY  of  his  prayers?  And,  furely,  never  was  a  prayer 
 uttered  with  more  folemnity,  than  the  laft  prayer  that  proceeded 
 from  his  bleffed  lips!    His  words  were,  *'  Father,  forgive 
 
 "    THEM;    FOR    THEY   KNOW     NOT    WHAT    THEY    DO,"     Luke 
 
 xxiii.  34,     Was  this  prayer  an  inefficacious  prayer  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  have  acknowledged  that  your  obfervations  merit 
 mature  confideration;  but  none  of  them  have  ftruck  my  mind  fo 
 forcibly  as  your  laft,  I  am  aftonilhed  I  ihould  not  have  obferved 
 it  before. 
 
 Cautious.  I  think  it  deferves  to  be  well  confidered :  here  are 
 oppofite  prayers,  if  one  of  them  is  worthy  to  be  called  a  prayer. 
 On  one  hand  the  Jews  exclaim,  *'  His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on 
 *'  our  children,"  Matt,  xxvii,  2^.  On  the  other  hand,  our  Lord's 
 laft  prayer,  his  dying  requeft,  ''  Father,  forgive  them;  for  they 
 "  knAw  not  what  they  do,"  Luke  xxiii.  34.  Can  both  be 
 heard?  Can  both  be  granted  ?  And  yet,  although  it  is  impos- 
 sible that  both  can  be  carried  into  efFe6l,  it  hath  been  in  thefe 
 latter  ages,  at  leaft,  the  unanimous  opinion  of  Christians, 
 that  their  Lord  and  Saviour's  laft  prayer,  his  dying  requeft,  was 
 not  granted  ;  but  that  the  requeft  of  the  Jews  hath  been  granted, 
 and  that  for  above  1700  years  his  blood  has  been  on  them  and 
 on  their  children. 
 
 How  is  this  ?  To  what  can  we  attribute  fo  glaring  an  incon- 
 fiftency  ?  I  will  tell  you,  we  are  to  attribute  it  to  thofe  dreadful 
 PREJUDICES  which  have  prevailed  concerning  the  Jews.  Chrif- 
 tians  could  admire  the  benevolence  of  their  Saviour  in  praying 
 for  thofe  who  crucified  him,  but  the  fubftance  of  the  prayer  was 
 diftafteful  to  them.  They  would  not  wifti  it  to  be  granted,  al- 
 though if  it  was  not  granted,  it  muft  be  a  contradi6lion  to  their 
 Saviour's  pofitive  declaration,  *'  Thou  heareft  me  always." 
 Farewell.  Conftder  thefe  things!  imitate  our  blefted  Lord! 
 and  then  I  am  fure  that  there  will  not  remain  an  atom  of  ill-will, 
 a  grain  of  refentment  in  your  heart  towards  the  Jews.     . 
 
 Dd  SECOND 
 
[       202       J 
 
 SECOND    DIALOGUE. 
 
 In  ivhlch  the  Errors  of  Do5lor  JVarhurton,  Bipop  of  Gloucejier^  and 
 DoSior  Newton  f  Bljhop  of  Brijioly  **  that  God's  Reign  over  the 
 *'  ynus,  ended  with  the  Abolition  of  the  Temple  Service;"  and 
 **  that  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord  in  Spirit  and  in  Truth,  then  had 
 **  its  firji  Beginning y"  and  other  Errors  connected  therewith ^  are 
 examined  and  refuted. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. 
 
 Zealous,  "^yf  Y  dear  friend,  Cautious,  I  can  fcarcely  exprefs 
 Xv JL  to  you  how  much  the  fubjedl  of  our  lall  conver- 
 fation  has  dwelt  upon  my  mind. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  well  perfuaded  that  our  laft  converfation  can- 
 not have  produced  any  painful  sensations  in  your  mind. 
 I  do  not  know  how  you  (land  affe<Eled  by  my  obfervations,  but  I 
 am  fure  that  if  you  had  brought  me  to  embrace  your  fentiments, 
 it  would  have  occafioned  many  painful  reflections  to  my 
 mind.  I  fhould  have  had  to  lament  that  poflibly  fome  of  my 
 anceftors,  in  the  laft  two  or  three  thoufand  years,  might  have 
 committed  fome  dreadful  crime,  or  have  uttered  fome  horrid 
 imprecation,  and  that  in  confequence  thereof  I  might  be 
 bound  to  eternal  deftru6lion. 
 
 Zealous.  I  wifh  to  avoid  entering  again  on  tlie  fubjeft,  until 
 I  have  more  maturely  weighed  it,  and  examined  fcripture  Avith 
 deliberate  attention.  When  I  have  had  leifure  toconfider  it  fully, 
 you  Ihall  be  informed.  In  the  mean  time,  without  renewing 
 THAT  SUBJECT,  I  will  Candidly  tell  you  that  your  obfervations 
 have  not  produced  any  painful  reflections.  I  own  that 
 they  are  calculated  to  remove,  painful  refleilions,  but  the  efFefts 
 and  confequences  (which  may  be  confidered  as  diilind  from  the 
 fubjeft)  have  occafioned  fome  perplexity  to  me. 
 
 Cautious.  May  I  inquire  wliat  thefe  effecls  and  confequences 
 are? 
 
 Zealous.  I  do  not  mean  the  efFedls  and  confequences  of  the 
 dodrine,  but  the  efFe6ls  and  confequences  produced  in  my  mind, 
 by  my  former  ideas  being  brought  into  doubt.  I  will  explain 
 myfelf,  a  watch  is  compofed  of  m.any  wheels,  fprings,  and  other 
 pieces  of  machinery,  each  of  which  are  diftin£t,"and  may  be 
 feparately  examined;  but  they  have  each  a  relative  iltuation, 
 a  connexion  with  other  parts,  and  it  is  by  an  union  of  all  the 
 parts  that  the  effect  is  produced,  and  the  machine  becomes  com- 
 plete. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     11.  20^ 
 
 plete.  The  dodlrines  of  revelation  may  in  like  manner  be 
 diftindly  coniidered,  but  they  will  be  found  to  have  alfo  a  rela- 
 tive SITUATION  ;  and  if  you  are  (liaken  and  brought  in  doubt 
 as  to  one  opinion,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  you  will  ere  long 
 find  that  another  follows  :  I  have  myfelf  experienced  it  in  feveral 
 inftances,  and  am  now  about  to  mention  to  you  another  point  in 
 which  your  opinions  have  thrown  me  into  fome  perplexity. 
 
 Cautious.  Would  it  not  be  better  to  drop  the  fubje6l  entirely, 
 imtil  you  have  had  leilure  fully  to  confider  it,  and  form  a  decided 
 opinion. 
 
 Zealous.  By  no  means,  it  is  a  din:in6l  fubjecl  on  which  I  fhall 
 be  obliged  to  you  to  give  me  your  opinion.  The  cafe  is  this,  it 
 is  generally  allowed  that  the  primitive  Chriftians  expelled  the 
 coming  of  our  Lord  in  that  generation.  Modern  infidels  have 
 founded  obje6lions  thereon,  but  Doftor  Warburton  fliews  that 
 the  deltruilion  of  Jerufalem,  v/as  this  coming  of  our  Lord  in  his 
 kingdom,  and  Bifiiop  Newton  who  follows  him,  therefore  con- 
 fiders  OUR  Lord  Christ  as  taking  vengeance  on  the  Jews  by 
 the  Romans.  You  have  fhaken  the  latter  opinion,  and  if  it  falls 
 I  do  nbt  fee  but  that  the  other  muft  fall  v/ith  it :  this  hath  per- 
 plexed me. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  not  furprifed  that  it  hath,  for  you  arc  perfe6lly 
 right  that  the  opinions  mult  ftand  or  fall  together. 
 
 Zealous.  Permit  me  to  read  to  you  a  paflage  upon  this  fubjecl> 
 I  extradl  it  from  Biihop  Newton,  volume  II.  page  303.  "  Im^ 
 ■ '  mediately  after  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days  fiiall  the  fun  be 
 ''  darkened,  and  the  moon  fnall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  (tars 
 *'  iliall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  fliall  be 
 '*  iliaken.  Commentators  generally  underftand  this,  and  what 
 *'  follows,  of  the  end  of  the  world,  and  of  Chrili's  coming  to 
 **  judgment:  but  the  words,  immediately  after  the 
 "  tribulation  of  those  days,  fliew  evidently  that  he  is 
 *'  not  fpeaking  of  any  dil'tant  event,  but  of  fomething  imme- 
 *'  diately  confequent  upon  the  tribulation  before  mentioned, 
 *'  and  that  mufl  be  the  deflruilion  of  Jerufalem.  It  is  true  his 
 *'  figures  are  very  firong,  but  no  ftronger  than  are  ufed  by 
 '*  the  ancient  prophets  upon  fimilar  occafions.  The  pro- 
 **  phet  Ifaiah  fpeaketh  in  the  fame  manner  of  Babylon,  xiii.  9, 
 *'  ID.  The  prophet  Ezekiel  fpeaketh  in  the  fame  manner  of 
 **  Egypt,  xxxii.  7,  8.  The  prophet  Daniel  fpeaketh  in  the 
 *'  fame  manner  of  the  ilaughter  of  the  Jews  by  the  little  horn; 
 *<  whether  by  the  little  horn  be  underftood  Antiochus  Epiphanes', 
 "■  or  the  power  of  the  Romans,  viii.  10.  And  the  prophet  Joel 
 *'  of  this  very  deltruilion  of  Jerufalem,  ii.  30,  31.  Thus  it  is 
 "  that  in  the  prophetic  language,  great  commotions  and  revo'* 
 *'  Unions  upon  earth,  are  often  reprefented  by  commotions  and 
 *'  changes  in  the  heavens. 
 
 <'  Our 
 
404  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  II. 
 
 "  Our  Saviour  proceedeth  in  the  fame  figurative  ftyle,  v.  30. 
 *<  And  then  fliall  appear  the  fign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven, 
 *<  and  then  fliall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  fl)all 
 **  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with 
 **  powder  and  great  glory.  The  plain  meaning  of  it  is,  that  the 
 <'  deftru6tion  of  Jerufalem  will  be  fuch  a  remarkable  initance  of 
 *'  the  divine  vengeance,  fuch  a  fignal  manifellation  of  Christ's 
 *'  power  and  glory,  that  all  the  Jewifh  tribes  lliall  mourn,  and 
 *'  many  will  be  led  from  thence  to  acknowledge  Chrilt  and  the 
 *'  Chriftian  religion.  In  the  ancient  prophets,  God  is  frequently 
 *'  defcribed  as  coming  in  the  clouds  upon  any  remarkable  inter- 
 *'  pofition  and  manifeilation  of  his  power  ;  and  the  fame  defcrip- 
 *'  tion  is  here  applied  to  Chrill.  The  deltru6lion  of  Jerufalem 
 *'  will  be  as  ample  a  manifeilation  of  Chrift's  power  and  glory, 
 **  as  if  he  was  himfelf  to  come  vifibly  in  the  clouds  of  heaven. 
 
 ^'  The  fame  fort  of  metaphor  is  carried  on  in  the  next  verfe, 
 *'  V.  31.  '  And  he  fhall  fend  his  angels  with  a  great  found  of  a 
 "  trumpet,  and  they  fhall  gather  his  ele6l  from  the  four  winds, 
 *'  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other.'  This  is  all  in  the  Ifyle 
 *'  and  phrafeology  of  the  prophets,  and  Itripped  of  its  figures 
 *'  meaneth  only,  that  after  the  deflru6lion  of  Jerufalem,  Chriil, 
 *'  by  his  angels  or  minifters,  will  gather  to  himfelf  a  glorious 
 *'  church,  out  of  all  the  nations  under  heaven.  The  Jews  fhall 
 "  be  THRUST  OUT  as  he  expreffes  himfelf,  Luke  xiii.  28,  29. 
 *'  And  they  fliall  come  from  the  eaft,  and  from  the  wti\,  and 
 **  from  the  north,  and  from  the  fouth,  and  fliall  fit  down  in 
 *'  the  kingdom  of  God.  No  one  ever  fo  little  verfed  in  hiflory, 
 *'  need  be  told,  that  the  Chriifian  religion  fpread,  and  prevailed 
 *'  mightily  after  this  period;  and  hardly  any  one  thing  con- 
 '*'  tributed  more  to  this  fuccefs  of  the  gofpel,  than  the  deftruftion 
 "  of  Jerufalem  falling  out  in  the  very  manner,  and  with  the 
 ■•'  very  circumftances,  fo  particularly  foretold  by  our  blefled 
 "   Saviour. 
 
 "  What  Do6lor  Warburton  hath  written  upon  the  fame  fnb- 
 **  jecl  will  much  illuflrate  and  enforce  the  foregoing  expofition, 
 "  (Warburton's  Julian,  book  I.  chapter  i.  page  21,  2d  edition.) 
 **  The  prophecy  of  Jefus  concerning  the  approaching  deftrudlion 
 "  of  Jerufalem  by  Titus,  is  conceived  in  fuch  high  and  fwelling 
 "  terms,  that  not  only  the  modern  interpreters,  but  the  ancient 
 *'  likewife,  have  fuppofed  that  our  Lord  interweaves  into  it  a 
 *'  direct  prediftion  of  his  fecond  coming  to  judgment.  Hence 
 ^'  arofe  a  current  opinion  in  those  times,  that  the  confum- 
 "  rnation  oi  all  things  was  at  hand;  which  hath  afforded  a 
 *'  handle  to  an  infidel  objeftion  in  these,  infinuating  that 
 *'  Jefus,  in  order  to  keep  his  followers  attached  to  his  fcrvice,  and 
 *'  patient  under  fufferings,  flattered  them  with  the  near  approach 
 *'  of  thofc  rewards  which  completed  all  their  views  and  expeda- 
 ^'  tions.     To  which  the  defenders  of  religion  have  oppofed  this 
 
 "  anfwer 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     If. 
 
 205 
 
 '*  anfwer.  That  the  di(Vin(5lioii  of  Ihort  and  long  In  the  duration 
 *'  ot  time,  is  loit  in  eternity;  and  with  the  Almighty,  a  thoufanJ 
 *'  years  are  but  as  yellerday. 
 
 "  But  the  principle  both  go  upon  is  falfe  ;  and  if  what  hath 
 *'  been  faid  be  duly  weighed,  it  will  appear  that  this  prophecy 
 "  doth  not  refpe6l  Chrilt's  second  coming  to  judgment,  but 
 *'  his  FIRST  ;  in  the  abolition  of  the  Jewifh  policy,  and  the 
 *'  eltablifhment  of  the  Chrillian;  that  kingdom  of  Chrilt,  which 
 '*  commenced  on  the  total  ceahng  of  the  theocracy  :  for  as 
 *'  God's  REIGN  over  the  Jews,  entirely  ended  with  the 
 *'  abolition  of  the  temple  service,  so  the  reign, of 
 "  Christ  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  had  then  its  first 
 *'   beginning." 
 
 **  This  was  the  true  establishment  of  Christianity, 
 "  not  that  eife£ted  by  the  donations,  and  converfions  of  Con- 
 "  itantine.  Till  the  Jewilh  law  was  aboliihed,  over  which  the 
 ^'  father  prefided  as  king,  the  reign  of  the  fon-  could  not  take 
 *'  place  ;  becaufe  the  fovereignty  of  Chriil  over  mankind,  was 
 "  that  very  fovereignty  of  God  over  the  Jews,  transferred 
 *'   ancf  more  largely  extended. 
 
 "  This  theretorc  being  one  of  the  moft  important  a^ras  m 
 ''  the  ceconomy  of  grace,  and  the  motl  awful  revolution  in  all 
 "  God's  religious  dii'penfations  ;  we  fee  the  elegance  and  pro- 
 ^'  priety  of  the  terms  in  queftion,  to  denote  fo  great  an  event, 
 ^'  together  with  the  delbuclion  of  Jerufalem,  by  which  it  wag 
 "  efFedled ;  for  in  the  old  prophetic  language,  the  change  and 
 *'  fall  of  principalities  and  powers,  whether  fpiritual  or  civil, 
 ^'  are  fignified  by  the  ihaking  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  darkening- 
 "■'  the  fun  and  moon,  and  the  falling  of  the  iiars  ;  as  the  rife 
 ^'  and  elfabliihment  of  new  ones,  are  by  proceffions  in  the  clouds 
 *'  of  heaven,  by  the  found  of  trumpets,  and  the  aifembling  toge- 
 *'  ther  of  hoils  and  congregations. 
 
 *'  This  language,  as  he  obferves  in  another  place,  (Divine  Lega- 
 **  tion,  volume  II.  book  iv.  fee.  4.)  v/as  borrowed  from  the 
 "  ancient  hieroglyphics.  For  as  in  the  hieroglyphic  writina[-, 
 *'  the  i'un,  moon,  and  ilars,  v/ere  ufed  to  repreient  llatcs  and 
 *'  empires,  kings,  queens,  and  nobility  ;  their  eclipfe  and  ex- 
 *'  tinction,  temporary  difalters,  or  entire  overthrow,  Sec.  fo  in 
 "  like  manner  tlie  holy  prophets  call  kings  and  empires  by  the 
 "  names  of  the  heavenly  luminaries  ;  their  misfortunes  and  over- 
 *^  throw  are  reprefented  by  eclipfcs  and  cxtiiidlion;  ftars  falij.ng 
 "  from  the  firmament  are  employed  to  denoie  the.deilrudlion  of- 
 *'  the  nobility,  &c.  In  a  v/ord,  the  prophetic  ll:yle  fcems  to  be  a 
 *'  speaking  hieroglyphic.  Thcfe  obfervations  will  not 
 "  only  ainit  us  in  the  iludy  of  the  Old  and  Nc\v  Tellaraent,  bur 
 *'  likewife  vindicate  their  character  from  the  illiterate  cavils  of 
 *'  modern  libertines,  who  have  foolilhly  miitaken  that  for  the 
 *'  peculiar  v.'orkmaniTiip   of    the   prophets   heated   imagination, 
 
 ''^   which 
 
2o6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  II. 
 
 *'  which  was  the  fober  eftablifhed  language  of  their  times,  and 
 **  which  God  and  his  Son  condefcended  to  employ  as  the  pro- 
 **  pcrtil  conveyance  of  the  high  myfterious  ways  of  Providence, 
 *'  in  the  revelation  of  themfelves  to  mankind." 
 
 Thefe,  my  good  friend,  were  my  fentiments,  and  I  need  not 
 fay  that  they  arc  now  fliaken,  and  brought  into  doubt,  by  our 
 lall  converfation.  Although  we  do  not  confider  any  of  the  rulers 
 in  our  church  to  be  infallible;  yet  confpicuous  abiliaes,  when 
 united  with  great  learning,  fiiould  ever  be  received  with  refpecl 
 and  attention;  and  I  need  not  fay,  that  both  Dodor  Warburton 
 and  Do6lor  Newton,  were  very  conspicuous,  both  for 
 GREAT  LEARNING  and  fhining  abilities.  To  thefe,  to  their 
 merit,  they  were  indebted  for  their  promotions  to  the  biflioprics 
 of  Glouceiter  and  Bril'col. 
 
 Cautious.  I  aiT^  no  Itranger  to  the  high  chara£ler  of  the  right 
 reverend  authors  you  have  referred  to,  and  I  aflfure  you  I  never 
 received  greater  pleafure  from  the  perufal  of  any  work,  than  I 
 experienced  from  reading  great  part  of  the  two  firil  volumes  of 
 Biihop  Newtoa's  *'  Dlifertations  on  the  Prophecies,  which  have 
 '*  remarkably  been  fulfilled,  and  at  this  time  are  fulfilling  in  the 
 *'  world  ;"  and  as  to  the  Biihop  of  Glouceller,  I  knov/  that  he 
 was  confidered  as  one  of  the  most  learned  men  of  the 
 AGE.  Learning  and  abilities  are  great  advantages,  enthufiafts 
 may  defpife  them  ;  but  thofe  who  are  not  enthuliatls,  will  ever 
 pay  refpeclful  attention  to  learning,  abilities,  and  confpicuous 
 ifation  :  but  neither  learning,  abilities,  or  dignified  ftation,  are  to 
 fubje6l  us  implicitly  to  follow  them  ;  thofe  who  poiTefs  them,  do 
 not  require  either  of  their  hearers,  or  readers,  any  fuch  implicit 
 fubmiiTion. 
 
 On  the  other  hand,  the  want  of  them  Oiould  not  induce  us  to 
 eftimate  thefe  advantages  which  we  do  not  poffefs,  at  too  high 
 A  RATE.  Experience  here  comes  in  to  our  aid  ;  who  pofieifed 
 more  shining  abilities  than  Milton,  and  yet  they  kept 
 lilm  not  from  giving  his  fupport  to  that  gloomy  enthufiafm,  un- 
 der the  influence  whereof,  both  our  church  and  ilate  were  buried 
 for  a  time  !  Who  poifefTed  more  ftrength  of  mind,  deep  thought, 
 and  greater  learning,  than  Locke  ;  and  yet  what  opinion  hath 
 produced  more  mifery  to  mankind,  than  his  theory,  that  all 
 government  is  derived  from,  and  fubje6l  to  be  refumed  by  the 
 people!  Who  hath  difplayed  more  learning  than  Lardner,  and 
 yc't  he  faw  not  that  glory,  which  is  our  confolation,  our  exulta- 
 tion. The  experiments,  the  difcoveries,  and  the  writings  of 
 Dr.  Priestley,  fhew  much  ability,  and  no  fmall  degree 
 of  learning;  and  yet  I  need  not  dwell  upon  the  errors,  of  which 
 he  is  the  champion  ;  and  Gilbert  Wake  field,  although  he 
 was  acknowledged  to  be  a  very  learned  man,  endeavoured  to 
 pcrfuade   Chriltians,  not  to    alFcmble   together  for  public  wor- 
 
 tliip 
 
 Gain 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  207 
 
 Gain  admiflion  to  an  extenfive  library,  and  requefl:  the  libra- 
 rian to  point  to  thofe  books  which  may  be  denominated  contro- 
 versial; and  when  you  have  confidered  their  numbers,  you 
 will  J  think  exclaim,  *'  Lord,  what  is  man!"  Let  us  not 
 then  eftimate  the  advantages  of  learning,  and  abilities,  too 
 HIGH  ;  but  rather  let  us  prize  that  bleffed  book,  which  alone  is 
 untainted  with  error,  and  fay  with  Simon  Peter,  "  Lord,  to 
 *'  WHOM  shall  we  go?  Tkou  hast  the  words  of 
 **   eternal  life,"  John  vi.  68. 
 
 Zealous.  My  intent  in  waiting  upon  you  at  this  time,  was  to 
 requelt  your  opinion  upon  the  paflage  I  have  read  to  you,  for  I 
 have  already  told  you,  that  our  lafl  converfation  hath  unfettled' 
 my  thoughts  upon  the  fubjeft  ;  and  I  {hall  efteem  it  a  favour,  if 
 you  will  point  out  thofe  parts  which  you  obje6l  to,  and  give  me 
 not  only  your  opinion,  but  your  reafons  alfo. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  not  the  lead  objeftion ;  and  in  the  firfl:  place, 
 I  will  make  a  few  remarks  upon  fome  of  the  expreffions  which 
 Itrike  me,  as  not  confonant  to  fcripture  ;  and  then  I  will  give 
 you  m){  fentiments  upon  the  fubje6t,  and  my  reafons  for  adopting 
 them. 
 
 Firft,  then,  I  cannot  reconcile  thefe  v^-ords  of  the  Bifhop  of 
 Gloucefter,  with  thofe  ideas  which  I  have  adopted  from  fcripture: 
 *'  For  as  God's  reign  over  the  Jews  entirely  ended  with  the 
 *'  abolition  of  the  temple  fervice,  fo  the  reign  of  Chrift  in 
 "  spirit  and  in  truth  then  had  its  firft  beginninp-,"  I 
 cannot  reconcile  it  to  fcripture,  that  God's  reign  over  the  Jews 
 ended  with  the  abolition  of  the  temple  fervice.  Did  it  end 
 when  the  temple  fervice  was  aboliihed,  and  the  tem.ple  deftroyed, 
 and  the  Jews  carried  away  captive  into  Babylon  ?  By  no  means 
 he  was  no  lefs  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  and  they  were  no  lefs 
 HIS  subjects  then,  than  they  were  in  the  reigns  of  David  and 
 Solomon  ;  they  were  punilhed  by  him,  but  not  deftroyed.  Were 
 the  Jews  utterly  deftroyed  by  Titus,  with  their  capital  and  tem- 
 ple ;  and  is  there  so  much  attached  to  a  building,  and'  the  fer- 
 vice performed  in  that  building,  that  on  its  ceafmg,  the  Jews 
 fhould  no  longer  be  confidered  as  the  fubjeds  of  the  God  of  their 
 fathers?  Is  not  his  providence  equally  over  them,  as  it  is  over 
 his  other  creatures,  and  is  it  pofTible  God  can  forget  his  promifes  ? 
 So  far  from  it,  that  the  Jewifli  fufferings  from  that  time  to  this, 
 are  evidence,  that  they  are  still  the  fubjeds,  and  under 
 the  REIGN  of  the  God  of  their  fathers;  and  the  prophecies 
 abound  with  evidence,  that  the  time  will  arrive,  in  -which  their 
 profperity  will  be  infinitely  greater  than  it  hath  ever  yet  been. 
 '*  Behold,  the  days  come,  faith  the  Lord,  that  they  fhall  no  more 
 **  fay,  The  Lord  liveth,  which  brought  up  the  children  of  Ifrael 
 "  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt;  but,  The  Lord  liveth,  which 
 <'  brought  up  and  which  led  the  feed  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael 
 *'  out  of  the  north  country,  and   from  all   countries  whither   I 
 
 "  had 
 
saS  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IL  Part  IT, 
 
 "■'  had  driven  them;  and  thky  shall  dwell  in  their  own 
 "  LAND,"  Jer.  xxiii.  7,  8.  Wherefore  r  Becaufe the  latter  fhall 
 be  fo  much  more  confpicuous  and  fplendid  than  the  former. 
 
 Xcalous.  1  thank  yon  for  your  obfervation,  it  did  not  ftrike 
 me  before  \  but  really  the  words,  "  The  reign  of  God  over  the 
 *■'  Jews  entirely  ended  with  the  abolition  of  the  temple  fervice," 
 leems  to  me  not  only  to  be  unfounded  in  fa6l,  but  it  now  conveys 
 to  MY  mind  an  idea  rather  bordering  on  impiety.  It  is 
 certain  that  the  learned  prelate  did  not  fee  it  in  this  light,  but  fo 
 Lt  appears  to  me  now. 
 
 Cautious,  The  latter  part  of  the  fentence  alfo  feems  to  mc 
 equally  irreconcilable  to  fciipture  ;  "  P"or  as  the  reign  of  God 
 *'  over  the  Jews  entirely  ended  with  the  abolition  of  the  temple 
 "  fervice,  fo  the  reign  of  Chrift  in  spirit  and  in  truth 
 *'  then  had  its  firlt  beginning."  I  am  by  no  means  fatisfied,  that 
 any  fuch  great  alteration  too!:  place  in  the  Chriilian  church,  im- 
 mediately after,  and  in  confequence  of  the  deflruftion  of  Jeru-* 
 falem  ;  fo  far  from  it,  that  we  find  errors  and  herefies  about 
 that  time  fpringing  up.  The  writings  of  the  apoftles  Peter  and 
 Paul,  eftablifn  this  ;  and  the  Eplftles  of  Saint  John  confirm  it, 
 ?.nd  efpecially  the  Epillles  to  tiie  Churches,  Rev.  ii.  and  iii.  re- 
 move all  doubt  concerning  it ;  and  as  I  am  utterly  at  a  lofs  to 
 find  out  any  fuch  great  alteration  in  the  internal  rtate  of  the 
 kingdom  of  Chrift,  commencing  at  the  abolition  of  the  temple 
 ,  fervice,  fo  can  I  by  no  means  with  the  New  Teftament  before 
 mc  allow,  that  the  reign  of  Chrift  in  fpirit  and  in  truth,  had  its 
 FIRST  beginning  at  the  abolition  of  the  temple  fervice.  On 
 the  contrary,  the  reign  of  Chrift  in  spirit  and  in  truth  had 
 its  beginning  in  the  days  of  humiliation.  Did  the  words  and 
 works  of  Chrift  our  Lord  produce  NO  effect  for  fo  many 
 years  r  When  the  Pharifees  demanded,  when  the  kingdom  of 
 God  fhoiild  come,  Luke  xvii.  20.  he  replies,  "  The  kingdom  of 
 '*  God  Cometh  not  v,dth  obfervation:  neither  fliall  they  fay,  lo 
 *'  here!  or,  lo  there!  for,  behold,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within 
 "  YOU  ;"  or,  "  among  you."  What  do6lrine  did  John  preach  ? 
 *'  Repent  ye:  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand,"  Matt. 
 Iii.  2.  How  at  hand:  The  Saviour  cometh,  who  will  declare, 
 "  Blelfed  are  the  poor  in  fpirit  :  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of 
 *'  heaven,"  Matt.  v.  3.  What  kingdom  can  this  be,  but  the 
 kingdom  of  Chrift  in  spirit  and  in  truth:  "Ye  worfhip, 
 *'  ye  know  not  what;  we  know  what  we  worfliip,  for  salva- 
 •'  TiON  IS  OF  THE  Jews  ;  but  the  hour  cometh,  and  now  is, 
 *'  when  the  true  worlhippers  ftiall  worfliip  the  father  in  spirit 
 *'  AND  IN  TRUTH,  for  the  lather  feeketh  fuch  to  worfhip  him. 
 *'  God  is  a  fpirit,  and  they  that  wonhip  him,  muft  worfliip 
 *'  jiim  in  fpirit  and  in  truth."  This  worfliip  may  be  performed 
 in  THE  temple;  but  it  is  not  confined  to,  or  dependant  upon, 
 
 the   EXISTENCE  or    THE    TEMPLE,    OR  THAT  SPLENDID    SER- 
 VICE 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    II.  sog 
 
 VICE  which  cannot  be  performed  except  in  the  temple.  Read 
 the  ad  of  the  Acls,  wherein  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 (in  confequence  of  our  Lord's  promife)  is  related  at  large.  Con- 
 fider  the  efFe6ls  produced  by  the  fermon  which  Peter  preached, 
 under  this  powerful  influence,  '*  They  that  gladly  received  the 
 *'  word  were  baptifed;  and  the  same  day  there  were  added 
 "  unto  them  about  three  thousand  souls."  If  this  was 
 not  a  further  eftablifhment  of  the  kingdom  of  Chrift,  in  spirit 
 and  in  truth,  I  am  utterly  at  a  lofs  to  know  what  it  was! 
 and,  I  think,  that  if  with  thefe  glorious  fa6ts  in  my  recollec- 
 tion, I  were  to  aflfert,  that  the  reign  of  Chrift  in  spirit  and 
 IN  truth  had  only  its  first  beginning  at  the  abolition  of 
 the  temple  fervice,   I  fhould  be  guilty  of  a  great  impiety. 
 
 Zealous.     I  am  perfedlly  fatisfied.     Will  you  make  any  other 
 obfervations  ? 
 
 Cautious.  I  can  by  no  means  agree  with  Bifhop  Newton,  that 
 the  plain  meaning  of  the  words,  *'  Then  (hall  appear  the  fign  of 
 '*  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven ;  and  then  ftiall  all  the  tribes  of  the 
 "  earth  mourn,  and  they  fhall  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in 
 **  the  fclouds  of  heaven,  with  power  and  great  glory."  I  fay,  I 
 can  by  no  means  agree  with  BiOiop  Newton,  that  **  the  plain 
 "  meaning  of  it  is,  that  the  deftru6lion  of  Jerufalem  will  befuch 
 *<  a  remarkable  inftance  of  divine  vengeance,  fuch  a  fignal  mani- 
 "  feftation  of  ChrilVs  power  and  glory,  that  all  the  Jewish 
 "  tribes  fhall  mourn,  and  many  will  be  led  from  thence  to 
 "  acknowledge  Chrift,  and  the  Chriftian  religion."  I  know  of 
 no  evidence  which  can  be  produced  to  prove,  that  their 
 fufferings  induced  any  of  the  Jewifli  tribes  to  mourn,  and  em- 
 brace the  Chriftian  religion  ;  and  the  words  of  the  text  would  not 
 be  accomplillied  by  an  event  of  fuch  fort,  for  the  words  are  all 
 the  tribes  ;  but  I  cannot  refer  to  a  fcrap  of  evidence  which  would 
 even  go  to  the  extent  to  prove,  that  any  fuch  efFeft  was  pro- 
 duced ;  and  if  any  fuch  evidence  exifted,  I  cannot  think  that  the 
 bifhop,  who  was  very  deeply  read  in  hiftory,  would  have  failed 
 to  produce  it.  But  we  are  not  left  to  conje6lure,  that  fuch  an 
 cfFedl  might  have  been  produced,  although  vv^e  cannot  refer  to 
 evidence  to  prove  it  ^  tor,  on  the  contrary,  we  can  refer  to  evi- 
 dence, to  prove  that  no  such  effect  was  produced  upon  the 
 Jewifti  nation,  by  the  dcftrudion  of  Jerufalem  under  Titus.  I 
 refer  you  to  Jofephus,  in  whofe  hiftory  you  will  find,  that  the 
 Jews  endured  their  fufferings  with  great  magnanimity,  and  an 
 unfliaken  mind.  I  refer  you  to  the  account  of  the  Jewifti  fuf- 
 ferings (long  after  the  time  of  Titus)  under  the  emperor  Adrian, 
 to  prove,  that  no  fuch  eifccl  was  produced.  ^  hey  did  not 
 mourn,  but  exceeded  in  bravery,  and  an  unhunibled  and  un- 
 daunted fpirit,  all  the  heroes  of  antiquity. 
 
 The  Jews  are  a   noble   nation,  they  are  (^ourageous  ;  for  very 
 many  ages  paft  they  have  not  been  fubjed  to  that  fear  whereby 
 
 E  e  their 
 
210 
 
 DIALOGUE     II.  Part  II. 
 
 their  anceftors  offended,  Numb.  xiv.  i — 5.  and  although  they 
 humble  themfelves  under  afflictions,  well  knowing  that  no  afflic- 
 tions can  come  upon  them,  that  are  not  under  the  control  of  the 
 Lord  their  God  \  yet  do  they  not  mourn.  The  Gentile  nations, 
 at  lead  thofe  of  them  who  are  inimical  to  the  caufe  and  people  of 
 God,  will  mourn,  indeed,  when  they  fee  "  The  Son  of  Man 
 **  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory," 
 Matt.  xxiv.  30.  they  will  have  caufe  to  mourn  ;  and  when  this 
 great  event  takes  place  Ifrael  will  mourn  alfo,  and  their  mourn- 
 ing will  exceed  the  mourning  of  the  other  nations  of  the  earth: 
 but  the  Jewifti  mourning  will  not  be  like  the  Gentile  mourning,  a 
 lamentation  on  acco\int  of  perfonal  affli6lion  ;  but  a  mourning 
 proceeding  from  finer  feelings,  and  more  exalted  fentiments!  If 
 they  {hould  be  by  demonftration  convinced,  that  he  whom  their 
 anceftors  required  to  be  crucified,  was  that  excellent  and  exalted 
 MefTiah,  which  was  to  rife  up  among  them,  Deut.  xviii.  18.  if 
 they  (hould  be  convinced,  that  he  hath  borne  their  griefs,  and 
 carried  their  forrows  ;  that  he  was  wounded  for  their  tranfgref- 
 fions,  and  bruifed  for  their  iniquities :  if  they  fhould  be  con- 
 vinced that  the  Lord  laid  upon  him  the  iniquities  of  their  nation  ; 
 and  that  he  was  (trickcn  for  the  tranfgredion  of  the  peculiar 
 people  of  God  ;  that  the  Lord  made  his  foul  an  offering  for  fin, 
 ifai.  liii.  3 — 10.  If  they  were  to  experience  a  great  deliverance 
 in  time  to  come,  Zech.  xii.  3 — 10.  and  to  be  by  demonftration 
 convinced,  that  he  was  their  conftant  friend,  and  great  deliverer ; 
 this  were  enough  to  make  them  mourn  indeed.  If  the  fame 
 demonftration  was  afforded  to  them  at  fuch  a  critical  time,  as  was 
 afforded  to  the  difciples,  to  convince  them  that  he  was  adually 
 rifen  from  the  dead;  "  Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is 
 "  I  MYSELF,"  Luke  xxiv.  39.  they  might  well  be  fuppofed  to 
 mourn  indeed,  that  they  and  their  anceftors  ftiould  have  been  fo 
 long  miftaken,  and  under  their  miilake  lliould  have  treated  their 
 beft  friend  fo  unworthily.  The  word  of  the  Lord,  by  Zechariah 
 the  prophet,  is  exprefs  concerning  this  m.ourning  :  "  And  it  (hall 
 "  come  to  pafs  in  that  day,  that  I  will  feek  to  deftroy  all  the 
 *'  nations  that  come  againft  Jerufalem.  And  I  will  pour,  upon 
 **  the  houfe  of  David,  and  u.pon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem, 
 "  the  fpirit  of  grace  and   of  fupplications  ;  and    TfiEY  shall 
 
 "    LOOK  UPON     ME   WHOM     TFIEY   HAVE     PIERCED,    and    they 
 
 "  (liall  MOURN  for  him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  Ion,  and 
 "  ftiall  be  in  bitternefs  for  him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitternefs  for 
 **  his  firft-born.  In  that  day  Ihall  there  be  a  great  mourning 
 '*  in  Jerufalem,  as  the  mourning  of  Hadadrimm^on  in  the  valley 
 *'  of  Megiddon.  And  the  land  ihall  mourn,  every  family  apart ; 
 "  the  family  of  the  houfe  of  David  apart,  and  their  wives  apart ;  . 
 **  the  family  of  the  houfe  of  Nathan  apart,  and  their  wives 
 '*  apart  ;  the  family  of  the  houfe  of  Levi  apart,  and  their  wives 
 *'  apart ;  the  family  of  Shimci  apart,  and  their  wives  apart ;  all 
 
 *'  the 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     11.  5sii 
 
 *^  the  families  that  remain,  every  family  apart,  and  their  "wives 
 *'  apart,"  Zcch.  xii.  9 — 14.  This  event,  when  it  occurs,  will 
 be  a  great  event,  a  confpicuous  event ;  and  it  excites  my  afto- 
 nifliment,  that  the  billiop  ihould  be  fo  very  inattentive,  as  to 
 imagine  that  this  event  is  pail ! 
 
 As  to  Bilhop  Warbiirton's  idea,  "  that  the  prophetic  ftyle 
 *'  feems  to  be  a  fpeaking  hieroglyphic."  Nothing  is  more 
 manifeft  than  that  the  prophetic  ftyle  abounds  in  figure;  but  it 
 by  no  means  follows,  that  a  perfon  capable  of  reading  and  ex- 
 plaining all  the  hieroglyphics  upon  an  Egyptian  obelillc,  would 
 thereby  be  enabled  to  give  a  founder  interpretation  of  a  palfap-e  in 
 the  prophecies,  than  if  he  did  not  poffefs  fuch  knowledge.  I 
 had  rather  form  my  fentiments  'from  the  words  of  Moles,  or 
 the  prophets,  than  to  liilen  to  the  interpretation  of  them  from 
 the  mouth  of  even  an  Egyptian  prieft. 
 
 Zealous.  I  fee  that  your  fentiments  are  very  different  from 
 thofe  I  have  produced,  I  will,  therefore,  thank  you  to  inform 
 me  what  your  fentiments  are  concerning  the  coming  of  Chrifl: 
 in  that  generation. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  of  opinion,  that  all  the  miftakes  upon  this 
 interefting  and  important  fubjeil,  are  to  be  attributed  to  the 
 blending  thofe  things  which  are  in  themfelves  diftindl ;  but  I 
 have  one  queftion  to  put  to  you  before  I  proceed,  I  do  not  want 
 to  anticipate  your  opinion  concerning  our  laft  converfation,  but  I 
 will  candidly  tell  you,  that  my  fentiments  are  favourable 
 TOWARDS  THE  Jcws.  My  qucftion  therefore  is,  Will  fen- 
 timents favourable  towards  the  Jews  offend  you  ?  If  you  think 
 they  will,  we  had  certainly  better  proceed  no  further,  until  you 
 have  fully  made  up  your  mind  upon  the  fubjeil  of  our  laft  con- 
 verfation. 
 
 Zealous.  So  far  from  fuch  fentiments  offending  me,  that  I 
 fliall  rejoice  if  you  can  ftiew  any  GOOD  ground  from  scrip- 
 ture for  me  to  believe  better  things  concerning  the  Jews  than  I 
 have  done. 
 
 Cautious.  Well,  then,  I  will  proceed  with  plcafure,  and  I 
 will  in  the  firft  place  obferve,  that  the  great  do6lrine  of  the  im- 
 mortality of  the  foul,  and  a  judgment  to  come  (which  are  clofely 
 conne6led  with  the  fecond  advent  of  our  Lord)  are  do6lrin"es  of  the 
 Old,  as  well  as  the  New  Teftament.  Tliefe  great  do6lrines 
 have  their  foundation  in  the  belief,  that  the  vifible  creation,  the 
 earth,  and  its  inhabitants,  thofe  things  which  are  difcerned  by 
 our  fenfes,  are  not  the  whole  of  the  works  of  the.  great  Crea- 
 tor! And  this  foundation  doctrine  you  will  find  moft 
 firmly  eftablifticd  in  the  books  of  Mofes.  Can  any  unprejudiced 
 perfon,  with  the  books  of  Mofes  in  his  hand,  doubt  the  exiftence 
 of  the  fd£t,  that  there  are  angels,  fpiritual  beings,  the  exalted 
 fervants  of  the  great  Creator,  employed  by  him,  when  he  fees  fit, 
 in  the  government  and  affairs  of  mankind  ?  Gen.  xvi.  7 — 9.  xxii. 
 
 11. 
 
218  DIALOGUE    II.  Part  II, 
 
 11.  xxiv.  7.  xlvlii,  16.  Ex.  xiv.  19,  &c.  &:c.  Could  the 
 Jews  jiiflly  entertain  a  doubt,  but  that  the  number  of  thefe 
 exalted  fervants  of  their  God  might  be,  and  a£lually  were, 
 augmented  by  thofe  who  in  their  day  and  generation  were  pecu- 
 liarly faithful  upon  earth  ?  Was  it  not  recorded  by  Mofes,  that 
 •'  Enoch  walked  with  God :  and  he  was  not  ;  for  God  took 
 "  him,"  Gen.  v.  24.  The  whole  of  the  Jewiih  fcriptures  bear 
 teftimony  of  the  exiitence  of  a  fpiritual  world,  and  that  there  is 
 a  communication  between  the  fpiritual  world  and  the  vifible 
 creation.  Was  not  Elijah,  that  faithful  and  confpicuous  fervant 
 of  God,  tranflated  from  earth  to  heaven,  without  even  partaking 
 of  death,  2  Kings  ii.  11.  Did  not  Job  in  his  affli6lion  exult  in 
 the  profpe£l  of  another  life  ?  **  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth, 
 *'  and  that  he  fhall  (land  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth  :  and 
 '*  though  after  my  fkin  worms  dellroy  this  body,  yet  In  my  flefh 
 *'  fhall  I  fee  God:  whom  I  fhall  fee  for  myfelf,  and  mine  eyes 
 **  fhall  behold,  and  not  another ;  though  my  reins  be  confumed 
 *'  within  me,"  Job  xix.  25 — 27.  When  David  lofl:  his  fon, 
 did  he  not  comfort  himfelf  with  the  refledion,  "  I  shall  go. 
 TO  HIM,  but  he  fhall  not  return  to  me,"  2  Sam.  xii.  23,  Who- 
 ever therefore  entertains  the  idea,  that  the  ancient  Jews  looked 
 ONLY  to  rewards  in  this  life,  crossly  slanders  them,  and 
 the  fcriptures  which  they  polTefTed.  It  is  true,  that  there  an- 
 ciently exiffed  a  fe6l,  or  party,  among  them,  called  the  Saddu- 
 cees,  who  denied  the  Jewish  doctrine  of  the  resurrec- 
 tion; but  they  were  by  no  means  a  numerous  fedl:,  and  their 
 errors  were  oppofed  by  the  Pharifees,  and  the  Jewifh  people. 
 When  our  Saviour  was  queflioned  by  thefe  Sadducees,  he  replied 
 in  a  manner  that  not  only  filenced  them,  but  in  a  manner  alfo 
 approved  by  the  Scribes  ;  they  perceived  that  he  had  anfwered 
 them  well :  this  Ihews  that  they  believed  in  the  do6lrine  of  the 
 refurre6lion.  Our  Lord's  words  were,  "  Do  ye  not  therefore 
 *'  err,  becaufe  ye  know  not  the  fcriptures,  neither  the  power 
 **  of  God  ?  For  when  they  fhall  rife  from  the  dead,  they  neither 
 *'  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage  ;  but  are  as  the  angels  which 
 *'  are  in  heaven.  And  as  touching  the  dead,  that  they  rife  :  have 
 **  ye  not  read  in  the  book  of  Mofes,  how  in  the  bulh  God  fpake 
 *'  unto  him,  faying,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God 
 "  of  Ifaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob?  He  is  not  the  God  of  the 
 "  dead,  but  the  God  of  the  living:  ye,  therefore,  do  greatly 
 *'  err,"  Mark  xii.  24 — 27.  or  as  St.  Luke  hath  it,  *<  The 
 *'  children  of  this  world  marry,  and  are  given  in  marriage  :  but 
 *'  they  which  fliall  be  accounted  worthy  to  obtain  that  world, 
 *'  and  the  refurreflion  from  the  dead,  neither  marry,  nor  are 
 "  given  in  marriage  :  neither  can  they  die  anymore:  for  they 
 "  are  equal  unto  the  angels  ;  and  are  the  children  of  God,  being 
 **  the  children  of  the  refurre6lion.  Now  that  the  dead  are 
 **  raifed,  even  Mofes  fliewcd  at   the  bufh,  when  he  called  the 
 
 "  Lord 
 
Part  IT.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    II.  213 
 
 **  Lord  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Ifaac,  and  the 
 *'  God  of  Jacob.  For  he  is  not  a  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the 
 **  living:  for  all  live  unto  him.  Then  certain  of  the 
 "  fcribes  anfwering,  faid,  Master,  thou  hast  well  said," 
 Luke  XX.  34 — 39.  But  the  paiTage  which  moft  fully  eftabiillies 
 the  soundness  of  the  faith  of  the  generality  of 
 THE  Jews  in  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection, 
 you  will  find  in  A£ls  xxiii.  6.  where  St.  Paul  avails  himfelf  of 
 the  zeal  of  the  Jews  concerning  this  dbftrine,  to  obtain  a  hear- 
 ing :  for  where  he  perceived  *'  that  the  one  part  were  Sadducees, 
 *'  and  the  other  Pharifees,  he  cried  out  in  the  council,  Men  and 
 **  brethren,  I  am  a  Pharifee,  the   fon  of  a  Pharilee,  of   the 
 
 **    HOPE  and   resurrection    OF    THE  DEAD    I  AM   CALLED 
 
 **  in  question," 
 
 The  doftrine  of  the  refurreftion  implies  a  judo;ment  to  come, 
 but  the  Jews  were  not  left  to  gather  it  by  implication,  they  had 
 paffages  exprefsiy  revealing  it:  *'  The  Lord  fliall  endure  for  ever: 
 **  he  hath  prepared  his  throne  for  judgment.  And  he  fhall  judge 
 "  the  world  in  righteoufnefs,  he  Ihall  minider  to  the  people  in 
 **  uprigntncfs,"  Pf.  ix.  7,  8.  '*  Let  the  heavens  rejoice,  and 
 **  the  earth  be  glad ;  let  the  fea  roar,  and  the  fulnefs  thereof. 
 *'  Let  the  field  be  joyful,  and  all  that  is  therein:  then  fhall  all 
 **  the  trees  of  the   wood   rejoice    before  the   Lord:     for    he 
 
 '*  COMETH,  for  HE  COMETH  TO  JUDGE  THE  EARTH:  HE 
 "  SHALL  JUDGE  THE  WORLD  WITH  RIGHTEOUSNESS,  AND 
 "    THE     PEOPLE     WITH     HIS     TRUTH,"      Pf.    XCvi.     11.        The 
 
 books  of  the  prophets  abound  with  evidence  upon  the  fame  fub- 
 ject,  fo  that  I  fliall  content  myiclf  v/ith  one  quotation:  "  And 
 **  many  of  them  that  llecp  in  i'he  dufl:  of  the  earth  fhall  awake, 
 "  SOME  TO  EVERLASTING  LIFE,  and  fome  to  fhame  and 
 *'  everlalling  contempt.  And  they  that  be  wife  fhall  fhine  as 
 *'  the  brightnefs  of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn,  many  to 
 "  righteoufnefs  as  the  ftars  for  ever  and  ever,"  Dan.  xii.  2,  3, 
 
 Having  premifed  thus  much  concerning  Jewish  faith 
 AND  Jewish  knowledge,  let  me  alTert,  and  I  glory  in 
 making  the  aiFertion,  that  the  dodlrine  of  the  church  of  England 
 is  explicit  upon  this  fubje6l ;  for  it  declares,  *'  They  are  not  to 
 **  be  heard,  which  feign  that  the  old  fathers  did  look  only 
 **  for  tranfitory  promifes,"  Art.  7.  So  that  if  a  bifhop  of  the 
 church  of  England,  were  to  have  adopted  the  calumny  againil 
 the  Jewifh  fathers,  that  they  only  looked  to  promifes  of  prof- 
 perity  in  this  world,  he  fhould  have  refigned  his  preferments, 
 and  his  epifcopal  authority,  and  have  affumed  the  lefs  authoritative 
 character  of  a  nonconformiif ;  for  it  is  diflionourable  in  any  one 
 to  receive  the  honour  and  emolument  attached  to  the  builders, 
 whiKl  he  is  picking  out  the  foundation  If  ones,  by  which  the 
 edifice  is  fupported.     I  will  proceed  to  the  doctrine  o£  our  blelTed 
 
 Saviour, 
 
214 
 
 DIALOGUE     II.  Part  IT, 
 
 Saviour,  which  is  a  further  illuftration  of  this  Jewish    doc- 
 trine. 
 
 The  great  dotSlrine  of  our  Saviour  is,  tliat  there  will  be  a 
 judgment  to  come,  in  which  every  one  will  be  judged  according 
 to  his  works.  "  Verily,  verily,  I  fay  unto  you,  He  that  heareth 
 *'  my  word,  and  bclieveth  on  him  that  fent  me,  hath  ever- 
 "  LASTING  LIFE,  and  fliall  not  come  into  condemnation  ;  but 
 *'  is  palfcd  from  death  unto  life.  Vcvily,  verily,  I  fay  unto 
 **  you.  The  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the  dead  fliall 
 **  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God:  and  they  that  hear  (hall 
 ''  live.  For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himfelf ;  fo  hath  he  given 
 "  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  hirnfelf;  and  hath  given  him  autho- 
 "  rity  to  execute  judgment  alfo,  bccaufe  he  is  the  Son  of  Man. 
 *'  Marvel  not  at  this  :  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the  which  all 
 "  that  are  in  the  graves  Ihall  hear  his  voice,  and  fliall  come 
 "  forth  ;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto  the  refurredlion  of  life ; 
 *'  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  refurre6tion  of  damna- 
 "'  tion,"  John  v.  24 — 29.  **  I  fay  unto  you,  that  every  idle 
 "  word  that  men  fhall  fpcak,  they  fhall  give  account  thereof  in 
 "  the  day  of  judgment,"  Matt.  xii.  36.  '*  And  his  difciples 
 ''  came  unto  him,  faying.  Declare  unto  us  the  parable  of  the 
 •'  tares  of  the  field.  He  anfwered  and  faid  unto  them,  He  that 
 '.'  foweth  the  good  feed  is  the  Son  of  Man ;  the  held  is  the 
 *'  world;  the  good  feed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom;  but 
 "  the  tares  are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one  ;  the  enemy  that 
 *'  fowed  them  is  the  devil  ;  the  hai'veft  is  the  end  of  the  world  ; 
 •'  and  the  reapers  are  the  angels.  As  therefore  the  tares  are 
 •'  gathered  together  and  burnt  in  the  fire,  fo  fliall  it  be  in  the 
 *'  end  of  this  world.  The  Son  oF  Man  fhall  fend  forth  his 
 "'  angels,  and  they  fhall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things 
 ''  that  offend,  and  them  that  do  iniquity;  and  fhall  cafl  them 
 "  into  a  furnace  of  fire  :  there  fhall  be  wailing  and  gnafhing  of 
 *■'  teeth.  Then  fhall  the  righteous  ^liine  forth  as  the  fun  in  the 
 '■'  kingdom  of  their  father.  Who  hatii  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
 "'  hear,"  Matt.  xiii.  36 — 43.  In  the  2,3th  chapter  of  St. 
 Matthew,  we  are  taught  the  great  duty  of  conllant  preparation 
 and  watchfulnefs:  ''Watch,  therefore;  for  ye  know  not  the 
 ■■'  day,  nor  the  hour,  wherein  the  Son  of  Man  cometh."  And 
 ilsat  all  our  abilities,  and  all  the  gifts  of  God,  are  given  unto  us 
 ;  ^r  our  improvement,  and  to  be  accounted  for  at  the  day  of 
 \  igment,  which  he  proceeds  to  delcribe  in  thefe  words  : 
 "  When  the  Son  of  Man  fliall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the 
 "  holy  angels  with  him,  then  ihall  he  fit  upon  the  throne  of  his 
 "  glory:  and  before  him  fhall  be  gathered  all  nations:  and  he 
 '■  'hall  feparate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  fhepherd  dividcth 
 '•  I'lis  flieep  from  the  goats:  and  he  fliall  fet  the  fliecp  on  his 
 "■  right  hand,  but  the  goats  on  the  left.  I'hen  fliall  the  king 
 *'   C:\y  unto  them  on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blefled  of  my 
 
 "Tathcrj 
 
Part  11.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    II.  215 
 
 *'  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foun- 
 "  dation  of  the  world ;  tor  I  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me 
 *'  meat :  I  was  thirfty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink  :  I  was  a  Itranger, 
 **  and  ye  took  me  in:  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  :  I  was  lick, 
 *'  and  ye  viHted  me  :  I  was  in  prifon,  and  ye  came  unto  me. 
 *'  Th>en  fhall  the  righteous  anfwer  him,  faying,  Lord,  when 
 *'  faw  we  thee  an  hungred,  and  fed  thee?  Or  thirity  and  gave 
 **  thee  drink?  When  faw  we  thee  a  (tranger,  and  took  thee  in? 
 **  Or  naked,  and  clothed  thee  ?  Or  when  faw  we  thee  fick,  or 
 *'  in  prifon,  and  came  unto  thee  ?  And  the  king  fliall  anfwer 
 *'  and  fay  imto  them.  Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  inafmuch  as  yc 
 **  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  lead  of  thefe  my  brethren,  ye 
 *'  have  done  it  unto  me.  Then  fliall  he  fay  alfo  unto  them  on  the 
 **  left  hand.  Depart  from  me,  ye  curfed,  into  everlafting  fire, 
 **  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels  :  for  I  was  an  hungred, 
 *'  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat :  I  was  thirily,  and  ye  gave  me  no 
 *'  drink:  I  was  a  flranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in:  naked,  and 
 *'  ye  clothed  me  not:  fick,  and  in  prifon,  and  ye  vifited  me 
 *'  not.  Then  fliall  they  alfo  anfwer  him,  faying.  Lord,  when 
 *'  faw  \Ve  thee  an  hungred,  or  athirft,  or  a  llranger,  or  naked, 
 *'  or  lick,  or  in  prifon,  and  did  not  minifter  unto  thee  ?  Then 
 **  fhall  he  anfwer  them,  faying,  Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  inafmuch 
 *'  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  ot  the  Icait  of  thefe,  ye  did  it  not  to 
 *'  me.  And  thefe  (hall  go  away  into  everlalHng  punifhment: 
 *'  but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal,"  Matt.  xxv.  31 — 46, 
 
 Here  is  the  great  day  of  judgment  defcribed,  in  which  all 
 nations  (hall  be  gathered  before  our  Lord  for  judgment  ;  and 
 as  above  1700  years  have  elapfed  fince  thefe  words  were  fpoken, 
 and  this  great  day  hath  not  yet  arrived,  nothing  can  be  more 
 manifeil  tlian  this,  that  if  thofe  Chriltians,  who  lived  in  the  hrli" 
 century,  expected  this  great  day  to  take  place  in  that  ge- 
 neration, that  they  were  milbken.  It  is  obferved  by  the 
 bilhop  you  have  quoted,  that  "  there  was  a  current  opinion  in 
 '*  THOSE  l^ancient]  times,  that  the  confummation  of  all  things 
 "  was  at  hand,  which  hath  afforded  an  handle  to  an  inhdel 
 *'  objeftion  in  these  ;  infmuatingthat  Jefiis,  in  order  to  keep 
 **  his  followers  attached  to  his  fervice,  and  patient  tmder  fiiftlr- 
 **  ings,  Mattered  them  with  the  near  approach  of  thofe  rewards 
 "  which  conipleted  all  their  views  and  expectations, '"  I  believe 
 it  is  generally  admitted  to  be  the  fad,  that  there  were 
 AMONG  THEM  SUCH  EXPECTATIONS  ;  but  there  is  more  con- 
 viilion  conveyed  to  my  mind,  by  one  fentence  extracted  trom 
 fciiptiire,  than  from  a  volume  of  other  evidence;  and  fcripture 
 gives  tciiimony  to  the  fad,  that  there  was  a  current  opinion,  or 
 conjedure  to  this  elfcd  in  tlie  f.rit  century.  I  Ihall  quote  but 
 two  pailages  to  prove  it.  Our  Lord  having  informed  Peter  by 
 what  mode  of  death  he  would  glorify  God,  "  Peter  turning  about, 
 f<  leeth  the  difciplc  whom  Jcfus   loved   following,    which  aUV) 
 
 "  leaned 
 
si6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  Part  11. 
 
 *'  leaned  on  his  breaft  at  fupper,  and  faid,  Lord,  which  is  he 
 "  that  betrayeth  thee  ?  Peter  feeing  him,  faith  to  Jefus,  Lord, 
 **  and  what  ihall  this  man  do  ?  Jefus  faith  unto  him,  If  I  will 
 
 "    THAT     HE     TARRY     TILL    1     COME,     WHAT    IS     THAT     TO 
 
 '<  THEE  ?  Follov/  thou  me.  Then  went  this  faying  abroad 
 **  among  the  brethren,  that  that  disciple  should  not  die  : 
 *'  yet  Jefus  faid  not  unto  him,  He  lliall  not  die  ;  but,  if  I  will 
 *'  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee,"  John  xxi. 
 20 — 23.  Not  die  ?  How  could  the  brethren  adopt  fuch  an 
 opinion  r  It  is  plain  enough  how  they  came  to  adopt  the  opinion 
 that  he  fhould  not  die.  The  coming  of  our  Lord,  conveyed  to 
 their  minds  the  idea  of  Chrifl's  coming  to  judgment;  and  if  St. 
 John  was  to. tarry  until  tlie  coming  of  our  Lord  to  judgment,  did 
 it  not  necelfarily  follow  that  he  would  not  die  ?  This  is  a  proof, 
 that  many  of  the  brethren  looked  for  the  day  of  judgment  in  that 
 generation  ;  and  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  conveyed  to  their, 
 minds  the  coming  of  Chrift  to  judgment. 
 
 The  other  palTage  which  I  fliall  quote  to  prove,  that  the 
 brethren  expeiied  that  the  day  of  general  judgment  was  at  hand, 
 and  that  it  v>^ould  adually  take  place  in  that  generation,  is  the 
 conclufion  that  they  formed  from  a  paiFage  in  St.  Paul's  firit 
 Epirtle  to  the  Thefialonians.  It  is  as  follows:  "  But  I  would 
 *'  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren,  concerning  them  which 
 *'  are  afleep,  that  ye  forrow  not,  even  as  others  which  have  no 
 **  hope.  For  if  we  believe  that  Jefus  died  and  rofe  again,  even 
 **  fo  them  alfo  which  ileep  in  Jefus  "will  God  bring  with  him. 
 *'   For  this  we  fay  unto  you   by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  we 
 
 "    WHICH   are    alive     AND     REMAIN     UNTO     THE     COMING. 
 
 **  OF  THE  Lord,    fhall   not  prevent  them  which  are  alleep. 
 
 **  For  the  Lord  himfelf  Ihall  dcfcend  from  heaven  with  a  fliout, 
 
 "  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God: 
 
 "  and  the  dead  in  Chriil   Ihall   rife  firft :  then  we  which  are 
 
 *'  ALIVE  AND  REMAIN  SHALL  BE  CAUGHT  UP  TOGETHER 
 *'  WITH  TflEM  IN  THE  CLOUDS,  TO  MEET  THE  LoRD  IN 
 *'    THE     AIR:     AND     SO     SHALL     WE      EVER     BE     WITH     THE 
 
 *'  Lord.  Wherefore  oonifort  one  another  with  thefe  words," 
 X  Their,  iv.  13 — 18.  The  manifeft  intent  of  this  paffage,  is  to 
 comfort  them  concerning  them  which  "sleep  in  Jesus," 
 thole  who  had  departed  this  life  in  faith  ;  and  the  ground  on 
 which  the  comfort  he  adminiitcrs  is  founded,  is  the  blelfed  doc- 
 trine, that  they  are  with  God  in  a  itate  of  happinefs,  and  will 
 be  his  attendants  Avhen  he  Cometh  to  judgment.  As  the  paiTage 
 is  introduced  in  fuch  language  as  to  leave  it  out  of  all  doubt  that 
 this  is  the  intent  of  the  paifage,  that  they  might  not  be  ignorant, 
 and  forrow  as  thofe  who  have  no  hope,  *'  concerning  them 
 "  which  are  alleep^"  fo  do  the  concluding  words  fully  prove, 
 that  this  was  the  intent,  *'  Wherefore  comfort  one  another  with 
 "  thefe  words:"  biit  ihcfe  words,  ,wc  find,  produced  another 
 
 EFFECT, 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  217 
 
 EFFECT.  There  is  no  defire  flrongcr  in  the  human  mind  than 
 that  inclination  to  fee  into  futurity,  which  we  not  only  feel  in 
 oiirfelves,  but  find  it  to  be  the  difpofition  of  mankind  in  all  ages. 
 This  difpofition  is  by  no  means  a  fault,  if  it  is  confined  in  proper 
 bounds :  it  is  only  when  it  exceeds  thefe  bounds,  and  becomes 
 a  reitlefs  difpofition  to  pry  into  futurity,  and  to  guefs  at  what  is 
 not  revealed  unto  us  •  when  it  becomes  a  defire  to  be  wife  above 
 what  is  written,  then  it  becomes  a  fault,  and  is  reprehenfible. 
 Nothing  can  be  clearer  than  that  our  Saviour  foretold  the  de- 
 ltru(5;fi()n  of  Jerufalem,  as  an  event  that  would  take  place  in  that 
 generation  ;  that  was  the  event  that  they  were  to  keep  in  their 
 eye.  It  was  their  duty,  it  was  their  interefl  to  keep  this  always 
 betore  them  ;  not  to  exult  in  the  event  when  it  ffiould  happen, 
 but  to  avoid  the  mifery,  by  following  their  Saviour's  directions, 
 and  efcaping  for  their  lives,  Matt.  xxiv.  16.  Mark  xiii.  14. 
 Luke  xxi.  21.  But  when  they  put  the  queftion,  A6fs  i.  6 — 8. 
 "  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  reftore  again  the  kingdom  to 
 "  Ifraelr"  He  replies,  *'  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times 
 *■'  or  the  feafons,  which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power. 
 "  But  fe  fliall  receive  power,  after  that  the  Holy  Ghofl  is  come 
 . "  upon  you:  and  ye  Ihall  be  witnelfes  unto  me  both  in  Jerii- 
 "  falem,  and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  utter- 
 *'  moll  parts  of  the  earth." 
 
 Now  it  appears  plain  from  the  fecond  chapter  of  the  fecond 
 Epiltle  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Theffalonians,  that  inltcad  of  this 
 palfage  in  his  firft  Epiille  having  produced  the  comforting  effed: 
 that  it  was  intended  to  produce,-  that  in  many  of  them  it  pro- 
 duced a  quite  contrary  effeil ;  they  thought  that  the  day  of 
 Chrift,  the  day  ot  judgment,  was  to  take  place  in  that  genera- 
 tion. Let  us  fee  whether  perfons  entertaining  Inch  an  idea, 
 might  not  find  fome  food  for  conje6lure  in  the  palfage  we  have 
 quoted  from  the  firif  Epiltle?  **  We  which  are  alive  and  remain 
 *'  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord." — ''  We  which  are  alive  and 
 *'  remain  fhall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds, 
 "  to  m.eet  the  Lord  in  the  air:  and  fo  fhall  we  ever  be  with  the 
 "  Lord,"  1  Their,  iv.  1,5,  ly.  Although  the  fpirit  and  mean- 
 ing, the  intent  with  which  the  palfage  was  written,  was  evi- 
 dently to  COMFORT  them  concerning  thofe  who  had  departed 
 this  life  in  taith  ;  yet  we  fee  that  it  afforded  them  an  opportunity 
 to  draw  a  conclufion  concerning  this  their  opinion,  and  they  con- 
 cluded that  they  had  now  the  authority  of  the  apoftle  Paul,  to 
 confirm  their  opinion,  that  the  very  day  of  genera]  judgment 
 was  at  hand;  but  the  apofflc  did  not  permit  them  to  remain  in 
 error,  for  in  his  fecond  Epiltle  (which  appears  to  have  been 
 written  very  foon  afterwards]  he  fets  them  right,  admonifhes, 
 and  inltru6ts  them  in  thefe  words  :  "  Now  we  befeech  you,  bre- 
 *'  thren,  by  [or  concerning]  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chrilt, 
 ''  and  bv  our  gathering  together  unto  him,  that  ye  be  not  foon  fliaken 
 .  '  F  f  "  in 
 
2i8  DIALOGUE    IL  Part  IT. 
 
 *'  in  mind,  or  be  troubled,  neither  by  fpirit,  nor  by  word,  nor 
 *'  by  letter  as  from  us,  as  that  the  day  of  Chrifl  is  at  hand. 
 **  Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means  :  for  that  day  fhall  not 
 **  come,  except  there  come  a  falling  away  firft,  and  that  man  of 
 *'  hn  be  revealed,  the  fon  of  perdition  ;  who  oppofeth  and  ex- 
 *'  alteth  himfelf  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  wor- 
 *'  ftiipped;  fo  that  he  as  God  fitteth  in  the  temple  of  God, 
 *'  fhewing  himfelf  that  he  is  God.  Remember  ye  not,  that 
 *'  when  I  was  yet  with  you,  I  told  you  thefe  things?  And 
 *'  now  ye  know  what  withholdeth,  that  he  might  be  revealed  in 
 *'  his  time.  For  the  myrtcry  of  iniquity  doth  already  work: 
 *'  only  he  who  now  Ictteth  will  let,  until  he  be  taken  out  of  the 
 *'  way.  And  then  fliall  that  wicked  be  revealed,  whom  the 
 **  Lord  fhall  confume  with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  fhall 
 *'  dellroy  with  the  brightnefs  of  his  coming  :  even  him,  whofe 
 *'  coming  is  after  the  working  of  Satan  with  all  power  and  figns 
 *'  and  lying  wonders,  and  with  all  deceivablenefs  of  unrighte- 
 *'  oufnefs  in  them  that  periih  ;  becaufe  they  received  not  the 
 **  love  of  the  truth,  that  they  might  be  faved.  And  for  this 
 **  caufe  God  ihall  fend  them  ftrong  delufion,  that  they  fliould 
 *'  believe  a  lie:  that  they  all  might  be  damned  who  believed  not 
 *'  the  truth,  but  had  pleafure  in  unrighteoufnefs,"  2  TheflT.  ii. 
 1 — 12.  We  are  not  therefore  to  take  the  allegation  as  fully  and 
 incontrovertibly  eftabliihed.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  pri- 
 mitive Chrillians  universally  looked  for  the  day  of  judg- 
 ment, as  an  event  to  be  expedled  in  that  generation. 
 That  there  was  fuch  an  opinion  among  them,  is  very  plain,  from 
 BOTH  the  palfages  I  have  quoted;  but  is  it  not  as  plain,  that 
 St.  Paul  fets  them  right  in  the  paffage  I  have  quoted  ;  and  doth 
 not  St.  John  enter  his  protefl  againft  the  conclufion  drawn  by  the 
 brethren  concerning  himfelf,  **  Yet  Jefus  faid  not  unto  him,  he 
 **  fhall  not  die:  but,  if  I  will  that  he  tarry  until  I  come,  what  is 
 *'  that  to  thee  ?"  John  xxi.  23. 
 
 Zealous.  St.  Paul  certainly  is  pofitive  that  they  were  not 
 to  expe6l  the  coming  of  Chrifl,  until  after  this  wicked  one  (whom 
 the  apoftle  John  calls  Antichrift)  fhould  appear ;  and  he 
 intimates,  that  the  coming  of  Chrifl  would  be,  to  deflroy  this 
 great  enemy,  **  whom  the  Lord  fliall  confume  with  the  fpirit 
 *'  of  his  mouth,  and  fhall  dellroy  with  the  brightnefs  of  his 
 *'  coming."  And  it  is  plain,  that  St.  John  enters  his  protelf, 
 as  it  were,  and  does  not  agree  to  the  conclufion  formed  by  the 
 brethren,  as  to  the  circumflance  that  he  was  not  to  die ;  and  it 
 is  clear  enough  that  he  was  right,  and  they  were  miilaken  in 
 forming  fuch  an  opinion. 
 
 Cautious.  Although  the  brethren  formed  a  wrong  conclufion 
 from  thefe  words  of  our  Lord,  <*  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I 
 *'  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?"  Yet  every  word  which  flowed 
 from  the  blelTed  lips  of  our  Lord,  will  be  found  to  be   full   of 
 
 fpirit 
 
Part  U.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     II.  eig, 
 
 fpirit  and  life,  and  I  ihall  in  due  time  come  to  the  confideration 
 ot  thefe  words,  which  will  be  found  to  throw  great  light  upon 
 the  fubjedl  we  have  been  confidering  ;  but  before  we  proceed 
 any  further,  let  me  inquire  how  you  ftand  afFedled  with  the 
 arguments  I  hav^e  produced  ? 
 
 Zealous.  Although  I  am  ever  cautious  to  avoid  being  led  away 
 ■with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  Ephef,  iv.  14.  and  Ihall  certainly 
 well  conlider  your  oblervations  and  opinions,  before  I  adopt 
 them  as  my  own ;  yet  I  have  no  hefitation  in  faying,  that  I 
 THINK  you  have  proved  to  my  fatisfadlion,  hrif,  that  the  king- 
 dom of  Chrift  in  fpirit  and  in  truth,  had  its  commencement  long 
 before  the  deft:ru£lion  of  Jerufalem;  and  confequently  that  the 
 bifliop  is  WRONG  in  {fating  that  the  reign  of  Chriltdn  fpirit  and 
 in  truth,  had  then  its  firlt  beginning.  Secondly,  I  think  that 
 we  have  no  good  ground,  no  evidence  which  will  be  found  Xo- 
 juftify  the  idea  of  Bifhop  Newton,  that  the  Jewilh  calamities 
 occafioned  that  penetential  mourning  among  them,  and  that 
 MANY  of  them  from  thence  embraced  the  Chrillian  religion.. 
 Thirdly,  I  am  of  opinion,  that  if  any  evidence  could  be  produced 
 (which  I  own  I  do  not  think  is  likely,  as  the  bifhop  was  a  great 
 hiltorian  and  does  not  refer  to  any  fuch  evidence)  yet  I  think 
 that  the  mourning  mentioned  in  the  text  is  an  event  fo  very 
 confpicuous,  that  it  is  next  to  impoiTible  for  it  to  have  happened, 
 without  its  being  generally  known,  and  forming  an  important 
 ^RA  in  the  Chriftian  church;  the  word  being  all:  "And 
 *'  then  Ihall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn:  and  they  flial 
 "  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with 
 *'  power  and  great  glory."  I  mufl  therefore  profefs,  that  I 
 believe  this  is  an  event  which  hath  not  yet  been  accompli  Hied. 
 Fourthly,  I  have  already  exprelled  myfelf  fatislied,.  that  although 
 it  is  evident  that  many  of  the  primitive  Chriflians  expedled  the 
 near  approach  of  the  day  of  judgment  ;  yet  that  they  were  cau- 
 tioned and  correcled  in  thefe  their  expe£fations,  both  by  St. 
 John  and  St.  Paul:  but  fifthly,  the  point  which  I  think  to  be  of 
 the  greatefl  importance,  and  in  which  I  think  that  the  Bilhop  of 
 Gloucefter  is  moll  erroneous,  is  his  idea  that  *'  God's  reign  over 
 *'  the  Jews  entirely  ended  with  the  abolition  of  the  temple 
 *'  fervice."  I  am  altoniihed  that  I  iliould  ever  have  read  luch 
 words,  wdthout  difcovering  how  dire£lly  contrary  they  are  to  the 
 uniform  teitimony  of  fcripture.  It  is  the  part  of  a  fovereign  to 
 punifh  his  difobedient  fubjedls  ;  and  I  agree  with  you,  that  the 
 Jewilh  fufFerings  are  evidence,  tliat-they  ever  have  been,  and  now 
 are,  under  the  government  and  chaftifement  of  the  God  of  their 
 fathers,  and  that  when  they  are  fufficiently  humbled,  and  return 
 to  the  Lord  their  God  with  all  their  heart,  and  all  their  foul, 
 that  he  will  reltore  them,  and  rejoice  over  them  to  do  them  good, 
 as  he  rejoiced  over  their  fathers,  Deut.  xxx.  9, 
 
220 
 
 DIALOGUE     III.  Part  II, 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  perfc(5lly  fatisficd.  It  is  my  fmcerc  wirti  that 
 yon  Ihould  well  examine  thefe  things  before  you  adopt  my  opi- 
 nions ;  but  I  fee  that' the  rcafons  I  have  given,  have  made  as 
 much  imprellion  upon  your  mind  as  I  could  willi  ;  I  will,  there- 
 fore, in  our  next  converfation,  requeft  your  attention  to  thofc 
 paflasjes,  in  which  our  Saviour  fpeaks  of  the  dcRrudion  of 
 Jerufalem,    and  of  his   coming  in  the   clouds   with   power  and 
 
 great  glory. 
 
 THIRD    DIALOGUE. 
 
 In  ivhich  it  is  proved  that  the  Coming  of  our  Lord  "  in  the  Clouds  oj 
 '*  Heaven   with  Foiuer  and  great  Glory,"  as  declared  in  Matt. 
 
 '  xxiv.  Mark  xiii.  and  Luke  xxi.  is  an  Event  to  take  place  inwie- 
 diatcly  after  the  Tribulations  of  the  yews  are  ended;  and  confe- 
 quently,  that  every  Cireumflancc  which  tends  to  encourage  the  Hope 
 that  the  Jcwijh  Sufferings  arc  nearly  ended,  tends  alfo  to  an  AfJ'urance 
 that  the  Coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  Clouds  of  Heaven  with  Power 
 and  great  Glory,  is  an  Event  to  be  foon  expcilcd;  and  the  dreadful 
 Errors  of  Doctor  JVarburton,  Bijhop  of  Gloucejlcr,  and  DoSfor 
 Newton,  Bijh'jp  of  Brijlol  (who  reprefent  this  Coming  of  our  Lord 
 as  already  pall )  cxaituncil  and  tyfutcd. 
 
 CAUTIOUS    AND    ZEALOUS. 
 
 Cautious.   ^\1\T  ^  ^ic  now  to  confider  thofe  palTages  in  which 
 V  V      our  Saviour  Ipeaks  of  the  deltrudion  of  Jeru- 
 falem, and  of  his  fubfequent  appearance  in  the  clouds  with  power 
 and  great  glory. 
 
 Zealous.  1  have  turned  to  thefe  paffages,  and  find  that  it  is  in 
 the  24th  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  the  13th  of  St.  Mark, 
 and  the  2 ill  of  St.  Luke,  that  thefe  things  are  fo  fully  re- 
 lated. 
 
 Cautious.  Let  us  compare  thefe  three  pafTages  together:  for 
 which  purpofe,  and  efpecially  to  mark  the  distinction  of 
 THE  PARAGRAPHS  (which  is  loo  frequently  overlooked  in  the 
 common  divifion  of  the  text  into  chapters  and  verfes)  I  have 
 tranfcribed  thefe  paffages,  that  you  may  refer  to  them  as  we 
 proceed. 
 
 St.  Matthew. 
 
 *'  And  Jefus  went  out  and  departed  from  the  temple  :  and  his 
 '*  difciples  came  to  him  for  to  ihew  him  the  buildings  of  the  tem- 
 "  pie.     And  Jefus  faid  unto  them,    Sec  ye  not  ail  thefe  things  ? 
 
 "   Verily 
 
Part   IL  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     III.  221 
 
 "   Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  there  (hall  not  be  left  here  one  ftonc  upon 
 *'  another,  that  Ihall  not  be  thrown  down,"  Matt.  xxiv.  1,  2. 
 
 *'  And  as  he  fat  upon  the  mount  of  Olives,  the  difciples  canie 
 *'  unto  him  privately,  faying.  Tell  us,  when  ihall  thefe  things 
 "  be?  and  what  iliall  be  the  ilgn  of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  end 
 "  of  the  world  ?  And  Jefus  anfwered  and  faid  unto  them,  Take 
 "  heed  that  no  man  deceive  you.  For  many  ihall  come  in  my 
 '*  name,  laying,  I  am  Chriit ;  and  ihall  deceive  many.  And  ye 
 *'  ihall  hear  of  wars,  and  rumours  of  wars:  i'ee  that  ye  be  not 
 *'  troubled:  for  all  thefe  things  mud  come  to  pafs,  but  the  end 
 "  is  not  yet.  For  nation  ihall  rife  againft  nation,  and  kingdom 
 "  againft  kingdom  :  and  there  ihall  be  famines,  and  peftilences, 
 "  and  earthquakes,  in  divers  places.  All  theie  are  the  beginning 
 "  of  forrows.  Then  ihall  they  deliver  you  u.p  to  be  affliiled, 
 "  and  ihall  kill  you:  and  ye  ihall  be  hated  of  all  nations  ior  my 
 *'  name's  fake.  And  then  many  ihall  be  offended,  and  iliall  be- 
 ^'  tray  one  another,  and  iliall  hate  one  another.  And  many 
 *'  falic  prophets  fhall  rife,  and  ihall  deceive  many,  Andbecaufe 
 *'  iniquity  ihall  abound,  the  love  of  many  ihall  wax  cold.  But 
 *'  he  that  fliall  endure  unto  the  end,  the  fame  ihall  be  faved. 
 **  And  this  gofpel  of  the  kingdom  ihall  be  preached  in  all  the 
 "  world  for  a  witnefs  unto  all  nations;  and  then  ihall  the  end 
 '*  come.  When  yc  therefore  ihall  fee  the  abomination  of  defo- 
 *'  lation,  ipoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  ftand  in  the  holy 
 *'  place,  (whofo  readeth,  let  him  undcrffandj  :  then  let  them 
 *'  which  be  in  Judea  flee  into  tlie  mountains:  let  him  which  is 
 "  on  the  houfe  top  not  come  down  to  take  any  thing  out  of  his 
 "  houi'e  :  neither  let  him  which  is  in  the  field  return  back  to  take 
 *'  his  clothes.  And  woe  unto  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to 
 *'  them  that  give  fuck  in  thofe  days!  But  pray  ye  that  your 
 *'  flight  be  not  in  the  winter,  neither  on  the  fubbath-day  :  for 
 *'  then  ihall  be  great  tribulation,  fuch  as  was  not  iince  the  be- 
 **  ginning  of  the  world,  to  this  time,  no,  nor  ever  ihall  be. 
 *'  And  except  thofe  days  fliould  be  iliortcned,  there  ihonld  no 
 "  fleih  be  faved:  but  for  the  cledl's  lake  thofe  days  Ihall  be 
 *'  ihortcned.  Then  if  any  man  ihall  iay  unto  you,  Lo,  liere  is 
 "  Chrift,  or  there:  believe  it  not.  For  there  ilvM  ariie  falfe 
 "  Chriils,  and  falfe  prophets,  and  fliall  fliew  great  hgns  and 
 "  wonders;  infomuch  that,  if  it  were  poihble,  they  fhall  deceive 
 *'  the  very  eled:.  Behold,  I  have  told  you  before.  Wherefore 
 **  if  they  ihall  fay  unto  you.  Behold,  he  is  in  the  defert  ;  go  not 
 *'  forth:  behold,  he  is  in  the  fecret  chambers ;  believe  it  not. 
 "  For  as  the  lightning  Cometh  out  of  the  eail,  and  fliineth  even 
 "  unto  the  weft  ;  fo  iliall  alfo  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man 
 *'  be.  For  wherefoever  the  carcafe  is,  there  will  the  eagles  be 
 *'  gathered  together,"  Matt.  xxiv.  3. — 28. 
 
 *'   Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days',  fhall  the 
 "  fun  be  darkened,  and  tb.e  raocn  Ihall  not  give   her  light,  and 
 
 *'  the 
 
22*  DIALOGUE     Iir.  Part  If. 
 
 the  flars  ftiall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens 
 fhall  be  Ihaken :  and  then  Ihall  appear  the  fign  of  the  Son  of 
 Man  in  heaven:  and  then  Ihall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth 
 mourn,  and  they  ihall  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds 
 of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  And  he  Ihall  fend  his 
 angels  with  a  great  found  ot  a  trumpet,  and  they  Ihall  gather 
 together  his  eledf  from  the  tour  winds,  Irom  one  end  of  heaven 
 to  the  other.  Now  learn  a  parable  ot  the  fig-tree  ;  when  his 
 branch  is  yet  tender,  and  putteth  forth  leaves,  ye  know  that 
 fummer  is  nigh :  fo  likewife  ye,  when  ye  fhall  fee  all  thefe 
 things,  know  that  it  is  near,  even  at  the  doors.  Verily  I  fay 
 unto  you,  this  generation  fhall  not  pafs,  till  all  thefe  things 
 be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  Ihall  pals  away,  but  my  words 
 Ihall  not  pafs  away,"  Matt,  xxiv,  29 — 3^. 
 **  But  of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the 
 angels  of  heaven,  but  my  Father  only.  But  as  the  days  of 
 Noe  were,  fo  fhall  alfo  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be. 
 For  as  in  the  days  that  were  before  the  flood  they  were  eating 
 and  drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in ,_  marriage,  until  the  day 
 that  Noe  entered  into  the  ark,  and  knew  not  until  the  flood 
 came,  and  took  them  all  away ;  fo  fhall  alfo  the  coming  of 
 the  Son  of  Man  be.  Then  fhall  two  be  in  the  field;  the  one 
 ihall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left.  Two  women  fhall  be 
 grinding  at  the  mill ;  the  one  fhall  be  taken,  mid  the  other 
 left,'"'  Matt.  xxiv.  3^ — 41, 
 
 "  Watch  therefore  :  for  ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord 
 doth  come.  But  know  this,  that  if  the  good  man  of  the  houfe 
 had  known  in  what  watch  the  thief  would  come,  he  would 
 have  watched,  and  would  not  have  fuffertd  his  houfe  to  be. 
 broken  up.  Therefore  be  ye  alfo  ready  :  for  In  fuch  an  hour 
 as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  Man  cometh.  Who  then  is  a 
 faithful  and  wife  fervant,  whom  his  lord  hath  made  ruler  over 
 his  houfehold,  to  gi\e  them  meat  in  due  feaionf  Bleifed  is  tliat 
 fervant,  whom  his  lord  when  he  cometh  Ihall  find  fo  doing. 
 Verily  I  fay  mito  you,  that  he  ihall  make  him  ruler  over  all 
 his  goods.  But  and  if  that  evil  fervant  Ihall  fay  in  his  heart. 
 My  lord  delayeth  his  coming ;  and  fhall  begin  to  fmite  his 
 fellow-fervants,  and  to  eat  and  drink  with  the  drunken  ;  the 
 lord  of  that  fervant  Ihall  come  in  a  day  when  he  looketh  not 
 for  him,  and  in  an  hour  that  he  is  not  aware  of,  and  fhall  cut 
 him  afunder,  and  appoint  him  his  portion  with  the  hypocrites: 
 there  fhall  be  weeping  and  gnalhing  of  teeth,"  Matt.  xxiv. 
 42—51. 
 
 St.  Mark. 
 
 •*  And  as  he  went  out  of  the  temple,  one  of  his  difciples  faith 
 **  unto  him,  Mafter,  fee  what  manner  of  flones  and  what  build- 
 *'  ings  are  here  !  And  Jefus  anfwering  faid  unto  hiin,  Seeft  thoit 
 
 <'  thel« 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     III.  S23 
 
 thefe  great  buildings  ?  There  ill  all  not  be  left  one  flone  upon 
 another,  that  (hall  not  he  thrown  down.  And  as  he  fat  upon 
 the  mount  of  Olives  over  againit  the  temple,  Peter,  and  James, 
 and  John,  and  Andrew  aiked  him  privately,  tell  us,  When  lliall 
 thefe  things  be  r  And  what  fh all  be  the  fign  when  all  thefe 
 things  lliall  be  fulfilled?  And  Jefus  anfwering  them  began  to 
 fay,  Take  heed  left  any  man  deceive  you  :  for  many  fliall  come 
 in  my  name,  faying,  I  am  Chrift,  and  fhall  deceive  many. 
 And  when  ye  fhall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of  wars,  be  ye 
 not  troubled  :  for  fuch  things  muft  needs  be  ;  but  the  end  fhall 
 not  be  yet.  For  nation  (hall  rife  againit  nation,  and  kingdom 
 againft  kingdom:  and  there  ihall  be  earthquakes  in  divers 
 places,  and  there  fhall  be  famines  and  troubles  :  thefe  are  the 
 beginnings  of  forrows,"  Mark  xiii.  1 — 8. 
 
 "  But  take  heed  to  yoin-felves  :  for  they  fhall  deliver  you  up 
 to  councils  ;  and  in  the  fynagogues  ye  fliall  be  beaten  :  and  ye 
 fliall  be  brought  before  rulers  and  kings  for  my  fake,  for  a 
 teflimony  againft  them.  And  the  gofpel  muft  firft  be  publilhed 
 among  all  nations.  But  when  they  fhall  lead  you,  and  deliver 
 you  u»p,  take  no  thought  beforehand  what  ye  fhall  fpeak,  nei- 
 ther do  ye  premeditate  :  but  whatfoever  fliall  be  given  you 
 in  that  hour,  that  fpeak  ye  :  for  it  is  not  ye  that  fpeak,  but 
 the  Holy  Ghoft.  Now  the  brother  fhall  betray  the  brother  to 
 death,  and  the  father  the  fon  ;  and  children  ihall  rife  up  againit 
 their  parents,  and  Ihall  caufe  them  to  be  put  to  death.  And  yc 
 fhall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's  fake  :  but  he  that  fhall 
 endure  unto  the  end,  the  fame  ihall  be  faved,"  Mark  xiii.  9-13. 
 "  But  when  ye  fliall  fee  the  abomination  of  defolation,  fpoken 
 of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  ftanding  where  it  ought  not  (let 
 him  that  readeth  underftand)  then  let  them  that  be  in  Judca 
 flee  to  the  mountains  :  and  let  him  that  is  on  the  houfe  top  not 
 go  down  into  the  houfe,  neither  enter  therein,  to  take  any 
 thing  out  of  his  houfe  :  and  let  him  that  is  in  the  field  not  turn 
 back  again  for  to  take  up  his  garment.  But  woe  to  them  that 
 are  with  child,  and  to  them  that  give  fuck  in  thofe  days !  And 
 pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  winter.  For  in  thofe 
 days  ihall  be  affli6lion,  fuch  as  was  not  from  the  beginning  of 
 the  creation  which  God  created  unto  this  time,  neither  fliall  be. 
 And  except  that  the  Lord  had  fliortened  thofe  days,  no  fleih 
 ihould  be  faved  :  but  for  the  eleS's  fake,  whom  he  hath  chofen, 
 he  hath  ihortened  the  days.  And  then  if  any  man  ihall  fay  to 
 you,  Lo,  here  is  Chriif  ;  or,  lo,  he  is  there  ;  believe  him  not  : 
 for  falfe  Chrifts  and  falfe  prophets  fhall  rife,  and  ihall  fhew 
 figns  and  wonders,  to  feduce,  if  it  were  poifible,  even  the 
 eled:.  But  take  ye  heed  :  behold,  I  have  foretold  you  all 
 things,"  Mark  xiii.  14 — 23. 
 *'  But  in  thofe  days,  after  that  tribulation,  the  fun  fliall  be 
 V  darkened,  and  the  moon  fhall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  ftars 
 
 <'  of 
 
224  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  If. 
 
 *'  of  heaven  fball  fall,  and  the  powers  that  arc  in  heaven  Ihall 
 "  be  fhaken.  And  then  (hall  they  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming 
 *'  in  the  clouds  with  great  power  and  glory.  And  then  ih?A\  he 
 **  fend  his  angels,  and  Ihall  gather  together  his  ele6l  from  the 
 *'  four  winds,  from  the  uttermolt  part  of  the  earth  to  the  utter- 
 "  moil  part  of  heaven.  Now  learn  a  parable  of  the  fig-tree  ; 
 *'  Vvhen  her  branch  is  )et  tender,  and  putteth  forth  lea\cs,  ye 
 **  know  that  fummer  is  near.  So  ye  in  like  manner,  when  ye 
 *'  Ihall  fee  ihtfe  things  come  to  pafs,  know  that  it  is  nigh,  even 
 *'  at  the  doors.  Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  that  this  generation 
 '*  Ihall  not  pafs,  till  all  thefe  things  be  done.  Heaven  and 
 "  earth  iliall  pafs  away  :  but  my  words  Ihall  not  pafs  away," 
 Mark  xiii.  24 — 31. 
 
 "  But  of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not 
 "  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the 
 *'  Father.  Take  ye  heed,  watch  and  pray:  for  ye  know  not 
 *'  when  the  time  is.  For  the  Son  of  Man  is  as  a  man  taking 
 "  a  far  journey,  who  left  his  houfe,  and  gave  authority  to  his 
 **  fervants,  and  to  every  man  his  work,  and  commanded  the 
 "  porter  to  watch.  Watch  ye  therefore :  for  ye  know  not  when 
 *'  the  m.alter  of  the  houfe  cometh,  at  even,  or  at  midnight,  or 
 "  at  the  cock  crowing,  or  in  the  morning:  left  coming  fuddenly 
 "  he  find  you  lleeping.  And  what  I  fay  unto  you  I  fay  unto  all, 
 *'  Watch,"  Mark  xiii.  32 — 37. 
 
 You  perceive  that  the  chiet  additional  information  we  receive 
 in  the  paiTagc,  according  to  St.  Mark,  is,  that  the  32d  verfe  is 
 rather  more  explicit  and  extended  than  in  St.  Matthew;  *'  But 
 *'  of  that  day  and  tiiat  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels 
 *'  which  are  In  heaven,   neither  the  Sois,  but  the  Father." 
 
 St.  Luke. 
 
 **  And  as  fome  fpake  of  the  temple.,  how  u  was  adorned  with 
 *■'  goodh  ftones  and  gifts,  he  faid,  as  for  thefe  things  which  ye 
 *'  beh<,)ki,  the  days  will  coirie,  in  the  which  there  Ihall  not  be 
 *'  left  one  ilone  iipon  another,  that  fhall  not  be  thrown  down. 
 '^  And  they  alked  him,  faying,  Mailer,  but  when  fhall  thefe 
 *'  things  be  ?  And  what  fign  will  there  be  when  thefe  things  fhall 
 *'  come  to  pafs  ?  And  he  faid, Take  heed  that  ye  be  not  deceived: 
 *'  for  many  fhall  come  in  my  name,  faying,  I  am  Chrift  ;  and 
 *'  the  tiine  draweth  near  :  go  ye  not  therefore  after  thern.  But 
 "  when  ye  fhall  hear  of  wars  and  commotions,  be  not  terrified : 
 *'  for  thefe  things  muft  firft  come  to  pafs  ;  but  the  end  is  not  by 
 "  aTjd  by.  Then  faid  he  unto  them,  Nation  fhall  rife  againft 
 *'  nation,  and  kingdom  againil  kingdom  :  and  great  earthquakes 
 "  fhall  be  in  divers  places,  and  famines,  and  peftilences  ;  and 
 "  fearful  fights  and  great  figns  fhall  there  be  from  heaven. 
 "  But  before,  all  thefe,  they  iii     '    :       their  hands  on  you,  and 
 
 *'  perfecute 
 
Tart  n.  DIAL  OG  U  E    Ilh;  225 
 
 *'  pcrfecute  you,  delivering  you  up  to  the  fynagogiie^,  anj  into 
 "  prifons,  being  brought  belore  kings  and  rulers  for  rny  name  s 
 **  fake.  And  it  lliall  turn  to  you  for  a  tettiraony.  Settle  it 
 *'  therefore  in  your  hearts,  not  to  meditate  before  what  ye  (hall 
 *'  anfwer.  For  I  will  give  you  a  mouth  and  wifdom,  which  all 
 **  your  adverfaries  fliall  not  be  able  to  gainfay  nor  refift.  And  ye 
 *'  ihall  be  betrayed  both  by  parents,  and  brethren,  and  kinsfolks, 
 *'  and  friends ;  and  fome  of  you  Ihall  they  caufe  to  be  put  to 
 *'  death.  And  ye  fliall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's 
 *'  fake.  But  there  fhall  not  an  hair  of  your  head  periili. 
 *'  In  your  patience  polFcfs  ye  your  fouls.  And  when  ye 
 *'  fhall  fee  Jerufalem  com.paired  with  armies,  then  know 
 *'  that  the  defolation  thereof  is  nigh.  Then  let  them  which  are 
 "  in  Judea  flee  to  the  mountains  ;  and  let  them  which  are  in  the 
 ''  m.idif  of  it  depart  out  ;  and  let  not  them  that  are  in  the  coun- 
 *'  tries  enter  thereinto.  For  thefe  be  the  days  of  vengeance,  that 
 *'  all  things  which  are  written  may  be  fulfilled.  But  woe  unto 
 *'  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to  them  that  give  fuck,  in  thofe 
 ^'  days!  For  there  fhall  be  great  diftrefs  in  the  land,  and  wrath 
 *'  upon  this  people.  And  they  fhall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the 
 *'  fword,  and  Ihall  be  led  aw^ay  captive  into  all  nations:  and 
 "  Jerufalem  fliall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the 
 */  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled,"  Luke  xxi.  5 — 24. 
 
 '*  And  there  fhall  be  ilgns  in  the  fun,  and  in  the  m.oon,  and 
 **  in  the  flars  ;  and  upon  tlie  earth  dilfrefs  of  nations,  with  per- 
 *<  plexity  ;  tlie  fea  and  the  waves  roaring;  men's  hearts  failing 
 "  them  for  fear,  and  for  looking  after  thofe  things  which  are 
 '*  coming  on  the  earth  :  for  the  powers  of  heaven  fliall  be  fliaken. 
 *'  And  then  fliall  they  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  a  cloud 
 *'  with  power  and  great  glory.  And  when  thcfe  things  be- 
 "  gin  to  come  to  pafs,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads; 
 *'  for  your  redemption  draweth  nigh.  And  he  fpake  to  them  a 
 *'  parable;  behold  the  fig-tree,  and  all  the  trees;  when  they 
 "  now  fhoot  forth,  ye  fee  and  knuw  of  your  ownfelves  that 
 *'  fummcr  is  now  nigh  at  hand.  So  likewile  ye,  when  ye  fee 
 *'  thefe  things  come  to  pafs,  know  ye  that  the  kingdom  of  God 
 ''  is  nigh  at  hand.  Verily  I  fay  unto'you,  this  generation  fhall 
 *'  not  pafs  away,  till  all  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  fliall 
 *'  pafs  away  :  but  my  words   fhall   not   pafs  away,"  Luke  xxi. 
 
 2o— 33- 
 
 "  And  take  heed  to  yourfelves,  left  at  any  tniie  your  hearts 
 *'  be  overcharged  with  furfeiting,  aiid  drunkennefs,  and  cares 
 "  of  this  life,  and  fo  that  day  come  upon  you  unawares,  l^or 
 *'  as  a  fnare  Ihall  it  come  on  all  them  that  dwell  on  the  face  of 
 **  the  whole  earth.  Watch  ye  therefore,  and  pray  always,  that 
 *'  ye  may  be  accounted  ^vorthy  to  efcape  all  thefe  things  that 
 *<  fliall  come  to  pafs,  and  to  (land  before  the  Son  of  Man,"  Luke 
 
 xxi.  34—3^-         •  ^ 
 
 G  s  The 
 
$26  DIALOGUE    III.  Part  II. 
 
 The  firft  point  which  I  fhall  notice  is,  that  in  which  all  are 
 agreed,  that  the  ckftru£tion  of  Jerufalcm  and  the  fufferings  of 
 the  Jews  are  mofl:  clearly  and  dillinftly  foretold  in  thefe  paflages. 
 This  being  univerfally  admitted,  I  content  myfelf  with  merely 
 noticing  it. 
 
 In  the  next  place,  let  us  confider  the  connexion  that  there  is 
 between  this  great  event  (in  the  application  whereof  there  is  an 
 uniform  agreement  in  opinion)  and  the  latter  event,  viz. 
 the  coming  of  Chrift  **  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
 **  great  glory.'"  It  is  moft  clear  that  this  great  and  auguft  ap- 
 pearance of  Chrift:  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
 glory,  is  declared  to  bean  event  which  would  immediately 
 follow  the  Jewifh  calamities.  The  words  of  St.  Matthew  are, 
 *'  immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days.  The  words 
 in  St.  Mark  are,  **  but  in  thofe  days  after  that  tribulation." 
 Thefe  pafTages,  therefore,  are  abundantly  fufficient  to  eftablifli 
 the  fafl,  that  there  is  a  connexion  between  the  two  events  ;  and 
 that  no  fooner  is  the  firfl:  accom.plifhed,  no  fooner  is  the  tribu- 
 lation of  thofe  days  accomplilhed,  than  the  other  event  takes 
 place,  viz.  the  appearance  of  Chrift  *'  coming  in  the  clouds 
 *'  with  power  and  great  glory."  I  repeat  that  thefe  paffageS 
 are  abundantly  fufficient  for  this  purpofe,  although  the  paflage  in 
 St.  Luke  is  by  no  means  fo  explicit,  the  two  events  being 
 conne£led  in  St.  Luke,  as  follows:  the  firft  event  ends  with 
 the  words,  **  And  Jerufalem  fhall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gen- 
 '*  tiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled."  And  the 
 fecond  event  begins  with  thofe  words,  which  follow  in  the  next 
 verfe,  *'  And  there  fhall  be  figns  in  the  fun,  and  in  the  moon, 
 **  and  in  the  ftars."  But  although  the  word  immediately  is 
 not  ufed  by  St.  Luke  (to  draw,  as  it  were,  a  line  of  diftinftion 
 between  the  two  events,  as  in  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark) 
 yet  he  proceeds  with  the  latter,  as  the  relation  of  one  continued 
 feries  of  events. 
 
 Zealous.  He  does  fo.  I  fee  the  great  importance  of  the  fub- 
 je6t  ;  for  if  it  could  be  proved  that  the  primitive  Chriftians  were 
 taught  by  our  Saviour,  or  by  his  apostles,  to 
 expe6l  an  event  within  a  given  period  of  time,  which  did  not 
 take  place  in  that  given  period  of  time;  it  would  be  such  a 
 blow,  as  would  be  felt  at  the  very  foundation  of  the 
 Chriltian  religion.  And  it  appears  to  me  that  it  was  to  the  deep 
 penetration  of  the  learned  bilTiops,  and  their  being  aware  of  this, 
 to  which  we  are  to  afcribe  their  adopting  the  interpretation  which 
 you  have  controverted. 
 
 Cautious.  I  perietftly  agree  with  you  ;  let  us  therefore  con- 
 fider what  is  meant  by  the  **  tribulation  of  thofe  days  :"  Behold! 
 was  ever  forrow  like  unto  that  forrow  !  Jerufalcm  is  compalTcd 
 about  with  armies  !  It  is  fliut  up,  and  the  holHlity  conmaences 
 by  a  blockade,  a.t   a  time  when  the   city   is  thronged,  not   only 
 
 with 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    III.  227 
 
 with  its  iifual  inhabitants,  but  with  multitudes  from  all  the 
 neighbouring  country  allembled  according  to  the  commandment, 
 to  celebrate  their  great  feltival !  Famine  foon  appears.  It  is 
 followed  by  its  attendant  peltilence ;  their  walls  ate  alFaulted, 
 and  fadion  within  is  almolt  as  great  a  calamity  as  the  enemy 
 without.  After  enduring  all  the  various  alFaults  of  war,  pef- 
 tilence,  and  famine,  the  city  is  taken  and  burnt  ^  and  the. 
 temple  itfelf  becomes  a  fmoking  heap  of  rubbifli.  This  was  a 
 great  tribulation,  indeed!  and  with  this  deftrudlion  of  the 
 TEMPLE,  and  the  abolition  of  the  temple  service, 
 the  Bilhops  of  Glouceder  and  Brillol  conceive,  that  the  tribu-^ 
 lation  of  those  days  ended.  Do  not  miltake  me,  I  do 
 not  fay  that  the  bilhops  aflert  this  in  direct  terms,  but  it  is  the 
 natural  refult  of  the  interpretation  they  have  given  to  the  con- 
 text ;  for,  if  it  is  declared,  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  "  in  the 
 "  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,"  Mfttt.  xxiv. 
 30.  was  an  event  to  take  place  after  the  Jewilh  tribulation  ; 
 *'  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days,"  Matt. 
 xxiv.  2Q.  **  In  thofe  days  after  that  tribulation,"  Mark  xiii. 
 24.  it  muft  follow,  that  the  Jewilh  tribulations  were  ended 
 with  the  deftrudion  of  Jerufalem,  and  the  abolition  of  the  temple 
 fervice ;  as  they  repreient  that  this  very  abolition  of  the  temple 
 fervice,  was  the  coming  of  our  Lord  fo  awtully  defcribed  in 
 Matt.  xxiv.  29 — 31.  Mark  xiii.  24 — 27.  but  let  us  exarain? 
 further.  Did  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days  end  fo  foon  ?  By  no 
 means,  thefe  were  but  the  beginning  of  forrows.  Read  the 
 dreadful  lift  of  the  llain  in  the  war  amounting  to  1,357,000.  The 
 deftrudion  of  Jerufalem  did  not  terminate  the 
 TRIBULATION  OF  THOSE  DAYS.  Jofephus  eflimates  the 
 number  of  Jewiili  captives  taken  at  97,000.  *'  The  tall  and 
 handfome  young  men  Titus  referved  for  his  triumph;  of  the 
 rell,  thofe  above  feventcen  years  of  age,  were  lent  to  the 
 works  in  Egypt ;  but  molt  were  diltributed  through  the  Roman 
 provinces,  to  be  deitroyed  in  their  theatres,  by  the  fword,,  or 
 by  the  wild  beads:  thofe  under  feventeen,  were  fold  for  Haves. 
 Of  thefe  captives  many  underwent  hard  tate  :  eleven  thoufand 
 of  them  perilhed  for  want !  Titus  exhibited  all  forts  of  fhows 
 and  fpedtacles  at  Cxfarea,  and  many  of  the  captives  were 
 there  deitroyed,  fome  being  expofed  to  the  wild  bealts,  and 
 others  compelled  to  fight  in  troops  againlt  one  another.  At 
 Casfarea  too,  in  honour  of  his  brother's  birth-day,  2500  Jcw$ 
 were  flain;  and  a  great  number  likewife  at  ^erytus,  in 
 honour  of  his  fathv.'r's ;  the  like  was  done  in  the  other  cities 
 of  Syria :  thofe  whom  he  referved  for  his  triumph,  were 
 Simon  and  John.  tl,e  generals  of  the  captives,  and  700 
 others  of  remarkable  ftature  and  beauty.  Thus  were  the  Jews 
 miferably  tormented,  and  diflributed  over  the  Roman  pro- 
 vinces," Bilhop  Newton,  Vol.  II.  314.     Were  the  days  of 
 
 the 
 
S.28  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  IL 
 
 the  Jev.-illi  tribulation  accomplifiied  when  the  temple  was  burnt  ? 
 Is  it  not  altoniihing  that  Bifhop  Newton  ihould  produce  fiich  evi- 
 dence, Inch  uncontrovertible  evidence,  of  the  long  continu- 
 ance of  the  days  of  Jewish  TRIBULATION,  and  yet  adopt  a 
 fyftem,  which  mufl  cramp  and  confine,  and  as  it  were  prefs  the 
 days  of  that  tribulation  into  the  fliort  compafs  of  the  liege  and 
 deifruilion  of  Jerufalem,  and  the  temple  ? 
 
 Zealous.  Truly,  I  am  aftoniflied  that  the  inconfiftency  did 
 not,  as  it  were,  ftare  him  in  the  face  ;  for,  if  the  reign  of  Chrill 
 commenced  as  he,  following  the'  opinion  of  Biiliop  Warburton, 
 fuppofes,  at  the  dellrudion  of  Jerufalem,  and  with  the  abolition 
 of  the  temple  fervice  ;  and  if  the  palFage  which  he  conliders  as 
 defcriptive  of  this  event,  is  mentioned  as  taking  place  **  after 
 
 *'  THE  TRIBULATION  OF  THOSE  DAYS;  Or,  aS  St.  Mark 
 has    it,    "    AFTER    THAT    TRIBULATION;"       it     muft    tollow    of 
 
 courfe,  that  that  tribulation  ceased,  when  the  ruins  of  the 
 temple  ceafed  to  fmoke.-  Thefe  tribulations  then  that  followed 
 were  nothing! 
 
 Cautious.  If  you  was  compelled  to  accept  the  alternative, 
 either  to  perifh  in  your  capital,  with  your  arras  in  your  hand  ; 
 or  to  be  taken  captive,  and  treated  with  contempt,  to  behold 
 the  protrafted  fufferings  of  your  countrymen,  and  the  violence 
 of  the  victorious  foldiers  to  your  wife  and  daughters;  if,  in 
 addition  'to  thefe  fufferings,  you  were  to  endure  pinching  want  ; 
 to  fee  your  fellow-prifoners  pcrifli  by  hundreds  for  want  of  food; 
 ani  to  have  aflad  to  endure,  that  cruellcll  of  deaths ;  or  in  fa£l, 
 any  other  of/thofe  modes  of  death  which  the  Romans  conferred 
 upon  their  Jewifh  prifoners  ;  would  you  hefitate  a  moment  in 
 accepting  the  former  ?  In  the  fiege  they  kept  up  each  others 
 fpir its ;  nay,  when  they  faw  their  city,  and  their  temple  in  flames, 
 they  even  then  exulted  in  this,  that  although  the  Romans 
 deprived  them  of  what  thev  fo  highly  valued,  yet  they  would 
 gain  nothing  by  it,  but  an  heap  of  fmoking  rubbiili  !  *'  Vefpafian 
 *'  ordered  all  the  lands  of  the  Jews  to  be  fold  for  his  own  ufe  ; 
 ''  and  all  the  Jews  wherefoever  they  dwelt,  to  pay  each  man 
 *'  every  year  the  fame  fum  to  the  capitol  of  Rome,  that  they 
 *'  had  before  paid  to  the  temple  at  Jerufalem."  Thefe  days  of 
 J ewilh  tribulation  were  of  long  continuance.  Although 
 the  Jews  endured  fuch  great  fufferings  under  Titus,  that  one 
 might  think  that  it  was  almoft  impoffible  that  greater  fufferings 
 could  be  endured  ;  althoi;gh  thefe  fufferings,  this  Jewifli  tribu- 
 lation was  an  uninterrupted  tribulation,  and  of  long  continuance, 
 yet  there  was  another  paroxism  in  the  fecond  century. 
 Adrian,  the  Roman  emperor,  reigned  in  the  fecond  century,  and 
 if  we  believe  the  Jews,'  they  fuffered  their  greatest  tribu- 
 lation unu'.r  his  hand.  I  iriuft  quote  a  fhort  paflage  from  the 
 work  to  which  I  have  before  referred.  The  bilhop  is  fpeaking 
 of.  the   fufferings   of  the  Jews,    under  Adrian,    vol.    II.    328. 
 
 ''  Thq 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     TIL  ^zg 
 
 **  Tile  Jews  were  at  length  fnbdued  with  moll  terrible  flaugliter, 
 *'  fifty  of  tlieir  llrongcll  caTcles,  and  985  of  their  beft  towns, 
 *'  were  facked  and  demolilhed;  580,000  men  fell  by  the  fword 
 *'  in  battle,  befides  an  infinite  n:iulucude  who  periihed  by  fa- 
 *'  mine,  ficknefs,  and  fire,  fo  that  Jndea  was  almoll  all  defo- 
 "  lated :  the  Jewifli  writers  themfelves,  reckon  that  doubly 
 "  more  Jews  were  llain  in  this  war,  than  came  out  of  Egypt ; 
 **  and  that  their  fufterings  under  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  Titus, 
 *'  were  not  fo  great  as  what  they  endured  under  the  emperor 
 *'  Adrian.  Of  the  Jews  who  furvived  this  fecond  ruin  of  their 
 *'  nation,  an  incredible  number  of  every  age,  andfex,  were  fold 
 *'  like  horfes,  and  difperfed  over  the  face  of  the  earth  !"  How 
 could  the  perfon  who  penned  this  palTuge,  adopt  a  fyltem  built 
 upon  the  idea,  that  the  Jewilh  tribulations,  "  the  tribula- 
 *'  TiON  OF  THOSE  DAYS,"  Were  ended  and  completed  Avhen 
 the  temple  was  deitroyed  ? 
 
 Behold  them  thus  difperfed;  degraded  to  the  condition  of 
 flaves,  as  their  anceftors  were  in  Egypt.  Inuead  of  faying  is 
 tlieir  tril^ulation  ended  ?  We  fliould  be  impelled  to  all:  the  quef- 
 tion.  When!  when  will  this. great  tribulation  end?  What  has 
 been  their  Hate  from  that  time  to  this  ;  perfecuted,  afflifted,  and 
 difperfed  into  all  nations!  Every  where  infulted  and  reproached- 
 the  butt  of  ridicule  and  derifion!  Confider  their  high  parentage  • 
 the  exalted  fituation  in  which  they  were  placed;  the  great  honour 
 conferred  on  them  as  a  nation,  and  then  walk  through  the  dirty 
 lanes,  and  alleys,  inhabited  by  thefe  defc'endants  of  the  patriarchs: 
 go  to  their  Fair,  and  fee  them  feeking  a  inean  and  precarious 
 maintenance,  by  dealing  in  defiled  garments,  and  then  anfwer 
 this  quellion,  are  the  Jewish  tribulations  ended? 
 It  has  pleafed  God  to  mitigate  their  futferings,  but  they  are 
 certainly  if  ill  under  afRiifions,  the  Jewifh  fuiferings,  "the 
 "  TRIBULATION  OF  THOSE  DAYS,"  are  Certainly  not  yet 
 ended,  and  therefore  there  is  no  failure  in  the  prophecy;  for  the 
 coming  of  Chriit  **  in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great  glory," 
 is  not  to  take  place  until  after  the  tribulation  ot  thofe  days. 
 As  foon  therefore  as  the  Jewifh  tribulation  ceafes,  then  we  are 
 to  look  for  this  great  event,  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man 
 *'  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory!" 
 
 Zealous.  I  cannot  help  exprefling  my  thanks  to  you,  for  the 
 pains  you  have  taken  to  convince  me  of  this  truth,  the  contem- 
 plation whereof  fills  my  mind  v/ith  pleafure,  altliough  it  is  mixed 
 with  an  awful  fenfation,  arifing  from  the  confideration,  that 
 the  day  OF  Christ,  the  actual  appearance  of 
 Christ    our   Lord    in   the   clouds   of   heaven  with 
 
 POWER  and   great   GLORY,    MAY    BE    MUCH   NEARER   THAN 
 IS   GENERALLY   EXPECTED. 
 
 Cautious.  If  the  right  reverend  authors  had  meditated  upon 
 the  parallel  paffage  in  St,  Luke's  goi^pel,    they  might  have  feen 
 
 that 
 
63^  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  II, 
 
 that  thefe  days  of  tribulation  were  to  be  of  great  extent ;  that 
 they  were  to  continue  during  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  ;  *'  Jeru- 
 **  falemfhallbetroddendownof  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times 
 "  OF  THE  Gentiles  be  fulfilled."  As  long  as  Jerufalem 
 is  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  so  long  the  days  of 
 Jewish  tribulation  last;  fo  long  the  times  of  the  Gen- 
 tiles laft. 
 
 We  will  now  proceed  to  the  examination  of  thofe  exprefilons 
 in  the  palfages  under  confidcration,  which  have  induced  commen.. 
 tators  to  confider  the  events  as  confined  to  that  generation. 
 *'  Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  that  this  generation  fhall  not  pafs,  till 
 •'  all  thefe  things  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  fliall  pafs 
 *'  away,  but  my  words  Ihall  not  pafs  away.  But  of  that  day 
 **  and  hour  knowcth  no  nian,  no,  not  the  angels  of  heaven, 
 *'  but  the  Father  only."  On  this  the  bilTiop  obferves,  page 
 339,  "  it  is  to  me  a  wonder,  how  any  man  can  refer 
 *'  part  of  the  foregoing  difcourfe,  to  the  deftruftion  of 
 "  Jerufalem,  and  part  to  the  end  of  the  world,  or  any  other 
 "  diitant  event,  when  it  is  faid  here  in  the  conclufion, 
 "  all  thefe  things  fhall  be  fulfilled  in  this  generation, 
 **  It  fccmeth  as  if  our  Saviour  had  been  aware  of  fome  fuch 
 "  mifapplication  of  his  words,  by  adding  yet  greater  force  and 
 *'  cmphafis  to  his  affirm.-ition,  Mark  xiii.  31.  Heaven  and  earth 
 "   fliall  pafs  away:   but  my  words  iliall  not  pafs  away." 
 
 The  chief  point  in  which  I  agree  with  the  bifhop  is,  that 
 heaven  and  earth  Ihall  fooner  pais  awav,  than  one  word  which 
 ever  fell  from  our  Sa\iour's  blelfed  lip.^,  fhould  fail  of  its  full 
 and  complete  accomplilhmcnt.  1  trull  that  it  is  veneration 
 for  the  words  of  Christ  our  Lord,  which  induces  me 
 to  endeavour  to  ihew  that  the  bliliops  are  wrong,  and  that  their 
 fyiiem  cannot  ftand.  Every  word  pronounced  bv  our  blelfed 
 Lord  is  true,  and  heaven  and  earlh  Ihall  fooner  pafs  away,  than 
 any  of  his  words  fliould  fail  of  full  and  complete  accompliflimcnt; 
 i)ut  if  their  fyllcm  w  ere  eilablidied,  the  words  of  Chriil  would 
 iail  indeed.  The  Avords  of  Chrilt  arc  "after  that  tribuja- 
 "  tion."  If  we  retain  their  interpretation,  we  muft  flrike  out 
 the  word  after,  and  fubllitute  in  its  place,  "  in  the  be- 
 *'  ginning  of  tliat  tribulation.  The  apolUe  Paul,  in  his  fccond 
 Epiltle  to  Timothy,  chapter  ii.  17,  18.  fpeaks  of  errors,  the 
 words  whereof  **  eat  as  dutli  a  canker  :  of  whom  is  Hymeneus 
 *'  and  Philetus;  who  concerning  the  truth  have  erred,  faying, 
 "  that  the  refurreclion  is  part  already,"  whereby  they  overtlirew 
 the  faith  of  fome  ;  and  if  thefe  learned  bllhops  have  erred,  and 
 reprefented  the  coming  of  Chrilf  "in  the  clouds  with  power  and 
 "  great  glory,"  as  past  already,  when  it  is  not  paft,  it  is 
 our  duty  to  endeavour  to  ftcm  the  ilrcam  of  error.  We  arc  not 
 to  be  deterred  by  the  conllderation  that  they  were  biihops  ;  for 
 if  a  convocation  of  biihops  were  to  contradiiift  cue  word  of  our 
 bJe^fcd  Lord,  it  is  our  duty  to  teflify  againlt  them,  Markviii.  38. 
 
 "As 
 
Part  ^^^  DIALOGUE     III.  t3r 
 
 *'  As  the  church  of  Hierufalem,  Alexandria,  and  Antioch,  ha\c 
 *'  erred  ;  To  alfo  the  church  ot  Rome  hath  erred,  not  only  in 
 *'  their  living  and  manner  of  ceremonies,  but  alfo  in  matters  of 
 *'  faith,"  art.  19.  And  even  when  general  councils  be  gathered 
 together,  **  they  may  err,  and  fometimes  have  erred,  even  in 
 *'  things  pertaining  to  God,"  art.  21.  We  ought  not  to  be 
 deterred  from  oppofing  their  errors,  by  the  coniideration  that 
 they  were  very  learned  men,  and  that  we  do  not  poilefs  this 
 advantage,  for  there  is  no  learning  to  be  prized  in  comparifon 
 with  the  word  of  our  bleffed  Lord.  It  is  very  true  that  holy 
 fcripture  abounds  with  figurative  language,  the  Lord  himfelf 
 declares,  Hofea  xii.  10.  *'  I  have  fpoken  by  the  prophets,  I 
 **  have  multiplied  vifions,  J  have  used  similitudes,  by  the 
 *'  miniftry  of  the  prophets  ;"  but  there  is  a  reality  in  the 
 words  of  fcripture  notwithllanding  ;  and  there  have  been  figns  in 
 the  heavens  already.  Have  we  not  the  evidence  of  Jofephus,  that 
 there  were  great  figns  preceding  the  deltru6lion  of  Jerufalem: 
 he  relates  that  a  ftar  hung  over  the  city  like  a  fword,  and  the 
 comet  continued  for  a  whole  year ;  that  the  people  being  aflem- 
 bled  to  celebrate  the  fealt  of  unleavened  bread,  at  the  ninth  hour 
 of  the  night,  there  fhone  fo  great  a  light  about  the  altar,  aiid 
 the  temple,  that  it  feemed  to  be  bright  day,  and  this  continued 
 for  half  an  hour,  Jofephus,  book  IV.  chap,  iv,  fedl.  5,  {cS:.  11. 
 book  VI.  chap.  v.  fed.  3.  Did  not  a  {lar,  a  fupernatural  ap- 
 pearance, guide  the  wife  men  of  the  Eall:,  ''  Where  is  he  that  is 
 *'  born  king  of  the  Jews?  For  we  have  seen  his  star  m 
 **  THE  East,  and  are  come  to  worlhip  him." — "They  de- 
 **  parted  ;  and,  lo,  the  ftar,  which  they  faw  in  the  Eait,  went 
 *'  before  them,  till  it  came  and  ftood  over  were  the  young  child 
 *'  was.  When  they  faw  the  ftar,  they  rejoiced  with  exceeding 
 "  great  joy."  Every  one  muft  be  fatisfied  that  this  was  a 
 SUPERNATURAL  APPEARANCE,  Matt.  ii.  lo.  as  was  alfo  that 
 darknefs  which  was  over  all  the  land,  at  the  crucifixion  of  our 
 Saviour,  Matt,  xxvii.  4,5.  As  the  fun  hath  been  darkened  before, 
 fo  (after  that  tribulation)  the  fun  may  be  darkened  again,  and  the 
 moon  not  give  her  light ;  and  as  there  have  been  fupernatural 
 appearances  of  ftars,  there  may  be  fo  again,  and  the  powers  of 
 the  heavens  be  Ihaken.  There  will  be  an  appearAnce. 
 Then  Ihall  appear  the  fign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven; 
 and  then  fhall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn.  And  they 
 Ihall  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
 power  and  great  glory."  In  the  fimilar  paifage  in.  St.  Luke, 
 we  find  tlieie  ligns  attended  v.'ith  effects  upon  earth:  "  Dilhefs 
 of  nations,  with  perplexity  •  the  fea  and  the  waves  roaring  ;  men's 
 hearts  failing  them  for  fear,  and  for  looking  after  thofe  things 
 which  are  coming  on  the  earth  ;  for  the  powers  of  heaven 
 fhall  be  fhaken.  And  then  shall  thev  see  the  Son  of 
 Man  coming  in  3  cloud  with  power  and  great  glor\,"     Did 
 
 not 
 
&3®  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  II. 
 
 not  our  blefTed  Saviour  adually,  and  vifibly,  afcend  to  heaven  in 
 a  cloud  ;  and  if  lo,  why  are  we  not  to  believe,  that  his  corning 
 will  be  actually  vifible  to  our  eyes.  "  And  when  he  had  fpokcn 
 *'  thefc  things,  while  they  beheld,  he  was  taken  up,  and  a 
 <<  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  iiglit.  And  while  they  looked 
 **  ftedtaftly  toward  heaven,  'as  he  went  up,  behold  two  men 
 **  flood  by  them  in  white  apparel,  which  alfo  faid.  Ye  men  of 
 *'  Galilee,  why  ftand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven?  This  fame 
 "  Jefus,  which  is  taken  up   from  you  into  heaven,  shall   so 
 
 *'  COME  IN  LIKE  MANNER,  AS  YE  HAVE  SEEN  HIM  GO 
 *'    INTO   HEAVEN."       Acls  i.   9 11. 
 
 Zealous.     I  am  perfe6lly  fatisfied. 
 
 Cautious,  Here  are  a  number  of  events  conneSed  with  each 
 other,  one  following  the  other  in  fucceifion.  It  is  clear  that 
 hey  were  to  commence  in  that  generation ;  and  yet  the  words, 
 *'  But  of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels 
 *'  which  are  in  heaven:  but  my  father  only,"  being  mifapplied 
 by  the  biihops,  throv/s  a  myfterious  appearance  over  that  which 
 ill  itfelf  is  very  plain.  What  could  be  the  meaning  of  thefe 
 words,  according  to  the  bi(hops  interpretation  of  them,  to  that 
 generation.  It  is  plain  it  was  a  day  and  an  hour  of  great  im- 
 portance. Was  it  the  day  in  which  the  Roman  armies  came  in 
 flight  of  Jerufalem,  and  the  hour  in  which  they  completely 
 encircled  it  ?  Was  it  the  day  and  hour  in  which  the  breach  was 
 effecled  in  their  walls  r  Or  the  day  and  hour  in  which  the  Roman 
 foldier  threw  the  hrebrand  into  the  window  of  the  temple  ? 
 There  feems  to  be  no  one  peculiar  day,  or  hour,  connedcd 
 with  the  de(tru6lion  of  Jerufalem,  to  which  thefe  very  important 
 ivords  can  fo  peculiarly  apply.  But  if  you  read  the  pafTages 
 with  attention,  in  order  to  afcertain  this  fa6l,  you  will  find  that 
 
 THERE  IS  A  GREAT  AND  CONSPICUOUS  DAY,  an  IMPORTANT 
 
 HOUR  ;  a  fudden  and  peculiar  event  to  take  place,  to  which  the 
 words  refer  ;  and  that  event  is,  the  coming  of  Chriit  (after  that 
 tribulation)  "  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
 *'  glory."  Here  is  a  day,  a  peculiar  day  ;  an  hour,  a  peculiar 
 hour  ;  and  it  is  to  this  peculiar  day,  and  hour,  to  which  our 
 Saviour  refers,  when  he  fays,  "  But  of  that  day  and  that  hour 
 **  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven, 
 *'  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father.'  It  was  knowm  only  to 
 God  the  Father;  it  is  an  event  dependant  upon  the  accom- 
 plifluTicnt  of  the  Jewilh  days  of  tribulation,  which  they  have 
 lulfered  itnder  the  hand   of  the  God  of  their  fathers ;  and 
 
 WHEN  the   days  OF  THEIR  TRIBULATION  END,  THEN  WILL 
 
 THIS  GREAT  EVENT  take%lace!  That  tribulation  hath 
 extended  above  1700  years.  The  times  of  the  Gentiles  (thofe 
 times  in  which  they  have  participated  in  fome  of  the  Jewilh 
 advantages)  have  alfo  extended  above  1700  years.  They  are 
 parallel  lines,  and  as  they  began  together,  they  will  end  together. 
 
 It 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE    III.  233 
 
 It  is  aftonifhing  that  any  one  fhould  have  blended  logether  thofc 
 things  which  are  fo  evidently  diftincl.  Pray  turn  to  Matt.  xxiv. 
 and  obfervc  how  the  paragraphs  are  divided.  You  will  perceive 
 that  the  firil  paragraph  begins  with  the  3d  verfe,  and  extends  to 
 the  end  of  the  28th  verfe ;  this  paragraph  relates  to  the  Jewifli 
 fufFerings.  The  next  paragraph  begins  with  the  29th  verfe,  and 
 ends  with  the  35th  verfe ;  this  paragraph  relates  to  the  coming 
 of  the  Son  of  Man  "in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
 *'  great  glory,"  after  the  preceding  tribulation  fhall  have  been 
 accomplished.  This  is  followed  by  the  parable  of  the  fig-tree, 
 and  the  exhortation  to  them  to  confider  the  figns  of  the  times ; 
 and  then  comes  the  paflages  which  we  are  confidering  :  and  it  is 
 DESERVING  OF  PARTICULAR  NOTICE,  that  after  thefe  words, 
 **  Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  this  generation  fhall  not  pafs,  till  all 
 **  thefe  things  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  fhall  pafs  away: 
 "  but  my  word  fhall  not  pafs  away  ;" — the  paragraph  ends, 
 and  a  new  paragraph  begins  with  thefe  words,  "  But  of  that  day 
 *'  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of  heaven,  but 
 "  my  father  only."  There  being  two  events,  fo  diftindlly 
 related,*  the  latter  of  which  was  immediately  to  fucceed  the 
 former;  and  there  being  two  distinct  declarations  of  the  times, 
 when  thefe  things  were  to  happen ;  the  firft  in  that  generation, 
 and  the  fecond  in  an  unknown  indefinite  period  of  time;  one 
 would  think  it  next  to  impollible,  that  the  whole  fhould  be 
 jumbled  together  in  the  manner  it  hath  been  by  the  learned 
 bifhops. 
 
 Zealous.  I  entirely  agree  with  you,  and  efpecially  when  it 
 is  confidered,  that  the  words  day  and  hour  cannot  apply  to 
 any  fact  related  in  the  firlt  paragraph,  but  hath  an  evident  and 
 pointed  application  to  that  great,  awful,  and  sudden  event, 
 the  coming  of  Chriit  "  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
 *'  great  glory." 
 
 Cautious.  If  you  turn  to  the  paffage  in  St.  Mark's  gofpel, 
 you  will  find  the  paragraphs  divided  fomewhat  differently,  but 
 ftill  the  Jewilh  fufferings  and  the  coming  of  our  Lord  are  divided, 
 by  being  in  diflin^l  paragraphs,  and  the  fame  divifion  is  made, 
 as  to  the  times  in  which  they  were  to  happen,  the  times  of  the 
 Jewifli  calamities  (that  generation)  being  in  one  paragraph,  and 
 the  unknown  day  and  hour  of  Chrifl's  appearance  in  the 
 clouds,  being  in  a  diftinft  paragraph. 
 
 Zealous.  We  will  then  abide  by  the  ancient  opinion,  which 
 thefe  learned  bifhops  have  endeavoured  to  overturn,  and  believe 
 that  the  latter  paragraph  of  thefe  paflages,  relates  to'the  coming 
 of  Chrifl  our  Lord  to  judgment. 
 
 Cautious.  At  the  commencement  of  our  converfation  I  gave 
 you  an  hint,  that  my  sentiments  are  favourable  to 
 THE  Jews,  and  you  declared  that  you  fhould  even  rejoice  if  I 
 could  produce  any  good  grounds  from  fcripture,  to  induce  you 
 
 Hh  to 
 
%34        •  DIALOGUE    III.  Part  II. 
 
 lo  think  more  favourably  concerning  them  than  you  have  formerly 
 
 dorte. 
 
 Zealous.  I  think  I  have  fhevs^n  you  already,  that  I  fpoke 
 from  my  heart.  Did  I  not  exprefs  myfelf  convinced  that  Dr. 
 Warburton's  idea,  **  that  God's  reign  over  the  Jews  entirely 
 *'  ended  with  the  abolition  of  the  temple  fervice,"  was  an  idea 
 unfupported  by  fcripture,  and  bordering  on  impiety  ? 
 
 Cautious.     You  did  ;  but  when  I  informed   you   that   my  fen- 
 liments  were  favourable  to  the  Jews,  the  palfage  we  are  now  con- 
 fidering  was  that  to  which  I  chiefly  referred  in  my  mind  ;    and, 
 I  mufl  fay,  that  I  do  not  think  thefe  palTages  refer  to  the  coming 
 of  our  bleffed  Saviour  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  at  the  end 
 of  the  world,  which  is  defcribed    by    St.  Peter  in    thefe  words : 
 **  But  the  heavens  and  the   earth  which  are  now,  by  the  fame 
 *<  word  are  kept  in  (lore,  referved  unto  fire  againft  the  day  of 
 <*  judgment,   and  perdition  of  ungodly  men.     But,  beloved,  be 
 *'  not  ignorant  of  this  one  thing,  that  one  day  is  with  the  Lord 
 "  as  a  thoufand  years,  and  a  thoufand  years  as  one   day.     The 
 **  Lord  is  not  flack  concerning  his  promife,  as   fome  men  count 
 **  flacknefs  ;  but  is  long  fufFering  to  us-ward,  not   willing  that 
 "  any  fliould  perifli,  but   that   all   fhould   come  to  repentance. 
 *'  But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night ;  in 
 **  the  which  the  heavens  fhall  pafs  away  with  a  great  noife,  and 
 ^*  the  elements  Ihall  melt  with  fervent  heat,  the  earth  alfo  and 
 *'  the  works  that  are   therein  fliall  be  burned  up.     Seeing   then 
 *'  that  all  thefe  things  Ihall  be  difl!blved,  what  manner  of  perfons 
 *'  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  converfation  and  godlinefs.      Look- 
 **  ing  for  and  hailing  unto  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God,  where- 
 **  in  the  heavens  being  on   fire  fhall  be   diffolved,  and  the  ele- 
 •*  ments  fnall  melt  with  fervent  heat  ?  Neverthelefs  we,  accord- 
 **  ing  to  his  promife,  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth, 
 •'  wherein   dwelleth   righteoufnefs,"    2   Pet.    iii.  7 — 13.     The 
 coming  of  our  Lord,  which  is  fo   fully  defcribed  in  Matt.  xxiv. 
 Mark  xiii.  and   Luke  xxi.    is  not   his  coming  in  which   *'  the 
 •'  heavens  fliall  pafs  away  with   a  great  noife,  and  the  elements 
 **  fhall  melt  with  fei-vent  heat,  and  the  earth  alfo  and  the  works 
 *'  that  are  therein  ihall  be  burnt  up;"  but  the  declared  end  and 
 intent  of  this  his  coming,  Matt.  xxiv.  Mark  xiii.  fhews   that   it 
 is  evidently  prior  to   that   in  which  the  earth,  and  the   works 
 that  are  therein,  will  be  burnt  up.     It  was  by  comparing  the 
 end  and  intent,  the  efFeds  and  confequences  of  this  his  .coming, 
 with   thofe  paiTages  which   clearly    and  diftinftly   relate  to  his 
 coming  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  at  the  end  of  the  world, 
 that   I    have  been  induced  to  adopt  the  opinion   I  have  formed 
 concerning  this  coming  of  our  Lord  **in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
 *'  with  power  and  great   glory."     The  words  in  St.  Matthew 
 are  as  follows:   *'  And  then  fhall  appear  the  flgn  of  the  Son  of 
 **  M^tn  in  heaven:  and  then  fliall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth 
 
 *'  mourn. 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    III.  235 
 
 "  mourn,  and  they  fliall  fee  the  Son  of  Man  comhig  in  the 
 "  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  And  he  fliall 
 **  fend  his  angels  with  a  great  found  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  fliall 
 **  gather  together  his  elett  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end 
 *'  of  heaven  to  the  other,"  The  words  in  St.  Mark  are  thus: 
 *'  And  then  fliall  they  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds 
 *'  with  great  power  and  glory.  And  then  Ihall  he  fend 
 "  his  angels,  and  fliall  gather  together  his  ele£l  from  the 
 "  four  winds,  from  the  uttermoft  part  of  the  earth  to  the  utter- 
 '*  moft  part  of  heaven." 
 
 Thefe  are  the  molt  ftriking  parts  of  the  pafTages  which  relate 
 to  the  coming  of  our  Lord  "  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
 *'  and  great  glory,"  after  the  preceding  tribulation  fhall  have 
 been  accompliihed ;  but  we  find  fome  further  particulars  both 
 in  St.  Matthew  and  in  St.  Mark:  ''But  of  that  day  and 
 "  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of  heaven,  but  my 
 *'  Father  only.  But  as  the  days  of  Noe  were,  fo  ihall  alfo  the 
 **  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be.  For  as  in  the  days  that  were 
 **  before  the  flood  they  were  eating  and  drinking,  marrying  and 
 **  giving*in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the 
 *'  ark,  and  knew  not  until  the  flood  came,  and  took  them  all 
 *<  away ;  fo  fhall  alfo  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be.  Then 
 *'  fhall  two  be  in  the  field  ;  the  one  fliall  be  taken,  and  the  other 
 "  left.  Two  women  fhall  be  grinding  at  the  mill ;  the  one 
 "  fhall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left.  Watch  therefore  : 
 *'  for  ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come,"  Matt. 
 xxiv.  36 — 41.  The  remainder  of  the  chapter,  and  the  firll 
 thirty  verfes  of  the  next  chapter,  are  urgent  exhortations  to 
 watchfulnefs,  and  being  conltantly  diligent,  and  in  a  ftate  of 
 preparation  for  the  Lord's  coming  ;  and  the  ground  on  which 
 thefe  exhortations  are  founded  is,  '*  for  ye  know  neither  the  day, 
 "  nor  the  hour,  wherein  the  Son  of  Man  cometh  ;"  and  then 
 at  the  31ft  verfe,  immediately  follows  the  awful  defcription  of 
 our  Lord's  coming  to  judgment,  in  which  all  nations  Ihall  be 
 gathered  before  him,  and  the  flieep  be  fet  on  his  right  hand,  and 
 the  goats  on  his  left;  the  wicked  will  be  configned  to  everlafting 
 punilliment,  but  the  righteous  be  admitted  into  life  eternal.  In 
 St.  Mark  we  have  it  thus:  "But  of  that  day  and  that  hour 
 "  knoweth  no  many  no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven, 
 "  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father.  Take  ye  heed,  watch  and 
 "  pray:  for  ye  know  not  when  the  time  is.  For  the  Son  of 
 "  Man  is  as  a  man  taking  a  far  journey,  who  left  his  houfe,  and 
 "  gave  authority  to  his  fervants,  and  to  every  man  his  work, 
 *'  and  commanded  the  porter  to  watch.  Watch  ye  therefore, 
 *'  (for  ye  know  not  when  the  mafter  of  the  houfe  cometh,  at 
 **  even,  or  at  midnight,  or  at  cock-crowing,  or  in  the  morning) 
 "  left  coming  fuddenly  he  find  you  fleeping.  And  what  I  fay 
 "  unto  you   I   fay  unto  all,  watch,"  Mark  xiii.  32 — 37.     Is 
 
 there 
 
ft3^ 
 
 DIALOGUE     III.  Part  II, 
 
 there  not  a  marked  difference  obfervable  ?  Is  ih^re  any  intima- 
 tion, ihat  at  this  his  coming  the  earth  is  to  be  burnt  up,  or  the 
 elements  to  melt  with  fervent  heat  ? 
 
 TLeulous.  There  certainly  is  not,  but  the  declared  end  and 
 intent  oi  this  his  coming  is,"  to  gather  together  his  ele£l  from  the 
 **  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other,"  Matt, 
 xxiv.  31.  *'  From  the  uttermoft  part  of  the  earth  to  the  utter- 
 *^  mo(t  part  of  heaven,"  Mark  xiii.  27. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  fo,  and  watchfulnefs  is  the  great  duty  which 
 is  enforced.  When  mankind  are  in  a  ftate  of  uninterrupted 
 profperity,  we  find  by  experience,  that  the  truths  of  religion 
 make  but  a  faint  impreilion  upon  their  minds ;  they  become  luke-r 
 ■warm  ;  their  zeal  is  faint,  and  their  expedfations  too  much  cen- 
 tred in  the  things  of  this  world.  It  is  in  times  of  afflidtion, 
 trial,  and  difficulty,  that  the  comforting  doftrines  of  religion 
 flrike  deep  root,  and  bring  forth  moil  fruit.  When  we  are 
 encompafl'ed  with  trials  \  when  we  fee,  and  feel,  the  precarious 
 tenure  whereby  our  lives,  and  all  our  comforts  are  held  \  when 
 we  have  no  profpe6l  before  us,  but  difficulties,  and  dangers, 
 then  **  we  cry  unto  the  Lord  in  our  trouble,  and  he  delivereth 
 *'  us  out  of  our  diftrefs."  Contrafl:  the  Chrift ians  of  the  prefent 
 day,  with  thofe  of  the  firft  ages.  To  what  is  the  great  difference 
 between  them  to  be  attributed?  Is  it  not  to  the  difference  in  their 
 fituations  and  expedfations,  that  we  are  chiefly  to  afcribe  the 
 difference  obfervable  between  them.  The  primitive  Chriftians 
 were  in  a  ftate  of  conftant  trial !  They  were  in  a  (fate  of  conftant 
 preparation!  They  were  ever  upon  the  watch  !  They  expetfled 
 great  calamities,  and  were  taught  to  obferve  the  moft  vigilant 
 attention  to  thofe  occurrences  which  they  were  to  expeft.  Im- 
 poflors,  falfe  Chrifts,  falfe  prophets,  who  would  be  enabled  to 
 fhew  great  figns  and  wonders,  to  deceive  many  ;  they  were  to 
 expeft  wars,  and  rumours  of  wars,  nation  rifing  up  againft 
 nation,  and  kingdom  againil  kingdom ;  they  were  to  expeft 
 famines,  and  peflilences,  and  earthquakes,  in  divers  places,  and 
 thefe  but  the  beginning  of  forrows ;  they  were  to  expecl  fierce 
 perfecution,  unto  death  ;  and  to  be  hated  of  all  nations  for  their 
 attachment  to  their  bleifcd  Mailer.  They  were  to  expe£l  to  be 
 betrayed  by  apoilates,  and  that  the  love  of  many  would  wax  cold ; 
 and  then  they  were  to  expedl  that  great  tribulation* 
 which  would  immediately  precede  the  coming  of  their  Lord. 
 Thefe  their  expedlations  were  realized,  all  thefe  things  came  to 
 pafs  in  that  generation  \  and  as  the  day  and  hour  of  Chrift's 
 coming  was  unknown  both  to  men  and  angels,  as  it  was  a  day 
 and  hour  not  known  even  to  their  Lord  himfelf,  and  only  known 
 to  his  Father,  and  our  Father,  to  his  God,  and  our  God,  they 
 could  not  but  expedt  that  even  it  might  be  near  at  hand.  All 
 thefe  expectations  operated  to  keep  them  watchful,  and  in  a 
 conllant  llate  of  preparation  ;  and  to  this,  under  God,  we  are  in 
 
 a  great 
 
Part  II  DIALOGUE     III.  237 
 
 a  great  meafure  to  attribute  that  faithfulnefs  unto  death,  that 
 zeal,  that  piety,  that  noble  firmnefs  and  magnanimity,  which 
 diftinguifli  the  chara6ler  of  the  ChriiHans  of  that  age.  Above 
 1700  years  have  eh\pfed  fnice  that  lime,  and  thofedays  of  Jewiflt 
 tribulation  are  not  ended  yet,  and  the  appearance  of  our  Lord 
 in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great  glory  hath  not  yet  taken 
 place,  and  what  are  now  the  expe6tations  of  Chriftians  ? 
 
 Zealous.  Truly,  I  am  almoft  at  a  lofs  to  fay  what  are  their 
 expe£lations.  TJie  chief  point  in  which  all  feem  agreed  is,  that 
 they  expedl  that  Chriii:  our  Lord  will,  at  the  end  of  the  world, 
 come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead;  this  is  the  chief  expefta- 
 tion  as  to  things  to  come,  in  which  they  feem  to  be  agreed  \  there 
 are  thofe  alfo  who  expedl:  a  better  ftate  of  things  on  earth.  A 
 few  years  ago  in  particular,  molt  of  thofe  who  are  called  Metho- 
 difts  and  Dilfenters,  were  almoft  unanimous  in  the  expedation 
 of  the  near  approach  of  the  millenium,  and  the  de{tru6lion  of 
 that  power  which  they  denominate  Antichrilt,  but  the  idea  hath 
 died  away.  Certainly  the  prevailing  difpolition  among  Chrif- 
 tians in  general,  is  disinclination  to  form  any  ex- 
 pectations AT  ALL  AS  TO  THINGS  TO  COME,  FOR  FEAR 
 OF  FORMING  WRONG  EXPECTATIONS;  but  if  there  is  one 
 point  in  which  there  may  be  faid  to  have  been  any  alteration  in 
 the  expedations  of  Chriftians  as  to  things  to  come,  I  think  it 
 is  this:  it  feems  to  me  that  for  feveral  years  there  hath  been  an 
 increahng  attention  paid  to  thofe  prophecies  which  relate  to  the 
 Jewilh  nation.  The  abfurdity  ot  turning  them  into  figure,  and 
 then  applying  them  to  Chriftians  is  generally  felt,  by  all  except 
 enthufiafts  ;  and  the  paftages  which  relate  to  the  reftoration  of 
 Ifrael  to  the  favour  of  the  God  of  their  fathers,  are  fo  plain,  fo 
 dired,  fo  pointed,  that  every  one  who  ftudies  the  Old  Teftament 
 muft  be  convinced,  that  the  time  will  come,  when  the  Jews 
 will  be  reftored  to  their  own  land,  and  blefted  with  the  returning 
 favour  of  God. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  obfervations  entirely  coincide  with  mine,  and 
 I  fliall  add  that  as  this  is  an  event  which  evidently  remains  TO 
 BE  accompliftied,  and  as  the  generality  of  Chriftians  confiderthe 
 coming  of  Chrift  our  Lord  *'  in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great 
 *'  glory,"  as  an  event  to  take  place  at  the  end  of  the 
 WORLD,  the  coming  of  Chrift  is  looked  for  by  them,  as  an  event 
 at  a  great  distance,  very  remote  indeed. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  fo,  and  as  Chriftians  in  general  have  no  ex- 
 pedation  of  any  peculiar  event  foon  to  occur,  in  which  they 
 are  much  interelted,  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  are  lukeVarm,  and 
 feel  a  difinclination  to  enter  into  the  confideration  of  things  which 
 they  believe  to  be  remote. 
 
 Cautious.  To  this  we  are  in  a  great  meafure  to  attribute  that 
 xvaiit  of  zeal,  which  I  am  forry  to  fay  is  almoft  the  chara6lcriftic 
 of  Chriftians  of  the  prcfent  day.     I  am  of  another  mind,  and  fo 
 
 far 
 
238  DIALOGUE     III.  Part   II. 
 
 far  from  thinking  that  we  have  good  grounds  to  believe  that  there 
 are  no  events  to  be  soon  expected  in  which  we  are 
 much  interefted,  I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  v/e  have  no 
 ASSURANCE,  no  good  ground  from  fcripture  thus  to  conclude  ; 
 on  the  contrary,  I  am  firmly  of  opinion,  that  we  have  good 
 reafon  to  expe6t,  that  the  day  of  Chrift,  that  glorious  appear- 
 ance *' of  the  Son  of  Man  in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great 
 *'  glory,"  is  by  no  means  remote,  but  near  at  hand,  I 
 think  that  the  dreadful  error  adopted  by  the  learned  Dr.  War- 
 burton,  Bifliop  of  Gloucefler,  that  this  event  is  pall,  and  has, 
 been  fo  for  1700  years,  in  which  he  is  followed  by  Dr.  Newton, 
 Biihop  of  Briftol  (who  was  dazzled  by  the  fplendour  of  his  pro- 
 found learning  and  great  abilities)  fhould  be  examined  by  authority, 
 anJ  if  wrong,  molt  zealoufly  oppofed;  for  if  the  idea  is  un- 
 iounded,  it  is  near  a-kin  to  the  error  of  Hymeneus  and  Philetus; 
 ■who  concerning  the  truth  erred,  faying  that  the  refurre6tion  is 
 past  ALREADY,  and  thereby  overthrew  thfe  faith  of  fome, 
 2  Tim.  ii.   17,   18.     When  this  great  day  arrives,  it 
 
 WILL  COME    SUDDENLY,    AND    TO     MANY   UNEXPECTEDLY  ; 
 
 *'  for  as  a  fnare  fhall  it  come  on  all  them  that  dwell  on  the  face 
 **  of  the  whole  earth,"  Luke  xxi.  35.  *'  Watch  therefore  : 
 *'  left  coming  suddenly  he  find  you  lleeping,"  Mark  xiii.  36. 
 *'  As  the  days  of  Noe  were,  fo  Ihall  alfo  the  coming  of  the  Son 
 *'  of  Man  be.  For  as  in  the  days  that  were  before  the  flood 
 *'  they  were  eating  and  drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in  mar- 
 **  riage,  until  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the  ark,  and  knew 
 **  not  until  the  flood  came,  and  took  them  all  av/ay  ;  fo  fhall 
 **  alfo  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  be,"  Matt.  xxiv.  37 — 39. 
 So  far  from  its  being  a  remote  event,  that  I  think  we  have  no 
 aflurance  from  fcripture,  that  it  will  not  arrive  in  this  generation  ^ 
 and  I  think  there   is  great   probability    that  the 
 
 VERY  eyes  of  some  OF  THE  PRESENT  GENERATION  OF 
 MANKIND  MAY  NOT  BE  CLOSED  BY  DEATH,  BEFORE  THEY 
 ACTUALLY  BEHOLD  OUR  LORD  COMING  IN  THE  CLOUDS 
 OF    HEAVEN   WITH   POWER  AND   GREAT  GLORY  ! 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  aftoniflied  to  hear  you  fay  fo,  and  beg  you  to 
 give  me  your  reafons  for  adopting  an  opinion  fo  awfully  im- 
 portant. 
 
 Cautious.  I  will  give  you  my  reafons,  but  firft  let  me  have 
 an  anfwer  to  this  queftion.  Do  you  think  there  is  any  good 
 ground  in  fcripture,  to  induce  us  to  believe  that  the  Jewilh 
 calamities  will  be  of  much  longer  continuance  ?  Do  you  believe 
 that  their  relloration  to  the  favour  of  the  God  of  their  fathers  is 
 an  event  very  remote  ? 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  eafier  to  aflc  thefe  queftions,  than  to  anfwer 
 them.  However,  I  will  give  you  the  belt  aniwer  I  can,  and 
 firft  as  to  their  reftoration  to  the  favour  of  the  God  ot  their 
 fathers,  it  is  pofitively  promifed  on  their  turning  to  tlie  Lord 
 
 their 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    III.  S39 
 
 their  God,  with  all  their  heart  and  with  all  their 
 SOUL.     Their  reiteration  not  having  yet  taken  place,  is  evidence 
 that  they  have   not  yet  fully   turned  unto  the  Lord  with  all  their 
 heart  and  with  all  their  foul,  Deut.  xxx.   2.     But  although  they  , 
 have  not  yet  fully  turned  unto  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart  and 
 with  all  their  foul,  they  may  thus  turn  unto  him,  and,  for  ought 
 appears,  SOON  also.    They  are  now  quiet  and  have  time  for  re- 
 flexion, and  poiTefs   many  advantages  which    their  anceftors  did 
 not  pollefs,  but  it  doth  not  appear  to  me  to  depend  entirely  upon 
 the  exertions  of  thofe   powers  which  the  Jews   poiTefs.     The 
 hand  of  God  hath  been  confpicuous  in  all  that  concerns  them,  and 
 we  have  good  reafon  to  believe,  that  in  due  time  he  will  circum- 
 cife  their  heart,  and  the  heart  of  their  feed,  to  love  the  Lord  their 
 God,    with   all  their  heart  and  with  all  their  foul,  that  they  may 
 live,   Deut.  xxx.  6.  and  in  Jere.  xxxi.    31.  we    read  of  a  new 
 covenant  which  the  Lord  their  God  will  make  with  them,,   "  Be- 
 "  hold,   the  days  come,   faith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  make  a  new 
 •*'  covenant  with  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  and  with  the  houfe  of  Judah, 
 "  not  according  to  the  covenant  that  I  made  with  their  fathers  in 
 *'  the  day  that  I  took  them  by  the  hand  to  bring  them  out  of  the 
 **  land  of  Egypt ;    which  my   covenant  they  brake,  although  I 
 "  was  an  hufband  unto  them,  faith  the  Lord :   but  this  fhall  be 
 "  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with  the  houfe  of  Ifrael;  after 
 *'  thofe  days   faith  the   Lord,   I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward 
 '*  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts  ;  and  will  be  their-God,  and 
 *'  they  fliall  be  my  people.     And  they  fhall  teach  no  inore  every 
 "  man  his  neighbour,  and  every  man  his  brother,  faying,  know 
 "  the  Lord:  for  they   ihall  all  know  me,  from  the  lead  of  them 
 *'  unto  the  greateft  of  them,     faith   the   Lord:  for  I  will  forgive 
 "  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  remember  their  fm  no  more."     We 
 cannot  tell  how  foon  the    Lord    may  thus  turn  unto  them,  and 
 enable  them  to  turn  unto  him.     '*  Elias  was  a  man  fubjeft   to 
 *'  like  paflions  as  we  are,  and  he  prayed   earneftly  that   it   might 
 *'  not  rain,  and  it  rained  not   on  the  earth  by  the  fpace  of  three 
 **  years  and  fix  months  ;  and    he  prayed  again,  and  the  heaven 
 **  gave  rain,  and"  the  earth    brought  forth  her    fruit,"  James  v. 
 17.      1  Kings  xvii.    1.      1   Kings  xviii.  42.  45.     The  good  king 
 Hezekiah  received  a  blafphcmous  letter  from  the  king  01  Ally  via  : 
 "  And  Hezekiah  received  the  letter  of  the  hand  of  the  mefTengers 
 "  and    read   it:    and   Hezekiah  went  into  the  houfe  of  the  Lord, 
 *'  and  fpread  it  before  the   Lord.     And  Hezekiah  prayed  before 
 *'  the  Lord,  and  faid,    O  Lord   God  of   Ifrael,  which  du'ellefl: 
 '*  between  the  cherubims,  thou  art  the  God,  even  thou  alone, 
 *'  of  all  the    kingdoms  of  the  earth;  thou  haft  made  heaven  and 
 *'  earth.     Lord,    bow  dowa  thy   ear,    and   hear  :  open,  Lord, 
 "  thine  eyes  and  fee  :  and  hear  the  words  of  Sennacherib,  wliicli 
 *'  hath  fent  him  to  reproach  the  living  God.     Of  a  truth.  Lord, 
 "  the  kings  of  AfTyria.have  deftroyedthe  nations'  and  their  lands, 
 
 "  and 
 
»40  DIALOGUE     III.  Part  II. 
 
 "  and  have  cafl:  their  gods  into  the  fire:  for  they  were  no  gods, 
 **  but  the  work  of  men's  hands,  wood  and  ftone  :  therefore  they 
 **  have  deftroyed  them:  now  therefore,  O  Lord,  our  God,  I 
 '<  befeech  thee,  fave  thou  us  out  of  his  hand,  that  all  the  king- 
 **  doms  of  the  earth  may  know  that  thou  art  the  Lord  God,  even 
 **  thou  only,  2  Kings  xix.  14 — 19.  Then  follows  the  con- 
 folitary  melfage  of  the  Lord  by  Jfaiah,  and  the  refult  was,  that 
 "  it  came  to  pafs  that  night,  that  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went 
 *'  out,  and  fmote  in  the  camp  of  the  Alfyrians  an  hundred  four- 
 *'  fcore  and  five  thoufand  :  and  when  they  arofe  early  in  the 
 *'  morning,  behold,  they  were  all  dead  corpfes,"  v.  35.  From 
 thefe  things  we  fee,  the  sudden  and  conspicuous  effects 
 of  FERVENT  Jewish  prayer.  Thefe  were  fervent  prayers, 
 urgent  prayers,    prayers  uttered  with    all  the  heart,  and  all  the 
 
 foul  ;  WITH  FULL  FAITH  THAT  HE  TO  WHOM  THEY  WERE 
 ADDRESSED,      POSSESSED    POWER   TO    ANSWER   THEM.       We 
 
 believe  that  the  Jews  even  now  pray  for  reftoration,  and  who  fhall 
 limit  the  Holy  One  of  Ifrael,  Pf.  Ixxviii.  41.  '*  God  is  not  a 
 *'  man  that  he  fhould  lie,  neither  the  fon  of  man  that  he  fliould 
 **  repent :  hath  he  faid,  and  fhall  he  not  do  it  ?  or  hath  he 
 **  fpoken,  and  fliall  he  not  make  it  good  ?"  Numb,  xxiii.  19. 
 His  promife  is  ABSOLUTE,  who  therefore  can  fay  but  that  on 
 fome  day,  when  the  Jews  are  praying  for  their  reftoration, 
 and  mufing  on  the  good  and  evil  that  their  nation  have  parted 
 through,  who  fhall  fay  that  the  fire  of  urgent  prayer  may 
 not  kindle  among  them,  (Pf.  xxxix.  3.)  and  they  may  with  all 
 their  heart  and  all  their  foul,  cry  mightily  unto  their 
 God,  and  firmly  believe  that  he  will  not  only  hear,  but 
 alfo  anfwer  their  prayer  ! 
 
 Cautious.  I  rejoice  that  you  are  fo  firm  in  the  faith  that  Ifrael 
 fliall  be  reftored,  and  that  there  is  fuch  good  hope  that  they  may 
 foon  experience  the  truth  of  thofe  gracious  promifes  which  are  in 
 ftore  for  them;  and  who  fhall  prefume  to  fay,  that  they  are  re- 
 mote! Is  it  notponible,  nay,  is  it  not  probable,  that  medita- 
 ting upon  thefe  promifes,  they  may  as  it  were  become  aftoniflied, 
 that  the  attempts  they  and  their  fathers  have  made  to  turn  imto 
 the  Lord  have  failed  to  produce  the  intended  efFe61:.  Is  there  any 
 thing  improbable  in  luppofing,  that  this  may  induce  them  to 
 inquire  how  this  is.  From  whence  it  has  proceeded.  May 
 they  not  in  purfuing  this  inquiry  difcover  that  it  is  "  the  in- 
 *'  spiration  of  the  Almighty"  that  giveth  to  man 
 understanding,  (Job  xxxii.  8.)  and  may  they  not  in  imita- 
 tion of  David  their  king,  feek  unto  the  Lord,  (Pf.  cxix.  2.)  and 
 ardently  defire,  and  pray  for  direction.  May  they  not  like  him 
 acknowledge,  "  I  have  gone  altray,  like  a  lolt  fheep  ;  seek,  thy 
 *'  ferv^ant,  for  I  do  not  forget  thy  commandments,"  Pf.  cxix  176. 
 Thus  inilrudted,  they  may  follow  the  example  of  Daniel  and 
 pray  before  the  Lord  their  God,  that  they  may  be  enabled  by 
 
 H/M 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    III. 
 
 241 
 
 HIM  to  turn  from  their  iniquities,  and  to  underftand  his  truth, 
 Dan.  ix.  13.  "  Turn  us,  O  Godot"  our  falvation,  and  caufe  thine 
 "  anger  towards  us  to  ceafe.  Wilt  thou  be  angry  with  us  for 
 *'  ever  ?  Wilt  thou  draw  out  thine  anger  to  all  generations  ?  Wilt 
 *'  thou  not  revive  us  again  :  that  thy  people  may  rejoice  in  thee  ? 
 *'  Shew  us  thy  mercy,  O  Lord,  and  grant  us  thy  Salvation." 
 Pf.  Ixxxv.  4 — 7.  "  Turn  usagain,  OGodofhofts,  and  caufe 
 *'  thy  face  to  fliine  ;  and  we  shall  be  saved."  Pf.  Ixxx.  7. 
 *'  Wherefore  doft  thou  forget  us  for  ever,  and  forfake  us  fo  long 
 *'  timer  Turn  thou  us  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  and    we 
 
 "  SHALL  BE-  turned  ;  RENEW  OUR  DAYS  AS  OF  OLD." 
 
 Lam.  v.   20,   21. 
 
 Zealous.  I  think  there  is  great  probability  in  this  hope, 
 which  I  perceive  you  cherilh.  \i  they  endeavour  to  return  unto 
 Zion  ;  if  they  ardently  deilre  to  fet  their  faces  towards  Zion  ;  if 
 they  feel  inclined  to  afk  the  way  thither,  (Jer.  1.  5.)  of  whom 
 ihould  they  afk,  but  of  the  Lord  their  God  ?  He  hath  power  not 
 only  to  ihew  them  the  way,  but  to  prote£l  them  alfo,  and  fo  to 
 order  anddifpofe  the  hearts  of  men,  as  to  make  them  exultingly 
 contribute  to  the  eafe  and  comfort  of  their  journey  thither, 
 Ifaiah  xlix.  22.  How  greatly  did  the  favour  which  it  pleafed 
 God  to  give  Nehemiah  in  the  eyes  of  Artaxerxes  the  king,  con- 
 tribute to  the  rertoration  from  Babylon  ?  It  may  be  fo  again,  all 
 hearts  are  under  the  control  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael. 
 
 There  is  another  circumitance  which  I  (hall  notice,  as  tending  to 
 increafe  the  probability,  that  the  reftoration  of  Ifrael  to  their  own 
 land  is  not  very  remote,  although  I  w^ould  wifh  by  no  means  to 
 lay  too  much  ftrefs  upon  it  ;  it  is  this  :  that  fcourge  to  the  na- 
 tions, that  inoft  arbitrary  power,  which  hath  fo  long  poflelfed  fome 
 of  the  mod  fertile  provinces  of  the  earth,  and  whofe  iron  hand 
 hath  chiefly  contributed  to  make  the  Holy  Land  a  defolate  wilder- 
 nefs,  is  now  weak,  and  apparently  fall  verging  to  ruin.  It  is  not 
 even  able  to  crufh  the  fubordinate  rulers  W'ho  fet  at  nought  its 
 authority  ;  and  the  chief  fecurity  it  poifelfes,  is  derived  from  that 
 jealoufy  which  the  more  powerful  kingdoms  which  border  on  it 
 entertain  of  each  other.  The  countries  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
 Palefline,  have  long  been  entirely  devoid  of  any  importance  in 
 modern  hiftory,  but  in  the  lall  eight  or  ten  years  they  have  again 
 become  the  theatre  of  great  events  ;  and  very  recent  events  ihew 
 how  greatly  the  maritime  and  commercial  nations  interell  them- 
 felves  concerning  thofe  parts  of  the  earth  which  border  upon  the 
 Holy  Land.  This  may  induce  them  to  turn  their  attention  to 
 the  Jews,  All  events  are  under  the  control  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael,  and  although  we  are  fhort-fighted  creatures,  we  may  reft: 
 alfured,  that  every  event  will  wx)rk  together  to  the  accomplifli- 
 ment  of  the  will  of  God,  declared  in  his  moll  holy  word. 
 
 Cautious.  From  what  you  have  faid,  I  gather  that  you  by  no 
 means  think  it  improbable   but  that  the  reftoration  of  Ifrael 
 
 I  i  may 
 
24> 
 
 DIALOGUE     III.  Part  II. 
 
 may  be  near  at  hand,  and  I  therefore  conclude  that  you  think  it 
 alfo  PROBABLE  that  the  days  of  their  fufFerings  are  nearly 
 ended. 
 
 Zealous.  I  by  no  means  think  it  improbable,  nay,  I  will 
 go  further,  and  declare  that  I  think  it  very  probable  that 
 the  rertoration  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land,  and  to  the  favour 
 of  the  God  of  their  fathers,  is  an  event  by  no  means  remote  ;  and 
 as  to  the  days  of  their  fufferings  being  nearly  ended,  I  think  we 
 have  very  good  reasons  to  conclude  that  the  Jew- 
 ish     SUFFERINGS     APPROACH      VERY      NEAR    THEIR     END. 
 
 Inllead  of  being  perfecuted  as  formerly,  in  many  countries  they 
 are  cherilhed,  by  many  they  are  treated  with  kindnefs,  and  by 
 fome  with  refpe£t ;  that  hatred  in  which  they  Avere  formerly 
 held,  hath  greatly  abated  ;  and  I  mufi;  confider  thefe  things  as 
 under  the  control  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael.  They  feem  to 
 me  to  be  evidence  of  the  abatement  of  his  anger  towards  them, 
 and  to  afford  good  hope  that  their  fufFerings  are  nearly  ended. 
 
 Cautious.  You  expreffed  your  aftonifhment  when  I  declared 
 to  you,  that  I  was  of  opinion  that  there  was  "  great  probability 
 *'  that  the  very  eyes  of  fome  of  the  prefent  generation  of  man- 
 *•  kind  may  not  be  clofed  by  death,  before  they  a6lually  behold 
 "  our  Lord  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with  power  and 
 *'  great  glory  ;"  and  you  have  now  exprefTed  yourfelf  of  opinion 
 *'  that  we  have  very  good  reafons  to  conclude,  that  the  Jewifh 
 '*  fufferings  approach  very  near  their  end."  Pray  turn  to  the 
 24th  of  St.  Matthew,  the  13th  of  St.  Mark,  and  the  21ft  of 
 St.  Luke,  (the  paffages  we  have  been  confidering)  and  endeavour 
 at  your  leifure  between  this  and  our  next  meeting,  to  form  an 
 anfwer  to  a  few  queflions  which  I  will  now  fubmit  to  you,  for 
 your  deliberate  confideration. 
 
 The  ift  queftion  for  your  confideration  is  this  :  Are  not  the 
 paffages  in  St.  Matthew  and  in  St.  Mark  very  explicit,  and  do  they 
 not  mofl:  pofitively  declare,  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  **  in  the 
 *'  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,"  is  an  event 
 which  will  "  immediately"  take  place  "  after    the  tri- 
 
 *'    BULATION    of    THOSE     DAYS." *'    AfTER  THAT  TRIBU- 
 
 *'    LATION  V 
 
 2dly.  If  you  have  any  reafon  to  believe  that  that  tribu- 
 lation is  VERY  NEAR  its  cnd,  does  it  not  follow  that  you  have 
 the  fame  reafon  to  believe  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  "  in  the 
 **  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory"  is  alfo  near  at 
 hand  ? 
 
 sdly.  Is  it  not  clear  that  the  period  of  time,  the  extent, 
 the  duration,  of  that  tribulation,  was  that  which  was  known 
 to  no  man,  no  not  even  to  the  angels  of  heaven,  neither  to  our 
 blcffed  Lord  himfelf  in  the  days  of  his  humiliation.  Was  it  not 
 .  this  which  rendered  that  great  event  (the  coming  of  our  Lord  ''  in 
 *'  thu  clouds  of  heaven   with  power  and  great  glory")  an  event, 
 
 the 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     III.  245 
 
 the  day  and  hour  of  which  coiiid  not  be  known  ?  It  was  known, 
 and  declared,  that  it  would  happen  immediately  after  that  tri- 
 bulation ;  but  was  it  not  the  extent,  the  duration  of  thofe  days  of 
 ■iribulation  being  unknown,  that  rendered  the  great  event  de- 
 pendant thereon  unknown  alfo  ? 
 
 4thly.  Is  it  not  evident  from  Luke  xxi.  24.  that  the  times  of 
 the  Jewifli  tribulation,  and  **  the  times  of  the  Gentiles"  are  like 
 parallel  lines,  beginning  and  ending  together  ? 
 
 ^;thly.  If  this  coming  of  our  Lord  "  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
 *'  with  powerand  great  glory,"  is  to  takeplace  immediately  after 
 the  Jewilh  tribulations  are  ended  i  does  it  not  necelfarily  follow, 
 that  I  his  glorious  appearance  of  our  blelTed  Lord  cannot  be  his 
 coming  at  THE  end  of  the  world,  to  judge  the  quick  and 
 the  dead,  when  the  earth  and  the  works  therein  fhall  be  burnt  up, 
 inafmuch  as  all  thofe  promifes  which  relate  to  the  profperity  of 
 Ifrael  in  their  own  land,  will  remain  to  be  fulfilled  at  the  day  of 
 this  his  coming  "  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
 *'  glory.." 
 
 6thly,'  If  this  coming  of  our  Lord  is  an  event  to  take  place  at 
 the  end  of  the  Jewifh  tribulation,  and  immediately  before  their 
 profperity  commences ;  does  not  his  appearance  at  this  critical 
 moment  afford  good  ground  for  us  to  conclude,  that  this  his  coming 
 hath  fome  important  reference  to  this  great  alteration,  which  Vv'ill 
 take  place  in  the  fituation  of  the  Jews  r 
 
 7thly.  Is  not  this  idea  ftrengthened  by  confidering  the  declared 
 END  and  INVENT   of  this  his  glorious  appearance,  it  being  to 
 
 GATHER    together      HIS    ELECT    FROM     THE  FOUR   WINDS, 
 FROM   ONE  END   OF   HEAVENTO   THE   OTHER? 
 
 8thly.     Are  not   these  elect,  the  Jews;  and  is  not  this 
 
 THAT  CONSPICUOUS   RETURN   TO    THEIR   OWN  LAND  which  is 
 
 the  burden  of  the  prophetic  fong  ? 
 
 gthly.  Is  not  the  mourning  of  the  tribes  produced  by  this  his 
 coming,  defcriptive  of  that  deep  contrition  which  will  be  felt  by 
 the  Jews  on  diicovering  that  their  glorified  Messiah,  who 
 thus  comes  to  their  deliverance,  and  to  reilore  them  to  profperity, 
 is  that  VERY  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the 
 Jews,  whom  their  fathers  rejected  and  cru- 
 cified ? 
 
 Thefe  are  important  queftions,  and  when  you  have  fully  con- 
 fidered  them,  and  maturely  examined  fcripture  upon  the  fubjecfi, 
 I  Ihall  be  much  at  your  fervice,  to  anfwer  any  quelHons  which 
 may  arife  in  your  mind,  or  to  continue  our  converfation,  for  I 
 have  many  obfervations  yet  to  make  ;  but  I  would  wifh  to  pro- 
 ceed regularly,  and  not  to  burden  your  mind  with  too  much  at 
 once. 
 
 FOURTH 
 
[     244    ] 
 FOURTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 Containing  Ohfervations  on  the  Pajfage  in  Matt.  xvi.  28.  "  There  he 
 *<  fome  /landing  here  that  Jh  ail  not  taste  07  Death  ////  they  fee 
 **  the  Son  of  Alan  coming  in  his  Kingdom;"  zuhich  f Fords  are  proved 
 to  have  been  literally  fulfilled.  The  true  Messiah  is  not  a 
 Deflroyer  of  the  yeivifh  Nation,  but  the  Scourge  of  their  Enemies,, 
 and  THE  Restorer  of  the  Kingdom  unto  Israel, 
 THE  Glory  of  his  People  Israel. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. 
 
 Xealous.  TN  the  three  weeks  that  have  elapfed  fince  I  laft  faw 
 JL  you,  I  have  deliberately  confidered  the  feveral  quef- 
 tions  which  you  fubmitted  to  me.  I  have  to  the  beft  of  my  abi- 
 lity examined  fcripture  upon  each  point,  and  I  think  I  may  fay 
 that  I  have  made  up  my  mind,  and  would  therefore  wifh  to  pro- 
 ceed ;  but  there  are  two  or  three  queftions  or  ohfervations  which 
 I  muft  firll  fubmit  to  you.  The  firft  is  this,  I  think  you  have 
 omitted  to  notice  a  molt  important  paflage,  which  Bifhop  Newton 
 quotes,  in  order  to  eftablilli  his  opinion,  that  the  coming  of  our 
 Lord  was  an  event  not  only  expeded,  but  which  actually  took 
 place  in  that  generation,  p.  340.  "There  be  fome  standing 
 <<  HERE  who  Ih all  not  taste  of  death,  till  they  fee  the  Son 
 *'  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom,"  Matt.  xvi.  28.  This  is  a  mod 
 remarkably  pointed,  and  politive  expreffion;  and  I  am  furprifed 
 that  you  fhould  have  omitted  to  reter  to  it.  I  am  furprifed  it 
 fhould  have  efcaped  you,  for  I  will  not  think  fo  ill  of  you,  as 
 to  fuppofe  that  you  purpofely  omitted  to  notice  it  becaufe  it  made 
 againft  your  opinion. 
 
 Cautious.  I  acknowledge  that  I  do  not  deferve  the  excufe  you 
 have  been  fo  kind  as  to  form  for  me,  for  the  paffage  was  in  my 
 recolleilion  ;  and  yet  I  trull  my  motive  for  not  noticing  it  was 
 by  no  means  a  defire  to  fink  the  confidcration  of  it.  If  you  were 
 polTeired  of  many  documents  to  fupport  your  title  to  an  eftate, 
 and  were  to  have  to  produce  them  in  a  court  of  juftice,  I  con- 
 ceive that  if  there  was  one  which  would  tend  to  throw  light  upon 
 all  the  others,  and  mod  likely  remove  all  doubt,  you  would  cer- 
 tainly referve  it  to  be  laft  produced,  that  the  concluding  impref- 
 fion  might  be  favourable  to  you.  It  is  the  fame  in  an  argument, 
 and  I  candidly  tell  you,  that  I  referved  this  paffage  to  be  la(f. 
 Xirged,   as   I  am  of  opinion  that  it  will,  when  duly  confidered, 
 
 ten4 
 
Part  II,  DIALOGUE     IV,  C45 
 
 tend  to  fliew  the  propriety  of  the  obfervations  I  have  already 
 made,  and  to  remove  all  doubt  upon  the  fubjedl ;  at  the  fame  time 
 let  me  exprefs  my  fatisfadlion  that  you  have  noticed  it,  for  I 
 aifure  you  I  do  not  wiih  you  to  adopt  any  opinion  from  me  ;  my 
 only  wilh  is  to  induce  you  to  examine  fcripture  for  yourfeif,  that 
 you  may  from  thence  form  your  opinion. 
 
 Zealous.  I  find  then  that  you  have  a  corps  de  referve,  and 
 that  you  have  not  yet  favoured  me  with  all  the  arguments  you 
 can  produce  in  fupport  of  your  opinion,  and  that  tlie  force  on 
 which  you  place  moll  dependance,  hath  not  yet  appeared  iu 
 fight. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  no  force  to  produce,  but  what  is  contained 
 in  holy  fcripture  \  and  it  is  as  tree  for  you  to  produce  it,  as  it  is 
 for  me  ;  and  if  you  defire  it,  I  will  immediately  proceed  to  the 
 palTage  which  you  have  noticed. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  not  fo  very  impatient  as  to  defire  it,-  I  can  re- 
 ferve the  confideration  of  it  until  I  have  noticed  another  circum- 
 flance  or  two,  which  I  am  delirous  to  mention  to, you.     Your 
 
 OPINION    IS    VERY    FAVOURABLE  TO   THE  JeWS,    fo  much  fo, 
 
 that  if  i^  were  polhble  to  be  a  Jew  and  a  Chriftian  at  the  fame 
 time,  I  fliould  ahnoil  fufpeft  you  to  be  a  Jewish  Christian. 
 I  am  aware  that  we  are  not  to  follow  any  man  implicitly  ;  but 
 are  to  examine  fcripture,  and  iorm  our  opinions  from  thence  ; 
 many  ot  your  opinions  are  very  different  from  thofe  who  have 
 gone  before  us,  but  your  idea,  that  the  great  end,  and  intent,  of 
 our  Saviour's  glorious  appearance  in  the  clouds,  with  power  and 
 great  glory,  will  be  for  the  benefit  of  the  Jew^ish  na- 
 tion,   TO    GATHER    THEM    TOGETHER    AS     THE    ELECT    OF 
 
 God,  from  "one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other j"  from  "the 
 "  uttermoit  part  of  the  earth  to  the  uttermolf  part  of  heaven." 
 This  is  an  idea  in  which  you  depart  not  only  from  the  learned  bi-. 
 fiiops,  but  from  all  Christians  whom  I  ever  heard  of. 
 Ciiriftians  in  general  have  applied  it  to  the  coming  of  our 
 jLord,  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  at  the  end  of  the  world. 
 Are  you  then  not  too  bold,  in  thus  controverting  the  opinion  of 
 the  learned  in  all  ages  in  the  ChrKHan  church? 
 
 Cautious.  Have  you  any  other  obfervations  to  make,  or  fiiall  X 
 pnfwer  thefe  firft? 
 
 Zealous.  I  have  only  to  obferve,  that  in  urging  your  objeflions 
 to  the  ailertion  of  Bilhop  Newton,  that,  "  Where  foe  er  the 
 "  Jews  are,  there  will  Chrill  be  taking  vengeance  upon 
 "  them  by  the  Romans  ;"  you  dwelt  with  much  fprce  upon 
 the  word  vengeance,  and  I  admitted  that  meeknefs,  the  re- 
 verfe  ot  wrath;  pity,  the  reverfe  of  implacabilitv ;  and  compaf- 
 fion,  the  reverfe  of  vengeance,  are  the  characleriftics  of  our 
 tjlelfed  Saviour:  but  we  fiiall  do  well,  at  the  Ian  e  time,  to  re- 
 coiled;, that  it  is  the  part  of  a  juif  judge,  to  take  vengeance 
 Vpon  tranfgreflbrs.     "The  Father  judgeth  no  man,  but  hath 
 
 "  committed. 
 
24^  DIALOGUE     IV.  Part  II. 
 
 **  committed  all  judgment  to  the  Son,"  John  v.  22.  Vengeance 
 againll  fmners  is  attributed  to  our  Saviour  in  holy  fcripture. 
 *'  We  are  bound  to  thank  God  always  for  you,  brethren,  as  it  is 
 **  meet,  becaufe  that  your  taith  groweth  exceedingly,  and  the 
 *'*  charu;-  of  every  one  of  you  all  toward  each  other  aboundeth  ; 
 **  fo  that  we  ourfelvcs  glory  in  you  in  the  churches  of  God 
 *'  for  your  patience  and  faith  in  all  your  perfecutions  and  tribu- 
 '  lations  that  ye  endure:  which  is  a  manifeit  token  of  the 
 *'  righteous  judgment  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  counted 
 "  worthy  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  for  which,  ye  alfo  fuffer: 
 "  feeing  it  is  a,  righteous  thing  with  God  to  recompenfe  tribula- 
 **  tion  to  them  that  trouble  yo\i  ;  and  to  you  who  are  troubled 
 **  rell  with  us,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  Ihall  be  revealed  from 
 **  heaven  with  his  mighty  angels,   in  flaming  fire    taking 
 
 •*  VENGEANCE  ON  THEM  THAT  KNOW  NOT  GOD,  AND 
 **  THAT  OBEY  NOT  THE  GOSPEL  OF  OUR  LoRD  JeSUS 
 
 **  Christ:  w^ho  iliall  be  puniilied  with  everlafting  deitru6lion 
 **  from  the  prefence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his 
 **  power;  when  he  fliall  come  to  be  glorified  in  his  faints,  and 
 *'  to  be  admired  in  all  them  that  believe."     2  ThefT.  i.  3 — 10. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  very  happy  that  you  have  fo  attentively  ex- 
 amined fcripture ;  God  forbid  that  I  fhould  hold  any  opinions 
 inconfiftent  with  the  paflages  you  have  quoted.  The  venge- 
 ance which  is  in  fcripture  attributed  to  God  and  to  Chrilf,  is  an 
 holy  vengeance,  entirely  confillent  with  every  other  attribute  of 
 him  whole  mercy  endureth  for  ever.  On  the  contrary,  the  venge- 
 ance which  is  attributed  to  our  blefled  Saviour,  by  the  learned 
 biihop,  in  the  pafiage  we  have  noticed,  appears  to  me  to  be  ir- 
 reconcilable to  the  words  and  works,  the  characler  and  uniform 
 conduft  of  our  blefTed  Lord  ;  and  it  was  merely  in  this  light  (as 
 you  may  remember)  that  I  objeftcd  to  it. 
 
 Zealous.  I  acknowledge  that  it  was  in  this  light  that  you  ob- 
 jeded  to  it  ;  neverthelefs,  I  wilh  you  to  noiice  the  pailage  I  have 
 produced,  which,  although  it  was  not  quoted  by  the  bifhop  in 
 lupport  oi  his  affertion,  and  the  light  in  which  he  places  it,  I  am 
 of  opinion,  is  fo  very  applicable,  that  when  I  had  confidered  it, 
 I  concluded  thus:  *'  If  this  palTage  had  been  in  my  recolle6lion, 
 *'  or  if  it  had  been  quoted  by  the  learned  bifliop,  I  fhould  have 
 *'  defended  his  and  my  opinion  (the  univerfal  opinion  of  Chrif- 
 "  tians)  v>dth  more  advantage."  The  paiiage  is  very  important, 
 and  I  muir  acknowledge  that  it  appears  very  Itrongly  to  corro- 
 borate the  do£lrine  which  the  Calviniils  build  upon  thefe  words 
 of  our  Lord,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gofpel 
 **  to  every  creature.  He  that  believeth,  and  is  baptized,  fhall  be 
 **  faved,  but  he  that  believeth  not  Inall  be  damned."  Mark  xvi. 
 1q,  16.  When  the  Lord  Jefus  fhall  be  revealed  from  heaven, 
 "with  his  mighty  angels,  it  will  be  in  flaming  fire,  to  take 
 vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the 
 gofpel  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chriit. 
 
 Cautious. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV. 
 
 247 
 
 Cautious.  I  again  repeat,  that  I  am  very  happy  that  you  have 
 referred  to  this  puilage ;  I  am  furprifed,  I  muit  own,  that  the 
 learned  bifiiop  did  not  refer  to  it,  for  it  would  have  been  as  eafy 
 for  him  to  allegorize  the  words,  flaming  fire,  and  the 
 ANGELS  OF  HIS  POWER,  as  to  allegorize  the  words  of  our 
 Lord  contained  in  the  evangeliils,  (vol.  ii.  pages  303,  310.) 
 Do  you  then  confidcr  this  paiiuge  as  rererring  to  the  deitruciion 
 of  Jerufalem  ? 
 
 Zealous.  No,  I  do  not;  I  flill  continue  to  think,  tliat  the 
 coming  of  our  Lord  biding  pofiiively  declared  to  be  an  eveiit  to 
 take  place  "  immediately  a.fter  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days," 
 Matt.  xxiv.  29.  after  the  Jewiih  tribulation;  no  ilronp-er 
 words  could  have  been  ufed  to  convince  us,  that  the  Jewifh  fuf- 
 ferings  were  not  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  vengeance,  as 
 is  reprefented  by  the  learned  bilhops  ;  but  that  this  coming  of  our 
 Lord  is  an  event  which  will  immediately  fucceed  the  conclu- 
 fion  of.  the  Jewifh  fufFerings.  All  that  I  propofe  by  quoting  this 
 palfage,  is  to  prove,  that  vengeance  towards  them  **  that 
 "  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gofpel  of  our  Lord  Jefus 
 *'  Chriftj"  is  not  incompatible  with  the  chara6ler  of  our  blelfed 
 Saviour. 
 
 Cautious.  I  now  find  that  I  entirely  agree  with  you.  It  is  an 
 AWFUL  THING  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  divine  and  faving  knowledge, 
 Rom.  i.  28.  Mark  xvi.  16  ;  but  we  are  not  competent  to  form  a 
 decided  opinion,  as  to  the  degree  of  light  which  is  comm.unicated 
 to  any  man's  mind:  we  arc  commanded  not  to  judge,  Matt.  vii. 
 1 — g.  1  Cor.  iv.  5.  Rom.  ii.  1 — 29.  xiv.  1 — 23.  Wherefore  ? 
 Becaufe  we  are  incompetent;  it  is  only  he  who  fearcheth  the 
 hearts,  he  who  knoweth  the  capacities,  and  the  degree  of  light, 
 and  underftanding,  and  ftrength  of  mind,  which  are  pofTeffed  by 
 his  creatures  individually,  that  can  judge  righteoufly.  It  is  not 
 therefore  for  us  to  fay,  to  every  one,  or  to  any  who  do  not  be- 
 lieve as  we  do,  that  they  come  under  this  awful  fentence.  The 
 gofpel  was  to  be  preached  to  every  creature,  Mark  xvi.  15. 
 and  it  is  on  all  hands  allowed,  that  the  gofpel  was  universally 
 preached  throughout  the  then  civilized  world,  which  was  at 
 that  time  almolt  entirely  under  the  dominion  of  the  Romans  ; 
 and  it  is  no  fmall  crime  to  rejedl  faving  knowledge  ;  I  repeat  it,  ■ 
 that  it  is  an  awful  thing  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  gofpel,  and 
 damnation  is  moll  juftly  denounced  againft  thofe  who  DO  not 
 believe  it,  Mark  xvi,  1,5,  16.  Let  us  then  turn  to  the  con- 
 fideration  of  the  pallage  yoii  have  quoted,  and  acknowledge  that 
 it  is  just  and  righteous,  that  the  Lord  Jefus  Chrifl,  the  juih 
 Judge,  fhould  be  *'  revealed  from  heaven,  with  his  mighty 
 *'  angels;  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that 
 "  knownotgod,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our 
 '*  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  2  Their,  i.  8:  but  at  the  fame  tim.e 
 that  weacknov.ledge  the  juftice  and  righteoufnefsof  the  declared 
 
 VtNGtAXCE, 
 
»48  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  Part  II* 
 
 VENGEANCE,  which  our  bleilcd  Lord  will  take  on  them  that 
 KNOW  NOT  God,  let  us.  ftrenuoufly  oppofe  the  imputation  of 
 that  unjult  and  unrighteous  condu£l,  which  the  felf-love  of  mif- 
 takcn  men  hath  induced  them  to  reprefent  as  the  condiidl  of  him 
 who  judgeth  righteouily.  Who  are  thefe  that  know  not 
 God,  and  that  obey  notthegofpel  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chrift? 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit  that  it  docs  not  become  us  to  pronounce  de- 
 cidedly, I  agree  with  you  that  it  is  God  alone,  who  knoweth  the 
 hearts,  and  alfo  the  capacities,  and  degree  ot  light,  and  under- 
 flanding,  poflefTed  by  his  creatures  ;  and  therefore  I  decline  an- 
 fwering  a  queftion  to  which  I  am  incompetent. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  anfwer  gives  me  much  pleafure,  but  I  will 
 put  my  queftion  in  other  words  :  Do  Chriftians  in  general  decline 
 pointing  out  thofe  whom  they  think  are  thus  devoid  of  the  know- 
 ledge of  God  r 
 
 Xcalous.  Certainly  they  do  not,  but  they  would  almoft  una- 
 nimoufly  profefs,  that  it  is  the  Jews,  Turks,  and  Infidels, 
 w  ho  thus  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gofpel  of  our  Lord 
 Jefus  Chrift,  and  are  under  this  awtul  fentence. 
 
 Cautious.  All  the  ideas  of  juftice  and  righteoufnefs,  we  poftefs 
 by  the  favour,  the  free  grace  of  God;  and  that  conduct  which 
 would  be  difgraceful  to  a  human  judge,  can  never  without  im- 
 piety be  imputed  to  God,  Jultice  requires  that  every  one 
 fliould  be  judged  by  the  law  under  which  he  lives,  and  which  is 
 the  rule  of  his  condu6l ;  and  fcripture  fpeaks  the  fame  do£trine. 
 It  is  poflible,  that  a  man  utterly  ignorant  of  the  law  and  the  gof- 
 pel, the  revealed  will  and  the  word  of  God,  might  ftill  poftefs 
 the  knowledge  of  god;  for  even  of  thofe  nations  whom 
 God  in  times  paft  fuffcred  to  walk  in  their  own  ways,  it  is  faid, 
 in  A£ls  xiv.  17.  "  Nevertheiefs  he  left  not  himfelf  without 
 **  witness  in  that  he  did  good,  and  gave  us  rain  from  heaven, 
 *'  and  fruitful  feafons,  filling  our  hearts  with  food  and  gladnefs." 
 Thefe  are  the  words  of  the  apoitle  Paul  when  preaching  to 
 the  heathens,  and  in  his  epiftle  to  the  Romans,  he  teaches  the 
 fame  do6lrine,  and  afterts  that  the  know^ledge  of  God  was  not 
 withheld  even  from  the  Gentiles  :  **  That  which  may  be  known 
 **  of  God  is  manifeft  to  them,  for  god  hath  shewed 
 *'  it  unto  them.  For  the  invifible  things  of  him  from 
 "  the  creation  of  the  world  are  clearly  fcen,  being  under- 
 *'  ftood  by  the  things  that  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power 
 **  and  Godhead,"  Rom.  i.  19,  20  :  and  he  ufes  this  as  an  argu- 
 ment, to  juftify  the  ways  of  God  to  man  ;  fliewing  that  having 
 the  knowledge  of  God  thus  given  to  them,  by  a  capacity  to  fee 
 his  perfe6lions  in  his  works,  they  who  were  unthankful  and 
 wicked  were  without  excuse,  Rom.  i.  20.  This  is  that 
 law  by  which  thofe  will  be  judged,  who  have  not  the  great  ad- 
 vantage of  the  knowledge  of  God's  word  ;  and  it  is  poftible  that 
 thofe  who  are  bloated  with  fclf-love,  and  think  that  they  are  the 
 
 elcct^ 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE  .IV* 
 
 49 
 
 eleft,  may  viltlmateiy  find,  that  foine  of  thefe  nations  Tvhom  they 
 conlider  wholly  devoid  of  the  knowledge  of  God,  may  "  come 
 "  from  the  call,  and  from  the  weft,  and  from  the  north,  and  from 
 *'  the  fouth,"  (Luke  xiii.)  and  fit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God, 
 with  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,"  and  they  themfelves  be 
 THRUST  OUT.  It  IS  poffible  tliat  **  the  Gentiles  which  have 
 *'  not  the  law,"  may,  by  beholding  the  wondrous  works  of  God, 
 become  thankful  to  him,  for  fruitful  fcafons,  and  all  the 
 bleffings  bellowed  upon  them  ;  it  is  poffible,  that  they  may  in 
 imitation  of  his  goodnefs,  become  kind,  and  hofpitable,  and  lov- 
 ing unto  their  fellow-creatures,  and  merciful  to  inferior  creatures  ; 
 it  is  poffible  that  they  may  thus  by  nature  do  the  things  contained 
 in  the  law,  and  not  poiTefling  the  written  law,  be  a  law  unto 
 themfelves,  and  fliew  the  work  of  the  law  written  in  their  hearts, 
 and  that  their  conscienc  k  may  bear  witnefs,  their  thoughts 
 the  mean  while  accufing  or  elfe  excufing  one  another,  Rom.  ii. 
 15.  And  great  will  be  the  reward  of  thofe,  who  v»ith  but  one 
 talent  gain  ten  talents. 
 
 We  are  not  to  underftand  thefe  words,  that  fpcak  of  the  awful 
 ftate  of  tnofe  who  have  not  the  knowledge  of  God,  as  applicable 
 to  a  Itate  of  entire  ignorance,  but  to  that  more  awful  state, 
 viz.  Renunciation  of  the  knowledge  of  God.  It  is  polfible  for 
 a  man  to  be  well  read  in  fcripture,  to  be  very  learned,  to  be  high 
 in  reputation,  and  to  have  his  name  adorned  with  A.  M.  or  D.  D. 
 or  LL.  D.  or  F.  R,  S.  or  all  of  them  together,  and  yet  to  be 
 devoid  of  the  true  knowledge  of  God.  It  is  not  the  knowledge 
 of  the  head,  that  is  approved  in  the  fight  of  God,  but  the  ex- 
 perimental knov/ledge  of  the  heart  ;  "  God  is  a  fpirit,  and  they 
 "  that  worfhip  him,  muft  worlhip  him  in  fpirit  and  in  truth," 
 John  iv.  24.  1  Cor.  xiii.  1 — 13.  It  is  poilible  even  to  make 
 fhipwreck  of  faith,  1  Tim.  i.  19.  to  draw  back  unto  perdition, 
 Heb.  X.  39.  and  to  give  way  to  a  morofe,  unkind,  and  uncha- 
 ritable, gloomy,  and  vindi61:ive  difpofition,  to  that  degree,  that 
 *'  the  knowledge  of  God,"  is  no  longer  retained  :  "  they  did 
 *'  NOT  LIKE  to  retain  God  in  their  knowledge,"  Rom.  i.  28. 
 "  He  that  loveth  not,  knoweth  not  God,  for  God  is  love," 
 1  John  iv.  8, 
 
 With  refpeft  to  the  latter  part  of  the  paiTage  alfo.,  it  feems  to 
 me,  that  it  can  by  no  means  be  applied  to  any  but  apostates 
 ■from  the  Chriftian  religion,    or  thofe  who   having   the  gofpel 
 
 CLEARLY     PREACHED      UNTO      THEM,     with     fuU     pOWCr    and 
 
 convidlion  of  mind,  yet  refufe  the  glad-tidings  of  .  falvation ; 
 and  hate  the  light,  "  becaufe  their  deeds  arc  evil ;"  and  becaufe 
 they  are  determined,  at  all  events,  to  perfilt  in  their  evil  courfes, 
 John  iii.  18 — 21.  None  but  God,  who  fearcheth  the  hearts,  can 
 fay  WHO  THESE  are,  who  thus  refill  the  light  ;  but  although  we 
 arc  wholly  incompetent  to  fay  who  they  are,  yet  doth  the  word 
 of  God  give  us  good  ground  to  form  a  found  judgment,  who 
 THEY  are   not.     When  it  is  faid,  that  our  blelfed  Lord  will 
 
 K  k  be 
 
£50  DIALOGUE     IV.  Part  IT. 
 
 be  revealed  from  heuven  in  flaming  fire,  taking  ven- 
 geance on  tiiem  that  "  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our 
 *'  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;"  it  cannot  apply  to  thofe,  who  being 
 born  deaf,  poifefs  no  means  whereby  to  receive  the  faving  know- 
 ledge of  the  gofptl.  It  cannot  apply  to  thofe  Gentiles,  who 
 never  heard  the  glad-tidings  of  the  gofpel,  for  they  cannot  be 
 blamed  for  rejecling  what  hath  never  been  offered  to  them.  Thofe 
 that  Vi'ill  be  condemned  out  of  this  numerous  clafs  of  mankind, 
 "will be  condemned  for  difobedience  againfl:  that  knowledge  which 
 God  hath  given  them,  Rom.  i.  19.  It  cannot  apply  to  thofe  of 
 the  Jewilli  nation  who  never  heard  the  gofpel  preached  :  and  if 
 it  hath  pleafed  God,  who'alone  giveth  the  "  hearing  ear,  and  the 
 **  feeingeye,"  (Prov.  xx.  12.)  for  wife,  gracious,  and  benevolent 
 pbrpofes,  to  withhold  thefe  advantages  for  a  time,  from  any  of 
 his  creatures  ;  it  will  neceffarily  follow  that  fuch  whofe  ears  are 
 '*  made  heavy,"  and  whofe  eyes  are  *'  iTiut,"  (Ifaiah  vi.  10.)  and 
 who  are  thus  not  permitted  to  hear,  fee,  and  underhand  the 
 gofpel,  cannot  be  fu bjccf  to  this  vengeance  which  will  be 
 taken  upon  them  that  obey  it  not.  They,  the  Jews,  will  be 
 judged  by  that  holy  law,  given  by  God  to  their  nation,  and  re- 
 corded by  Mofes,  Rom.  ii.  12.  It  is  therefore  chiefly  againft 
 apostates  from  the  Chrlftian  religion,  that  this  awful  ven- 
 geance of  Chriil  our  Lord  will  betaken. 
 
 Zealous.  I  can  raife  no  objeflion  to  the  light  in  which  you 
 place  it.  The  force  of  the  paiTage  recoils  upon  us  Chriftians, 
 and  God  grant,  that  poffefling  fuch  great  advantages  as  we  do,  by 
 the  knowledge  of  the  gofpel  of  Chrift  our  Lord,  we  may  not  be 
 condemned  by  that  molt  excellent  religion  which  we  profefs. 
 
 Cautious.  Before  we  proceed  to  another  fubje6l,  permit  me 
 to  fay  a  few  words  concerning  apostacy.  There  is  an  apof- 
 tacy  which  is  visible  to  human  obfervation,  and  there  is  an 
 apollacy  which  is  only  vifible  to  the  eye  of  him  who  *'  fceth  in 
 *'  fecret,"  PJatt.  vi.  4.  The  former  is  an  apoftacy  which  is  feen  and 
 lamented  by  Chriftians  of  all  denominations;  the  latter,  on  the 
 other  hand,  is  not  feen  by  man,  but  it  is  not  the  lefs  dangerous 
 on  that  account.  I  recjueft  you  to  turn  to  the  8th  chapter  of 
 the  prophet  Ezekiel,  and  then  to  fay,  whether  the  abominations 
 feen  in  the  vifion,  were  not  rendered  more  aggravatingly  fmful, 
 by  being  committed  in  the  holy  temple  of  the  Lord? 
 
 Zealous.  I  have  very  lately  read  the  chapter,  it  is  perfectly 
 in  my  recoUedion,  and  I  am  of  opinion,  that  the  idolatry  brought 
 to  light,  being  committed  in  the  Lord's  houfe,  rendered  it  much 
 more  aggravatingly  finful. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  this  fecret  apoftacy  which  leads  to  direct  and 
 avowed  apoftacy.  The  Lord  only  knoweth  the  fecrets  of  all 
 hearts,  and  all  that  w^e  can  do  Is,  to  urge  each  other  to  examina-' 
 tion  ;  but  this  I  think  we  are  warranted  in  faying,  that  the 
 Chriltian  who  imputes  unequal  ways  to  him,  whole  ways  are  all 
 juft,  righteous,  and  equal,  (Ezek.  xvili.  29.)  ;  that  the  Chriitian 
 
 who 
 
Fart  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV..  251 
 
 who  believes  that  the  Jews,  and  all  thofe  who  never  heard  the 
 gofpel,  are  therefore  in  a  itate  of  damnation  ;  that  the  Chriitian 
 who  hath  narrow  and  unworthy  thoughts  of  God,  and  inltead  of 
 viewing  him  as  "  gracious,   and    full    of    compassion  ; 
 
 "    SLOW  TO  ANGER,    and    of   GREAT    MERCY;"    aS    "GOOD   tO 
 
 "  ALL,  and  HIS  TENDER  MERCIES  Over  ALL  his  works," 
 (Pfal.  cxlv.  8,  9.)  views  him  as  configning'  the  majority  of  his 
 creatures,  by  his  fovereign  and  irrevernble  decree,  to  a  ftate  of 
 reprobation  upon  earth,  without  any  means  afforded  them  to 
 repent;  and  this  only  as  the  prelude  to  the  endurance  of  eternal 
 torments  hereafter,  which  they  were  never  furnillied  with  atiy 
 means  to  efcape!  I  fay,  that  fuch  would  do  well  to  confider 
 whether  they  are  not  as  really  and  ailually  apostates  trom 
 true  ChrilUanity,  as  the  worlhippers  of  Moloch,  mxcntioned  in 
 Amos  V.  26.  Pfal.  cvi.  38.  were  apoftates  from  the  worlliip  of 
 the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael. 
 
 Zealous.      I  do  not  contradicSl:  you. 
 
 Cautious.  The  chapter  in  Ezekiel,  to  which  I  have  referred 
 you,  eftabliflies  it,  that  it  is  poflible  to  worfhip  every  abomina- 
 tion, even  in  the  temple  itfelf.  It  is  not  the  place  in  which  the 
 worfhip  is  performed,  that  abfolutely  eilabliihes  it  as  incontro- 
 vertible, who  it  is  that  is  worihipped — that  is  known  alone  to 
 God  ;  to  him  who  is  the  only  true  object  of  wor- 
 ship and  praise;  to  him  who  is  rig  piteous  in  all 
 his  ways,  and  holy  in  all  his  works  ;  TO  him  who 
 is  gracious,  and  full  OF  compassion,  slov/  TO  an- 
 ger, and  of. great  mercy,  good  to  all,  and  whose 
 
 TENDER   mercies    ARE    OVER    ALL    HIS    WOKKS,    Pfal.  Cxlv. 
 
 Let   us    give   thanks  to   him,   and  praife  and  worfhip  him  ;   for 
 
 HE    is    GOOD,     HIS    MERCY    ENDURETH    FOR  EVER,    2   Chron. 
 
 V.  13. 
 
 Zealous.  I  thank  you  for  the  anfwer  you  have  given  irse ;  I  am 
 fatisfied. 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  next  place,  as  to  your  fufpicion  of  my  being 
 almost  a  Jewifh  Chriflian,  and  to  your  idea,  that  no  one  can 
 be  a  Jew  and  a  Chri'tian  at  the  fame  time,  permit  me  to  aflc, 
 Were  not  all  our  Lord's  apoftles  Jews  as  well  Chritlians?  Is 
 there  a  fmgle  paflage  in  the  New  Teftament  which  intimates 
 that  a  Jew  by  .becoming  a-  Chriitian,  was  to  be  lefs  a  Jew,  or  lefs 
 regardful  of  the  law  cf  Mofes,  than  he  was  before  he  became  a 
 Chriifian?  Our  Lord's  words  are,  **  Think  not  that  I  am  come 
 "  to  deftroy  the  law,  or  the  prophets;  I  am  not  come  to  de- 
 *'  ftroy,  but  to  fulfil.  For  verily  I  fay  unto  you,  Till  heaven 
 *'  and  earth  pafs,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  fhall  in  no  wife  pafs  from 
 *'  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled,"  Matt.  v.  17,  18.  All  the  primitive 
 Chriflians  who  were  of  the  Jewifh  nation,  were  not  one  jot  lefs 
 zealous  Jews.  **  Thou  feelf  brother,  how  many  thoufands  of 
 '*  Jews  there  are  which  believe,  and  they  are  all  zealous 
 *'  OF  the  law,"  Ads  xxi.  2q.     So  much  for  the  idea,  that  it 
 
 is 
 
253  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  Part  IT. 
 
 is  impofTible  to  be  a  Jew  and  a  Chriftian  at  the  fame  time ;  but 
 thofe  who  embraced  the  Chriilian  faith,  and  were  not  of  the 
 Tewifli  nation,  were  not  reqinred  to  conform  to  the  Jewifh  rites 
 and  ordinances,  Acls  xv.  We  conclude  therefore,  that  we  are 
 not  of  Jewifh  extra6lion  ;  but  this  I  will  fay,  that  I  fhould  erteem 
 it  an  higher  honour,  to  reckon  Abraham,  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the 
 lift  of  my  progenitors,  than  if  I  could  prove  rayfelf  dtfctnded 
 from  all  the  C^efars,  and  all  the  celebrated  monarchs  who  .ever 
 ruled  the  earth. 
 
 With  refpeft  to  my  differing  in  opinion  from  thofe  who  have 
 gone  before  us,  and  being  too  bold  in  fo  doing,  I  muft  tell  you, 
 that  you  are  not  the  firft  who  hath  thought  fo.  I  have  had  it 
 faid  to  me,  **  What  bufmefs  have  you  to  meddle  with  religiuos 
 *'  fubjedls;  you  fliould  leave  them  to  the  clergy."  "The  anly 
 EXCUSE  I  can  give  is,  that  I  am  interested  in  it.  There 
 are  great  and  gracious  promifcs  in  fcripture ;  audit  I  am,  by 
 the  blefhng  of  God,  pernutted  to  read  them,  I  arn  alfo  permilced 
 to  think  on  them,  and  to  compare  them  one  with  another,  and  lo 
 FORM  AN  OPINION  upon  them.  Thofe  who  think  that  this  is 
 TOO  BOLD,  or  that  v/ould  fay,  you  have  no  bufmefs  to  meddle 
 with  religious  matters,  you  fhould  leave  them  to  the  clergy,  can- 
 not highly  prize  that  religious  liberty  which  v/e  poflefs  ;  they 
 would  make  excellent  Catholics,  and  in  that  church  they  would 
 contentedly  follow  the  priefl  to  the  celebration  of  the  mafs,  or 
 to  the  adoration  of  an  image,  or  the  pope.  I  can  quote  the 
 words  of  one  of  the  mofi:  learned  bifhops  of  the  prefent  day,  to 
 fupport  MY  RIGHT  to  fomi  my  own  opinion:  in  a  letter  pub- 
 liihed  in  1799,  by  Samuel  Lord  Bifiiop  of  Rochefler,  F.  R.  S. 
 A.  S.  addrciled  to  John  King,  Efq.  F.  R.  S.  A.  S.  you  will,  in 
 p,  17,  find  this  paiiage,  "  I  never  will  admit,  nor  would  you, 
 **  I  think,  be  inclined  to  admit,  that  our  religion  has  belonging  to 
 *'  it  any  fecret  do6trine,  from  the  hearing  of  which  the  illiterate 
 *'  laity  are  to  be  excluded.  Tlie  notion  of  the  incompetence  of 
 *'  the  common  people  to  underftand  the  whole  of  the  revealed 
 '*^  do61:rine,  and  of  the  danger  of  expounding  the  prophecies  to 
 **  them,  is  falfe  and  abominable."  If  the  common  people  are 
 competent  to  underltand,  if  the  idea  that  it  is  dangerous  to  ex- 
 pound the  prophecies  to  them,  is  falfe  and  abominable,  it  muft  be 
 admitted,  that  they  have  fuch  powers  of  perception,  at  leaft,  as  to 
 WEIGH  and  CONSIDER  what  is  explained  unto  them.  It  is 
 highly  to  the  honour  of  this  Proteftant  land,  that  its  biihops  pof- 
 fefs  iuch  liberality  of  fentimcnt,  and  tiiat,  inftead  of  confining 
 their  learning  to  their  own  order,  by  locking  it  up  in  the  Latin 
 longue,  to  keep  the  ignorant  laity  from  partaking  of  it,  they 
 write  in  plain  Englifli ;  and  this  I  will  fay,  that  although  I  have 
 given  you  my  reafons  for  differing  in  opinion  from  the  late  Dr. 
 Newton,  Bifliop  of  Briflol,  in  a  few  inftanccs,  I  believe  that 
 his  book,  which  hath  gone  through  fo  many  editions,  hath  been 
 in  many  refpedls  a  great  blefling  to  the  Chrilfian  church.     It  is 
 
 adapted 
 
Part   II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  253 
 
 adapted  to  the  capacities  of  the  unlearned,  and  hath  been  a  great 
 antidote  againfl  that  poifonous  venom  of  infidelity  which  was 
 once  making  fiich  rapid  llrides. 
 
 ZeaioHs.  I  am  happy  to  fay  that  I  entirely  agree  with  you  in 
 opinion  concerning  Biihop  Newton's  work,  but  I  cannot  help 
 thinking,  that  the  learned  biihop,  whofe  words  you  have  jiilt 
 quote:.,  although  he  is  of  opinion  that  the  prophecies  fhould  be  ex- 
 pounded to  the  common  people,  would  by  no  means  approve  of 
 one  of  the  common  people,  as  it  were,  Itepping  forward,  and 
 aifuming  the  office  of  an  inflruftor,  pointing  out  the  errors  of 
 even  biihops,  and  Itarting  opinions  contradictory  to  thofe  pious 
 and  learned  Chriftians,  who  have  for  above  lixteen  centuries 
 looked  upon  thefe  paflages  as  dcfcriptive  of  the  coming  of  our 
 Lord,  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  at  the  end  of  the  world. 
 I  will  be  very  plain  with  you,  and  will  candidly  tell  you,  that 
 fince  I  had  the  plcafure  of  converfing  with  you,  among  other 
 books  wfiich  I  have  confulted,  I  have  read  the  Englifli  part  of 
 the  very  work  you  ha\e  jufl  now  referred  to  ;.and  it  happens  odd 
 enough,  that  you  fhould  have  quoted  the  very  work  to  juflify  the 
 prt^priety*  of  your  conduct,  from  which  very  work  I  have  been 
 induced  to  doubt  the  propriety  of  your  condudt,  and  to  make 
 the  obfervation  which  we  are  at  prefent  confidering.  The  paf- 
 fuge  which  raifed  this  doubt  in  my  mind,  as  to  the  propriety  of 
 yo".:r  conduct,  you  will  find  in  p.  72,  "Believe  me,  my  dear 
 *'  fir,  it  is  not  from  any  ambition  to  make  a  difplay  of  critical 
 "  learning  (which  of  all  learning  that  a  man  may  poifefs,  I 
 *'  hold  to  be  of  itfelf,  and  for  its  own  fake,  of  the  lead  value) 
 *'  that  I  have  run  into  fo  great  a  length  of  difcuflion  upon  a 
 *'  lingle  word;  but  from  a  conviction,  that  this  is  the  only  fafe 
 **  way  of  dealing  with  difficult  and  doubtful  paffiiges." — **  I  need 
 *'  not  fay  to  ydu,  that  it  is  the  language  of,  infpired  writers,  on 
 **  which  we  bellow  fo  much  time  and  labour,  and  if  any  one 
 *'  thinks  it  too  much,  he  may  be  a  humble  hearer  of  the  word, 
 
 "    but  LET   HIM   NOT  PRESUME    TO   MEDDLE   WITH    THE    O  F- 
 
 *'  FiCE  OF  INTERPRETATION."  What  Can  you  fay  to  this; 
 does  not  the  very  work  you  have  quoted  to  julfify  the  propiiety 
 of  your  condudt,  at  the  fame  time  condemn  you,  and  impofc 
 SILENCE  upon  you? 
 
 Cautious.  If  it  did,  I  fhould  have  a6ted  very  unadvifedly  in 
 referring  to  it  ;  but  I  conceive  that  you  have  mifunderltood  the 
 paffage  you  have  quoted,  and  that  it  by  no  means  applies.  In 
 the  firft  place  let  me  obferve,  that  it  cannot  mean  that  the  laity 
 fliould  be  excluded  from  examining,  comparing,  and  "forming  an 
 opinion  for  themselves  upoa  thefe  highly  intercfting  expec- 
 tations. It  cannot  mean,  that  they  Ibould  bow  with  fubmillion, 
 and  without  examination  receive  the  inltrudtion  of  the  learned 
 clergy,  and  that  none  but  the  learned  clergy  Ihould  prefume  to 
 Inveitigate  them.     Pray  turn  to  l,he  beginning  of  the  book,  and 
 
 read 
 
9Si  D  I  A  I    O  G  U  E     IV.  Part  IT, 
 
 read  the  pafTage  you  will  fma  in  pnges  3  and  4  :  <<  I  muft  publicly 
 **  declare,  that  I  think  you  are  rendering  the  beil  fervice  to  the 
 **  church  of  God,  by  turning  the  attention  of  believers  to  the 
 *'  true  fenfe  of  the  prophecies  ;  for  you  are  perfedtly  right  in  the 
 **  opinion  you  maintain,  that  a  far  greater  portion  of  the  pro- 
 *'  phecies,  even  of  the  Old  Teftament,  than  is  generally  imagined, 
 **  relate  to  the  fecond  advent  of  our  Lord,  few  comparatively  rc- 
 *'  late  to  the  firft  advent  of  itfe'f,  %vithout  reference  to  the  I'econd, 
 •'  and  of  thofe  that  have  been  fuppofed  to  be  accompliihed  in 
 **  the  firft,  many  had  in  that  only  an  inchoate  accompliflimeiTt, 
 **  and  have  yet  to  receive  their  full  completion."  You  will 
 remark,  that  this  letter  is  thus  publicly  addreiled  to  John  King, 
 Efq.  confequently  as  he  to  whom  the  bifhop  thus  exprelfes  himfelf, 
 appears  on  the  very  title  of  the  book  to  be  merely  a  layman,  it 
 is  impoflible  to  fuppofe  that  the  pailage  you  have  quoted  could 
 ever  have  been  intended  to  difcourage  laymen  from  inveUigating 
 thefe  fubjedts.     Are  you  fatisfied  as  to  this? 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  fatisfted  as  to  this  ;  but  it  is  plain  that  the  gen- 
 tleman to  whom  the  letter  is  addrelfed,  is  a  man  of  critical  learn- 
 ing in  the  Hebrew  language,  and  I  think  that  the  palTage  is  a 
 ferious  caution  to  thofe  who  do  not  underfland  Hebrew,  to 
 BEWARE  how  they  prefume  to  meddle  with  things  to  which  they 
 are  incompetent. 
 
 Cautious.  I  now  perfe£lly  agree  with  you,  and  trufl  that  I  have 
 kept  this  caution  in  my  eye,  and  not  a^led  contrary  to  it.  Have  I 
 prcfumed  to  give  any  opinion  upon.critica]  que.'tions  ?  Have  I 
 pretended  to  difpute  about  the  fenfe  of  any  particular  word,  or 
 the  conilrudlion  of  any  particular  paflage  ?  If  none  were  to  be 
 pc-rmit'ted  to  inveftigate  thefe  fubjcils  v/ho  are  not  mafters  of  the 
 Hebrew,  how  is  it  that  the  knowledge  of  Hebrew  is  not  required 
 by  the  biOiops,  as  an  abfolutely  nece{^i^ry  qualification  for  holy 
 order?.  The  candidates  for  the  minifterial  offices,  are  not  exa- 
 mined as  to  their  knowledge  of  Hebrew,  but  i,  s  to  their  know- 
 ledge of  Latin  and  Greek.  None  but  enthufialls,  and  the  mod 
 grofsly  ignorant,  will  ever  depreciate  learning  ;  but  beware  how 
 you  eiiimate  it  above  its  value,  for  it  is  as  dangerous  to  edimate 
 jt  above  its  valuer  as  it  is  to  defpife  it.  H  none  were  permitted 
 to  inilruil  mankind,  or  to  urge  them  to  the  conlkieration  of  fub- 
 je£ls  which  it  is  greatly  to  their  interest  to  examine, 
 (which  is  all  that  I  have  ever  attempted)  but  thofe  who  are  cri- 
 tically learned  in  the  Hebrew,  we  fliould  be  much  worfe  off  than 
 v/e  are,  for  it  would  not  only  be  the  illiterate  laity  who  would  be 
 filenced  \  I  fear  that  the  major  part  of  the  clergy  themfelvcs 
 v/ould  be  filenced  alio :  for  although  the  knowledge  of  Hebrew 
 is  now  confidered,  and  julily  conlidered,  as  a  great  advantage,  it 
 is  but  very  lately  that  the  Itudy  of  it  hath  become  frequent.  If 
 we  thus  exclude  all  but  Hebraills,  how  few  will  remain  ;  and  is 
 it  not  polfible  that  a  man  may  be  very  learned  in  the  Hebrew,  and 
 
 yet 
 
Fart  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  2^5 
 
 yet  bs  a  man  of  dull  r-pprehcnHon,  or  even  weak  intellefts  ?  I 
 think  I  have  fully  anfwerccl  you  in  this  matter,  and  ihewn  that 
 I  have  not  neglcfted  the  caution  ;  but  as  to  this  I  would  beg  to 
 recall  to  your  recollciSiion,  that  I  have  not  I  truft  ufed  any  diila- 
 torial  language,  or  ailumed  the  authority  of  a  teacher.  What 
 have  I  done  more  than  merely  given  you  my  opinion  upon 
 fundry  fubjeils  upon  which  you  reqaelled  my  opinion  ?  Doth 
 not  the  apoftle  exhort  you  to  "  be  ready  always  to  give  an  anfwer 
 **  to  every  man  that  aflceth  you  a  reafon  of  the  hope  that  is  in 
 *'  you,  with  meekncfs  and  fear,"  1  Pet.  iii.  15.  I  have  not 
 only  given  you  my  opinion,  but  I  have  given  you  the  reafons 
 whereon  I  ground  my  opinion  ;  I  have  referred  you  to  fciipture, 
 and  if  you  fee  no  reafon  to  alter  your  opinion  from  what  I  have 
 faid,  and  from  examination  of  fcripture,  believe  me  that  I  Ihall 
 n^t  exprefs,  nor  even  feel  any  rcfcnrmcnt;  nay  m.ore,  if  you 
 think  I  am  in  error,  I  fliall  acknowledge  myfelf  obligeri  to  you, 
 if  you  will  endeavour  to  fct  me  right.  One  word  tnore  and  I 
 have  done.  Let  me  exhort  you  to  thankfulnefs  for  that  ineitima- 
 ble  trcafure  which  we  pofiefs,  the  word  of  God  !  It  is  true 
 that  v/e  have  only  a  tranflation  of  it,  but  this  is  an  ineftimable 
 treafure,  and  the  mod  learned  in  the  original  agree,  that  it  is  a 
 julf  and  faithful  tranflation.  Thofe  learned  men  v/ho  criticifs 
 upon  it,  and  employ  their  time  and  talents  in  explaining  the 
 original,  are  entitled  to  grateful  thanks  ;  but  let  us  not  the  iefs 
 prize  that  tranflation  which  we  pftffefs.  It  gives  me  pain  vvhen 
 I  hear  (and  we  fometimes  do  hear)  learned  men  in  their  fermons, 
 giving  their  reafons  why  fuch  a  pafTage  fhould  be  rendered  thus, 
 and  not  as  in  the  tranflation;  this  weakens  the  dependance  of 
 Chriftians  upon  the  fcriptures  they  poifcfs,  and  whiHl  it  poUIbhr 
 matters  not  a  ruih,  whether  v/e  retain  the  reading  we  poifcfs,  or 
 adopt  the  new  reading,  the  enemy  takes  advantage  to  lap  the 
 foundation  of  our  faith,  by  fuggefting,  if  this  is  imprcperly 
 trandated,  how  can  I  tell  but  thofe  precious  J)romifes  which  have 
 been  my  comfort  in  atHi£lion,  and  have  been  as  it  v/ere  my  daily 
 bread,  how  can  I  tell  but  thefe  alfo  may  be  mis-tranfJations  ] 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  perfeftly  fatisfied,  and  am  forry  I  have  given 
 you  fo  much  trouble.  Pray  let  me  requeft  you  nov/  to  notice  the 
 paifage  which  I  thought  you  had  overlooked,  but  which  I  i\nd 
 you  referved  to  be  your  concluding  argument. 
 
 Cautious.  Although  much  more  mdght  be  faid  XTpon  the 
 fubjed,  yet  as  yon  have  noticed  it  yourfelf  I  will  proceed 
 to  the  confideration  of  it  :  the  words  are  in  Matihew  xvi. 
 sy,  28.  andthe  whole  pa iTage  runs  thus,  *'  For  the  Son  of  Mail 
 *'  fhall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Fathe-r  with  his  angels; 
 *'  and  then  he  fliall  reward  every  man  accordir^g  to  his 
 *'  works.     Verily  I   fay  unto  you,  There  be  fome  standing 
 
 *'    HERU:,     WHICH     SHALL     NOT     TASTK     OF     DEATH,      TILL 
 
 "  Tin:y  seethe  Son  of  Man  coming  in  hls  kingdom." 
 
 The 
 
256  DIALOGUE     IV.  Part  IL 
 
 The  parallel  pafTage  in  St.  Mark  you  will  find  in  the  8th  and  9th 
 chapters,  the  9th  chapter  as  it  were  dividing  it  in  the  middle  : 
 *'  Whofocver  therefore  fliall  be  alliamed  of  me  and  of  my  words 
 *'  in  this  achiUerous  and  finful  generation;  of  him  alfo  (hall  the 
 *'  Son  of  Man- be  c^iliamed,  when  he  cometh  in  the  gloiy  of  his 
 "  Father  with  the  holy  angels.  And  he  faid  unto  them,  Verily 
 "   I  fay  unto  you,  That  there  be  fome  of  them  that  stand  here, 
 
 **  WHICH  SHALL  NOT  TASTE  OF  DEATH,  TILL  THEY  HAVE 
 "    SEEN  THE   KINGDOM  OF  God   COME  WITH  POWER."    In  St. 
 
 Luke  the  words  are,  '*  But  I  tell  you  of  a  truth,  there  be  fome 
 *'  Handing  here,  which  fhall  not  tafte  of  death,  till  they  see 
 "  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GoD,"  Luke  ix.  2/.  Tliefe  are  the 
 pafTages  which  evidently  laid  the  foundation  for  thofe  expeftations 
 which  we  have  fo  frequently  noticed.  The  difciples  might  put 
 their  own  interpretation  on  thefe  words,  in  like  manner  as  they 
 did  on  the  words  in  St.  John  xxi.  23.  *'  Then  went  this  faying 
 *'  abroad  among  the  brethren,  that  that  difciple  Ihould  not  die  : 
 *'  yet  Jefus  faid  not  unto  him.  He  fhall  not  die;  but,  if  I  will 
 '*  t!iat  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ?"  We  are  not 
 therefore  to  concern  ourfelves  (for  the  honour  of  the  Chrilrian 
 religion  is  not  concerned)  in  fupporting  the  unauthorized  rumour, 
 which  might  prevail  in  this  or  that  age,  or  even  in  the  apoftolic 
 age  of  the  church  ;  but  although  any  untounded  rumour  is  not 
 to  concern  us,  it  is  otherwife  with  the  VERY  words  of  Christ 
 OUR  Lord  ;  here  our  honour,  the  honour  of  the  Chriilian 
 religion,  the  honour  of  our  blcfTed  Lord  himfelf,  is  deeply  con- 
 cerned ;  for  it  were  bordering  on  blafphemy  to  fuppofe,  that  he 
 ever  gave  his  difciples  good  ground  to  form  an  expeftation 
 which  failed  of  being  realized.  Now  it  matters  not  to  the  pre- 
 fent  queflion,  what  interpretation  the  difciples  put  upon  the 
 words,  the  queltion  is,  what  expectation  did  our  Lord  give  unto 
 the  difciples  in  thefe  words  r  for  you  well  obferved,  that  if  the 
 difciples  were  tauglit  to  expe6l  what  did  not  happen,  it  would  be 
 a  blow  which  would  be  felt  at  the  very  foundation  of  the  Chriilian 
 religion.  The  firit  queflion  therefore  is,  who  thofe  were  to 
 whom  thefe  words  were  addreflTed?  The  difciples  were  prefent, 
 and  as  they  were  his  mod  confpicuous  follov/ers,  they  had  cer- 
 tainly good  ground  to  conclude,  that  fome  one  or  more  of  them 
 would  adlually  live  to  behcijd  his  blelTed  Lord  coming  in  his 
 kingdom.  Matt.  xvi.  28  ;  live  to  fee  the  kingdom  of  God  come 
 witii  power,  Mark  ix.  1  ;  live  to  fee  the  kingdom  of  God,  Luke 
 ix.  27  ;  to  fee  it  with  the  bodily  eye,  that  eye  which  by  death 
 is  clofed  ! 
 
 Zealous,  I  am  all  attention,  and  can  fcarcely  fupprefs  ray 
 allonifhment  at  hearing  fuch  words  from  you,  for  I  thought  you 
 maintained  the  reverfe. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  now  flicwn  tlie  foundation  doclrine,  the 
 EXPECTATIONS  which  the  difciples  v/ere  authorized  to 
 
 cherish  : 
 
Part  IL  D  I  A  L  O  G   U  E     IV.  E57 
 
 CHERISH  ;  and  the  next  queftion  is  this  :  Is  there  any  other 
 padage  which  hath  a  connexion  with  thefe  words  ?  Did  the  dif- 
 ciples  receive  any  further  inftriiction  concerning  this  point,  in 
 which  their  feelings  were  fo  mod  remarkably  intereiled  ?  They 
 did  receive  fome  information  on  this  important  point.  When 
 Judas  became  a  traitor,  and  betrayed  his  bleifed  Mafler,  the 
 difciples  had  good  rcafon  to  conclude,  that  vhefe  pointed  exprefJi- 
 ons  (in  which  fome  or  one  of  them  were  fo  remarkably  interefted) 
 could  NOT  relate  to  him.  Now  let  us  turn  again  to  the  laft 
 chapter  of  St.  John's  gofpel,  and  fee  how  St.  Peter  Hands 
 afFeded  with  thefe  words  :  after  that  heart-rending  queftion, 
 which  our  Lord  three  times  repeated  to  Peter  ;  "  Simon,  fon  of 
 **  Jonas,  lovefl;  thou  me?"  and  after  that  exhortation  which 
 our  Lord  founded  on  his  anfwer,  '*  Feed  my  fheep,"  our  Lord 
 proceeds  in  thefe  words:  "  Verily,  verily,  I  fay  unto  thee, 
 *'  when  thou  waft  young  thou  girdedft  thyfelf,  and  walkedft 
 *'  whither  thou  wouldeft  :  but  when  thou  llialt  be  old,  thou  Ihalt 
 *'  ftretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another  (hall  gird  thee,  and  carry 
 *'  thee  whither  thou  weuldeft  not.  This  fpake  he,  flgnifying  by 
 *'  what  death  he  fhould  glorify  God  ;  and  when  he  had  fpoken 
 **  this,  he  faith  unto  him.  Follow  me."  Here  we  have  full  in- 
 formation concerning  St.  Peter.  This  information  was  realized, 
 for  every  one  acquainted  with  ecclefiaiUcal  hiftory  knows,  that 
 he  did  ftretch  forth  his  hands,  and  was  girded  and  crucified,  for  his 
 attachment  to  the  caufe  of  his  blelfed  Mafter :  but  there  is  not  the 
 leaft  intimation  that  the  words  we  are  noticing,  apply  to  him  ;  he 
 was  to  fallow  his  blelfed  Mafter  in  enduring  the  death  of  the  crofs  : 
 and  there  is  no  intimation,  that  his  bodily  eye  was  to  be  blefled 
 with  beholding  any  thing  peculiarly  extraordinary,  before  it 
 was  to  be  doled  by  death. 
 
 St.  Peter  being  thus  inftru6led  as  to  what  fo  peculiarly  con- 
 cerned himfelf,  is  defirous  of  knowing  fomething  concerning  his 
 friend  St.  John:  *'  Then  Peter  turning  about  feeth  the  difciple 
 **  whom  Jefus  loved  following ;  which  alfo  leaned  on  his 
 **  breaft  at  fupper,  and  faid.  Lord,  which  is  he  that  betrayeth 
 *'  thee?  Peter  feeing  him,  faith  to  Jefus,  Lord,  and  what  Ihall 
 *<  this  man  do  ?     Jefus  faith  unto  him.   If   I    will   that   he 
 
 *'    TARRY    TILL    I     COME,    WHAT   IS   THAT   TO   THEE  ?        Fol- 
 
 *'  low  thou  me.  Then  went  this  faying  abroad  among  the 
 *<  brethren,  that  that  difciple  Ihould  not  die  :  yet  Jefus  fpid  not 
 "  unto  him.  He  Ihall  not  die:  but  if  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I 
 *'  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?"  Although  we  have  here  the 
 teftimony  of  St.  John  himfelf,  that  he  by  no  means  put  the  fame 
 interpretation  on  tliefe  words,  that  the  reft  of  the  brethren  did  ; 
 yet  every  word  which  fell  from  the  lips  of  our  blelfed  Lord, 
 were  fpirit  and  life:  "  The  words  that  I  fpcak  unto  you,  they 
 *'  are  spirit,  and  they  are  life,"  John  vi.  63.  Leaving 
 therefore  the  unfounded  rumour  which  the  brethren  raifed  upon 
 
 L  1  thefe 
 
2^8  D  t  A  L  0  G  U  E     IV.  Part  If. 
 
 ihefc  words,  ns  we  have  already  noticed  it,  let  us  endeavour  to 
 difcover  what  the  difciples  would  have  been  justified  in  con- 
 chiding  therefrom  ?  Our  Lord  had  already  declared  unto  his 
 difciples,  *'  There  be  fome  Handing  here,  which  Ihall  not  tafte 
 *<  of  death,  till  they  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom," 
 Matt.  xvi.  28.  What  then  is  this  palfage,  but  a  further  particu- 
 lar, further  information  upon  the  fame  fubjeft  :  "  If  I  will  that 
 *'  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?"  I  fay  what  is 
 this  but  an  intimation,  that  St.  John  Vv^as  the  perfon,  or  at  leaft 
 one  of  the  perfons,  to  whom  our  Lord  referred  in  the  former 
 paffage;  "  there  be  fome  ftanding  here,  which  fliall  not  tafte  of 
 *'  death,  till  they  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom." 
 
 Zealous.  I  receive  this  obfervation  with  great  pleafure  and 
 fatisfadlion. 
 
 Cautious.  I  acknowledge  myfelf  indebted  to  the  writings  of 
 that  very  learned  fervant  of  God,  Jo.  Albert  Bengelius,  for 
 the  obfervation  with  which  you  have  expreifed  your  fatisfaftion. 
 Here  let  me  paufe  for  a  moment,  in  order  to  introduce  a  few 
 remarks  :  and  firft  let  me  obferve,  that  if  the  brethren  had  well 
 confidered  the  very  words  made  ufe  of  by  our  Lord,  they  would 
 have  found,  as  St.  John  himfelf  intimates,  that  they  had  no  good 
 ground  to  conclude,  that  St.  John  would  not  die.  *'  If  I  will 
 **  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee."  Is  it  not 
 necelfary  implied  in  thefe  words,  that  he  was  not  long  to  tarry 
 after  this  event  (be  it  what  it  might)  had  taken  place  ?  "  There 
 **  be  fome  ftanding  here  that  fhall  not  taste  of  death  till 
 *'  they  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom."  Is  it  not 
 manifeftly  implied  in  thefe  words,  that  after  he  or  they  had  feen 
 and  witneiTed  this  great  event  (be  it  what  it  might)  that  then  they 
 
 WERE    TO    taste    DEATH? 
 
 Zealous.      I  entirely  agree  with  you. 
 
 Cautious.  Having  I  truft  traced  out  what  were  the  expe£lations 
 ■which  our  blefTed  Saviour  authorized  his  followers  to  form, 
 I  muft  exprefs  my  deteftation  of  that  venomous  flander  which 
 infidels  have  urged,  "  inlinuating  that  Jefus,  in  order  to  keep  his 
 *'  followers  attached  to  his  fervice,  and  patient  under  fufferings, 
 **  flattered  them  with  the  near  approach  of  thofe  rewards  which 
 *'  completed  all  their  views  and  expe6lations."  If  ever  there 
 was  a  lie  coined  in  hell,  this  is  the  moft  confpicuoufly  fo  ;  for 
 never  was  there  fuch  fair  warning  given  to  any  of  the  fons  of 
 men,  as  that  which  was  given  by  our  blefled  Lord  to  his  difciples 
 and  followers.  What  expectations  did  he  teach  them  to  form  ? 
 What  wages  were  they  to  expe61;  ?  \Vhat  were  they  to  get  by 
 attaching  themfelves  to  his  fervice?  In  this  world  they  were  to 
 expedl  tribulation!  Glorious  wages  indeed!  *' In  the 
 *'  world  ye  flirJl  have  tribulation:  but  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have 
 *'  overcome  the  world,"  John  xvi.  33.  They  were  to  expecl 
 pcrfecuti<)r.  unto  death:   *'  Thefe  things  have  I  fpoken  unto  you, 
 
 *'-lhat 
 
Part  IT.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV. 
 
 259 
 
 '*  that  ye  fliould  not  be  offended.  They  fhall  put  ye  out  of  the  fy- 
 **  nagogues :  yea,  the  time  cometh,  that  whofoever  killeth  you  will 
 *'  think  that  he  doeth  God  fervice,"  John  xvi.  1,  2.  "Then  fhall 
 **  they  deliver  you  up  to  be  affliiSted,  and  fliall  kill  you:  and  ye 
 **  fhall  BE  HATED  of  all  nations  for  my  name's  fake.  And 
 *'  then  fliall  many  be  offended,  and  fhall  betray  one  another,  and 
 "  fhall  hate  one  another.  And  many  falfe  prophets  fhall  rife, 
 *'  and  fhall  deceive  many.  And  becaufe  iniquity  fhall  abound, 
 "  the  love  of  many  fhall  wax  cold,"  Matt.  xxiv.  9 — 12.  The 
 rewards  they  were  taught  to  expeft  were  in  a  better  life.  "  Let 
 *'  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  ye  believe  in  God,  believe  alfo  in 
 **  me.  In  my  Father's  houfe  are  many  manfions;  if  it  were  not 
 *'  fo,  I  would  have  told  you  :  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you. 
 '*  And  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  toryou^  I  will  come  again  and 
 "  receive  you  unto  myfelf,  that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be 
 *'  alfo,"  John  xiv.  1 — 3.  *' Then  anfw^ered  Peter  and  faid  unto 
 *'  him,  Behold,  we  have  forfaken  all,  and  followed  thee  ;  what 
 *'  fhall  we  have  therefore ?  And  Jefus  faid  unto, them,  Verily 
 *'  I  fay  i^nto  you.  That  ye  which  have  followed  me  in  the  rege-- 
 *'  neration,  when  the  Son  of  Man  fhall  fit  in  the  throne  of  his 
 *'  glory,  ye  alfo  fliall  fit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve 
 *'  tribes  of  Ifrael.  And  every  one  that  hath  forfaken  houfes,  or 
 *'  brethren,  or  filters,  or  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  chiU 
 *'  dren,  or  lands,  for  my  name's  fake,  fhall  receive  an  hundred- 
 **  fold,  and  fhall  inherit  everlalUng  life.  But  many  that  are  firfl 
 *'  fhall  be  laft  ;  and  the  lad  fliall  be  firft,"  Matt.  xlx.  27 — 30. 
 Thefe  were  glorious  promifes,  but  it  was  manifefl  that  they  were 
 promifes  to  be  fulfilled  after  they  had  endured  death.  Let  us  for 
 the  fake  of  the  argument,  for  a  moment  give  credit  to  the  unfounded 
 rumour  which  prevailed  among  the  brethren  that  St.  John  was 
 not  to  die,  but  to  remain  alive  until  the  coming  of  our  Lord ; 
 unto  that  coming  when  the  trumpet  fliall  found,  and  we  fhall  be 
 changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the  tvv^inkling  of  an  eye !  Still  does 
 it  not  follow  that  all  the  other  difciples  Avould  have  had  to  pafs 
 through  death?  How  then  could  it  ever  be  fuggefted^  that  our 
 bleffed  Lord  flattered  them  with  the  very  near  approach  of  that 
 which  was  to  complete  their  views  and  expetSlations  ?  But  inaf- 
 much  as  the  words  themfelves  are  found  to  imply,  that  after 
 John  had  been  preferved  to  witnefs  this  great  event  (be  it  Avhat 
 it  might)  he  was  then  to  tarry  no  longer,  but  foon  afterwards  ta 
 tafte  of  death  ;  did  it  not  necelfarily  follow,  that  this  great  event 
 which  was  to  take  place  before  the  death  of  St.  John,-  could  not 
 be  that  coming  of  our  Lord,  in  which  this  corruptible  fliall  put 
 on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  fliall  put  on  immortality,  and 
 we  fliall  be  changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
 at  the  laft  trump?    1  Cor.  xv.   52. 
 
 Zealous.     You  need  fay  no  more  to  convince  me.      I    never 
 gave  heed  to  the  blafphemous  aifertion  of  thefe  infidels,  and  I 
 
 think 
 
26o  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  Part  IT. 
 
 think  you  have  proved  what  you  afferted,  that  there  never  was  a 
 more  manifefl  lie  coined  in  hell. 
 
 Cautious.  Although  you  are  fatisfied,  I  niufl  make  another  ob- 
 fcrvation  \  St.  John  in  this  refpe6l  was  in  a  fituation  fomething 
 fimilar  to  that  of  the  aged  Simeon.  "  There  was  a  man  in 
 **  Jerufalem  whofe  name  was  Simeon,  and  the  fame  man  was 
 *'  juft,  and  devout,  waiting  for  the  confolation  of  Ifrael;  and 
 *'  the  Holy  Ghoft  was  upon  him.  And  it  was  revealed  unto 
 **  him  by  the  Holy  Ghoft,  that  he  Ihould  not  see  death,  be- 
 *'  fore  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ."  Did  he  conclude 
 that  therefore  he  ihould  not  die }  By  no  means,  but  the  very 
 reverfe,  for  "  He  came  by  the  Spirit  into  the  temple,  and  when 
 *'  the  parents  brought  in  the  child  Jefus,  to  do  for  him  after  the 
 **  curtom  of  the  law  ;  then  took  he  him  up  in  his  arms,  and 
 **  bleiled  God,  and  faid,  Lord,  now  letteft  thou  thy  fervant 
 *'  depart  in  peace,,  according  to  thy  word,  for 
 *'  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation,  which  thou  haft 
 *'  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  people:  a  light  to  lighten  the 
 *'  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  op  thy  people  Lsrael!" 
 The  glory!  the  glory!  the  glory  of  thy  people 
 Israel!  Lukeii.  21 — 32. 
 
 Zealous.  My  foul  is  in  unifon  with  your's,  and  if  I  had  a  voice 
 like  a  tn.impet  I  would  exult,  that  he  is  not  only  a  light  to 
 lighten  the  Gentiles,  but  the  glory  qf  God's  people 
 Israel  ! 
 
 Cautious.  We  will  now  proceed  to  inquire  how  it  came  to 
 pafs,  that  the  difciples  were  fo  perpetually  driving  at  this  one 
 point,  when — *'  Tell  us  when  Ihall  thefe  things  be?  and  what 
 *'  fhall  be  the  fign  of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world?" 
 (If  you  turn  to  Bifhop  Newton,  Vol.  II.  p.  234,  he  fays,  the 
 words  fhould  be  rendered  **  the  conclufion  of  the  age.")  Matt. 
 xxiv.  3.  Mark  xiii.  4.  Luke  xxi.  7.  If  you  read  the  chapters 
 you  will  perceive,  that  infteadof  anfwering  the  queftion  direiUy, 
 and  decidedly,  our  Lord  gives  them  abundance  of  cautions,  left 
 this  their  ardent  deiire  ftiould  be  the  means  of  their  being  led 
 aftray:  and  here  let  me  obferve,  that  this  their  ardent  defire,  was 
 .  the  fame  ardent  defire  as  fired  the  breafts  of  the  reft  of  their  nation. 
 Thus  cautioned,  the  Chriftians  efcaped  the  national  calamities: 
 thofe  who  defpifed  the  caution,  fell  into  the  fnare !  Having 
 cautioned  them  to  beware  of  falfe  Chrifts  and  deceivers,  he 
 plainly  tells  them  that  the  end  is  not  by  and  by,  Luke  xxi. 
 9.  There  are  great  national  calamities  to  be  endured,  thefe  ca- 
 lamities are  of  an  unknown  extent,  they  will  continue  during  an 
 imknown  period  of  time,  called  the  times  of  the  Gentiles.: 
 "  They  ihall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the  fvvord,  and  fhall  be  led 
 *'  away  captive  into  all  nations;  and  Jerufalem  lliall  be  trodden 
 "  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles 
 "  BE   fulfilled."     Thefe  things  premifed,  our  blefTed  Lor4 
 
 proceeds. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV. 
 
 SOS 
 
 proceeds  to  defcribe  his  awful  coming  as  immediately  following 
 THAT  TRIBULATION*  As  to  the  firft  (that  tribulation)  hs 
 allures  them  that  it  would  happen  in  that  generation,  and 
 as  to  the  event  immediately  to  follow  it  he  declares,  *'  But  of 
 *'  that  day,  and  that  hour,  knoweth  no  man;  no,  not  the  angels 
 *'  which  are  in  heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father," 
 Mark  xiii.  32.  And  he  then  makes  ufe  of  this  very  uncertainty, 
 as  an  inducement  to  them  (and  to  Chriftians  in  every  age  until/ 
 the  event  arrives)  to  watch,  and  be  prepared  for  it.  I^otwith- 
 landing  they  are  thus  pofitively  informed,  that  that  great  day 
 and  hour  (on  which  their  blefled  Mafler  ihould  appear  in  the 
 clouds  with  power  and  great  glory)  was  only  known  to  the 
 Father,  not  known  by  the  angels  in  heaven,  nor  even  by  the  Son 
 himfelf  ;  yet  you  will  perceive  that  they  were  fo  ardently  affected 
 by  this  their  great  desire,  thatafter  our  Saviour's  refurre6tion, 
 and  immediately  before  his  afcenfion,  they  put  the  quelfion  again, 
 in  a  more  pointed  and  dire61:  manner  than  they  had  ever  prefumed 
 to  do  before.  It  was  not  a  fudden  impulfive  quel^ion,  afked  by 
 one  perfon,  but  feems  to  have  been  a  premeditated  queltion,  in 
 which  they  all  united,  "  When  they  therefore  were  come  toge- 
 *'  ther,  they  afked  of  him,  faying.  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this 
 *'  time  restore  again  the  kingdom  unto  Israel?" 
 A6ls  i.  6.  From  thefe  words  it  plainly  appears,  what  it  was 
 which  induced  them  to  alk  thefe  queftions ;  it  was  true  pa- 
 triotism, the  ardent  love  of  their  country,  a 
 desire  to  see  the  kingdom  restored  again  unto 
 Israel.  The  apollles  were  Jews,  they  were  zealous 
 Jews:  they  expected  A  glorious  Messiah  who  Ihould 
 restore  again  the  kingdom  unto  Israel,  and  their 
 expectations  were  well  founded.  Their  eye  was  ever  dire6ted  to 
 a  glorious  Mefliah.  What  was  the  idea  of  the  mother  of 
 Zebedee's  children,  when  flie  urged  her  petition :  ','  Grant  that 
 *'  thefe  my  two  fons  may  fit,  the  one  on  thy  right  hand,  and  the 
 ''  other  on  the  left,  in  thy  kingdom."  They  had  the  fame  ideas 
 of  the  glory  of  their  Mefliah,  and  the  greatnefs  of  his  kingdom, 
 as  was  the  expeftation  of  the  rell  of  their  nation.  They  had 
 neverthelefs  fufficient  grace  and  difcernmcnt  to  conclude,  that 
 the  words  and  works  of  their  blefled  Mafter,  pointed  him  but  as 
 the  Chrift,  the  Son  of  the  living  God  ;  but  the  idea  of  his  futFer- 
 ing,  was  fo  repulfive  to  their  expedations,  that  we  find  that 
 St.  Peter,  who  had  been  the  firft  toconfefsthat  he  was  Chrift,  the 
 Son  of  the  living  God,  was  fo  much  hurt  at  the  idea  qf  his  dif- 
 fering, that  he  had  the  aflurance  to  rebuke  his  bleifed  Lord,  and 
 to  contradift  him,  faying:  '*  Beit  far  from  thee,  Lord,  this  ihall 
 "  not  be  unto  thee."  They  liked  to  hear  of  fitting  on  twelve 
 thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Ifrael;  or  to  hear  of  the 
 coming  of  their  bleifed  Mafter  in  the  clouds  with  power  and 
 great  glory,  and  of  his  fending  his  angels  to  gather  hi§  eledl  from 
 
 the 
 
»62  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  Part  IT. 
 
 the  iittennofl  parts  of  the  earth,  to  the  uttermoft  part  of 
 heaven;  for  all  this  looked  like  the  ;^estoration  of  the 
 KINGDOM  TO  Israel:  all  this  lookedlike  the  coming  of  that 
 Messiah  whom  they  expected,  and  therefore  it  is  eaiily 
 to  be  feen,  why  the  difcipies  were  fo  inqiiilitive  upon  this  fubjecl. 
 They  were  by  little  and  little  corrected  in  their  expedtations,  and 
 in  due  time  they  were  convinced,  that  the  Chrift  was  firft  to  fuffer, 
 and  THEN  to  enter  into  his  glory  !  Luke  xxiv.  26.  But  all  their 
 expeftations  of  the  glory  which  would  attend  the  appearance  of 
 their  blelfed  Mailer;  all  the  expeftations  which  were  ever  formed 
 by  the  molt  zealous  Jew  of  the  exalted  chara6ler  of  their  long- 
 expedled  Melliah,  will  be  found  when  the  event  arrives,  and  our 
 Ivord  appears  in  his  glory,  to  reftore  again  the  kingdom  to  Ifrael : 
 thefe  ideas  will  be  found  as  faint,  in  comparifon  of  the  real  glory 
 of  the  event,  as  the  refle£led  light  ot  the  waining  moon,  when 
 the  fun  is  in  its  meridian  fplendour!  Our  bleifed  Saviour's 
 anfwer  to  this  queftion,  "Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  reftore 
 *'  again  the  kingdom  to  Ifrael  r'"'  is  worthy  of  particular  atten- 
 tion :  "  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times  or  the  feafons,  which 
 *'  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power,"  How  much  is 
 this  anfwer  accordant  to  that  in  St.  Matthew,  St.  Mark,  and  in  St, 
 Luke,  "  But  of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no, 
 *'  not  the  antrels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither  the  Son  but  the 
 *'  Father."  The  correfpondence  there  is  bctv.^een  thefe  pafl'ages  isa 
 further  confirmation  to  me  of  my  opinion,  that  this  coming  of  our 
 Lord  in  the  clouds  with  power  and  great  glory,  is  not  his  coming  to 
 judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  at  the  end  of  the  world;  but  his 
 coming  as  the  Messiah  of  the  Jews,  to  gather 
 them  together  as  the  elect  people  of  God,  and  to 
 restore  again  the  kingdom  unto  Israel,  with  more 
 than  tenfold  fplendour. 
 
 Zealous.  Your  opinions  and  expectations  abound  with  confo- 
 lation  to  thofe  who  look  for  the  redemption  of  Ifrael  ;  and  I  fin- 
 cerely  hope  that  you  are  right,  for  I  think  that  I  can  fay  from 
 my  heart,  that  I  mould  rejoice  in  the  profperity  of  Ifrael :  their 
 relloration  to  the  favour  of  God,  will  be  to  all,  who  intereft 
 themfelves  therein,  as  life  from  the  dead,  Rom.  xi.  15.  It  feems 
 to  me  that  the  biihops  whofe  opinions  you  have  controverted,  alfo 
 entertained  the  idea  of  two  advents  of  our  bleifed  Saviour  ;  for 
 the  words  of  the  Bilhop  of  Glouceller  as  quoted  by  his  brother 
 of  Briftol,  are  thefe  :  *'  If  what  hath  been  laid  be  duly  weighed, 
 **  it  will  appear  that  this  prophecy  doth  not  refpe£l  Chriil's 
 *'  SECOND  coming  to  judgment ;  but  his  first,  in  the  abolition 
 *'  of  the  Jewiih  policy,  and  the  eilabliilimcnt  of  the  Chrillian." 
 
 Cautious.  It  feems  fo,  but  their  error  is  not  on  that  account 
 the  lefs  to  be  lamented,  and  guarded  againit.  With  what  perfe- 
 verance  doth  our  bleifed  Saviour  exhort  iiis  followers  to  watchiul- 
 nefs,  and  to  preparation   for  his  expected  coming.     If  therefore 
 
 thefo 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     IV.  263 
 
 thefe  learned  men  declare,  that  his  coming  is  already  part,  will 
 thefe  exhortations  and  admonitions  continue  to  be  regarded. 
 There  appears  alfo  to  me  to  be  a  degree  of  M'caknefs  in  Bifhop. 
 Newton's  obfervations  on  the  words  day  and  hour,  which  he  ren- 
 ders SEASON, andapplies  it  tothe  Jerufalemafilidion.Vol.  II.  341. 
 I  think  I  have  Ihewn  that  thefe  words  day  and  hour,  apply  to 
 the  fuddcn  coming  of  our  Lord  in  glory  ;  but  it  ill  agrees  with  my 
 idea  of  the  majeltic  ilmplicity,  and  dignified  integrity  of  the  word  of 
 God,  to  fuppofe  that  there  could  be  found  fuch  a  kind  of  quiric  in 
 it  as  he  imagines  to  be  contained  in  this  palTage.  Were  the  Jifciplcs 
 defirous  of  fuch  a  very  accurate  calculation  ?  Were  they  ibli- 
 citous  to  be  informed  not  only  of  the  year,  when  this  great  event 
 was  to  take  place,  but  muit  they  be  informed  of  the  month  in 
 which  it  was  to  happen?  Would  they  even  be  diilatisfied  with 
 the  month  being  mentioned,  without  they  were  to  be  alfo  in- 
 formed of  the  very  day  ?  Would  not  even  the  day  fatisfy  them, 
 without  the  hour  of  the  day  were  alfo  to  be  afcertained?  W"e 
 have  no  good  ground  to  fuppofe  that  they  gave  place  to  any  fuch 
 impertinent  curiofity.  They  wifhed  to  be  informed  when  it 
 would  happen,  and  they  inquire  of  their  blefled  Lord.  What- 
 ever figns  and  preludes  may  precede  it,  it  is  a  fudden  event  ;  the 
 event  of  a  great  day  ;  the  event  of  a  peculiar  hour  ;  and  as  to  it 
 our  Lord  himfelf  declared,  that  it  was  unknown  to  men,  unknown 
 even  by  the  angels  of  heaven,  unknown  to  himfelf.  If  therefore 
 it  was  a  day  and  hour  unknown,  except  by  God  the  Father  him- 
 felf;  is  not  that  comment  which  would  as  it  were  take  refup^e  in 
 the  peculiarity  of  the  words,  *'  day  and  hour,"  and  would 
 fay,  the  day  and  hour  was  not  known,  either  by  men  or  angels  ; 
 
 BUT  IT  DOES  Not  FROM  THENCE  FOLLOWTHAT  THE  YEAR, 
 OR  EVEN  THE  MONTH,  WAS  NOT  KNOWN   BY  THEM.    Confider, 
 
 is  this  confident  with  the  majeftic  funplicity,  and  dignified  weight, 
 and  integrity  of  the  word  of  God!  On  the  contrary,  if  the  year 
 or  month  of  it  were  known,  would  there  not  as  it  were  attach  a 
 degree  of  littlenels  to  thofe  folemn  words,  which  declare  it  to  be 
 a  DAY  AND  HOUR  unknown  even  by  the  angels  of  heaven,  and 
 the  Son  of  God  himfelf.  <*  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times 
 '*  and  the  feafons  which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own 
 *^  POWER,"  A6ls  i.  7. 
 
 Zealous.  I  do  admit  the  force  of  your  obfcrvation,  and  believe 
 that  no  fuch  quirk  can  ever  be  juftly  laid  to  the  charge  of  the 
 word  of  God.  I  co'niider  the  words  as  you  do,  that  the  period 
 of  time  in  which  this  great  event  was  to  take  place,  was  unknown 
 to  men,  unknown  to  the  angels  of  heaven,  unknown  even  by  ouf 
 Lord  himfelf  in  the  days  of  his  humiliation. 
 
 Cautious.  Undoubtedly  we  ought  thus  to  confider  it  ;  and  if 
 they  had  well  confidered  the  words  which  fecm  to  have  dwelt 
 moll  upon  their  mind,  they  would  have  feen  that  it  was  impof- 
 iiblc   to   reconcile    them    to    their    interpretation.     The    words 
 
 whicii 
 
filS4  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  Part  it. 
 
 Tvhich  feem  to  have  made  moft  impreflion  upon  their  minds  are 
 thefe,  *'  Verily,  I  fay  unto  you,  this  generation  fhall  not  pafs 
 *'  away  until  all  be  fulfilled."  Let  us  for  the  fake  of  the  ar- 
 gument for  a  moment,  give  w^ay  to  their  opinion,  would  that 
 overcome  the  ideal  difficulty  that  they  raife  ?  By  no  means. — 
 Pray  turn  to  Luke  xxi.  24.  you  will  there  find  thefe  words, 
 *'  And  they  Ihall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the  fword,  and  be  led  away 
 **  captive  into  all  nations,  and  Jerufalem  ihall  be  trodden  down 
 **  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled;" 
 and  this  is  mentioned  as  preceding  the  coming  of  our  Lord 
 *'  in  a  cloud  with  power  and  great  glory."  In  order,  therefore, 
 to  have  preferved  confiitency,  the  learned  bifhops  ihould  have 
 not  only  dwelt  upon  the  abolition  of  the  temple  fervice,  and  the 
 dellrudion  of  Jerufalem  and  the  temple  ;  but  they  fhould  have 
 proved  that  they  were  led  away  captive  into  all  nations,  and  that 
 the  times  of  the  Gentiles  extended  not  beyond  that  generation 
 which  exifted  when  our  Saviour  fpake  thefe  words. 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit  it.  If  the  learned  bifhops  had  meditated 
 upon  the  24th  verfeof  the  21ft  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  they  could 
 KOT  have  given  way  to  the  error. 
 
 Cautious.  You  admit  it  then  to  be  an  error?  If  an  error, 
 how  GREAT  is  that  error?  To  reprefent  the  bert  friend  as  an 
 implacable  enemy!  Behold  our  Lord  weeping  at  the  profpecl  of 
 the  fufFerings  of  his  beloved  nation,  Luke  xiii.  34.  But  the  bi- 
 lliop  falfely  reprefents  him  as  taking  vengeance  upon  them  by 
 the  Romans  !  Turn  to  the  ancient  prophets,  how  do  they  fpeak 
 of  the  expe6led  Melliah  ?  Do  they  fpeak  of  him  as  the  enemy 
 and  deftroyer  of  the  Jews?  By  no  means;  but  as  their  great 
 DELIVERER  from  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  and  as  their  re- 
 ftorer  to  honour  and  bleilednefs,  as  he  who  lliould  restore 
 AGAIN  THE  KINGDOM  UNTO  IsRAEL,  Ads  i.  6.  and  yet  by 
 this  error,  the  biihops  defcribe  him  as  the  deftroyer  of  the  Jews  ! 
 The  biihops  reprefent  his  coming,  as  having  for  its  objeft  to 
 throw  down  the  Jewifh  temple,  and  to  gather  together  the  Chrif- 
 tian  church ;  but  what  if  it  ihould  prove  that  he  is  yet  to  come, 
 to  come  quickly  ;  and  what  if  his  coming  fhould  be  found  to 
 have  for  its  objed,  to  gather  together  his  beloved  people;  to 
 prune  the  unfruitful  branches  of  the  Chriftian  church  ;  to  con- 
 fume  the  chafF,  and  to  make  the  Jewish  nation  the  most 
 powerful  and  respected  nation  upon  earth? 
 
 We  will  now  return  to  our  main  argument,  and  fum 
 up. — And  firft,  I  hope  I  have  proved  to  your  fatisfa6lion, 
 that  notwithitanding  we  are  not  to  concern  ourfelves  with  un- 
 founded rumours,  (John  xxi.  23.)  even  of  the  apollolic  age; 
 yet  that  the  honour  ot  the  Chriitian  religion  iti'elf  is  deeply  in- 
 terefted  in  Ihewing  that  every  expectation  which  the  difciples 
 were  authorized  by  our  Lord  to  form,  (Matt.  xvi.  28.  Mark 
 ix.  I.  Luke  ix.  27.)  were  not  formed  in  vain. 
 
 Zealous. 
 
Part  IL  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  j6j 
 
 Zealous.  You  have  proved  this  to  my  fattsfadlion,  and  I  muft 
 fay,  that  in  this  refped,  your  object,  and  the  objcft  of  the 
 learned  bifhops  (whofe  opinions  you  have  controverted)  appears 
 to  be  the  fame  ;  and  I  aflure  you,  that  if  at  the  end  of  our  con. 
 verfation  it  ftiould  appear  that  you  are  better  fupported  by  fcrip- 
 ture  than  they  are,  it  will  not  w^eigh  with  me  that  they  were 
 men  of  profound  learning,  and  that  you  are  not  fo  ;  highly  as 
 I  refpeft  great  learning,  confpicuous  abilities,  and  dignified  ita- 
 tion,   1  value  truth  1  truft  above  them  all. 
 
 Cautious.  I  hope  I  have  alfo  proved,  that  inafmuch  as  the 
 very  words  imply,  that  after  this  great  event,  which  fome  or 
 one  of  them  was  to  live  to  witnefs,  they  were  to  taste  of 
 DEATH,  that  this  event  could  not  be — that  coming  of  our 
 Lord,  in  which  **the  Lord  himfelf  fhall  defcend  from  heaven, 
 *'  with  a  fhout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the 
 **  trumpofGod;  and  the  dead  in  Chrift  (hall  rife  firil."  And  in 
 v/hich  thofe  of  his  fervants  who  remain  alive  at  his  coming,  will 
 be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord 
 in  the  air,  and  fo  to  be  ever  with  the  Lord,    i  Thef.  iv.  16,  17. 
 
 ZealousK  I  think  the  words  imply,  that  after  the  event  referred 
 to  (be  it  what  it  might)  (hould  have  occurred,  that  then  the  perfori 
 or  perfons  who  were  to  be  preferved  to  witnefs  this  great  event, 
 might,  like  the  aged  Simeon,  conclude,  that  the  time  of  his  or 
 their  departure  was  at  hand  ;  that  he  was  not  to  tarry  much 
 longer,  but  foon  to  expe£f  to  talfe  of  death!  and  fay,  "  Lord, 
 *'  now  lettell  thou  thy  fervant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  thy 
 **  word,  for  mine  eyes  have  feen  thy  falvation ;'.'  and  I  will 
 add,  that  I  think  it  is  clear,  that  the  words  fpoken  by  our  Lord 
 to  St.  Peter,  concerning  St.  John,  point  to  him  as  the  individual 
 difciple,  who  was  not  to  talte  of  death  till  he  fhould  *'fee  the 
 **  Son  of  Man  coming  in  his  kingdom,"  Matt  xvi.  28. 
 
 Cautious.  Permit  me  now  to  adc.  Are  there  any  words  in 
 any  of  the  paiTages  which  could  give  any  good  ground  for  the 
 difciples  to  expe£l  that  this  event  (be  it  what  it  might)  would 
 not  only  he  witnelfed  by  fome  or  one  of  thofe  to  whom  Uie  words 
 were  addrelfed,  but  that  it  would  be  equally  vifible  and  to  be  no- 
 ticed by  ALL   THE   INHABITANTS  OF    THE   EARTH,   at  the  time 
 
 in  which  it  Ihould  take  place,  or  even  by  all  the  fervants  of 
 Chrift  then  dwelling  upon  the  earth  ? 
 
 Zealous.  There  certainly  are  no  words  in  any  of  the  paffages 
 before  us  which  gave  any  good  ground  to  the  difciples  to  conclude, 
 that  the  event  (be  it  what  it  might)  would  be  equally  vifible,  and 
 to  be  noticed  by  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  or  even  by  all 
 the  fervants  of  Chrilt,  then  dwelling  upon  the  earth  j  but  I 
 doubt  not  that  they  concluded  it  would  be  fo. 
 
 Cautious.  They  poffibly  might  conclude  that  fo  it  would  be  ; 
 but  you  agree,  that  if  fo,  their  conciuHon  was  a  conclu'ion  of 
 $heir  own  drawing,  and  that  thev  had  no  positive  authoritV 
 
 Mm  to 
 
&66  DIALOG  U  E     IV.  Part  II. 
 
 to  draw  fuch  conclufion,  any  more  than  they  had  for  drawing 
 the  conclufion  that  St.  John  was  not  to  die,  John  xxi.  23.  All 
 that  they  were  authortzed  to  expe6l  was,  that  fome  or  one 
 <jf  them  would  not  tafte  of  death  until  they  fhould  fee  ''the 
 **  kingdom  ot  God,  Luke  ix.  27.  The  "  kingdom  of  God 
 *'  come  with  power,"  Mark  ix.  i.  **The  Son  ol  Man  coming 
 **  in  his  kingdom,"  Matt.  xvi.  28. 
 
 Zealous.  I  agree  with  you ;  it  now  therefore  only  remains  foi* 
 you  to  fliew  how  thefe,  the  authorized  expectations  of  the  dif- 
 ciples,  were  realized. 
 
 Cautious.     Think  not  that  becaufe  I  have  endeavoured  to  point 
 but  what   I  think  to  be  the  errors  of  the  learned  bifhops,  that   I 
 am  inclined  to  undervalue  th^t  great  and  miraculous  event,  the 
 glorious  fpread  of  the  gofpel,  in  the  firft  age  of  the  church,  over 
 the   whole  of  the  then  civilized  world !     When  we  confider  the 
 oppofition  that  it  met  with  from  every  quarter — from  the  unhap- 
 pily miftaken  Jews — from  the  learned — from  the  Roman  empe- 
 rors, and  the  fubordinate  magiftrates  in  all  parts  of  their  exten- 
 five  empire — when   we  confider  that   bonds  and   imprifonment 
 were  the  lighted;  afflictions  that  they  had  to  contend  with,  and  that 
 death  in  every  varied  form,  and  the  mod  excruciating  tortures  were 
 reforted  to,  to  flem  the  torrent  with  which  the  caufe  of  Chrift 
 burft   forth  in  every  part  of  the,then  civilized  world — when  we 
 confider  the  means  made    uCs.  of  by  our  blelfed  Lord,   that  he 
 did  not  fele6l  his  apollles  from  the  learned  scribes,  or  from 
 thepriefts  or  Levites,  but  from  the  unlearned  laity,  we  arc 
 Conllrained  to  acknowledge  that  it  was  the  finger  of  God,  Luke 
 XI.  20.     The  defire  which  our  blelTed  Lord  taught  his  difciples 
 to  cherifh  above  all  others,  that  which  was  to  form  the  firft  pe- 
 tition in  their  daily  prayer,  was,   "  Thy  kingdom  come!" — "  Seek 
 *'  ye  FIRST  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteoufnefs,  and  all 
 **  thefe  things  fliall  be  added  unto  you,"  Matt.  vi.   33.     The 
 kingdom  of  our  God,  and  of  his  Chrift,  is  an  increafing  king- 
 dom.    "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  a  grain  of  muftard  feed, 
 '*  wdiich  a  man  took  and  fowed  in  his  field,  which  indeed  is  the 
 **  leaft  of  all   feeds :  but   when  it   is  grown,   it   is  the  greateft 
 *'  among  herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree  :  fo  that  the  birds  of  the 
 ■*<  air  come  and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof." — "The  kingdom 
 **  of  heaven  is  like  unto  leaven,  which  a  woman  took,  and  hid 
 **  in   three   meafures   of  meal,  till    the  w^hole   was  leavened," 
 Matt.  xiii.  33.     The  univerfal  fpread  of  this  leaven,  the   gra- 
 dual growth  gf  this  plant  of  the  Lord's  planting,  the  great  ex- 
 tention  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  Chrift,  was  therefore  an 
 anfwer  to  the  prayer  which  our  'Lord  himfelf  taught  to  his  dif- 
 ciples, **Thy   kingdom  come;"  and  truly  might  thofe   of  our 
 Lord's  difciples  who  lived  to  witnefs  this  univerfal  fpread  of  the 
 gofpel  have  faid,   **  We  have  not  tafted  death  before  we  have  feen 
 *'  THE  KINGDOM  OfGod!"  Luke  ix.   2/.     "We  have  not 
 
 "  tafted 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IV.  267 
 
 *<  tailed  death  before  v/e  have  feen  the  kingdom  of  God 
 "  COME  WITH  POWER,"  Mark  ix.  1.  But  the  words  in  St. 
 Matthew  imply  fomethiog  more  than  this,  for  they  mani- 
 feitly  declare  that  the  moft  confpiciious  objedl  in  which  thefe 
 words  would  be  accqmpliflied,  would  be  the  Son  of  Man 
 COMING  IN  HIS  kingdom,  Matt.  xvi.  28.  We  thereiora 
 may  confider  an  aged  Chriltian  living  at  the  clofe  of  the  apof- 
 tolic  age,  as  faying,  *'  From  the  beginning  we  have  been  taught 
 **  to  pray,  Thy  kingdom  come.  The  Lord  doth  not  require  his 
 "  people  to  pray  for  that  which  he  is  not  inclined  to  give  them, 
 "  or  to  do  for  them.  We  have  long  prayed  this  prayer,  and 
 •*  we  Itill  continue  to  ufe  it,  with  Itrong  crying,  (Heb.  v.  7.) 
 **  and  groanings  of  the  fpirit,  which  cannot  be  uttered,  (Rum. 
 "  viii.  26.)  ;  and  our  prayers  have  been  anfwered.  We  have  feen 
 *'  the  church  of  God  like  that  burning  bu(h  which  Mofes  be- 
 **  held,  burning  with  fire,  arid  yet  unconfumed,  (Exod.  iii.  2.)  for 
 **  it  hath  increafed  in  magnitude  and  ftrength  in  fpite  of  all  op- 
 "  pofition.  The  Lord  hath  given  unto  his  fervants  a  mouth 
 '*  and  wifdom,  which  all  their  adverfaries  have  not  been  able  to 
 *'  gainfay  or  refift,  Luke  xxi.  15.  Their  found  is  gone  out  into 
 **  all  the  earth,  and  their  words  unto  the  very  ends  of  the  world, 
 **  Rom.  X.  18.  \\  e  have  lived  to  experience  a  gracious  anfv/er 
 **  to  our  prayer,  '  Thy  kingdom  come  !'  We  have  lived  to  fee 
 **  the  gradual  and  uninterrupted  progrefs  of  the  kingdom  of  our 
 *<  God,  Luke  ix.  27.  We  have  lived  to  fee  the  kingdom  of 
 **  God  come  with  power,  Mark  ix.  1.  We  have  marked  the 
 **  progrefs  of  it  trom  the  beginning  ;  at  firft  it  was  like  a  grain 
 "  of  muflard  feed,  it  was  fmall  indeed,  but  it  hath  now  become 
 **  a  great  tree,  whofe  branches  extend  to  the  very  ends  of  the 
 *'  earth!  At  firft  it  was  hidden  and  unnoticed,  like  a  little  lea- 
 **  ven,  but  it  hath  now  fpread  and  pervaded  the  whole  earth. 
 **  Neverthelefs,  we  yet  continue  with  increafmg  confidence  to 
 *'  ufe  the  prayer,  and  daily  to  cry  unto  our  heavenly  Father, 
 "  'Thy  kingdom  come,'  for  there  will  be  greater  things 
 
 **  THAN  THESE,  (John  i.  50.)  FOR  THE  GREAT  ShEPHERD 
 '*    reigns,    and    his   UNSUFFERING     kingdom     yet    SHALL 
 
 *'  come  !  At  prefent  we  are  accounted  as  fheep  for  the  flaugh- 
 "  ter,  (Rom.  viii.  36.  Zech.  xi.  4,  7.  Pfal.  xliv.  22.)  and  in 
 *'  every  city  bonds  and  imprifonment  wait  for  us,  (Ads  xx.  23.) 
 '*  but  it  will  not  be  always  fo;  and  mark  my  words,  the  apofto- 
 "  lie  age  now  draws  near  its  clofe,  very  few  of  our  Lord's  firft 
 **  followers  remain  in  this  vale  of  tears.  Our  bleifcd  Lord  de- 
 **  Glared  to  his  difciples,  'There  are  forne  (landing  here  which 
 **  fhall  not  tafte  of  death  till  they  fee  the  Son  of  Man  coming 
 "  in  his  kingdom,'  Matt.  xvi.  28.  We  have  lived  to  fee  a 
 *'  great  deal,  but  more  may  be  expected.  Of  the  beloved  dif- 
 *'  ciple  St.  John,  who  yet  liveth,  our  blefied  Lord  fpake  thus  to 
 **  St.  Peter,  <  If  I    will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is 
 
 «*  that 
 
t68  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IV.  Part  II. 
 
 *  that  to  thee,  follow  thou  me.  Then  went  this  faying  abroad 
 '  among  the  brethrtn,  that  that  difciple  fhould  not  die:  yet 
 <  Jc'i.s  fdid  not  unto  him,  He  Ihall  not  die,  but  if  I  will  that  he 
 '  lARKY  TILL  I  COME,  what  is  that  to  thee.'  Let  us  fol- 
 '  low  the  example  ot  the  beloved  apoftle,  and  abitain  from 
 '  making  comments  on  that  which  we  have  no  authority  to  com- 
 '  mentupon;  but  let  us  watch  the  event,  and  that  will  prove 
 
 *  that  every  word,  every  intimation  which  proceeded  from  the 
 '  bleifcd  lips  of  him  of  whom  it   was  faid.  Never  man  fpake 
 
 *  like  this  man,  (John  vii.  46.)  were  all  of  power,  they  were 
 '  and  are  fpirit,  they  were  and  are   life,"  John  vi.  63.     Thus 
 
 -neditating  on  the  times  and  the  figns  of  them — thus  medi- 
 ating on  the  words  of  Chrift  the  Lord — thus  meditating  on 
 the  glorious  event  (be  it  what  it  might)  which  the  beloved  John 
 appeared  to  be  referved  to  witnefs  !  Behold  a  meiTenger  arrives, 
 who  declares  that  he  comes  from  the  beloved  difciple  of  our 
 Lord,  the  aged  apoftle  and  evangelift  St.  John,  that  he  hath 
 fomething  to  communicate  from  him,  which  the  Lord  himself 
 
 HAD  ORDERED  HIM  TO  SEND  TO  THE  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN 
 
 As!A.  Bthold  what  deep  reverence,  what  marked  attention  is 
 viiible  in  the  countenances  of  every  member  of  the  church  j 
 every  individual  is  {landing,  and  every  power  of  the  mind  is 
 aLforbed  in  attentive  expectation !  The  minifter  receives  the 
 writing,  and  proceeds  to  read,  "  The  revelation  of  Jefus  Chrift, 
 '  which  God  gave  unto  him,  to  Ihew  unto  his  fervants  things 
 '  which  mull;  Oiortly  come  to  pafs  ;  and  he  fent  and  fignified  it 
 
 *  by  his  angel  unto  his  fervant  John  :  who  bare  record  of  the 
 '  word  of  God,  and  of  the  teitimony  of  Jefus,  and  of  all  things 
 '  that  he  favv.  Bleifed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear 
 '  the  v,'ords  of  tliis  prophecy,  and  keep  thofe  things  which  arc 
 '  written  therein  :  for  the  time  is  at  hand."     I  fliall  fay  no  more 
 
 at  prefent,  but  requeil  you  to  go  home,  and  read  this blefled  book 
 with  deliberate  attention,  and,  if  poOlble,  with  the  fame  fenfa- 
 tions  as  thofe  which  we  mull  prefume  to  have  been  felt  by  the 
 Afiatic  churches,  at  the  firil  reading  of  it  ;  and  then  at  our  next 
 converfation  I  fhall  aik  you,  whether  the  well-founded  ex- 
 j'ECTATiONS  of  the  dlfciples  were  not  fully  rea-ized.     Farewell» 
 
 FIFTH 
 
 i 
 
[  »%  J 
 
 FIFTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 In  which  it  is  fuewn,  that  the  jfeivi/h  Religion  is  a  rejoicing  ReligloHy 
 an  exulting  Religion,  calculated  to  engage  all  the  Affe5iions ;  and 
 that  the  Chrijiian  Religion  will  in  due  Time  aj[u?ne  a  much  more 
 Jewish  appearance,  zvhen  our  blejfed  Saviour  jhall  come 
 again  in  the  Clouds  of  Heaven  with  Power  and  great  Glory^ 
 to  gather  together  his  ElcB  from  the  fur  Winds,  from  the  uitermojl 
 part  of  the  Earth,  to  the  uttermoji  part  of  Heaven,  Mark  xiii. 
 26,  27.  When  the  jfews  are  thus  gathered  together  out  of  all 
 i^ationSy  they  will  univerfally  he  honoured  dnd  rf peeled. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. < 
 « 
 
 Cautious.  "jK/TY  dear  friend  Zealous,  pray  explain  to  me  what 
 XVit  it  is  that  affeds  you   fo   much ;  I  fee  you  ca« 
 fcarcely  fupprefs  your  feelings  ;  the  tears  (land  in  your  eyes. 
 
 Zealous.  If  tears  (land  in  mine  eyes,  they  are  tears  ot  joy, 
 tears  of  exultation,  and  not  of  forrow.  If  my  heart  is  ready  to 
 burft,  it  is  with  tranfport,  at  that  glorious  profpeft  of  the  rello- 
 ration  of  Ifrael,  which  I  now  fee  is  clearly  revealed  in  the  New 
 Teflament  as  well  as  in  the  Old,  and  that  the  time  will  come,  in 
 which  our  blelfed  Lord  will  prove  himfelf  to  be,  not  only  a  light 
 to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  but  the  glory  of  his  people 
 ISx^iAEL.  If  all  the  pleafure  I  have  experienced,  all  the  fatis- 
 faclion  I  have  enjoyed  for  fome  years  of  my  life,  were  to  be  as  it 
 were  concentrated  in  a  fhort  fpace  of  time,  it  would  not  equal 
 the  exulting  felicity  I  have  experienced  for  fome  days  pafl,  in 
 meditating  upon  this  exulting  prospect;  and  the  burden  of 
 the  fong  has  been,  that  Christ  is  that  salvation  of 
 THE  Jewish  nation,  which  the  Jewifh  prophets  expelled  ; 
 that  he  is  not  only  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  but  ."  the 
 GLORV  of  thy  people  Israel."  The  exulting  thought 
 hath  continued  day  and  night,  and  hath  been  fweeter  to  me,  than 
 light  to  mine  eyes,  or  water  to  the  thirfty.  Never  before  did  my 
 mind  receive  fuch  a  powerful  impreffion,  my  whole  foul  has 
 been  as  it  were  abforbcd  in  the  words,  the  glory!  th6 
 glory!  the  glory  of  thy  people  Israel!  And  I 
 fpeak  not  the  language  of  an  enthufuin:  when  I  declare,  that  I 
 fhould  efteem  it  an  higher  honour,  to  be  indrumental  in  contri- 
 buting to  the  return  of  the  Lord's  people  Ifrael,  if  it  ihouM 
 pleafe  God  to  fpare  me  till  that  glorious  event  takes  place  ;  I 
 ^  '  fhouU 
 
*70  DIALOGUE    V.    .         Part  IL 
 
 fhoulclefteem  it  an  higher  honour,  to  have  aftually,  and  literally, 
 contributed  my  bodily  flrength,  in  carrying  a  fan  or  a  daughter  of 
 Ilrael  in  my  arrrife,  or  on  my  ilioulders,  towards  the  Zion  of  the 
 Holy  One  of  Ifrael,  (Ifaiah  xlix.  22.)  than  if  I  were  to  be  in- 
 vefted  with  the  honour,  the  power,  and  authority  annexed  to  the 
 imperial  dignity ! 
 
 Cautious.  It  gives  me  great  fatisfaclion,  that  I  have  been 
 enabled  to  dire£l  your  meditations  to  a  fubjedl  from  which  you 
 derive  fuch  fatisfaiiUpn.  I  have  at  times  iclt  fomething  of  the 
 fame  exultation  at  thefe  glorious  profpecls,  but  we  are  not  all 
 capable  of  feeling  alike.  I  have  known  you-  long  tor  a  zealous 
 man-;  let  us  beware  that  our  feelings  do  not  carry  us  beyond 
 the  bounds  of  reafon,  difcretion,  and  a  fober  judgment,  and  then 
 let  us  defy  the  fneers  of  the  lukewarm,  andthe  inditt'erent.  True 
 religion  is  a  ftranger  to  that  odious  lukewarmnefs,  and  liltlefs 
 inditference,  which  is  fo  much  the  prevailing  difpoiition  of 
 Chrillians  of  the  prefent  day  ;  if  we  are  enjoined  to  love  the  Lord 
 our  God  with  all  our  heart,  with  all  ourfgul,  with  all  our 
 mind,  and  with  all  our  llrength,  (Mark  xii.  30.);  if  we  are  to 
 glory  in  the  God  of  our  falvation,  (Jer.  ix.  24,  1  Cor.  i.  31.) 
 "we  cannot  be  guilty  of  an  excefs  in  the  ardoui:  of  our  exultation. 
 The  Jewiili  religion  is  a  religion  of  exultation,  a  religion  which 
 calls  forth  the  whole  foul :  behold  the  priefls  bearing  the  ark  of 
 the  teftament!  hear  the  found  of  the  trumpets,  and  the  Ihouting 
 which  attends  the  proceflion!  2  Sam.  vi,  15.  Behold  the  king 
 himfelf,  even  David  the  man  after  God's  ov/n  heart,  (1  Sam.  xiii. 
 14.}  he  joins  in  the  procefiion:  his  voice,  his  melodious  harp,  arc 
 now  unequal  to  exprefs  his  exulting  felicity  I  It  per- 
 'Vades  his  whole  fyilem,  and  every  nerve  of  his  frame  is  agitated 
 by  liis  mighty  feelings!  behold  H£  leaps!  he  dances!  "  And 
 "  David  DANCED  before  the  Lord,  with  all  kis  might; 
 '*  and  David  was  girded  with  a  linen  ephod  :  fo  David,  and  all 
 ■  *  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  brought  up  the  ark  of  the  Lord  with 
 *'  shouting,  and  with  the  found  of  the  trumpet,"  2  Sam,  vi. 
 Would  not  the  prefent  lukewarm  age  call  this  enthufiafrn,  would 
 they  not  join  with  Michal,  SauTs  daughter,  and  defpife  him  in 
 their  heart,  for  thus  laying  afide  his  royal  robes,  and  leaping,  and 
 dancing  before  the  Lord  ?  Behold  the  glorious  temple  erected  by 
 Solomon,  the  beloved  of  the  Lord!  the  ark  of  the  tellament  is 
 now  brought  into  it,  with  great  folemnity  and  exulting  praife  ; 
 and  **  it  came  to  pafs,  as  the  trumpeters  and  fingers  were  as  one, 
 '*  to  make  one  found  to  be  heard  in  prailing  and  thanking  the 
 •*  Lord;  and  when  they  lift  up  their  voice  Vvith  the  trumpets, 
 *'  and  cymbals,  and  inltruments  of  muiic,  and  praifed  the  Lord, 
 "  faying:  For  he  is  good,  for  his  mercy  endureth 
 *'  FOR  ever  ;  that  then  the  houfe  was  filled  with  a  cloud,  even 
 **  the  houfe  of  the  Lord  ;  fo  that  the  priells  could  not  ftand  to 
 *'  minilter,    by   reafon   of   the    cloud  :    for    the    glory    of 
 
 <<    THE 
 
Fart  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V.  iji 
 
 "^  THE  Lord  HAD  filled   the  house  of  Gcd,  2  Chroii. 
 V.    13. 
 
 Zeahus.  Your  laft  converfation  removed"  all  doubt  from  my 
 mindj  and  cleared  away  the  only  difficulties  which  prevented  my 
 reception  of  your  feniiments,  and  I  now  feel  no  hefitation  in 
 declaring,  that  I  nnnly  believe,  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in 
 the  clouds  of  heaven  with   power  and  great  glory,    is  an  .event 
 
 which    will    IMMEDIATELY    SUCCEED    THE    JeWISH     TRIBU- 
 
 J-ATION.     Secondly,  that  every    circumftance   which  induces  us 
 to  conclude,  that  the  JewifL  tribulations  approach  near  to  their 
 end,   (hould  alfo  induce  us  to  conclude,  that  the  coming  of  our 
 Lord  **  in  the  clouds    with   power  and  great  glory,"  is  alfo  an 
 event  near  at  hand.     Thirdly,   I   am  fully  perfuaded,  that  the 
 period  of  time,  in  which  the  Jews  were  to  be  fcattered  into  all 
 nations,  and  to   endure  tribulation,  was  a   period  of  time 
 unknown  to  men,  and  even  to  the  angels  of  heaven  ;  that  it  was 
 a  period  of  time   unknown    even  to  our  Lord   himself, 
 IN   the    days   of   his   humiliation;  and  that  it  was  this 
 period  of  time,  being   unknown,  and  only  in  the  power  of, 
 and  known  to  God  the  Father,  (Ails  i.  Matt.  xxiv.  36.)  that  ren- 
 dered the  day  and  hour  of  the  coming  of  our  Lord  (which  was 
 dependant  thereon)  unknown  alfo.      Fourthly,   I  am  fully  fatis- 
 fied  that  the  *^  times- of  the  Gentiles,'' in  which  Jerufalem 
 will  continue  to  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  times  of 
 the  tribulation  of  the  Je>vs,  are'  periods  of  time  which  begin  and 
 end  together  ;  andinthisi  am  confirmed  by  Bif hop  Newton  himfelf, 
 Vol,  II.  p.  33,5 — 7.    Fifthly,   I  entirely  agree  with  you,   that 
 AS  this  coming  of  bur  Lord  "  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
 *'■  and  great  glory,"  is  an  event  to  take  place  immediately  after 
 the  Jewifh  tribulations  are  ended,  that  it  does  necelFarily  folloxv, 
 that  this  glorious  appearance  of  our  bleffed  I^ord,  cannot  be  his 
 coming  at  the  end  of  the  world,  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead ; 
 when  *'  the  heavens  ihall  pafs  away  with  a  great  nolfe,  and  the 
 **  elements  fliall  rnelt  with  fervent  heat,  and  the  earth  alfo  and 
 **  the  works  that  are  therein  {hall  be  burnt  up,"  (2  Pet.  iii.  io.) 
 inafmuch  as  all  thofe  promifes  which  relate  to  the  profperity  of 
 Ifrael,  in  their  owm  land,  will  remain  to  be  fulfilled,  at  this  the 
 day  and  hour  of  his  glorious  corning.     Sixthly,  it  alfo  appears 
 clear  to  me,  that  inasmuch  as  this  glorious  appearance  of  our 
 Lord,  is  an  event  to  take  place  immediately  after  the  Jewilh 
 tribulation,  and  confequently  im.mediately  before  their  return- 
 ing profperity ;   I  fay  it  feems  evident,  that  this  glorious  appear- 
 ance of  our  Lord  being  at  fuch  a  very  critical  day  and 
 hour,  does  give  good  ground  for  us  to  conclude,  that  this  his 
 coming  hath  fome  important  reference  to  this  great  alteration 
 ■which  will  take  place  in  the  fituation  of  the  Jews.     Seventhly, 
 ^I  entirely  agree  with  you,  that  this  idea  is  greatly  ftrengthened 
 by  confidering  that  the  decIared  end  and  intent  of  this  his 
 
 coming 
 
27a  D  I  A  L  O  G  tr  E    V.  Part  II* 
 
 comingis  "  to  gather    together  his  elfct  from  the 
 
 "*    FOUR     WINDS,      FROM     ONE     END      OF     HEAVEN     TO     THE 
 
 "  OTHER."  Eighthly,  I  believe  that  thefe  eledl  are  the  Jews, 
 and  that  this  is  that  confpicuous  return  of  Ilrael  to  their  own 
 land,  which  is  the  burden  of  the  prophetic  fong ;  and  ninthly, 
 that  the  mourning  of  the  tribes,  produced  by  this  his  coming,  is 
 that  deep  contrition  which  will  be  felt  by  the  Jews  on  difco- 
 vering  that  this  their  glorified  Messiah,  who  thus 
 comes  to  their  deliverance,  and  to  rellore  them  to  profperity,    is 
 
 THAT     VERY    JesUS     OF     NaZARETH,    THE     KiNG    OF     THE 
 
 Jews,  whom  their  fathers   rejected  and  required 
 
 TO   BE  crucified. 
 
 Cautious.  At  the  clofe  of  our  laft  converfation  I  endeavoured 
 to  (hew,  what  were  the  authorized  and  well-founded 
 expectations  of  Chriftians;,  in  the  apoftolic  age;  and  I  en- 
 deavoured to  Ihew,  that  St.  John  was  pointed  out  by  our  Lord 
 himfelf,  as  referved  to  behold  him  "  coming  in  his  king- 
 •'  DOM  ;'"'  and  I  left  you  to  perufe  the  book  of  the  revelation 
 with  reference  to  this  fubjeft.  Permit  me  therefore  to  inquire, 
 what  effedt  was  produced  in  your  mind,  by  reading  it  thus,  as  it 
 were,  connected  with  the  Gofpelsr 
 
 Zealous.  It  produced  an  efiedt  upon  my  mind  very  different 
 from  what  it  ever  produced  before,  for  I  had  read  it  feveral  times 
 before,  v/ithout  being  much  affected  by  the  perufal  of  it  \  and  it 
 hath  excited  a  kind  of  aftonifhment  in  my  mind,  that  I  fhould 
 have  read  it  before,  with  fuch  different  fenfations  from  thofe 
 which  were  produced  in  my  mind  by  my  laft  perufal  of  it. 
 
 Cautious.  Did  it  not  occur  to  you,  that  you  had  many  hun- 
 dred times  in  your  clofet,  and  at  church,  read,  heard,  and  re- 
 peated the  words,  *' A  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
 *'  glory  of  thy  people  Israel,"  .without  the  latter  words 
 producing  that  pov.-erfi'l  imprellion  upon  your  mind,  which  they 
 have  lately  produced?  The  cafe  is  clear,  you  did  not  formerly  fee 
 the  force  of  the  words ;  but  you  now  fee  and  feel  the  fpirit  and 
 power  that  there  is  therein,  and  it  is  the  fame  with  the  Revelation, 
 and  with  every  other  part  of  holy  fcripture.  It  is  a  firm  and  well- 
 grounded  faith,  that  as  it  were  extracts  the  fpirit  and 
 power  which  is  contained  in  the  words. 
 
 Zealous.  There  is  truly  fpirit  and  pov/er  in  the  words,  I  fee 
 that  the  Revelation  may  be  faid  to  be,  the  great  prophetic  book  of 
 the  Chrlftian  church,  the  particulars  of  the  coming  of  our 
 Lord  in  his  kingdom  ;  and  I  think  that  when  St.  John  had 
 feenand  heard  thofe  things  of  which  he  teftifieth,  (Rev.  xxii.  8.] 
 he  might  like  the  aged  Simeon  have  concluded,  that  now  the 
 time  was  come  in  which  he  was  to  taste  death,  (Matt.  xvi. 
 28.)  and  to  tarry  no  longer  upon  earth,  (John  xxi.  23.)  \  andlike 
 the  aged  Simeon  he  mig'nt  hive  exulted  in  that  fong  of  praile, 
 und  blefled  God,  and  faid,  '<  Lord,  now  ietteft  thou  thy  fervant 
 
 "  depart 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V. 
 
 Qt 
 
 73 
 
 ■  ^f  depart  in  peace  accouding  to  thy  word  :  for  mine  eyes  have 
 **  SEEN  thy  falvation,  which  thou  halt  prepared  before  the  face 
 "  of  all  people  ;  A  light  TO  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and 
 *'  THE  GLORY  OF  thypeople  Israkl,"  Luke  ii.  29— 32.  And 
 I  think  that  whoever  reads  his  teilimony,  muft  be  completely 
 fatisfied,  that  every  authorized  expectation  formed  by 
 Chriilians  in  the  apoitoUc  age,  were  therein  completely 
 realized. 
 
 Cautious.  They  were  realized  ;  for  John  beheld  his  blefled 
 Mailer  in  fuch  glf>ry,  that  "  his  countenance  was  as  the  fun 
 **  ihineth  in  his  itrength!"  Obferve  his  account  of  the  effect 
 it  produced  in  him,  "  And  when  I  faw  him,  I  fell  at  his 
 "  feet  as  dead  ;  and  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon  me,  faying  ' 
 *'  unto  me,  Fear  not;  I  am  the  firfl  and  the  laft :  I  am  he 
 *'  that  livtth,  and  was  dead;  and,  behold,  I  am  alive  for  ever- 
 *'  more.  Amen;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death,"  Rev. 
 i.  17,  18.  What  coi. Id  his  churchds  upon  earth  def.re  more  than 
 is  contained  in  this  precioi's  book  ;  do  they  fland  in  need  of  re- 
 proofs and  diretlions  r  Behold  them  here,  ch.  ii.  and  iii.  Do 
 they  wiih  "to  fee  the  blifsful  Hate  of  thofe  who  have  been  faithful 
 imto  death,  and  have  been  fiain  in  their  Mailer's  fervice  ?  Here 
 they  receive  full  fatisfa6lion !  They  behold  them  clothed  in  white 
 robes,  (ch.  vi.  11.)  and  that  their  blifs  is  an  increafnig  blifs  ;  they 
 llrike  *'  the  harps  of  God,  and  they  fing  the  fong  of  Moses, 
 **  the  fervant  of  God,  and  the  fong  of  the  Lamb,  faying, 
 *'  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works,  Lord  Gt)D 
 *'  Almighty;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  tholt 
 *'  King  of  nations.  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O 
 *'  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name  r   for  thou  only  art 
 
 *'  HOLY:  FOR  ALL  NATIONS  SHALL  COME  AND  WCjRiHIP 
 "    BEFORE    THEE;    FOR    THY    JUDGMENTS    ARE    MADE    MANI- 
 
 **  FEST,  ch.  XV.  2 — 4,  Do  the  churches  wiOi  to  fee  the  high 
 exaltation  and  glory  of  their  bleffcd  Saviour?  Here  they  have 
 ample  food  for  exultation,  and  they  may  by  anticipation,  join  in 
 the  blifsful  fong;  "  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and 
 **  to  open  the  teals  thereof:  for  thou  wail  slain,  and  haft  re- 
 *'  DEEMED  US  TO  GoD  BY  THY  BLOOD  out  of  every  kindred, 
 *'  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation  ;  and  haft  made  us  unto 
 *'  our  God,  kings  and  priefts;  and  we  iliall  reign  on  the  earth." — 
 **  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain,  to  receive 
 
 *'  power,  AND  riches,  AND  WISDOM,  AND  STRENGTH, 
 *'    AND   HONOUR,  AND   GLORY,  AND  BLESSING." *'  Bleiling, 
 
 **  and  honour,  and  glory,  and    power,  be    unto    hi'm    that 
 
 *'    SITTETH  UPON   THE   THRONE, AND   UNTO   THeLaMB    FOR 
 
 **  EVER  AND  EVER,"  Rcv.  v.  When  Ave  confidcr  the  great  im- 
 portance of  this  bleifed  book;  what  an  inellimable  treafure  it  is 
 to  the  Chriftian  churches  ;  being  the  gift  of  God  to  our  bleifed 
 Saviour,  *<  to  Ihew  unto  his  fervants  things  which  mulf  ftiortly 
 
 N  n  *'  come 
 
«74 
 
 DIALOGUE     V.  Part  IT. 
 
 "  come  to  pafs.''"  When  we  confiderthe  bleffing  which  is  annexed 
 to  it,  "  Bleired  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the  words 
 '^  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  thofe  things  which  are  written 
 *'  therein,  lor  the  time  is  at  hand."  When  we  confider,  that 
 in  this  bleflfed  book,  when  pernfed  by  faith,  we  are  permitted  to 
 fee  the  employment  of  the  faints  in  heaven,  and  to  join  in  their 
 facredfongs!  is  it  not  astonishing,  that  it  is  not  more  generally 
 read  ;  that  it  is  not  the  daily  food  of  the  churches,  but  is  as  it 
 •were  kept  in  the  back  ground,  and  only  reforted  to  at  particular 
 feafons.  In  the  church  of  England,  we  read  the  Old  Teitament 
 in  the  courfe  of  the  year,  and  the  whole  of  the  New  Teftament, 
 EXCEPT  THIS  BLESSED  BOOK,  in  continuation  three  times  in 
 each  year  ;  but  the  only  ufe  that  is  made  of  this  blefled  book,  in 
 our  public  fervice,  is,  that  fmall  extracts  therefrom  are  read  in 
 our  churches,  instead  of  the  epistle,  on  tour  holy  days; 
 and  that  on  the  feall  of  St.  John  the  evangelift,  the  fecond  leffons 
 for  the  day,  are  the  firft  and  laff  chapters  of  this  blelTed  book. 
 It  is  to  be  lamented,  that  this  bleifed  book  has  not  fufficiently 
 engaged  the  attention  of  thofe  for  whofe  benefit  it  was  written  ; 
 there  is  an  ineftimable  treafure  in  it,  and  I  have  good  hope  that 
 the  time  will  fhortly  come  when  it  will  become  an  impenetrable 
 bulwark  to  the  people  of  God,  both  of  the  Jewish  nation 
 and  thofe  who  will  partake  with  them  in  the  favour  of  God.  I 
 have  no  doubt  but  you  will  in  future  (tudy  it  with  attention  and 
 zeal ;  and  I  will  therefore  give  you  a  few  hints,  which  I  think 
 will  contribute  to  your  fatisfa6lion. 
 
 Zealous.  I  alTure  you  it  is  my  intention  diligently  to  fludy  it, 
 and  I  fhall  efteem  myfelf  much  indebted  to  you,  for  every  hint 
 which  may  contribute  to  my  ftudying  it  with  advantage. 
 
 Cautious.  The  firft  point  to  which  I  would  willi  to  dire6t  your 
 attention  is  this,  that  this  blelfed  book  is  the  great  antidote 
 to  corre£l  all  the  herefies  and  errors  which  have  from  time  to 
 time  defolated  the  Chriftian  churches  ;  and  I  alTure  you  that  you 
 will  find  great  profit  in  bringmg  them  one  by  one  to  the  tell:  of 
 this  facred  book.  You  \vill  enjoy  much  more  fatisfa£lion  in  pro- 
 ceeding in  this  manner,  in  your  own  clofet,  than  in  liltening  to 
 any  thing  I  can  fay  upon  the  fubjeft  ;  but  there  is  one  error  which 
 I  will  take  the  liberty  to  notice,  although  you  have  now  hap- 
 pily renounced  it ;  let  us  bring  the  unkind,  uncharitable,  and  I 
 may  fay,  unfcriptural  opinions  which  you  lately  held  concerning 
 the  Jews,  and  in  which  you  proved  yourfelf  fupported  by  the 
 generality  of  Chriftians,  to  the  teft  of  this  blefled  book.  Turn 
 to  the  feventh  chapter,  where  you  will  find  the  eleiSl  of  God 
 preferved  from  the  afflidions  which  were  to  come  upon  the 
 eanh,  and  obferve,  who  they  are  that  are  the  moft  confpicuous 
 among  the  preferved  :  *'  And  after  thefe  things  I  faw  four  angels 
 "  landing  on  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding  the  four 
 *'  winds  of  the  earth,  that  the  wind  fliould  not  blow  on  the  earth, 
 
 "  nor 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    V.  275 
 
 •*  nor  on  the  fea,  nor  on  any  tree.  And  I  faw  another  angel 
 *'  afcending  from  the  eaft,  having  the  feal  of  the  living  God: 
 **  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four-angels,  to  whom  it 
 **  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth-and  fea,  faying,  Hurt  not  the  earth, 
 **  neither  the  fea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the 
 "  SERVANTS  OF  OUR  GoD  in  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard 
 "  the  number  of  them  which  were  fealed:  and  there  were  fcaled 
 "  an  hundred  and  forty  and  tour  thoufand  of  all  the  tribes 
 *'  OF  THE  CHILDREN  OF  Israel.  Of  the  tribe  of  J uda  were 
 **  fealed  tv^'^elve  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  were  fealed 
 *'  twelve  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were  fealed  twelve  thou- 
 **  fand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Afer  were  fealed  twelve  thoufand.  Of 
 *'  the  tribe  of  Nepthalim  were  fealed  twelve  thoufand.  Of  the 
 *'  tribe  of  Manalfes  were  fealed  twelve  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe 
 *'  of  Simeon  were  fealed  twelve  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Levi 
 *'  were  fealed  twelve  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Ifiachar  were 
 **  fealed  twelve  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zebulon  were  fealed 
 *'  twelve  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Jofeph  were  fealed  twelve 
 **  thoufand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  were  fealed  twelve  thou- 
 *'  fand,"  Rev.  vii.     Can  we   read  fuch  things,  and  doubt  the 
 
 CONTINUANCE  OF  God'S  WATCHFUL  PROVIDENCE  OVER, 
 AND  HIS  CONTINUED  LOVE  TO,  IsRAEL,  HIS  OWN  PECU- 
 LIAR PEOPLE?  A  ftate  of  trial,  difficulty,  and  fufFering,  is  no 
 proof  of  the  divine  hatred;  for  whom  the  Lord  loveth  **  he 
 *'  correcteth;  even  as  a  father  the  fon  in  whom  he  delight- 
 **  eth,  Prov.  iii.  12.  In  like  manner  it  is  faid  in  this  blelTed 
 book,  "As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chaften:  be  zealous 
 *'  therefore,  and  repent,"  Rev.  iii.  19.  Remember  Job's  affli6li- 
 ons,  and  confider  that  his  latter-end  was  more  profperous  than 
 his  beginning,  (Job.  xlii.  12.)  and  in  this,  the  houfe  of  Ifrael 
 will  be  like  unto  him.  In  the  14th  chapter,  we  are  again  per- 
 mitted to  fee  the fe  chofen  Il^raelites,  "  And  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a 
 *'  Lamb  itood  on  the  mount  Sion,  and  with  him  an  hundred  and 
 **  forty  and  four  thoufand,  having  his  father's  name  written  in 
 **  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the 
 **  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder  : 
 '*  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps:  and 
 **  they  fuiig  as  it  were  a  new  long  before  the  throne,  and  before 
 *'  the  four  beafts,  and  the  elders:  and  no  man  could  "learn  that 
 *'  fong  but  the  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thoufand,  which  were 
 *'  redeemed  from  the  earth.  Thefe  are  they  which  were  not 
 *'  defiled  with  women;  for  they  are  virgins.  Thcfe  are  they. 
 "  which  follow  the  Lamb  whitherfoever  he  goeth.  Thefe  were 
 *'  redeemed  from  among  men,  being  the  nrif-fruits  unto  God  and 
 **  to  the  Lamb.  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  guile :  for 
 **  they  are  without  fault  before  the  throne  of  God,"  R.ev.  xiv. 
 Can  we  read  fuch  things,  and  regard  fuch  a  highly  diftiaguifhed 
 nation  as  outcasts  from  the  favour  of  God? 
 
 Zealcui 
 
^^6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V.  Part  11. 
 
 Zealous.  You  now  renew  the  theme  that  hath  awakened  m/ 
 foul  to  exultation;  "  Bleiicd  be  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  for  he 
 *'  hath  vilited  and  redeemed  his  people,  and  hath  raifed  up  an 
 *'  horn  of  falvation  for  them,  in  the  houfe  of  his  fervant  Da- 
 <<  vid,"  Luke  i.  68.     *' A  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,   and 
 
 *'    THE  GLORY  OF   THY  PEOPLE  ISRAEL,"    Lukc  ii.   32. 
 
 Cautious.  Alihough  you  acknowledge  that  you  have  not  ftu- 
 died  the  Revelativon,  yet  I  dare  fay  you  are  aware  that  we  have  po- 
 fitive  information  therein,  that  the  Lord  will  raife  up  confpicu- 
 ous  and  faithful  fervants  to  assert  his  truth  wich  power 
 
 AND   EFFECT. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  aware  that  we  have  pofitive  information  that 
 the  Lord  will  raife  up  confpicuous  and  faithtul  fervants  to  affert 
 his  truth  with  pov/er  and  effecf,  and  efpecially  his  two  wit- 
 nesses, whofe  acls  and  teftimony  are  related  in  the  nth  chap- 
 ter. 
 
 Cautious.  Thefe  witnelfcs  are  indeed  confpicuous  and  faithful 
 fervants  of  God;  but  I  muft  obferve,  that  they  do  not  ap- 
 pear like  Christians  of  the  present  day.  Pray  turn 
 to  the  nth  chapter,  "  And  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a 
 *'  rod,  and  the  angel  flood  faying,  Rife  and  meafure  the  tem, 
 *'  PLE  of  God  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  worihip  there- 
 **  in  ;  but  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple  leave  out,  and 
 *'  meafure  it  not,  for  \t  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  the  holy  city 
 *'  fhall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and  tv/o  months;  and  I  will 
 "  give  power  unto  my  two  witnesses,  that  they  may  prophefy 
 *'  a  thoufand  two  hundred  and  threefcore  days,  clothed  in  fack- 
 **  cloth.'"'  The  building  in  which  they  worfhip  is  a  Jewish 
 building,  it  is  "  the  temple  of  God,"  and  there  is  "  the 
 "  altar"  in  it.  The  place  where  it  is  erefted  is  '*  the  ho- 
 *'  ly  city."  Wliat  holy  city  is  there  but  Jerusalem,  the 
 ZioN  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  ?  Pfal.  cxxxii.  14.  Deut. 
 xii.  5.  14.  xvi.  16.  It  is  plain  from  the  circumftance  of  thefe 
 witneftes  being  clothed  in  fackcloth,  from  the  powers  they  are 
 armed  with,  which  they  will  exert  for  the  punifhment  of  the 
 Lord's  enemies,  like  Elijah  of  old;  it  is  plain  from  tlie  holy 
 city  being  trodden  down  by  the  Gentiles,  during  the  time  of  their 
 teftimony,  that  the  time  in  which  they  deliver  their  teftimony-will 
 be  a  time  of  great  external  trouble,  but  it  will  not  lait  long  ;  for 
 immediately  after  their  enemies  have  rejoited  in  their  apparent 
 dedrudlion,  a  glorious  change  takes  place,  and  the  Zion  of  the 
 Hc»ly  One  of  Ifrael  becomes  converted  to  the  worihip  of  the 
 true  God,  and  prepared  for  the  reception  of  his  people 
 Israel!  Thefe  witnelfcs  *' are  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two 
 ''  candleflicks  ftanding  before  the  God  of  the  earth,  fee  Zech. 
 "  iv.  3.  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth  out 
 *'  of  tlieir  mouth,  and  devourcth  their  enemies ;  and  if  any  man 
 *'  will  hurt  them^  he  mull  in  this  manner  be  killed."    The  Jews 
 
 look 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  VT 
 
 look  for  Elijah  before  their  reftoration  to  complete  profperity, 
 
 by   their  Mciliah,  and    are   they  not   right?      "Behold  the  day 
 
 '  coineth  that  fliall  burn  as  an  oven,  and  all  the  proud,  yea, 
 
 '  all  that  do  Avickedly,  fhall  be  ftubble,  and  the  day  that  cometh 
 
 *  ihall  burn  them  up,    faith  the  Lord  of  hofts,  that  it  fliall  leave 
 
 *  them  neither  root  nor  branch  ;  but  unto  you  that  fear  my 
 '  name,  fhall  the  fun  of  righteoufnefs  arife,  with  healing  inr 
 '  his  wings  \  and  ye  Ihal!  go  forth,  and  grow  up  as  calves  of  the 
 '  Itali.  And  ye  Ihali  tread  down  the  v^icked  ;  for  they 
 '  Ihall  be  asa!l).s  under  the  foles  of  your  feet,  in  the  day  that 
 '  I  fliall  do  this,  faith  the  Lord  of  hofts.  "Remember  ye 
 '  the  law  of  Moses  my  servant,  which  I  command- 
 
 '    ED  HIM  IN  HORER  FOR  ALL  ISRAEL,  WITH  T  H  K  STATUTES 
 '    AND  JUDGMENTS.       BeHOLD     I     SEND     YOU    ElIJAH    THE" 
 '    PROPHET,     BEFORE     THE    COMING     OF    THE     GREAT    AND 
 
 '  DREADFUL  DAY  OF  THE  LoRD,  and  he  Ihall  turn  the  heart 
 '  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to 
 ^'  their  fathers,  left  I  come  and  fmite  the  earth  with  a  curfe," 
 Malachi  iv.  In  the  firfl:  chapter  of  the  ad  book  of  Kings,  when 
 Ahazi^h  filled  up  the  m.eafure  of  his  iniquities,  by  fending  to 
 inquire  of  Baalzebvb  the  god  of  Ekron,  "  The  angel  of  the 
 *'  Lord  faid  to  Elijah  the  Tiflibite,  Arife,  go  to  meet  the  meflen- 
 "  gers  of  the-  king  of  Samaria,  and  fay  unto  them.  Is  it  not 
 **  becaufe  there  is  not  a  God  in  Ifrael,  that  ye  go  to  inquire  of 
 *'  Baalzebub  the  god  of  Ekron?  Now,  theretore,  thus  faith 
 "  the  Lord,  Thou  Ihalt  not  come  dov/n  from  that  bed  on  which 
 "  thou  art  gone  up,  but  fhall  furely  die."  This  meflage  pro- 
 voked the  king,  and  he  fent  a  captain  and  fifty  men  to  apprehend 
 him  :  "  And  Elijah  anfwered  and  faid  to  the  captain  of  fifty,  "If 
 "  I  be  a  man  of  God,  then  let  fire  come  down  from  heaven  and 
 "  confiune  thee  and  thy  fifty;  and  there  came  down  fire  from 
 *'  heaven,  and  confumed  him  and  his  fifty!"  It  is  an  awful 
 thing  to  be  in  hollility  againft  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  for  he 
 guardeth  all  his  fervants  ;  but  his  conspicuous  servants  of 
 THE  HOUSE  OF  IsRAEL  are  his  peculiar  cai'e,  he  is  a  wall  of 
 fire  round  about  them,  Zech.  ii.  5.  And  he  that  toucheth  them 
 toucheth  the  apple  of  his  eye,  Zech,  ii.  8.  But  it  is  not  only  in 
 the  inftance  of  devouring  fire  confuming  the  enemies  of  the 
 Lord,  in  which  thefe  holy  Jewifli  witnelfcs  will  perform  the  ac^fs 
 of  Elijah.  Elijah  faid  unto  Ahab,^  "As  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael 
 "  liveth,  before  whom  I  fland,  there  fhall  not  be  dew  nor 
 *'  rain  thefe  years,  but  according  to  my  word,"  1  Kings  xvii.  1. 
 And  in  like  manner  thefe  v.  itnelies  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael 
 will  "  have  power  to  fhut  heaven,  that  it  rain  nbt  in  the  days 
 "  of  their  prophecy,  and  have  power  over  waters  to  turn  them 
 "  to  blood,  and  to  fmite  the  earth  with  all  plagues  as  often  as 
 "  they  will  ;  and  when  they  fliall  have  finilhed  their  teflimony, 
 **  the  beaii  that  afcendeth  out  of  the  bottomlefs  pit,  fliall  make 
 
 -  "  war 
 
27^  DIALOGUE     V.  Part  U. 
 
 **  war  againfl  them,  and  fh a  11  overcome  them,  and  kill  them; 
 '*  and  their  dead  bodies  (hall  lie  in  the  flreet  of  the  great  city, 
 **  which  fpiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  alfo  our 
 **  Lord  was  crucified;  and  they  of  the  people,  and  kindreds,  and 
 **  tongues,  and  nations,  fiiall  fee  their  dead  bodies  three  days  and 
 **  an  half,  and  fliall  not  fufi'er  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put  in 
 '*  graves  ;  and  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  fliall  rejoice  over 
 **  them  and  make  merry,  and  Ihall  fend  gifts  one  to  another, 
 **  becaufe  thefe  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwelt  on 
 **  the  earth."  Is  this  a  circumftance  to  be  lamented?  By  no' 
 ineans  ;  for  it  will  render  the  fubfequent  deliverance  more  con- 
 traftedly  confpicuous  and  glorious  !  Do  not  the  Jewilh  prophets' 
 teftify  the  fame  thing,  that  the  great  enemy  of  the  peo- 
 ple OF  God  will  make  "war  with  the  faints,  and  prevail 
 *•  againfl  them,"  Dan,  vii.  21.  But  in  this  laft  inftance  of  hi:? 
 prevailing,  it  is  but  for  a  fhort  time  indeed,  for  "  after  three 
 **  days  and  an  half,  the  fpirit  of  life  from  God  entered  into  them, 
 '*  and  they  flood  upon  their  feet,  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them 
 **  which  faw  them,  and  they  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  faying 
 **  unto  them.  Come  up  hither.'  And  they  afcended  up  to  hea- 
 **  ven  in  a  cloud,  and  their  enemies  beheld  them ;  and  the  fame 
 *^  hour  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  tenth  part  of  the 
 *'  city  fell,  and  in  the  earthquake  were  (lain  of  m.en  feven  thou- 
 **  fand,  and  the  remnant  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the 
 **  God  of  heaven."  Thus  Jerusalem  is  again  rendered  holy 
 unto  the  Lord,  and  prepared  for  the  reception  of  that  offering 
 which  will  be  offered  by  all  nations  unto  the  Lord.  *'  In  that 
 **  time  fhall  the  prefent  be  brought  unto  the  Lord  of  hofts  of  a 
 **  people  fcattered  and  peeled,  and  from  a  people  terrible  from 
 **  their  beginning  hitherto  :  a  nation  meeted  out  and  trodden  under 
 *'  foot,  whofe  land  the  riyers  have  fpoiied,  to  the  place  of  the  name 
 **  ofthe  Lord  of  hofis,  THE  MOUNT  ZiON  !"  Ifaiahxviii.  7.  <*  I 
 *'  Vv'ill  gather  all  nations  and  tongues,  and  they  Ihall  come  and 
 **  SEE  MY  glory!  And  I  will  fet  a  sign  among  them,  and  will 
 "  fend  thole  that  efcape  of  them  imto  the  nations  to  Tarlhifli, 
 **  Pul,  and  Lud,  that  drav/  the  bow  ;  to  Tubal  and  Javan,  to  the 
 *'  ides  afar  off,  that  have  not  heard  my  fame,  neither  have  feen 
 •*  my  glory,  and  they  fhall  declare  my  glory  among  the  Gentiles. 
 **  And  they  fhall  bring  all  your  brethren  for  an  offering 
 **  UNTO  the  Lord  out  of  all  nations,  upon  horfes,  and  in  cha- 
 **  riots,  and  in  litters,  and  upon  mules,  and  upon  fvvift  beads, 
 *'  to  MY  HOLY  MOUNTAIN  JERUSALEM,  faith  the  Lord,  as 
 **  the  children  of  Ifrael  bring  an  offering  in  a  clean  veifel  into 
 "  the  houfe  of  the  Lord;  and  I  will  alfo  take  of  them  for  priefls 
 "  and  for  Levites,  faith  the  Lord;  for  as  the  new  heavens  and 
 "  the  new  earth  which  I  will  make,  Ihall  remain  before  me, 
 *'  faith  the  Lord,  SO  shall  your  seed  and  your  name 
 "  remain.     And   it    ihall  come  to  pafs,   that  from  one  new 
 
 .   "  moon 
 
Part  IT.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V. 
 
 2/9 
 
 **'  moon  to  another,  and  from  one  fabbath  unto  another,  fliall  all 
 **  flelh  come  to  worship  before  me,  faith  the  Lord;  and 
 **  they  fhall  go  forth,  and  look  upon  the  carcalTes  of  the  men 
 "  that  have  tranfgreired  agauill  me,  for  their  worm  Ihall  not 
 **  die,  neither  fhall  their  fire  be  quenched,  and  they  (hall  be  an 
 *'  abhorring  unto  all  flelh,"  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  18 — 24.  Pray  read  alfo 
 the  whole  of  the  6oth  chapter  of  Ifaiah,  and  thofe  other  gra- 
 cious promifes  which  abound  in  the  Old  Teltament,  and  it  will 
 be  no  fmaJl  confirmation  of  your  faith  therein,  to  find  that  this 
 bleifed  book  of  the  New  Teftament  contains  the  fame  confolation 
 for  Ifrael ;  for  when  thefe  awful  events  occur  (immediately  after 
 the  death  of  thefe  witneffes  of  the  Lord)  a  blefied  change  takes  place, 
 Jerusalem  shall  no  longer  then  be  trodden  down 
 OF  the  Gentiles,  but  becomes  converted  to  the  fervice  of  the' 
 Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  and  ready  for  tlie  reception  of  his  peo- 
 ple Israel,  and  a  moft  bleffed  change  takes  place  in  the  whole 
 earth  ;  for  it  is  immediately  followed  by  the  founding  of  the 
 trumpet  of  the  feventh  angel,  "  And  the  feventh  angel  founded, 
 and  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven,  faying.  The  kingdoms 
 of  this  world  are  becomxe  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of 
 his  Chrift,  and  he  Ihall  reign  for  ever  and  ever;  and  the  four 
 and  twenty  elders  which  fat  before  God  on  their  feats,  fell  upon 
 their  faces  and  worfhipped  Gpd,  faying,  We  give  thee 
 THANKS,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  ano 
 WAST,  AND  ART  TO  COME  ;  becaufe  thou  hafl;  taken  to  thee 
 thy  great  pov/er,  and  haft  reigned.  And  the  nations  were  angry, 
 and  thy  wrath  is  come,  and  the  time  of  the  dead  that  they 
 Ihould  be  judged,  and  that  thou  Ihouldeft  give  reward  unto 
 thy  fervants  the  prophets,  and  to  the  faints,  and  them  that 
 fear  thy  name,  fmall  and  great,  and  shouldest  destroy 
 THEM  which  destroy  THE  EARTH.  And  the  temple  of 
 God  was  opened  in  heaven,  and  there  was  feen  in  his  temple 
 the  ark  of  his  teftament,  and  there  were  lightnings,  and 
 voices,  and  thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  grca^  hail," 
 Rev.  xi. 
 
 Zealous.  Thefe  are  awful  truths,  and  I  now  not  only  fee  hovy 
 hoftile  my  former  unkind,  uncharitable,  unfcriptural  fentiments 
 as  to  the  Jews  were,  but  I  find  that  this  blefted  book  contains 
 fuch  awful  intelligence,  as  ihould  make  every  one  who  is  in  the 
 leaft  degree  inimical  to  the  Jewifli  nation  tremble  !  And  if  I 
 were  to  be  called  away  from  this  tranfitory  world,  and  my  chil- 
 dren were  gathered  round  me  to  receive  my  dying  requeft  and  ex- 
 hortation, it  would  be  chiefly  upon  this  fubjecl  tliat  I  fhould  ad- 
 drefs  them  ;  as  I  am  fully  convinced  that  their  profperity,  and  the 
 bleiling  of  the  only  true  God  (who  alone  can  give  profperity,  and 
 can  blefs)  would  be  beft  fought  by  ferving  him  with  an  ardent  de- 
 fire  and  fervent  prayer  to  him,  to  build  up  the  walls  of  Je- 
 rusalem, and  to  permit  them  to  partake  in  the  bleftings  he  will 
 
 beftovw 
 
s8o  DIALOGUE     V.  Part  II. 
 
 beftow  upon  Ifracl,  and  all  that  ardently  long  for  their  profpe- 
 Tity.  *' Remember  me,  O  Lord,  with*  the  favoiir  that  thou 
 **  beareft  unto  thy  people :  O  vifit  Yne  with  thy  falvation,  that  I 
 *'  may  fee  the  good  of  thy  chosen,  that  I  may  rejoice  in  the 
 *<  ^ladnefs"  of  THY  NATION:  that  I  may  glory  with  thine 
 **  inheritance,"  Pfal.  cxvi.  4,  5.  And  on  the  other  hand, 
 I  would  caution  them  to  avoid  entertaining  any  refcntment  or 
 contemptuous  thoughts  towards  the  Jewiih  nation,  as  I  would 
 caution  them  to  avoid  all  miftry  and  hell  fire  itfelf. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  now  in  part  endeavoured  to  lliew  you,  that  this 
 -bleifcd  book  is  the  great  antidote  againit  the  errors  and  herefies 
 which  have  from  time  to  time  prevailed  in  the  churches;  I  have 
 only  confidered  one  of  them,  that  is  not  generally  held  to  be  an 
 error,  but  it  is  not  the  Icfs  fo  on  that  account.  You  well  know 
 how  many  herefies  and  errors  have  from  time  to  time  defolated  the 
 churches,  and  I  repeat,  that  you  will  find  your  taith  ftrengthened 
 and  confirmed  by  bringing  them  one  by  one  to  the  tell  of  this 
 precious  book. 
 
 Zealous.  I  afTure  you  I  promife  myfelf  much  profit  and  plea- 
 fure  in  purfuing  the  hint  you  have  been  fo  kind  as  to  give  me,  and 
 I  am  now  to  re  quell:  you  to  proceed. 
 
 Cautious.  I  would  in  the  next  place  obferve,  that  this  blefTed 
 book  affords  us  an  heart-fearching  model  for  felf-examination !  If 
 we  read  the  2d  and  3d  .chapters  as  indivichials,  how  fliould  we 
 humble  ourfelves  at  the  reiiedion  of  the  lofs  of  the  fervour  of  our 
 firlt-love,  (Rev.  ii.  4,  5.)  at  our  compliance  with  an  evil  world,  at 
 our  want  of  fpiritual  life,  (Rev.  iii.  1.)  ;  but  above  all,  at  our 
 odious  liftlelfnels  and  lukeAvarmnefs,  Rev.  iii.  16.  At  that  dif- 
 pofition  which  is  fo  prevalent  (I  had  almoft  faid  univerfal)  to  con- 
 lider  this  world  as  our  home,  and  to  fay,  *'  I  am  rich,  and  in- 
 *'■  creafed  with  goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing;"  when  in  the 
 fio-ht  of  God  we  are  *'  wretched,  and  miferable,  and  poor,  and 
 "  blind,  and  naked."  If  we  turn  our  eyes  to  the  churches, 
 what  a  lamentable  profpe6l  do  they  afford,  when  compared  and 
 examined  by  this  facred  tell !  But  here  let  me  give  you  a  caution  : 
 where  we  have  no  influence  to  reform.,  let  us  beware  of  inter- 
 ference !  there  is  work  enough  for  us  to  do,  without  trefpafling 
 upon  the  province  of  others ;  but  who  can  help  lamenting  the 
 fchifms  and  diftance  exifiing  between  thofe  vv'ho  are  equally  zea- 
 lous for  the  foundation  doftrines  of  our  holy  religion  !  Who  can 
 help  lamenting  to  fee  the  enemy  exulting  at  thefe  very 
 fchifms,  and  taking  occafion  from  thence  to  attack  the  fortrefs 
 itfelf  !  Who  that  prizes  this  precious  book  can  help  lamenting, 
 that  thefe  heart-fearching  exhortations  of  our  Lord  himfelf  are 
 not  reforted  to  by  the  churches,  to  corre6l  their  errors,  and  to 
 unite  its  fraftured  limbs !  I  will  direct  your  attention  to  a 
 palTage  in  the  book  of  that  learned  and  difcerning  bifhop  which 
 you  lately  quoted:   "  I  doubt  not  but  this   monftcr    (the   great 
 
 "  enemy) 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V.  281 
 
 **  enemy)  will  be  made  an  inftrument  of  that  pruning  which 
 "  the  vine  muft  undergo  ;   I  am  afraid  to  fay  that  the  judgment 
 **  will  begin  or  fall  with  the  greatell  feverity  in  that  part  of  the 
 **  church  which  mofl:  needs  purgation :  for  when  I  confider  the 
 *'  fuperilitions  introduced  in  the  rites  of  worfliip  in  fome  parts  ; 
 *'  the  unwarrantable  innovations  in  the  form  of  church  govern-«- 
 *'  ment  in  others;  the  relaxation  of  difcipline,  the  lukewarmnefs> 
 "  the   negledl  and  violation  of  the  ordinary  private  duties ;  the 
 *'  frequent  breach  of  the   ten  commandments,    in  thofe   parts 
 *<  where  the  dodrine,  the  form  of  government,  and  the  rites  of 
 *'  public  worfliip,  feem  to  me  the  mod  conformable  to  the  model 
 *'  of  the    primitive   ages ;    I    am    afraid   to    fay,    which  of  the 
 **  various  branches  of  the  church  of  Chrill  it  is,  in  which  the 
 *'  purgation  may  be  the  moll  needed;   I  fee  therefore  nothing  in" 
 **  the  fubverfion  of  the  ancient  monarchy  of  France,  but  what 
 *'  is  caufe  of  alarm  to  every  government  upon  earth ;  nothing 
 *<  in  the  fubverfion  of  the  Galilean  church,  but  what  is  caufe  of 
 *'  alarm  to  every  church  in  Chriftendom  ;  nothing  in  the  fuffer- 
 *'  ings  of  the  aged  pope,  which  can  be  caufe  of  exultation  and 
 *'  joy^in   the  heart  of  any   Chriftian;  nothing  in  the  indignities 
 **  and  infults  which  have  been  put  upon  him,"  by  thofe  who 
 are  "  a  difgrace  to  the  reformed  religion  which  they  profefs,  but 
 "  what  iliould  excite  horror  and  indignation!"     There  is  great 
 truth  in  this  nervous  obfervation,  and  who  can  deny  but  that  there 
 are  "  fuch  fyraptoms  of  judgment  gone  abroad,  as  Ihould  awaken 
 *'  all  to  repentance,  leil  all  who  repent  not,  Ihould  all  likewife 
 "  perifh  :"  and   where   fliall  we   feek  that    repentance,  but  of 
 HIM    WHOM    God   hath    *'  exalted    with    his    right 
 *'  hand,    to    be    a  Prince    and    a    Saviour,   for    to 
 "  give   repentance  to   israel,  a  nd   forg  i  v  e  ness  o  f 
 *'  SINS,"  A6ls  V.  31.  And  if  he  hath  gracioufly  left  for  ourufe, 
 a  precious  directory,  and  rules  for  fclf-examination,  to  the  intent 
 that  we  may    repent,  let   us   not  negleft   but  highly  prize   fo 
 inefliniable  a  treafure  ;  and  let  us  beware  of  judging,  condemn- 
 ing,   and    throwing   ftones  at  our  neighbours,    but   let    all  our 
 attention  be  direded  to  the  reproof  and  reformation  of  ourfelves, 
 in  the  way  pointed  out  in  this  facred  treafure  of  the"  churches. 
 Rev.  ii.  and  iii.     If  by   fuch  examination  we  are  through  grace 
 enabled  to  remember  from  whence  we  are  fallen,  and  toREPENT, 
 and  to  re-alfumc  the  ardour  of  our  first   love,  (ch.  ii.  4.)    if 
 we  are  enabled  to  renew  our  watchfulnefs,    (ch.  iii.  3.)  if  we 
 are  enabled  to  keep  the   word  of  his  patience  (iii.  10.); 
 but  efpecially  if  we  are  enabled  to  abhor  that  lukewarm 
 disposition  which   he   detefts  ;    and   with   an   heart-rending 
 contrition  to  acknowledge,  that  in  ourfelves  we  are  "wretched, 
 *'  and   miferable,  and  poor,  and    blind,  and  naked;"  we  have 
 then  no  cau.fe  to  be  difpirited :  for  there  are  no  two  chapters  in 
 the   Bible   that  abound  with  fuch  glorious  promifcs,  and  fuch 
 
 O  o  ftrong 
 
2S2  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    V.  Part  II. 
 
 ftrong  confolation,  as  thefe  precious  chapters:  **  He  that  hatli 
 *'  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  fpirit  faith  unto  the  churches: 
 **  To  hail  that  overcometh,  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of 
 ■<'  life,  which  is  in  the  midlt  of  the  paradife  of  God." — "  He 
 **  that  overcometh,  fliall  not  be  hurt  of  the  fec'ond  death." — 
 **  To  him  that  overcometh,  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden 
 "  manna  i  and  J  will  give  him  a  white  ftone,  and  in  the  ftone  a 
 "  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth  faving  he  that . 
 **  receiveth  it." — "  He  that  overcometh  and  keepeth  my  works 
 *'  unto  the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations  :  and 
 **  he  Ihall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron;  as  the  veflelsof  a  potter 
 **  fhall  they  be  broken  to  fliivers  :  even  as  I  received  of  my 
 *'  father.  And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  ftar." — "  He  that 
 '*  overcometh,  the  fame  fliall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment  ;  and 
 *'  I  will  not  blot  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will 
 **  confefs  his  name  before  my  father,  and  before  his  angels." — 
 *'  Him  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of 
 *'  my  God,  and  he  fhall  go  no  more  out :  and  I  will  write  upon 
 *'  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my 
 **  God,  which  is  New  Jerufalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of 
 **  heaven  from  my  God  :  and  1  will  write  upon  him  my  new 
 *'  name." — "  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  fit  with 
 *'  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  alfo  overcame,  and  am  fet  down 
 *'  with  my  father  in  his  throne." — "  I  counfel  thee  to  buy  of 
 *'  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayeit  be  rich  ;  and  vvhite 
 **  raiment,  that  thou  mayeft  be  clothed,  and  that  the  fliame  of- 
 *'  thy  nakednefs  do  not  appear;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  v/ith  eye- 
 **  falve,  that  thou  mayeit  fee.  As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke 
 **  andchaften:  be  zealous  therefore  and  repent.  Behold,  I  ftand 
 *'  at  the  door  and  knock:  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open 
 *'  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  fup  with  him,  and 
 "  Ive  with  me." — "  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  w;ll  give 
 **  thee  a  crown  of  life." — "  Behold,  I  come  quickly,  hold  that 
 **  faft  which  thou  haft,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown."  Thcfe 
 are  gracious  promifes  indeed,  and  if  by  repentance,  watchful- 
 nefs,  and  zeal  for  our  bleifed  Matter  we  are  *' renewed  in  the 
 "  fpirit  of  our  mind,"  (Ephef.  iv.  23.)  and  enabled  to  exercife 
 a  STRONG  FAITH  therein,  we  fliall  then  have  no  caufe  to  de- 
 spond, if  the  whole  holl  of  hell  were  to  encompafs  us  in  on 
 every  fide!  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  they  would  be  deftroyed. 
 Pf.  cxviii.    10. 
 
 Zeahus.  It  has  often  occurred  to  my  mind  that  the  Chriftian 
 church,  WHEN  under  sufferings,  hath  been  pervaded  by  a 
 principle  like  that  which  in  material  things  we  denominate  at- 
 traction ;  they  form  one  body  ;  they  rejoice  in  the  fociety  of 
 each  other,  and  even  the  heathens  ufed  to  obferve  of  them, 
 *'  Behold  how  thcfe  Chriltians  love  one  another."  But  when 
 IN    prosperity   and  power,  one  woidd  think  that  this  at- 
 
 tradliou 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V.  283 
 
 trad  ion  was  changed  to  its  oppofite  principle,  repulsion;  for 
 then  arife  fuch  divilions,  feparations,  and  Ichifms,  that  it  is  caufe  of 
 forrovv  to  almoit  all  of  us.  We  fee  a  feparation,  and  then  the 
 party  feparating,  fplitting,  again  and  again;  and  yet  they  are 
 almoft  all  uniform  in  lamenting  the  feparation,  and  in  endeavour- 
 ing to  call  the  odium  of  it  (which  they  admit]  from  off  their 
 own  fhoulders. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  obfervation  is  very  juft,  and  when  once  a 
 feparation  is  made,  it  gives  birth  to  fo  many  clafliing  interefts, 
 that  there  is  but  fmall  hope  of  re-union.  But  as  you  have  re- 
 forted  to  natural  hillory  for  the  fimile  of  attraction,  and  repulfion, 
 which  I  by  no  means  difapprove,  you  will  permit  me  to  obferve, 
 that  natural  hillory  alfo  furnilhes  us  with  inltances,  in  which  the 
 power  of  repulfion,  by  a  fmall  addition  of  another  ingredient,  is" 
 fubdued  ;  and  thofe  particles  which  before  poiTefled  the  ftrongeft 
 repidfion,  become  indilfolubly  united.  Who  that  was  not  aware 
 ot  this,  could  fuppofe  that  a  powder  like  fand  for  difunion, 
 would,  by  the  addition  of  a  little  water,  fo  entirely  change  its 
 tendencies,  that  inllead  of  difunion  it  would  unite  into  a  folid 
 mafs  harder  than  Hone!  Let  us  wait  patiently,  and  fuch  an  in- 
 gredient may  be  bellowed  upon  the  churches.  It  we  read  the 
 12th  chapter  of  this  blelfed  book,  in  which  that  glorious  church 
 is  defcribed,  which  will  have  to  overcome  in  the  conteft  with  the 
 great  enemy,  we  cannot  perceive  any  one  feature  which  indicates 
 DISUNION,  but  the  very  reverie;  and  the  defer iption  of  this 
 glorious  church  being  fo  very  different  from  the  prcfent  churches, 
 aifords  us  (Irong  hope  that  there  will  be  a  revival  in  the  churches  : 
 llie  is  "  clothed  with  the  fun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and 
 
 "    UPON   HER  HEAD   A   CROWN    OF   TWELVE   STARs!"       When 
 
 the  twelve  trjbes  of  Ifrael  thus  become  the  crown!  when 
 they  become  the  glory,  the  ornament,  the  molt  honoured  and 
 refpecled  among  the  worfliippers  of  the  one  tru.e  God,  the  Creator 
 of  heaven  and  earth,  then  will  it  be  better  with  us  alfo.  The 
 returning  favour  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  towards  his  chofen 
 people,  will  be  to  all  his  woriliippers,  as  "  life  from  the 
 "  dead,"  Rom.  xi.  15.  But  we  are  not  left  to  gather  our 
 hopes  as  to  a  revival  of  true  Chriftianity,  from  this  repre- 
 fentation  of  the  church,  glorious  a^s  it  is  ;  we  have  pofitive  infor- 
 mation, that  the  Lord  will  vifit  his  churches,  and  the  world  at 
 large,  by  fending  divine  meifages  for  their  converfion,  their  in- 
 llruCtion,  and  to  caution  them  to  avoid  that  awful  deltrudlion 
 which  will  molt  affu redly  come  upon  the  enemies  of  the 
 Jews  :  ^*  And  I  faw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midft  of  heaven, 
 "  having  the  everlafting  gofpel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell 
 *'  on  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation  and  kindred,  and  tongue  and 
 **  people,  faying  with  a  loud  voice.  Fear  God  and  give 
 •'  glory  to  him  ;  for  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is 
 '*  come:  and   worship  him  that  made   heaven  and 
 
 "  earth^ 
 
a84         D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E  V.      Part  II. 
 
 *'  EARTH,  AND  THE  SEA,  AND  THE  FOUNTAINS  OF  WA- 
 
 **  TLRs."  Is  not  this  an  exhortation  to  give  glory  and  worfhip 
 unto  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  the  only 
 true  God,  v.  ho  hath  chofen  the  feed  of  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and 
 Jacob,  his  fervants,  to  be  his  own  peculiar  people  ;  for  their 
 high  honour  and  advantage,  and  for  the  benefit  of  all  mankind  ; 
 to  prefeive  thofe  facred  fcriptures,  which  he  inlpired  Mofes  his 
 fervant  to  write,  in  which  alone  we  have  true  information  con- 
 cerning THh  CREATION  OF  THE  HEAVENS  AND  THE  EARTH, 
 THE  SEA,  AND  THE  FOUNTAINS  OF  WATER,  AND  ALL 
 THE     HOSTS     OF      THEM,      BY      THE     ALMIGHTY    POWER     OP 
 
 God  i  "  And  there  followed  another  angel,  faying,  Babylon  is 
 *'  fallen,  is  fallen,  that  great  city,  becaufe  file  made  all  nations 
 *'  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication."  Do  not 
 the  Jewifh  prophets  alfo  teftify  againft  Babylon,  that  great 
 enemy  to  the  caufe  and  people  of  God  ;  and  are  we  not  aflbred 
 that  when  the  time  of  her  vifitation  arrives,  that  then  a  blelfcd 
 change  will  take  place  in  favour  of  the  peculiar  people  of  God? 
 *'  And  the  third  angel  followed  them,  faying  with  a  loud  voice, 
 **  If  any  man  worlhip  the  beafl:  and  his  image,  and  receive  his 
 **  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  the  fame  fhall  drink  of 
 *'  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  poured  out  without 
 *'  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation ;  and  he  fhall  be  tor- 
 *'  mented  with  fire  and  brimftone  in  the  prefence  of  the  holy 
 *'  angels,  and.  in  the  prefence  of  the  Lamb:  and  the  fmoke  of 
 **  their  torment  afcendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever  ;  and  they  have 
 *'  no  reft  day  nor  night,  who  worfliip  the  beaft  and  his  image, 
 *'  and  whofoever  receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name,"  Rev.  xiv. 
 The  law  of  the  Lord,  by  the  hand  of  his  fervant  Mofes,  is  ex- 
 prefs  upon  this  fiibjctf,  both  as  it  refpe(5ls  idolatry,  as  alfo  as  it 
 refp^ds  the  perfons  of  his  worfliippers  :  "  Ye  ihall  not  make 
 *'  any  cuttings  in  your  flefli  for  the  dead,  NOR  print  any 
 *'  marks  upon  you:  I  am  the  Lord,"  Levit,  xix.  28.  But 
 the  great  enemy  of  the  people  of  God  will  feek  to  fubje£l  all  to 
 his  fway,  and  refort  to  thefe  horrid  means  to  effeif  his  purpofe  ; 
 and  therefore  this  melfage  which  contains  the  moll  awful  threat- 
 ning  in  the  whole  word  oi  Gud  will  be  a  gracious  caution  to  all, 
 to  avoid  that  moft  dreadful  punifliment  which  awaits  the  great 
 
 ENEMY   OF  THli   WORSHIPPERS  OF  THE   ONLY   TRUE  GoD  ! 
 
 Zealous.  There  is  Itrong  confolation  in  the  profpecf  before 
 us,  but  it  is  mixed  with  fuch  awful  circumrtances,  that  we  may 
 fay  in  the  words,  of  the  prophet  Malachi,  "  But  who  may  abide 
 **  the  day  of  his  coming?  and  who  fhall  ffand  when  he  appear- 
 *'  eth  ?  for  he  is  like  a  refiner's  fire,  and  like  fuller's  foap:  and 
 **  he  fliall  fit  as  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  filvcr  :  and  he  fliall 
 **  purify  THE  SONS  OF  Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and 
 *'   filver,  thac  they  may  offer  unto  the  Lord  an  offering  in  righte- 
 
 *'    Oufncfs.       THtN  SHALL    THE   OFFERING    OF    JuDAH    AND 
 
 '*  Jerusalem 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     V.  285 
 
 '*  Jerusalem  be  pleasant  unto  the  Lord,  as  in  the 
 
 *'    DAYS  OF  OLD,  AND  AS  IN  FORMER  YEARS,    And  I  will  COine 
 
 *'  near  to  you  to  judgment ;  and  I  will  be  a  fwift  witnefs  againft 
 *'  the  forcerers,  and  againft  the  adulterers,  and  againll  falfc 
 **  fwearers,  and  againft  thufc  that  opprel's  the  hireling  in  his 
 *'  wages,  the  widows  and  the  fatherlcls,  and  that  turn  afide  the 
 *'  ftrangcr  from  his  riglit,  and  fear  not  me,  ("ailh  the  Lord  of  hofts. 
 *'  For  1  am  the  Lord,  I  change  not ;  therefore  ye  fons  of  Jacob 
 **  are  not  confumed,"  Mai.  iii.  2 — 6.  When  this  awful  threatninsj 
 is  executed,  it  may  indeed  be  faid  of  that  day,  it  is  a  day  "  that  fliaU 
 **  burn  as  an  oven;  andall  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly, 
 *'  fhall  be  ftubble :  and  the  day  that  cometh  fliall  burn  them  up, 
 *'  faith  the  Lord  of  holls,  that  it  fliall  leave  them  neither  root 
 "  nor  branch,"  Mai.  iv.  1. 
 
 Caut'nus.  This  great  enemy  to  the  worlhippers  of  the  true 
 God,  "  who  oppoieth  and  exalteth  himfelf  abo\e  all  that  is  called 
 *'  God,  or  that  is  w^orfhipped  ;  fo  that  he  as  God  fitteth  in  the 
 *'  temple  of  God,  fhewing  himfelf  that  he  is  God."  This  great 
 enemy,  "  whom  the  Lord  fhall  confume  with  the  fpirit  of  his 
 *'  mouth,  and  fliall  deitroy  with  the  brightnefs  bf  his  coming," 
 2  Then.  ii.  Ifai.  Ixvi.  24.  This  great  enemy  of  the  Jewilh 
 nation,  and  of  all  that  are  friendly  towards  them,  and  long  for 
 their  peaceable  eftablilhment  in  Zion,  that  they  may  enjoy  the 
 felicity  of  going  to  Jerufalem  to  v/orlhip  before  the  Lord,  the 
 God  of  Abraham  and  Ifaac  and  Jacob!  (Ifai.  Ixvi.  23.  2  Chron. 
 vi.  32,  33.)  and  to  bring  their  offerings  to  the  glory  of  the  Lord, 
 and  the  aggrandizement  of  his  people  Ifrael.  This  great  ene- 
 my, notwithlianding  his  fierce  malice,  and  deep  policy,  fliall 
 come  CO  his  end,  and  none  fliall  then  help  him,  Dan.  xi.  36 — 45. 
 *'  The  hand  of  the  Lord  Ihall  be  known  toward  his  fervants, 
 *'  and  his  indignation  toward  his  enemies.  For,  behold,  the  Lord 
 *'  will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his  chariots  like  a  whirlwind, 
 ^'  to  render  his  anger  with  fury,  and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of 
 "  fire.  For  by  fire  and  by  his  fword  will  the  Lord  plead  with  all 
 *'  flefli :  and  the  flain  of  the  Lord  fliall  be  many,"  Ifai.  Ixvi. 
 14 — 16.  And  what  follows  this  on  earth  ?  "  Sing,  O  ye 
 *'  heavens;  tor  the  Lord  hath  done  it :  shout,  ye  lower  parts 
 *'  of  the  earth:  break  forth  into  finging,  ye  mountains,  O  foreff, 
 *'  and  every  tree  therein:  for  the  Lord  hath  redeemed 
 *'  Jacob,  and  glorified  himself  in  Israel,"  Ifai. 
 jcliv.  23.  Behold!  behold  the  procession  !  a  proceflion 
 from  all  nations!  the  offering  to  the  Lord  God  of* 
 Israel  prefented  by  all  nations,  is  on  its  way  to  Zion!  Such 
 is  the  love,  fuch  the  zeal  of  the  preferved  among  the  nations, 
 that  every  mode  of  conveyance  which  is  honourable  and  re- 
 fpecfful  is  reforted  to,  (Ifaiah  Ixvi.  20.  xlix.  22.)  and  he  who 
 can  obtain  the  honour  to  carry  a  fon  of  Ifrael  in  his  arms,  or  a 
 slaughter  of  Ifrael  on  his  flioulders,  fliall  exultingly  rejoice! 
 
 Zealous, 
 
jj35  D  I  a  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  Part  IL 
 
 Zealous.  This  is  fuch  a  glorious  profpc6l,  that  the  true  wor- 
 fhippersmay  rejoice  at  the  profpe6l,  even  were  it  to  be  preceded 
 by  a  darker  cloud  than  will  adually  precede  it. 
 
 Cautious.     The  dark  cloud   will   only   hover  over  the  fearful 
 
 and  unbelievers :  for  the  fervants  of  God  will  be  enabled  to  fee 
 
 the  high  honour  which  will  attend  even  death  in  fuch  a  caufe 
 
 as  the  affertion   of  the    existence,    and    providence,    and 
 
 PERFECTION,  and  revealed   word   of   the  only   true 
 
 God  ;  and  they  will  not  by  death  be  debarred  the  exulting  felicity 
 
 of  rejoicing  in  the  reftoration  of  Ifrael,  and  that  Jernfalem   is 
 
 become    the  joy  of  the   whole   earth.     We   are  indulged  with 
 
 beholding  them  by  faith:   *'  And  I  faw  as  it  were  a  fea  of  glafs 
 
 ''  mingled  with  fire  :  and  them  that  had  gotten  the  vi£lory  over 
 
 '  the  beaft,  and  over  his   image,  and  over  his  mark,  and  over 
 
 '  the   number  of  his  name,  Hand  on  the  fea  of  glafs,  having. 
 
 '  the  harps  of  God.     And  they  fing  the  fong  of  Mofes  the  fer- 
 
 '  vant    of  God,  and  the  fong  of  the  Lamb,   faying,    Great 
 
 '  and  marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Al- 
 
 '  mighty  ;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thnu  king 
 
 '  OF  NATIONS.  Who  shall  not  fear  THEE,  O  Lord, 
 
 *  AND   GLORIFY   THY   NAME?    FOR   THOU   ONLY  ART   HOLY: 
 
 *  FOR  ALL    NATIONS  SHALL   COME    AND    WORSHIP   BEFORE 
 '    thee;    for  THY  JUDGMENTS  ARE   M^DE   MANIFEST." 
 
 SIXTH     DIALOGUE.    • 
 
 /;;  which  further  Reafons  arc  given  for  the  Hope,  that  the  Jcwi/h 
 Sufferings  are  nearly  ended ;  and  that  the  Coming  of  our  Lord  in 
 the  Clouds  of  Heaven  with  Power  and  great  Glory,  for  their 
 Deliverance  and  Rrjloration  to  their  own  Land,  is  an  Event  by  no 
 Means  remote. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. 
 
 Zealous.  "^7!^  THAT  an  high  honour  is  that  which  was  conferred 
 W  by  God  upon  the  Jewilh  nation,  infpiring  the 
 prophets  of  their  nation  with  divine  knowledge,  and  committing 
 to  their  keeping  the  holy  scriptures,  in  which  his  divine 
 GOVERNMENT  is  fo  clearly  delineated!  Well  might  the  Lord 
 by  the  mouth  of  his  prophet  defy  the  people  of  other  nations  to 
 produce  any  evidence  like  unto  it ;  "  Produce  your  caufe,  faith 
 ^  ''  the 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VL  287 
 
 *'  the  Lord;  bring  forth  your  ftrong  reafons,  faith  the  King  of 
 **  Jacob.  Let  tliem  bring  them  forth,  and  flicw  us  what  Ihall 
 "  happen:  let  them  ihew  the  former  things,  what  they  be,  that 
 **  we  may  confider  them,  and  know  the  latter-end  of  them;  or 
 *'  declare  us  things  for  to  come.  Shew  the  things  that  are  to 
 *'  come  hereafter,  that  we  may  know  that  ye  are  gods:  yea,  do 
 "  good,  or  do  evil,  that  we  may  be  difmayed,  and  behold  it 
 "  together.  Behold,  ye  are  of  nothing,  and  your  work  of 
 '*  nought:  an  abomination  is  he  that  choofeth  you,"  Ifai.  xH. 
 '21 — 24.  It  is  juftly  obferved,  that  THE  prophecies  are  evidence 
 of  the  truth  and  divine  infpiration  of  holy  fcripture,  which  in- 
 creafes  in  torce  day  by  day. 
 
 Cautious.  The  obfervation  is  a  juft  obfervation,  and  they  ac- 
 quire a  force  which  we  may  aptly  defcribe  by  what  is  called 
 ACCELERATED  FORCE,  a  force  increafing  in  its  progrefs ; 
 thus  a  weight  falling  from  an  height  will  fall  with  increafed 
 power,  and  a  ilone  rolling  down  an  inclined  plane  increafes  in 
 velocity  and  power  every  inch  it  proceeds ;  and  the  prophecies  of 
 holy  fcripture  are  acquiring,  and  will  acquire^  a  force  which 
 when  tjiey  come  in  contadl  with  infidelity,  will  give  it  fuch  a 
 deadly  blow,  as  fhall  grind  it  and  its  adherents  to  powder.  This 
 puts  me  in  mind  of  another  hint  which  I  propofed  to  give  you, 
 concerning  the  prophecies  in  general,  and  the  revelation  in  par- 
 ticular. You,  I  dare  fay,  are  aware,  that  much  of  that  back- 
 wardnefs  which  is  obfervable  in  Chriftians,  as  to  the  ftudy  of  the 
 Revelation  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chrift,  is  to  be  afcribed  to  the 
 failure  of  commentators  upon  it:  they  have  prefumed  to  wade 
 beyond  their' depth,  in  fixing  times  and  periods. 
 
 ■Zealous.  I  am  well  aware  of  it,  and  I  allure  you  that  a  kind 
 of  timidity,  a  fear  of  falling  into  fuch  error,  has  been  what  hath 
 hitherto  kept  me  from  prefuming  to  iludy  it. 
 
 Cautious.  You  have  in  this  inftance  a6led  conformable  to  the 
 prailiceot  the  generality  of  Chriftians,  but  ftill  it  appears  ftrange 
 to  me  that  this  book  Ihould  meet  with  fuch  negledf .  There  are 
 prophecies  which  have  been  made  the  foundation  of  erroneous 
 calculations,  as  well  as  thofe  in  the  Revelation:  for  inftance,  the 
 12th  chapter  of  the  prophet  Daniel;  and  yet  this  hath  not 
 operated  to  the  throwing  the  book  of  Daniel  into  difufe,  but 
 ftill  the  churches  read  it  with  pleafure  and  profit;  and  you  will 
 permit  me  to  obTerve,  that  if  the  prophetic  part  of  the  Revelation 
 were  out  of  the  queftion,  that  would  not  affect  any  thing  that  I 
 have  faid,  in  flicwing  that  it  is  the  great  antidote  againft  the 
 herefies  and  errors  which  have  defolated  the  chur.ches,  and  ftill 
 in  a  great  meafure'  prevail ;  -neither  would  it  afFe6l  what  I  have 
 faid  as  to  its  being  an  heart-fearching  teit  for  feLf-examination, 
 hut  God  forbid  that  we  ftiould  be  so  lukewarm  as  to  draw- 
 back from  the  confidcration  of  tiie  prophetic  part  OF  it, 
 for  that   is  the   main   part  of  it.     It  is  *' the  Revelation  of 
 
 *'  Jefus 
 
fi88  DIALOGUE     VI.  Part  IT, 
 
 **  Jefiis   Chrift,  which  God  gave  unto  huTi,  to   shew  unto 
 
 *'    HIS     SEKVANTS     THINGS     iVHICH    MUST    SHORTLY    COME 
 
 **  TO  PASS."  They  didfhortly  come  topafs  after  this  revelation 
 •was  given,  and  they  have  continued  to  come  to  pafs  year  after 
 year  in  the  order  here  delivered,  and  will  continue  verfe  after 
 verfe  to  be  fulfilled  unto  the  end  of  time.  The  hint  I  was  soine: 
 to  give  you  hath  for  its  objecl  to  guard  you  trom  falling  into 
 errors  fimilar  to  what  we  have  lamented.  Let  us  eltimate  the 
 treafure  we  polfefs.  In  the  hrft  place  we  poflefs  the  five  books 
 of  Moles,  in  which  there  are  many  prophecies  which  have  been 
 fulfilled,  and  now  arc  fulfilling,  in  the  world,  and  fome  which 
 remain  to  be  fulfilled.  We  poUefs  the  books  of  the  prophets, 
 the  Pfalms,  and  the  other  books  of  the  Old  Teftament,  which 
 abound  in  declarations  of  things  to  come ;  fome  of  which  have 
 been  fulfilled,  fome  are  now  fulfilling,  and  fome  remain  to  be 
 fulfilled.  The  fame  obfervation  will  apply  to  the  books  of  the 
 New  Teftament;  and  laftly,  we  poffefs  this  blefled  book,  the 
 Revelation  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chriit.  You  will  do  M^ell  to  keep 
 alive  in  your  recolle6lion  the  following  pafl'ages,  "  But  thou,  O 
 *'  Daniel,  fhut  up  the  words,  and  seal  the  book,  even  to 
 *'  THE  TIME  OF  THE  END:  many  fhall  run  to  and  fro,  and 
 **  knowledge  fhall  be  increafed,"  Dan.  xii.  4.  And  again, 
 the  8th  and  9th  verfes:  "  And  I  heard,  but  I  underftood  not  : 
 *'  then  faid  I,  O  my  Lord,  what  fliall  be  the  end  of  thefe  things? 
 *'  And  he  faid.  Go  thy  way,  Daniel:  for  the  words  are  clofed 
 *'  up  and  fealed  till  the  time  of  the  end."  And  in  particular, 
 ■would  I  recommend  you  to  keep  alive  in  your  recolleftion  that 
 paffage  in  St.  Mark,  "  But  of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth 
 *'  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  which  are  hi  heaven,  neither  the 
 *'  Son,  but  the  Father,"  Mark  xiii.  32.  Previous  to  his  afcenfion, 
 our  Lord  declared  unto  his  difciples,  "  It  is  not  for  you  to  know 
 *'  the  times  and  the  feafons  which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his 
 *'  own  power."  Let  us  endeavour  through  grace  to  obtain  that 
 DEEP  HUMILITY  which  fliould  attend  the  confideration  of  thefe 
 things,  and  we  fhall  be  kept  not  only  from  that  prying  rest- 
 less DISPOSITION  which  anxioully  defires  to  intrude  beyond 
 the  prefcribed  boundary,  (Exod.  xix.  10,  13,  21,  2^.)  but  it 
 will  as  it  were  entirely  eradicate  the  defire  of  knowing  more 
 than  it  pleafes  God  to  befiow  upon  us  in  his  word!  NoW  as  to 
 the  times  it  is  to  be  obferved,  that  although  many  will  run  to 
 and  fro,  and  knov/leclge  will  be  increafed,  yet  the  words  in 
 Daniel,  "  Shut  up  the  words,  and  leal  the  book,  even  to  the 
 *'  time  of  the  end,"  flrongly  imply  that  the  accurate  knowledge 
 of  thefe  times  and  periods  will  not  be  given  imtil  the  time  of  the 
 end  approaches:  they  relate  to  the  length  of  the  chain,  by  which 
 the  great  enemy  of  the  worlhippers  of  the  one  true  God  will  be 
 bound  and  circumfcribed,  Dan.  xi.  36,  45.  xii.  1 — 13.  And  it 
 will  be  an  inestimable  consolation  which  the  faints  will 
 
 enjoy, 
 
Part  IL  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  289 
 
 enjoy,  that  they  will  comfort  each  other  with  the  refledlion,  that 
 the  enemy  could  have  no  power  at  all  againll  them,  except  it 
 were  given  him  from  above,  (John  xix.  11.)  but  that  he  who 
 hath  permitted  the  enemy  thus  to  prevail,  for  the  trial  and  puri- 
 fication of  his  fervants,  hath  declared,  above  2000  years  ago,  that 
 he  is  a  chained  enemy,  and  Ihall  not  endure  longer  than  a  given 
 time.  *'  Hitherto  Ihalt  thou  come,  but  no  further,  and  here 
 *'  fliall  thy  proud  waves  be  ftayed,"  Job  xxxviii.  11.  The  time 
 in  which  this  chain  will  be  meafured,  with  great  confolation  and 
 full  allurance  of  faith,  by  the  "  faints  of  the  Moil  High,"  (Dan. 
 vii,  22.)  is  a  time  of  great  external  trouble,  (Dan.  xii.  1,}  a 
 time  which  hath  not  yet  arrived.  Have  thofe  who  have  hitherto 
 beftowed  fuch  pains  in  calculations,  and  fixing  dates  and  times, 
 been  clothed  in  sackcloth,  or  expelled  society  for 
 
 THEIR  ATTACHMENT    TO    THE    WORD  OF    GOD  ?    Rev.  xi.  3. 
 
 xiii.  16.  They  appear  in  very  different  circumitances ;  in  a 
 warm  fludy,  iurrounded  with  all  the  comforts  of  life,  a  good 
 library,  and  leifuYe  to  enjoy  the  felicity  derivable  from  the  calcu- 
 lation of  eclipfes  and  the  folution  of  problems. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  glad  to  find  that  your  ideas  are  fo  congenial  to 
 my  own  concerning  the  times ;  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  time 
 will  come,  when  thefe  times  will  prove  a  great  confolation  to  the 
 perfecuted  faints  of  God. 
 
 Cautious.  Do  not  miltake  me,  I  by  no  means  intend  to  fay 
 any  thing  to  difcourage  you  from  the  confideration  of  the  times, 
 if  it  is  done  with  humility  and  fobriety  ;  but  I  am  much  miftakcn, 
 if  they  are  of  that  deep  and  abilrufe  nature  that  they  have  been 
 fuppofed  to  be  ;  and  I  fee  no  reafon  why  we  fliould  imagine  that: 
 they  can  only  be  unlocked  by  profound  erudition.  Dic^ 
 not  our  Lord  open  the  underltanding  of  his  difciples,  that  they 
 might  underiland  the  fcripuresr  (Luke  xxiv.  4^.)  and  who  fhall 
 prefcribe  bounds  to  the  grace  of  God!  Affiire  yourfelf  that 
 more  will  depend  upon  the  grace  of  God  than  profound  learning, 
 (excellent  as  it  is)  in  underltanding  them  ;  for  *'  the  wicked  fhall 
 *<  do  wickedly,  and  none  of  the  wicked  shall  under- 
 **  STAND,"  Dan.  xii.  lo.  It  is  a  lamentable  confideration  that 
 fuch  an  excellent  advantage  as  great  learning  fliould  ever  be  de- 
 voted to  the  fervice  of  irreligion  and  infidelity  ;  but  we 
 have  the  authority  of  the  mofl  learned  men,  men  who  are  greatly 
 attached  to  learning,  and  who  may  poflibly  elUmate  it  too  high  ; 
 We  have  their  authority  for  the  fadl,  that  there  hath  exilled  of 
 late  years  a  confpiracy  of  fome  of  the  most  learned  men^ 
 in  foreign  parts,  to  undermine  and  overturn  revealed  religion; 
 their  malice  hath  been  chiefly  directed  againfl  the  Chriflian  reli- 
 gion, but  they  are  equally  hoilile  towards  the  Jewifli  religion. 
 The  univerfities  in  foreign  parts,  founded  with  the  wife 'and  bene- 
 volent purpofe  of  training  up  learned  men  for  the  defence  of  true 
 religion,  and  for  the  fpread  of  the  gofpel,  have  hatched  cockatrice 
 
tgO 
 
 DIALOGUE    VI.  Part  IX. 
 
 eggs,  and  given  birth  to  a  brood  of  vipers,  who  have  endeavoured 
 to  wound  the  vitals  of  their  benevolent  parent.  A  combination 
 of  writers  artd  bookfellers  hath  been  formed  to  rule  the  literature 
 of  Germany,  and  form  the  public  mind  into  a  contempt  for  the 
 religion  and  civil  eftablifhments  of  the  empire,  (Robinfon's  Proofs 
 of  a  Confpiracy,  p.  84,  3d  edit.)  I  dare  fay  that  you  are 
 aware  that  there  have  been  publications  in  the  fame  interefts  in 
 this  land  condu6led  by  men  of  great  learning,  although  they 
 might  not  be  in  connexion  with  the  others.  This  fhould  induce 
 us  highly  to  refpeft  thofe  learned  men,  and  thofe  eminent  femi- 
 naries  among  us,  where  learning  and  true  religion  are  united  j 
 and  long  may  they  continue  the  ornament  of  this  land. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  aware  that  the  prefs  has  been  greatly  abufed  ; 
 it  hath  been  reforted  to  for  the  word  of  purpofes,  to  corrupt 
 the  morals  of  mankind,  to  fow  the  feeds  of  infidelity,  and  to 
 weaken  the  attachment  of  fubje6l:s  to  their  fovereigns  ;  and  happy 
 is  it  for  us,  that  in  thefe  lands  the  legiflature  hath  pofl'efTed  wif- 
 dom  and  firmnefs  to  enadl  laws,  which  at  the  fame  time  that  they 
 cherifh  the  true  liberty  of  the  prefs,  yet  guard  againft  its  abufe. — 
 But  I  was  not  aware  of  any  confpiracy  of  literary  men  like  that 
 noticed  by  you. 
 
 Cautious.  If  a  kingdom  is  attacked  in  various  places  at  the 
 fame  time,  it  affords  ftrong  ground  to  prefume  that  they  acl  in 
 concert;  but  the  Abbe  Barruels  " Antichriftian  Confpiracy,"  a 
 book  which  abounds  with  references  to  the  correfpondence  pub- 
 lifhed  by  the  confpirators  themfelves,  puts  the  matter  beyond 
 doubt :  the  work  of  ProfefTor  Robinfon  confirms  it,  and  to 
 them  I  refer  you.  Permit  me  to  read  to  you  a  paflage  from  The 
 Charge,  delivered  by  the  Bidiop  of  Rochefter  to  the  Clergy  of 
 his  Diocefe,  at  his  Second  Vifitation,  in  the  Year  1800,  in  which 
 he  notices  this  confpiracy. 
 
 "  The  centre,  from  which  the  mifchief  hath  fpread,  is  France. 
 In  that  kingdom  the  myftcry  of  iniquity  began  to  work,  fome- 
 what  earlier  than  the  middle  of  the  century  which  is  jull:  pafiTed 
 away.  Its  machinations  at  firft  were  fecret,  unperceived,  dif- 
 guifed.  Its  inftruments  were  perfons  in  no  confpicuous  ftations. 
 But  by  the  perfevering  zeal  of  an  individual,  who,  by  an  affedla- 
 tion  of  a  depth  of  univerfal  learning  which  he  never  polfefl'ed  ; 
 by  audacity  in  the  circulation  of  what  he  knew  to  be  falfified  hif- 
 tory  ;  by  a  counterfeit  zeal  for  toleration ;  but  above  all,  by  a 
 certain  brilliancy  of  unprincipled  wit,  contrived  to  acquire  a  ce- 
 lebrity for  his  name,  and  a  deference  to  his  opinions,  far  beyond 
 the  proportion  of  what  might  be  juftly  due  either  to  his  talents 
 or  his  attainments  (though  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  were  in- 
 confiderable) :  by  the  perfevering  zeal,  I  fay,  of  this  mifcreant, 
 throughout  a  long,  though  an  infirm  and  fickly,  life  of  bold  a£livc 
 impiety,  a  conspiracy  was  formed  of  all  tlie  wit,  the  fcience^ 
 the  philofophv,  and  the  politics,  not  of  France  only,  but   of 
 
 many 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI,  tgii 
 
 tnany  other  countries,  for  the  extirpation  of  the  Chris* 
 TiAN  NAME.  The  art,  the  indultry,  the  difguife,  the  deep- 
 laid  policy,  with  which  the  nefarious  plot  was  carried  on ;  the 
 numbers  of  ail  ranks  and  defcriptions  which  were  drawn  in  to 
 take  part  in  it  J  men  of  letters  first  ;  then  magiftrates,  no- 
 bles, minilters  ot  Itate,  fovereign  princes  ;  lalt  of  all,  the  inferior 
 ranks,  merchants,  attorneys,  bankers'  clerks,  tradefmen,  mecha- 
 nics, peafants  ;  the  eagerncfs  with  which,  under  the  diredion  of 
 their  chief,  all  thefe  contributed  their  power,  their  influence, 
 their  ingenuity,  their  induftry,  their  labour,  in  their  refpedivQ 
 iituations  and  occupations  in  life,  to  the  advancement  of  the  one 
 great  objed  of  the  confederacy,  are  fads  thr^t  are  indeed  alto- 
 nilhing.  In  this  confederacy  the  men  of  science  and  let- 
 ters CERTAINLY  PLAYED  THE  PRINCIPAL  PART.  And 
 with  fo  much  earaeftnefs  they  played  it,  that  for  many  years,  nor- 
 thing was  done  in  France  for  the  improvement  of  fcience,  with- 
 out a  view  to  the  diiTervice  of  religion.  To  this  purpofe  every 
 difcovery  was  bent,  every  advancement  in  learning  was  applied. 
 When  they  pretended  to  embrace  the  Newtonian  phyfics,  they  in 
 earnelj  embraced  nothing  but  certain  abftrad  riiathematical  pro- 
 pofitions.  They  caught  up  the  terms  indeed  of  gravitation  and 
 attradion:  but  they  llily  miftook  the  meaning.  They  applied 
 them  in  fenfes,  in  which  Newton  never  ufed  them,  and  which  he 
 had  repeatedly  and  explicitly  difowned.  They  employed  thefe 
 terms  as  names  of  certain  original  adive  powers  in  m.atter,  by 
 which  the  motions  of  the  univerfe  might  be  carried  on,  without 
 any  fuperintendance  of  an  intelligent  mind.  They  always  fpoke 
 of  fuch  powers  as  the  bafis  of  the  Newtonian  philofophy  ;  and 
 by  this  artful  perverfion  of  Newton's  language  they  thought  to 
 procure  a  general  credit  and  reputation  for  their  vain  and  wicked 
 iyftem  of  mater ialifm,  as  if  it  were  founded  on  the  immovable 
 rock  of  Newton's  mathematical  demonftrations. 
 
 **  When  they  embraced  the  metaphyiics  of  the  fage  Locke,  as 
 they  ever  affed  to  call  him,  it  was  to  apply  them  to  a  purpofe 
 to  which  the  fage  Locke  himfelf,  it  muft  be  owned,  never  per- 
 ceived that  they  were  applicable.  More  fagacious  perhaps  in  this 
 than  their  mafter,  tliey  faw,  that  upon  his  principles,  once  ad- 
 mitted, it  would  be  eafy  to  build  a  theory  of  mind,  which  would 
 make  the  immaterial  principle  as  unneceflary  in  the  microcofm 
 of  man,  as  it  was,  according  to  their  diftorted  Newtonianifm,  in 
 the  univerfe  ;  reducing  all  the  phacnomena  of  fenfation,  thought, 
 leafon,  intelled,  to  a  mere  fyftcm  of  vibrations,  , 
 
 "  From  the  middle  of  the  century  to  the  period  of  the  Frencti 
 Revolution,    every    great    literary    undertaking    in 
 
 THAT  KINGDOM,  EVERY  CONSIDERABLE  PUBLICATION, 
 UPON  WHATEVER  SUBJECT,  NATURAL  PHILOSOPHY,  NA- 
 TURAL HISTORY,  CHEMISTRY,  ANATOMY,  MORALS,  LAW, 
 AND  POUTICS,  WAS  IN  SOME  WAY  OR  OTHER  BROUGHT  TO 
 
 BEAR, 
 
sc)2  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI.  Part  II. 
 
 BEAR,  DIRECTLY  OR  INDIRECTLY,  UPON  THE  GREAT  OB- 
 JECT OF  THt  CONSPIRACY,  THE  DEFAMATION  AND  DIS- 
 CREDIT OF  THE  Christian  religion.  This  was  feldom 
 indeed  the  immediate  and  avowed  objedl ;  but  it  was  a  fort  of  un- 
 derplot, if  the  cxpreflion  may  be  allowed,  in  every  piece,  to 
 which  what  appeared  to  be  the  main  adion  was  in  truth  fubfer- 
 vicnt.  The  ilratagem  was  in  this  part  the  more  certain  of  fuc- 
 cefs,  and  of  a  wide  and  permanent  efFe6l,  becaufe  many  of  the 
 ■works,  which  had  this  tendency,  were  performances  of 
 great  merit  in  their  avowed  subjects,  and  for  a  long 
 time  will  be  llandard  books,  among  thofe  who  apply  themfelves 
 to  the  fciences  of  which  they  treat.  Thus  they  convey  the  poi- 
 fon  in  the  moft  unfnfpicious  form,  they  have  fcattered  it  wide 
 over  the  civilized  world,  and  they  will  tranfmit  it  to  remote 
 ages. 
 
 "  Of  many  inRances,  which  I  might  produce  in  proof  of  this 
 aflertion,  I  fliall  felecl  only  two:  the  one,  a  work  univerfally 
 known  and  redde ;  the  other,  from  the  abdrufenefs  of  the  fub- 
 jeft,  redde  only  by  fcholars  of  a  particular  clafs,  for  by  Aich  only 
 it  can  be  redde,  and  known  perhaps  to  no  other  :  yet  both  "works, 
 IN  a  scientific  light,  of  a  very  superior  cast.  The 
 one  is  the  famous  Encyclopedie.  This  was  undertaken  by  a 
 knot  of  Atheifts,  at  the  fuggeftion  of  the  leader  of  the  band,  as 
 a  work  which  w^ould  prove  highly  conducive  to  the  fuccefs  of 
 their  plot,  by  the  opportunities  it  would  afford  them,  in  the  w^ay 
 in  w^hich  it  was  propofed  to  them  to  manage  it,  in  which  indeed 
 they  have  managed  it,  of  difTeminating  their  own  principles,  of 
 bringing  darknefs,  doubt,  and  uncertainty,  upon  the  firlt  prin- 
 ciples of  religion  and  morals,  and  of  perplexing  the  inquifitive 
 mind  with  the  fubtlety  of  difmembered  difquifition  upon  abftrufc 
 inetaphyfical  quellions  ;  difquifition,  not  given  altogether,  but 
 broken  into  parts,  and  fcattered  as  it  were  in  fragments  through 
 the  work ;  care  being  taken,  that  what  Teems  proved  in  one  ar- 
 ticle fliall  feem  to  be  confuted  under  another ;  while  the  reader  is 
 ftudioudy  referred  from  the  one  to  the  other  of  thefe  contradic- 
 tory articles  ;  that,  if  he  is  a  ftudious  inquirer  after  truth,  he 
 may  derive  nothing  from  the  moft  diligent  confultation  of  thefe 
 volumes  but -the  torment  of  doubt,  miftruft,  and  univerfal  fcep- 
 licifm.  Floundering  in  that  muddy  ocean,  for  a  certain  length 
 of  time,  it  will  be  well  with  him  indeed,  if  its  troubled  waters 
 float  him  not  at  laft,  when  his  ftrength  is  fpent,  to  the  dreary 
 ihores  of  Atheifm.  For,  if  a  man,  Avho  has  once  believed  in 
 God,  can  but  be  brought  to  waver  and  doubt  in  that  belief  j  the 
 end  will  generally  be,  that  there  will  be  no  God  for  him.  To 
 bring  mankind  in  general,  llily  and  unawares,  to  this  flate,  was 
 the  objed  of  the  Encyclopedie. 
 
 **The  other  inftance   I   would  mention,  of  fcience  prefTed  into 
 the  caufe  of  irrcligion,  is  a  work  of  the  Marquis  de  Condorcet ; 
 
 a  profouncl 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  JL  O  G  U  E    VI.  693 
 
 a  profound  mathematician,  but  a  mod  hardened  Athelll:,  and,  as 
 Atheifts  ahvays  are,  an  enemy  to  all  moral  order.  This  wretch, 
 a  few  years  before  the  French  Revolution,  compofed  a  work  of 
 deep  erudition  in  the  do6lrine  of  chances;  in  which  problems  of 
 great  curiofity  and  great  difficulty  were  fuccefsfuUy  difcuifed. 
 But  the  book,  befidcs  its  vifible  fcientific  purport,  had  a  latent 
 moral  objecl ;  and  this  was,  to  infinuate  an  opinion,  that  there  is 
 no  fuch  thing  as  certainty;  confeqiitntly,  no  fnch  thing  as  truth: 
 that  verihmilitude  (or  probability)  is  the  utmoft  to  which  we  can 
 attain ;  and  that  the  only  Itandard  of  verifnnilitude  is  a  majority 
 of  fuffrages.  For  this  problem  was  the  profeifed  fubje6l  ot  the 
 book,  *  To  eftimate  the  probability  of  right  decifion  by  the  ma- 
 *  jority  of  votes  in  popular  affemblies/ 
 
 "  While  thefe  machinations  were  going  on  in  France,  attempts 
 of  another  kind,  towards  the  fame  end,  were  made  in  other  parts 
 of  Europe,  by  the  emiilaries  and  correfpondents  of  the  French 
 confpirators ;  and  particularly  by  a  fet  of  men,  moft  of  them  of 
 very  inferior  rank,  but  excelling  the  French  Atheifts  in  ancient 
 literature,  and,  if  poftible,  in  wicked  policy.  -  I  fpeak  of  the 
 Illumines  of  Bavaria;  a  fociety  fo  formed,  as  to  extend  its  ra- 
 mifications from  the  centre  of  Germany  to  the  moft  diftant  fiiores 
 of  Europe,  and,  I  fear,  into  the  illands;  and  yet  in  all  its  parts 
 to  be  under  the  abfolute  dirc£lion  of  one  head,  and  to  be  put  in 
 motion,  in  fuch  manner  and  by  fuch  means,  that  the  great  ma- 
 jority in  number  of  this  wonderful  confpiracy  ftiould  never  know 
 the  real  objeft  of  their  aifociation,  nor,  when  their  energies  were 
 called  forth,  to  what  end  they  were  really  employed.  It  was  a 
 machine  of  ftupendous  fize  and  endlefs  complications,  inftanta- 
 neoully  fet  a  work  at  any  time  in  all  its  parts,  by  touching  a  cen- 
 tral fpring ;  without  any  confcioufnefs  in  itlelf  of  its  own  pov/ers, 
 and  without  any  knowledge  of  the'effe6ts  aclually  produced." 
 
 You  will  obferve  that  this  palfage  which  I  have  read  to  you 
 is  written  by  one  who  is  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  moft 
 learned  men  among  us,  and  one,  who  knowing  the  advantages 
 of  learning,  hath  it  in  high  eftimation, 
 
 "Zealous.  The  palFage  confirms  your  opinion,  that  we  arc  to 
 beware  that  we  do  not  eftimate  the  great  advantage  of  human 
 learning  at  too  high  a  rate:  but  to  return  to  our  fubject,  I  be- 
 lieve I  perfectly  agree  with  you-  in  opinion,  that  thefe  times  and 
 periods  are  not  defigned  for  the  amufement  of  thofe  in  a  ftate 
 of  uninterrupted  profperity,  but  for  the  confolation  of  thofe 
 fufFering  under  the  oppreflion  of  the  great  enemy,  or  thofe  who 
 contemplating  the  figns  of  the  times,  entertain  well-grounded 
 apprehenfions  that  thefe  times  of  trial  approach.  We  (hall  do 
 well  to  take  thefe  things  in  the  form  and  manner  in  which  they 
 are  given  to  us.  The  knowledge  of  the  times  is  an  ineftimablc 
 advantage  to  the  people  of  God,  "  When  ye  Ihall  fee  Jerufalem 
 ^'  compaiTed  with  armies,  then  know  that  the  defolation  thereof 
 
 "  is 
 
f94  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    vr.  Part  II. 
 
 ♦'  is  nigh ;  then  let  them  which  are  in  Judea  flee  to  the  moun- 
 **  tains,  and  let  them  which  are  in  the  midil  of  it  depart  out ; 
 •*  and  let  not  them  that  are  in  the  countries  enter  thereinto,  for 
 •'  thefe  be  the  days  of  \'engeanccj,  that  all  things  which  are 
 **  written  may  be  tulfiiied,"  Luke  xxi.  20.  And  we  are  alTured 
 that  thofe  who  took  heed  to  the  caution  did  efcape  the  national 
 dellruftian.     Bilhop  Newton,  Vol.  II.  265. 
 
 Cauiioiis.  It  is  well  worthy  to  be  noticed,  that  figns,  occur- 
 rences, and  NOT  DATES  of  themfelves,  according  to  human 
 affairs,  are  the  means  made  ufe  of  by  the  Lord,  from  which  con- 
 clufions  are  in  general  to  be  deduced.  It  bad  been  as  &2.^y  to 
 fay,  that  at  the  end  of  fo  many  years,  at  the  feaft  of  the  pal^ovey,^ 
 Jerufalem  v,'ould  be  compalfed  about  with  armies,  who  would 
 come  to  defolate  it ;  but  this  is  not  the  way  adopted,  and  there- 
 iore  if  we  feel  an  inclination  to  fix  times  and  dates  of  things  to 
 come,  in  this  way,  we  mufl  endeavour  by  grace  to  overcome  it. 
 Let  us  reft  fatisficd,  that  the  method  of  in(tru£lion  adopted  by  the 
 JLord  is  the  belt  for  us.  It  had  been  eafy  to  have  informed  Pha- 
 laoh  in  a  dream,  that  feven  years  plenty  approached,  which 
 w^ould  be  fucceeded  by  feven  years  famine  ;  but  inltead  thereof, 
 he  dreamed  of  the  feven  well-favoured  kine,  and  the  feven  lean 
 znd  ill-favoured  kine,  which  eat  them  up ;  and  again,  of  the 
 feven  full  ears,  and  the  feven  blighted  ears  of  corn  which  de- 
 voured them ;  but  there  are  other  gracious  purpofes  to  be  an- 
 fwered  as  well  as  **  faving  much  people  alive,"  Gen.  1.  20, 
 Jofeph  is  to  be  advanced  by  Pharaoh,  Ifrael  and  his  houfe  are  to 
 come  into  Egypt,  and  to  become  therein  a  great  nation,  and  the 
 Egyptian  magicians  and  all  the  wife  men  in  Egypt,  celebrated  for 
 their  deep  learning,  their  knowledge  in  aftronomy  and  hierogly-. 
 phics,  the  profelTors  of  the  univerfities  of  thofe  days,  are  to  be 
 foiled  and  to  acknowledge  that  they  could  not  interpret  Pharaoh's 
 dreams;  but  Jofeph  the  prifoner  and  fervant,  Joseph  the  He- 
 brew, a  worfhipper  of  the  one  true  God,  is  to  interpret  them 
 to  his  fatisfadion,  and  with  deep  humility  to  acknowledge  that 
 he  pofTeffes  nothing  but  by  the  gift  of  God.  **  It  is  not  in  me  : 
 *'  God  (hall  give  Pharaoh  an  anfwer  of  peace." — "  What  God  is 
 *'  about  to  do  he  fheweth  unto  Pharaoh,"  Gen.  xli.  In  like 
 manner  it  had  been  eafy  to  have  impreffedthe  mind  of  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, with  the  remembrance,  and  even  the  interpretation  of 
 his  dream,  but  there  are  wife  purpofes  to  be  anfvi'ered  by  the- 
 Lord's  caufing  him  to  forget  it.  The  magicians,  the  aftrologers, 
 the  forcerers,  and  the  Chaldeans,  the  deeply  learned  men  of 
 thofe  times,  are  to  be  foiled,  and  reduced  to  their  wits  ends,  and 
 to  acknowledge  that  it  was  a  rare  thing  that  the  king  required, 
 and  that  there  was  none  other  that  could  fliew  it  before  the  king, 
 except  the  gods  whofe  dwelling  is  not  with  flefh,  Dan.  ii.  xi. 
 But  Daniel  the  captive  Jew  was  inspired  with  wifdom 
 to  reveal  it,  and  Nebucchadne:^zar  acknowledges,  **Of  a  truth 
 
 «t  it 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI,  295 
 
 "  k  is,  that  your  God  is  a  God  of  gods,  and  a  Lord  of  kings, 
 **  and  a  revcaier  of  fecrets,  feeing  thou  couldeft  reveal  this  fe- 
 •*  cret,"  Dan*  ii.  47.  Obfcrve  the  humility  of  Daniel,  *'  But 
 *'  as  for  me,  this  fecret  is  not  revealed  to  me  for  any  wifdom  that 
 **  I  have  more  than  any  living,  but  for  their  fakes  that  iliaii 
 **  make  known  the  interpretation  to  the  king,  and  that  thoii 
 **  mightcll  know  the  thoughts  of  thy  heart,"  Dan,  ii,  30. 
 
 Xcaloiis.  There  is  great  confolation  in  your  obfervation,  and 
 thefe  circumftances  ihould  operate  as  a  caution  to  thofe  who  eili- 
 mate  the  advantages  of  human  learning  at  too  high  a  rate. 
 
 Cautious.  There  is  one  remarkable  difference  obfervable,  by 
 comparing  the  Revelation  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chrifl:,  vs^ith  the  pro- 
 phetic parts  of  the  other  books  of  holy  fcripture  ;  ail  the  other 
 prophecies  are  detached  prophecies,  and  this  is  not  only  obferv-" 
 able  in  the  book  of  Pfalms,  and  other  parts  of  holy  fcripture,  but 
 it  is  obfervable  even  in  thofe  books  which  are  peculiarly  prophe- 
 tical :  they  are  collections  of  the  detached  prophecies,  uttered  by 
 the  mouths  of  the  prophets;  but  the  Revelation  of  our  Lord 
 Jefus  Chrifl  is  one  complete  body  of  prophecies,  arranged  in  the 
 moft  <;omp!etc  order,  and  fucceeding  each  other  in  the  procrreflive 
 manner  in  which  they  are  to  be  fulfilled.  It  may  therefore  be 
 correctly  ftated  to  be  a  fummary  of  all  events,  in  which  the  fer- 
 vants  of  God  are  interefled,  or  whereby  they  are  afFe6led,  from 
 the  day  in  which  it  was  given  to  the  churches,  unto  the  end  of 
 time.  I  introduce  this  obfervation  for  the  purpofe  of  giving  you 
 another  piece  of  advice,  which  I  trufl  you  will  think  reafonable, 
 and  which  if  you  purfue  -^vith  caution  and  perfeverance,  will  give 
 vou  more  confolation  and  inftru6lion  than  I  can  well  exprefs. 
 Read  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  and  New  Teftament,  with  re- 
 ference to  this  blclled  book  ;  at  the  end  of  each  diltintSl  prophecy 
 meditate  on  it,  and  endeavour  to  the  beft  of  your  abilitv  to  form 
 
 an  anfwer  to  this  quellion  :  Hath  this  prophecy  been  fulfilled  ? 
 
 You  will  find  many  that  have  been  completely  fulfilled,  and  your 
 faith  will  receive  an  augmentation  of  itrength  from  every  fuch 
 inftance  ;  and  according  to  the  excellent  obfervation  of  the  learned 
 bifliop,  whom  every  one  mufl  quote  with  pleafure,  you  will  find 
 that  **  a  far  greater  portion  of  the  prophecies,  even  of  the  Old 
 "  Teftament,  than  is  generally  imagined,  relate  to  the  fecond 
 **  advent  of  our  Lord,  few  com.paratively  relate  to  the  firft 
 "  advent  of  itfelf,  without  reference  to  the  fecond;  and  of  thofe 
 "  that  have  been  fuppofed  to  be  accomplifhed  in  the  firft,  many 
 **  had  in  that  only  an  inchoate  accomplilhment,  and  have  yet  to 
 **  receive  their  full  completion." 
 
 Zealous.     I  know  that  Bilhop  Newton  al-fo  notices  fomethino- 
 firnilar  of  the  other  prophecies  of  the  Old  Teifament,  and  fhews 
 that  fuch  and  fuch  prophecies  received  a  fulfilment  in  part,  by 
 fuch  and  fuch  events  ,  and  then  that  they  received  a  more  com- 
 plete 
 
ago  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VL  Part  II; 
 
 plete  fulfilment  by  ftibfeqiicnt  events,  and  will  receive  a  more  full 
 accomjilifhment  by  events  which  are  yet  to  come. 
 
 Cautious.  He  does  fo.  When  you  have  thus  anfwcred  the  firfl 
 queition,  if  you  are  fatisfied  in  your  mind  that  the  prophecy  hath 
 not  been  as  yet  completely  fulfilled,  or  remains  w^hoUy  to  be  ful- 
 filled, "ihen  turn  to  the  Revelation,  and  you  will  foon  be  enabled 
 to  difcover  circumflances  connedled  with  it  which  will  confirm 
 AND  STRENGTHEN  your  faith  in  the  word  of  God.  You  will 
 find  the  order  in  which  it  will  be  accompliilied,  and  thus  they 
 yv'iW  mutually  throw  light  upon  each  other;  and  if  you  will 
 undertake  this  profitable  employment,  which  I  aifure  you  you 
 will  find  neither  fo  laborious  or  difEcult,  as  at  firfl  you  might  ima- 
 gine, I  am  firmly  perfuaded  that  you  will  acknowledge  the  rea- 
 fonablenefs  and  propriety  of  the  advice,  and  confefs  that  in  this 
 way  you  have  received  more  fatisfa6tion  than  you  could  have 
 «|one  by  (ludying  the  prophetic  parts  of  holy  fcripture  in  any  other 
 method. 
 
 ^jealous.  I  acknowledge  that  your  advice  appears  to  me  both 
 reafonable  and  advantageous,  and  I  hope  that  I  Ihall  profit  by  it ; 
 but  you  will  not,  I  truft,  be  offended  at  my  putting  one  queftion 
 to  you,  which  greatly  intereffs  my  feelings.  The  learned  bifhop 
 of  Rochefter  fpeaks  with  complacency  of  thofe,  "who  in  thefe 
 *'  eventful  timies  are  anxiously  waiting  for  the  redemp- 
 "  TiON  OF  Israel,  and  marking  the  awful  signs  of 
 *'  ITS  GRADUAL  APPROACH,"  p.  4.  The  fatisfadion  I  have 
 enjoyed  inperufing  his  letter  to  Mr,  King,  is  greater  than  I  can 
 well  expref^s,  as  it  chiefly  relates  to  this  interefting  fubjedl  ;  and 
 greatly  are  all  thofe  who  are  anxioully  waiting  for  the  redemption 
 of  Ifrael,  indebted  to  him  for  the  labour  he  hath  beftowed  upon 
 the  18th  chapter  of  Ifaiah,  for  the  benefit  of  us  unlearned  men. 
 What  Briton  v/ho  reads  this  paffage,  "  The  country  therefore 
 *'  to  which  the  prophet  calls,  is  chara6lerized  as  one,  which  in 
 "  the  days  of  the  completion  of  this  prophecy  fhould  be  a  great 
 *'  MARITIME  AND  COMMERCIAL  POWER,  forming  remote 
 *'  alliances,  making  diftant  voyages  to  all  parts  of  the  world  with 
 *'  expedition  and  fecurity ;  and  in  the  habit  of  affording  protec- 
 *'  tion  to  their  friends  and  allies,"  p.  45.  I  fay,  what  Briton 
 who  anxioully  waits  for  the  redemption  of  Ifrael,  can  read  this 
 palfage  without  alfo  anxioully  defiring,  and  I  may  fay,  alfo  ar- 
 dently praying,  that  the  Britifh  illes  (to  whom  it  has  pleafed  God 
 in  his  providence,  to  give  fuch  pre-eminence  in  maritime 
 power  and  commerce)  may  have  the  high  honour  of  being 
 the  firft  who  fhall  be  moved  to  devote  their  ftrength  and  advan- 
 tages to  the  fervice  of  the  only  true  God,  in  Ihewing  their  love 
 to,  and  fear  of  him,  by  their  endeavours  to  contribute  to  the 
 cafe  and  advantage  of  Israel  his  people!  "  Surely  the 
 •'   ISLES  fliall  wait  for  me,  and  the  ihips  of  Tarfliifti  first,  to 
 
 "  bring 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE     VI.  q.<^7- 
 
 *'  bring  thy  fons  from  f^ir,  their  filver  and  their  gold  with  them, 
 *<  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  to  the  Holy  One  of 
 **   Ifrael,  becaufe  he  hath  glorified  thee,"  Ifaiah  Ix.  9. 
 
 Cautious.  Your  hope  is  worthy  of  a  British  Christian, 
 who  ardently  defires  the  profperity  of  his  country;  true  religion 
 opens  the  heart  and  afFedions,  and  increafes  our  attachment  to 
 our  country,  and  to  that  excellent  government  which  it  has 
 pleafed  God  to  preferve  among  us,  notwithllanding  the  aflaults 
 of  the  myltery  of  iniquity,  and  the  republican  mania:  I  will 
 put  into  your  hands  a  book  publilhed  between  two  and  three 
 years  ago,  in  which  the  fame  hope  is  expreffed ;  and  reafons  are 
 given  for  the  hope,  that  Britain  is  that  Tarshish  here  fpoken 
 of,  and  that  we  Ihall  be  preferved,  in  a  great  meafure,  from  that 
 diilrefs  and  deilruftion  that  awaits  the  enemies  of  the- 
 Jews,  the  adherents  of  the  great  adversary  of 
 THE  people  of  God.  (See  Obfervations  on  Mr.  Bicheno's 
 Book,  entitled,  The  Reftoration  of  the  Jews  the  Grills  of  all 
 Nations,  publiflied  by  Richardfon,  Robfon,  and  Cadell  and 
 Davies,  page  jj — 89.)  In  addition  to  what  is  there  obferved, 
 you  will  do  well  to  bear  in  your  recolledlion,  that  Tarshish 
 is,  in  the  verfe  juft  quoted,  evidently  fpokenof  as  an  island. 
 
 Zealous.  I  will  proceed  with  my  quotations  and  obfervations, 
 introductory  to  the  queltion  I  am  going  to  put  to  you :  the  bifhop 
 further  obferves,  that  "  The  people  of  the  Jews  have  been  from 
 *■'■  the  very  beginning,  are  at  this  day,  and  will  be  to  the  end  of 
 "  time,  A  people  venerable  in  a  religious  sense; 
 *'  awfully  remarkable  o-n  account  of  the  fpecial  providence 
 "  vifibly  attending  them,"  page  56.  The  bifhop  further  fpeaks  of 
 the  enfign  orflandard  "  lifted  up  upon  the  mountains;" — '*  the 
 "  trumpet  of  the  gofpel ;" — and  that  "  the  refort  to  the  ftandard, 
 "■  the  cfredt  of  the  fummons,  in  the  end  will  be  univerfal." — 
 "  A  pruning  of  the  vine  will  take  place,  after  a  long  fufpenfion 
 "  of  vifible  interpofitioris  of  Providence,  juil  before  the  feafoii 
 *'  of  the  gathering  the  fruits." — **  Fowls  of  prey  and  wildbeafls 
 "  will  take  poireTiion  of  Jehovah's  dwelling-place.  But  at  that 
 ■**  very  feafon,  when  the  affairs  of  the  church  feem  ruined  and 
 **  defperate,  a  fudden  reverie  fliall  take  place." — *'  The  people 
 *'  to  whom  the  melTage  is  fent,  fliall  be  conducted  in  pomp,  as 
 *'  A  present  to  Jehovah,  to  the  place  of  his  name,  to 
 **  Mount  Zion,"  page  79.  The  bilhop  is  a  faithful  witnefs, 
 he  doth  not  fpeak  peace  where  there  is  no  peace,  (Jer.  vi.  14. 
 viii.  11.)  but  teftiheth  of  "  Judgment  to  fall  upon  the  church 
 *'  for  hs  purification,  and  the  utter  deltrudlon  of  hyprocritical. 
 *'  profellbr?  of  the  truth,"  page  84.  '*  This  -pruning  will 
 **  immediately  precede  the  harveft  and  the  ingathering.  The 
 **  feafon  of  the  harvell  and  of  the  gathering  the  fruit  is  the 
 "  prophetic  image  of  that  period,  when  our  Lord  will  fend 
 "  forth  his  angels  to  gather  his  eled  from  the  four  winds  of 
 
 Q  n  *'  heaven  : 
 
298  DIALOGUE     VI.  Part  II. 
 
 *'  heaven:  of  that  period,  when  a  renewed  preaching  of  the 
 *'  gofpel  fliall  take  place  in  all  parts  of  the  world;  of  which 
 *'  the  convcriion  of  the  Jews  will  perhaps  be  the  firfl:  efFecl," 
 pa<^e  83.  "  It  was  a  prevailing  opinion,  in  the  primitive  age, 
 *'  that  Antichrift's  laft  exploit  would  be  to  fix  his  feat  of  em- 
 *'  pire  on  that  holy  fpot  (Mount  Zion),  where  he  would  ulti- 
 **  mately  perifh/'  page  87.  *'  This  then  is  the  fum  of  the 
 **  prophecy,  and  the  fubftance  of  the  meilage  fent  to  the  people 
 *'  dragged  about  and  plucked  :  that  in  the  latter  ages,  after  a  long 
 **  fufpenfion  of  the  vilible  interpofitions  of  Providence,  God, 
 *'  who  all  the  time  regards  that  dwelling-place,  which  he  never 
 *'  will  abandon,  and  is,  at  all  times,  direcfling  the  events  of  the 
 *'  w^orld  to  the  accomplifliment  of  his  own  purpofes  of  wifdom 
 *'  and  mercy;  immediately  before  the  final  gathering  of  his 
 **  ele6l  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  will  purify  his  church 
 **  by  fiich  fignal  judgments,  as  fliall  roufe  the  attention  of  the 
 *'  whole  world,  and,  in  the  end,  ftrike  all  nations  with  religi- 
 **  ous  awe.  At  this  period,  the  apoftate  fa<?tion  will  occupy 
 *'  the  Holy  Land.  This  faction  will  certainly  be  an  inllrument 
 *'  of  thofe  judgments,  by  which  the  church  will  be  purified: 
 *'  that  purification,  therefore,  is  not  at  all  inconfillent  with  the 
 *'  feeming  profperity  of  the  affairs  of  the  atheiilical  confederacy, 
 **  But  aften  fuch  duration  as  God  fliall  fee  fit  to  allow  to  the 
 "  plenitude  of  its  power,  the  Jews,  converted  to  the  faith  of 
 *'  Chrilf,  will  be  unexpectedly  reftored  to  their  ancient  pof- 
 *'  felhons,"  pages  88  and  89.  As  to  the  meffengers,  he  obferves: 
 **'  It  will  perhaps  be  fome  part  of  their  bulinefs  to  afford  the 
 *'  Jews  the  alliftance  and  protection  of  their  fleets.  This  feems 
 **  to  be  inunuated  in  the  imagery  of  the  ift  verfe.  But  the 
 **  principal  part  they  will  have  to  aft,  will  be  that  of  the 
 **  carriers  of  God's  mefTage  to  his  people,"  page  89.  "  This 
 **  charadter  feems  to  defcribe  some  Christian   country, 
 
 *'    WHERE    THE    PROPHECIES,     RELATING    TO    THE    LATTER 
 **    AGES,      WILL      MEET     WITH     PARTICULAR     ATTENTION  ; 
 
 *'  where   the    literal    sense    of  thofe,    which    promife    the 
 
 *'    RESTORATION  OF  THE  JeWISH  PEOPLE,    Will  be  STRENU- 
 
 **  ousLY    upheld;  and  where  thefe  will  be    fo  fuccefsfully 
 
 *'  expounded,  as  to  be  the  principal  means,  by  God's  blefling, 
 
 **  of  removing  the  veil  from  the  hearts  of  the  Ifraelites,'"'  page 
 90.    '*  In  what  people  of  the  earth,  of  the  eaftern  or  the  weltern 
 
 **  world,  the  charadlers  of  the  messenger   people   may   be 
 
 **  found,  when  the  time  fhall  come  for  the  accomplifliment  of 
 
 *'  the  prophecy,  is  hitherto  uncertain' in  that  degree,  that  we  are 
 
 "  hardly  at  liberty,  in  my  judgment,  to  conje6lure.     But  1  can- 
 
 *'  not   but   fay,   that  it  ieems  in  the  highelf  degree  improbable 
 
 **  that  the  atheiflical  democracy  of  France  fliould  be  the    people 
 
 **  for  whom  the  honour  of  that  office  is  intended.     The  French 
 
 '*  democracy,  from  hs  infancy  to  the  prefent  moment,  has  been 
 
 **  a  con- 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI, 
 
 ^99 
 
 ''  a  confpicuous  and  principal  branch,  at  leaft,  of  the  weftern 
 **  Antichrift.  The  messenger  people  is  certainly  to  be  a 
 "  Christian  people/'  page  loi.  '*  I  have  an  iinfafhionable 
 **  partiality  tor  the  opinions  .of  antiquity.  I  think  there  is 
 **  ground  in  the  prophecies  for  the  notion  of  the  early  fathers, 
 **  that  Paleiline  is  the  ftage  on  which  Antichrift,  in  the  height 
 **  of  his  impiety,  will  pcrilli.  I  am  much  inclined  too  to  aflent 
 *'  to  another  opinion  of  the  fathers,  that  a  fmall  band  of  the 
 **  Jews  will  join  Antichrift,  and  be  aflive  inftruments  in  his 
 *'  perfecutions.  And  I  agree  with  you,  that  it  is  not  unlikely, 
 **  that  this  fmall  part  of  the  Jews  will  be  fettled  in  Jerufalem, 
 *'  under  the  protection  of  Antichrift  ;  but  it  is  not  to  the  fet- 
 *'  tiement  of  this  apoftate  band,  that  the  prophecy  in  this  i8th- 
 *'  chapter  relates.  For  I  muft  obferve,  that  when  the  prefent 
 *'  offered  confifts  of  perfons,  the  oifered,  as  well  as  the  offerers, 
 **  muft  be  worlhippers.  For  to  be  offered  is  to  be  made  a 
 *'  Avorfhipper;  or,  in  fome  inftances,  to  be  devoted  to  fome  par- 
 *'  ticular  fervice,  in  which  the  general  chara£ler  of  a  worfhipper 
 **  is  previoufly  implied,  both  in  the  perfon  who  hath  authority  fo 
 **  -to  devote,  and  in  the  devoted  :  as  in  the  inftances  of  Jephthah's 
 *'  daughter,  and  the  child  Samuel.  The  people  therefore  brought 
 *'  as  a  prefent  to  Jehovah  to  Mount  Zion  (if  Mount  Zion  is  to  be 
 *'  taken  literally,  as,  not  from  this  palTage  by  itfelf,  but  by  the 
 **  collation  of  this  paffage  with  many  others,  I  think  it  is)  will 
 **  be  brought  thither  in  a  converted  ftate.  The  great  body  of 
 **  the  Jewifh  people  will  be  converted  previour.  to  their  reffo- 
 *'  ration;  and  being  converted,  wdll  be  aftifled  by  Chriftian 
 **  nations  of  the  uncircumcifion,  in  fettling  themfelves  in  their 
 **  ancient  feats.  I  agree  with  you  that  fome  paffages,  in 
 *'  Zechariah  in  particular,  make  ftrongly  for  this  notion  of  a 
 **  previous  fettlement  of  worfe  than  unconverted'Jews.  But  I 
 *'  am  not  without  hope,  from  the  fame  paffages,  that  the  great 
 *'  body  of  the  converted  Jews  returning  will  find  thofe  firll 
 *'  fettlers,  broken  off  from  the  antichriftian  fadfion,  in  a  ftate 
 "  of  deep  contrition,  and  ready  to  receive  their  brethren  with 
 "  open  arms.  So  the  wjiole  race  fliall  be  offered  to  Jehovah  at 
 *'  Mount  Zion,  and  not  one  of  Ifrael  fhall  be  lofl.  And  fo  far, 
 *'  but  no  farther,  I  can  admdt  an  inchoate  reftoration  of  the 
 "  Jews,  antecedent  to  their  converfion;  and  a  fettlement  of  a 
 **  fmall  body  of  them  in  the  Holy  Land,  by  the  antichriftian 
 '*  powers.  But  this,  I  repeat  it,  is  not  the  great  fubjeft  to 
 **  wliich  the  prophecy  relates,  the  general  reftoration  of  the 
 *'  Jewifti  people  ;  a  bufinels  in  which  the  atheiftical  faftion  will 
 **  have  no  Ihare.  I  would  now  conclude  this  long  epiftle,  but  I 
 *'  cannot  quit  the  fubjeil:  without  declaring  my  fentiments  on  an 
 **  Important  point,  upon  which  much  error  is  abroad.  Indiffer- 
 *'  ence  to  the  figns  of  the  times  is  criminal.  Mifconftru6lion 
 **  of  them  may  be  dangerous.     I  confefs  I  cannot  difcern  any 
 
 ''  immediate 
 
300 
 
 DIALOGUE     VI.  Part  II. 
 
 "  immediate  figns  of  the  fall  of  Antichrift  ;  I  fear,  I  fee  too 
 **  clearly  the  rife,  inftead  of  the  fall,  of  the  Antichriflof  theWeft  : 
 **  or  rather  I  fear  I  fee  him  rapidly  advancing  to  full  ftature  and 
 **  ripe  age.  His  rife,  Itridlly  fpeaking,  the  beginning  of  this 
 "  monfter,  was  in  the  apoftolic  age  ;  for  it  were  eafy  to  trace 
 *'  the  pedigree  of  French  philofophy,  Jacobinifm,  and  Bavarian 
 •*  illumination,  up  to  the  firft  hereiies.  But  it  is  now  we  fee 
 *'  the  ADOLESCENCE  of  that  man  of  fin,  or  rather  of  lawlefT- 
 **  nefs,  who  is  to  throw  off  all  the  reftraints  of  religion,  morality, 
 **  and  cuftom,  and  undo  the  bands  of  civil  fociety.  The  fun  of 
 *'  perdition,  who  is  to  arife  out  of  an  apoftacy,  not  a  conftrudive 
 *'  apoftacy;  never  undcrilood  to  be  fuch  by  thofe  to  whom  the 
 **  guilt  has  been  imputed;  but  an  open  undisguised 
 **  APOSTACY.  The  fon  of  perdition,  who  fhall  be  neither 
 *'  a  Proteftant,  nor  a  Papift;  neither  Chriftian,  Jew,  nor 
 **  Heathen;  who  fhall  worfhip  neither  God,  angel,  nor  faint ; 
 **  who  will  neither  fupplicate  the  invifible  Majefty  of  heaven, 
 **  nor  fall  down  before  an  idol.  He  will  magnify  himfelf  againft 
 **  every  thing  that  is  called  God,  or  is  worlhipped;  and  with  a 
 *'  bold  flight  of  impiety,  foaring  far  above  his  precurfors  and 
 **  types  in  the  times  of  Paganifm,  the  Sennacheribs,  the  Ne- 
 **  buchadnezzars,  the  Antiochus's,  and  the  heathen  emperors, 
 **  will  claim  divine  honours  to  himfelf  exclufively,  and  confe- 
 *'  crate  an  image  of  himfelf.  I  doubt  not  but  this  monfter  will 
 **  be  made  an  inftrument  of  that  pruning  which  the  vine  mull 
 **  undergo." 
 
 Of  all  the  fubje^ls  which  ever  engaged  the  attention  of  man- 
 kind, this  is  by  far  the  moft  interefting ;  -fo  much  depends  upon 
 it.  Bifhop  Newton  doth  not  appear  to  have  been  imprelTed  witji 
 the  idea  of  that  awful  profpeif  of  the  pruning  of  the  vine, 
 which  the  bifiiop  of  Rochefter  fo  admirably  defcribes ;  he  looks 
 forward  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  times  of  the  Gentiles,  without 
 obferving  that  awful  vifitation  of  the  churches  which  will  ac- 
 company it:  and  this  I  attribute  to  his  zeal  againft  the  Papacy, 
 and  to  his  not  looking  forward  to  any  new  exertions  of 
 Antichrist  in  time  to  come.  ■  He  beftows  great  pains  in 
 endeavouring  to  prove  that  thofc  prophecies  which  relate  to  the 
 great  enemy  have  their  complete  fulfilment  in  the  Papacy  ;  and 
 in  Vol.  II.  page  72 — 78,  he  conjectures  that  the  times  extend 
 until  towards  the  clofe  of  the  fixth  millenary  of  the  world,  and 
 produces  the  authority  of  the  rabbi  Abraham  Sebah,  infupport 
 of  his  opinion.  In  page  213  he  prefumes  the  reftoration  of 
 Ifrael  will  happen  about  the  year  1866,  (1260  years  and  606 
 years  amounting  to  that  period).  I  alfure  you  that  although  I 
 quote  this  palfage,  I  keep  alive  in  my  recoUedion  thofe  texts  of 
 holy  fcripture  which  you  requefted  me  to  continually  remember, 
 and  in  particular  that  confpicuous  paffagc  :  *'  But  of  that  day  and 
 *'  that  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in 
 
 *'  heaven, 
 
Part  II..  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  got 
 
 *'  heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father,"  Mark  xiii.  32. 
 But  although  it  was  not  known  either  by  men  or  angels  at  the 
 time  thefe  words  were  fpoken ;  although  it  was  a  period  of  time 
 unknown  even  by  our  Lord  himfelf  in  the  days  of  his  humiliation; 
 it  by  no  means  follows,  that  further  knowledge  hath  not 
 been  given  by  God.  It  was  one  of  the  promifes  given  by  our 
 Lord  to  hisapoilles:  '*  The  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Gholt, 
 *'  whom  the  Father  will  fend  in  my  name,  he  fliall  teach  you  all 
 *'  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  whatfoever 
 *'  I  have  faid  unto  you."  John  xiv.  26.  And  again,  (xvi.  13.) 
 *'  Howbeit  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  Ihall  guide 
 *'  you  into  all  truth  :  for  he  Ihall  not  fpeak  of  himfelf;  but 
 **  whatfoever  he  Ihall  hear,  that  fliall  he  fpeak  ;  and  he  will . 
 *'  SHEW  YOU  THINGS  TO  COME."  In  purfuance  of  this 
 promife,  which  they  were  to  wait  at  Jerufalem  to  fee  accom- 
 plifhed,  (Ads  i.  4.  ii.  1 — 47.)  much  information  of  things  to 
 come  was  from  time  to  time  given  unto  the  brethren,  and  all  the 
 prophetic  parts  of  the  epiftles,  are  in  part,  at  leaft,  a  fulfilment 
 of  this  promife  ;  but  the  book  of  the  Revelation  is  exprefsly 
 prophetical,  it  is  "  the  Revelation  of  Jefus  Chrill,  which  God 
 **  gave  unto  him,  to  ihew  unto  his  fcrvants  things  which  muft 
 "  Ihortly  come  to  pafs,"  And  here  we  are  permitted  to  exult 
 in  the  refle6lion,  that  although  *'  no  man  in  heaven  nor  In  earth 
 **  was  able  to  open  the  book"  fealed  with  feven  feals,  "neither 
 **  to  look  thereon;"  which  made  John  to  weep  ;  yet  he  is 
 comforted  by  the  angel  faying  unto  him,  "  Weep  not,  behold 
 *'  THE  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Root  of 
 **  David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and 
 **  TO  LOOSE  the  seven  SEALS  THEREOF."  And  then, 
 after  the  heavenly  hofl  have  exulted  in  thofe  fongs  of  praife 
 which  you  have  already  quoted,  the  seven  seals  are  iir 
 SUCCESSION  opened,  and  the  contents  of  the  book  revealed 
 for  the  confolation  of  the  churches.  You  have  already  exprelfed 
 your  opinion,  and  hope  that  the  days  of  the  tribulation  of  the 
 Jews  approach  towards  their  conclufion,  and  that  the  coming  of 
 our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory, 
 to  gather  together  his  eleft  ;  that  great  event  dependant  thereon 
 may  be  inuch  nearer  than  is  generally  imagined  ;  and  now  for 
 my  queftion,  which  is  this  :  Canyon  point  to  any  parts  of  the 
 Revelation,  in  which  the  relloration  of  Ifrael  to  profperity  in  their 
 own  land  is  revealed  ;  and  can  you  form  any  reafonable  con- 
 clufion, from  this  facred  book,  when  this  great  event  will 
 take  place,  and  the  kingdom  be  reftored  again  unto  Ifrael  ?  Acts 
 i.  6. 
 
 Cautious.  You  have  introduced  your  queflion  with  fuch  a 
 number  ol  excellent  quotations,  that  prove  how  much  you 
 interell:  yourfelf  in  this  matter,  that  I  will  give  you  the  beil 
 snfwer  that  I  can.  When  Daniel  was  commanded  to  "  fliut  up 
 *'  the  w^ords,  and  feal  the  book,  even  to  the  time  of  the  end,"  we 
 
 may 
 
gOJ 
 
 DIALOGUE     Vr.  Part  II. 
 
 may  depend  upon  it  this  was  not  to  be  done  without  good 
 cause;  there  were  gracious,  wife,  and  bcuevolent  purpuics  to 
 be  anfwered,  by  the  information  being  given  in  this  manner  ; 
 there  were  gracious,  wife,  and  benevolent  purpofes  to  be  an- 
 fwcred,  by  the  words  being  (hut  up  and  fealed  even  to  the  lime 
 of  the  end.  Again,  when  our  blelfed  Saviour  in  the  days  of  his 
 humiliation  pofitively  declared,  '*  But  of  that  day  and  that  hour 
 ^'  knovveth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven, 
 **  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father,"  (Mark  xiii.  32.)  we  may  reft 
 affured  that  there  was  a  gracious,  wife,  and  benevolent  intent 
 in  its  being  thus  concealed.  He  who  *'  fo  loved  the  world,  that 
 **  be  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whofoever  believeth  in  him 
 **  fhould  not  pcrilh,  but  have  everlafting  life  ;"  who  **  fent  not 
 **  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the 
 **  world  through  him  might  be  faved,"  John  iii,  16,  17.  He 
 that  "  fpared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  lor  us  all," 
 (Rom,  viii.  32.)  moll  afluredly  would  not  withhold  from  us  any 
 thing  that  is  for  our  good :  if  therefore  it  was  not  for  the  difci- 
 ples  to  know  when,  and  in  what  manner,  the  Lord  would 
 reftore  again  the  kingdom  unto  Ifrael,  we  may  reft  afTured  that 
 it  was  for  gracious,  wife,  and  benevolent  purpofes,  both  to  the 
 Jewifh  nation  and  the  world  at  large,  that  it  was  concealed,  and 
 only  known  to,  and  in  the  power  of  the  Father.  I  am  not  aware 
 that  there  is  any  circumftance  fpoken  of  in  fcripture,  that  is  thus 
 declared  to  be  fealed,  and  fo  lludioully  concealed  from  the  know- 
 ledge of  the  fervants,  the  worlhippers  of  the  true  God,  except 
 the  extent  and  duration  of  that  great  tribulation 
 WHICH  THE  Jewish  n^^tign  have  endured,  and  are 
 STILL  ENDURING;  and  although  I  admit  that  the  knowledge  of 
 all  the  circumftances  attendant  on  it,  and  their  deliverance  out  of 
 it,  was  revealed  in  heaven  at  the  opening  of  the  feals,  yet  it 
 might  be,  that  it  was  not  proper  at  that  time  that  even  the  fer- 
 vants of  God  upon  earth  Ihould  be  iniormed  of  it.  It  may  rtill 
 be  kept  fecret  for  the  moft  gracious,  wife,  and  benevolent  pur^ 
 pofes  ;  and  if  it  is  thus  concealed  from  us,  we  Ihould  a6l  wifely 
 in  feeking  grace  and  humility  from  the  only  giver  of  every  good 
 and  perfedl  gift,  that  we  may  fo  far  conform  to  the  divine  will, 
 as  to  feel  no  defire  to  know  what  it  may  have  plealed  God  lor 
 wife  purpofes  to  conceal. 
 
 Zealous.  I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  every  thing  you  have 
 faid ;  and  if  I  had  thought  that  thefe  events  had  liill  been 
 concealed  from  our  view,  as  I  admit  they  were  before  the  Reve- 
 lation was  given  unto  the  churches,  I  truft  I  have  that  confidence 
 in  the  love  of  God,  and  that  his  love  to  us  is  as  confpicuous  in 
 what  he  WITHHOLDS  from  US,  as  in  what  he  gives  unto  us, 
 that  I  (hould  not  have  put  the  quePtion  to  you,  or  to  any  one  ; 
 for  I  am  no  friend  to  conje6hire,  and  v^ell  know  that  it  is  a  mifery 
 to  be  Io(t  in  that  labyrinth,  in  which  a  florid  imagination  and  a 
 conjectural  difpolitionj  furaelinies  entangles  its  poiicflbr.     You 
 
 think 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI. 
 
 303 
 
 think  then  that  thefe  things  are  ftill  hidden  from  us  who    yet 
 dwell  upon  the  earth  ? 
 
 Cautious.  I  do  think  that  as  to  the  precife  times  when  thefe 
 events  are  to  happen,  they  are  for  gracious,  wife,  and  benevolent 
 purpofes,  Itili  hidden  from  us. 
 
 Zealous.  You  will  pardon  me  then  for  making  an  obfervation 
 which  I  think  will  embarrafs  you  to  anfwer.  You  have  jull 
 now  recommended  me  to  a  diligent  perufal  of  the  prophetic  parts 
 of  holy  fcripture,  with  intent  for  me  to  fele£l  fuch  parts  as  have 
 only  been  partially  fulftlled,  or  yet  remain  entirely  to  be  fulfilled. 
 You  have  recommended  me  to  bring  thefe  palfages  to  the  Reve- 
 lation, and  have  allured  me  that  I  fhall  find  that  they  will 
 mutually  elucidate  and  throw  light  upon  each  other  \  now  permit 
 iue  to  aik  you,  How  can  this  be,  if  the  extent  and  dura- 
 TiONof  the  Jewifh  tribulation  is  ftill  concealed?  If  the  cir- 
 cumiftances  attendant  upon  the  change  in  the  fituation  of  the 
 Jewilh  nation  are  not  clearly  to  be  obl'crved  and  accurately 
 traced  out  r  For  before  I  fet  about  the  work  you  have  recom- 
 mended to  me,  I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  above  nine-tenths  of 
 the  prophecies  that  remain  to  be  fulfilled,  will  be -found  to  relate 
 to  this  \»ery  fubjedt. 
 
 Cautious.  Although  you  may  think  you  have  embarraffed  me, 
 I  by  no  means  retra(!:l  any  thing  I  have  faid,  or  any  advice  I  have 
 given  to  you.  I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  by  thus  bringing  all  the 
 unfulfilled  parts  of  holy  fcripture  to  the  Revelation,  you  will  find 
 them  mutually  to  elucidate  each  other.  Doth  lo  much  depend 
 upon  the  knowledge  of  the  time  in  which  the  tribulation  of 
 Ilrael  fhall  expire,  that  no  other  knowledge  is  to  be  deiired  if 
 this  cannot  be  attained?  You  will  obferve  that  I  have  only  faid 
 that  I  think  that  the  pre'cife  time  when  thele  events  are  to 
 happen,  are  for  gracious,  wife,  and  benevolent  purpofes  ftilL 
 hidden  from  us  who  continue  upon  earth.  I  have  not  aflertcd 
 that  the  Revelation  contains  no  circumftances  connected  with  this 
 change  to  take  place  in  the  fituation  of  the  Jewifh  nation;  fo  far 
 the  reverfe,  that  it  abounds  v/ith  evidence  up-on  this  fubjecl, 
 and  I  do  ailert,  that  if  you  fele6l  all  the  palfages  in  the  prophe- 
 cies which  remain  to  be  fulfilled,  whether  they  relate  to  the  great 
 and  conlpicuous,  the  univerfal  reftoration  of  Ifrael  to  great  ho- 
 nour, and  to  the  polfeflion  of  Mount  Zion  and  the  Holy  Land,  or 
 v/hcther  they  relate  to  any  previous,  and  as  it  were,  partial  elta- 
 blilhment  in  their  ancient  pofTellions,  previous  to  this  great  event, 
 or  whether  they  relate  to  the  attacks  that  inay  be  made  againft 
 them  by  the  great  enem.y  of  the  wordiippers  of  the  true  God,  or 
 to  that  great  overthrow  that  he  will  experience-  previous  to  the 
 confpicuous  and  univerfal  reftoration  of  Ifrael  by  the  inllrumcn- 
 tality  of  ALL  nations  ;  I  boldly  affcrt,  that  you  will  be  enableii, 
 by  comparing  thefe   prophecies  with  the  Revelation,  to  obfer\-e 
 
 '  THE  OKDF.R  IN  WHICH    PHESE  THINGS  WILL  PROGRESSIVELY 
 
 JILTV 
 
3^4 
 
 DIALOGUE     Vr.  Part  1L 
 
 RUN  INTO  FULFILMENT,  and  that  will  ftrengthen  your  faith 
 to  fuch  a  degree  that  you  will  not  teel  any  inclination  to  KNOW 
 IVIORE  than  is  thus  clearly  revealed  in  holy  fcripture. 
 
 Zealaus,  I  allure  you  it  is  my  firm  intention  to  follow  your 
 advice,  and  I  will  endeavour  through  grace  to  fupprefs  all  defirc 
 to  inquire  as  to  the  times  and  feafons  in  which  thefe  things  will 
 run  into  accomplilhment,  without  I  am  convinced  by  mature  re- 
 fle6lion  that  there  are  well-grounded  conclulions  to  be  drawn  as 
 to  the  time  in  which  the  tribulation  of  the  Jews  and  the  time  of 
 the  Gentiles  are  to  expire  \  and  I  would  obferve,  that  there  is  a 
 period  of  time  mentioned  in  the  Revelation  in  which  the  holy  city 
 will  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  and  that  the  general  tenour 
 of  the  language  of  the  Revelation  is  very  different  from  thofe 
 words  made  ufe  of  by  our  Lord  to  his  difciples,  in  A£ls  the  ifl, 
 when  they  collectively  put  the  important  quelHon  to  him,  "  Lord, 
 **  wilt  thou  at  this  time  reftore  again  the  kingdom  of  Ifrael  ?  And 
 *'  he  faid  unto  them,  It  is  not  tor  you  to  know  the  times  or  the 
 *'  feafons,  which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power."  It 
 was  not  THEN  for  them;  but  when  a  book  is  given  unto  the 
 churches  for  the  exprefs  purpofe  to  fliew  unto  the  fervants  of 
 God  without  refervation  things  which  muft  fhortly  come  to  pafs, 
 it  is  then  very  different. 
 
 Cautious.  Is  the  Revelation  then  a  book  in  Avhich  all  things  to 
 come  are  without  reservation  R'ecorded  : 
 
 Zealous,     Were  not  all  the  feals  opened? 
 
 Cautious.  Undoubtedly  they  were;  but  there  is  an  express 
 RESERVATION  of  Certain  times  or  events  which  were  not  to 
 BE  COMMUNICATED  TO  THE  CHURCHES;  and  I  am  much 
 miftaken,  if  thefe  things  which  are  thus  concealed  from  the  know- 
 ledge of  the  churches,  are  not  the  very  points  which  you  are  fo 
 anxioufly  inquiring  after. 
 
 Zealous.  Yo«  will  much  oblige  me  by  pointing  them  out,  and 
 giving  me  your  realons  lor  thinking  fo. 
 
 Cautious.  Pray  turn  to  chapter  the  loth,  and  you  will  there 
 read,  "And  I  faw  another  mighty  angel  come  down  from  hea- 
 *'  vcn,  clothed  with  a  cloud:  and  a  rainbow  was  upon  his  head, 
 *'  and  his  face  was  as  it  were  the  fun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of 
 *'  fire:  and  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open:  and  he  let 
 *'  his  right  foot  upon  the  (ca,  and  his  left  foot  on  the  earth,  and 
 *'  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion  roareth:  and  when  he 
 "  had  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices.  And 
 *'  when  the  feven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices,  I  was  about 
 *'  to  write  :  and,  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  faying  unto  me, 
 "  Seal  up  those  things  which  the  seven  thunders 
 **  uttered,  and  write  them  not."  You  may  reft  af- 
 fured,  that  thefe  important  times  or  things  which  the  feven  thun- 
 ders uttered  were  not  thus  fealed  up,  and  purpofely  left  unrecorded, 
 without  good  caufe  i  foir^e  gr2.cious,  wife,  and  benevolent  purpolc 
 
 WH« 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  305 
 
 was   to  be  anfwered  by  their  being  thus  concealed  from  the 
 churches. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  perfedly  fatisfied,  that  they  were  thus  fealed 
 up  for  fome  gracious,  wife,  and  benevolent  purpofe  ;  and  I  thank 
 you  for  noticing  them,  and  I  truft  that  I  would  fooner  part  with 
 much  of  the  confolation  I  have  already  received,  than  to  prefume 
 to  pry  into  that  which  is  thus  concealed  from  us  ;  and  I  doubt 
 whether  we  are  at  liberty  to  form  any  opinion  concerning  what 
 is  fo  exprefsly  fealed  up. 
 
 Cautious,  As  they  were  fealed  up  for  gracious  purpofes,  fo 
 are  we  to  conclude  that  they  are  mentioned  alfo  for  gracious 
 purpofes.  He  that  fliould  prefumptuoully  fay,  "  What  figni- 
 *'  fieth  their  being  mentioned  if  they  are  fealed  up,  they  might 
 **  as  well  be  entirely  omitted.  Do  not  exercife  your  mind  in" 
 "  rcflefting  upon  them,  they  fhould  be  ftruck  out  of  the  book." 
 I  fay,  that  he  who  fliould  thus  prefumptuoufly  treat  them,  would 
 be  as  much  fubjeil  to  that  awtul  denunciation  which  is  at  the 
 conclufionof  the  book  ;  he  would  be  as  much  fubje6l  to  the  awful 
 denunciation  in  force  againft  thofe  who  "  take  away  from  the 
 *'  wor^s  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,"  (Rev.  xxii,  19.)  as 
 would  he  who  fliould  prefumptuoufly  declare  in  a  pofitive  man- 
 ner, that  their  contents  are  thus,  or  thus  (and  that  they  cannot 
 contain  or  mean  any  thing  but  what  he  thus  declares)  would  fall 
 under  the  correfpondcnt  denunciation  againfl;  thofe  who  "add 
 *'  UNTO  THESE  THINGS,  Rev.  xxii.  18.  I  fliall  therefore  feel  HO 
 hefitation  in  communicating  a  few  obfervations,  which  have  been 
 imprefled  upon  iny  mind  concerning  them.  Firfl;  then  permit  me 
 to  obferve,  that  you  have  already  exprefled  yourfelf  fatisfied  that 
 the  pafl'ages  which  we  have  fo  frequently  referred  to,  and  which 
 I  have  fo  flrongly  requefl:ed  you  to  keep  in  your  recollection, 
 edablifli  the  fad,  that  what  was  thus  gracioufly  fealed  up  from 
 the  knowledge  of  the  fervants  of  God,  what  was  thus  kept  from 
 the  knowledge  both  of  men  and  angels,  and  not  known  even  by 
 our  Lord  himielf  in  the  days  of  his  humiliation,  was  the  ex- 
 tent AND  DURATION   OF  THE  TRIBULATION  OF  IsRAEL? 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  perfedly  fatisfied  that  it  was  the  extent  and 
 duration  of  the  Jewiih  tribulation  being  unknown,  that  rendered 
 the  day  and  hour  of  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  with 
 power  and  great  glory  (which  was  immediately  to  fucceed  it)  un- 
 known alib  ;  and  I  am  not  aware  of  any  other  circumftamce  which 
 is  fo  dirc6lly  and  pofitively  noticed  to  be  concealed  from  our 
 knowledge. 
 
 Cautious.  Well  then,  I  think  there  can  be  no  prefumption 
 in  my  obferving,  that  notwithftanding  the  Revelation  contains 
 fuch  great  and  precious  information  concerning  things  to  come, 
 yet  that  the  fame  rcafonis,  the  fame  great  and  gracious  purpofes 
 which  concealed  the  knowledge  of  the  extent  and  duration  of  the 
 
 R  r  Jewifl* 
 
3o6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     VI.  Part  II. 
 
 Jewifli  tribulation  in  the  apoflolic  age,  might  operate  with  equal 
 force  at  the  time  the  Revelation  was  given  unto  the  churches, 
 and  from  that  lime  to  this,  and  even  until  the  fulfilment  of  thefc 
 things, 
 
 Zealous.  I  fee  no  prefumption  in  your  obfervation  ;  and  the 
 fa6l  that  thofe  things  which  the  feven  thunders  uttered  were 
 fealcd  up,  and  left  unrecorded,  induces  me  to  think  with  you, 
 that  they  relate  to  the  fame  times  and  things  which  were  thus 
 concealed  both  from  the  knowledge  of  men  and  angels,  and  even 
 from  our  Lord  himfelf  in  the  days  of  his  humiliation  :  they  are 
 now  known  to  the  heavenly  hoft,  but  it  is  not  given  unto  us  as 
 yet  to  know  them. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  no  fmall  confirmation  to  me  in  this  opinion, 
 and  I  truft  there  is  no  prefumption  in  my  obferving  it,  that  no 
 fooner  are  the  words  uttered  by  the  voices  of  the  feven  thunders 
 fealed  up,  than  they  are  followed  by  what  is  declared  in  the  5th, 
 6th,  and  7th  verfes  :  *'  And  the  angel  which  I  faw  {land  upon 
 **  the  fea,  and  upon  the  earth,  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  and 
 **  fware  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who  created  hea- 
 *'  ven,  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  earth,  and  the 
 **  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  fea,  and  the  things  which  are 
 *'  therein,  that  there  Ihpuld  be  time  no  longer:  but  in  the  days 
 *'  of  the  voice  of  the  feventh  angel,  when  he  fliall  begin  to 
 *'  found,  the  myflery  of  God  fliould  be  finiihed,  as   he   hath 
 
 **    DECLARED  TO   HIS  SERVANTS  THE   PROPHETS."       NoW  it" 
 
 "we  compare  this  palfage  with  that  palTage  we  find  in  Daniel  xii. 
 7.  we  cannot  but  notice  the  great  fimilarity  there  is  obfervable 
 between  them  :  "And  I  heard  the  man  clothed  in  linen  which 
 **  was  upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  when  he  held  up  his  right 
 *'  hand  and  his  left  unto  heaven,  and  fware  by  him  that  liveth 
 **  for  ever  and  ever,  that  it  fliall  be  for  a  time  and  times,  and  an 
 '*  half:  and  when  he  Ihall  have  accompliilied  to  fcatter  the 
 **  power  of  the  holy  people,  all  thefe  things  Ihall  be  finiflied." 
 It  is  obfervable,  that  this  paffage  in  Daniel  is  immediately  fol- 
 lowed by  the  declaration,  that  "  the  words  are  clofed  up  and 
 *'  fealed  till  the  time  of  the  end,"  Dan.  xii.  9.  but  in  the  paf- 
 fage quoted  from  the  Revelation,  after  the  words  which  are 
 littered  by  the  feven  thunders  are  fealed  up,  comes  this  declara- 
 ration  of  the  approach  of  the  accomplilhment  of  the  myftery 
 of  God,  **  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of'*''the  feventh  angeel,  when 
 *'  he  fhall  begin  to  found,  the  myftery  of  God  fhould  be  ful- 
 *'  filled,  as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  pro- 
 **  phets.  It  is  not  given  to  you  to  know  the  times  which  were 
 fealed  up  as  foon  as  they  were  mentioned  to  Daniel ;  it  is  not 
 given  to  you  to  know  thofe  things  which  yet  remain  concerning 
 the  hidden  things  which  the  leven  thunders  uttered:  but  this  is 
 given  to  you  to  know,  that  towards  the  clofe  of  the  fixth  trumpet, 
 
 the 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI.  3©;» 
 
 the  myftery  of  God,  which  he  hath  declared  to  his  fervants  the 
 prophets,  will  draw  near  to  accomplifliment,  and  on  the  found- 
 ing of  the  feventh  trumpet  will  run  into   fulfilment. 
 
 Zealous.     I  am  periedlly  fatisfied  ;  pray  proceed. 
 
 Cautious.  What  is  this  myflery  of  God  which  he  hath  de- 
 clared to  his  fervants  the  prophets  }  I  know  of  no  myftery,  no 
 concealed  event,  but  this  great  event,  the  termination  of 
 the  tribulation  of  Ifrael,  when  Ifrael  Ihall  be  reftored  to  prof- 
 perity  in  their  own  land,  and  the  enemies  of  the  woriliippers  of 
 the  only  true  God  fhall  be  deftroyed  by  the  appearance  of  that 
 Saviour,  whom  the  Jews  have  fo  long  miftaken,  when  the  fun 
 fhall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  fhall  not  give  her  light,  and  the 
 ftars  fliall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  Ihall 
 be  fhaken,  and  when  the  fign  of  the  Son  of  Man  fhall  appear  in 
 heaven,  and  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  fee  the  Son  of 
 Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory  ; 
 and  he  fliall  fend  his  angels  with  a  great  found  of  a  trimpet,  and 
 they  fhall  gather  together  his  eleft  from  the  four  winds,  from 
 one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other,  Deut.  xxx.  3.  Ezek,  xxxii.  7. 
 xxxvi«  24.  Ifaiah  xiii.  10.  Dan.  vii.  11,  12.  Joel  ii.  10,  31. 
 iii.  15.  Zech.  xii.  12.  Matt.  xxiv.  29.  Then  fhall  the  Jews 
 have  ocular  demonftration,  and  with  Thomas  of  old,  break  out 
 in  that  holy  rapture  which  words  can  fcarce  exprefs,  My  Lord 
 and  my  God  !  John  xx.  25. 
 
 Another  circumflance  which  induces  me  to  think  that  thefe 
 feven  thunders  relate  to  the  alteration  to  take  place  in  the  fitu- 
 ation  of  the  Jews,  you  will  find  related  in  the  8th,  9th,  and  10th 
 verfes  ;  "  And  the  voice  which  I  heard  from  heaven  fpake  unto 
 *'  me  again,  and  faid,  Go  and  take  the  little  book  which  is  open 
 **  in  the  hand  of  the  angel,  which  ftandeth  upon  the  fea  and  upon 
 **  the  earth  ;  and  I  went  unto  the  angel,  and  faid  unto  him.  Give 
 *'  me  the  little  book,  and  he  faid  unto  me,  Take  it  and  eat  it  up  ; 
 '■'■  and  it  fhall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  it  fhall  be  in  thy  mouth 
 **  fweet  as  honey  ;  and  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the  angel's 
 "  hand,  and  ate  it  up,  and  it  was  in  my  m.outh  fweet  as  honey :  and 
 *'  as  foon  as  I  had  eaten  it  my  belly  was  bitter."  If  you  turn  to 
 the  book  of  Ezekiel  the  prophet  you  will  find  it  introduced  by 
 viflons  very  correfpondent  to  thofe  revelations  which  we  are 
 permitted  to  obferve  in  this  bleffed  book  ;  and  then  a  roll  of  a 
 book  wrhten  within  and  without  with  lamentations,  mourn- 
 ing, AND  WOE,  is  delivered  unto  him  to  eat,  and  it  was  in  his 
 mouth  as  honey  for  fweetnefs ;  and  he  then  proceeds  to  prophefy 
 of  the  lamentation,  mourning,  and  woe,  which  -the  children  of 
 Ifrael  were  to  endure.  We  fhall  do  well  to  recolle6t,  that  above 
 2300  years  have  elapfed  fince  the  time  of  the  prophet  Ezekiel, 
 and  yet  the  myftery  of  God  is  not  accomplifhed;  many,  very 
 jnany  of  thefe  prophecies  of  lamentation,  mourning,  and  woe,  are 
 
 accompliflied, 
 
3o8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI.  Part  II. 
 
 accomplifhed,  but  yet  the  children  of  Ifrael  are  in  an  affl idled  and 
 degraded ftate  ;  but  if  weconlider  the  glorious  tidings  which 
 abound  at  the  clofe  of  the  book  of  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  we  fhall 
 be  fatisficd  that  the  certainty  of  their  accompliiliment  was  worthy 
 the  celebration  of  the  united  voices  ot  the  feven  thunders!  A 
 trumpet  gives  an  awful  found,  but  it  is  faint  when  compared 
 with  the  found  of  thunder ;  and  what  fubje6l  is  fo  worthy  of  the 
 voices  of  thunders  to  celebrate  it  as  the  redemption  of  the 
 CHILDREN  OF  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  by  him 
 
 who  will  prove  himself  to  be  the  GLORY  OF  HIS  PEO- 
 PLE  ISRAFL. 
 
 I  lliair  mention  but  one  circumflance  more  which  confirms  me 
 in  the  opinion,  that  notwithltanding  the  things  uttered  by  the  fcven 
 thunders  are  fealed  up,  yet  that  they  are  mentioned  for  the  edifi- 
 cation and  comfort  of  thofe  who  look  for",  and  ardently  defire  the 
 confolation  of  Ifrael,  and  it  is  this:  immediately  after  the  infor- 
 mation concerning  them  which  occupies  the  loth  chapter,  even 
 in  the  ill  verfe  of  the  nth  chapter  we  are  permitted  to  fee  a 
 Jewish  temple  of  God  and  altar,  and  the  worfhippers 
 therein,  in  the  holy  city,  and  have  an  account  of  the  acts  of 
 TWO  CONSPICUOUS  WITNESSES  ;  but  as  I  have  before  noticed 
 this  nth  chapter,  I  fhall  content  myfelf  with  merely  referring 
 you  to  it  as  a  confirmation  of  my  opinion^  and  I  hope  that 
 you  do  not  confider  me  as  prefumptuous  in  the  obfervations  I 
 have  made,  as  they  tend  to  fhew  that  the  knowledge  of  the  extent 
 and  duration  of  the  tribulation  of  the  Jews  is  a  fealed  fubjedl, 
 and  Ihould  not  be  entered  upon  with  that  calculating  curiofity 
 which  hath  as  it  were  endeavoured  to  pick  that  lock  which  it 
 hath  pleafed  God  to  put  upon  it,  or  to  break  that  feal  which  they 
 cannot  unloole.  In  due  time  it  will  be  plain  enough,  our  blefTed 
 Lord  hath  even  the  keys  of  hell  and  ot  death.  Rev.  i.  18.  He 
 hath  the  fharp  fword  with  two  edges,  (Rev.  ii.  12.)  which  no 
 enemy  can  refift.  His  eyes  are  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  his 
 feet  like  fine  brafs.  Rev.  ii.  18.  He  hath  the  feven  fpiritsof  God, 
 and  the  feven  liars,  Rev.  iii.  1.  He  hath  the  key  of  David,  he 
 openeth  and  no  man  Ihutteth,  and  ihutteth  and  no  man  openeth. 
 Rev.  iii.  7. 
 
 Zealous.  I  fee  no  reafon  to  think  you  have  been  guilty  of  any 
 prefumption  in  any  thing  you  have  advanced,  and  trull  that  it  will 
 tend  to  keep  me  from  the  defire  to  know  what  for  wife  purpofes 
 are  Hill  concealed  from  us;  and  I  have  received  fuch  fatisfaclion 
 from  your  remarks,  that  I  lliall  enter  upon  the  examination  you 
 have  recommended  to  me  with  a  firm  perfuafion,  that  the  further 
 I  proceed  the  more  profit  and  plcafure  I  fiiall  receive. 
 
 Cautious.  Before  we  part,  let  me  put  one  queilion  to  you 
 concerning  the  times  in  which  we  live.  I  doubt  not  but  the 
 quotations  which  both  you  and  I  have  made  from  the  writings  of 
 the  learned  Bifliop   of  Rocheller,  as  Well  as  thofe   obfervations 
 
 which 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    VI.  309 
 
 which  you  mud  have  yourfelf  made  upon  the  prefent  ftate  of  the 
 world,  leave  no  doubt  upon  your  mind,  that  apostacy  hath 
 %vithin  the  laft  half  century  efpecially,  made  rapid  ftrides  to  at- 
 tain its  fummit.  My  queftion  theretore  is,  Whether  this  doth 
 not  confirm  you  in  the  opinion,  that  tlic  Jewifli  fuiferings  are 
 nearly  terminated  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit,  that  fince  the  promulgation  of  Chriftianity 
 there  hath  not  arifen  fuch  an  apoftacy  as  that  which  even  the  lall 
 fifteen  years  hath  brought  to  light.  The  rife  and  progrefs  of 
 Mahomet  is  fcarcely  fo  confpicuous  an  initance,  for  that  (as  far 
 as  it  overfpread  nations  protelhng  Chriitianity)  was  an  apoilacy 
 effe6led  by  the  fword,  but  the  apoftacy  we  have  had  to  lament 
 hath  been  A  willing  apostacy,  an  apoilacy  which  hath  pro- 
 duced mifery  and  defolation  for  a  time  to  iome  of  the  fineft  coun- 
 tries in  Europe  ;  and  God  only  knows  what  paroxifms  of  apoftate 
 rage  we  may  have  yet  to  witnefs,  and  what  mifery  they  may  yet 
 occafion  ;  but  I  cannot  perceive  what  connexion  there  is  between 
 the  apoftacy  of  Chriftians  and  the  termination  of  the  Jewifli  fuf- 
 ferings. 
 
 Caufyous.  You  have  profefted  it  to  be  your  opinion,  that  when 
 our  Lord  Ihall  appear  *'  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
 **  great  glory,"  the  end  and  intent  of  his  coming  will  be  to  de- 
 liver Ifrael  out  of  all  his  troubles,  and  to  reftore  them  to  honour, 
 and  power,  and  their  own  land  ;  and  having  adopted  the  opinion 
 that  there  is  good  reafon  to  hope  that  the  Jewilh  fufFerings  are 
 nearly  ended,  yow  have  from  thence  concluded  that  it  is  very  pro- 
 bable that  the  actual  appearance  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of 
 heaven  with  power  and  great  glory  is  an  event  by  no  means  re- 
 mote. Pray  turn  to  the  ad  chapter  of  St.  Paul's  2d  Epiftle  to 
 the  Theifalonians  :  we  have  already  had  occafion  to  refer  to  the 
 paflage,  and  you  admitted  that  it  clearly  proved  that  the  apoftle 
 thereby  corre6led  the  expectations  of  the  primitive  Chriftians, 
 and  taught  them  that  they  were  not  to  expedt  the  coming  of  our 
 Lord  until  certain  events  took  place  ;  but  does  it  not  neceifarily 
 follow  that  every  fymptom  of  the  approach  of  thefe  events  is 
 alfo  a  fymptom  of  the  approach  of  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in 
 the  clouds  with  power  and  great  glory  ?  And  as  the  Jewiih  fuf- 
 ferings  terminate  with  this  latter  event,  they  are  alfo  fymptoms 
 that  the  Jewifti  fufFerings  are  nearly  terminated. 
 
 Zealous.  Certainly,  if  we  can  difcern  the  appearance  of  thofe 
 circumltances  which  the  apoftle  declares  to  precede  the  coming 
 of  our  Lord,  they  are  evidence  of  the  approach  of  this  awful 
 event ;  and  as  the  Jewilh  fufferings  terminate  at  that  time,  they 
 are  evidence  alfo  that  the  Jewiih  fufferings  are  nearly  ended. 
 
 Cautious.  For  the  deliverance  of  Ifrael,  and  all  who  are 
 waiting  for  the  redemption  of  Ifrael,  it  is  neceftary  that  that 
 wicked  one,  the  man  of  fm,  and  fon  of  perdition,  ihould  be  de- 
 Uroyed  \  and  this  will  be  effeded  by   our   Lord  at  his  coming. 
 
 The 
 
310  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  II. 
 
 The  Lord  will  confume  him  with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and 
 deftroy  him  with  the  brightnefs  of  his  coming.  This  fon  of  per- 
 dition arifes  out  of  the  great  apoftacy  :  hath  there  been  fuch  an 
 ipoltacy,  fuch  a  falling  away,  (2  ThefT.  ii.  3.)  as  never  be- 
 fore difgraced  the  Chrillian  church  ?  It  is  evidence  that  the  man 
 of  fm,  the  fon  of  perdition,  is  arifen,  or  is  about  to  arife!  It  is 
 when  the  world  is  convulfed  and  greatly  agitated,  when  the  re» 
 ftraints  of  fociety  are  broken,  that  bad  men  who  ufurp  power 
 grow  to  full  maturity  in  wickednefs.  I  Ihall  not  enlarge,  but 
 Ihall  reter  you  again  to  the  book  I  have  already  mentioned,  page 
 296 — 323.  Whether  the  fon  of  perdition  is  arifen,  or  is  about  to 
 arife,  will  in  due  time  appear  ;  but  certainly  if  he  arifeth  out  of 
 an  apoftacy,  and  we  behold  a  great  apodacy,  we  have  good  ground 
 to  conclude,  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  and  the  reftoration  of 
 the  Jews,  which  is  connected  therewith,  are  by  no  means  to  be 
 confidered  as  events  at  any  great  diltance. 
 
 SEVENTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 !n  which  further  Reafons  are  given  for  the  Opinion,  THAT  A 
 GREAT  Alteration  will  be  made  in  the  Christian 
 Churches,  which  zvill ajjiwie  a  much  more  Jewish  Appear- 
 ance ;  and  Chrifiians  glory  in  Obedience  to  that  THEOCRACY 
 which  zvill  be  ejlablipcd  among  the  Jews. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. 
 
 Zealous.  IT  have  two  or  three   queftions  to  put  to  you  ;  but  if 
 JL    you  have    any    thing    further  to  obferve,   I  would 
 wifh  to  defer  them  until  after  you  have  done,   as  they  may  then 
 pofTibly  be  put  with  more  effect. 
 
 Cautious.  I  have  but  little  more  to  fay.  Vv^hen  I  was  (by  me- 
 ditating on  the  24th  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  and  the  parallel 
 paffages)  led  to  adopt  the  opinion  thereon,  which  I  have  men- 
 tioned, that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  **  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
 *'  with  power  and  great  glory,"  when  he  will  "  fend  his  angels 
 **  with  a  great  found  of  a  tnmipet,"  to  *'  gather  together  his 
 '*  eledl  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the 
 **  other."  I  fay,  that  when  I  was  led  by  ferious  meditation  to 
 apply  this  gathering  together  of  the  ele6l  to  the  restoration 
 OF  THE  Jews,  I  was  almoft;  afraid  at  firft  to  give  place  to  an 
 idea  which  appeared  to  be  fo  novel,  fo  very  difcordant  to  the 
 
 generally 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VII.  314 
 
 generally  received  opinions  of  my  Fellow-Chriftians.  I  confidered, 
 that  in  our  church  the  confeflion  of  our  faith  is  entirely  si- 
 lent   UPON    THIS    SUBJECT  OF  THE   RESTORATION  OF  THE 
 
 Jews,  being  one  great,  if  not  the  principal  motive  of  our  Lord's 
 coming  in  the  clouds  v^'ith  power  and  great  glory.  In  the  apof- 
 tle's  creed  the  words  are,  "  He  afcended  into  heaven,  and  fitteth 
 **  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  the  Father  Almighty  ;  from  thence 
 "  he  fhall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead." — In  the  Ni- 
 cene  creed,  '*  He  fuifered  and  was  buried,  and  the  third  day  he 
 **  rofe  again,  according  to  the  fcriptures,  and  afcended  into  hea- 
 *'  ven,  and  fitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  ;  and  he  ihall 
 *'  come  again  to  judge  both  the  quick  and  the  dead,  whofe  king- 
 *'  dom  Ihall  have  no  end." — The  creed  of  St.  Athanafius  is  fuller, 
 but  contains  no  mention  of  the  restoration  of  the  Jews 
 being  any  ways  conneded  with  our  Lord's  fecond  coming  :  **  He 
 "  afcended  into  heaven,  he  fitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Fa- 
 **  ther,  God  Almighty;  from  whence  he  fhall  come  to  judge 
 *'  the  quick  and  the  dead,  at  whofe  coming  all  men  ihall  rife 
 **  again  with  their  bodies,  and  fhall  give  account  for  their 
 *'  owri  works,  and  they  that  have  done  good  ihall  go  into  life 
 **  everlalting,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  into  everlafling  fire." 
 In  the  thirty-nine  articles  we  have  no  further  information,  and 
 therefore  I  repeat  it,  that  I  was  almoft  afraid  of  giving  place  to 
 the  idea,  but  as  it  is  excellently  exprelfed  in  our  articles,  "  Holy 
 **  fcripture  containeth  all  things  neceffary  to  falvation,  fo  that 
 *'  whatfoever  is  not  read  therein,  nor  may  be  proved  thereby,  is 
 **  not  to  be  required  of  any  man  that  it  Ihould  be  believed  as 
 "  an  article  ot  faith,  or  be  thought  requifite  or  neceiTary  to 
 "  falvation."  So  on  the  other  hand  it  mult  be  admitted,  that 
 creeds,  fummaries,  and  articles,  from  their  brevity  cannot  be 
 fuppofed  to  contain  more  than  the  general  heads  of  fcripture 
 do6trine;  and  that  Godspurpofesof  mercy  towards  IsraeLj 
 although  abundantly  difplaycd  in  the  books  of  the  prophets, 
 which  are  conftantly  read  in  our  churches,  have  been  for  gracious 
 purpofes  as  it  were  covered  with  a  veil,  and  in  a  gi'eat  meafurc 
 concealed  from  the  knowledge  of  the  generality  of  Chriftians. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  not  all  furprifed  that  you  fhould  feel  a  degree 
 of  tear  and  hefitation  in  giving  place  to  an  opinion  which  feems 
 to  be  fo  different  from  the  opinions  of  thofe  who  have  gone  before 
 us,  and  which,  though  not  contradictory  to  the  creeds  of  our 
 church,  is  not  expreiied  in  thofe  parts  of  them  w^hich  refer  to  the 
 coming  of  our  Lord. 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  creed  of  St.  Athanafius  it  is  declared,  "At 
 *'  whofe  coming  all  men  fhall  rife  again  with  their  bodies,"  and 
 all  men  fhall  rile  again  whh  their  bodies  at  the  day  of  judgment; 
 but  the  fecond  advent  of  our  Lord,  although  it  is  a  day  of  judg- 
 ment and  of  refurredion  from  the  dead,  doth  not  appear  to  be 
 that  day  of  judgment  *'  in  the  which  the  heavciis  fhall  pafs  away 
 
 "  vvitii. 
 
gifi  DIALOGUE    VIL  Part  II. 
 
 **  with  a  great  noife,  and  the  elements  fhall  melt  with  fervent 
 **  heat,"  and  in  which,  '*  the  earth  alfo,  and  the  works  that  are 
 **  therein  ihall  be  burnt  up  ;" — *'  wherein  the  heavens  being  on 
 *'  fire  fliall  be  dillblved,  and  the  elements  fliall  melt  with  fervent 
 **  heat,"  2  Peter  iii.  lo,  12.  This  great  day  of  general  judg- 
 ment is  defcribed  in  Rev.  xx.  11 — 1^.  "And  I  faw  a  great  white 
 *'  throne,  and  him  that  fat  on  it,  from  whofe  face  the  earth  and 
 *'  the  heaven  fled  away ;  and  there  was  found  no  place  for  them. 
 *'  And  I  faw  the  dead,  fmall  and  great,  Hand  before  God  ;  and 
 **  the  books  were  opened:  and  another  book  was  opened,  which 
 **  is  the  book  of  life :  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  thofe 
 **  things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according  to  their 
 **  works.  And  the  fea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ;  and 
 *'  death  and  hell  delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in  them  :  and 
 "  they  were  judged  every  man  according  to  their  works.  And 
 **  death  and  hell  were  calf  into  the  lake  of  fire:  this  is  the  fe- 
 "  cond  death.  And  whofoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book 
 **  of  lite  was  call  into  the  lake  of  fire."  This  great  day  of 
 judgment  is  in  the  Revelation  efpecially  particularly  diftinguiihed 
 from  that  preceding  day  of  judgment  at  the  fecond  advent  of  our 
 blelfed  Saviour,  which  is  previoufly  particularly  defcribed  in  the 
 4th  verfe  of  the  fame  chapter:  "  And  I  faw  thrones,  and  they 
 **  fat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given  unto  them  :  and  I 
 **  faw  the  fouls  of  them  that  we/e  beheaded  for  the  witnefs  of 
 '*  Jefus,  and  for  the  word  of  God,  and  which  had  not  wor- 
 *'  Ihipped  the  beaft,  neither  his  image,  neither  had  received  his 
 *'  mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands  ;  and  they  lived 
 *'  ami  reigned  with  Chrill  a  thoufand  years.  But  the  relf  of  the 
 *'  dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thoufand  years  were  finifhed : 
 *'  this  is  the  first  resurrection.  Blefled  and  holy  is  he 
 *'  that  hath  part  in  the  firft  refurrecfion:  on  fuch  the  fecond 
 *'  death  hath  no  power,  but  they  Ihall  be  priefts  of  God  and  of 
 **  Chrill,  and  fliall  reign  with  him  a  thoufand  years."  Although 
 this  DISTINCTION  was  refervedto  be,  and  is  only  fo  very  clearly 
 contained  in  the  Revelation  of  our  bleffed  Lord  Jefus  Chrifl, 
 yet  v/as  it  in  a  meafure  given  unto  the  churches  (before  the  Reve- 
 lation was  given)  to  know  that  there  would  be  a  first  refurrec- 
 tion.  Thus  St.  Paul,  in  his  flrll  epiitle  to  the  Thelfalonians, 
 chap.  iv.  16.  "  The  Lord  himfelf  fliall  defcend  from  heaven  Avith 
 "  a  ihout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump 
 *'  of  God:  and  the  dead  in  Chrill  shall  rise  first:  then 
 "  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  fliall  be  caught  up  together 
 "  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air  :  and  fo 
 "  fliall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord."  It  is  clear  therefore,  that  there 
 is  a  glorious  refurre6lion  of  the  peculiarly  faithful  at  the  fecond 
 advent  of  our  Lord;  and  alriiough  it  may  be  almolt  exclufively 
 a  refurredion  of  the  faithful,  yet  there  is  a  paflage  in  Dan.  xii. 
 which  feems  to  give  probability  to  the  idea,  that  fome  of  the  moll 
 
 confpicuous 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIL  ,31.3 
 
 Gonfpicuous  perfecutors  of  the  people  of  God  may  be  alfo  Tingled 
 out  from  the  wicked  dead,  to  be  awful  firft-fruits  of  righteous 
 wrath:  **  And  at  that  time  fhall  Michael  ftand  up,  the  great 
 *'  prince  that  itandeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people :  and 
 "  there  fhall  be  a  time  of  trouble,  fuch  as  never  was  fmce  there 
 **  was  a  nation  even  to  that  fame  time:  and  at  that  time  thy 
 **  people  fhall  be  delivered,  every  one  that  fhall  be  found  written 
 **  in  the  book.  And  many  of  them  that  fleep  in  the  dull  of  the 
 **  earth  fhall  awake,  fome  to  everlaffing  life,  and  fome  to  fliame 
 *'  and  everlafting  contempt."     See  alfo  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  24. 
 
 Zealous.  The  do6lrine  of  A  first  resurrection,  in  which 
 the  dead  in  Chrill  fhall  rife  firff  to  panake  of  the  joy  of  their 
 Lord,  is  certainly  a  fcripture  do£lrine.  Biihop  Newton  mentions 
 the  great  confolation  the  m.artyrs  received  from  this  precious  doc-- 
 trine  ;  and  I  cannot  but  exprefs  myfelf  furprifed,  that  we  in  the 
 church  of  England  have  not  the  comfort  derivable  therefrom,  com- 
 municated to  us  in  fome  creed  or  other  part  of  our  public  fervice. 
 
 Cautious.  As  I  have  referred  to  that  palfage  in  the  Revelation 
 which  fpeaks  of  the  firft  refurredion,  it  puts  me  in  mind  of  ano- 
 ther caution  which  may  be  of  advantage  to  you  :  there  have 
 been  thofe  who  have  built  upon  this  palfage,  *' And  they  lived 
 *'  and  reigned  with  Chrift  a  thoufand  years  ;"  an  idea  that  this 
 reign  is  fuch  a  reign  on  earth  as  the  reign  of  any  temporal  prince  ; 
 and  they  defcribe  it  in  fuch  unguarded  language,  that  their 
 higheft  idea  of  the  advantage  feems  confined  to  their  being  thus 
 raifed  to  enjoy  the  felicity  derivable  from  what  we  call  temporal 
 profperity,  and  earthly  dominion,  connected  with  the  profefTion 
 of  Chriilianity.  You  will  do  well  to  read  with  attention  the 
 obfervations  of  Bifhop  Newton  upon  the  pafTIige ;  you  will  faid 
 them  in  his  third  volume,  from  page  329  to  page  344.  You 
 will  receive  much  pleafure  from  it  ;  he  fhews  that  the  doclrine 
 of  a  millenium  is  a  Jewish  doctrine;  he  quotes  Rabbi 
 Ketina  from  the  Gemara  of  their  Talmud;  he  alfo  quotes  the 
 tradition  of  thehoufeof  Elias,  and  exprefles  his  firm  belief  in 
 the  (ioftrine  of  that  blelTed  millenium,  in  which  "  the  kingdom, 
 *'  and  the  dominion,  and  the  greatnefs  of  the  kingdom  under  the 
 **  whole  heaven,  fhall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  faints  of  the 
 *<  Moll  High,"  (Dan.  vii.  27.)  in  which  Chrill  fliall  have  *'  the 
 "  heathen  tor  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermoll  parts  of  the 
 *'  earth  for  his  polTellion,"  (Pf.  ii.  8.)  in  which  *'  the  earth 
 "  Ihall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters 
 '*  cover  the  fea,  (Ifa,  xi.  9.)  in  which  "the  fulnefs  of  the 
 *'  Gentiles  fliall  come  in,  and  ALL  Israel  shall  BE  saved,* 
 Rom.  xi.  25,  '2.6.  He  quotes  the  authority  of  St.  Barnabas  in 
 the  firft  century  ;  of  Jullln  Martyr  in  the  fecond  century ;  of 
 TertuUian  in  the  third  century  ;  and  of  Laftantius  in  the  fourth 
 century  ;  to  prove  the  antiquity  and  foundnefs  of  the  doc- 
 trine ;  and  quotes  the  learned  Dodwell,  who  obferves,  the  elFedl 
 
 S  f  that 
 
gi4  DIALOGUE    VH.  Part  IL 
 
 thatth^s  dxjB^m^  had  \n  fu.ppcrting  the  primitive  Chnftians  under 
 
 thetr  grievous  fufferings ;    **  Ti:ey  even  coveted  martyrdom,  in 
 
 **  hopes  o?  being  panakers  of  the  privileges  and  glories  of  the 
 
 **  martyrs  in  the    fjrst    RESURREcriON."     In  confiJering 
 
 this  fubje6:  you  will  do  well  to  keep  alive  in  your  recollediort 
 
 thefe  words  of  our  bleifed  Saviour  to  the  Sadducees:  *'  Ye  60 
 
 **  err,  not  knovv^ng  the  fcriptures,  inor  ihe  power  of  God  ;  for  in 
 
 ^^  the  i'cfurrecliGn  the]"^  ricither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage, 
 
 "^  but  are  as  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven/'  Matt.  xxii.  29.     If 
 
 vou  keep  thefe  paifages  in  your  nii nd,  yon  will  be  in  no  danger 
 
 of  fuck  error;  and  as  i  have  thus  introduced  the  fubject,  I  Ihali 
 
 heg  your  attention  to  a  few  words  upon  the   Jewish    .anb 
 
 Christian  boct'rine  of  the  ministration  of  angels, 
 
 whrchj  in  my  opmion,  is  clofely  conne<3:ed  with  this  doctrine. 
 
 The  Jewidi   fcriptures   are  the    foundation   of  all    the 
 
 TRUE  SELiGious  KNOWLEDGE  that  there  is  in  the  world,  and 
 
 thev  abound  In  inilraciion  upon  this  important  fubjeci:  xve  find 
 
 ANGELS  einployed  hj  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  and  liaac, 
 
 and  Jacob,  in  the  government  of  the  world  (for  all  the  earth  is 
 
 bh)  ;  aitd  efpecbillj  in  the  protection  of  his  people  Ifrael  and  his 
 
 fervants!     Lot  and  his  daughters  were  delivered  from  the  great 
 
 delbruiflyjn  in  wMch  the  cities  of  abomination  were  confumed, 
 
 by  the  Lord's  feiidicsg  two  angels,  who  brought  them  out  trom 
 
 araongfi:   tliem,    (Gea.    xix.)   and   when  Abraham's   faith    was 
 
 proved  in  the  inilanceof  hh  i'on  IfaaCj  his  hand  was  flayed  by  the 
 
 ANGEL    OF   THE   LosD,    Gen.  xxii.   II,    Abraham  knew   by 
 
 experience  this  great  confolation^  and  therefore  when  he  fent  his 
 
 fetvant  to  take  from  among  his  kindred  a  wife  for  his  fon  I  faac, 
 
 he  fald  unto  him :  *"  The  Lord  God  of  heaven,  which  took  me 
 
 **  frora  my  father's  houfe,  and  from  the  land  of  my  kindred, 
 
 **  and  which  fpake  unto  me,  and  fware  unto  me,  faying,   Unto 
 
 *^  thy  feed  wiO   I   give  this  land ;  he   fhali  send  Hrs  angel 
 
 "^  BEFOBE  THEE,  and  thou  ^hait  take  a  wife  luito  my  fon  from 
 
 '*  thence,"  Gen.  xxiv.  7-     When  the  Lord  delivered  Ifrael  out 
 
 of  Egvct,  and  Pharaoh  purfued,  "^^  the  angel  of  God  which 
 
 '*  wei     before  thelcamp  of  ifrael,  removed  and  went  behind 
 
 **  them ;  and  the  pillar  of  the  cloud  went  from  before  their  face 
 
 **  and  Hood  behind  them;  and  it  came  between  the  camp  of  the 
 
 *'  Ep'vptians  and  the  camp  of  Ifrael ;  and  it  was  a  cloud  and 
 
 **  darknefs  to  them,  but  it  gave  light  by  niglit  to  thefe :  fo  that 
 
 **  the  one  came  not  near  the  other  all   the  night,"  Exod.   xiv. 
 
 19,     "  Behold  I  fend  an  angel  before  thee,  to  keep  thee 
 
 **  in  the  way,  and  to  bring  thee  into  the  place  that  I  ha\  e  pre- 
 
 *'  pared,"  Exod.  xxiii.  20.     The  doctrine  of  the  miniftration  of 
 
 angels  is   moft  abundantly  eftabliflied  in  the  Jewilh  fcriptures : 
 
 when  Jacob  went  on  Hs  way  from  Laban,  *'  the  angels  of 
 
 •*  God  met  him  ;  and  when  Jacob  favv  them,  he  faid.  This  is 
 
 **  God's  hofi ;  and  he  caikd  tlie  name  of  that  place  Mahanaim,'* 
 
 Gen, 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     V 
 
 8*5 
 
 Gen.  xxxif.  2.  When  Mofes  fent  nieflengers  to  Edom  to  re- 
 queft  permiflion  to  pafs  through  his  territories,  he  notices  their 
 deliverance  out  of  Egypt  from  their  oppreiTors;  '*  Thcai  knowefi 
 **  ali  the  travail  that  hath  befallen  us,  how  our  fathers  wejst 
 **  down  into  Egypt,  ami  we  have  dprelt  in  Egypt  2  long  time  5 
 **  an- 1  the  Egyptians  vexed  us  and  our  lathers ;  and  when  vre 
 **  cried  luUo  the  Lord,  he  heard  our  voice,  and  fent  am  angel, 
 **  and  hath  brof.i§ht  us  forth  out  of  Egypt,"  Numb-  xx,  14. 
 The  time  would  fail  were  I  to  notice  a  tenth  part  of  the  inilances 
 which  might  be  quoted  to  prove  the  great  do6lrinc  of  the  mini- 
 firation  ot  angels,  and  the  firm  belief  of  the  Jewish 
 NATION  IN  THIS  GREAT  DOCTRINE !  When  Daniel  was  caft 
 into  the  lions  den  he  received  no  hurt,  hut  reph'ed  unto  the 
 king,  *'  O  king,  live  forever:  my  God  hath  fent  his  angel,- 
 **  and  hath  Ihut  the  lions  mouths,  that  they  have  not  hurt  me ; 
 **  forafrnuch  as  before  him  innocency  was  found  in  me  ;  and  alfo 
 **  before  thee,  O  king,  have  I  done  no  hurt,"  Dan.  vi.  22.  In 
 the  8th,  9th,  and  10th  chapters  of  Daniel  we  find  inftances  of 
 the  angel  Gabriel  being  fent  to  comfort  Daniel,  and  to  in- 
 l^rudlj  him  as  to  things  to  come ;  and  we  have  good  ground  to 
 believe,  from  the  13th  and  20th  verfes  of  the  loth  chapter,  that 
 ANGELS  are  employed  by  the  Lord  in  regulating  the  el^abhlh- 
 ment  and  fubverlion  ot  empires:  "And  novr  will  I  return  to 
 *'  fight  with  the  prince  of  Perfia,  and  when  I  am  gone  forth, 
 "  lo,  the  prmce  of  Grecia  fliall  come/'  The  archangel 
 Michael  is  twice  mentioned  in  the  10th  chapter  of  Daniel, 
 and  in  the  12th  chapter  of  Daniel  he  is  again  mentioned  with 
 reference  to  the  jewifh  deliverance  in  the  latter  days:  **  And  at 
 "  that  time  lliall  Michael  iland  up,  the  great  prince  which 
 **  ftandeth  for  the  children  of  thy  people:  and  there  ftall  be  a 
 "  time  of  trouble,  fuch  as  never  was  fince  there  was  a  nation 
 **  even  to  that  fame  time  :  and  at  that  time  ihall  thy  people  be 
 **  delivered,  every  one  that  fliall  be  found  written  in  the  book. 
 **  And  many  of  them  tliat  fleep  in  the  duft  of  the  earth  (hall 
 "  awake,  fome  to  everlailing  life,  and  fome  to  ihame  and  ever- 
 "  lading  contempt.  And  they  that  be  wife  fliall  fhine  as  the 
 *'  brightnefs  of  the  firmament;  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
 *'  righteoufnefs,  as  the  flars  for  ever  and  ever,"  Dan.  xii.  i — 3, 
 Behold  the  grief  of  good  king  Hezekiah,  he  hath  received  a  blaf- 
 phemous  threatening  letter  from  the  king  of  Affyria. — He  prays 
 tmto  the  Lord  his  God,  and  fp  re  ads  it  before  him,  and  the  Lord 
 heard  and  anfwered  him  ;  for  he  fent  his  angel  into  the  camp 
 of  the  AfTyrians,  and  in  one  night  he  fmote  185,000  enemies 
 OF  THE  Jews!   2  Kings  xix.  3,5. 
 
 Zealous,  Surely  never  was  there  a  nation  upon  earth  that  have 
 experienced  fuch  mofl  aflonilhing  interpofitions  of  the  providence 
 of  God  as  the  Jewish  nation  have  experienced! 
 
 Cautious. 
 
3i6  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  II, 
 
 Cautions.  It  is  a  lamentable  refleflion,  that  a  nation  fo  highly 
 favo»!red  Ihould  not  have  been  as  conlpicuous  for  obedience  and 
 lighttoiirnels  as  it  hath  been  for  the  favour  of  God  ;  but  we  have 
 to  notice  angels  being  employed  by  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael 
 for  ihe  puniihment  of  his  own  highly  favoured,  but  difobedient 
 peojile.  ThijS  Sa;  1  being  difobedient,  "  the  fpirit  of  the  Lord 
 departed  irom  Saul,  *'  and  an  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord 
 troubled  him,"  i  Sam.  xvi.  14.  When  the  Lord  is  greatly  dif- 
 pleafcd,  this  is  the  great  rod  of  his  vengeance:  thus 
 when  Egypt  provoked  him  by  hoftility  to  his  people,  "  He  cafl 
 *'  upon  them  the  iiercenefs  of  his  anger,  wrath,  and  indignation, 
 **  and  trouble,  by  sending  evil  angels  among  them," 
 (Pfal.  Ixxviii.  49.) ;  and  we  read  in  the  book  of  Job,  that  the 
 ieverefl  trials  are  thofe  that  are  endured  under  the  influence  of 
 evil  angels. — In  the  ill  and  2d  chapters  of  the  book  of  Job 
 we  have  much  information  upon  this  fubjcft :  '*  Now  there 
 was  a  day  when  the  fons  of  God  came  "  to  prefent  themfelves 
 ^'  before  the  Lord,  and  Satan  came  alfo  among  them.  And 
 *'  the  Lord  faid  unto  Satan,  Whence  comeft  thou  ?  Then  Satan 
 "  anfwcred  the  Lord,  and  faid,  From  going  to  and  fro  in  the 
 *'  earth,  and  from  walking  up  and  down  in  it.  And  the  Lord 
 *'  faid  unto  Satan,  Haft  thou  confidered  my  fervant  Job,  that 
 *'  there  is  none  like  him  in  the  earth,  a  perfedl  and  an  upright 
 *'  man,  one  that  feareth  God,  and  cfcheweth  evil  r  Then  Satan 
 *'  anfwered  the  Lord,  and  faid.  Doth  Job  fear  God  for  nought : 
 *'  haft  not  thou  made  an  hedge  about  him,  and  about  his  hoiife, 
 *'  and  about  all  that  he  hath  on  every  fide  ?  Thou  haft  blefled  the 
 **  work  of  his  hands,  and  his  fubftance  is  increafed  in  the  land. 
 *'  But  pr.t  forth  thine  hand  now,  and  touch  all  that  he  hath, 
 **  and  he  will  curfe  thee  to  thy  face.  And  the  Lord  faid  unto 
 ''  Satan,  Behold,  all  that  he  hath  is  in  thy  pov/er  ;  only  upon 
 *'  himfelt  put  not  forth  thine  hand  :  fo  Satan  went  forth  from  the 
 **  prefence  of  the  Lord,''  Job.  i.  We  then  read  of  all  his  pro- 
 perty being  deftroyed  by  Satan,  and  of  his  children  being  vifited 
 with  fudden  death  ! — "  Again  there  was  a  day  when  the  fons  of 
 *'  God  came  to  prefent  themfelves  before  the  Lord,  and  Sa- 
 *'  tan  came  alfo  among  them  to  prefent  himfelf  before  the 
 "  Lord.  And  the  Lord  faid  unto  Satan,  From  whence  comeft 
 **  thou?  And  Satan  anfwered  the  Lord,  and  faid,  From  going  to 
 *'  and  fro  in  the  earth,  and  from  walking  up  and  down  in  it. 
 *'  And  the  Lord  faid  unto  Satan,  Haft  thou  confidered  my  fervant 
 **  Job,  that  there  is  none  like  him  in  the  earth,  a  perfect  and 
 ^'  an  upright  man,  one  that  feareth  God,"  and  efcheAveth  evil  ? 
 *'  and  Itill  he  holdeth  fall  his  integrity,  although  thou  movedft 
 *'  n;e  againft  him,  to  deftroy  him  without  caufe.  And  Satan  an- 
 "  fwered  the  Lord,  and  faid.  Skin  for  fkin,  yea  all  that  a  man 
 *'  lath  will  he  give  for  his  life.  But  put  forth  tkine  hand  now, 
 **  and  touch  his  bone  and  his  flefli,  and  he  will  curfe  thee  to  thy 
 
 **  face, 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VII. 
 
 3V 
 
 "  face.  And  the  Lord  faid  unto  Satan,  Behold,  he  h  in  thine 
 *'  hand  ;  but  fave  his  life.  So  went  Satan  forth  from  the  pre- 
 *'  fence  of  the  Lord,  and  fmote  Job  with  fore  boils  from  the 
 *'  fole  of  his  foot  unto  his  crown,"  Job  ii. 
 
 Zealous.  The  Jewiih  dodlrine  of  the  miiiiftration  of  angels, 
 and  that  they  are  "  miniftring  fpirits  fenth  forth  to  minifter  for 
 **  them  who  fhall  be  heirs  of  falvation,"  (Heb.  i.  14.)  is  abun- 
 dantly confirmed  in  the  New  Teftament.  We  read  of  an  angel 
 OF  THE  Lord  appearijig  to  Zacharias  the  prieft  on  the  right 
 fide  ot  the  altar  of  incenfe,  and  announcing  to  him  joyful  tidings, 
 and  of  the  fame  angel  Gabriel  being  fent  to  the  blelfed  Virgin 
 Mary  to  announce  the  advent  of  our  Lord  Jefus:  "  He  fhall  be 
 **  great,  and  ihall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  higheft,  and  the  Lord 
 **  God  fhall  give  unto  him  the  throne  of  his  father  David;  and 
 *'  he  ihall  reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob    for  ever, 
 
 **    AND  OF  HIS   KINGDOM   THERE  SHALL   BE    NO   END,    Luke  i. 
 
 32.  If  the  Old  Tellament  eilablifhes  the  do6lrine  of  the  minj- 
 flration  of  angels  beyond  the  poffibility  of  doubt,  I  may  alfert 
 ^he  fame  thing  of  the  New  Xellament. 
 
 Cautious.  It  does  fo,  and  the  Old  Teftament  would  be  a 
 fvvift  witnefs  againft  any  Jews  who  Ihould  fo  far  depart  from 
 the  faith  of  Abraham  as  to  give  way  to  unbelief  upon  a  fubjetft 
 fo  clearly  eftabliflied  ;  but  we  have  good  reafon  to  believe  that  the 
 Jews  in  general  are  firm  in  the  faith  of  their  anceifors  upon  this 
 fubjedl :  they  are  a  people  not  given  to  change ;  and  Dr.  Addifon 
 in  his  "State  of  the  Jews  in  Barbary,"  publiihed  in  1682, 
 fpeaks  in  the  ftrongefl  terms  of  their  miorality  and  good  difpofi- 
 tions  ;  and  he  particularly  in  chap.  iii.  notices  their  firm  faith  in 
 the  great  fcripture  do6lrine,  the  miniftration  of  angels  ;  and  would 
 to  God  that  I  could  fay  the  fame  thing  of  the  generality  of 
 Christians.  It  is  I  fear  far  otherwife,  and  there  is  a  great 
 tendency  in  the  prefent  age  to, unbelief  upon  this  fubjecl.  Againft 
 fuch  the  words  of  Chrill  our  Lord  will  become  a  swift  witness 
 unlefs  they  repent!  John  xii.  48. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  an  awful  thing  to  depart  from  faith  in  the  word 
 of  God.  There  is  not  a  do6lrine  in  the  word  of  God  that  is 
 more  firmly  eftabliflied,  and  capable  of  affording  ftronger  confo- 
 lation  to  the  people  of  God.  By  faith  we  behold  even  thofe  who 
 were  confpicuous  fervants  of  God  in  their  day  and  generation,  as 
 confpicuous  members  of  the  heavenly  hoft.  "  He  took  Peter 
 "  and  John  and  James,  and  went  up  into  a  mountain  to  pray. 
 *'  And  as  he  prayed,  the  fafliion  of  his  countenance  was  altered, 
 "  and  his  raiment  was  white  and  gliffering.  Arijl  behold,  there 
 "  talked  with  him  two  men,  which  were  Moses  and  Elias, 
 *'  who  appeared  in  glory,  and  fpake  of  his  deceafe,  which  he 
 *'  fliould  accomplifh  at  Jerufalem." — "  And  there  came  a  voice 
 "  out  of  the  cloud,  faying,  This  is  my  beloved  Son :  hear  him," 
 Lukeix.  28,  &c.  As  our  Lord's  advent  was  announced  by  an  angel, 
 
 f» 
 
«,S  DIALOGUE    vn.  Fart  If. 
 
 fo  was  his-  birth  celebrated  by  the  heavenly  hoft  :  **< There  were 
 *'  in  the  fame  country  {hephcrds  ab.'iding  in  the  field,  keeping 
 *'  watch  over  their  flock  by  nighl .  And  lo^  the  angel  of  the 
 **  Lord  came  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  tiie  Lord  Ihone  roand 
 **  about  them,  and  they  were  fore  atraid.  And  the  a^ngel  fa?d 
 **  unto  them.  Fear  not:  for  behold  1  bring  you  good  tidings. 
 **  OF  GREAT  JOY,  which  ihail  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  y&u  h 
 *'■  born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Savioar  which  b  Chri<i 
 **  the  Lord,  Luke  ii.  8 — is."  In  his  agcny  in  the  garden  "  there 
 "^  appeared  an  angel  unto  him  from  heaven  flrcagthemng  him," 
 JLiike  xxii,  43.  Angels  attended  at  his  refurredlion,,  (Matt.  xxviiL 
 Mark  xvt,  Luke  xxiv.  John  xx,)  and  at  his  afcenfton  into  hea- 
 wen^  Adls  i.  lo.  How  then  is  it  poflible  for  a  Chriltian  to  doubt 
 as  to  the  miniftration  of  angels  i 
 
 Cautious.  There  are  thole  who  do  not  renounce  the  name  of" 
 Chrillians,  who  are  for  accounting  for  every  thing  upon  what  they 
 call  natural  principles  ;  and  thefe  are  frequently  very  far  from 
 believing  the  fcripture  do£lrine  of  the  miniilration  of  angels. — 
 Again,  there  are  others  who  will  not  go  that  length,  they  will  aot 
 eteny  the  miniftratioH  of  angels  in  former  times,  hut  they  consent 
 thenirelves  with  denying  that  there  h  mrw  any  miniilration  of 
 angels-  Again,  there  are  more  itill  who  dil'believe  that  fcriptural 
 dodrine,  that  there  are  evil  angels,  evil  fpirits  who  are  the 
 tempters,  the  feducers,  and  the  accufers  of  mankind  ,■  and  there 
 arc  multitudes  who  entirely  renounce  the  belief  that  there  exifts, 
 OR  EVER  HAS  EXISTED^  iuch  Crimes  as  lorcesy,  witchcraft,  or 
 enchantment,  notwUh{landing.the  testimony  of  the  Chrillian^ 
 as  well  as  the  Jewish  scriptures  upon  the  fubjeci.  You  will 
 find  this  fubjed  confidered  in  the  xtth  pvopairtioa  in  "  Obferva- 
 *■*  tions  on  Mr,  Bicheno's  Bo^'k,  entitled  the  Reiloratlon  of  the 
 *^  Jews  the  Crifis  of  all  Nations,"  publiihed  in  iSoo,  (p.  18^ 
 "  to  211.)  to  which  I  have  already  relerred,  wherein  it  is  proved, 
 that  the  myftery  of  iniquity,  the  working  of  Satan,  (2  ThelT. 
 *'  ii.)  the  fpirit  v.'hich  aihiates  and  pervades  the  enemies  of  God's 
 *'  people,  is  not  a  figure  of  fpeech,  but  a  reality  ;"  and  i  am 
 firmly  perfuaded,  that  as  there  was  a  theocracy  eliabliflied 
 UPON  earth,  in  the  inftance  of  the  Jews,  fo  that  the  time  ap- 
 proaches in  which  there  will  be  a  theocracy  establish eo 
 IN  THE  Holy  Land,  even  in  Mount  Zjon,  which  will  be 
 'THE  GLORY  OF  GoD's  PEOPLE  IsRAEL,  and  uot  of  them  ouly, 
 but  of  the  whole  earth,  who  will  then  be  in  peace  and  amity 
 with  them,  treating  them  with  that  refpei5l  which  is  due  to  the 
 fervants  and  people,  the  favoured  nation  of  the  only  true  God, 
 the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  to  whom  they  will  then  be  a 
 "  kingdom  of  priefts,  and  an  holy  nation,"  (Exod.  xix.  6.)  ;  and 
 all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  under  a  glorious  and  beneficial  fub- 
 jedion  to  that  theocracy,  that  divine  government- 
 which  will  be  among  them. — "  I'hc   nation  and  kingdom  that 
 
 *'  -will 
 
Pas.t  IL  dialogue    VIL  3t9 
 
 **  v/ill  not  fervc  thee  ftaO  pcrifla ;  yea,  thofe  nations  ftall  be 
 •'  ii-tterly  •wafted,/'  Ilaiali  ix.  S2.  If  we  were  to  emun-enttc 
 Jhe  glories  ni  the  ta.bernac).e,  or  the  temple  built  by  Solomon  tfce 
 king,  we  might  notice  the  golden  candleltick,  and  the  table,  the 
 iiitax  i)f  inceafej  and  the  ark  oi  the  covenant,  the  mercy-feat,, 
 and  tlve  cherubims  covering  the  mercy- feat,  the  golden  pot  thai 
 contained  the  manna,  Aaron's  rod  tliat  budded,  and  the  tables  vof 
 the  covenant ;  but  what  were  the  importance  of  thefe  in  compa- 
 rifon  with  that  glory  which  was  the  outward  and  vifibie  iiga 
 «)f  THE  D5  VINE  PRESENCE,  that  diviDe prefencc  whjch  was  evcff 
 watchful  for  their  go(5d,  from  whence  they  received  diredlions  in 
 all  theii-  emergencies,  and  encouragement  in  all  their  imder- 
 takings,  if  entered  upon  in  his  faith  and  feari  Exod.  xiii,  :2i, 
 ■/-2-  xvL  lo.  \ix.  9-  xxiv,  15,  16, 18.  xxx.  6.  xL  34,  38-  Levit,  • 
 xvL  2,  Numb,  ix-  19.  ^- .34'  xi.  2,5,  1  Kings  viiL  10..  2  Chroru 
 V,  13,  viL  t — :3.  Exod.  xl.  ;38.  "Numb.  ix..  16.  Deut,  L  33. 
 Levit,  ix.  2.4,  x.  1.  1  Kings  xviii.  It  is  clearly  revealed  m  hois?; 
 fcrjpture,'that  this  outward  and  vifibie  fign  of  the  divine  puf.- 
 S5NCE  to  protecl  his  people  Ifrael  with  his  mighty  power,  .aR<l 
 evcr-enfJud.ng  mercy,  will  be  reitored  to  them  in'  a  more  glorioits 
 manner  than  their  anceflors  ever  experienced:     **XheLor» 
 
 **  WILl,  CREATE  Sb^PONEV  ERY  DWELLIN-G-V LACE  OfMoUN-jT 
 •^^  Zi-ON,  AND  UPON  HEK  ASSKMBLJES,  A  CLOUD  AND  SMOKE 
 *■*    Jjr    »A?i-,    AND    THE    SHINING    OF    A    FLAMINC     FfEE     J&Y 
 
 *^*  NIGHT,"  Ifaiah  iv.  5.  We  have  a  particular  defcription  10 
 the  prophet  Ezekiel  ot  that  Jkwish  tempxe  which  yet  re- 
 STiains  to  be  built ,  and  he  proceeds  to  the  <letcrJption  of  this  grea?- 
 event,  which  was  f©  mi.nutely  feenbv  him  in  tlve  viiiom  **  After- 
 *'■■  ward  he  b roughs:  rne  to  the  gate,  even  the  gate  that  HooketJa 
 *'■  toward  the  eali:  and,  beheld,  the  glory  OF  the  God  of 
 **  isRAEJ.  caine  from  the  way  of  the  eali:  and  his  voice  wa^^likc 
 "*  a  noifeof  ma'ny  ss'aters;  and  the  earth  fhined  with  his  glory/' — 
 '*  Afld  the  1GLOB.Y  OF  the  Lord  came  into  the  honfe  by  the 
 **  way  of  the  gate  whofe  profpedl  is  toward  the  eaft.  So  the 
 *"  fpirit  took  me  up,  and  brought  me  into  the  inner  court ;  and, 
 
 -*    eEHOLDj  THE  CtLORY  OF  THE  LORD  FILLED  THE  HOUSEj" 
 
 Ezek.  xiiii-  1,  2,  4,  5.  Thk  is  evidence  that  A  theocracy, 
 A  DIVINE  GOVERNMENT  Will  again  be  eftablilhed  in  the  Ho- 
 L  Y  La  n  d  for  the  hononr  and  advantage  of  h  rs  p  e  o  p  £  e  I  sr  a  e  l  ; 
 and  it  wiii  be  no  iefs  for  the  good  of  all  mankind  than  for  the 
 Isonour  and  advantage  of  the  Jc^vs.  We  are  not  to  confine  our 
 idea  of  a  theocracy  to  the  glory  which  furrounds  and  covers  the 
 3fnercy-fcat,  angels,  holy  angels,  the  obedient  and  faithnii 
 fervants  af  the  Lord,  miniilring  fpirits  fent  forth  by  the  Lord  to 
 minil5:er  to  thofe  who  ^ali  be  heirs  of  fahation,  form  a  dilh'n- 
 guifl'ied  feature  m  a  thcexracy ^  they^j-e  his  miniflers,  his  fen  arits. 
 **  The  aiJgei  of  the  Lord  vncainpeth  joufid  iibout  them  that  fear 
 
 ■**  hirii. 
 
320  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  IL 
 
 "  him,  and  delivereth  them,"  PfuU  xxxiv.  7.  Thus  Eliflia, 
 who  knew  thefe  things,  when  his  fervant  was  difheartened  at  be- 
 holding the  cliariots  and  horfes  that  encompaiTed  the  city  to  take 
 him,  replied,  "  Fear  not :  for  they  that  be  with  us  are  more  than 
 *'  they  that  be  with  them.  And  Elifha  prayed,  and  faid.  Lord, 
 "  I  pray  thee,  open  Ins  eyes,  that  he  may  fee  :  and  the  Lord 
 **  openetl  the  eyes  of  the  young  man  ;  and  he  faw  :  and,  behold, 
 **  the  mountain  was  full  of  horfes  and  chariots  of  fire  round 
 *<  about  Eliflia,"  2  Kings  vi.  17.  "  The  chariots  of  God  are 
 **  twenty  thoufand,  even  thoufands  of  angels  :  the  Lord  is  among 
 *'  them,  as  in  Sinai,  in  the  holy  place,"  Pfal.  Ixviii.  17.  **  He 
 *'  came  with  ten  thoufand  of  his  faints,"  Deut.  xxxiii.  2.  When 
 Jacob  was  fent  away  by  his  father  to  Padan-Aram,  he  had  expe- 
 rience of  this  truth,  "  And  he  lighted  upon  a  certain  place, 
 *'  and  tarried  there  all  night,  becaufe  the  fun  was  fet ;  and  he 
 **  took  of  the  ftones  of  that  place,  and  put  them  for  his  pillows, 
 *'  and  lay  down  in  that  place  to  ileep.  And  he  dreamed,  and 
 **  behold  a  ladder  fet  up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached 
 *'  to  heaven  :  and  behold  the  angels  of  God  afcending  and  de- 
 *'  fcending  on  it.  And,  behold,  the  Lord  flood  above  It,  and 
 **  faid,  I  am  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham  thy  father,  and  the  God 
 "  of  Ifaac:  the  land  whereon  thou  lieft,  to  thee  will  I  give  it, 
 **  and  to  thy  feed  ;  and  thy  feed  ihall  be  as  the  duil  of  the  earth, 
 *'  and  thou  fllalt  fpread  abroad  to  the  weft,  and  to  the  eaft,  and 
 *'  to  the  north,  and  to  the  fouth  :  and  in  thee  and  in  thy  feed 
 **  fliall  all  tlie  families  of  the  earth  be  blelfed.  And,  behold,  I 
 *'  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  in  all  places  v/hither  thou 
 *'  goeft,  and  will  bring  thee  again  into  this  land  ;  for  I  will  not 
 *'  leave  thee,  until  I  have  done  that  which  I  have  fpoken  to  thee 
 *'  of,"  (Gen.  xxviii.  11 — 15-)  •  ^"'  *^  ^^  the  servants  of 
 God  that  are  fo  highly  favoured.  If  the  tops  of  the  houfes  in 
 Jerufalem  fmoke  with  incenfe  offered  unto  Baal,  (Jer.  xix.  13. 
 xxxii.  29.  Zeph.  i.  5.)  and  to  other  gods;  if  idolatry  is  en- 
 couraged, or  even  protefted,  or  tolerated  by  their  kings, 
 contrary  to  the  exprefs  command  of  the  Lord  ;  will  he  favour  fu ch 
 a  place  with  that  greatefl;  poffible  token  of  his  favour,  the  glory 
 which  fliall  teflify  his  immediate  prefence  and  complacency  to- 
 wards them  ?  A\^ill  he  permit  his  holy  angels  to  miniftcr  there  ? 
 He  may  fend  his  prophets  and  meffengers  to  reprove  and  exhort 
 them  ;  he  may  ftrive  v/ith  them  as  he  did  with  an  evil  world  before 
 the  flood,  (Gen.  vl.  3.)  but  how  can  he  give  an  outward  and 
 vifible  flgn  of  his  pleafure  when  he  is  greatly  displeased? 
 If  a  beloved  fon  greatly  offends,  it  is  confiffent  with  wifdom 
 and  goodnefs,  it  is  for  His  good  that  he  fhould  be  puniflied : 
 Ifrael  hath  been  punifhed,  and  is  greatly  purified  by  suf- 
 ferings. Poverty  may  prefent  many  of  them  to  our  eyes  in 
 vile  raiment  ;  but  I  have  good  hope,  that  if  circumftances  fimilar 
 were  to  arife_,  vre  fhould  find  inultitudes  of  Shadrachs,  Mefhacjis, 
 
 and, 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    VII.  321 
 
 and  Abednego's  among  them,  who  would  endure  any  death  rather 
 than  worfliip  any  God  but  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  Ifaac,  and 
 Jacob,  their  fathers,  the  only  true  God,  the  Creator  of  heaven 
 and  earth. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  happy  to  hear  you  fay  fo,  and  I  fincerely  hope 
 you  are  not  miilaken  in  your  good  opinion  of  them. 
 
 Cautious.  I  hope  1  am  not.  If  Satan  could  prevail,  as  he  did 
 for  the  trial  of  Job,  what  power  may  he  not  be  fuppofed  to  have 
 had  againft  a  nation  fo  awtuUy  reprehenfible  as  the  Jews  for  a 
 long  time  were,  blefied  with  every  advantage,  and  yet  flighting 
 and  defpifing  them.  If  Satan  could  prevail  againit  Ifrael  by  pro- 
 voking David  to  number  the  people,  (1  Chron.  xxi.  1.)  which 
 difpleafed  the  Lord,  fo  that  he  fent  an  angel  to  inflid  peftilence 
 upon  them,  1  Chron.  xxi.  15 — 17.  If  David,  the  man  after 
 God's  own  heart,  could  be  fo  deluded  and  feduced  by  Satan,  what 
 power  of  delufion  and  fedudion  may  he  not  be  fuppofed  to  have 
 polfe lied  againft  a  nation  at  one  time  *' an  hypocritical  na- 
 *'  TION,"  which  for  their  manifold  national  tranfgreflion  were 
 ffigmatized  with  that  dreadful  defignation,  "thepeopleofmy 
 *'  vvr^th,"  Ifaiah  x.  6.  It  is  not  in  the  Old  Teftament 
 alone  that  we  fee  the  power  of  evil  angels,  when  permitted  to 
 afflidf  and  punifli  thofe  who  have  the  advantage  of  fuperior  know- 
 ledge, and  fuperior  means  of  grace,  and  yet  acl  worfe  than  thofe 
 who  do  not  partake  of  fuch  advantages,  Matt.  xi.  20,  24.  xii. 
 41,  42.  Luke  x.  13.  xi.  31,  32. 
 
 It  is  in  the  9th  chapter  of  the  Revelation  in  which  we  read  of 
 thofe  heavy,  yet  righteous,  judgments  which  have  been  inflifted, 
 and  are  yet  being  inflidled,  upon  Chriftian  nations,  who  have  not 
 repented  '*  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that  they  fliould  not 
 •'  worfhip  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and  filver,  and  brafs,  and 
 *'  ftone,  and  of  wood  :  which  neither  can  fee,  nor  hear,  nor 
 "  walk:"  nor  of  "  their  murders,  nor  of  their  forceries,  nor 
 *'  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts,"  Rev.  ix.  20,  21. 
 And  whence  have  their  enemies  derived  their  exterminating 
 ferocity  and  defolating  fury?  It  was  and  is  a  ferocity  and  fury 
 which  is  diabolical,  it  comes  out  of  the  bottomless 
 PIT.  *'  And  the  fifth  angel  founded,  and  I  faw  a  ftar  fall  from 
 *'  heaven  unto  the  earth  :  and  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the 
 **  bottomlefs  pit.  And  he  opened  the  bottomlefs  pit;  and  there 
 *'  arofe  a  fmuke  out  of  the  pit,  as  the  fmoke  of  a  great  fur^ 
 '*  nace  ;  and  the  fun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by  reafon  of  the 
 "  fmoke  of  the  pit.  And  there  came  out  of  the  fmoke  locufts 
 *'  upon  the  earth:  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the. 
 *'  fcorpions  of  the  earth  have  power,"  ix.  i — 3.  And  again, 
 the  fecond  woe  is  infiidled,  by  loofing  the  four  angels  which 
 were  bound  (14,)  until  the  time  arrived  for  them  to  a6l.  We 
 fee  the  immenfe  number  of  exterminating  horfemen  influenced 
 and  infpircd  with  dofolating  furv  by  thcle  evil  angels;  for 
 
 T  t '  nq 
 
322  DIALOGUE     VII.  Part  II. 
 
 no  good  angels  are  bound  by  a  chain ;  and  it  is  pofitivcly  declared 
 that  THE  GREAT  ENEMY  OF  ALL  will  (at  lealt  in  his  latter 
 appearance)  be  truly  diabolical:  "the  beail  that  thou  faweffc 
 *'  was,  and  is  not;  and  shall  ascend  out  of  the  bot~ 
 "  TOMLESS  PIT,  AND  GO  INTO  PERDITION:  and  they  that 
 **  dwell  on  the  earth  Ihall  wonder,  whofe  names  were  not 
 **  written  in  the  book  of  lite  from  the  foundation  of  the  world, 
 *'  when  they  behold  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not, 
 **  and  yet  is,"  Rev.  xvii.  8.  xiii.  3 — 8.  This  appears  to 
 be  the  time  in  which  the  Devil  hath  "  great  wrath,  becaufe 
 *'  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  fhort  time,"  (xii.  12.):  but  let 
 us  not  be  dilheartened  at  the  profpedf,  but  rejoice,  yea,  even 
 REJOICE  greatly:  for  his  rage,  however  great,  is  circum- 
 fcribed  ;  his  chain,  and  the  chain  of  his  adherents,  is  short! 
 **  He  hath  but  a  short  time!"  which  will  be  fucceeded  by  a 
 glorious  change,  even  the  establishment  of  the 
 theocracy  we  have  noticed.  It  is  not  only  in  the  book  of 
 Daniel  that  we  are  informed  that  *'  Michael  Ihall  if  and  up,  the 
 *'  great  prince  which  Itandeth  up  for  the  children  of  thy 
 **  people,"  (Dan.  xii.  1.)  the  Jews!  •*  The  liars  fhall  fall 
 **  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  ot  the  heavens  fliall  h't  Ihaken," 
 Matt.  xxiv.  29.  Not  only  thofe  earthly  powers  which  become 
 hollile  to  the  worfl)ippers  of  the  one  true  God,  fhall  be  de- 
 ifroyed;  but  their  great  and  diabolical  infpirers  fhall  be  removed 
 from  ftirring  up  mifchief  upon  earth:  "  The  prince  of  the 
 *'  power  ot  the  air,  the  fpirit  that  workelh  in  the  children  of 
 *'  difobedience,"  (Ephef.  ii.  2.)  ihakes  in  his  feat,  and  is  ready 
 to  fall!  and  '*  Satan  like  lightning"  is  about  to  fall  from  heaven, 
 Luke  X.  18.  *'  There  was  war  in  heaven,  Michael  and 
 "  his  angels  fought  against  the  dhagon,  and  the 
 *'  dragon  tought  and  his  angels,  and  prevailed  not;  neither  was 
 *'  their  place  tound  any  more  in  heaven.  And  the  great  dragon 
 *'  vv'as  cait  out,  that  old  ferpent  called  the  Devil,  and  Satan, 
 *'  which  deceiveth  the  whole  world:  he  was  call  out 
 **  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  caft  out  with  him.  And  I 
 **  heard  a  loud  voice  faying  in  heaven.  Now  is  come  falvation, 
 *'  and  ftrength,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  power  of 
 *'  his  Chriit :  for  the  accufer  of  our  brethren  is  caft  down, 
 *'  which  accufed  them  before  our  God  day  and  night.  And  they 
 *'  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the 
 *'  word  of  their  testimony  ;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives 
 **  unto  the  death.  Therefore  rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that 
 "  dwell  in,  them.  Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  and  of 
 **  the  fea !  for  the  Devil  is  coaie  down  unto  you,  having  great 
 **  wrath,  becaufe  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time," 
 Rev.  xii.  7 — 13.  Woe  indeed  to  thofe  inhabiters  of  the  earth, 
 who  will  be  deceived  by  him  to  join  in  the  great  confpiracy 
 agamft  the  worlhippers  of  the  only  true  God :  but  what  great 
 
 confolatioa 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE     VII.  323 
 
 confolation  will  it  be  to  them  to  know  the  near  approach  of  that 
 GLORIOUS  DELIVERANCE,  the  near  approach  of  that  glo- 
 rious REST,  which  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God,  Heb, 
 iv.  9.  What  great  confolation  will  they  derive  from  the  length 
 of  the  chain  by  which  thefe  enemies  are  bound  being  no  longer 
 concealed:  the  words  are  only  fealed  up  until  *'  the  time  of  the 
 *'  end,"  (Dan.  xii.  g.)  and  it  is  but  a  short  time,  (Rev.  xii. 
 12.)  A  short  chain!  and  when  this  fiiort  time  is  palt,  the 
 GREAT  DRAGON  goes  into  conHnement :  "  And  I  faw  an  angel 
 *'  come  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the  bottomlefs 
 **  pit,  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand.  And  he  laid  hold  on  the 
 **  dragon,  that  old  ferpent,  which  is  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  and 
 *'  bound  him  a  thoufand  years,  and  call  him  into  the  bottomlefs 
 *'  pit,  and  fhut  him  up,  and  fet  a  feal  upon  him,  that  he  fhould 
 *'  deceive  the  nations  no  more,  till  the  thoufand  years  Ihould  be 
 **  fulfilled,"  Rev.  xx.  1 — 3.  The  worlhippers  of  the  only 
 true  God  will  then  have  no  more  refiftance  from  Satan,  (Zech. 
 iii.  1.)  they  will  have  no  more  to  wreftle  againlf  principali- 
 *'   TIES    and  againft  powers,    againft   the    rulers    of  the 
 
 *'    DA'RKNESS  of   this  world,    AGAINST    SPIRITUAL   WICK- 
 
 **  edness  in  high  places,"  Ephef.  vi.  12.  Although  the 
 armoury  of  faith  will  be  increafed,  and  the  (liield  of  faith  remain, 
 yet  will  not  the  enemy  be  able  to  make  the  fliield  ring  with  the 
 blows  of  thofe  fihry  darts,  which  he  has  been  fo  long  in  the 
 habit  of  calling  againlt  the  fervants  of  God,  (16.)  Let  us  re- 
 joice in  the  anticipation  of  this  glorious  profpefl,  for  then  *'  the 
 **  ROARING  lion"  wiU  no  longer  be  able  to  walk  about, 
 **  feeking  whom  he  may  devour,"  1  Pet.  v.  8.  Job  i.  &  ii.  Daniel 
 was  to  relf  and  iland  in  his  lot  '*  at  the  end  of  the  days,"  (Dan. 
 xii.  13.)  and  thofe  faithful  fervants  of  God  who  will  partake 
 with  him  in  the  fikst  resurrection,  (Rev.  xx.  4 — 6.)  and 
 become  unto  their  God  '*  kings  and  priefts,"  to  reign  *'  on  the 
 *'  earth,"  (Rev.  v.  10.  xx.  6.)  appear  to  me  as  it  were  to  fupply 
 that  place  in  the  heavenly  hoft,  which  peculiarly  concern  this 
 EARTH,  and  which  hath  fo  long  been  under  the  dominion,  the 
 delufion,  and  power  of  Satan  (and  his  angels)  who  is  in  2  Cor. 
 iv.  4.  called  "  the  God  of  this  world;"  hiui  whom  the  wicked 
 ferve  :  and  what  a  glorious  reign  is  that  which  fhall  have  for  its 
 obje6l,  to  protect  the  people  of  God,  to  train  them  up  for  inha- 
 bitants of  the  NEW  Jerusalem,  the  new  heavens,  and 
 THE  new  earth,  Rev.  xxi.  22.  No  earthly  palace,  no  gorgeous 
 apparel,  no  fuperb  retinue  could  give  a  thoufandth  part  of  the 
 felicity  derivable  from  fuch  a  glorious  reign,  fuch  a  benevolent 
 employment,  Luke  xv.  7.  "  When  they  (liall  rife  from  the 
 **  dead  they  neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage:  but  they 
 *'  are  as  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven,"  Mark  xii.  25.  '*  Nei- 
 "  ther  can  they  die  any  more  ;  for  they  are  equal  unto  the  angels, 
 ^'  and  are   the  children  of  God,    being  children  of  the  rcfur- 
 
 "  redion," 
 
324  '       DIALOGUE    VII.  Part  IL 
 
 *'  redllon,"  Luke  xx.  36,  I  did  not  intend  to  enlarge  fo  much, 
 but  it  is  difficult  to  comprefs  and  curtail.  All  the  obfervations  I 
 have  made  have  had  for  their  object  to  remove  prejudices 
 AGAINST  THE  Jews,  and  you  will,  I  truft,  when  you  duly 
 conlider  them,  fee  that  thofe  obfervations  which  may  not  at  firit 
 ilrike  the  mind  as  relating  to  the  Jews,  have  a  connexion  witli 
 the  fubjedl,  and  tend  to  remove  those  prejudices  which 
 
 HAVE  so   LONG  PREVAILED  AGAINST   THE  JeWS^ 
 
 Zealous,  I  have  already  noticed  that  all  your  obfervations  are 
 direded  to  this  end ;  and  I  am  happy  that  you  have  not  been  able 
 to  curtail  or  comprefs,  for  the  fubjc6l  is  an  exulting  sub- 
 ject :  and  now  I  will  proceed  to  ftate  the  queftions  which  you 
 will  permit  me  to  put  to  you  ;  there  are  three :  the  firft  is  con- 
 cerning the  ftate  in  which  the  Jews  will  be  reftored  to  their  own 
 land.  I  will  give  you  my  reafon  for  putting  this  queftion :  there 
 is  certainly  a  pvogreffion  obfervable,  for  the  fhips  of  Tarfliifti 
 are  the  first  who  move  in  the  reftoration  of  Ifrael,  (Ifai.  Ix. 
 q.)  and  Rev.  xi.  is  evidence  of  a  fettlement  of  Jews  in  the  Holy 
 Land.  Now  this  appears  to  be  previous  to  the  great  alteration  in 
 the  fentiments  of  the  bulk  of  their  nation  concerning  our  Lord 
 Jefus  Chrift.  Can  you  give  me  any  affiftance  here,  and  may  I 
 alk  your  opinion  upon  this  interefting  fubje£l:. 
 
 Cautious.  You  v/ill  find  my  fentiments  upon  thefe  fubjeds 
 in  the  firft  thirty-fix  pages  of  the  book  to  which  I  have  already 
 referred.  Any  fubjeft  which  is  connected  with  matters  which 
 are  studiously  concealed  from  us,  as  I  have  already 
 obferved,  fliould  be  entered  upon  with  great  caution,  and  in  the 
 inoft  guarded  manner;  I  hope  that  I  have  not  tranfgrefied  this  rule. 
 But  leaving,  for  the  prefent,  the  queftion  as  to  whether  any  and 
 what  improvement  may  be  expedled  to  take  place  in  the  opini- 
 ons, the  hopes,  and  zeal  of  the  Jews,  previous  to  their  return  ; 
 I  think  it  is  much  more  incumbent  on  us  to  confider,  whether 
 any  and  what  alteration  is  likely  to  be  effe6led  in  the  Christian 
 churches;  and  I  do  not  hefitate  to  fay,  that  I  think  a  great 
 change  for  the  better  is  efientially  necefiary,  and  that  fuch 
 change  will  be  made.  The  angels  (be  not  ftartled  at  the 
 glorious  title,  for  it  is  a  title  applied  to  the  bilbops  or  elders  of 
 each  of  the  Afiatic  churches)  the  angels,  bifhops,  minifters,  and 
 elders,  the  rulers  in  ourchurches,  would  do  well  to  enter  into 
 this  examination !  they  would  find  ample  inftrudion  concerning 
 thofe  things  which  need  reformation,  by  making  the  ftate  of  their 
 churches  the  fubje6l  of  a  judicious,  mild,  and  yet  zealous  exa- 
 mination, upon  that  model  which  is  preferved  for  that  purpofe 
 in  the  fecond  and  third  chapters  of  the  Revelation!  I  know  that 
 it  may  be  replied  that  their  authority  is  much  circumfcribed.  It 
 is  to  be  lamented  that  it  is  ;  but  that  power  that  hath  circum- 
 fcribed their  authority  may  fee  the  neceftity  of  reftoring  it,  and 
 a  convocation  adluatedby  the  mild  fpirit  of  Chriftian  benevolence, 
 
 unbounded 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VII. 
 
 325 
 
 unbounded  love,  and  fervent  zeal,  may  yet  be  a  blefling  to  the 
 churches:  but  leaving  matters  in  which  v/e  have  no  power,  and 
 on  which  we  can  only  exprefs  our  hopes,  it  will,  I  am  fure,  be 
 admitted  by  you,  that  every  individual  Chrillian  may  derive 
 ineftimable  advantage  by  a  caretul  felt-examination  by  this  con- 
 fpicuous  model.  All  thofe  who  look  forward  to  a  more  enlarged 
 fpread  of  the  gofpel  in  times  to  come  ;  and  this  I  will  fay,  that 
 fuch  an  event  is  not  only  clearly  revealed  in  the  14th  chapter 
 of  the  Revelation, "as  well  as  other  parts  of  holy  fcripture,  but 
 is  expected  by  moil  true  Chriftians  ;  I  fay,  fuch  would  do  well 
 to  confider  what  they  could  anfwer  to  this  quellion :  Will  it  be 
 exa(5lly  upon  the  model  of  your  church?  This  is  a  needful 
 quellion  ;  for  if  an  examination  of  this  kind  is  not  entered  upon, 
 it  may  be  that  the  benefit  which  fliould  refult  to  them  tront 
 the  event  may  not  be  enjoyed.  In  like  manner  Chrillians  would 
 do  well  to  examine  the  acis  of  their  anceftors  towards  the  Jew^s, 
 and  to  repent  of  their  inifconduft  towards  them.  I  believe  f 
 have  fully  exprelfcd  myfelf  upon  thefe  points,  and  therefore  I 
 iliall  content  myfelf  with  obferving,  that  when  you  proceed  in 
 the  exkmination  of  the  prophefies,  and  in  bringing  the  unful- 
 filled parts  thereof  to  a  comparifon  with  the  Revelation,  you 
 will  then  become  fully  convinced  of  the  truth  of  my  allertion. 
 That  a  great  alteration  will  be  made  in  the  Chriiiian  churches,  1 
 will  give  you  two  or  three  inftances:  '*  It  fhall  come  to  pafs 
 *'  that  from  one  new  moon  to  another,  and  from  one  fabbath  to 
 "  another,  fhall  all  flelh  come  to  worfhip  before  me,  faith  the 
 "  Lord,"  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  23.  *'  It  fhall  yet  come  to  pafs,  that 
 "  there  fhall  come  people,  and  the  inhabitants  of  many  cities : 
 "  and  the  inhabitants  of  one  city  fhall  go  to  another,  faying, 
 **  Let  us  go  fpeedily  to  pray  before  the  Lord,  and  to  feek  the 
 *'  Lord  of  holts:  I  will  go  alfo.  Yea,  many  people  and  ilrong 
 **  nations  fliall  come  to  feek  the  Lord  of  holts  in  Jerufalem, 
 **  and  to  pray  before  the  Lord.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  holts ; 
 *'  In  thofe  days  it  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  ten  men  fhall  take 
 **  hold  out  of  all  languages  of  the  nations,  even  fliall  take  hold 
 *'  of  the  fkirt  of  him  that  is  a  Jew,  faying.  We  will  go  with 
 "  you:  for  we  have  heard  that  God  is  with  you,"  Zech.  viii. 
 20 — 23.  What!  fhall  there  become  fuch  a  change  in  the  dif- 
 pofitions  of  Chriftians  towards  tl»^  Jews,  that  they  fhall  confider 
 it  an  honour  to  go  up  to  Jerufalem  to  worfliip  in  the  outer  court 
 of  their  temple?  Are  ihefe  Chriftians  profeifors  of  the  fame 
 religion  as  thofe  who  have  in  former  times  hated  the  Jews  with  an 
 implacable  hatred?  Are  thefe  profeilbrs  of  the  fame  religion  as 
 thofe  who,  to  exprefs  their  hatred  of  the  Jews  and  their  religion, 
 fought  out  the  place  where  the  ruins  of  their  temple  were  fup- 
 pofed  to  exift,  in  order  that  they  might  cover  it  with  ordure,  to 
 exprefs  their  contempt  and  deteltation  ?  Are  thefe  the  defcen.d- 
 ants   of  thofe,  who,  when  Jerufalem  was  taken,  colkded  al! 
 
 the 
 
326  DIALOGUE    VIL  Part  If. 
 
 the  Jews  ■who  were  found  therein,  and  burnt  them  alive  ?  They 
 now  condelcendto  become  the  train-bearers  of  the  Jews  :  did  I  fay 
 condefctndr  they  think  it  their  high  honour  even  to  carry  them 
 upon  iheir  fhoulders!  Surely,  furely,  when  thefe  things  come 
 to  pafs,  there  will  be  a  great  alteration  in  the  opinions  and  prac- 
 tices of  Chriltians  ?  But  there  will  be  changes  in  the  church 
 fervices,  as  well  as  in  the  opinions  and  practices  of  Chrilfians: 
 **  From  the  rifmg  of  the  fun  even  unto  the  going  down  of  the 
 *'  fame  my  name  Ihall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles  ;  and  in 
 **  every  place  incense  (hall  be  offered  unto  my  name,  and  a 
 *'  pure  offering:  for  MV  name  (liall  be  great  among  the  heathen, 
 *'  fahh  the  Lord  of  hoiis,"  Mai.  i.  li.  *'  And'it  Ihall  come, 
 *'  to  pafs,  that  every  one  that  is  left  of  all  the  nations  which 
 *'  came  againft  Jerusalem  fhall  even  go  up  from  year  to 
 **  year   to    worship   the    King,  the    Lord   of    hosts, 
 
 •'    AND     TO     KEEP     THE     Ft.AST     OF    TABERNACLES.       And  it 
 
 •*  fliall  be,  that  whofo  will  not  come  up  of  all  the  iamilies  of 
 **  the  earth  unto  Jerusalem  TO  WORSHIP  THE  King,  the 
 **  Lord  of  hosts,  even  upon  them  (hall  be  no  rain.  And 
 <'  if  the  family  of  Egypt  go  not  up,  and  come  not,  that  have 
 **  no  rain  ;  there  fliall  be  the  plague,  wherewith  the  Lord  will 
 *'  fmite  the  heathen  that  come  not  up  to  keep  the  feaft  of  taber- 
 *'  nacles.  This  fhall  be  the  punilhment  of  Egypt,  and  the 
 *'  punifhment  of  all  nations  that  come  not  up  to  keep  the  feaft 
 **  of  tabernacles,"  Zech.  xiv.  16 — 19.  We  have  not  as  yet  any 
 order  or  form  prepared  in  our  liturgy  to  celebrate  thele  things; 
 or  any  dircdtions  in  our  rubric  concerning  them  :  but  let  us  con- 
 ilder  what  is  implied  in  keeping  the  fea(t  of  tabernacles,  which 
 Chriftians  (hall  aifuredly  fend  deputies  to  Jerufalem  to  celebrate. 
 It  is  that  SOLEMN  FEAST  in  which  the  Jewilli  nation  were  re- 
 quired to  rejoice  before  THE  LoRD,  (Levit.  xxiii.  40. 
 Deut.  xvi.  13 — 15.)  and  to  acknowledge  that  the  harveft  and  the 
 "vintage  are  his  gift.  It  is  celebrated  after  the  harveft,  and  thofe 
 nations  who  will  not  go  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  the 
 King,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  to  rejoice  before  him, 
 and  acknowledge  that  the  harveft  and  the  vintage  are  his,  and 
 that  they  enjoy  the  produce  of  the  earth  by  his  free  gift,  and 
 are  dependant  upon  him  for  thefe  bleftings,  will  be  de- 
 prived of  thefe  advantages  by  his  withholding  from  them  the 
 rain,  which  is  his  free  gift.  The  true  rlligion  is  a 
 rejoicing  religion.  As  ftrange  as  it  may  appear,  it  is  no 
 le(s  true,  that  much  of  the  Jcwilh  fufferings  are  to  be  afcribed 
 to  a  gloomy  disposition  in  their  anccftors,  and  a  difmclina- 
 tion  to  rejoice  as  the  Lord  commanded  them  by  the  mouth  of 
 his    fervant   Mofes :   "  Becaufe  thou  fervedft  not  the  Lord  thy 
 
 *'    God  WMth    JOYFULNESS    AND    GLADNESS   OF     HEART,     FOR 
 
 "  THE  ABUNDANCE  OF  ALL  THINGS;  therefore  (halt  thou 
 *'  -fervc  thine  enemies  which  the  Lord  Ihall  fend  againft  thee,  in 
 
 "  hunger, 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VII.  327 
 
 *'  hunger,  and  in  third,  and  in  nakednefs,  and  in  want  of  all 
 **  things,"  Dent,  xxviii.  47,  48.  The  Lord  delighteth  in  the 
 JOY  OF  Kis  PEOPLE,  and  we  fhould  do  well  condantly  to  re- 
 member that  it  was  when  ''  the  trumpeters  and  fingers  were  as 
 **  one,  to  make  one  found  to  be  heard  in  praifing  and  thanking 
 *'  the  Lord  ;  and  when  they  litted  up  their  voice,  with  the 
 **  trumpets  and  cymbals  and  inllruments  of  mufic,  and  praifed 
 *'  the  Lord,  faying,  F  r  he  is  good;  f<ir  his  mercy 
 *'  ENDURETH  FOR  EVER."  1 1  was  when  ihis  c  H  OR  u  s  made  thc 
 temple  almoft  Ihake  wiihthe  exulting  theme,  that  "  thk  glory 
 *'  OF  THi'.  Lord  filled  the  house  of  God,"  2  Chion. 
 V.  13.  But  can  it  be,  that  Christians,  who  in  former  times 
 have  perfecuted  the  Jews  and  treated  them  with  fuch  contempt ! 
 Can  it  be  that  they  will  undergo  fuch  an  aftonifliing  alteration 
 in  fentiment,  as  to  go  up  yearly  to  Jerufalem  to  keep  the  feall:  of 
 tabernacles?  All  that  are  left  of  them  will,  Z.ch.  xiv.  16. 
 There  may  be  thofe  who  would  turn  away  with  indignation  at 
 the  very  thought,  and  thefe  if  they  continue  in  that  indignant 
 frame  of  mind  will  not  be  left  to  enjoy  the  felicity,  but  will 
 be  deftroyed  with  the  other  enemies  and  defpifers  of  the  cause 
 AND  People  of  God.  *'  Behold  ye  defpifers,  and  wonder, 
 "  and  perifh,"  Hab.  i.  5.  A6ls.  xiii.  41.  As  thefe  great  alter- 
 ations will  moft  undoubtedly  be  made  in  the  fentiments,  and 
 practices,  and  fervices  of  ChrilHans  ;  fo  may  we  with  good  rea- 
 fon  fuppofe  that  the  Lord's  covenant  with  all  mankind  in  the 
 DAYS  of  Noah,  immediately  atter  the  flood,  will  then  be 
 zealoufly  obferved  and  celebrated  by  the  daily  acknow- 
 ledgement of  that  tenure,  whereby  animal  food  is  granted 
 unto  us,  (Gen.  ix.  4,  5.)  even  the  abiUnence  from  blood,  which 
 fhall  be  poured  out  "  upon  the  earth  as  water,"  (Deut.  xii.  16.) 
 and  no  uie  be  made  of  it. 
 
 Having  thus  endeavoured  to  fliew  that  a  great  alteration 
 will  be  made  in  the  difpofitions  and  fentiments  of  Chriftians, 
 I  would  proceed  to  anfwer  your  queftion  in  the  bed:  manner  I 
 can,  but  I  fear  our  time  is  nearly  expired,  and  we  had  therefore 
 better  adjourn  it  until  our  next  interview. 
 
 EIGHTH 
 
[    3.28    ] 
 EIGHTH     DIALOGUE. 
 
 Jn  which  Reafons  are  given  for  the  Opinion y  that  previous  to  the 
 great  and  vtojt  conjpicuous  Return  of  the  Jexvs  to  their  own  handy 
 (which  will  be  cffeBed  by  the  Zeal  of  all  Nations,  to  do  that  which 
 is  moft  pleafing  to  the  Lord  God  of  IfraelJ  there  will  be  a  PAR- 
 TIAL Restoration  of  many  of  them  to  their  own  Land,  ivhich 
 tvill  probably  be  effected  by  the  Piety  of  Protefiant  Powers,  who 
 may  renounce  their  Prejudices^  againfl  them,  and  fee  that  the  NoN- 
 Reception  of  the  Christian  Doctrine  is  not  the  Bar 
 to  their  Refioration  to  the  Favour  of  God. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. 
 
 Zealous.  "^7^ THEN  I  came  to  refle6l  upon  the  fiibjedl  of  our 
 V  V  lad  converfation,  in  which  you  related  the  he- 
 sitation with  which  you  atlopted  the  opinion,  that  the  very 
 end  and  intent  of  our  Lord's  feccnd  advent  will  be  for  the  re- 
 storation of  the  kingdom  unto  Israel,  (A6ls  i.  6.); 
 and  that  ^he  Jews  are  the  elect  that  will  be  gathered  together 
 *'  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other," 
 Matt.  xxiv.  31.  It  was  much  upon  my  mind  whether  I  alfo  had 
 not  given  an  hafly  aiTent  to  the  opinion ;  but  upon  mature  delibera- 
 tion, I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  you  are  right.  The  reftoration 
 of  the  Jews  is  the  fubje£l  on  which-  the  prophets  exult  with 
 rapture,  and  feems  to  be  as  it  were  the  main  point  on  which 
 they  dwell  ;  and  I  think  that  it  muft  be  admitted  that  the  Jews 
 have  good  authority  from  fcripture  to  believe  that  their  reltora- 
 tion  to  blclfednefs  will  be  eiFeded  by  their  Meiliah  !  And  although 
 the  idea  appeared  to  you,  and  to  me  alfo,  fo  entirely  novel,  yet  I 
 am  much  miftaken  if  we  are  fo  folitary  in  our  opinion  as  you 
 imagine.  In  the  work  we  have  already  noticed,  the  BilTiop  of 
 Rochticer  expreffes  his  opinion,  "  that  the  time  for  the  reftora- 
 *'  tion  of  the  Jews  is  no  otherwife  defined,  than  as  the  season 
 **  OF  OUR  Lord's  second  advent,"  page  16.  Doth  not 
 this  exprellion  indicate  nearly  the  fame  ? 
 
 Cautious.  I  know  of  no  human  authority  that  I  w^ould  quote 
 in  fupport  of  an  opinion  with  more  pleafure  and  confidence, 
 than  the  learned  prelate,  and  it  is  certain  that  he  fixes  the  time 
 of  the  reftoration  of  the  Jev/s  at  the  feafon  of  our  Lord's  fecond 
 advent ;  but  we  muft  beware,  that  the  defire  which  we  feel  to 
 maintain  an  opinion,  doth  not  lead  us  to  quote  human  authority 
 with  too  much  confidence  and  avidity.     The  authority  which  you 
 
 quote 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIIl,  339 
 
 quote  goes  no  further  than  to  fupport  our  opinion,  that  the  feafon 
 of  the  fecond  advent  of  our  Lord  is  the  time  for  the  rcAoratiom 
 of  the  Jews;  but  it  by  no  means  follows,  that  we  fhould  be  juf- 
 tified  in  confidering  the  learned  prelate  as  the  advocate  tor  our 
 opinion,  as  to  the  circun^ftances  attendant  on  this  fecond  advent 
 of  our  Lord.  Learned  men  may  form  very  different  opinions 
 thereon,  they  may  think  they  have  good  authority  for  believing 
 that  the  defcription  of  this  great  event  is  highly  figurative,  and 
 that  it  is  only  by  its  etfe6ls  and  confequences  that  it  will  be  to  be 
 noticed  upon  earth ;  and  if  thefe  were  my  fentiments  I  fhould 
 not  hefitate  to  quote  the  following  paffages  as  leaning  that  way  : 
 *'  The  harveft  is  the  conllant  im.age  of  that  feafon  when  God 
 *'  fhail  gather  his  ele£l  from  the  four  winds  ot  heaven,  reap  the 
 *'  field  of  the  world,  gather  the  wheat  into  his  barns,  and  burn  " 
 *'  up  the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire.  Images  which  relate 
 **  not  to  the  tranflation  of  the  juif  to  heaven,  and  the  burning  of 
 *'  the  wicked  in  hell ;  but  to  the  placing  of  the  faithful  in  a  ftate 
 *'  of  peace  and  fecurity  on  earth,  and  to  the  excifion  of  the  in- 
 **  corrigible  of  the  irreligious  faction,"  page  97.  *'  The  feafon 
 *'  is  fixed  in  the  beginning  of  this  verfe,  For  afore  the  harvefl^ 
 "  &c.  This  pruning  will  immediately  precede  the  harveft,  and 
 *'  the  in-gathering.  The  feafon  of  the  harveft,  and  of  the  ga- 
 *'  thering  of  the  fruit,  is  the  prophetic  image  of  that  period, 
 **  when  our  Lord  will  fend  forth  his  angels,  to  gather  his  ele(St 
 *'  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven :   of   that  period,  when 
 
 *'  A  RENEWED  PREACHING  OF  THE  GOSPEL  WILL  TAKE 
 *'    PLACE  IN  ALL  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD  ;    of  which,  the  COn- 
 
 "  verfion  of  the  Jews  will  perhaps  be  the  firft  effedf.  The  purifi- 
 *^  cation  of  the  Chriftian  church,  by  the  awful  vifitations  predidled 
 "  in  this  paifage,  feems  to  be  the  proper  preparative  for  this  re- 
 **  newal  of  the  call,  to  them  that  are  near,  the  Jews;  and  to 
 *'  them  that  are  yet  far  off,  the  Gentile  tribes  not  yet  con- 
 *'  verted,"  page  85.  Whatever  confidence  I  may  derive  from 
 the  authority  of  the  learned  biftiop,  as  far  as  it  goes,  yet  I  am 
 ready  to  confefs,  that  I  fliould  conceive  myfelf  highly  reprehen- 
 fible  if  I  were  to  leave  you  under  the  impreffion,  that  my  opi- 
 nions were  altogether  fupported  by  him  ;  for  \  acknowledge  that 
 I  am  of  opinion,  that  much  of  this  paffage  concerning  our 
 Lord's  coming,  is  to  be  taken  nearly  literally,  which  I  am  per- 
 fuaded  is  not  allowed  by  the  learned  prelate;  and  although  I 
 would  quote  the  fame  authority  in  fupport  of  my  opinion,  that 
 *'  the  great  body  of  the  Jewifh  people  will  be  converted  previous 
 "  to  their  reftoration  ;  and  being  converted,  will  be  ailifted  by 
 *'  Chriftian  nations  of  the  uncircumcifion,  in  fettling  themfelves 
 *'  in  their  ancient  feats:"  yet  I  muft  profefs,  that  I  by  no  means 
 think  that  their  non-reception  of  the  Chriftian  religion  is  the  bar 
 to  their  profperity,  or  to  the  favour  of  God  towards  them  ;  fo  far 
 the  reverfe,  that  I  think  we  have  good  ground  from  fcripture  to 
 
 U  u  conclude. 
 
^3^  DIALOGUE    VIII.  pARt  IT. 
 
 conclude,  that  there  will  be  areftoration  of  many  of  the  Jewifh 
 nation,  and  a  confiderable  fettleraent  of  them  in  the  Holy  Land, 
 by  the  returning  mercy  of  the    Lord   God  of  their  fathers    to-- 
 wards  them,  previous  to  the  great  alteration  which 
 
 THEIR  MINPS  WILL  EXPERIENCE  CONCERNING  THE  CHRIS- 
 TIAN RELIGION.  I  acknowledge,  that  in  this  opinion  I  have 
 the  authority  of  the  learned  bifhop  directly  against  me, 
 for  he  exprefTes  himfelf  in  thefe  words,  "  I  agree  with  you, 
 **  that  fome  paffages,  in  ZecHariah  in  particular,  make  ftrongly- 
 "  for  this  notion  of  a  previous  fettlement  of  worfe  than  uncon- 
 **  verted  Jews.  But  I  am  not  without  hope,  from  the  fame 
 *'  paffages,  that  the  great  body  of  the  converted  Jews  returning 
 *<  will  find  thofe  firil  fettlers,  broken  off  from  the  antichriftian 
 **  fadlion,  in  a  (late  of  deep  contrition,  and  ready  to  receive 
 **  their  brethren  with  open  arms.  So  the  whole  race  fhall  be 
 **  offered  to  Jehovah  at  Mount  Zion,  and  not  one  of  Ifrael  fhall 
 **  be  lofl.  And  fo  far,  but  no  farther,  I  can  admit  an  IN- 
 •'  choate  restoration  of  the  Jews,  antecedent  to 
 •*  their  conversion;  and  a  fettlement  of  a  fmall  body  of 
 *•*  them,  in  the  Holy  Land,  by  the  antichriflian  powers.  But 
 *'  this,  I  repeat,  is  not  the  great  fubjedl  to  which  the  pro- 
 **  phecy  relates,  the  general  refloration  of  the  Jewifh  people  ;  a 
 **  bufmefs  in  which  the  atheiilical  fadion  will  have  no  fliare," 
 page  105. 
 
 Zealous.  This  is  the  very  fubje6l  concerning  which  I  put  a 
 queftion  to  you  in  our  lafl  converfation,  and  you  will  much 
 oblige  me  if  you  will  give  me  your  reafons  for  diffenting  from 
 fuch  high  authority  ;  and  when  you  have  complied  with  this 
 requefl,  I  fhall  beg  you  to  notice  thofe  particulars  in  your  opinions 
 concerning  the  fecond  advent  of  our  Lord,  in  which  you  do  not 
 confider  yourfelf  fupported  by  the  fame  high  authority. 
 
 Cautious.  I  will,  to  the  befl  of  my  ability,  not  only  declare 
 to  you  my  opinions  upon  thefe  points,  but  give  you  my  reafons 
 for  adopting  them,  (1  Pet.  iii.  15.);  and  firfl,  concerning  the 
 refloration  of  the  Jews. 
 
 In  proportion  to  the  importance  of  any  expelled  event,  in  like 
 proportion  is  it  natural  for  us  to  defire  to  poffefs  information 
 concerning  its  approach."  When  Ifrael  groaned  under  the  tafk- 
 maflers  of  Egypt,  if  there  exifted  any  tradition  among  them, 
 that  the  period  of  their  affliilion  was  limited  to  "  four  hundred 
 **  years,''  and  that  in  the  *'  fourth  generation"  they  would  re- 
 ceive deliverance,  (Gen.  xv.  13,  16.}  how  anxioufly  muft  they 
 have  marked  the  figns  of  the  times!  When  the  houfe  of  Judah 
 were  in  captivity  at  Babylon,  we  obferve  Daniel  fludying  and 
 underftanding  the  word  of  the  Lord,  delivered  by  Jeremiah  the 
 prophet,  "that  he  would  accomplifh  feventy  years  in  the  dcfo- 
 **  lations  of  Jerufalem,"  Dan.  ix.  2.  Even  when  the  Jews 
 'Were  in  pofTcfTion  of  their  own  land,  their  city  Jerufalem,  and  their 
 
 temple. 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    VIII.  331 
 
 temple,  and  enjoyed  the  undifturbed  pofTeflion  of  their  religious 
 privileges  ;  yet  as  they  were  fubjedl  to  a  foreign  yoke,  we  fee 
 with  what  folicitude  our  Lord's  difciples  inquired  as  to  ihat 
 better  ftate  of  things  which  they  ardently  longed  to  behold,  and 
 concerning  which  (after  his  refurre£lion  from  the  dead)  they  put 
 the  important  queltion  unto  him,  **  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time 
 *'  reftore  again  the  kingdom  unto  Ifrael?"  Ads  i.  6.  The 
 times  and  feafons  may  be  for  wife  purpofes  hidden  from  us,  and 
 yet  thofe  who  anxiouily  wait  for  the  REDEMPTION  of  Israel 
 may  poflibly  be  enabled  with  humble  diffidence  to  form  fome 
 ideas  upon  the  fubjedl,  fo  far  as  to  mark  the  awful  signs 
 
 OF   ITS  gradual  approach. 
 
 I  think  that  there  is  a  progreflion  obfervable  in  their  re- 
 turn, and  that  there  is  good  ground  from  fcripture  to  believe, 
 that  there  will  be  a  fettlement  of  the  Jews  in  the.  Holy  Land, 
 previous  to  any  confiderable  alteration  in  their  fentiments 
 concerning  the  Chriftian  religion.  In  order  to  mark  the  pro- 
 greflion, let  us  invert  the  order,  and  in  the  firft  place,  conlider 
 that  most  conspicuous  return  which  will  be  effedled  by 
 the  zeal  and  inftrumentality  of  all  nations. 
 
 This  great  event,  as  is  juftly  obferved  by  that  learned  prelate, 
 to  whom  we,  and  "  all  thofe  who  in  thefe  eventful  times  are 
 *'  anxioufly  waiting  for  the  redemption  of  Ifrael,  and  marking  the 
 **  awful  figns  of  its  gradual  approach,"  (page  4)  are  fo  greatly 
 indebted,  is  *'  the  season  of  the  second  advent  of  our 
 ♦*  Lord,"  page  14.  He  thusexprefles  himfelf  in  his  Letter  to. 
 Mr.  King,  <<  You  think  the  French  are  defcribed  in  that 
 **  chapter,  (Ifaiah  xviii.)  as  the  reftorers  of  the  Jews^  It  is 
 **  my  opinion,  on  the  contrary,  that  the  time  for  the  reitoration  of 
 **  the  Jews  is  no  otherwife  defined  than  as  the  feafon  of  our  Lord's 
 *<  fecond  advent.  I  contend,  that  although  this  eighteenth  chap- 
 **  ter  of  Ifaiah  defcribes  a  people  deftined  to  be  the  inftruments 
 **  of  Providence  in  the  reftoration  of  the  Jews,  it  defcribes  that 
 <*  people  only  by  certain  characters,  which  have  adlually  belongeci 
 *'  to  different  people  in  different  periods  of  the  hiftory  of  man, 
 **  and  leaves  it  undetermined  to  what  people,  among  the  various 
 <'  nations  of  the  earth,  thefe  chara£lers  may  belong,  when  the 
 **  time  fhall  come  for  the  accompliihm^nt  of  the  prophecy  ;  and 
 **  I  contend,  that  it  Is  a  matter  equally  undetermined,  from 
 *'  what  place  the  reftoration  of  the  Jews  will  begin.  But  al- 
 *'  though  I  pretend  not  pofitively  to  fay,  what  nation  God  has 
 *'  chofen  to  be  the  conductors  of  the  Ifraelites  to  their  ancient 
 *'  feats,  and  maintain  that  prophecy,  gives  no  clear  light  upon 
 *<  that  quertion:  I  fay  negatively,  that  there  is- no  reafon  to  be- 
 "  lieve,  that  the  atheiftical  democracy  of  France  is  deftined  to  fo 
 "  high  an  office,"  page  16.  When  this  great  event  takes  place, 
 it  is  clear  that  the  fentiments  and  inclinations  of  both  Jews  and 
 Chriltians  jire  very  different  from  their  prefent  fentiments  and 
 
 inclinations  5^ 
 
332  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  IL 
 
 inclinations  ;  for  it  is  an  a£l  of  zealous  piety  to  the'  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael,   that  thofe   perform   v/ho   condu6l    the    people   of   God 
 
 WITH     **  POMP  AS  A  PRESENT  TO  JeHOVAH,  TO   THE   PL'E 
 
 **  OF  HIS  NAME,  TO  MouNT  ZioN,"  page  79.  What  prir.ci- 
 ple,  but  ZEALOUS  PIETY  to  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  could  indu.e 
 ALL  NATIONS  to  fupply  his  people  with  every  poliible  accor  - 
 modationin  their  return,  in  which  dignity,  eafe,  fafety,  and  fpeed 
 fliall  be  united?"  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  20.  What  principle  but  piety 
 towards  the  Lord  could  induce  the  nations  a6tually  and  literally  to 
 bow  their  arms  and  their  fhoulders  to  fuch  a  fervice  ?  **  They 
 '*  fhall  bring  thy  fons  in  their  arms,  and  thy  daughters  ihall  be 
 *'  carried  upon  their  fhoulders,"  Ifaiah  xllx,  22.  What  princi- 
 ple but  piety  towards  the  Lord  God  could  induce  the  cities  to 
 confult  about  fending  deputies,  ana  fending  them  "  to  feek  the 
 *'  Lord  of  holts  in  Jerufalem,  and  to  pray  before  the  Lord;" 
 and  ten  men  of  different  nations  unite  to  become  the  train-bearers 
 of  one  Jew  in  his  progrefs  to  Jerufalem,  to  keep  the  feafts  of  the 
 Xord  ?  Zech.  viii.  20,  23.  What  di.-ferent  feniations  muft  then 
 alfo  glow  in  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  !  But  we  are  at  no  lofs  to 
 alcertain  how  this  great  chancre  in  the  fentiments  and  inclinations 
 of  both   Jews  and   Chriitians  is  to  be  effected.     There  are  now 
 
 VERY  MANY  WHO  ANXIOUSLY  WAIT  FOR  THE  REDEMP- 
 TION OF  Israel,  AND  WHO  mark  the  awful  signs  of 
 ITS  gradual  approach  ;  thefe  are  already  prepared,  and  the 
 Tiumber  may  greatly  increafe  :  but  it  is  by  means  of  thofe  awful 
 judgments,  when  the  Lord  will  confume  and  deftroy  the  great 
 enemy  with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  the  brightnefs  of  his 
 coming,  (2  Theff.  ii.  8.)  ;  it  is  by  that  great  vifitation,  whereby 
 he  will  fmite  the  nations  Avilh  the  fharp  fwoi'd  of  his  mouth  ;  it 
 is  by  that  iron  rod  with  which  he  will  rule  the  nations,  (Rev.  xix, 
 15.)  ;  it  is  by  thofe  tremendous  judgments  which  the  enemies  of 
 the  worfhippers  of  the  only  true  God  will  feel  and  experience  ; 
 it  is  by  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  (Rev.  xvi.)  being 
 poured  out  in  quick  fucceilion  upon  the  earth,  and  the  enemies 
 of  God  who  then  dwell  thereon  ;  and  in  particular  it  is  by  the 
 pouring  out  of  the  seventh  vial  which  produces  that 
 great  earthquake,  such  an  earthquake  as  hath 
 jjever  yet  been  "since  men  were  upon  the  earth," 
 (Rev.  xvi.  i8.)  in  which  the  cities  of  the  nations  fall, 
 and  great  Babylon  comes  in  remembrance  before  God  to 
 give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fiercencfs  of  his  wrath  ; 
 it  is  by  that  tremendous  hail,  every  ftone  about  the 
 •weight  of  a  talent,  like  huge  cannon  balls,  the  artillery  of  hea- 
 ven! (Rev.  xvi  1- — 21.' Job  xxxviii.  23.)  ;  it  is  chiefly  by  thefe 
 means,  that  thofe  who  are  not  deftroyed  by  them  will  have  this 
 great  alteration  produced  in  their  inclinations  and  difpofitions. 
 As  to  the  alteration  in  the  fentiments  of  the  Jews,  it  feems  to  be 
 efFefted  in  a  manner  which  ihews  the  return  qf  God's  fa- 
 vour 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  <333 
 
 VOUR  TOWARDS  THEM;  it  does  not  feem  to  be  produced  lb 
 much  by  judgment  as  by  mercy,  it  is  produced  by  their  beholding 
 the  11  gn  or  the  Son  of  Man  in  heaven:  they  mourn,  (Matt. 
 xxiv.  30. j  THEY  repent!  "And  it  Ihall  come  to  pafs  in  that 
 day,  that  I  will  feekto  deftroy  all  the  nations  that  come  againft 
 Jerufalcm.  And  I  will  pour  upon  the  houfe  of  David,  and 
 upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerufalem,  the  fpirit  of  grace  and  of 
 fi.'ppliLations:  and  they  Ihall  look  upon  me  whom  they 
 Have  pierced,  and  they  (hall  mourn  for  him,  asonemourn- 
 eth  tor  his  only  fon,  and  iliall  be  in  bitternefs  for  him,  as  one 
 that  is  in  bitternefs  for  his  firlt-born.  In  that  day  fhall  there 
 be  a  great  mourning  in  Jerufalem,  as  the  mourning  of  Hada-  ■ 
 drimmon  in  the  valley  of  Megiddon.  And  the  land  fhall 
 mourn,  every  family  apart ;  the  family  of  the  houfe  of  David 
 apart,  and  their  wives  apart;  the  family  of  the  houfe  of  Na- 
 than apart,  and  their  wives  apart  ;  the  family  of  the  houfe  of 
 Levi  apart,  and  their  wives  apart ;  the  family  of  Shimei  apart, 
 and  their  wives  apart;  all  the  families  that  remain,  every 
 family  apart,  and  their  wives  apart,  Zech.  xii.  9 — 14.  It  is 
 true  thit  it  will  be  **  a  time  of  trouble,  fuch  as  never  was  fmce 
 there  was  a  nation,  even  to  that  fame  time:"  but  ''  at  that 
 
 TIME   thy    people    SHALL    BE    DELIVERED,    EVERY    ONE 
 
 FOUND  WRITTEN  IN  THE  BOOK,"  Dan.  xii.  1.  **  Where- 
 fore do  I  fee  every  man  with  his  hands  on  his  loins,  as  a  wo- 
 man in  travail,  and  all  faces  are  turned  into  palenefs  ?  Alas! 
 for  that  day  is  great,  fo  that  none  is  like  it :  it  is  even  the 
 time  of  Jacob's  trouble  ;  but  he  shall  be  saveb 
 OUT  OF  IT.  For  it  fhall  come  to  pafs  in  that  day,  faith  the 
 Lord  of  hoifs,  that  I  will  break  his  yoke  from  off  thy  neck, 
 and  will  burft  thy  bonds,  and  ffrangers  fhall  no  more  ferve 
 themfelves  of  him  :  but  they  fliall  ferve  the  Lord  their  God, 
 and  David  their  king,  whom  I  will  raife  up  unto  them,"  Jer. 
 XXX.  6 — 9. 
 
 In  Rev.  xii.  we  read  of  the  church  fleeing  into  the  wilder- 
 nefs,  to  the  place  prepared  of  God  for  her,  where  fhe  is  nou- 
 rifhed  from  the  face  of  the  ferpent:  and  in  Ezekiel  xx,  35 — 37, 
 are  thefe  words:  *'  And  I  will  bring  you.  into  the  Avildernefs  of 
 "  the  people,  and  there  will  I  plead  with  you  face  to  face. 
 *'  Like  as  I  pleaded  with  your  fathers  in  the  wilder nefs  of  the 
 "  land  of  Egypt,  fo  will  I  plead  with  you,  faith  the  Lord  God. 
 *'  And  I  will  ca\ife  you  to  pafs  under  the  rod,  and  I  will  bring 
 *'  you  into  the  bond  of  the  covenant." — *'  And  ye  fliall  know 
 **  that  I  am  the  Lord,  when  I  ihall  bring  you  into  the  land  of 
 **  Ifrael,  into  the  country  for  the  which  I  lifted  up  mine  hand 
 *'~togiveit  to  your  fathers.  And  there  fliall  ye  remember 
 **  your  ways,  and  all  your  doings,  wherein  ye  have  been  defiled; 
 <*  and  ye  fluU  loathe  yourselves  in  your  own  sight  for 
 
 *'  all 
 
334  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 "  all  3'Oiir  evils  that  ye  have  committed,"  Extk.  xx.  42,  43.     It 
 
 is  EVEN   THE   TIME   OF  JaCOr's  TROUBLK. 
 
 Zealous.  Of  Jacob's  trouble  1  why  of  Jacob's  trouble?  what 
 was  Jacob's  trouble  ? 
 
 Cautious.  You  will  find  Jacob's  trnnble  fully  related  in 
 Genefis  xxxii.  He  fent  meflengers  to  inform  his  brother  Efau 
 of  his  coming,  and  to  fay,  "  I  have  fent  to  tell  my  lord,  that  I 
 **  may  find  grace  in  thy  fight." — **  And  the  melTengers  returned 
 **  to  Jacob,  faying,  We  came  to  thy  brother  Efau,  and  alfo  he 
 "  Cometh  to  meet  thee,  and  four  hundred  men  w;th 
 *<  HIM.  Then  Jacob  was  greatly  afp.aid  and  dis- 
 "  tressed!"  He  cried  to  the  Lord  in  his  trouble,  and  he  de- 
 livered him  out  of  his  diilrefs!  *' And  Jacob  faid,  O  God  of 
 **  m.y  father  Abraham,  and  God  of  my  lather  Ifaac,  the  Lord 
 **  which  faidft  unto  me,  Return  unto  thy  country,  and 
 
 **    TO  THY  kindred,    AND  I  WILL    DEAL  WELL    WITH    THEE: 
 
 **  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  leaft  of  all  the  mercies,  and  of  all 
 *'  the  truth,  which  thou  hall  Ihevvxd  unto  thy  fervant ;  for  with 
 **  my  Half  I  palfed  over  this  Jordan,  and  now  I  am  become  two 
 *f  bands.  Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  from  the  hand  of  my 
 *'  brother,  from  the  hand  of  Efau:  for  I  fear  him,  left  he  will 
 '*  come  and  fmite  me,  and  the  mother  with  the  children.  And 
 *<  thou  faidft,  I  will  furely  do  thee  good,  and  make  thy  feed  as. 
 **  the  fand  of  the  fea,  which  cannot  be  numbered  for  multitude." 
 The  fequel  contains  great  consolation  !  it  fliews  that  where 
 the  Lord  gives  faith  to  truft  in  him,  that  prayer  is  pc^wer^ 
 and  that  all  hearts  and  all  events  are  in  his  hand,  and  that  hq 
 takes  pleafure  in  appearing  for  the  relief  of  thofe  that  cry  mightily 
 unto  him ! 
 
 If  it  refults  from  what  has  been  obferved,  that  there  is  evi» 
 dently  a  great  alteration  to  take  place  in  the  Jews  at  Jerufalem 
 cfpecially,  and  in  the  Eloly  Land ;  even  by  mourning  on  account 
 of  him  whom  they  have  pierced,  which  will  be  as  it  were  the 
 prelude  of  the  glorious  return  of  the  rell  of  their  nation; 
 it  is  very  natural  for  us  to  inquire,  how  came  thefe  Jews  to 
 Jerufalem?  If  we  read,  before  thefe  great  events  come  to  pafs^ 
 that  there  will  be  the  temple  of  God  and  the  altar  in  the 
 holy  city.  If  we  are  permitted  to  fee  the  worfliippcrs  of 
 the  Lord  God  worfhipping  therein  at  Jerusalem,  before  thefe 
 events  take  place,  it  is  very  natural  for  us  to  inquire  how  camq 
 they  there?  Thefe  are  queiUons  eafily  alked,  but  not  fo  eafily 
 anfwered.'  The  particulars  may  have  been  concealed  for  gra-. 
 cious  purpofes ;  the  words  of  the  voices  of  the  sevent 
 thunders  are  sealed  up,  and  we  are  therefore  left  to  gather 
 that  information  which  it  ha;i  pleafed  God  to  give  us  concerning 
 this  important  fubjecl,  from  what  he  hath  declared  to  his  ancient 
 fervants,  the  prophets.  Rev.  x.  7.  If  we  can  find  any  information, 
 in  their  books,  v/e  are  at  liberty  to  benefit  by  it,  ever  remembering 
 
 that 
 
Part  II.         DIALOGUE    VIII.  335 
 
 that  on  fuch  a  fubjecSl  the  greatefl  caution  is  to  be  obferved.  We 
 will  firft  then  notice  the  idea  which  the  learned  prelate  hath  fo 
 zealoufly  combated  in  his  letter  to  Mr.  King.  It  feems  beyond 
 doubt  that  no  atheilHcal  democracy !  no  apoftate  facSlion !  no 
 revolutionary  government !  will  ever  have  the  honour  of  becom- 
 ing the  indruments  of  Providence  in  that  restoration 
 which  we  have  noticed,  inafmuch  as  we  have  feen  that  no  prin- 
 ciple, can  produce  fuch  conduct,  but  piety  towards  God: 
 the  wicked  may  be,  and  frequently  are,  made  ufe  of  in  efFcding 
 the  purpofes  of  God;  but  thefe  are  generally  ufcd  as  his  rods 
 and  fcourges:  they  are  feldom  ufed  to  efted  his  purpofes  of 
 mercy,  but  I  think  the  matter  is  put  beyond  doubt  by"  this,  that 
 
 previous  to  THIS  GLORIOUS   RETURN  the  GREAT    ENEMIES 
 
 are  deftroyed;  and  by  the  awful  example  of  their  deitru6lion,  ail- 
 that  are  left  of  the  nations  of  the  earth  are  converted  to  the 
 FEAR  AND  WORSHIP  OF  THE  TRUE  GoD,  are  become zealous 
 in  his  fervice,  and  are  reprefented  as  exultingly,  and  with  good 
 will,  bearing  the  firfl  fruits,  the  most  acceptable  present 
 
 THEY     can     present     TO     HIM,     CONVEYING     HIS     PEOPLE 
 
 TOWARDS  ZiON.  As  the  prefent  is  a  prefent  of  v/orlliippers, 
 fo  are  thofe  who  prefent  it  worlhippers  aUo;  in  fa6t  the  ene- 
 mies are  then  deftroyed,  and  with  this  great  change  efFeded 
 by  the  mighty  power  of  God,  thac  glorious  state  com- 
 mences, in  which  *'  the  kingdom,  and  the  dominion,  and  the 
 **  greatnefs  of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven  fhall  be 
 *'  given  to  the  people  of  the  faints  of  the  Moil:  High,  whofe 
 **  kingdom  is  an  everlafling  kingdom,  and  all  dominions  Ihall 
 *'  ferve  and  obey  him,"  Dan.  vii.  27. 
 
 Zealous.  I  entirely  approve  of  what  you  have  faid,  and  the 
 mode  you  have  adopted  ;  by  inverting  the  order,  you  have  fleered 
 clear  of  difficulties,  and  are  now  come  to  the  very  point  on 
 which  I  am  defirous  to  receive  information ;  I  have  perceived, 
 that  although  you  have  quoted  the  book  of  the  learned  bilhop 
 with  fo  much  refpedl,  yet  that  you  do  not  entirely  agree  with 
 him;  I  am  anxious  therefore  to  afcertain  the  points  in  which  you 
 differ  from  him,  and  to  hear  what  you  have  to  fay  in  juftification 
 of  a  diflent  from  fuch  high  authority.  At  the  fame  time  I  admit, 
 and  am  firmly  perfuaded,  that  this  mourning  of  the  Jewifii 
 families  at  Jerufalem,  on  beholding  him  whom  they  have 
 PIERCED,  muft  be  the  very  event  of  their  conversion;  the 
 alteration  produced  by  being  convinced  by  demonftration 
 that  he  whom  their  fathers  required  to  be  crucified,  was  and  is 
 their  true  Messiah,  (Zech.  xii.  9 — 14.)?  ^'""^  ^^  it  is  in  the 
 land  of  Ifrael  in  which  they  will  be  thus  convinced,  as  it  is  in 
 the  land  of  Ifrael  in  which  they  will  remember  their  ways,  and 
 loathe  themfelves  in  their  own  fight  for  all  their  evils  that  they 
 have  committed,  (Ezek.  xx.  42,  43.)  it  is  manifeil  that  they 
 mull  have  been  previoufly  permitted  to  return  there  before  this 
 
 alteration 
 
336  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 alteration  takes  place,  "^'ou  have  therefore  proved  to  my  fatis- 
 fadtion  that  there  will  be  a  fettlement  of  the  Jews  in  the  Holy 
 Land,  previous  to  their  great  converfion  ;  but  the  quelHon  is,  in 
 what  manner  came  they  there  r 
 
 Cautious.  That  is  the  quefllon:  thofe  who  conclude  that  it 
 cannot  be,  that  any  fymptom  of  God's  returning  favour  towards 
 the  Jewilli  nation  can  be  bellowed  upon  them  until  they  have 
 altered  their  fentiments  concerning  the  Chriftian  religion,  are 
 confiltent  in  imagining  that  this  previous  fettlement  may  be  "  a 
 **  fettlement  of  a  fniall  body  of  them  in  the  Holy  Land  by  the 
 **  antichriftian  powers,"  and  in  fuppofmg  that  this  firil  fettle- 
 ment may  be  of  "  worse  than  unconverted  Jews;"  but 
 I  hope  there  is  no  ground  for  fuch  an  opinion  :  it  would  grieve 
 me  very  much  were  I  to  imagine  that  thofe  who  will  be  the 
 FIRST  RESTORED  to  the  Holy  Land,  will  be  fettled  there  by 
 THE  ANTICHRISTIAN  POWERS,  and  that  they  will  be  wicked 
 Jews:  the  learned  prelate  certainly  entertains  the  idea,  that  this 
 previous  fettlement  will  be  a  fettlement  of  A  small  body  of 
 THEM,  that  this  fmall  body  of  the  Jews  will  be  fettled  there, 
 by  the  antichristian  powers,  and  that  they  will  be  not 
 only  unconverted  Jews,  but  worse  than  unconverted 
 Jews:  I  mud  confefs,  that  in  this  matter  I  do  not  agree  with 
 him. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  fure  you  would  not  prcfume  to  differ  from  fuch 
 high  authority,  unlefs  you  conceived  that  you  had  very  good 
 ground  for  your  dilfent;  I  mult  therefore  requell  you  to  give  me 
 your  reafons. 
 
 Cautions.  I  have  no  objection,  and  I  fliall  arrange  them  under 
 the  following  heads:  firft,  I  fhall  make  a  few  obfervations  con- 
 cerning the  melTage  and  meifengers,  mentioned  in  the  i8th  of 
 Ifaiah,  upon  which  the  learned  bifhop  hath  beftowed  fo  much 
 labour.  Secondly,  I  fliall  endeavour  to  ihew,  that  the  firft 
 expected  return  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land,'  will  not  be  merely 
 a  return  of  a  small  body  of  them.  Thirdly,  I  Ihall  give  my 
 reafons  for  hoping  that  it  will  not  be  by  means  of  the  anti- 
 christian powers  that  they  will  be  invited,  and  permitted 
 to  return.  Fourthly,  I  Ihall  give  my  reafons  for  hoping  that 
 thefe  firft  fettlers  (notwithftanding  they  may  not  at  their  firft 
 fettlement  be  enabled  to  fee  that  our  bleiTed  Saviour  is  their  true 
 Mefliah)  are  not  of  the  antichriftian  faction,  which  the  learned 
 bilhop  fuppofes,  when  he  calls  them  worse  than  uncon- 
 verted Jews.  And  fifthly,  I  fliall  inquire  whether  we  are 
 enabled  to  form  any  well-founded  expeftations  from  fcripture, 
 concerning  the  country  in  which  thefe  meftengers  are  to  arife,  or 
 concerning  thofe  nations  from  which  this  firft  expeiSled  emigration 
 of  the  Jews  towards  Zion  is  to  take  place. 
 
 7.eaIous.  If  you  can  give  me  any  fatisfadlion  upon  thefe 
 points,  I  (hall  moft  thankfully  acknowledge  it  as  a  favour.     My 
 
 mind 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE    VIII.  337 
 
 mind  has  been  much  engaged  in  meditating  upon  this  previous 
 SETTLEMENT  of  the  Jews  ■  and  the  prol'peft  of  it,  as  reprefented 
 by  the  learned  biihop,  hath  been  like  a  weight  upon  my  heart, 
 for  he  reprefents  them  as  the  accomplices  of  the  great  enemy, 
 
 as  WORSE   THAN   UNCONVERTED  JeWS. 
 
 Cautious.  Unity  of  fentiment  and  afFeftion  will  produce  unity 
 of  fenfation  ;  and  I  am  not  furprifed  that  thefe  words  have  been 
 as  BITTER  to  you,  as  they  have  been  to  me  :  worse  than 
 UNCONVERTED  Jews  !  The  words  certainly  imply,  that  the 
 unconverted  Jews  are  very  bad,  but  thefe  are  worse:  I  muft 
 fay  that  I  was  much  furprifed  at  meeting  with  the  exprellion  in. 
 a  book,  whofe  author  hath  fo  amply  Ihewn  that  he  is  one  of 
 thofe  who  are  "  anxioufly  waiting  for  the  redemption  of  Ifrael, 
 *'  and  marking  the  awful  figns  of  its  gradual  approach;"  but  • 
 you  mult  not  attribute  the  Itrength  of  the  exprellion  to  any  ill- 
 will  towards  the  Jews  ;  the  learned  biihop  doth  not  reprefent 
 them  as  outcaits  from  the  favour  of  God,  as  fome  others  have 
 done;  he  doth  not,  like  Biihop  Warburton,  fpeak  of  God's 
 reign  over  the  Jews  ending  with  the  abolition  of  the  temple 
 fervice;  but,  on  the  contrary,  afferts,  that  "the  people  of  the 
 *'  Jewk  have  been  from  their  very  beginning,  are  at  this  day, 
 *'  and  will  be  to  the  end  of  time,  a  people  venerable  in  a- 
 *'  religious  SENSE,  awfully  remarkable  on  account  of  that 
 *'  fpecial  providence  evidently  attending  them,"  The  learned 
 bifliop  hath  Itrong  zeal,  and  there  are  expreflions  in  the  book 
 which  prove,  that  whenever  he  is  fpeaking  of  the  great  enemy 
 and  his  adherents,  his  indignation  cannot  be  fupprelTed.  He 
 has  adopted  the  opinion  of  the  early  fathers,  that  a  fmall  band 
 of  apoltate  Jews  will  be  aflive  inilruments  in  the  perfecutions  of 
 the  great  Antichrill ;  and  it  is  to  this  fuppofed  connexion  that  we- 
 are  to  attribute  the  llrong  exprellion  which  hath  been  fo  hard 
 OF  DIGESTION  both  to  you  and  me. 
 
 Zealous.  The  firit  point  you  are  to  confider,  is  concerning  the 
 melTage  which  the  learned  biihop  gathers  from  the  effeil  pro- 
 duced by  it.  In  his  obfervations  on  Ifaiah  xviii.  he  thus  ex- 
 prelTes  himfelf  in  page  jy :  "We  have  now  heard  melTengers 
 fummoned ;  we  have  heard  a  command  given  them  to  go 
 fwiftly  with  the  meflage ;  we  have  heard  the  people  defcribed 
 to  whom  the  meifage  was  to  be  carried ;  it  might  be  expe6led 
 that  we  fhould  next  hear  the  meflage  given  to  the  melTengers, 
 in  precife  terms  :  in  prophecy  the  curtain  (if  the  exprellion 
 may  be  allowed)  is  often  fuddenly  dropped  upon  the  adion 
 that  is  going  on,  before  it  is  finilhed ;  and  the  fubjeft  is  con- 
 tinued in  a  ihifted  fcene,  as  it  were  of  vifion." — "  In  the 
 prefent  inftance,  the  fcene  of  melTengers  fent  upon  a  meflage 
 is  fuddenly  clofed  with  this  fecond  verfe,  before  the  meflengers 
 fet  out,  before  even  the  melTage  is  given  to  them.  But  the 
 new  objedls  which  are  immediately  brought  in  view  evidently 
 
 X  X  **  reprefent. 
 
33S  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  II, 
 
 **  reprcfent,  under  the  nfual  emblems  of  facred  prophecy,  other 
 <*  parts  of  the  farae  entire  a6lion ;  and  declare  with  the  greatelt 
 "  perfpicuity  the  purport,  the  feafon,  and  the  effedl  of  the 
 <*  meflage." 
 
 Cautious.  There  are  undoubtedly  wife  purpofes  to  be  anfwered 
 by  this  concealment ;  and  although  Ave  may  hope  and  pray,  that 
 our  nation  may  have  the  high  honour  and  advantage  of  being 
 engaged,  in  contributing  at  the  proper  time  to  carry  into  effeft 
 God's  now  and  long  hidden  and  mysterious  purposes 
 OF  MERCY  TOWARDS  THE  Jews;  and  although  we  may  cry 
 mightily  unto  the  Lord,  that  we  as  a  nation  may  be  still 
 preserved  from  joining  in  the  great  confederacy  which 
 will  be  formed  againfl:  the  truth  and  the  God  of  truth,  yet 
 let  us  not  fufFer  our  hopes  to  betray  our  difcretion  in  pronouncing 
 any  pofitive  and  decided  opinion  upon  matters,  which  for  wife 
 purpofes  have  been,  and  may  ftill  be,  ftudioufly  concealed  from 
 our  view.  I  am  perfuaded  that  there  is  a  defigned  conceal- 
 ment in  this  matter,  which  is  to  anfwer  gracious  purpofes  :  the 
 Lord's  intended  mercy  towards  his  own  peculiar  people  is  mod 
 amply  declared  in  the  books  of  the  prophets,  but  there  are  cer- 
 tainly fome  circumltances  attendant  thereon  which  it  hath  pleafed 
 God  to  conceal  for  a  time.  I  need  not  repeat  what  I  have 
 already  faid  upon  this  fubje61:.  If  meflfengers  are  called  and 
 ordained  to  go  on  a  meflage,  and  then  without  either  the  words 
 of  the  meflage  being  recorded,  or  the  proceedings  of  the  mef- 
 fengers  being  declared,  we  are  left  to  gather  both  the  purport  of 
 the  meflage,  and  the  proceedings  and  fuccefs  of  the  mellengers, 
 from  the  effeds  produced,  viz.  the  restoration  of  the 
 Jews  in  pomp  towards  Zion,  as  a  present  to  the 
 God  of  their  fathers,  we  can  only  fupply  the  chafm  by 
 conjefture. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  very  true;  and  although  in  a  matter  which  fo 
 greatly  interefls  our  feelings,  we  cannot  but  be  defirous  to  form 
 an  opinion,  yet  we  fhould  beware  that  we  do  not  become  posi- 
 tive. When  we  obferve  that  there  is  but  little  light  upon  the 
 path  we  tread,  it  fhould  induce  us  to  ftep  very  cautioufly. 
 
 Cautious.  The  learned  bifhop  looks  forward  to  a  renewed 
 preaching  of  the  gofpel,  of  which  the  converfion  of  the  Jews 
 •will  probably  be  the  firfl:  efFeft. 
 
 Zealous.  The  bifhop  doth  not  feem  to  view  this  purport  of 
 the  meffage  in  the  leafl  degree  conjectural;  doubtlefs  he 
 views  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews  as  a  crime  which  is  the  bar  to 
 their  prosperity,  and  that  this  bar  mufl  be  firft  removed,  and 
 therefore  concludes  that  this  meflage  to  be  delivered  to  them  b/ 
 the  fwift  meflengers,  who  are  noticed  in  Ifaiah  xviii.  will  be  ef- 
 ficacious to  convert  them  to  Chriilianity. 
 
 Cautious.  Whatever  may  be  the  purport  of  the  melTage,  this 
 is  certain,  that  the  efFeds  refulling  from  it  are  moil  confpicuous : 
 
 the 
 
Part  IT.  DIALOGUE    VIII.  339 
 
 THE  Jews  are  restored  with  pomp  to  their  own 
 land!  Contraft  this  with  the  prefent  fituation  of  the  Jews; 
 they  are  not  now  permitted  to  dwell  in  any  confiderable  numbers 
 in  the  Holy  Land,  and  if  there  are  a  few  permitted  to  refide  at 
 Jerufalem,  it  is  by  purchafe,  and  under  the  eye  of  a  jealous  go- 
 vernment :  how  very  great  then  mu{t  be  the  elfedl  of  that  divine 
 meifage,  which  can  thus  overturn  and  eradicate  the  prejudices 
 both  of  Jews  and  Gentiles! 
 
 The  greateft  inlfance  of  the  returning  favour  of  the  Lord  God 
 of  Ifrael  towards  his  own  peculiar  people,  will  be  the  re- 
 moval OF  the  veil  from  their  hearts,  (2  Cor,  iii.  15.) 
 when  they  fliall  look  upon  him  *' whom  they  have  pierced; 
 **  and  mourn  for  him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  fon  ;  and 
 *'  ihall  be  in  bitternefs  for  him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitternefs  for' 
 **  his  firft-born."  This  is  evidently  fpoken  of  in  Zech.  xii.  as 
 an  event  to  happen  when  they  fhall  be  at  Jerufalem,  and  many 
 of  them  returned  and  fettled  in  the  Holy  Land  ;  and  from  hence 
 I  think  it  is  clear,  that  at  their  first  and  partial  return 
 to  their  ancient  polfeflions,  THEY  will  not  even  then  be 
 enabled  to  see  clearly  that  our  blessed  Lord  is 
 that  vkry  Messiah  that  will  appear  for  their 
 deliverance,  and  to  effect  the  glorious  return 
 or  the  rest  of  their  nation  to  Zion.  No  human 
 power  can  remove  this  veil.  *'  In  the  year  that  king  Uzziah 
 *'  died  I  faw  alfo  the  Lord  fitting  upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted 
 **  up,  and  his  train  filled  the  temple.  Above  it  itood  the  fe« 
 **  raphims:  each  one  had  fix  wings;  with  twain  he  cov^ered  his 
 *'  face,  and  with  twain  he  covered  his  feet,  and  with  twain  he 
 **  did  fly.  And  one  cried  unto  another,  and  faid.  Holy,  holy, 
 **  holy,  is  the  Lord  of  hofts :  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  his 
 *'  glory.  And  the  pofts  of  the  door  moved  at  the  voice  of  him 
 *'  that  cried,  and  the  houfe  was  filled  with  fmoke.  Then  faid 
 •*  I,  Woe  is  me!  for  I  am  undone;  becaufe  I  am  a  man  of 
 *'  unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the  midlt  of  a  people  of  unclean 
 *'  lips :  for  mine  eyes  have  fcen  the  King,  the  Lord  of  holls-. 
 **  Then  flew  one  of  the  feraphims  unto  me,,  having  a  live  coai 
 •*  in  his  hand,  which  he  had  taken  with  the  tongs  from  off  the 
 •'  altar:  and  he  laid  it  upon  my  mouth,  and  faid,  Lo,  this  hatli 
 **  touched  thy  lips  ;  and  thine  iniquity  is  taken  away,  and  t'hy 
 **  fin  purged.  Alfo  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  faying^ 
 **  Whom  fliall  I  fend,  and  who  will  go  for  us  ?  then  faid  I, 
 **  Here  am  I  ;  f^nd  me.  And  he  faid.  Go,  and  tell  this  people, 
 *'  Hear  ye  indeed,  but  underftand  not ;  and  fee  ye  indeed,  but 
 "  perceive  not.  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  make 
 *'  their  ears  heavy,  and  fliut  their  eyes;  left  they  fee  with  their 
 "  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  underftand  with  their  heart, 
 *'  and  convert,  and  be  healed.  Then  faid  I,  Lord,  how  long? 
 •'  and  he  anfwercd,  Until  the  cities  be  wafted  without  inhabitam, 
 
 *'  ami 
 
S4« 
 
 DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  IL 
 
 *'  and  the  houfes  without  man,  and  the  land  be  utterly  defolate, 
 '*  and  the  Lord  have  removed  men  far  away,  and  there  be 
 **  a  great  torfaking  in  the  midlt  of  the  land."  I  fa.  vi.  In 
 Matt.  xiii.  14.  Mark  iv.  12.  Luke  viii.  10.  and  John  xii.  40. 
 it  is  recorded  that  our  blelTed  Saviour  and  hisapoltles  accounted 
 FOR  the  want  of  faith  of  thofe  who  believed  not  in  him,  by 
 REFERRING  TO  THIS  PASSAGE:  "  But  though  he  hid  doue  fo 
 **  many  miracles  before  them,  yet  they  believed  not  on  him : 
 **  that  the  faying  of  Efaias  the  prophet  might  be  fulfilled, 
 **  which  he  fpake.  Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to 
 *'  whom  hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed  ?  Thei  etore 
 *'  THEY  COULD  NOT  BELIEVE,  becaufc  that  Efaias  faid  agiiuT, 
 •*  He  hath  blinded  their  eyes,  and  hardened  their  heart ;  that 
 **  they  Ihould  not  fee  with  their  eyes,  nor  underi'land  with  their 
 **  heart,  and  be  converted,  and  I  fhould  heal  them.  Thefe 
 <*  things  faid  Efaias,  when  he  faw  his  glory,  and  fpake  of  him,'* 
 John  xii.  37 — 41.  The  apolHe  Paul  refers  to  the  fame  pafifage 
 in  A6ls  xxviii.  26.  and  again  in  his  epiitle  to  the  Romans,  ch.  xi.  8. 
 If  therefore  we  are  enabled  to  trace  their  unbelief  to  its  fource, 
 
 ■we  muft  iee  TH  E  UN  REASONABLENESS  OF  Kf.TAiNlNG  THE 
 LEAST  SPARK  OF  RKSENTMENT  AGAINST  THE  JfiWi,  ON 
 ACCOUNT  OF THtlR  unbelief! 
 
 Zealous.     I  do  from  my  heart  admit  it. 
 
 Cautious.  If  the  knowledge  of  Chrift  as  the  true  Mefliah  is 
 an  inestimable  advantage  ;  if  it  is  an  advantage  which  it 
 hath  pleafed  God  for  wife  purpofcs,  in  which  m.ercy  is  blended 
 with  judgment,  to  withhold  from  the  bulk  of  tht  Jewifli  nation 
 hitherto  ;  if  it  is  an  advantage  that  the  Lord  will  in  dut  time 
 beftow  fuddenly  upon  the  whole  Jewifh  nation  :  "  Before  fl)e 
 **  travailed,  fhe  brought  forth  ;  before  her  pain  came,  (he  was 
 **  delivered  of  a  man-child.  Who  hath  heard  fuch  a  thing? 
 •*  who  hath  feen  fuch  things  ?  Shall  the  earth  be  made  to  bring 
 **  forth  in  one  day,  or  fhall  a  nation  be  born  at  once  ?  for  as 
 *'  foon  as  Zion  travailed,  flie  brought  forth  her  children,"  Ifaiah 
 Ixvi.  7,  8.  If  then  until  this  time  arrives  they  can\ot  believe, 
 (John  xii.  40.)  if  their  unbelief  proceeds  from  the  veil  being  upon 
 their  hearts,  (2' Cor.  iii.  15.)  if  they  are  by  the  aft  of  God  Ihut 
 up  in  unbelief,  (Deut.  xxxii.  30.  Rom.  xi.  32.)  we  might  as 
 well  defpife  and  entertain  refentment  againft  the  prifoner  be- 
 caufe  he  is  in  bonds,  or  exprefs  difpleafure  that  the  ingathering 
 doth  not  arrive  in  a  week  after  the  feed  is  fown  ;  we  might  as 
 well  entertain  refentment  againft  them  becaufe  they  are  not  yet 
 in  poiTeflion  of  Zion ! 
 
 Zealous.  Experience  proves  that  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  man 
 to  remove  this  veil  from  their  hearts. 
 
 Cautious.  If  for  wife  purpofcs  their  hearts  have  been  covered 
 with  a  veil,  we  may  reft  alfured  that  it  is  the  Lord  alone  that  can 
 remove  it ;  attempts  have  been  made  by  man,  but  they  have  been 
 
 ineffedyal  j 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  341 
 
 inefFeftual ;  and  it  is  a  circin-nflance  well  worthy  our  attentive 
 exaniinijtion,  whether  in  this  matter  there  hath  not  been 
 AS  GKEAT  AND  AS  THICK  A  VEIL  upon  the  hearts  and  minds 
 of  ChristiAiN'S,  as  there  hath  been  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
 Jews:  until  the  time  arrives,  Chriftians  have  been  permitted  to 
 adopt  fuch  Ideas,  as  have  contributed  to  continue  the  veil  upon 
 the  hearts  of  the  Jews :  it  is  poilible  that  a  true  doctrine 
 may  be  diiteiieved  by  its  being  mixed  with  error ;  it  is  poilible 
 that  a  GOOD  CAUSE  may  be  fo  lamely  pleaded  by  an  advocate, 
 that  it  may  be  injured,  inftead  of  being  benefited,  by  his 
 pleading  it;  it  is  poirible  that  A  proposition,  containing 
 great  advantage,  may  be  introduced  in  fuch  a  quellionable  ihape, 
 that  it  will  revolt  the  feelings,  and  cannot  be  coniidered  with, 
 patience. 
 
 Zealous.      I  have  often  obferved  infiances  of  It. 
 
 Cautious.  Let  us  fiippofe  a  propofition  of  any  kind  fhoiild 
 be  fubmiticd  to  the  lords  and  commons  of  this  land,  and  they 
 were  to  hnd  that  thofe  wlio  propofed  it  were  of  that  party  that 
 woi:Id  exult  in  breaking  to  pieces  the  coronets  ,of  the  peers,  in 
 canctUing  the  patents  of  their  honours  and  precedence,  in  deftroy- 
 ing  the  title-deeds  of  the  men  of  landed  eftate,  and  in  burning 
 the  ftatute-book,  would  they  not  revolt  at  any  propofition  coming 
 .  from  fi  ch  a  quarter  ?  Would  they  poflefs  patience  to  examine  it  ? 
 The  fimile  is  not  put  in  flronger  language  than  is  due  to  that 
 which  it  is  intended  to  illuftrate.  Thofe  Chriltians  who  have  in 
 periods  (fince  the  apollolic  age)  fought  to  convert  the  Jev/s  to 
 Chrillianity,  have  propofed  to  them  to  renounce  Judaism, 
 and  embrace  Chriflianity,  not  remembering  that  the  renunciation 
 of  Judaifm  is  in  holy  fcripture  defcribed  as  the  greatest 
 CRIME  that  a  Jew  can  commit,  and  that  our  Lord  was  circum- 
 cifed  the  eighth  day,  prefentcd  in  the  temple,  and  an  obferver  of 
 all  the  Jewilh  laws,  feaifs,  andcuftoms!  and  that  we  have  the 
 authority   of  the   New  Teliament,    that  not   one   Jew    who 
 
 .  BELIEVED  IN  HIM,  EVER  YET  RENOUNCEdJudAISm!   Thofc 
 
 •vvho  have  fought  to  convert  the  Jews  to  Chriltianity,  have  taught, 
 
 that  THOSE  HIGH  HONOURS,  and  THAT  GREAT  DISTINCTION 
 
 which  they  expe£f,  and  delight  to  contemiplate,  are  vaniflied  and 
 obliterated  for  ever  ;  that  they  are  in  no  wife  to  contii^uc  to  ex- 
 pedl  any  fuperior  honour  or  diilinction  as  a  nation  ;  not  remem- 
 ,  bering  thofe  glorious  promifes  of  the  high  honour  and  great 
 diftindtion  which  the  prophets  exult  in  defcribing  as  yet  referved 
 for  Ifrael  !  not  remembering  the  anxious  inquiries  fo  repeatedly 
 made  by  the  apoftles  of  our  Lord,  concerning  .this  important 
 point,  (A6ls  i.  6.) ;  and,  that  although  the  time  when  it  would 
 conie  to  pafs  was  for  wife  purpofes  hid  irom  the  knowledge  of  men 
 and  angels,  yet  that  they  were  taught  flill  to  look  forw  ard  with 
 patient  expertation  to  the  great  event :  fo  much  for  the  fimile  of 
 breaking  the  coronets,  and  cancelling  the  patents  of  precedence. 
 
 Thofc 
 
fjit  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 Tiiore  who  have  fou.ght  to  convert  tlic  Jews  to  the  profefTion  of 
 Chriflianiiy,  have  held  and  taught,  that  the  glorious  defcriptions 
 of  the  kingdom  of  God  being  ellabliilied  upon  the  earth,  were 
 fulfilled  when  Conftantine  changed  the  religion  of  the  empire  ; 
 THEY  (the  Chriftians)  are  the  I'aints,  they  are  the  Ifrael  ot  God, 
 and  all  the  glorious  promifes  which  fpcak  of  the  profperity  of 
 Ifrael,  and  the  kingdom  of  the  faints,  are  by  them  turned  into 
 figure,  and  applied  to  tliemfelves  as  the  elect  of  God;  ar.d 
 they  cannot  endure  the  idea  that  the  Lord  can  have  referved  clif- 
 tinctions,  privileges,  and  poilelhons,  as  marks  of  his  peculiar 
 FAVOUR  TO  THE  Jews,  who  are  according  to  thern  utter 
 OUTCASTS  from  the  favour  of  God,  without  a  poffihility  of 
 being  reftored  to  any  favour,  without  a  pollibility  of  efcaping 
 everlalting  damnation,  except  by  renouncing  Judaifm,  and  em- 
 bracing Chriilianity  :  fo  much  for  the  fimile  of  deitroying  the 
 title-deeds.  It  may  ftrike  the  mind,  that  the  deeds  of  the  one 
 are  deeds  protecling  the  enjoyment  of  an  ellate  IN  possession, 
 and  that  the  other  is  only  an  eftate  in  reversion  and  expect- 
 ancy; but  the  Jew  who  would  part  with  an  acre  of  his  pater- 
 nal inheritance,  though  as  yet  but  a  reverfionary  intereft,  for  an 
 hundred  in  pciTefTion,  even  in  the  fertile  plains  of  England,  is 
 UNWORTHY  OF  THE  NAME  OF  Jew!  Thofe  who  have  iought 
 to  convert  the  Jews  to  the  profeilion  of  Chriilianity,  have  taught, 
 that  the  whole  of  the  Levitical  law  is  entirely  abolifhed,  and 
 lione  of  the  precepts  of  Mofes  in  force,  except  what  they  de- 
 nominate the  moral  law  :  fo  much  for  the  fimile  of  burning  the 
 ftatute-book  ;  and  yet  thefe  Chrillians  have  been  in  the  uninter- 
 rupted poffeflion  of  books,  the  divine  authority  of  which  they 
 admit,  in  which  thefe  words  of  our  Lord  are  recorded,  ** Think 
 
 *'  NOT  THAT  I  AM  COME  TO  DESTROY  THE  LAW,  OR  THE 
 *'  PROPHETS:  I  AM  NOT  COME  TO  DESTROY,  BUT  TO  FUL- 
 
 **   FiL.     For  verily    I    fay   unto   you.    Till    heaven    and 
 
 "  earth  pass,  one  JOT  OR  ONE  TITLE  SHALL  IN  NO  WISE 
 **    PASS   FROM   THE  LAV/,   TILL  ALL   BE   FULFILLED,"    (Matt. 
 
 V.  17,  i8.)  ;  and  in  which  it  is  recorded,  that  although  the  pe- 
 culiar cuftoms  of  the  Jews  were  not  obligatory  upon  believers  of 
 other  nations,  (Adts  xv.)  being  privileges  peculiar  to  the  Jews, 
 yet  that  the  many  thousands  of  Jews  who  believed, 
 WERE  "all  zealous  OF  the  law,"  A6ls  xxi.  20.  If  fuch 
 ftrange  conduct  had  for  its  obje6l  any  common  thing,  we  fhould 
 fay,  Surely  this  is  infatuation!  I  might  obferve  fome  of  the 
 other  means  whereby  Chriflians  have  fought  to  convert  the  Jews  ; 
 as  for  inllance,  ftripping  them  of  all  their  property,  and  then 
 holding  out  half  of  it  to  be  reftored,  on  their  renunciation  of  Ju- 
 daifm, with  the  fentence  of  banilhment  (wliich  was  executed) 
 againll  thofe  who  would  not  comply  ;  or  I  might  mention,  thole 
 terrors  of  htll-fire,  in  which  they  have  been  told  that  their  an- 
 eeilars,  during  the  laft  1700  years,  have  uU  been  caft,  and  the 
 
 flames 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE    VIIT.  345 
 
 flames  of  which  they  were  ftill  enduring.  The  Jews  were  better 
 informed,  they  had  iHU  fome  recolleftlon  of  that  fong,  the  chorus 
 of  which  fpeaks  better  things,  "  For  he  is  good,  his  mercy 
 **  ENDURETH  FOR  ever!"  And  yet  thefe  ChrilHans  were  in 
 the  poifeirion  of  the  fame  fcriptures  as  we  are,  in  which  they 
 might  read,  "  That  fervant,  which  knew  his  Lord's  will,  and 
 **  prepared  not  himfelf,  neither  did  according  to  his  will, 
 **  Ihall  be  beaten  with  many  ftripes.  But  he  tiiat  knew  not, 
 *'  and  did  commit  things  worthy  of  (Iripes,  ihall  be  beaten  with 
 *'  few  flripes :  for  unto  whomfoever  much  is  given,  of  him  fhall 
 **  be  much  required:  and  to  whom  men  have  committed  much, 
 **  of  him  they  will  alk  the  more,"  Luke  xii.  47,  48.  Could 
 they  help  being  Jews?  Could  they  remove  the  veil  from  their 
 hearts?  They  could  not ;  but  the  condudl  of  Chrillians  in  former 
 times  towards  them  hath  been  futhcient  to  clofe  their  eyes,  and 
 ftop  their  ears,    if  they  had  been  the   most   patient,    most 
 
 CANDID,     most  unprejudiced   PEOPLE   UPON   EARTH. 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit,  that  in  this  matter  there  hath  been  as 
 thick  a  veil  upon  the  hearts  of  Chriflians  as  there  hath  been 
 upon  the  hearts  of  the  Jews. 
 
 Cautiius.  Such  condu6l  is  evidence  of  a  kind  of  partial  infa- 
 tuation ;  and  as  *'  blindnefs  in  part  is  happened  to  Ifrael 
 "  until  the  fulnefs  of  the  Gentiles  is  come  in,"  (Rom.  xi.  25.) 
 fo  in  like  manner  concerning  thefe  things,  blindnefs  in  part  hath 
 happened  to  the  Gentiles  until  that  time  in  which  the 
 mystery  of  God  shall  be  finished,  as  he  hath  de- 
 clared to  his  servants  the  prophets;  the  words  op 
 the  voices  of  the  seven  thunders  are  sealed'. 
 There  are  withholding  mercies  of  God  as  well  as  mer- 
 cies bestowed;  and  if  from  the  prejudices  of  a  nation,  or 
 from  the  pride  of  a  nation  ;  if  from  the  fituation  in  which  it  hap- 
 pens to  be  placed,  with  refpeft  to  other  nations,  or  from  any 
 other  caufe,  it  appears  plain  to  the  eye  of  Divine  Wifdom,  that 
 the  gift  of  fuperior  means  of  grace,  additional  talents 
 would  at  fuch  time  only  increafe  their  responsibility  without 
 producing  a  correfpondcnt  advantage  ;  it  then  confilts  with  the 
 GREATEST  LOVE  to  them  that  fuch  addhional  talent  Ihould  be 
 withhoiden  from  them!  The  Judge  of  the  whole  earth, 
 (Gen.  xviii.  25.)  will  assuredly  do  right,  and  it  is  mat- 
 ter of  great  confolation  that  God  himself  is  the  Judge, 
 Pfal.  Ixxxii.  8.  He  who  searcheth  the  reins  and  the 
 hearts,  and  who  will  give  unto  every  man  according  to  his 
 works.  Rev.  ii.  23.  Rafh  men  may  fulminate  damnation 
 againft  thofe  who  will  not  believe  their  report  and  conform  to 
 their  fentiments:  we  meet  with  modern  inllances  of  fuch  zeal 
 without  knowledge.  Doubtlefs,  our  anceftors  when  they  robbed 
 the  Jews  of  all  their  propertv,  and  offered  to  return  them  half 
 
 if 
 
544  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  IL 
 
 if  they  would  renounce  Judaifm,  and  embrace  ChrKlianity, 
 ftren2;thencd  their  argument  with  fuhninations  of  damnation  •  but 
 THE  Lord  is  the  Judge!  He  is  no  hard  maittr,  expecling  to 
 reap  where  he  hath  not  fowed,  or  expcdiing  to  gather  where  he 
 hath  not  itrawed,  (Matt.  XXV.  24 — 30.};  but  he  is  "the  Lord, 
 *'  THE  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long  suf- 
 
 •*    FERING,    AND    ABUNDANT     IN     GOODNESS     AND     TRUTH," 
 
 (Exod.  xxxiv.  ,6.)  "  Say  among  the  heathen,  that  the  Lord 
 **  reigneth!  the  world  alfo  fhall  be  eftabli.hed,  that  it  fhall  not 
 **  be  moved:  he  shall  judge  the  pkople  righteously: 
 *'  let  the  heavens  rejoice,  and  .the  earth  be  glad  ;  let  the  fea 
 **  roar,  and  the  fulnels  thereof;  let  the  held  be  joyful,  and  all 
 **  that  is  therein:  then  fhall  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  rejoice' 
 *'  before  the  Lord,  for  he  cometh,  for  he  cometh  to 
 **  judge  the  earth,  he  (hall  judge  the  world  with  righte- 
 **  oufncfs,  and  the  people  with  his  truth."      Pfalm  xcvi. 
 
 *'  O  the  depth  of  the  riches,  both  of  the  wifdom  and  knowledge 
 <*  of  God  !  how  unfearchable  are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways 
 **  pall  finding  out  !  for  who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord, 
 **  or  who  hath  been  his  counfellor  ?  Or  w^ho  hath  fird:  given  to 
 *^  him,  and  it  fiiall  be  recompenfed  to  him  again  f  For  of  him, 
 **  and  through  him,  and  to  him,  are  all  things,  to  whom  be 
 "  glory  for  ever!  Amen."     Rom.  xi.  33 — 36. 
 
 'LealoHs.  Truly  his  judgments  are  unfearchable,  and  his  ways 
 pall  finding  out,  until  he  reveals  them  imto  his  fervants,  and 
 opens  their  underllandings,  (Luke  xxiv.  45.)  to  undcrlland  the 
 fcriptures,  and  to  fee  that  his  mercy  is  manifeft  in  all  his  dif- 
 penfations  !  "  God  hath  shut  them  all  up  together 
 *'  in  unbelief,  that  he  might  have  mercy  upon  all!" 
 Rom.  xi.  32.   marginal  reading. 
 
 Cautious.  The  chief  end  I  have  had  in  view  in  what  I  have 
 faid,  is  to  Ihew  that  we  mud  rknounce  our  pride. 
 
 Zealous.  We  certainly  Ihould  watch  againll,  and  endeavour  to 
 forfake  pride,  if  we  have  unhappily  given  place  to  it  ;  but  I  am 
 at  a  lofs  to  know  to  what  yoti  now  reter. 
 
 Cautious.  I  refer  to  the  point  in  conteft  between  Chriftians 
 and  the  Jews.  Human  pallions  are  apt  to  mix  with  religious 
 fubje6ls.  Two  neighbours  have  been  fo  unhappy  as  to  fall  into 
 a  mifimderllanding,  the  difagreement  is  of  long  itanding,  and  they 
 have  been  eflranged  for  years  ;  under  fuch  circumflances  there  will 
 naturally  arife  crofs  accidents  that  tend  to  widen  the  breach,  and 
 month  after  month  places  them  at  a  greater  diltance  from  each 
 other:  a  mutual  friend  endeavours  to  effe6l  a  reconciliation,  in: 
 one  he  finds  a  difpofition  to  forget  and  forgive,  and  to  bury  pall 
 events  in  oblivion;  the  other  ufes  higher  language,  he  cannot 
 bear  the  idea  of  adopting  a  line  of  comhift  which  feems  to  fix 
 .any  part  of  the  blame  upon  himfelf ;  he  requires  an  apology,  his 
 
 neighbour 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE     VIII.  545 
 
 neighbour  mufl:  beg  his  pardon,  and  acknowledge  that  he  has 
 offended  him  ;  if  he  will  fubmit  to  this,  he  will  beconae  his 
 friend  again. 
 
 Although  we  have  reafon  to  thank  God  for  a  very  confiderable 
 alteration  in  the  minds  of  Chriftians  concerning  the  Jews,  and  a 
 very  different  line  of  conduct  towards  them,  yet  even  thofe  who 
 encourage  favourable  thoughts  and  expectations  concerning  them, 
 Hill  retain  the  opinion,  that  they  must  be  converted  to  Chrifli- 
 anity,  they  mvift  make  their  apology,  they  muil  beg  pardon,  they 
 niuit  take  all  the  blame  to  themfelves,  and  acknowledge  and  re- 
 pent of  the  fpecific  aA  with  which  they  have  been  charged,  and 
 this  BF.FORK  any  favours  are  again  beftowed  upon  them. 
 
 Thofe  who  retain  this  opinion,  which  I  fear  in  a  great  meafu re 
 fprings  from  pride,  would  do  well  to  confider  whether  the  great 
 difference  that  hath  already  taken  place  in  the  fituation  of  the 
 Jews,  is  not  kvidknck  of  the  returning  favour  of  the  Lord 
 God  of  Ifrael  towards  them  ;  they  would  do  well  to  examine 
 diligently,  whether  in  thofe  parts  of  Leviticus  and  Deuteronomy 
 (which  fpeak  of  the  alterations  in  their  difpofitions  preparatory  to 
 their  return)  there  is  any  intimation  that  they  will  be  required  to 
 repent  *of  one  particular  act  of  their  fathers ;  they  would  do 
 well  to  inquire  without  prejudice,  whether  the  facred  page  doth 
 not  eftablKh  it  as  a  fa£l:,  that  in  confequence  of  God's  favour  to- 
 wards them,  they  will  be  reftored  in  great  numbers  to  the  pof- 
 feffion  of  their  ancient  inheritance  before  any  very  confiderable 
 alteration  is  effeiled  in  their  minds  concerning  the  points  in  dif- 
 pute  between  them  and  Chriilians  ;  they  would  do  well  there- 
 fore to  leave  this  matter  in  the  hand  of  God,  and  to  ccafe  to 
 flrive  to  do  that,  which  fcripture  and  experience  alfo  proves  to 
 be  above  the  power  ot  man  to  perform,  and  inftead  of  endea- 
 vouring to  effecl  an  alteration  in  ihe  Jews,  to  feck  grace  to  re- 
 nounce their  pride,  and  to  effect  an  alteration  in  themfelves. 
 Whatever  crimes  the  Jews  may  have  to  acknowledge  towards 
 God,  I  have  already,  I  truft,  proved  that  with  refpe6l  to  men, 
 they  are  a  people  more  finned  againil  than  finning. 
 
 'Zealous.  From  what  you  have  faid  then,  I  gather,  that  vou 
 do  not  conceive  that  this  melFuge  committed  to  the  fwitt  meffen- 
 gers,  hath  for  its  primary  objkct  to  convert  the  Jews  to 
 Chriitianity. 
 
 Cautious.  I  do  not  believe  tjiat  it  has,  but  we  may  poffibly  re- 
 fume  this  fubje6l  with  more  advantage  when  we  have  confidered 
 fome  of  the  other  qucftiqns  which  are  before  us. 
 
 Xcahus.  Before  we  quit  this  fubjc(5l  (although  we  are  to  re- 
 fume  it  again)  I  think  it  will  be  proper  for  you  to  "confider,  that 
 the  learned  bilhop  gives  his  reafons  for  afferting  that  the  Jcavs 
 
 WILL    BE     CONVERTED    TO    CHRISTIANITY    previous   tO   their 
 
 reltoration.  He  argues  thus  :  *'  When  the  prefent  offered  con- 
 "  fills  of  perfons,  the  offered,  as  well  as  the  offerers,  must 
 
 Y  y  *'   BE 
 
346  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 **  BE  WORSHIPPERS.  For  to  be  offered,  is  to  be  made  a  wor- 
 **  fliipper  ;  or,  in  feme  inltances,  to  be  devoted  to  fome  particular 
 "  fervice,  in  which  the  general  chara£ler  of  a  worlhipper  is 
 <*  previoully  implied,  both  in  the  perfon  who  hath  authority  to 
 *'  devote,  and  in  the  devoted:  as  in  the  initances  of  Jephtha's 
 *'  daughter,  and  the  child  Samuel.  The  people  therefore 
 *'  brought  as  a  prefent  to  Jehovah,  to  Mount  Zion,  will  be  brought 
 *'  thither  in  A  converted  state.  The  great  body  of  the 
 *'  Jews  will  be  converted  previous  to  their  reftoration  ;  and 
 *'  being  converted,  will  be  affifted  by  Chriltian  nations  of  the 
 *'  uncircumcifion,  in  iettling  themfelves  in  their  ancient  feats." 
 
 Cautious.  I  agree  that  the  perfons  offered  mull  be  wor- 
 fhippers,  and  it  gives  me  pain  to  acknowledge,  that  the  paffage 
 you  have  quoted  from  the  learned  biOiop,  ftrongly  implies,  that 
 the  JeM's  are  not  now  worfhippers  of  the  God  of  their  fathers  ■ 
 in  this  I  muft  fay,  that  I  think  the  learned  bifliop  is  millaken. 
 The  miftakes  and  prejudices  of  the  Jews  againll  the  Chriltian  re- 
 ligion have  not  been  more  inveterate  than  the  prejudices  of  Chrif- 
 tians  againit  the  Jews;  and  I  think  I  have  proved  why  thefe 
 mutual  miltakes  have  been  permitted  to  prevail  for  fo  long  a 
 time.  We  are  all  in  the  fight  of  God  poor  and  weak  creatures, 
 both  in  body  and  mind,  and  neither  Jew  or  Gentile,  neither  thofe 
 of  the  circumciiion,  or  the  iincirciuncifion,  have  any  good  ground 
 to  glory  in  themfelves.  PofTibly  the  learned  biliiop  may  have 
 never  deigned  to  enter  a  Jewifh  fynagogue,  and  may  not  be 
 aware,  that  no  Chrillian  cathedral,  church,  kirk,  chapel,  taber- 
 nacle, or  meeting-houfe,  as  far  as  appearances  may  be  credited, 
 prefent  a  profpe6l  of  greater  piety  towards  God,  greater  humi- 
 lity before  him,  and  greater  zeal  in  his  fervice,  than  are  to  be 
 obferved  in  the  fynagogue. 
 
 Whom  do  they  v/orlhip,  if  they  do  not  worlliip  the  Lord  God 
 of  their  fathers  r 
 
 Charity  is  the  very  effence  of  the  Chriftian  religion,  and  not 
 only  charity  to  our  Fellow-Chriitians,  but  to  all  mankind, 
 (Matt.  v.  43 — 48.  John  xiii.  35.  Luke  x.  30 — 37.  1  Cor.  xiii.); 
 it  is  well  deferving  of  the  ferious  confideration  of  thofe  who 
 think  that  the  Jews  are  not  now  the  worlliippers  of  the  Lord 
 God  of  Ifrael,  whether  fuch  tiioughts  do  not  proceed  from 
 "want  of  charity  towards  them.  Let  us  not  judge,  left  we  be 
 judged.  Matt.  vii.  1 — 5.  "Who art  thou  that  judgeth  another 
 *'  man's  fervant  ?  to  his  own  mafter  he  ftandeth  or  falleth  ;"  and 
 he  who  fearcheth  the  reins  and  the  hearts,  he  alone  is  able  to 
 decide  whether  thofe  who  profefs  to  worfhip  him  are  fin- 
 cere  in  their  profeilion,  and  do  worihip  him  in  fpirit  and  in 
 truth,  John  iv.  23,  24.  Were  not  David,  and  Ifaiah,  and  Jere- 
 miah, and  Daniel,  and  Ezekiel,  worlliippers  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael,  and  yet  they,  as  well  as  the  Jews  of  tlie  prefent  day, 
 looked  for  a  glorious  Melfiah  TO  come  ;  he  will  come  in  glory 
 
 to 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  347 
 
 to  judge  the  world  in  righteoufnefs,  and  the  people  with  his 
 truth  ;  he  will  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
 great  glory,  to  gather  together  his  ele6l  from  the  eaft,  and  from 
 the  weft,  and  from  the  north,  and  from  the  fouth,  and  then  it 
 will  be  feen  who  are  the  true  worfhippers  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael! 
 
 You  will  recolledl,  that  the  Jewifli  worfliip  is  not  fupported 
 by  the  laws  of  man,  it  is  a  voluntary  service  ^  there  are 
 no  tithes  which  the  minifters  of  the  Jewifh  religion  can  claim, 
 and  the  payment  of  which  they  can  enforce  by  law :  there  are 
 no  lltuations  of  great  dignity  and  ample  revenue  among  them; 
 their  fmcerity  therefore  cannot  be  called  in  queftion. — They  have 
 alfo  endured  great  fufferings  rather  than  renounce  that  worfhip, 
 which  they  conceive  at  lealt  to  be  the  true  worlliip  of  the  Lord 
 God  of  their  fathers. 
 
 Zealous.  It  certainly  is  pofTible  to  profefs  an  attachment  to 
 religion,  merely  for  the  temporal  advantages  that  are  attached  to 
 fuch  profeftion,  (Mai.  i.  10.);  and  thofc  who  are  its  adverfaries 
 are  apt  uncharitably  to  impute  inllncerity  and  intereftednefs  to 
 thofe  Who  derive  temporal  advantages  from  the  profeflion  of  re- 
 ligion. No  fuch  unworthy  motives  can  however  be  now  im- 
 puted to  the  Jewifli  nation,  or  to  their  anceftors  for  the  laft  1700 
 years;  and  I  am  firmly  perfuaded  that  the  Jews  are  fincere  in 
 their  religious  profeflion,  and  are  in  fpirit  and  in  truth  worfliippers 
 of  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  their  fathers. 
 
 Cautious.  If  fo,  notwithilanding  the  perfons  offered,  and  the 
 offerers,  may  not  be  exaftly  of  the  fame  fentimcnts,  both  may  be, 
 and  doubtlefs  will  be,  worshippers  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 Israel. — We  will  therefore  proceed  to  the  next  fubjedf. 
 
 Zealous.  The  biihop's  words  are  as  follow:  "  I  have  an  un- 
 "  fafhionable  partiality  for  the  opinions  of  antiquity,  I  think 
 *'  there  is  ground  in  the  prophecies  for  the  notions  of  the  early 
 "  fathers,  that  Paleftine  is  the  ftage  on  which  Antichrift  in 
 **  the  height  of  his  impiety  will  perifh.  I  am  much  inclined  too 
 **  to  affent  to  another  opinion  of  the  fathers,  that  a  small 
 *'  BAND  of  the  Jews  will  join  Antichrist,  and  be 
 **  active  instruments  in  his  persecutions.  And  I 
 *'  agree  with  you,  that  it  is  not  unlikely,  that  this  small 
 **  PART  of  THE  Jews  will  be  settled  in  Jerusalem 
 **  UNDER  THE  protection  OF  Antichri-st."  And  again, 
 **  I  agree  with  you,  that  fome  paffages,  in  Zechariah  in  parti- 
 **  cular,  make  itrongly  for  this  notion  of  a  previous  fettlement 
 **  of  worfe  than  unconverted  Jews.  But  I  am  not  without 
 **  hope,  from  the  fame  paffages,  that  the  great  body  of  converted 
 **  Jews  returning  v;ill  find  thcfe  firft  fettlers  broken  off  from  the 
 "  antichriftian  fadion,  in  a  Hate  of  deep  contrition,  and  ready 
 *'  to  receive  tlicir  brethren  with  open  arms.  So  the  whole 
 **  race  fhall  bs  offered  to  Jehovah  at  Mount  Zion,  and  not  one 
 
 *'  of 
 
348  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 "  of  IfracI  fliall  be  loft.  And  fo  far,  but- no  farther,  I  can  ad- 
 **  mit  an  inchoate  reftoration  of  the  Jews,  antecedent  to  their 
 *'  converfion,  and  a  feltlement  of  a  fmall  body  of  them  in  the 
 **  Holy  Land  by  the  antichriftian  powers."  You  are  therefore 
 to  produce  evidence  for  your  opinion,  that  the  firft  expected  return 
 of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land  will  not  be  merely  a  return  of  a 
 SMALL  BODY  of  them. 
 
 Cautious.  The  fame  pailages  which  convince  me  that  this 
 FIRST  AND  PARTIAL  RETURN  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land 
 will  not  be  merely  a  return  of  a  small  body  of  them,  alfo 
 appear  to  me  to  afford  rcafon  to  hope,  that  fo  far  from  this  pre- 
 vious fettlement  of  them  beino-  a  feltlement  of  worse  than 
 I'NC  ON  VERTED  Jews,  the  avilive  ijiilrumcnts  in  the  perfecu- 
 tions  of  the  great  Antichrist,  they  (although  at  that  time 
 not  yet  conrerted)  are  perfons  of  a  very  different  character,  the 
 favoured  worihippers  and  fervants  of  the  true  God,  We  will 
 firft  refer  to  the  hook  of  the  prophet  Zcchariah. 
 
 Zeakux.  I  have  lately  read  the  book  of  the  prophet  Zecha- 
 riah  with  delil>erate  attention,  in  order  to  difcover  thofe  palfagos 
 to  which  the  learned  bifhop  refers,  when  he  fays,  **  I  agree  with 
 **  yon,  that  fomc  palTages  in  Zecliariah,  in  particular,  make 
 "'  ilrongly  for  this  notion  of  a  previous  settlement  ok 
 *'*  WORSE  THAU  UNCONVERTED  Jews;"  but  I  muft  acknow- 
 ledge that  I  could  not  find  them. 
 
 Cauimu.  I  alfo  ha\e  fought  for  them  with  no  more  fiiccefs  ; 
 I  cannot  difcover  a  iingle  text  ivhich  gives  encouragement  to  the 
 i^ts.^  that  any  of  the  Jews  will  be  fo  wicked  as  to  join  in  tl.e 
 perfccutions  of  Antichriil,  71ie  learned  bilhop  certainly  had 
 fome  palTages  before  him  which  he  thought  to  exprefs  or  imply 
 it;  hut  as  he  hath  not  particularized  them,  v/e  mull  either  he 
 contented  to  take  it  upon  his  authority,  or  examine  fcripturc  fur 
 ourfeives. 
 
 Zealous.  It  does  not  feem  improbable  ;  for  if  any  of  the  J  civs 
 are  compelled  by  his  perfecution  to  turn  apojlates,  we  always 
 -iind  that  apoftates  make  the  liercell  perfecutors. 
 
 Cantmts.  I  admit  it ;  but  it  is  my  hope  that  fnch  M-ill  be  the 
 REPENTANT  PIETY  of  the  Jews  that  will  be  reftored  to  their 
 own  land,  that  none  of  them  will  be  bale  enough  to  revolt  and 
 apoftatize  from  the  woriliip  and  fervice  of  the  God  of  their  fa- 
 thers; I  am  confirmed  in  this  hope  by  the  confideration  that  the 
 return  of  Ifrael  to  their  own  land  will  not  only  be  an  exempli- 
 fication of  God's  returnmg  favour  to  their  nation,  but  that  their 
 motives  will  be  judged  by  him  who  fearchcth  the  hearts.  Thofc 
 who  attempt  to  return  from  unworlliy  niotives,  and  with  im- 
 proper difpofilions,  will  not  be  fuffercd  to  accompliOi  their  pur- 
 poics.  The  Lord  declares,  "  1  will  purge  out  from  among  you 
 *'  the  rebels,  and  them  that  tranfgrefs  againft  mc:  I  will  bring 
 '^  them  forth  out  of  the  country  '^^hcrc  they  fojourn,  and  they 
 
 *'    SHALL 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIIL  ^349 
 
 "    SHALL    NOT    ENTKR   INTO  THE    LAND    OF   IsRAEL,   and    yC 
 
 **  ihall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,"  Ezek.  xx.  38. 
 
 2^aJcus.  Your  hopes  arc  ever  -direfted  to  the  honour  and  re- 
 fpectability  of  the  Jewifh  nation;  and  I  alfo  fmcerely  hope  that 
 your  CONJECTURE  in  thishiibince  may  prove  weU-foiinded,  and 
 that  the  biiliop  and  the  fathers,  whofe  ophiions  he  in  this  matter 
 adopts,  inayl>e  proved  to  be  niiilakcn. 
 
 (Jtiutiom,  When  David  was  purfiied  by  Saul  and  his  three 
 Jhoufand  men,  he  faith  unto  him,  **'  The  king  of  Ifrael  is -come 
 *'  out  to  feek  a  ilea,  as  when  one  dith  hunt  a  partridge  in  the 
 **  mountainSj"  1  Sam.  xxvi,  20.  The  means  nazdeufe  of  (as  far  as 
 human  prudence  was  ■Goncerned)  appeared  far  greater  than 
 the  occalioa  required.  We  form  an  opiniot^  of  the  difficulty  and 
 importance  of  any  o{>erat'ion,  by  the  numbers  employed  to  effecSt 
 it.  If  therefore  wh^en  they  have  by  liod's  favour  towards  theirs 
 returned  to  th-eir  own  land,  we  read  oi:  *^  all  nations"  being  ga- 
 jihered  againll  them,  Zech.  xiv.  12-  i  think  wo  can  hy  no  means 
 admit  tliat  this  firft  return  aiid  fettlcment  of  them  in  their  own 
 bnd,is  merely  the  fettlemcnt  of  a  .small  body  of  them.  If 
 the  great  enemy  comes  agaikst  the&i,  and  calls  to  his  aid  all 
 nations,  in  order  ?o  fiabdiie  and  <ieiiroy  tjicfe  fa'. uured  fervants  of 
 ■the  one  true  God^  can  u  e  withiv.n  cxamJMutioi:!  admit,  and  taka 
 ii  for  granted,  that  they  arc  Jiis  accomplices,  a«d  the  acfive  inftni- 
 m.ents  in  his  perfccntions  ?  It  the  divine  Javonr  is  fo  confpicu- 
 iKdly  exerted  in  their  behalf,  that  e\  cii  before  that  mourning  is 
 recorded  which  wc  have  noticed,  \\  is  faid,  *'  Behold,  I  will 
 **  make  JeruCaicm  a.  cup  of  trembling  nnlo  all  the  people  round 
 "*  about,  when  they  ihal!  be  in  the  fic^e  both  againll  Judih  and 
 '•'■  againll  J erjifalem.  Ami  in  that  day  will  1  make  Jerufalem 
 **  a  burdcnfome  itone  for  all  people:  all  that  burden  thcmfelves 
 "•  with  it  fhalJ  be  cut  in  fikces,  though  als  the  people  of  the 
 *'  earth  be  gathered  together  againlHt,"  (Zecli.  xii.  2,3.);  can 
 we  view  thefe  favoured  fervants  of  God  m  an  unfavourable  light, 
 as   the  accomplices  of  the  very  enemy    who  aifaults  them,  as 
 
 WORSE   than   unconverted   JEWS. 
 
 In  the  2Gth  chapter  of  Ezekiel  are  thcfe  words,  ''As  I  live, 
 ^^  fas'th  the  Ix)rd  God^  fiirely  v.  itii  a  mighty  hand,  and  with  a 
 *'^  flretc-hed-o'dt  arm,  and  with  tiiry  poured  out,,  will  I  rule  over 
 *'  you:  and  i  will  bring  you  oiu  from  the  people,  and  will  ga- 
 **'-  ther  you  out  of  the  countries  wherein  ye  are  fcattered,  with  a 
 **  mighty  haiad,  and  whh  a  ilretched-out  arm,  und  with  fury 
 '^^  poured  out.  And  I  will  bring  yon  into  the  wildcrnefs  of  the 
 *'  people^  and  there  will  I  plead  with  you  face  io-ii.cz.  Like 
 *'  as  I  pleaded  ^vitli  your  fatiiers  in  the  wildenK-fs  of  the  land 
 ■**  of  Egypt,  fo  will  I  plead  with  you.  i\i\x\\  the  Lord  God. 
 *'■  And  I  will  cauie  you  to  pafs  under  the  r<;d,  and  I  will  bring 
 *^  you  into  ihe  ho-ad  of  the  covenant."  I  -.-.m  perfuaded,  that  in 
 confc'^ucnce  of  the  Lord  thus  pleading  widi  them  face  to  face  in 
 
 the 
 
350  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 the  wildernefs  of  the  people,  an  alteration  will  take  place  in 
 them  finiilar  to  that  recorded  concerning  thofe  of  them  that  are 
 then  at  Jcnifalem,  Zech.  xii.  lo.  They  will  mourn  when  they 
 look  upon  him  whom  they  have  pierced,  and  be  brought  into 
 the  bond  of  the  covenant :  but  is  there  any  intimation  in  this  paf- 
 fage,  that  thofe  who  are  brought  into  the  wildernefs  of  the  peo- 
 ple, are  A  SMALL  BODY,  few  in  number?  Isthereany  intimation 
 that  they,  or  any  of  them,  are  aftive  inltruments  in  the  perfecu- 
 tions  of  the  great  enemy,  or  his  accomplices  in  guilt?  Is  there 
 any  evidence  that  they  are  brought  into  the  Holy  Land,  and 
 fettled  therein  by  the  adverfary  himfelf  r 
 
 Zealous.  So  far  otherwife,  that  I  think  it  is  much  more  na- 
 tural to  fuppofe  that  they  thus  flee  into  the  wildernefs  to  avoid 
 the  perfecutions  of  the  enemy,  (Rev.  xii.  i — 17.  xiii.  17.);  and 
 I  acknowledge  that  the  paifages  to  which  you  have  referred  im- 
 ply, that  the  firfl  emigration  of  the  Jews  towards  their  own  land, 
 and  fettlement  of  them  therein,  although  it  is  a  partial,  and 
 not  an  universal  return,  as  is  that  which  fucceeds  it;  yet  that 
 this  hrfl  return  is  by  no  means  a  return  of  a  small  body  of 
 THEM,  but  a  return  of  great  numbers  of  them  ;  and  that  fo  far 
 from  thefe  being  fettled  therein,  and  thus  permitted  to  return  by 
 the  antichrillian  powers,  that  the  antichriltian  powers  are  their 
 bitter  enemies,  and  tierce  perfecutors  \  and  theretore  I  cannot  but 
 hope  with  you  that  the  fathers  are  miliakcn  in  fuppoling  that 
 they  will  be  accomplices,  the  adlive  inltruments  in  his  perfecu- 
 tions. 
 
 Cautious.  I  was  going  to  refer  to  Jer.  xxx.  and  xxxi.  efpe- 
 cially  to  the  labour  pains  which  will  precede  the  great  deli- 
 verance of  the  Jews,  (Jer.  xxx.  6,  7.)  and  alfo  to  that  minute 
 defcription  of  their  great  deliverance  which  we  have  in  Ezekiel 
 xxxvii. — xlviii.  but  as  you  are  convinced  already,  I  Ihall  forbear. 
 
 Zealous.  In  the  66th  chapter  of  liaiah,  after  the  Jewilh 
 nation  have  experienced  that  converfion,  that  great  alteration  in 
 their  minds  and  fentiments,  which  is  defcribed  in  verfes  the  7th, 
 8th,  and  9th,  as  a  new  birth  to  their  nation,  effefted  in  one 
 day,  which  immediately  precedes  the  great  deitruilion  of  their 
 enemies,  recorded  in  the  15th  and  16th  verfes,  we  find  mes- 
 sengers fent  ;  the  words  are  as  follow:  "And  I  will  fet  o, 
 *'  fign  among  them,  and  I  will  send  those  that  escape 
 *'  OF  them  unto  the  nations,  to  Tarfhilh,  Pul,  and  Lud,  that 
 *'  draw  the  bow,  to  Tubal,  and  Javan,  to  the  ifles  afar  off,  that 
 '*  have  not  heard  mv  fame,  neither  have  feen  my  glory  ;  and 
 '*  they  shall  declare  my  glory  among  the  Gen- 
 **  tiles.  And  they  ihall  bring  all  your  brethren  for  an  ofFer- 
 "  ing  unto  the  Lord  out  of  all  nations  upon  horfes,  and  in 
 *'  chariots,  and  in  litters,  and  upon  mules,  and  upon  fwift  bealts, 
 *'  to  my  holy  mountain  in  Jerufalem,  faith  the  Lord,  as  the 
 "  children  of  Ilracl  bring  an  offering;  in  u  clean  veflel  into  the 
 
 "  houle 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  351 
 
 *'  houfe  of  the  Lord.  And  I  will  alfo  take  of  them  for  priefts 
 **  and  for  Lc\itcs,  faith  the  L-rd,"  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  20,  21.  Are 
 not  ihefe  the  fame  messengers  as  are  defcribed  in  the  18th 
 of  Ifaiah  ? 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  18th  of  IGiiah  the  mcHage  is  not  recorded; 
 and  the  learned  bilhop,  as  hatli  been  already  obfcrved,  gathers  the 
 purport  of  the  mtifage  Irom  the  cffedls  produced  by  it.  Thefe 
 eftecls  produced  by  it  are  exa(^ily  iimilar  to  the  cffedl;  produced 
 by  this  melfage,  but  we  are  not  from  thence  to  conclude  that 
 they  are  the  fame  :  fo  far  from  their  being  the  fame,  I  think  that 
 they  are  evidently  dilHntS: ;  the  melfengers  noticed  in  this  pafTagc 
 which  yon  have  referred  to,  are  thofe  that  escape  the  deftruc- 
 tion  which  comes  upon  the  Lord's  enemies.  Five  parts  in  fix  of 
 the  imnienfe  multitude  that  are  to  come  againll  the  Jews  after 
 their  partial  return,  will  be  deilroyed  by  the  mighty  power  of 
 the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  (Ezek.  xxxix.  2.)  and  the  preferved 
 fixth,  thofe  THAT  escape  the  awful  overthrow,  are 
 fpared  to  declare  the  glory  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  among 
 (he  Gentiles,  and  to  carry  God's  melfage  to  the  nations  ;  the 
 confcquence  of  which  will  be,  that  all  nations  will  prefent  that 
 offering  \vhich  will  be  well  plealing  to  him,  with  honour  and 
 moft  refpedful  reverence  convey  his  people  towards 
 ZiON:  but  thefe  meifengers,  though  they  are  colle6led  from  all 
 quarters,  set  out  from  the  Holy  Land  to  deliver  their  meifage, 
 for  there  it  is  that  their  companions  perifh  ;  on  the  contrary,  the 
 fw^ift  meifengers  mentioned  in  Ifaiah  the  18th,  are  melfengers 
 from  *'  the  land  fpreading  wide  the  fliadow  ot  her  wings,  be- 
 '*  )ondthe  rivers  of  Culh  ;  accuilomed  to  fend  ambafladors  by 
 *'  the  fea,  even  in  bulruih  veiTels,  upon  the  furface  of  the 
 **  waters;"  they  may  be  called  maritime  messengers,  but 
 in  the  paifage  in  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  they  are  not  fo  defcribed:  this  differ- 
 ence as  to  the  place  from  which  they  fet  out  proves  that  they  are 
 not  the  fame.  The  meifengers  noticed  in  liaiah  Ixvi.  ic).  deliver 
 their  meifage  to  the  Gentiles:  **they  shall  declare  my 
 "  GLOKY  AMONG  THE  Gentiles."  On  the  ctmtrary,  the 
 meifage  ot  the  fwift  meffengers,  mentioned  in  Ifaiah  xviii.  (be 
 their  meflage  what  it  may)  is  a  meifage  lent  to  "  the  people 
 "  dragged  about  and  plucked — expelling,  expetiiling,  and  trampled 
 *'  underfoot!"  The  Jews!  that  people,  who  liave  been  from 
 their  very  beginning,  are  at  this  day,  and  will  be  to  the  end  of 
 time,  a  people  venerable  in  a  religious  sense,  awfully 
 remarkable  on  account  of  the  fpecial  providence  vifibly  attending 
 them.  The  meifages  therefore,  notvvithilanding  the  etfe(5ts  pro- 
 duced, are  in  unil'on  together,  are  evidently  diiHii'!t  meifages ; 
 and  I  think  it  is  clear  that  the  fwift  meil'cngers  noticed  in  liaiah 
 xviii.  precede  the  others  noticed  in  Ifaiah  Ixvi.    19, 
 
 I  think  it  is  alfo  deferving  of  particular  notice,  that  the  offer- 
 ing prefented  in  confcquence  of  the  meilage  recorded  in  Ifaiah 
 
 Ixvi. 
 
?j^2  DIALOGUE    VIIL  Part  IL 
 
 60 
 
 Ixvi,  19.  is  conveyed  npon  horfcs,  and  in  chaviots,  and  in  litters, 
 (query,  palanquins)  and  upon  muks,  and  upf>n  fwift  beads; 
 SHIPS  are  no$  mcyitioned^  whereas  tJve  fwilt  nicflengers  arc 
 MARITIME  mefftngers;  and  in  the  firft  emigration,  ships  to  ma 
 a  dirttngnifhicd  objeii  :  *'  Surely  th-e  illes  shall  wait  for  mc  ;" 
 become  defirous  to  carry  Gods  purpo-fes  of  mercy  towards 
 Ifrael  into  efFcft,  ;ind  watch  and  wait  for  the  opporfunity; 
 '^  Surely  the  illcp  fhall  wait  for  me,  and  the  ships  of  Tarfhjff^ 
 "'  firii,  to  bring  thy  fons  from  far,  their  filver  and  their  gold 
 *'  with  them,  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  aixl  to  the 
 "•  Holy  One  of  Ifrael,  becanfe  he  hath  glorified  thee;  aind  the 
 "*  fons  of  (bangers  fhall  build  up  thy  walls,  and  their  kings 
 *'  (ball  minifltr  unto  thee,"   Ifaiah  Ix.  9,  to, 
 
 'Aeahus,  i  think  vou  have  proved  the  mefTages  to  be  diftlncl, 
 although  botli  employed  to  produce  the  fame  elfeci: ;  and  as  you 
 do  n«t  think  that  this  melTage  to  be  delivered  to  the  Jews  by 
 the  fwift  mcifengers,  mentioned  in  li'aiah  xviii.  hath  for  its 
 primary  objccSl  the  converfion  of  the  Jews  to  Chriftianity  ;  I 
 mufl  rcqueit  you  to  inform  me  what  you  do  conceive  TO  BE 
 THE  PURPORT  of  the  mclTage  which  will  be  delivered  to  them 
 by  thefe  fwift  mefl'engers. 
 
 Cautious.  I  conceive  that  the  meflage  hath  for  Its  otvjecl  to 
 overcome  the  fear,  timidity,  diffidence,  and  difmclination  that 
 inay  extft  in  the  Jews,  as  to  their  return  ;  although  the  Jews, 
 in  the  times  of  Trajan  and  Adrian,  were  fired  with  fuch  a  flam- 
 ing zeal  to  obtain  pofltffion  of  the  feats  of  their  anceifors,  we 
 are  not  to  imagine  (however  they  may  ardently  defire  rt)  that 
 they  would  now  be  eafily  perfnaded  to  emigrate  even  to  Zion  ; 
 they  formerly  fufFercd  so  much,  that  it  is  my  opinion  that  they 
 would  not  catch  at  the  firit  offer  that  might  be  made  unto  them  ; 
 J  hope  and  believe  ihat  they  woidd  in  general  proceed  with  great 
 caution,  and  make  it  a  fubicct  of  continued  and  ardent  prayer, 
 and  would  wait  patiently  until  they  were  from  good  evidence 
 alTured,  that  the  opportunity  was  prefented  to  them  by  the  bounty 
 of  their  God,  who  hath  all  hearts  in  his  hand!  And  I  think  that 
 we  have  fome  authority  in  fcrinture  for  believing  that  the  timidity 
 of  the  Jews,  the  tear  leii  they  Ihould  move  before  the  appointed 
 tim.e,  m.ay,  as  it  were,  keep  them  back,  and  render  them  almofl 
 too  backward  in  accepting  of  the  offer  to  alliit  them  in  their 
 return:  in  Jeremiah  xvi.  x6.  is  the  following  paiTi.ge,  "which 
 fecms  to  implv  it,  "  Behold,  I  will  fend  for  many  fiihers,  faith 
 "  the  Lord,  and  they  Ihall  filh  them  \  and  after  will  I  fend  many 
 **  hunters,  and  ihcy  fliall  hunt  them,  from  every  inountain,  and 
 "  from  every  hill,  and  out  of  the  holes  of  the  rocks."  This 
 great  caution,  which  it  fecms  to  me  will  be  cxercifed  by  the 
 refpectable  part,  the  great  body  of  their  nation,  is  what  might 
 be  reasonably  cxpc6led  from  thofe  educated  and  improved  in  the 
 fchooi  of  afflidion;  for  they  mud:  be  dware,  that  many  will  fet 
 
 out 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    VIII,  353 
 
 out  with  improper  motives,  and  perifh  in  the  way,  as  the  dif, 
 obedient  of  their  anceitors  perifhed  in  the  wildernefs :  "  And  I 
 **  will  purge  out  from  among  you  the  rebels,  and  them  that  tranf-, 
 *'  grefs  againft  me:  I  will  bring  them  forth  out  of  the  country 
 **  where  they  fojourn,  and  they  fhall  not  enter  into  the  land  of 
 *'  Ifrael,  and  ye  Ihall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,"  Ezek.  xx. 
 38.  Another  confideration  which  may  contribute  to  imprefs 
 this  caution  upon  them,  may  be  an  idea,  fimilar  to  that  ancient 
 tradition  which  is  mentioned  by  the  learned  prelate  in  page  103, 
 that  a  fmall  band  of  apoitate  Jews  may  join  the  great  enemy, 
 and  be  active  inlfruments  of  his  perfecutions  ^  thus  it  was  in  the 
 time  of  his  type,  the  perfecuting  Antiochus:  "  In  thofe  days 
 **  went  there  out  of  Ifrael  wicked  men,  who  perfuaded  many, 
 **  faying,  Let  us  go  and  make  a  covenant  with  the  heathen  that 
 **  are  round  about  us:  for  fince  we  departed  from  them,  we 
 **  have  had  much  forrow.  So  this  device  pleafed  them  well. 
 **  Then  certain  of  the  people  were  fo  forward  herein,  that  they 
 "  went  to  the  king,  who  gave  them  licence  to  do  after  the  or- 
 *'  dinances  of  the  heathen:  whereupon  they  built  a  place  of 
 *'  exercife  at  Jerufalem,  according  to  the  cuitoms  of  the  heathen  ; 
 **  and  made  themfelves  uncircumcifed,  and  forfook  the  holy 
 **  covenant,  and  joined  themfelves  to,  the  heathenj  and  were  fold 
 "'  to  do  mifchief,"  1  Mac.  i.  11 — 45.  In  like  manner  there 
 may  be  thofe  who  may  fay,  "  We  will  be  as  the  heathen,  as  the 
 **  families  of  the  countries,  toferve  v/ood  andftone,"  Ezek.  xx. 
 32.  But  I  trufl:  we  have  good  reafon  to  believe,  that  if  fuch  a 
 defire  were  to  arife  in  any  of  their  hearts,  it  would  be  nipped  in 
 the  very  bud:  '*  That  which  cometh into  your  mind  sh  \ll  not 
 *'  BE  AT  ALL,  that  ye  fay,  We  will  be  as  the  heathen,  as  the 
 "  families  of  the  couutries  to  ferve  wood  and  ftone;"  it  shall 
 NOT  BE  AT  all;  it  will  be  in  vain  to  resist:  "  As  I  live, 
 »<  faith  the  Lord  God,  furely  with  a  mighty  hand,  and  with  a 
 *'  ftretched-out  arm,  and  with  fury  poured  out,  will  1  rule  over 
 *'  you."  WhenLt  is  the  will  of  God  for  them  to  return,  it  will 
 be  in  vain  to  refift:  **  I  will  fend  many  fiihers,  and  they  fhall 
 *'  fifh  them;"  they  fh.all  be  allured,  and  convinced  that  they  are 
 to  be  reftored  to  Zion  ;  and  for  thofe  who  yet  are  timid  and  fear- 
 ful, and  are  defirous  to  evade  the  mefTage,  *' after  them  will  I 
 *'  fend  many  hunters,  and  they  (liall  hunt  them,  from  every 
 *'  mountain,  and  from  every  hill,  and  out  of  the  holes  of  the 
 **  rocks,"  Jer.  xvi.  16. 
 
 Zfalous.  Your  idea  of  the  purport  of  the  mefTage  being  to 
 convince  the  Jews,  that  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  they  ihall 
 return  to  Zion,  is  certainly  ftritSly  agreeable  to  the  efFe6l  pro- 
 duced by  it,  which  is  their  actual  return. 
 
 Cautious.  Although  we  have  not  the  words  of  the  meffage  in 
 Ifaiah  xviii.  yet  I  think  that  we  may  gather  the  purport  of  it 
 from    various    parts    of    holy    fcripture  ;    thus    in    Jeremiah 
 
 Z  z  thG. 
 
354  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 the  3d,  we  have  a  proclamation  upon  record,  which 
 may,  I  think,  be  confidered  as  part  of  the  meiTage  com- 
 mitted to  the  I'wirt  meflengers  to  proclaim  to  God's  tavoured 
 people  ;  it  is  in  thefe  words  :  *'  Go  and  proclaim  thefe  words 
 "  towards  the  north,  and  fay,  Rccurn  ih  <u  blarkiliding  Iftael, 
 *'  faith  the  Lord;  and  I  will  not  caufe  mme  anger  to  u!l  upon 
 **  you:  for  I  am  merciful,  faith  the  Lord,  and  I  will  not  keep 
 **  anger  for  ever.  Only  acknowledge  thine  iniquity,  that  thou 
 *'  haft  tranfgrefred  againft  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  haft  fcattered 
 **  thy  ways  to  the  ftrangers  under  every  green  tree,  and  ye  have 
 **  not  obeyed  my  voice,  faith  the  Lord.  Turn,  O  blackfliding 
 "  children,  faith  the  Lord;  for  I  am  married  unto  you:  and  I 
 *'  will  take  you  one  of  a  city,  and  two  of  a  family  and  I  will 
 "  bring  you  to  Zion :  and  I  will  give  you  paftors  according  to 
 **  mine  heart,  which  fhall  feed  you  with  knowledge  and  under- 
 *"*  ftanding.  And  it  fliall  come  to  pafs,  when  ye  be  m.ultiplied 
 '*  and  increafed  in  the  land,  in  thefe  days,  faith  the  Lord,  they 
 **  fhall  fay  no  more.  The  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord: 
 **  neither  fhall  it  come  to  mind  ;  neither  Ihail  they  remember  it ; 
 **  neither  ftiall  they  vifit  it ;  neither  ftiall  that  be  done  any  more. 
 *'  At  that  time  they  fhall  call  Jerufalem  the  throne  of  the  Lord  ; 
 '*  and  all  the  nations  fhall  be  gathered  unto  it,  to  the  name  of  the 
 *'  Lord,  to  Jerufalem  :  neither  fhall  they  walk  any  more  after 
 **  the  imagination  of  their  evil  heart.  In  thofe  days  the  houfe 
 **  of  Judah  fhall  walk  with  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  and  they  fliall 
 "  come  together  out  of  the  land  of  the  north  to  the  land  that  I 
 *'  have  given  for  an  inheritance  unto  your  fathers,"  Jer.  iii. 
 3  2 — 18.  *'  Return,  ye  blackfliding  children,  and  I  will  heal 
 **  your  blackfiidings !    Behold!    BtHOld!   we   come  unto 
 
 '*    THEE,    for   thou   ART    THE    LoRD     OUR    GoD  !       TrULY 
 
 **  IN  THE  Lord  our  God  is  the  salvation  of 
 **  Israel!"  Jer.  iii.  22,  23. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  certain  that  thefe  fwift  meflengers  are  not  of 
 the  Jewifti  nation,  but  are  fent  with  God's  meftage  to  the 
 Jewifh  nation  \  it  is  alfo  certain  that  the  fubfequent  meflage  is 
 not  committed  to  meflengers  of  the  Jewifh  nation,  but  to  thofe 
 who  once  were  their  enemies,  and  who,  by  the  awful  deftrudion 
 of  their  companions,  are  converted  to  the  fear  and  worfiiip  of 
 the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  the  only  true  God  ;  thefe  will  be  fent 
 imto  the  nations  :  fo  that  the  latter  meffengers  are  not  only  not 
 of  the  Jev/ifli  nation  themfelves,  but  they  are  alfo  fent  to  thofe 
 who  are  not  of  the  Jewifh  nation,  but  unto  <<  Tarlbifh,  Pul, 
 *'  and  Lud,  that  draw  the  bow,  to  Tubal  and  Javan,  to  the 
 **  ifles  afar  off,  that  have  not  heard  my  fame,  neither  have  feen 
 '*  my  glory;"  and  the  objecl  of  their  miflion  is,  to  declare  the 
 glory  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  "  among  the  Gentiles;"  and 
 the  confequence  is,  that  they  with  piety  reftore  all  the  reft  of 
 the  children  of  Ifrael  out  of  all  nations,  as  an  acceptable  prefent 
 
 unto 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII. 
 
 U5 
 
 unto    the  Lord,  at    his  holy  mountain  Jerufalem,   Ifaiah  Ixvi. 
 
 19,  20. 
 
 Cautious.  We  have  hitherto  fccn  but  two  diflinil  meflages  ; 
 It  I  am  much  miitaken  if  there  is  not  a  previous  Mf.ssAGE 
 hi:h  will  be  delivered  before  either  of  thofe  which  have  come 
 ider  confideration  :  the   nations  mufl:  be  prepared   to  carry 
 
 God's  purpofes  of  mercy  towards  IfracI  into  effe(fl ;  this  previous 
 
 melTag-  I  conceive  is  defcribed  in  Jer.   xxxi.    10.   "  Hear  the 
 WORD  OF  THE  Lord,  O  ye  natj  'ns,  and  d^.clare  it 
 
 IN  THE  ISLES  AFAR  OFF,  AND  SAY,  He  THAT    SCATTERED 
 
 Israel  will  gather  him,  and  keep  k:m,  as  a 
 SHEPHERD  doth  HIS  FLOCK.  For  the  Lord  hath  redeemed 
 Jacob,  and  ranfom-d  him  from  the  hand  of  him  that  was 
 llronger  than  he.  Therefore  they  fhall  come  and  flnjy  in  the 
 height  of  Zion,  and  fhall  flow  together  to  the  goodnefs  of 
 the  Lord,  for  wheat,  and  for  wine,  and  for  oil,  and  for 
 the  young  of  the  flock  and  of  the  herd:  and  their  foul  fhall 
 be  as  a  watered  garden  ;  and  they  lliall  not  forrow  any  more 
 at  all.  Then  fliall  the  virgin  rejoice  in  the  dance,  both  young 
 men  and  old  together  •.  for  I  will  turn  their  mourning  into 
 joy,  and  will  comfort  them,  and  make  them  rejoice  from 
 their  forrow.  And  I  will  fatiate  the  foul  of  the  priefts  with 
 fatnefs,  and  my  people  fhall  be  fatisfied  with  my  goodnefs, 
 faith  the  Lord,"  Jer.  xxxi.  10 — 14.  .  *'  O  flng  unto  the 
 Lord  a  new  long :  fmg  unto  the  Lord,  all  the  earth.  Sing 
 unto  the  Lord,  blefs  his  name  ;  fhew  forth  his  falvation  from 
 day  to  day.  Declare  his  glory  among  the  heathen,  his 
 wonders  among  all  people.  For  the  Lord  is  great,  and  greatly 
 to  be  praifed :  he  is  to  be  feared  above  all  gods.  For  all  the 
 gods  of  the  nations  are  idols  :  but  the  Lord  made  the  heavens. 
 Honour  and  majefty  are  before  him  :  flrength  and  beauty  are 
 in  his  fan6luary.  Give  unto  the  Lord,  O  ye  kindreds  of  the 
 people,  give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  flrength.  Give  unto 
 the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  his  name  :  bring  an  offering,  and 
 come,  into  his  courts.  O  worfhip  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of 
 holinefs:  fear  before  him,   all  the  earth.     Say  among  the 
 
 HEATHEN  THAT    THE    LORD     REIGNETH:    the    WOrld     alfo 
 
 fliall  be  ellablilhed  that  it  fhall  not  be  moved:  he  fhall  judge 
 the  people  righteoufly.  Let  the  heavens  rejoice,  and  let  the 
 earth  be  glad  ;  let  the  fea  roar,  and  the  fulnefs  thereof.  Let 
 the  field  be  joyful,  and  all  that  is  therein  :  then  fhall  all  the 
 trees  of  the  wood  rejoice  before  the  Lord  :   for  he  comet H, 
 
 FOR  HE  COMETH  tO  JUDGE  THE  EARTH  ^  HE  SHALL 
 JUDGE  THE  WORLD  WITH  RIGHTEOUSNESS,  AND  THE 
 PEOPLE   WITH   HIS  TRUTH,"    Pfalm  XCvi. 
 
 We  have  not  only  the  authority  of  the  Old  Teflament,  that 
 this  mefTage  will  be  thus  delivered  unto  the  nations,  but  the 
 authoritv  of  the  New  Teflament  alfo.     The  everlafting  gofpel 
 
 will 
 
356  DIALOGUE    Vllt.  Part   II. 
 
 will  be  preached  unto  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  and  **  to 
 **  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people  ;"  and 
 the  fum  nnd  fubftance  of  this  everlafting  gofpel,  which  will  thus 
 be  univerfallv  preached,  is  comprehended  in  thefe  words:  *'  Fear 
 *'  God,  and  give  glory  unto  him,  for  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is 
 *'  come;  and  worfhip  him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and 
 *'  the  fea,  and  the  fountains  of  water,"  Rev.  xiv.  7.  Thefe  di- 
 vine meffages  are  the  proper  preparatives  for  the  accomplifh- 
 ment  of  God's  purpofes  of  mercy  towards  Ifrael. 
 
 Zealous.  They  are,  and  they  open  to  our  view  a  boundlefs 
 profped  of  good  to  thofe  who  wait  for  the  redemption  of  Ifrael  ; 
 and  God  grant  that  the  highly  favoured  land  in  which  we  live, 
 may  be  among  the  firll  to  receive  and  diffeminate  the  glad- 
 tidings  ! 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  a  very  interefting  queftion,  how  and  by  what 
 means  thefe  divine  meflages  will  be  delivered  unto  the  nations  ? 
 I>et  us  look  around  us  and  confider,  can  we  expe6l  that  this  pious 
 fervice  will  be  performed  by  the  heathens,  thofe  who  know 
 nothing  of  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  ? 
 Certainly  not ;  the  meffage  may  be  and  will  be  delivered  to  them, 
 but  certainly  not  in  the  firll  inftance  by  them.  Will  this  rheffage, 
 ivhich  is  to  effeft  fo  great  a  change  in  the  difpofitions  of  mankind 
 towards  the  Jews,  be  delivered  to  the  nations  by  the  Jews  them- 
 felves  ?  That  would  look  fufpicious  ;  for  in  that  cafe  they  would 
 be  bearing  witnefs  of  themfelves.  It  certainly  will  not  be  deliver- 
 ed to  the  nations  by  them.  Will  it  be  delivered  by  the  philofo- 
 phers  ?  It  is  not  probable  ;  for  too  many  of  them  have  unhap- 
 pily like  their  predeceffors,  the  heathen  philofophers,  fet  their 
 faces  againft  the  truths  of  revelation ;  and  no  good  can  be  ex- 
 pefted  from  fuch  a  quarter.  Will  it  be  delivered  to  the  nations 
 by  the  Mahometans?  It  is  true  they  do  not  deny  the  truth  of 
 the  fcriptures  of  the  Old  Teftament,  but  they  accufe  the  Jews, 
 and  all'^ee  that  they  have  corrupted  them.  Never  was  there  a 
 more  unf  nmded  charge  againft  any  body  of  men.  If  the  Jews 
 had  been  difpofed  to  commit  fo  great  a  crime,  if  they  had  not 
 been  reftrained  by  their  great  piety  from  the  temptation  to  alter 
 their  facred  books,  it  would  be  in  thofe  parts  which  fpeak  of  their 
 fms  ard  punilhments,  that  record  their  difhonour,  that  they  would 
 have  altered  them.  The  charge  is  unfounded,  and  the  Mahome- 
 tans have  exceeded  others  in  hatred  towards  the  Jews,  and  have 
 been  bitter  ciiemies  and  perfccutors  of  them.  We  therefore  have 
 flrong  reafons  to  prefume,  that  though  God's  meffage  to  the  na- 
 tions may  be  delivered  to  them,  as  well  as  others,  yet  that  it  will 
 not  (at,.leaft  in  the  firft  inftance)  be  delivered  by  them.  The 
 fame  reafons  will  be  found  to  apply  to  the  church  of  Rome. 
 Where  then  are  we  to  look  for  thefe  meffengers,  who  will  de- 
 clare God's  purpofes  of  mercy  towards  Ifrael,  but  among  the 
 Proteftants ;  the  way  has  long  been  preparing  for  them  among 
 
 Proteftants  j 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE    VIII. 
 
 357 
 
 Proteftants;  and  I  glory  in  making  the  aficrtion,  that  among  the 
 moil  confpicious  party  of  Proieftants,  the  church  of  Eng- 
 land, there  has  arilen  a  dcfire  to  invejligate  thefe  things,  and 
 bilhops,  and  minifter^  and  even  laymen  alio,  have  declared  tji.at 
 God's  piirpofes  of  mercy  towards  Ifrael,  which  are  fo  fully  dif- 
 played  in  his  moil  holy  wcrd,  will  all'uredly  be  accomplifhed. 
 The  rife  and  progrcfs  of  this  hope  concerning  Ifrael,  is  much 
 moie  extenfive  than  may  be  imagined,  and  will,  I  truii,  increafe.. 
 This  mcfiage  is  to  be  declared  in  the  isles  which  arc  afar  off  from 
 Zion  !  and  the  fhips  of  Tarfliifli,  the  idand  Tarfhiih,  are  the 
 firft  that  will  be  employed  in  the  pious  fervice  :  ''  Surely  the  iiles 
 "  fliall  wait  for  m.e,  and  the  ihips  of  TarHiifh  firft,  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, 
 "  becaufe  he  hath  glorified  thee,"   Ifai.  Ix.   9. 
 
 This  therefore  is  the  great  objecl,  for  inafmuch  as  tlie  Jews 
 are  thus  to  be  reftored  to  their  ov/n  land,  in  confequence  of  this 
 great  alteration  in  the  inclination  of  mankind  towards  them,  and 
 towards  their  moft  holy  religion,  we  are  to  expeil  that  this  great 
 alteratioh  in  the  public  mind  will  be  the  firit  effeft  that  will  be 
 produced  ;  the  lever  v/ith  which  the  work  is  to  be  performed 
 muft  be  firft  conftru^led,  when  made,  it  will  be  applied  to 
 produce  the  great  effe£l ! 
 
 Zealous,  This  great  alteration  in  the  minds  of  m.ankind  will 
 doubtlefs  be  produ<;ed  by  the  Lord's  overruling  the  events  of  his 
 providence,  and  caufing  the  knowledge  of  his  word  and  will  to  be 
 difleminated  ;  for  this  purpofe  he  w^ill  raife  up  melTengers  who 
 will  declare  his  wall,  his  word  unto  the  nations,  and  efpecially 
 in  the  isles  afar  off  from  Zion  :  but  it  is  not  only  the  people 
 that  mull  be  prepared  for  this  purpofe,  fovcreigns  alfo  muit 
 be  influenced,  for  what  w'ould  it  avail,  if  the  divine  meifage  were 
 to  be  received  by  the  people,  if  they  were  not  -only  to  hear  the 
 word  of  the  Lord,  that  he  hath  ordained  to  be  declared  unto  the 
 nations,  and  efpecially  in  the  isles  afar  off  from  Zion  ;  what 
 would  avail  their  belief  of  the  divine  declaration,  "  He  that 
 **  fcattered  Ifrael  will  gather  him;  and  keep  him  as  a  fhepherd 
 **  doth  his  flock."  What  would  it  avail  if  the  people  alfo,  that 
 have  been  expecling,  expecfing,  and  trampled  under  foot,  were  to 
 be  prepared,  and  even  anxious  to  return,  imlefs  the  Lord,  he  v^ho 
 removeth  kings  and  fetteth  up  kings,  were  fo  to  difppfe  the  affairs 
 of  this  world,  as  to  prepare  the  way  and  afford  opportunity  for 
 their  return. 
 
 Cautious.  I  admit  the  force  of  your  obfcrvation,  "all  hearts  are 
 in  the  hand  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  ;  and  as  the  Lord  flirred 
 up  the  fpirit  of  Cyrus,  king  of  Perfia,  to  make  a  proclamation, 
 faying,  "  Thus  faith  Cyrus,  king  of  Perlia,  all  the  kingdoms  of 
 **  the  earth  hath  the  Lord  God  of  heaven  given  me  ;  and  he  hath 
 **  charged  me  to  build  him  an  houfe  in  Jerufalem,  which  is  in 
 
 **  Judah: 
 
358  DIALOGUE     VIIL  Part  IIV 
 
 **  Judah  :  who  is  there  among  you  of  all  his  people  ?  the  Lord 
 **  his  God  be  with  him,  and  let  him  go  np."  So  may  the  Lord  itir 
 up  the  ipirit  of  fome  pious  fovereign,  to  carry  into  efFedl  his  ex- 
 pefted  purpofes  of  mercy  towards  Ifrael  j  but  the  events  of 
 HIS  rROViDENCE  muit  prepare  the  way,  for  it  would  not  avail 
 that  fovereigns,  or  people,  were  to  be  affecl:ed  by  the  melTage,  and 
 defirous  of  carrying  God's  purpofes  of  mercy  towards  Ifrael  into 
 efFe6t,  unlefs  ability  was  given  therewith. 
 
 Let  us  then  for  the  lake  of  the  argument  fuppofe,  that  in 
 confequence  of  the  prophecies  being  inveftigated,  and  in  confe- 
 quence  of  the  divine  mellages  to  the  nations  being  declared,  a  pious 
 fovereign,  great  in  power,  and  greater  in  piety  and  virtue  j  beloved 
 by  his  fubjefts  as  their  father,  was  not  only  to  become  peculiarly 
 compalFionate  and  kind,  like  Cyrus  to  the  Jtwilli  nation,  but 
 like  him  alfo  to  defire  their  profperity  :  let  us  fuppofe  alH;,  that 
 multitudes  of  his  fubjects  are  become  influenced  by  the  fame  prin- 
 ciples, and  that  they  ardently  deiire  to  fee  the  kingdom  reitored 
 again  unto  Ifrael,  Acls  i.  6.  So  much  do  they  defire  the 
 profperity  of  Zion,  that  they  deeply  intereif  themfelves  in  all 
 that  concerns  the  Jews;  "Remember  me,  O  Lord,  with  the  favour 
 *'  that  thou  beareft  unto  thy  people  :  O  vilit  me  with  thy  fal- 
 "  vation  ;  that  I  may  fee  the  good  of  thy  chofen,  that  I  may  re- 
 *'  joice  in  the  gladnefs  of  thy  nation,  that  I  may  glory  with  thine 
 "  inheritance."  Pfal.  cvi.  4,  5.  This  difpolition  being  a  pious 
 difpofition,  would  never  be  found  to  proceed  with  violence,  or 
 indifcretion,  but  with  a  firm  reliance,  and  uniliaken  dependance 
 upon  God  alone.  When  it  v/as  the  will  of  God  that  the  children 
 of  Ifrael  Ihould  depart  out  of  Egypt,  and  they  were  encamped  on 
 the  fhore  of  the  Red  Sea,  he  commanded  them  to  GO  forward^ 
 and  the  fea  became  dry  land  before  them,  Exod.  xiv.  It  is  the 
 providence,  the  mighty  ads  of  God,  that  will  point  out  the  time 
 and  circumflances  ;  for  allure  yourfelf  that  true  piety  is  ever  at- 
 tended by  prudence  :  religion  is  a  reafonable  fervice  ;  and  not- 
 withftanding  there  may  be  an  ardent  defire  to  fee  the  Jews  re- 
 ftored  to  their  own  land,  if  this  defire  is  founded  on  true  faith,  it 
 will  not  occafion  any  hafty  and  unadvifed  Heps  to  be  taken. 
 
 We  may  prefume  that  fuch  a  fovereign  would  fay,  "  It  is  true 
 *'  that  I  greatly  defire  to  fee  the  reftoration  of  the  children  of  the 
 *'  patriarchs  ;  it  is  true,  that  I  fhould  elleem  it  the  highelt  honour 
 "  that  I  could  poflefs  on  earth,  if  it  were  to  pleafe  the  Lord  to 
 *'  STIR  UP  MY  SPIRIT  as  he  did  Cyrus  of  old,  to  decree  that  his 
 *'  holy  temple  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23.)  fhould  be  rebuilt;  it  is 
 *'  true,  that  I  believe  his  word  which  he  hath  ordained  to  be  pub- 
 *'  lilhed  to  the  nations,  that  '  He  that  fcattered  Ifrael  will 
 **  gather  him,  and  keep  him  as  a  fhepherd  doth  his  flock,'  Jer. 
 "  xxxi.  10.  It  is  true  that  I  ardently  hope  that  my  beloved 
 **  nation  will  be  the  firfl  to  obey  the  divine  meflage,  and  that  we 
 "  Ihall  not  only  willingly  employ  our  fliips  in  conveying   that 
 
 '*   PRESENT 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  3,59 
 
 **  PRESENT  unto  the  place  of  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hofts,  ths 
 **  Mount  Zion,  with  which  he  will  be  v/ell  pleafed,  (Ifai.  xviii.  7.) 
 **  even  in  conveying  his  fons  from  far,  their  filver  and  their  gold 
 **  with  them,  imto  the  name  of  the  Lord  their  God,  and  to  the 
 "  Holy  One  ot  Ifrael,  (Ifai.  Ix.  9.)  but  even  in  forwarding  them 
 *^  in  their  journey  towards  Zion,  upon  horfcs,  and  in  chariots, 
 *'  and  in  coaches,  and  upon  mules,  and  upon  fwitt  beaifs,  to  the 
 *'  Lord's  holy  mountain  Jerufaletn,  li'ai.  ixvi.  20.  Nay  more,  I 
 **  hope  that  my  beloved  nation  will  fo  rully  engage  in  the  pious 
 ^'  a6l,  with  all  their  heart,  and  with  all  their  foul,  that  they  will 
 **  rejoice  in  carrying  the  fons  of  Ifrael  in  their  arms,  and  the 
 *'  daughters  oi  Ifrael  upon  their  fhoulders  !  Ifai.  xlix.  22.  Thefs 
 *'  are  my  hopes,  but  it  is  the  Lord  that  muft  call  thefe  our  hopes 
 *'  into  adion,  by  his  providential  government,  by  his  mighty  atts, 
 *'  by  preparing  the  way,  by  removing  obltacles,  and  by  cauilng 
 *^  circumftances  fo  to  concur,  that  we  may  a6t  with  full  aflu ranee 
 "  ot  faith,  that  in  thus  doing,  we  are  pertorming  that  which  is  an 
 **  adl  ot  piety,  well  pleafing  in  his  fight." 
 
 Zealous.  The  molt  difficult  queftion  therefore  is,  as  to  the  ftate 
 of  the  nations  ;  are  there  any  fymptoms,  any  appearances  which 
 feem  to  indicate,  that  the  Lord  is  by  his  providential  government 
 preparing  the  wa}'  for  Ifrael's  return  to  Zion:  is  there  any  ap- 
 pearance of  obftacles  behig  removed,  and  circumftances  concurring, 
 which  indicate  that  this  bleifed  event  is  drawing  near?  Andif  fo, 
 do  they  amount  to  fuch  clear,  unequivocal,  and  complete  mani- 
 feftations  of  the  will  of  God,  that  a  pious  fovereign  might, 
 without  imprudence  or  prcfumption,  a6l  thereon  ? 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  my  opinion  that  there  are  in  the  prefent  ftate  of 
 the  nations,  appearances  which  (hould  induce  us  to  conclude,  that 
 the  Lord  is  preparing  the  way,  and  that  the  time  to  perform  this 
 pious  fervice  approaches  very  near,  although  it  is  not  yet  come. 
 
 ift.  Firft  then,  it  is  clear,  from  the  very  words  of  the  divine 
 meffage,  that  the  time  when  it  is  to  be  delivered  with  power  and 
 effc6l  to  the  nations,  is,  when  the  Jews  have  in  fulfilm.ent  of  the 
 divine  denunciations  been  fcattered  into  all  nations,  Deut.  xxix. 
 28.     And  inafmuch  as  this  divine  melTage  has  for  its  main  ob- 
 
 jt£l,  THEIR  RETURN  TO  ZiON,  THEIR  RESTORATION  TO 
 THE    INHERITANCE    OF   THEIR    FA  TH  E  RS,  WC  have  gOod  rcafoH 
 
 to  conclude,  that  the  time  when  it  will  be  delivered  unto  the 
 nations  with  complete  efFe6l,  will  be,  fliortly  previous  to  the 
 great  event.  It  is  God's  melfage,  and  muft  be,  and  will  be 
 efficacious  ;  the  feed  is  fown,  and  is  hidden  from  the  eye,  until 
 it  fhoot:^  through  the  foil  :  it  then  requires  time  to  grow  ;  but  at 
 laft  by  God's  bleffing,  the  golden  harveft  ripens  !  I  cannot  but 
 think,  that  the  feed  is  already  fown,  and  that  it  hath  began  to  ve- 
 getate ;  I  cannot  but  confider  the  more  liberal  treatment  the  Jews 
 now  experience,  efpecially  in  Proteftant  countries,  as  underGod,  to 
 be  afcribable  to  it;  and  ardently  do  I  hope,  that  every  root,  fpringing 
 ffora  this  good  feed,  may  throw  out  ;^n  hundred  offsets,  and  that  ihe 
 
 earth 
 
360  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 earth  may  fhortly  be  covered  with  the  bending  harveft  1  '<  The  earth 
 **  Ihall  be  tuli  oi  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
 **  fea."  Ifai.  xi.  9.  Hab.  ii.  14.  '^  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like 
 **  unto  leaven,  which  a  woman  took,  and  hid  in  three  meafures  of 
 **  meal,  till  the  whole  was  leavened,"  Pvlatt.  xiii.  33.  H  the 
 harveit  approaches,  let  us  pray  unto  the  Lord  of  the  harveft, 
 that  he  will  fend  torth  more  labourers  into  his  harveft,  for  the 
 labourers  are  comparatively  few,  Matt.  ix.  37,  38. 
 
 2dly.  It  is  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  that  "  liveth  forever, 
 *'  whofe  domdnion  is  an  everlafting  dominion,  and  his  kingdom  is 
 **  from  generation  to  generation  :"  and  before  whom  "all  the 
 **  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  are  reputed  as  nothing;  and  he  docth 
 *'  according  to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven,  and  among  the 
 **  inhabitants  of  the  earth  :  and  none  can  ftay  his  hand,  or  fay 
 **  unto  him.  What  doeft  thou,"  Dan.  iv.  34,  35.  The  Lord; 
 God  of  Ifrael  is  '*  a  God  of  gods,  and  a  Lord  of  kings,  Dan. 
 ii.  47.  He  is  "  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords,"  Rev.  xix. 
 J  6.  "  He  reraoveth  kings,  and  fetteth  up  kings  :  he  giveth  wif- 
 **  dom  unto  the  wife,  and  knowledge  to  them  that  know  under- 
 *'  {landing:  he  revealcth  the  deep  and  fecret  things  :  he  knoweft- 
 *'  what  is  in  the  darknefs,  and  the  light  dwelleth  with  him,"  Dan. 
 ii.  21,  22.  And  he  hath  revealed  to  his  fervants  thejEwiSH  pro- 
 phets, his  defigns  towards  the  children  of  men,  in  refpe<ft  to  the 
 empires  he  hath  ordained  to  rule  the  earth  ;  and  we  have  the 
 fatisfa6lion  to  fmd  them  uniform  in  their  teftimony,  that  an 
 EMPIRE  will,  in  due  time,  be  ellabliihed,  which  will  be  a  blef- 
 fmg  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth;  and  this  bleffed  empire  is 
 clearly  and  explicitly  declared  in  holy  fcripture,  to  be  that  king- 
 dom which  will  be  eftabliflied  when  all  the  preceding  empires,^ 
 *'  the  iron,  and  the  clay,  the  brafs,  the  filver,  and  the  gold,"  will 
 be  **  broken  to  pieces  together,"  and  become  "  like  the  chaff  o£ 
 **  the  fummer  threihing-tloor,"  When  they  are  carried  away  by 
 the  wind,  and  no  place  found  for  them,  then  it  is  that  the  Itone 
 ihat  fmote  the  image  will  become  a  great  mountain,,  to  fill  the 
 whole  earth,  Dan,  ii.  35.  It  is  when  the  4th  empire,  the  iron 
 kingdom,  hath  become  divided  into  ten,  and  when  thefe  ten  ap- 
 proach towards  their  end,  that  it  is  faid,  "  And  in  the  days  of  thefe 
 *'  kings  fhall  the  God  of  heaven  let  up  a  kingdom,  which  Ihall 
 "  never  be  deftroyed :  and  the  kin-^jdom  iliall  not  be  left  to  other 
 *'  people,  but  it  iliall  break  in  pieces  and  confume  all  thefe  king- 
 *'  doms,  and  it  fhall  fiand  for  ever,"  Dan.  ii.  44.  The  Jews, 
 therefore,  who,  in  the  time  of  Julian,  were  deluded  by  him  to  join, 
 in  the  attempt,  to  reflore  their  city,  and  their  ternple,  were  inat- 
 tentive to  their  own  facred  books  :  they  had  feen  the  golden  em- 
 pire of  Nebuchadnezzar  pafs  away,  and  the  filver  Medo-Perfiaa 
 empire  fucceed  it  ;  they  had  feen  the  brazen  dominion  of  the 
 Grecians,  overcoming  in  its  turn,  and  this  in  courfe  crufhed  by 
 the  iron  force  of  the  Roman  arms :   but  at  that  time,  this  iron 
 
 empire 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.    '  361 
 
 empire  was  not  divided,  as  it  has  fince  been,  into  ten  diftinil  king- 
 doms ;  and,  confequently,  the  time  was  not  then  come,  in  which 
 THE  Lord's  kingdom  upon  earth  was  to  be  eftablifhed. 
 
 Zealous.     Biit  how  is  it  now  ? 
 
 Cautious.  Ahnoit  all  commentators  allow,  that  we  live  in  the 
 times  of  thefe  ten  kingdoms,  into  which  the  Roman  empire  was 
 to  be  fplit,  and  divided  :  I  entirely  agree  with  them  in  this, 
 although  I  have*  already  given  you  miy  reafons  for  hoping  and 
 believing  that  we  are  not  one  of  the  ten.  (See  Obfervations  on 
 Pvlr.  Bicheno's  book,  pages  yj — 89.)  If  we  fee  the  iron  Roman 
 empire  divided  into  ten  kingdoms,  we  have  good  reafon  to  believe 
 that  the  next  change  in  the  empires  of  theearth,  will  be  a  glo- 
 rious CHANGE,  in  which  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GoD  wiU  be 
 eftablilhed  upon  earth,  Dan.  ii.  44.  But  this  is  certainly  not  to  be 
 expected,  until  thefe  ten  kingdoms  approach  towards  their  clofe. 
 
 Zealous.  Have  we  therefore  any  evidence,  any  good  reafon  to 
 think,  that  thefe  ten  kingdoms  approach  towards  their  clofe  ? 
 
 Cautious.  I  think  we  have  :  in  the  7th  chapter  of  Daniel  we 
 have  another  reprefentation  of  the  fam.e  fafts,  and  Ave  are  given 
 to  underjland,  that  among  the  ten  horns,  another  little  horn 
 would  arife.  He  arifes  among  them,  fo  that  he  is  not  the  regular 
 and  legal  reprefentative  of  any  of  them,  but  is  a  new  power. 
 Have  we  not  feen  the  rife  of  a  new  power  in  that  part  of  the 
 world,  which  clearly  formed  a  part,  and  a  confpicuous  part  too, 
 of  the  Roman  empire  ?  Have  we  not  feen  a  new  power,  a  power 
 different  from  any  that  ever  exifted,  arife  in  one  of  the  molt  con- 
 fpicuous of  the  kingdoms  into  which  the  Roman  emipire  was 
 divided  ? 
 
 We  cannot  but  acknowledge,  that  the  prefent  are  awful  times, 
 and  that  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  have  been  dreadfully  fhaken  : 
 but  let  us  proceed  with  our  inquiry  : — What  is  the  chara(51er 
 that  is  in  fcripture  given  of  this  little  horn?  It  is  faid  of  him, 
 that  three  of  the  firlt  horns  were  plucked  up  before  him.  Have 
 we  not  feen  him  acknowledged  as  the  head,  not  only  of  that 
 kingdom  in  which  he  arofe,  but  of  other  dates  alfo,  which  once 
 like  wife  iormicd  an  integral  part  of  the  Roman  empire  ? 
 
 A  mouth  fpeaking  great  things  is  alfo  afcribed  to  him  :  have 
 we  not  heard  great  fwelling  words?  I  muft  ag^in  refer  you  to  the 
 book  lall  quoted,  pages   296 — 311. 
 
 We  have  already  had  occalion  to  quote  the  words  of  a  learned 
 prelate,  in  which  he  clearly  and  explicitly  declares  his  opinion, 
 that  '*  The  French  democracy,  from  its  infancy  to  the  prefent 
 *'  moment,  has  been  a  confpicuous  and  principal  branch,  at  leafr, 
 *' of  the  weftern  Antichrift." 
 
 This  teftirnony  of  the  learned  prelate  was  publiOied  in  April 
 1799,  when  there  was  no  individual  fo  peculiarly  eminent  among 
 this  gang  of  confpirators  againft  the  liberties  and  happinefs  of 
 mankind,    as  to  attra6t  the  general  attention  \    but  in  thefe  few 
 
 3  A  years 
 
^62  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  H. 
 
 years  which  have  elapfed  fincc  the  publication  of  the  bifhop's 
 work,  from  which  theie  words  are  extradted,  the  head  and  heart 
 (in  which  all  the  ferocity,  malace,  and  ambition  of  the  monftcr, 
 hath  become  concentrated)  is  becoineconfpicuous. 
 
 Does  it  occur  to  you /that  high  as  is  the  ftation,  and  great  as 
 is  the  learning  of  the  prelate  who  thus  expreifcs  himielf,  yet  that 
 he  is  but  an  individual,  and  that  thofe  who  are  as  eminent  as  him- 
 felf,  and  as  well  able  to  difcern  the  figns  of  the  times,  may  not 
 view  the  prefent  agitations  of  the  world  as  fo  awfully  important  ? 
 I  admJt,  that  if  thefe  words  had  been  the  words  of  the  convo- 
 cation, they  would  have  born  the  (lamp  of  an  higher  authority  ; 
 but  we  are  not  left  in  doubt  concerning  the  opinions  of  thofe  in 
 the  higheft  authority  among  us,  as  to  the  figns  of  the  times  :  I 
 conceive  that  they  have  clearly  exprelled  their  opinion,  that  we 
 are  not  engaged  in  any  common  contefl:. 
 
 It  is,  I  believe,  admitted  on  all  hands,  both  by  Jews  and  Chrif- 
 tians,  that  Antiochus,  the  furious  perfecutor  of  the  Jews,  was 
 a  type  of  the  great  enemy  of  the  people  of  God,  that  was  to  arife 
 for  the  trial  of  the  faith  of  Gcd's  people  in  after  ages,  Dan,  ^ii.  8, 
 11,  20,  21 — 27.  xi.  36 — 45.  If  therefore  the  rulers  in  our 
 church  refer  to  fuch  events,  it  is  plain  that  they  conceive  that 
 there  is  an  analogy  between  them.  Thefe  things  are  referred  to 
 in  the  following  prayer,  Vv'hich  now  forms  a  part  of  our  Liturgy  : 
 *'  O  almighty  God,  maker  of  the  univerfe,  and  fovereign  difpofer 
 *'  of  the  affairs  of  men,  at  whofc  command  nations  and  empires 
 **  rife  and  fall,  flourifh  and  decay  ;  we,  thine  unworthy  fervants, 
 "  moll:  humbly  implore  thy  gracious  aid  and  protedion.  We 
 *'  iicc  unto  thee  for  fuccour,  in  this  time  of  peril  and  neceflity, 
 **  when  in  defence  of  our  liberty,  our  laws,  and  our  religion,  we 
 *'  are  expofed  to  the  dangers  and  calamities  of  war,  and  threatened 
 "  with  invafion  by  a  fierce  and  haughty  foe,  who  would  fwallow 
 "  us  up  quick,  fo  wrathfully  is  he  difpleufedat  us  :  for  that  we 
 *'  alone  among  the  nations  are  found  to  withftand  his  violent  and. 
 **  unjulf  ambition.  Vouchfafe,  we  befeech  thee,  thine  efpecial 
 "  bleihng  and  proteftion  to  our  moft  gracious  fovereign  lord, 
 ♦'  King  George.  Go  forth  with  his  fleets  and  armies;  and  let 
 "  thy  mighty  arm  be  with  Tiis  chiefs  and  captains,  as  it  was  of  eld 
 "  with  thy  fervants,  *Judas,  and  tjonaihan,  and  +Simon,  when 
 *'  they  valiantly  withltood  the  wicked  tyrants  of  their  times,  the 
 "  enemies  of  thy  truth,  and  the  opprellbrs  of  thy  people.  Di- 
 *'  reft  his  counfels,  profper  all  his  meafures  for  the  welfare  of 
 *'  this  kingdom,  and  the  prefcrvation  of  our  church,  and  of  our 
 *'  civil  con'litution.  And  let  no  internal  divifions,  nor  any  other 
 "  fms  and  provocations  of  this  nation,  obftruft  his  defigns  for  the 
 "  public  good,  nor  bring  down  thy  judgments  upon  us.  But 
 *'  fpare  thy  people,  O  Lord,  fpare  them;  and,  by  thy  grace,  fo 
 **  unite  u;-;  in  a  fpirit  of  obedience  to  thy  law,  zeal  for  thy  trutii, 
 "  and  loyally  to  ihine  anointed  fervant,  whom  tliy  good  provi- 
 
 "  dtnce 
 
Part  11.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  363 
 
 "  dence  has  fet  over  us,  that  we  may  evermore  rejoice  in  thy 
 *'  falvation,  through  thy  Son  Jefus  Chrilt  our  Lord.  Amen." 
 *  1  Maccabees,  chap.  ii.  66.  +  1  Maccabees,  chap.  v.  17.  Jf 
 you  revile  the  **Form  of  Prayer"  on  the  late  general  faft,  you 
 wiliobierve  that  the  fame  fcntiments  are  confpicuous. 
 
 It  is  well  worthy  of  ferious  confiJerution  -Jfo,  that  it  is  towards 
 thofe  nations,  which  were  once  united  under  the  empire,  the  iron 
 empire  of  the  Romans,  that  this  new  power  hath  become  fo  for- 
 midable. They  are  thofe  that  crouch  before  him,  and  who 
 are  difpofed  to  fay,  **  Who  is  able  to  make  war  with  him?" 
 Rev.  xiii.  4.  Bat  thank  God,  there  are  other  empires  v/hich 
 now  cxilt,  and  by  no  means  inferior  in  power  to  thofe  kingdoms 
 into  which  the  Roman  empire  was  divided.  You  will  remember 
 that  neither  Germany  nor  the  Britiih  I  lies  were  ever  completely 
 fubjugated  by  the  Romans.  Denmark  and  Sweden  alfo,  were 
 never  under  its  iron  hand  ;  and  as  to  the  greateft  northern  empire, 
 Rullia,  an  empire  greater  in  extent  than  the  Roman  em- 
 pire at  the  very  zenith  of  its  power,  greater  than  the  empire  of 
 Darius,  fubuued  by  Alexander,  (Guthrie  vol.  i.  ^  p.  117. J  ;  the 
 major  pjirt  ot  it  was  fcarcely  known  to  the  Romans. 
 
 Thefe  northern  powers  produced  thofe  millions  of  hardy  fol- 
 diers,  who,  though  repelled  whilfl:  the  Roman  empire  retained  its 
 vigour,  we're  afterwards  victorious,  and,  in  the  end,  divided  it 
 among  them.  The  Roman  was  a  great  empire  it  is  true,  and 
 the  tide  of  its  vidlories  overfpread  the  then  civilized  world  ;  but 
 when  the  tide  hath  attained  its  fummit,  the  ebb  takes  place. 
 If  we  were  required  to  form  a  chart  of  the  fea,  we  fhould  not  in- 
 clude therein  thofe  lands  which,  by  a  very  high  tide,  have  now 
 and  then  been  overflowed  by  its  impetuous  waves;  and  in  like 
 manner,  if  we  were  to  form  a  map  of  the  Roman  empire,  we  ought 
 not  to  include  therein  thofe  countries  which  were  partially,  and 
 for  a  lliort  time,  inundated  by  the  high  tide  of  its  vigorous  arms. 
 The  wall  ot  Severus,  commonly  called  the  Pids  wall,  running 
 through  Northumberland  and  Cumberland,  from  Tinmouth  ta 
 Solway  Frith,  a  diftance  of  80  miles,  is  evidence  exifting  at  this 
 day,  that  Britain  was  never  completely  fubjugated  by  the  Ro- 
 mans ;  and  notwithitanding  the  colonies  from  the  northern  hive, 
 as  it  hath  been  called,  were  abforbed  in  the  empire  which  they 
 fubdued,  and  feparated  from  their  parent  Itatcs,  yet  thefe  northern 
 countries  have  latterly,  by  civilization,  become  important,  and 
 poweriul  in  the  fcale  of  empire  !  America  alfo,  now  forms  an 
 important  object  ;  and  no  part  of  this  Jmmenfe  continent  was 
 known  until  the  Roman  empire  v/as  completely,  broken  and. 
 divided.  Notwithftanding  therefore  the  power  which  the  great 
 enemy  will  ufurp  and  aifume,  we  have,  I  truft,  good  reafon  to 
 hope  and  believe,  that  fome  of  thefe  great  powers  which  it  hath 
 pleafed  him,  who  removeth  kings,  and  fetteth  up  kings,  to  caufe 
 ^o  ariie  in  tlie  world,  will  reliit  and  oppofe,  and  not  only  refill 
 
 and 
 
S54  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 and  oppofe,  but  in  the  end,  by  the  divine  aid,  fuccefsfully  refill 
 and  oppofe  the  great  adverfary  !  "  He  Ihall  come  to  his  end,  and 
 *'  none  fliall  help  him,''  Dun.  xi.  45,  Notwithlianding  iiis  great 
 fuccefs  ;  notwithitanding  that  for  a  Ihort  time,  it  is  gi-.  en  to  hhn 
 to  make  war  with  the  faints,  and  to  prevail  againil  them,  (Dan. 
 vii.  21.)  ;  notwithftanding  the  multitudes  that  vvill  be  induced  to 
 "w^orfhip  him,  faying,  "  Who  is  like  unto  the  beaft  ?  who  is  able 
 *'  to  make  war  with  him?"  (Rev.  xiii.  4.)  we  have,  thank  God, 
 no  caufe  to  be  difcouragcd  •  for  in  the  fame  place  in  which  his 
 extenfive  fv/ay  is  fo  fully  declared,  it  is  declared  to  be  limited  : 
 *'  And  all  tliat  dwell  upon  the  earth  fliall  worfhip  him,  whofe 
 **  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  ilain 
 *'  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,"  Rev.  xiii.  8.  Who  is 
 there  that  will  dare  to  fay,  that  this  chofen  number  are  but 
 few  ?  Who  is  there  that  will  dare  to  fay,  that  whole  nations, 
 and  great  nations  too,  may  not,  through  God's  grace,  be  included 
 in  this  exception. 
 
 The  Old  Teftament,  as  well  as  the  New,  affords  us  good  hope 
 in  this  matter  ;  for  notwithitanding  the  great  power  of  the  enemy, 
 it  is  declared  that  *'  at  the  time  of  the  end  Ihall  the  king  of  the 
 **  fouth  pufh  at  him :  and  the  king  of  the  north  lliall  come  againfl 
 **  him  like  a  whirlwind,  with  chariots,  and  with  horfemen,  and 
 *'  with  many  fhips,"  and  the  fury  of  the  enemy  is  brought  to  its 
 height,  by  "  tidings  out  of  the  east,  and  out  of  the  north, 
 **  troubling  him,"  Dan,  xi.  40,  44.  I  truit,  therefore,  that  you 
 will  derive  confolation  from  the  confideration,  that  feme  of  the  now 
 greateft  nations  were  never  polTeiftd  by  the  Romans.  The  territo- 
 ries we  poifefs  in  the  Ealt-Indies  were,  I  conceive,  never  poifeffed 
 by  the  Romans,  no  more  than  our  Welt-India  polfellions.  And 
 tidings  out  of  the  east,  and  out  of  the  north,  will  trouble 
 him.  It  feems  to  be  the  Roman  empire  againft  which  the  moft 
 awful  denunciations  are  to  be  found  in  the  word  of  God  ;  and  it  is 
 becaufe  of  the  great  boasting  v/ords  of  the  little  horn, 
 (Dan.  vii.  11.)  that  its  decreed  deftruclion  will  be  accompiifhed  ; 
 for  the  remains  of  the  three  preceding  empires  are  not  fo  feverely 
 punifhed,  they  had  their  dominion  taken  away,  yet  their  lives 
 were  prolonged  for  a  feafon  and  time,  Dan.  vii.  12.  We  may 
 therefore,  I  truft,  encourage  the  hope,  that  fome  of  the  remains 
 of  thefe  three  great  preceding  empires,  as  well  as  thofe  empires 
 which  have,  by  the  good  providence  of  God,  arifen  fince  the  fall 
 and  divifion  of  the  Roman  empire,  will  not  be  hoitile  towards  the 
 caufe  and  people  of  God  ;  but  hoftile  towards  the  great  adverfary 
 himfelf.  He  will  be  attacked  by  the  king  of  the  fouth.  Not 
 only  the  king  of  the  fouth  pufhes  at  him,  but  the  king  of  the 
 north  comes  againil  him  like  a  whirlwind,  with  chariots,  and  with 
 horfemen,  and  with  m.any  ihips.  J3y  the  fo(tering  hand  of  Bri- 
 tain, Rullia  hath  become  a  great  naval  power  ;  and  the  Britilli 
 Ifies,  as  well  asRuffia,  Denmark,  and  Sweden,  are  great  northern 
 
 maritime 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  365, 
 
 maritiire  powers.  The  northern  countries  are  particularly 
 noticed  In  holy  fcripture  :  "Go  and  proclaim  thefe  words  towards 
 *'  the  north,  and  fay,  Return,  thou  backlliding  Ifrael,  faith  the  " 
 *'  Lord;  and  I  will  not  caufe  mine  anger  to  fall  upon  you  :  for 
 *'  I  am  merciful,  faith  the  Lord,  and  I  will  not  keep  anger 
 *'  for  ever.  Only  acknowledge  thine  iniquity,  that  thou  iiaft 
 *'  tranfgreired  againft  the  Lord  thy  God,"  Jer.  iii.  12,  13. 
 This  proclamation  will  undoubtedly,  in  due  time,  be  delivered 
 towards  the  north  ;  for  it  feem.s  clear,  that  the  return  of  Ifrael 
 "will  firit  commence  Irrom.  the  north  :  "In  thofe  days  the  houfe 
 **  oi  Judah  Ihall  walk  wich  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  and  they  ihall 
 "  come  together  out  of  the  land  of  the  north,  to  the  land  that 
 *'  I  have  given  for  an  inheritance  unto  your  fathers,"  Jer.  iii. 
 18.  Arise!  arise!  "Arise  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to 
 "  ZiON,  unto  the  Lord  our  God  !  for  thus  faith  the 
 *'  Lord,  Sing  with  gladncfs  for  Jacob,  and  Ihout  among  the 
 **  chiet  of  the  nations.  Publiih  ye,  praife  ye,  and  fay,  O  Lord 
 *'  fave  thy  people,  the  remmant  of  Ifrael !  Behold  !  behold  I 
 "  will  bring  them  from  the  north  country."  (The  north 
 country  is  that  which  is  firit  mentioned.)  "  Behold  I  will  bring 
 *'  them  from  the  north  country,  and  gather  them  from  the  coafts 
 *'  ot  the  earth,  and  with  them  the  blind  and  the  lame,  the  woman 
 ''  with  child  and  her  tliat  travaileth  wath  child  together  ;  a 
 "  great  company  fhall  return  thither;  they  fliall  come  with 
 *'  weeping,  and  with  fupplications  will  I  lead  them:  I  will 
 *'  caufe  them  to  walk  by  the  rivers  of  waters  in  a  flraight  way, 
 "  wherein  they  fhall  not  Humble:  fori  am  a  father  to  Ifrael, 
 *'  and  Ephraim.is  my  firft-born."  Jer.  xxxi.  6 — 9.  And  their 
 return  from  the  north  country  will  be  fo  confpicuous  an  event, 
 that  it  will  be  recorded,  never  to  be  forgottoni  "Behold,  the 
 "  days  come,  faith  the  Lord,  that  they  fhall  no  more  fay, 
 "  The  Lord  livcth,  which  brought  up  the  children  of  Ifrael  out 
 "  of  the  land  of  Egypt  ;  but,  The  Lord  livcth,  which  brought 
 "  up  and  which  led  the  feed  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael  out  of  the  north 
 "  country,  and  fromi  all  countries  whither  I  had  driven  them  ; 
 *'  and  they  (hall  dwell  in  their  own  land,"  Jer.  xxiii.  7,  8. 
 Civilization  paves  the  way  for  religious  truth.  What  was  Ruflia 
 two  centuries  ago?  It  is  the  Lord  that  fetteth  up  kings,  and 
 giveth  them  wifdom  to  poliih  and  improve  their  empires  ;  and 
 never  was  tliere  a  more  fudden  traniition  from  ruflicity  to  civili- 
 zation, than  has  been  effedted  in  the  lait  century  in  the  empire  of 
 RuHia. 
 
 The  Roman  empire  was  fituate  north-weft  with  refpc6l  to 
 Jerufalem,  the  central  point  from  which  the  prophetic  eye  re- 
 views the  Hirrounding  empires  ;  and  the  great  enemy,  defcribed  in 
 Ezek.  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  is  defcribed  as  coniiiig  from  the  sides 
 OF  the  north,  Ezek.  xxxix.  2.  He  is  the  chief  prince  of 
 Mcfhech  and  'i^ubal,  who  were  the  fons  of  Japhcth,  by  whom 
 
 the 
 
266  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  IL 
 
 the  ifles  of  the  Gentiles  (in  Europe)  were  peopled,    Gen,  x. 
 
 T^ealous.  I  think  that  we  may  derive  fome  confolation  from 
 the  reiieclion,  that  there  have,  by  God's  good  providence,  arifen 
 in  thefe  latter  ages,  powerful  empires,  which  certainly  never 
 formed  a  part  of  the  Roman  empire,  or  of  any  ot  thofe  empires 
 which  are  defcribed  as  broken  to  pieces  in  Dan.  ii.  ;  and  the  cir- 
 cumflance  that  the  king  of  the  north  will  come  againit  the  great 
 enemy  like  a  whirlwind,  with  chariots,  and  with  horfemen,  and 
 with  many  Ihips  (which  defcribes  the  king  of  the  north  to  be  a 
 great  maritime  pov.^er)  is  alfo  calculated  to  afford  us  confolation  ; 
 but  it  is  firll  noticed  that  the  king  of  the  south  puihes  at  him. 
 
 Cautious.  I  fnall  not  hazard  any  conjedure  as  to  that  fouthern 
 power  which  fliall  pulh  at  him  ;  I  thuik  it  is  clearly  eftablifhed 
 from  fcripture,  that  the  firii  emigration  of  the  Jews  will  he  from 
 the  north,  and  that  although  the  great  enemy  comes  from  the  fides 
 of  the  north,  yet  that  a  great  northern  maritime  power  will  be 
 hoftile  towards  him,  and  of  courfe  it  is  to  be  hoped  favourable  to 
 the  Jews.  The  land  of  Ifrael,  the  Holy  Land,  is  that  which  is  the 
 interefting  obje6l,  and  if  the  emigration  of  the  Jews  is  to  com- 
 mence from  the  north,  we  muft  conclude  (hat  fome  great  nor- 
 thern power  will,  by  God's  providence,  be  inverted  with  fuch 
 influence  in  that  part  of  the  world,  as  to  affift  and  protect  them 
 in  their  return. 
 
 Zealous.  The  obfervations  you  have  already  made  concerning 
 the  great  enemy,  and  concerning  the  northern  powers,  tend  to 
 confirm  the  opinion,  that  the  great  event  approaches  ;  and  if  it 
 approaches,  the  reiloration  of  the  Jews  approaches  ;  and  if  the 
 reltoration  of  the  Jews  draws  near,  and  the  days  of  their  tribu- 
 lation are  nearly  expired,  the  glorious  appearance  of  our  blelled 
 Saviour  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,  muft 
 not  be  confidered  as  remote  :  "  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds, 
 **  and  every  eye  fliall  fee  him,  and  they  alfo  which  pierced  him  : 
 *'  and  all  kindreds  of  the  earth  Ihall  wail  becaufe  of  him.  Even 
 **  fo.  Amen.''     Rev.  i.  7. 
 
 Cautious.  When  the  Roman  em.pire  had  attained  the  fummit 
 of  its  power,  the  feat  of  empire  was  removed  trom  Rome  to 
 Conftantinople ;  and  by  the  great  enemy  coming  from  the  fides 
 of  the  north,  and  planting  the  tabernacle  of  his  palace  between 
 the  feas,  in  the  "  glorious  holy  mountain,"  it  fliould  feem  that 
 he  will  be  induced  to  a  condu6l  fomewhat  fimilar. 
 
 Zralous.  The  countries  bordering  upon  Paleftine  having  latter- 
 ly become  the  theatre  of  great  events,  certainly  tends  to  confirm 
 the  idea,  that  very  coniiderable  events  are  at  no  great  dif- 
 tance. 
 
 CautUus.  I  think  the  idea  is  alfo  confirmed  by  the  circum- 
 ftance,  that  the  events  to  which  you  refer,  did  not  refult  from 
 inclination,  but  that  the  victorious  j)arty  was,  as  it  were,  compelled 
 
 ta 
 
Part  IL  DIALOGUE    VIII.  3^7 
 
 to  a£l  as  it  did.  Egypt  in  its  prefent  ftate,  is  by  no  means  a 
 land  to  attract  attention  :  it  is  fubjeft  to  dreadful  difeales,  and 
 is  not  calculated  to  repay  the  expence  of  colonization,  except  as 
 it  has  reference  to  the  trade  of  the  Eaft-  Indies  :  in  itfelf,  it  is  of  no 
 great  value  ;  but  as  a  rallying  point  from  which  the  Britifh  pof- 
 feffions  in  India  might  be  ultimately  attacked,  or  its  trade  injured, 
 it  feems  to  be  an  objetl  of  importance  to  that  reftlefs  power 
 which  cannot  view  the  profperity  of  a  neighbour  without  envy ; 
 and  vrho,  notwithftanding  his  defeat,  yet  boaits,  that  fooner  or 
 later,  Egypt  rnuit  belong  to  him  "  either  by  the  falling  to  pieces 
 "•■  of  the  Turkifli  empire,  or  by  fome  arrangement  with  the  Porte." 
 (See  the  converfation  of  Feb.  1803.) 
 
 It  has  frequently,  and  long  fmce  been  afTerted,  that  the  Turlcifh 
 power  is  unequal  to  the  defence  of  its  empire,  and  that  it  is  chiefly 
 indebted  to  the  jealoufy  of  its  more  powerful  neighbours  for 
 its  prefervation  :  if  the  aflertion  is  well  founded  (and  circum- 
 flances  fecm  almoft  to  juftify  the  aiTertion)  and  if  the  weaknefs  of 
 the  Turkifh  empire  gives  occafion  to  an  ambitious  nation  to  covet 
 its  poiTeilions,  with  a  view  to  its  own  aggrandizement,  to  the  injury 
 of  its  neighbours,  it  may  occafion  arrangements  to  be  made  with 
 the  Porte  which  may  be  a  means  of  preparing  the  way  for 
 Israel's  return. 
 
 The  objeft  I  have  had  in  view,  in  all  I  have  faid  concerning 
 the  prefent  (late  of  the  nations,  hath  been  to  guard  againft  our 
 viewing  the  awful  events  which  approach  through  a  magnifying 
 medium:  there  is,  I  triift,  no  good  caufe  tor  thofe  who  put  their 
 truft  in  God  to  be  difcouraged: 
 
 Zealous.  *'  God  is  our  refuge  and  flrength,  a  very  prefent  help 
 **  in  trouble.  Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though  the  earth  be 
 "  removed,  and  though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midil:  of 
 *'  the  fea  ;  though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  trotibled, 
 **  though  the  mountains  fliake  with  the  fwelling  thereof,"  Pfal. 
 :dvi,   1 — 3. 
 
 Cautious.  "  The  Lord  reigneth  !"  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham 
 nnd  Ifaac  and  Jacob,  which  is  his  name  forever,  and  his  memorial 
 unto  all  generations,  Exod.  iii.  15.  He  who  created  the  heaven 
 and  the  earth,  the  fea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters,  (Rev.  xiv.  7.) 
 and  his  providence  is  over  all  his  works  :  "  Are  not  five  fparrows 
 "  fold  for  two  farthiniis,  and  not  one  of  them  is  forwtten  before 
 "  God  ;  but  even  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered  ; 
 *'  fear  not  therefore  :  ye  are  of  more  \  alue  tlian  many  fpari'^ws," 
 Luke  xii.  6,  7.  Nothing  appears  fo  uncertain  as  the  difpofitions 
 of  m.ankind,  and  princes  are  but  men.  We  have  feen  inltances 
 of  princes  being  in  league  againfi  an  overbearing  power  ;  and 
 then  the  events  of  war,  the  death  of  a  lovercign,  or  the  change  in 
 a  miniflry,  have  difarranged  all  their  plans.  'We  have  even  feen 
 nations  that  tor  ages  have  been  hofiile  tov/ards  each  other,  uniting 
 their  forces,    and  refilling  a  power  liiyitile  to  them  both.     Theit: 
 
 thinus 
 
368  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  IL 
 
 things  fcarcely  admit  of  calculation,  and  thofe  who  lay  moft 
 flrels  upon  them  arc  ever  difcovering  that  they  arefubject  to  great 
 miftakes  ;  I  would  thereiore  particularly  requell  j-ou  to  do 
 me  the  jullicc  to  rcmerriLier,  that  in  Avliatev  er  I  have  faid  upon 
 the  ftate  of  the  nations,  whatever  arguments  I  have  drav\n  from 
 this  fubjecl,  infupport  of  my  opinion,  that  awiul  times  approach, 
 and  that  the  relloration  of  the  Jews,  and  the  glorious  appearance 
 of  our  Lord,  are  events  by  no  means  remote,  have  been  delivered 
 by  me  with  much  diiiidencc,  and  more  as  hints  for  confideratioa 
 than  as  fixed  opinions.  If  I  have  not  fufficicntly,  in  whtit  I  have 
 faid,  impreffed  it  upon  your  mind,  I  wilh  to  repeat  it  again  and 
 again  to  you,  that  the  obfervations  I  have  made  upon  this  fubjedt 
 are  not  to  be  taken  as  alfertlons,  but  as  hints  for  confideration. 
 We  are  not  required  to  fliut  our  eyes,  and  if  w^e  obferve  anti- 
 chriftian  features  in  any  nation  of  the  earth,  we  ha\e  a  right  to 
 comment  on  the  facl: ;  but  we  fliould  beware  of  pofitive  ailertions^ 
 Polhiive  affertions  have  done  injury  to  the  caufe  they  have  been 
 intended  to  ferve.  The  obfervations  which  I  have  fo  often  re- 
 peated concerning  the  feven  thunders  behig  fealed,  and  the  extent 
 and  duration  of  the  tribulation  of  the  Jews  being  purpofely  con- 
 cealed, both  in  the  Old  Tellament  and  in  the  New,  aH  tend  to  this 
 point,  and  fliould  convince  us  that  great  caution  is  neceffary, 
 and  that  the  m.oit  important  and  unexpe6led  events  may  arife  ;  but 
 this  is  our  confolatlon,   that  the  Lord  Gnd  of  Ifrael  reigneth. 
 
 Knowledge  is  of  no  furtlier  ufe  than  as  it  is  brought  into 
 a6lion,  and  becomes  influcncial  ;  and  it  is  for  this  purpofe  that 
 knowledge  is  given.  Who  Is  there  that  will  prefume  to  fay,  that 
 that  nation  in  which  more  antichriftian  features  have  appeared, 
 than  in  any  other  party  or  nation,  may  not,  through  grace,  repent 
 and  become  monuments  of  the  lonir-fufierin.'j  mercy  of  him  whofe 
 mercy  endureth  for  ever.  Let  us  remember  that  repentance  was 
 vouchfafed  even  to  a  Man  ass  eh  !  who  therefore  ihall  prefume 
 to  fay,  that  it  may  not  be  vouchfafed  to  the  mod  conrpicuous 
 character  among  them.  Although  it  would  be  equally  prefump- 
 tiort  were  we  to  alTert  eiiher,  yet  it  is  our  duty  to  pray  that  repent- 
 ance m^ay  be  given  them,  and  accordingly  in  our  cinirch  we  do 
 pray  for  it. 
 
 If  it  Ihould  be  that  oi;r  prayers  return  into  our  own  bofom, 
 if  it  fhould  appear  that  the  great  Antichriil:  is  actually  arifen,  we 
 are  not  to  wonder  at  his  fuccefs,  for  he  is  an  ordained  fcourge ; 
 but  tl:ere  are  antichrifLian  features  which liave  not  yet  appeared. 
 We  have  feen  the  remains*  of  the.  Roman  empire  crouching  before 
 him,  and  faying,  "  V/ho  is  able  to  make  war  with  him  r"  We  have 
 had  to  lament  that  *'  we  alone  among  the  nations  arc  found  to 
 "  withiiand  his  violent  and  unjult  ambition.'"'  We  have  obferved 
 the  antichrillian  party  aping  the  language,  the  titles,  and  the 
 offices  of  the  Romans;  and  the  name  of  consul  alTumed,  to 
 acquire  the  power  of  a  DICTATOR  ;  but  wc  have  not  yet  feen  the 
 
 rife 
 
I>ART  ir.  DIALOGUE    VIIL  369 
 
 rife  of  his  deceiving  aflbciatein  wickednefs,  Rev.  xiii.  11 — 18. 
 neither  have  we  yet  feen  the  ten  Icings,  with  united  mind,  giving 
 their  power  and  ftrength  unto  him,  (Rev.  xvii.  13.)  or  had  to 
 notice  that  deadly  wound,  and  the  healing  of  it,  mentioned  in  Rev. 
 xiii.  3.  We  will  now  drop  this  fubjecl  entirely,  and  confine  our- 
 felves  to  that  which  is  more  to  our  intereft  to  dwell  on.  It  is  our 
 duty  and  our  intereft,  as  much  as  in  us  lies,  to  endeavour  to  eradi- 
 cate thofe  prejudices  which  have  been  conceived  againPc  the  Jews, 
 and  againft  their  molt  holy  religion. 
 
 Notwithftanding  we  have  to  thank  God  for  the  very  great 
 alteration  in  the  conducf  and  fentiments  of  Chriftians  concerning 
 them  and  their  religion  ;  yet  have  we  to  lament  that  fome  of  the 
 moft  learned,  even  among  Proteftants,  have  diffeminated  unworthy 
 fentiments  concerning  them  and  their  religion  ;  Bifliop  Warbur- 
 ton,  in  his  famous  book  entitled  *'  Julian,"  afferts  in  page  10, 
 that  ''The  eifence  of  the  Jewilli  religion  was  ceremonial  :"  this 
 alTertion  iliews  the  difpoiicion  of  the  learned  prelate  towards  the 
 religion  of  the  Old  Teftament !  No  one  could  exprefs  himfelf 
 in  this  manner,  that  had  not  conceived  moft  unju ft  and  unworthy 
 fentimer^ts  concerning  the  books  of  Mofes  and  the  prophets! 
 Examine  the  Old  Teftament,  and  you  will  find  that  the  ailertion 
 deferves  a  feverer  epithet  than  he  himfelf  beftows  upon  the  ftories 
 of  Philoflorgius  and  Theophanes  :  theirs  related  to  matters  of 
 fmall  importance  ;  whether  they  were  believed  or  not,  was  of 
 fmall  moment  :  but,  he  that  lliould  fubfcribe  to  this  aifertion  of 
 the  biftiop,  would,  in  my  opinion,  be  juftly  chargeable  with  great 
 impiety. 
 
 When  a  writer  takes  upon  himfelf  to  decide  without  producing 
 proof,  when  he  takes  a  matter  for  granted  without  examination, 
 it  ftiould  always  put  us  upon  our  guard  ;  and  thank  God  we  have 
 only  to  turn  to  the  books  of  Mofes  and  the  prophets,  in  order  to 
 expofe  the  falfehood  of  the  aflertion.  In  order  to  difcover  the 
 ESSENCE  of  the  Jewilh  religion,  we  muft  not  fearch  the  works 
 of  the  Chriftian  fathers ;  they,  very  poffibly,  had  as  unworthy 
 notions  of  it  as  the  learned  prelate  himfelf,  and  I  fhrewdly  fuf- 
 ped  that  he  imbibed  his  ideas  from  them :  but  let  every  one  fpeak 
 tor  himfelf;  what  faith  the  books  of  Mofes  and  the  prophets  to 
 this  charge,  that  the  essence  of  their  religion  was  ceremonial  ? 
 
 There  was  a  queftion  put  to  our  bleffed  Saviour  which  appears 
 to  me  to  be  exadtly  in  point,  it  is  not  in  the  words,  *'  What  is  the 
 *'  ESSENCE  of  the  Jewish  religion?"  but  I  conceive  that  it  is 
 exactly  fynonymous,  "  Mailer,  which  is  the  great  command- 
 *'  ment  in  the  law  ?"  Is  not  this  the  fame  queftion  in  other 
 words  ?  How  does  our  blefled  Saviour  anfwer  this  queftion  ?  Far 
 differently  indeed!  He  does  not  affert  that  the  essence  of  the 
 Jewish  religion  was  ceremonial,  but  he  refers  to  the 
 LAW  ;  he  quotes,  he  proves,  "  Jefus  laid  unto  him.  Thou  fl.alt 
 *'  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  foul, 
 
 3  B  ,         "  and 
 
370  DIALOGUE    VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 **  and  with  all  thy  mind.  TViis  is  the  firft  and  great  command- 
 **  ment.  And  the  fecond  is  like  unto  it,  thou  flialt  love  thy  neigh- 
 *'  hour  as  thyfclf.  On  thefe  two  commandments  hang  all  the 
 **  law  and  the  prophets,"  Matt.  xxii.  36 — 40.  The  essence  is 
 the  Itrength,  the  fpirit ;  the  eifence  of  the  Jewifli  religion  is  con- 
 tained in  the  two  tables,  the  ten  commandinents ;  -"/hich 
 teach  us,  ifl:,  our  duty  towards  God  ;  and  2dly,  our  duty  towards 
 our  neighbour;  and  here  we  have  this  spirit,  and  ftrength,  and 
 effence  of  the  Jewiih  law,  concentrated  in  the  words  of  our  blelTed 
 Saviour,  In  thefe  words  our  Lord  not  only  refers  to  the  ten 
 commandments,  but  to  Deut.  vi.  4,  5.  x.  12.  and  xi.  13.  Levit. 
 xix.  18.  and  many  other  paffages,  which  all  fpeak  the  fame  doc- 
 trine ;  and  affert  the  Jewifli  religion  to  be  the  religion  of 
 THE  HEART  AND  soul!  So  far  from  the  elfence  of  the  Jewifh 
 religion  being  ceremonial,  that  almoif  all  the  charges  brought 
 againlt  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  in  holy  fcripture,  hinge  on  this,  that 
 (like  the  learned  bifhop)  they  were  too  much  difpofed  to  confider 
 them  as  fuch.  So  far  from  ceremonies  conftituting  the 
 eflence  of  the  Jewifh  religion,  that  I  may  alTert  that  the  Lord 
 God  of  Ifrael  was  the  hater  of  ceremonies  :  *'  To  what  purpofe 
 *'  is  the  multitude  of  your  lacrifices  unto  me?  faith  the  Lord: 
 **  I  am  full  of  the  burnt  offerings  of  rams,  and  the  fat  of  fed 
 *'  beafts  ;  and  I  delight  not  in  the  blood  of  bullocks,  or  of  lambs, 
 *'  or  of  he  goats.  When  ye  come  to  appear  before  me,  who  hath 
 *'  required  this  at  your  hand,  to  tread  my  courts  ?  Bring  no 
 *'  more  vain  oblations;  incenfe  is  an  abomination  unto  me  ;  the 
 *'  new  moons  and  fabbaths,  the  calling  of  affemblies,  I  cannot 
 **  away  with  ;  it  is  iniquity,  even  the  folemn  meeting.  Your 
 **  new  moons  and  your  appointed  feafts  my  foul  hateth  :  they  are 
 **  a  trouble  unto  me  ;  I  am  weary  to  bear  them,"  Ifai.  i.  11 — 
 14.  How  is  this  ?  Were  not  thefe  things  appointed  by  the  Lord 
 himfelf  ?  They  were,  and  he  would  have  delighted  in  thofe  fervices 
 which  he  had  himfelf  ordained,  if  they  had  been  performed  in 
 fmcerity  and  from  the  heart,  as  tokens  of  love  and  obedience  to  his 
 law;  but  they  difregarded  his  laws,  and  performed  thofe  fervices 
 merely  as  ceremonies. 
 
 St.  Mark,  in  chap.  12,  records  a  fimilar  queftion  to,  and  a 
 iimilar  anfwer  from  our  blefTed  Saviour  ;  and  it  is  added,  that  the 
 fcribe  who  afked  the  queftion,  replied,  *'  Well,  Mailer,  thou  haft 
 **  faid  the  truth  :  for  there  is  one  God  ;  and  there  is  none  other 
 **  but  he  :  and  to  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  and  with  all  the 
 **  underftanding,  and  with  all  the  foul,  and  with  all  theftrength, 
 *<  and  to  love  his  neighbour  as  himfelf,  is  more  than  all  whole 
 *'  burnt  offerings  and  facriiices,"  Mark  xii.  32,  33.  Were  not 
 thefe  paffages  in  the  bishop's  bible  ?  V/as  there  not  the  book  of 
 Pfalms  in  the  bishop's  bible  ?  and  did  not  his  *<  Concordance," 
 under  the  article  heart,  refer  to  fuch  a  number  of  paifages,  that 
 they  fill  ten  columns  clofely  printed  ? 
 
 The 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII,  371 
 
 The  fcribe  who  thus  acknowledges  the  propriety  of  our  Lord's 
 folution  of  his  queition,  evidently  refers  to  Hofea  vi.  6.  but  for 
 fear  the  palfage  Ihould  not  be  in  the  reader's  recolle£lion,  the  tranf- 
 lators  of  the  Bible  have  referred  to  it  in  the  margin  :  *'  I  defire 
 *'  mercy  and  not  facrifice,  and  the  knowledge  of  God,  MORE  than 
 ''  burnt  offerings,"  Hofea  vi.  6.  Did  not  the  polTedion  of  this 
 fpirit,  and  effence  of  the  Jewifh  religion  (which  is  fo  fully  mani- 
 fefted  in  his  Pfalms)  coniHtute  David  the  man  after  God's  own 
 heart  ?  i  Sam.  xiii.  14.  xvi.  7.  1  Kings  xi.  4,  6.  xv.  3;  2  Kings 
 xiv.  3.  xvi.  2.  xviii.  3  ;  2  Chron,  xxviii.  1.  xxix.  2.  Extra6l  the 
 effence  from  any  thiiig  and  it  becomes  a  mere  "  caput  mortuum  ;" 
 but  whilft  the  eifence  and  fpirit  remains  in  any  thing  it  is  of 
 worth.  There  was  this  eifence  or  fpirit  in  the  facrinces  of  Abel 
 and  of  Noah  ;  and  in  the  facrifices  of  Abraham,  and  the  other 
 Jewish  fathers  ;  and  that  it  was  that  rendered  them  well 
 pleafmg  to  God.  There  was  this  eifence  of  the  Jewifh  religion 
 in  the  facrinces  of  Solomon  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple,  and 
 *'  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  houfe  of  God,"  (2  Chron.  v. 
 14.  Gen.  iv.  4.  viii.  21.  xv.  17,  iB.  xxii.  i: — 19)  and  it  is 
 bccaufeithis  fpirit  and  eifence  of  the  JeAvilli  religion  was  greatly 
 evaporated,  by  their  refting  in  the  letter,  and  negledlingthe  fpirit 
 of  the  Jewifh  law,  that  they  have  been  for  their  correction, 
 and  CHASTISEMENT,  and  improvement,  difperftd  into  all 
 nations.  When  they  have  become  fenfible  of  this,  when  they  no 
 longer  continue  to  coniider  the  ordinances  of  their  moft  holy 
 religion  as  ceremonious,  that  is,  when  they  fhall  return  unto 
 the  Lord  their  God,  ^nd  obey  his  voice,  according  to  all  that 
 Mofes,  the  fervant  of  God,  commanded  thera,  with  all  their 
 heart,  and  with  all  their  foul,  then  will  be  accompliflied  this 
 promife,  '*  The  Lord  thy  God  will  turn  thy  captivity,  and 
 *'  have  compaflion  upon  thee,  and  will  return  and  gather  thee 
 *'  from  all  the  nations,  whither  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  fcatter- 
 '*  ed  thee.  If  any  of  thine  be  driven  out  unto  the  utmoft  parts 
 *'  of  heaven,  from  thence  will  the  Lord  thy  God  gather  thee, 
 *'  and  from  thence  will  he  fetch  thee  :  and  the  Lord  thy  God  will 
 **  bring  thee  into  the  land  which  thy  fathers  poffeffed,  and  thou 
 **  fhalt  poffefs  it  ;  and  he  will  do  thee  good,  and  multiply  thee 
 ♦'  above  thy  fathers.  And  the  Lord  thy  God  will  circumcife 
 "  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  feed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy 
 *'  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  foul,  that  thou 
 ^'  mayefl  live.  And  the  Lord  thy  God  will  put  all  thefe  curfes 
 "  upon  thine  enemies,  and  on  them  that  hate  thee,  which  perfe- 
 *'  cuted  thee.  And  thou  fhalt  return  and  obey  the  voice  of  the 
 *'  Lord,  and  do  all  his  commandments  which  I  command  thee 
 **  this  day.  And  the  Lord  thy  God  will  make  thee  plenteous 
 **  in  every  work  of  thine  hand,  in  the  fruit  of  thy  body,  and  in 
 "  the  fruit  of  thy  cattle,  and  in  the  fruit  of  thy  land,  for 
 **  good :  for  the  Lord  will  again  rejoice  over  thee  for  good, 
 
 *'    aS: 
 
372  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 as  he  rejoiced  over  thy  fathers :  if  thou  fhalt  hearken  unto  the 
 voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  keep  his  commandments  and  his 
 flatutes  which  are  written  in  this  book  of  the  law,  and  if  thou 
 turn  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart  and  with  all 
 thy  foul,'  Deut  xxx,  3 — 10.  *'  In  that  day  will  I  raife  up 
 the  tabernacle  of  David  that  is  fallen,  and  clofe  up  the  breaches 
 thereof;  and  I  will  raife  up  his  ruins,  and  I  will  build  it  as  in 
 the  days  of  old  :  that  they  iriay  pofl'efs  the  remnant  of  Edom, 
 and  of  all  the  heathen  which  are  called  by  my  name,  faith  the 
 Lord  that  doeth  this.  Behold,  the  days  come,  faith  the  Lord, 
 that  the  ploughman  ihall  overtake  the  reaper,  aud  the  treader 
 ot  grapes  him  that  foweth  feed  ;  and  the  mountains  111  all  drop 
 fweet  wine,  and  all  the  hills  ihall  melt.  And  I  will  bring 
 again  the  captivity  of  my  people  of  Ifrael,  andtheyfliall  build  the 
 wafte  cities,  and  inhabit  them  ;  and  they  fhall  plant  vineyards, 
 and  drink  the  wine  thereof;  they  (hall  alfo  make  gardens,  and 
 eat  the  fruit  of  them.  And  I  will  plant  them  upon  their  land, 
 and  they  fhall  no  more  be  pulled  up  out  of  their  land  which  I 
 have  given  them,  faith  the  Lord  thy  God,"  Amos  ix.  11 — 15. 
 Sing,  O  ye  heavens;  for  the  Lord  hath  done  it:  fhout  ye 
 lower  parts  of  the  earth  :  break  forth  into  fmging,  ye  mountains, 
 O  foreit,  and  every  tree  therein  :  for  the  Lord  hath  redeemed 
 Jacob,  and  glorified  himfelf  in  Ifrael,"  Ifai.  xliv.  23. 
 Tjealous.  You  have  certainly  the  beif  authority,  the  authority 
 of  our  bleffed  Saviour  himfelf,  for  contradi6ting  the  alTertion  of 
 the  learned  bilhop  ;  the  elfence  of  the  Jewilh  religion  was  not 
 cerenlonial,  but  it  was  and  is  like  the  Chriftian  religion,  which 
 was  founded  thereon,  the  religion  of  the  heart ! 
 
 Cautious.  A  defire  to  exalt  the  Chriftian  religion  at  the  expence 
 of  the  Jewiih  religion,  was  the  greatest  (as  well  asthe  ear- 
 liest) HERESY  which  hath  difgraced  the  Chriftian  ch\irch  ;  and 
 we  have  feen  that  its  influence,  however  weakened,  hath  extended 
 to  thefe  times.  The  Jewiih  and  the  Chriftian  religion  are  fo  in- 
 feparably  united,  that  unlefs  the  true  foundation,  the  Jewish 
 RELIGION,  is  preferved,  the  Chriftian  church  muft  become  weak 
 and  unftable.  Whatever  may  be  the  additional  manifefta- 
 tionsofthe  divine  nature,  which  are  afforded  us  by  the  gofpel, 
 yet  they  muft  be,  they  cannot  but  be,  additions  which  accord, 
 and  are  in  unifon  with  the  previous  manifeftations  of  the  divine 
 nature  under  the  Jewifh  difpenfation ;  but  inftead  of  dwelling 
 upon  this  unity,  it  became  the  prevailing  error,  even  in  the  firfl 
 ages  of  the  chrrch,  to  confider  them  diftin6l,  and  to  er\deavour  to 
 magnify  the  Chriftian  difpenfation,  by  difparaging  the  Jewifh 
 religion. 
 
 The  great  prevalence  of  herefies  and  errors  in  the  Chriftian 
 church  fhould  by  no  means  ftagger  our  faith ;  fo  far  the  reverfe, 
 that  it  ftiould  confirm  our  faith,  inafmuch  as  wc 
 have  the  exprefs  declarations  of  our   Saviour   himfelf  and  his 
 
 apoftles. 
 
Fart  II.  DIALOGUE     VIII.  373 
 
 apoftles,  that  fo  it  would  be,  (Matt.  xiii.  30.  xviii,  7.  xxiv.  24. 
 Mark  xiii.  22.  Luke  xvii.  1.  1  Cor.  xi.  19.  2  Peter  ii.  1  John 
 ii.  19.  2  Tim.  iii.  1.)  and  we  have  evidence  from  the  apoltolic 
 writings,  that  herefies  arofe  even'  in  the  apoftolic  age,  and 
 efpecially  hereiles  concerning  the  DIVINE  nature,  1  John  ii. 
 18,   22.  iv.  3.   2johnvii. 
 
 But  of  all  the  hateful  do£lrines  which  thus  early  fprung  up, 
 there  is  none  fpoken  of  in  holy  fcripture  with  that  detellalion, 
 which  diftinguiihes  the  name  of  the  Nicolaitans.  As  we  have  only 
 their  name  in  fcripture,  we  muil  be  contented  with  the  account 
 we  have  ol  them  in  ecclefiaftical  hiltory.  They  are  therein  charged 
 with  holding,  "that  all  married  women  iliould  be  common;"  and 
 Irensus,  Tertullian,  Clemens,  and  others  "  affirm,  that  the 
 *'  Nicolaitans  adopted  the  fentiments  of  the  Gnostics,  con- 
 *'  cerning  the  two  principles  of  all  things,  the  QLons,  and  the 
 "  origin  of  this  terreflrial  globe,"  (Rees's  Cyclopaedia,  article 
 Nicolaitans.)  This  account  is  to  me  very  fatistaftory,  for  no  deeds 
 or  dodirines  coi;ld  be  more  hateful  to  the  true  God  ;  and  the  Nico- 
 laitans are  charged,  not  only  with  evil  deeds,  but, with  evil  doc- 
 rines  alfo:  *'  But  this  thou  haft,  that  thou  hateft  the  deeds  of  the 
 *'  Nicolaitans,  which  I  alfo  hate." — "  So  haft  thou  alfo  them  that 
 "'  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitans,  which  thing  I  hate," 
 Rev.  ii.  6,  15.  This  damnable  doctrine  of  two  principles  of  all 
 things,  TWO  Gods,  becam.e  the  prevailing  herefy,  u'.^.der  varioiis 
 names  and  denominations ;  but  in  this  moft  damnable  blafphemy 
 they  almoft  all  agreed,  viz.  in  afcribing  the  creation  of  the  world 
 and  declaring  the  great  Creator,  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  Ifaac, 
 and  Jacob,  to  be  the  fource  of  evil  !  the  evil  principle,  and  Chrift 
 the  good  principle.  I  almoft  doubt  whether  it  be  right  to  repeat 
 fuch  blafphemy;  but  if  you  turn  to  the  articles  Gnostics, 
 Valentinians,  Simonians,  and  Carpocratians,  in  the 
 Cylopasdia,  you  will  will  fee  that  I  have  not  repeated  it  as  forae 
 others  have,  without  expreiling  my  deteftation  of  fuch  enormity. 
 
 Far  be  it  trom  me  to  charge  the  lathers  who  oppofed  thefe  here- 
 fies, with  being  tainted  with  fuch  damnable  dodlrine  ;  but  not- 
 withftanding,  I  cannot  but  confider  it  strange,  that  St.  Chry- 
 foftom  ftiould  fpeak  of  the  God  of  the  Christians  in  the 
 way  he  does  ;  for  certainly  it  conveys  the  idea  that  the  Lord  God 
 of  Ifrael  was  not  that  God  which  the  Cbriftians  worlTiipped. 
 (See  his  account  of  Julian's  defeat,  Lardner,  vol.  viii.  p.  378.) 
 
 Zealous.  If  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob, 
 the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  he  who  delivered  his  holy  law 
 unto  Mofes,  and  fpake  alfo  by  the  mouth  of  the  propjiets,  be  not 
 the  God  of  Chriltians  alfo,  farewell!  a  long  farewell  to  all  our 
 hopes  !  Although  we  retain  a  prayer  of  St.  Chryfoftom  in  our 
 liturgy  to  this  day,  I  cannot  but  admit,  that  ufmg  the  term 
 *'  the  God  of  the  Christians,"  in  oppoiition  to  the  Lord 
 God  of  Ifrael,  was  very  blame^ble. 
 
 Caidious. 
 
374  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  II. 
 
 Cautious.  Altho'  the  fathers  oppofcd  the  herefy  of  the  Gnoftics, 
 yet  it  ftems  to  me,  that  their  errors  diffufed  themfelves,  in  fome 
 meafure,  among  thofe  who  oppofcd  them  ;  and  that  the  Chriitian 
 church  hath  never  yet  been  completely  purified  from  the  error. 
 Unkindnefs  towards  the  Jews,  and  low  thoughts  concerning  their 
 molt  holy  religion,  have  prevailed  even  to  thel'e  days. 
 
 'Lealous.  My  dear  friend,  you  have  quoted  the  words  of  a  biftiop 
 it  is  true,  nay,  you  have  quoted  the  words  of  more  bifhops  than 
 one  ;  but  we  mull  not  from  thence  infer,  that  low  and  unworthy 
 thoughts  of  the  Jewilh  religion  liill  prevail. 
 
 Cautious.  When  I  made  ufe  of  the  word  prevail,  I  did  not 
 mean  to  fay,  that  low  and  unworthy  thoughts  of  the  Jewifh  re- 
 ligion are  now  univerfal ;  God  forbid !  fo  far  the  reverfe,  that 
 the  Old  Teltament  is  now  read  with  almofl  equal  delight  as  the 
 New  ;  and  there  hath  not  taken  place  a  greater  alteration  in  the 
 conduct  of  Chriftians  towards  the  Jews,  than  there  hath  in  the 
 fentiments  of  Chriilians  towards  the  Jewifh  religion.  I  only 
 meant  to  fay,  that  among  the  moft  learned,  thofe  who  perufe  the 
 writings  of  the  ancient  fathers  with  the  greatefl  refpedi,  there  does 
 EXIST,  in  no  fmall  degree,  unworchy  thoughts  concerning  the 
 Jewifh  religion.  You  know  that  neither  my  education  or  my  line 
 or  life  have  permitted  me  to  read  rnuch  ;  but  even  in  my  fmall  fpherc 
 I  have  had  occafion  to  notice  it  in  feveral  inflances  ;  and  as  1  have 
 quoted  the  words  of  even  bishops,  to  make  good  my  affertion, 
 I  will  now  quote  the  words  of  an  arch  bishop  alfo,  and  an  arch- 
 bifhop  that  was  one  of  the  greatefl  ornamicnts  to  our  church. 
 
 Archbilhop  Tiliotfon,  in  his  5th  fermon,  expreifes  himfelf  in 
 thefe  v/ords,  "The  Chriltian  religion  gives  a  more  perfect,  fo  a 
 more  amiable,  and  lovely  character  of  the  diviiie  nature.  No 
 religion  that  ever  was  in  the.  world,  does  fo  fully  rcprefent  the 
 goodnefs  of  God,  and  his  tender  love  to  mankind,  which  is  the 
 befl  and  rnofl  powerful  argument  to  the  love  of  God.  The 
 Heathens  did  generally  dread  God,  and  looked  upon  him 
 as  fierce,  and  cruel,  and  revengeful  ;  and  therefore  they 
 endeavoured  to  appeafe  him  by  tiie  horrid  and  barbarous 
 facrifices  of  men,  and  of  their  own  children.  And  all  ^long 
 in  the  Old  Tejiamcnt,  God  is  generally  reprefented  as  very 
 Jiri^,  znd  Jevet^e.  But  there  are  no  where  fo  plain  and  full 
 declarations  of  his  mercy  and  love  to  the  fons  of  men,  as  are 
 made  in  the  gofpel.  In  the  Old  Teftament  God  is  ufually  flyled 
 the  Lord  of  hojls  ;  the  great  and  terrible  God :  but  in  the  New 
 Teftament  he  is  reprefented  to  us  by  milder  titles,  the  God 
 and  Father  of  our  Lord  ye/us  Chriji ;  the  Father  of  mercies  ^  and 
 the  God  of  all  confolations  ;  the  God  of  all  patience  ;  the  God  of  love 
 and  peace :  nay,  he  is  faid  to  be  love  itfelf,  and  to  dwell  in  love. 
 And  this  difference  between  the  ftyle  of  the  Old  and 
 New  Testament  is  fo  remarkable,  that  one  of  the  greatefl 
 fects  in  the   primitive  church  (I    mean  that   of  the  Gnoflics) 
 
 "  did 
 
Pakt  ir.  DIALOGUE    VIII.  375 
 
 *'  did  upon  this  very  ground  found  their  herefy  of  two  Gods  ; 
 *<  the  one  evil,  and  fierce,  and  cruel,  whom  they  called 
 *'  THE  God  of  the  Old  Testament;  the  other  good,  and 
 *'  kind,  and  merciful,  whom  they  called  the  God  of  the  New. 
 *'  So  great  a  difference  is  there  between  the  repre- 
 *'  fentations  which  are  made  of  God  in  the  books  of  the  Jewifli 
 *'  and  the  ChriRian  religion,  as  to  give,  at  leaft,  some  colour 
 
 *'    AND   pretence    FOR  AN   IMAGINATION   OF  TWO  GoDS." 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  really  aftoniihed  at  the  paffage  you  have  read, 
 and  I  cannot  but  fay,  that  I  think  the  learned  archbilhop  fpeaks, 
 at  leaf!:,  very  raihly  and  unadvifedly. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  condemn  the  blafphemy  of 
 the  Gnolfics.  If  we  believe  whh  the  archbilhop  that  "  all  along 
 **  in  the  Old  Teftament  God  is  reprefented  as  very  JiriSf  and 
 "  Jevere,"  and  that  "  in  the  New  Tcitanient  he  is  reprefented  to  us 
 *'  by  milder  titles."  If  we  admit  his  allertion,  that  ^' io  great 
 *'  a  difference  is  there  between  the  reprefentations  which  are  made 
 *'  of  God  in  the  books  of  the  Jewilh  and  the  Chrillian  religion, 
 *'  as  to  give,  at  leaji^  Jome  colour  and  pretence  for  mu  imagination 
 "  of  tuwiGods,"  we  go  halfway,  at  leaft,  towards  the  herefy 
 of  the  Gnoftics,  and  ftrike  a  blow  at  the  foundation  of  the  Chrif- 
 tian  religion  ;  for  whatever  may  be  the  mutations  in  the  opinions 
 and  difpofitions  of  vain  man,  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  is  immu- 
 table ;  he  was,  and  is,  and  ever  will  be  the  fame  :  "  I  am  the 
 *'  Lord,  I  change  not,"  Mai.  iii.  6.  In  every  book  of  holy 
 fcripture  we  have  in  fucceflion  a  further,  and  confequently  a 
 more  full  and  enlarged  revelation  of  the  perfeftions  of  God,  and 
 of  his  righteous  difpenfations  towards  the  children  of  men  ;  but  if 
 it  could  be  eitablilhed  that  a  difference  exifts  between  the  repre- 
 fentations which  are  made  of  God  in  the  books  of  the  Old  Tefta- 
 ment,  and  that  they  are  not  in  unifon  with  the  reprefentations  we 
 have  in  the  New,  farewell  1  a  long  farewell  to  all  our  hopes  !  the 
 Chriftian  religion  would  in  that  cafe  become  a  building  without  a 
 foundation !  a  tree  without  a  root !  but  never  was  there  a  more 
 miftaken  idea  expreffed  on  paper  ;  the  Lord  God  of  Abraham, 
 and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  is  ''  the 
 *'  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-fuffering,  and  abundant 
 **  in  goodnefs  and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for  thoufands,  forgiving 
 "  iniquity,  tranfgreflion,  and  fm,"  Exod.  xxxiv.  6,  7.  The 
 Lord  God  of  Ifrael  '*  delighteth  in  mercv  ;"  Who,  O  Lord  God 
 of  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob  !  ''  Who  is  a  God  like  unto 
 *'  thee,  that  pardoneth  iniquity,  and  paffcth  by  the  tranfgreftion 
 *'  of  the  remnant  of  his  heritage  ?  He  retaineth  not  his  anger  for 
 "  ever,  becaufe  he  deligliteth  in  mergy.  He  will  turn  again,  he 
 *'  will  have  compaffion  upon  us;  he  will  ftibdue  our  iniquities: 
 **  and  thou  wilt  caft  all  their  fins  into  the  depths  ofthefea. 
 '*  Thou  Vvilt  perform  the  truth  to  Jacob,  and  the  mercy  to 
 **  Abraham,     v.  inch     tliou  haft    fvvorn  unto  our  fathers   from 
 
 "  the 
 
37^  DIALOGUE     VIII.  Part  It. 
 
 *'  the  days  of  old,"  Micah  vii.  18 — 20.  The  Lord  God  of 
 Ifrael  is  reprefented  in  the  Old  Teltament,  as  "  the  Lord  God 
 '*  gracious  and  full  of  companion,  How  to  anger,  and  great  in 
 **  mercy  !  The  Lord  is  good  to  all :  and  his  tender  mercies  are 
 *'  over  all  his  works,"  Pful.  cxlv.  8,  9.  Denial  of  this  truth  is 
 not  the  way  to  obtain  a  blciHog,  for  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  delight - 
 eth  in,  and  moft  miraculouily  prefcrveth  thofe,  who  with  all  their 
 heart,  in  fpirit  and  in  truth,  celebrate  his  praife  on  account  of  his 
 mercy.  It  was  when  "  the  trumpeters  and  fingers  were  as  one, 
 **  to  make  one  found  to  be  heard  in  prailing  and  thanking  the 
 *'  Lord:  and  when  they  lifted  up  their  voice  with  the  trumpets  and 
 **  cymbals  and  inftruments  of  mufic,  and  praifed  the  Lord,  fay- 
 **  ing.  For  he  is  good  ;  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever :  that 
 **  then  the  houfe  was  filled  with  a  cloud,  even  the  houfe  of  the 
 *'  Lord  ;  fo  that  the  prieils  could  not  fi:and  to  minifter  by  reafon 
 **  of  the  cloud  :  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  houfe  of 
 **  God,"  2  Chron.  v.  13,  14.  One  of  the  greateft  and  moft 
 miraculous  deliverances  that  the  Jews  ever  experienced,  was  in 
 the  reign  of  Jeholhaphat ;  he  appointed  fingers  to  go  before  the 
 army,  and  they  fung,  *'  Praife  the  Lord,  for  his  mercy  endureth 
 **  for  ever  !"  You  know  the  refult !  (2  Chron.  xx.)  You  muft 
 perceive  that  the  diftindion  of  the  archbilhop  is  unfounded. 
 In  celebrating  the  perfeftions,  and  efpecially  the  mercy  and  good- 
 nefs  of  God  to  man,  the  Old  Tefi:ament  and  the  New  Tellament 
 are  in  unifon  together. 
 
 Is  not  the  hulbandman  commended  for  rooting  up  and  burning 
 the  weeds,  that  would  choke  the  corn?  Is  the  Ihepherd  accufed 
 of  cruelty  becaufe  he  hath  flain  the  wolves,  which  would  deftroy 
 his  fheep  ?  Is  the  fovereign  accufed  of  cruelty  becaufe  he  hath 
 caufed  evil  doers  to  be  punilhed  ?  No,  fo  far  the  reverfe,  that 
 if  he  were  not  to  do  fo,  he  might  juftly  be  chargeable  with 
 want  of  mercy  to  his  peaceable  fubje6ls.  True  justice  and 
 TRUE  MERCY  are  in  unifon  together,  and  juftice  and  mercy 
 are  both  attributes  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael.  The  archbilhop 
 therefore  fpeaks  very  unadvifedly,  when  he  endeavours  to  find  a 
 difference  where  none  exills  ;  his  words  are,  "  In  the  OldTeJia^ 
 *'  merit  God  is  ufually  fiiyled.  The  Lord  of  hojis ;  the  great 
 *'  and  terrible  God :  but  in  the  New  Tejiarnetit  he  is  reprefented 
 *'  to  us  by  milder  titles:  The  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
 "  Ifefus  Chrlji :  the  Father  of  mercies  ;  and  the  God  of  all  con^ 
 *^  Jolatlons ;  the  God  of  all  patience  ;  the  God  of  love  and  peace ^ 
 **  nay,  he  is  faid  to  be  love  itfelf,  and  to  dwell  in  love."  But 
 furely  the  archbifliop  was  very  inattentive  when  he  penned 
 this  paffage  ;  for  to  cltablilh  his  idea,  he  ihould  have  proved,  that 
 the  Lord  is  not  in  any  part  of  the  New  Tellament  reprefented  as 
 the  great  and  terrible  God,  and  that  no  attribute  but  mercy 
 AND  LOVE  is  afcribed  to  him:  fo  far  from  this  being  the  cafe, 
 there  is  no   palfage  in  the   Old  Tellament  which  fpeaks  of  the 
 
 Lord 
 
|>ART  II.  DIALOGUE      VIII.  377 
 
 Lord  God  of  Ifrael   as  the  great  and  terrible  God;  there  is  no 
 paiFage  in  the  Old  Teftament  that   fpeaks  of  his  wrath  againft 
 finners ;  there  is  no  palfage  in  the  Old  Teftament  that  fpeaks  of 
 that  holy  vengeance  that  he   will   take  upon  his  adverfaries,   the 
 enemies  of  his  truth,  and  the  opprelfors  of  his  people,  that  will 
 not  be  found  to  be  in  unifon  with  the  New  Testament.     It  is 
 juft  and  righteous  that  "the  wicked  fliall  be  turned  into  hell," 
 **  (Pfal,  ix.  17.)  that  their  worm   ihould  not  die,   neither  their 
 **  fire  be  quenched,"  Ifai,  Ixvi.  24.  But  awful  as  is  this  truth,  is 
 it  not  in  unifon  with  the  New   Teftament?   "And  if  thy  hand 
 "  offend  thee,  cut  it  off:  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maim- 
 "  ed,  than  having  two  hands  to  go  into  hell,  into  the  fire  that  never 
 "   fliall  be  quenched  :   where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is 
 "  not  quenched.    And  if  thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut  it  off:  it  is  better 
 "  for  thee  to  enter  halt  into  life,  than  having  two  feet  to  be  caft 
 "  into  hell,   into  the  fire  that  never  fliall  be  quenched:   where 
 *'  their  worm  dieth  not,   and  the   fire   is  not  quenched.     And  if 
 **  thine  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out :  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter 
 *'  into  the  kingdom  of  God  with  one  eye,  than  haying  two  eyes 
 *'  to  be  c^ft  into  hell  fire  :   where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the 
 *'  fire  is  not  quenched,"  Mark  ix.  43 — 48.     Doth  not  the  New 
 Teftament  reprefent   the  Lord  as  the  great  and  terrible  God?'* 
 *'   I  fay  unto  you,  my  friends,   be  not  afraid  of  them  that  kill  the 
 "  body,  and  after  that  have  no  more  that  they  can  do.    But  I  will 
 *'  forewarn  ye  whom  ye  fliall  fear:  fear  him  which  after  he  hath 
 '*  killed,  hath  power  to  caft  into  hell ;  yea,    I  fay  unto  you  fear 
 *'  him,   Luke  xii.   4,  5.      "  Our  God  is  a  confuming  fire  ;"  and 
 is  fo  called   in  the  epiftle   to  the  Hebrews,  chap.  xii.  29.  as  well 
 as  in   Exod.   xxiv.   17.   Deut.  iv.   24.  and  ix.  3.     **  The   Lord 
 *'  Jefus  fliall  be   revealed  from  heaven  with  his  mighty  angels, 
 *'  in   flaming  fire  taking  vengeance  on  them    that    know    not 
 *'  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gofpel  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chrifl : 
 *'  who   fliall  be   pvmiflied  with  everlafting  deftrutSlion  from  the 
 *'  prefence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power;  when 
 *'  he  fhall  come  to  be  glorified  in  his  faints,  and  to  be  admired  in 
 *'  all  them  that  believe,"  2  Theff.  i.  7 — 10.     He  will  "  deftroy 
 **  them  which  deftroy  the  earth,"  (Rev.  xi.  18.)  "  for  his  mercy 
 *'  endureth  for  ever,"  (Pfal.  cxxxvi.)  and  "  gather  together  the 
 *'  difperfedof  Judah,  for  his  mercy  endureth  forever."    1  ea,  "  he 
 *'  fliall  fet  up  an  enfign  for  the  nations,   and  fliall  affemble  the 
 *'  outcafts  of  Ifrael,  and  gather  together  the  difperfed  of  Judah 
 "  from  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,"  (Ifai.  xi.    12.)  "  for  his 
 *'  mercy  endureth  for  ever,"  Deut.  xxx.  3.   Ifai.  xliii.  5.  liv.  7. 
 .Jer.  xxiii.  3.  xxix.  14.  xxxi.  8,  10.   Ezek.  xxxvi.   24,  &c.  &c. 
 He  will  "  fend  his  angels  with   a  great  found  of  a  trumpet,  and 
 *'  they  fhall  gather  together  his  ele6l  from  the  four  winds,  from 
 "  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other,"  (Matt.  xxiv.  31.  Mark  xiii. 
 27.)  "  for  his  mercv  endureth  for  ever." 
 
 3  C  NINTH 
 
[    378    ] 
 NINTH     DIALOGUE. 
 
 /;;  ivh'tch  Reafons  are  given  for  the  Opinion,  that  as  previous  to  the 
 Dejiruiiion  of  yeritjaleni,  and  the  great  Tribulation  of  the  yewijh 
 Nation,  there  were  to  arife  impious  Impojiors,  JVars,  and  Rumours 
 of  Wars,  Earthquakes,  Famines,  Pcji'ilences,  fearful  Sights,  and 
 great  Signs  from  Heaven,  Perfeeution,  Lulcewarmnefs,  and  Apof- 
 tacy  ;  Jo  will  there,  in  like  manner  arife,  Jimilar  Events,  previous 
 to  the  Coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  Clouds  of  Heaven  with  Pozuer  and 
 great  Glory,  to  gather  together  his  Elect,  his  beloved  Nation,  the 
 "Jews  !  And  as  the  Gofpel  was  univcrfally  publifhed  before  the 
 DeJiruSlion  of  jferufalei?!,  fo  tvill  there  be  a  renewed  Preaching  of 
 the  Gofpel  in  Time  to  come. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. 
 
 Zealous.  TN  our  laft  converfation,  you  fully  confidered  the  firfl: 
 JL  queflion  I  had  to  fubmit  to  you,  which  was  con- 
 cerning the  reftoration  of  the  Jews  ;  the  other  was  concerning 
 the  coming  of  our  Lord  ;  but  as  you  have  already  intimated,  that 
 your  opinions  upon  this  important  point,  are  not  altogether  in 
 unifon  with  the  opinions  of  the  learned  •,  I  mufl  requeit  that  you 
 will,  before  I  bring  forward  my  queftion,  explicitly  ftate  your 
 fentiments  concerning  it,  and  I  will  then  bring  forward  my  quef- 
 tion. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  my  opinion,  that  the  deftruftion  of  Jerufalem, 
 and  the  dreadful  pruning  that  the  Jewiili  vine  experienced,  is  ty- 
 pical of  that  equally  awful  pruning,  which  the  Chriftian  vine  will 
 have  to  fuffer,  (Ifai.  xviii.  g,  6.)  and  as  previous  to  the  deftru6Hon 
 of  Jerufalem,  and  the  great  tribulation  of  the  Jewilh  nation,  the 
 gofpel  was  to  be  univerfally  preached,  and  there  were  alfo  to 
 arife  (Matt.  xxiv.  3 — 29.)  impious  impoftors,  wars,  and  rumours 
 of  wars,  famines,  peftilences,  and  earthquakes,  fearful  fights  and 
 great  figns  from  heaven,  (Luke  xxi.  11,  12.)  perfeeution,  luke- 
 warmnefs,  and  apoftacy ;  fo  will  there,  I  am  perfuaded,  in  like 
 manner,  arife  fimilar  events,  previous  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord 
 in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,  to  gather 
 together  his  ele61:,  his  beloved  nation,  the  Jews, 
 
 Pray  turn  to  the  24th  chap,  of  St.  Matthew's  gofpel,  and  let 
 us  proceed  to  notice  thefe  circumflances  di(1:in61:ly. 
 
 Zealous.  The  firft  circumftance  noticed,  is  by  way  of  caution  : 
 **  Take  heed  that  no  man  deceive  you,  for  many  fliall  come  in 
 "  my  name,  faying,  lamChrifl,  and  (hall deceive  many,"  (Matt. 
 xxiv.  4,  5.)  and  again  in  verfe  the  11th,  **  And  many  falfe  pro- 
 *'  phcts  Ihall  arife,  and  fhall  deceive  many  ;"  and  this  at  a  time 
 
 when 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     IX.  379 
 
 when  perfecution  rages,  and  apoflacy  is  frequent,  (v.  10,  12.)  and 
 again  when  the  profpedl  thickens,  and  diftrefs  incrcafes,  (v.  21.) 
 it  is  added  in  verie  the  23d,  '*  Then  if  any  man  Ihall  fay  unto  yon, 
 **  Lo,  here  is  Chrift,  or  there  ;  believe  it  not :  for  there  fhall  arife 
 **  talfe  Chriils,  and  falfe  prophets,  and  Ihall  (hew  great  figns  and 
 "  wonders,  infomuch  that  (if  it  were  polfible)  they  fhall  deceive 
 '*  the  very  eledl.  Behold,  I  have  told  you  before.  Wherefore 
 *'  if  they  fhall  fay  unto  you.  Behold,  he  is  in  the  defert ;  go  not 
 *'  forth:  behold  he  is  in  the  fecret  chambers;  believe  it  not.  For 
 "  as  the  lightning  cometh  out  of  the  eaft,  and  fhineth  even  unto 
 *'  the  well;  fo  Ihall  alfo  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be," 
 Matt.  xxiv.  23 — 26.  In  the  gofpel  according  to  St.  Luke,  it 
 fccms  alio  to  be  intimated,  that  ibme  of  thefe  impoftors  will  lay  a 
 flrefs  upon  calculations  of  the  times,  for  the  words  are,  *'  Take 
 *'  heed  that  ye  be  not  deceived  :  for  many  fhall  come  in  my  name, 
 *'  faying,  I  am  Chrilt ;  and  the  time  draweth  near:  go 
 *'  ye  not  therefore  after  them,"  Luke  xxi.  8,  By  attending  to 
 thefe  admonitions  the  Chriifians  efcaped  thofe  dreadful  fufFerings 
 in  which  the  other  Jew^s  were  involved,  by  attending  to,  and 
 crediting  thefe  deceivers  :  I  am  not  aware  that  any  thing  of  this 
 kind  is  likely  to  arife  again  ;  but  I  am  open  to  convi£lion,  and  beg 
 to  hear  what  you  can  fay  to  fupport  your  opinion,  that  fuch 
 things  are  to  be  again  expected. 
 
 Cautious.  In  times  of  dilfrefs,  when  the  minds  of  mankind 
 are  perplexed  and  agitated,  it  is,  that  new  fe6ls  and  parties  arife, 
 and  among  them  deceivers  and  impoflors :  fo  it  was  at  the  time 
 of,  and  previous  to  the  defi;ru6lion  of  Jerufalem:  fo  it  was  in  a, 
 ir-eafure  in  this  land,  in  the  times  of  the  great  rebellion  againft 
 Charles  the  firff,  and  fecond :  many  feils  arofe,  and  fome  of 
 them  (as,  for  inftance,  the  fifth-monarchy  men)  of  a  mod  anti- 
 chrillian  appearance  :  fo  it  was  in  the  late  agitation  in  France ; 
 there  arofe  fe6ls  and  parties,  who,  by  their  idolatry,  and  indecent 
 rites,  fought  to  degrade  human  nature. 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit  that  thefe  things,  in  general,  abound  with 
 more  virulence  in  times  cf  diftrefs,  in  which  the  minds  of  mankind 
 are  perplexed,  and  in  a  flate  of  agitation  ;  but  it  is  from  fcripture 
 that  I  muft  be  convinced  that  thefe  things  are  likely  to  arife  again, 
 and  deceivers  and  antichrifts  to  abound  :  if  you  cannot  quote 
 fcripture  in  fupport  of  your  opinion,  you  need  not  give  yourfclf 
 any  further  trouble. 
 
 Cautious.  I  fhould  not  have  adopted  the  opinion,  if  I  had  not 
 thought  that  fcripture  eflablifhes  it  as  a  fa(5l,  that  fo  it  will  be. 
 Pray  turn  to  the  2d  chapter  of  the  firft  epiltle  general  of  St. 
 John,  and  you  will  find  that  this  was  the  eftabliflied  opinion  of 
 the  apoltolic  age,  that  Antichrist  was  to  flourifli  in  the  last 
 TiiMES;  the  apoftle  John  confiders  this  as  a  foundation  doctrine, 
 and  founds  an  argument  thereon,  "  Little  children,  it  is  the  lafl 
 *'  timcj  and  as  ye  have  heard  that  Antichrist  shall  comk, 
 
 *^  evei\ 
 
38o  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  IT. 
 
 **  even  now  are  there  many  Antichrifts ;  whereby  we  know  that 
 **  it  is  the  laft  time.  They  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were 
 **  not  of  us:  for  if  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would,  no  doubt, 
 <*  have  continued  with  us:  but  they  went  out  that  they  might  be 
 <*  made  manifeft  that  they  were  not  of  us,"  i  John  ii.  i8,  19. 
 At  the  time  St.  John  wrote  this  epiiHe,  he  might  not  be  aware  that 
 the  LAST  TIMES  Were  times  of  fuch  long  continuance  :  it  is  pre- 
 fumed  that  he  penned  this  epiltle  about  fix  years  before  he  receiv- 
 ed the  Revelation,  in  which  fuch  ample  information  is  given  ;  but 
 the  paflTage  I  have  quoted  proves,  that  it  was  the  aiuhorized,  the 
 eftabliihed  opinion,  of  the  apoftolic  age  (even  before  the  book  of 
 the  Revelation  was  given)  that  Antichrift  was  to  flourifli  in  the 
 LAST  TIMES  ;  and  it  is  clear  that  the  term,  the  last  times, 
 conveyed  the  fame  idea  as  we  fiiould  form  from  the  words,  *'  the 
 **  times  immediately  preceding  the  coming  of  our  Lord  with 
 **  power  and  great  glory."  St.  Paul  alfo,  in  his  firft  epillle  to 
 Timothy,  declares  the  fame  thing,  "  Now  the  fpirit  fpeaketh 
 **  exprefsly,  that  in  the  latter  times  fome  fhall  depart 
 **  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and  DOC- 
 '*  trines  OF  devils;  fpeaking  lies  in  hypocrify,  having  their 
 *'  confciences  feared  with  a  hot  iron,"  1  Timothy  iv.  1,  2.  In 
 chapter  the  6th  he  gives  us  a  faithful  portrait  of  thefe  evil  men  1 
 *'  He  is  proved,  knowing  nothing,  but  doting  about  queftions, 
 **  and  ftrifes  of  words,  whereof  cometh  envy,  ftrife,  railings,  evil 
 **  furmifings,  perverfe  disputings  of  men  of  corrupt  minds," 
 chap.  vi.  4,  5.  We  are  not  to  expefl:  that  thefe  tares  will  be 
 rooted  out  until  the  harvefl,  for  the  apoille  declares,  that 
 *'  Evil  men  and  feducers  fliall  wax  worse  and  worse  ; 
 *'  deceiving  and  being  deceived,"  2  Tim,  iii.  13.  The  longer  they 
 ftand  the  ranker  will  they  grow  :  "  Let  both  grow  together 
 **  until  the  harvefl,  and  in  the  time  of  harveif  I  will  fay  to  the 
 *'  reapers,  Gather  ye  together  firft  the  tares  and  bind  them  in 
 *'  bundles  to  burn  them:  but  gather  the  wheat  into  my  barn," 
 Matt.  xiii.  30.  '*  He  that  fov/eth  the  good  feed  is  the  Son  of 
 *'  man  ;  the  field  is  the  world  ;  the  good  feed  are  the  children  of 
 **  the  kingdom  ;  but  the  tares  are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one  ; 
 *'  the  enemy  that  fowed  them  is  the  devil ;  the  harvefl:  is  the  end 
 **  of  the  world;  and  the  reapers  are  the  angels.  As  therefore  the 
 *'  tares  are  gathered,  and  burnt  in  the  fire  ;  fo  fhall  it  be  in  the  end 
 **  of  this  M'orld.  The  Son  of  man  fhall  fend  forth  his  angels,  and 
 **  they  fhall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things  that  offend,  and 
 *'  them  which  do  iniquity  ;  and  fjiall  caft  them  into  a  furnace  of  fire : 
 "  there  fliall  be  wailing  and  gnafhing  of  teeth.  Then  fhall  the 
 **  righteous  fhine  forth  as  the  fun  in  the  kingdom  of  theirTather. 
 "  Who  hath  ears  to  hear  let  him  hear,"  Matt.  xiii.  37 — 43. 
 
 We  have  therefore  fcriptural  authority  for  believing,  that 
 **  evil  men  and  feducers  will  wax  worfe  and  worfe,  deceiving  and 
 **  being  deceived,"  (2  Tim.  iii.   13.)  and  that  fo  it  will  continue 
 
 until 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     IX.  381 
 
 until  the  enemy  arrives  at  the  very  fummit  of  his  impiety,  which 
 is  noticed  in  2  Their,  ii.  whe.n  the  man  of  fin,  the  fon  of  per- 
 dition, will  be  fully  revealed,  '*  even  him  whofe  coming  is  after 
 *'  the  working  of  Satan,  with  all  power,  and  figns,  and  lying 
 '*  wonders,  and  with  all  deceivablenefs  of  unrighteoufnefs  in 
 **  them  that  perifh  ;  becaufe  they  received  not  the  love  of  the 
 **  truth  that  they  might  be  faved ;  and  for  this  caufe,  God  fliall 
 *'  fend  them  ftrong  delufion,  that  they  fhould  believe  a  lie,  that 
 **  they  all  might  be  damned  that  believed  not  the  truth,  but  had 
 **  pleafure  in  unrighteoufnefs,"  Here  is  the  working  of  Satan 
 noticed,  and  power  and  figns  of  lying  wonders,  and  deceivable- 
 nefs of  unrighteoufnefs  ;  and  v/hen  thefe  things  arrive  to  their 
 height,  the  man  of  fin,  the  fon  of  perdition,  becomes  fully  revealed, 
 for  he  "  oppofeth  and  exalteth  himfelf  above  all  that  is  called 
 *'  Gud,  or  that  is  worfhipped,  fo  that  he,  as  God,  fitteth  in  the 
 "  templeof  God,  ihewing  himfelf  that  he  is  God  :"  the  profpedl 
 is  awful,  but  when  thefe  things  arife,  we  know  that  however 
 calamitous  they  may  be  for  a  time,  yet  we  know  that  the  harveft 
 approaches,  and  the  exaltation  of  this  great  enemy  is  the  very 
 prelude  to  his  dreadful  fall ;  which  will  be  one  of  the  great  efFe6ls 
 produced  by  the  coming  of  our  Lord  :  this  great  enemy  is  he, 
 *'  whom  the  Lord  lliall  confume  with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth, 
 *'  and  fhall  deftroy  with  the  brightnefs  of  his  coming,  2  Thcff, 
 ii.   8.  Rev.  xix.  20,  21. 
 
 Pray  turn  to  Rev.  xiii.  and  read  the  minute  defcription  of  this 
 monifer  of  iniquity,  who  will  be  thus  deftroyed  when  at  the  very 
 fummit  of  his  wickednefs  ;  obfervc  the  aid  he  receives  from  the 
 falfe  prophet,  **  And  I  beheld  another  beail  coming  up  out  of  the 
 "  earth;  and  he  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he  fpake  as  a 
 *'  dragon.  And  he  exercifeth  all  the  power  of  the  firilbcall:  before 
 *'  him,  and  caufeth  the  earth  and  them  which  dwell  therein  to 
 *'  worfliip  the  firlt  beaft,  whofe  deadly  wound  was  healed.  Aiid 
 *'  he  doeth  great  wonders,  fo  that  he  maketh  fire  come  down 
 **  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  fight  of  men,  and  deceiveth 
 **  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  the  means  of  thofe  miracles 
 *'  which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  fight  of  the  bead  ;  faying  to 
 *'  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they  fliould  make  an  image 
 *'  to  the  beaft,  which  had  the  wound  by  a  fword,  and  did  live, 
 "  And  he  had  power  to  give  life  unto  the  image  of  the  beaft, 
 *<  that  the  image  of  the  beaft  fi:iould  both  fpeak,  and  caufe  that 
 **  as  many  as  would  not  worftiip  the  image  of  the  beaft  fhould  be 
 *'  killed.  And  he  caufeth  all,  both  fmall  and  great,  rich  and  poor, 
 *'  free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand;  or  in  their 
 *'  foreheads  :  and  that  no  man  might  buy  or  fell,  fave  he  that  had 
 "  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beaft,  or  the  number  of  his 
 *'  name,'"' Rev,  xiii.  11 — 17.  Their  delufions,  and  deceptions, 
 will  at  laft  fpread  over  the  whole  world.  The  warning  of  the 
 clock,  is  the  fignal  that  it  is  about  to  ilrike ;  the  gathering  of  the 
 
 grapes 
 
382  DIALOGUE     IX.  Part  II. 
 
 grapes  together,  is  the  lignal  that  the  wine  prcTs  will  very  foon 
 be  put  into  action,  and  the  purple  flream  begin  to  flow,  which 
 will  not  ceafe  until  the  very  laft  berry  is  cruihed:  "And  the 
 "  ilxth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great  river  Euphrates; 
 "  and  the  water  thereof  was  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings- 
 <'  of  the  eafl  might  be  prepared.  And  I  faw  three  unclean 
 *'  fpirits  like  frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out 
 <'  ot  the  mouth  of  the  beaft,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  falfe 
 "  pr(>phet.  For  they  are  the  fpirits  of  devils,  working  miracles, 
 "  which  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole 
 *'  world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God 
 <*  Almighty.  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief,  blefTed  is  he  that  watch, 
 *<  eth,  and  keepeth  his  garments,  left  he  walk  naked,  and  they 
 "  fee  his  Ihame.  And  he  gathered  them  together  into  a  place 
 "  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Armageddon.  And  the  feventh 
 *'  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air  ;  and  there  came  a  great 
 *'  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from  V:\e  throne,  faying.  It 
 *'  is  done.  And  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings  ; 
 *'  and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  fuch  as  was  not  fince  mer^ 
 <'  were  upon  the  earth,  fo  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  fo  great, 
 '*  And  the  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of 
 ♦'  the  nations  fell :  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before 
 ♦'  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fiercenefs  of 
 <'  his  wrath.  And  every  iiland  iled  away,  and  the  mountains 
 •'  w^ere  not  found.  And  there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of 
 ♦'  heaven,  every  Itonc  about  the  weight  of  a  talent :  and  men 
 *'  blafphemed  God  becaufe  of  the  plague  of  the  hail  ;  for  the 
 *'  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great,"  Rev.  xvi.  12 — 21. 
 
 Zi-alcius.  You  have  perfedlly  fatisfied  me.  In  fa(5f,  I  had 
 n)t  fufnciently  confidcred,  that  notwithftanding  the  gorgeous  ap- 
 pearance of  the  enemies  noticed  in  Rev.  xiii.  their  power  is 
 founded  on  Satanic  deluiion,  impious  impoflure,  and  lying  wonders. 
 The  idea  that  I  had  conceived  of  falfe  prophets  and  impoftors, 
 was  that  of  deceivers  of  a  meaner  caft. 
 
 Cautious,  The  great  Leviathan  fwims  in  the  fame  ocean  with 
 meaner  filh  of  prey  :  he  isnourifhed  by  them,  and  by  abforbing  them 
 he  arri\es  at  his  enormous  bulk.  I  think  we  have  fcriptural  au- 
 thority for  believing  that  thefe  deceivers  of  a  meaner  call  will  alfo 
 abound :  there  is  nothing  tends  to  caft  fuch  an  odium  on  the  proleilbrs 
 of  true  religion  as  this,  for  the  world  at  large  will  not  make  the 
 diftinction  ;  thcv  rejoice  to  clafs  all  together.  If  you  turn  to  the 
 i  )']i  cliapt^-r  ot  the  prophet  Zechariah,  you  will  read  thefe  words  : 
 ♦'  And  it  ihal!  come  to  pafs  in  that  day,  faith  the  Lord  of  hoils, 
 «'  that  I  will  cut  off  the  names  of  the  idols  out  of  the  land,  and 
 *'  they  fhall  no  more  be  remembered  ;  and  alfo  I  will  caufe  the 
 "  PROPHETS  and  THE  UNCLEAN  sp  I R  IT  to  pafs  out  of  the  land. 
 *'  And  it  iliall  come  to  pafs,  that  when  any  Ihall  yet  prophefy, 
 •*  then  his   father  and  his  moth.ev  that  begat  him,  Ihall  fay  unto 
 
 "  him, 
 
Part  II.  DIALOGUE     IX.  383 
 
 "  him,  Thmi  (lialt  not  live  ;  for  thou  fpeukcfl  lies  in  the  name  of 
 •'  the  Lord:  and  his  father  and  hi.s  mother  that  begat  him,  lliall 
 *'  thruit  him  through  when  he  prophefieth.  And  it  Hiall  come 
 *'  to  pafs  in  that  day,  that  the  prophets  ihali  be  afhamed  every 
 *'  one  of  his  viiion,  when  he  hath  propheiied  ;  neither  Ihall  they 
 "  wear  a  rough  garment  to  deceive,"  Zech.  xiii.  2 — 4.  In 
 fadl,  it  feems  that  delufion  will  then  ha\e  become  fo  confpicuous 
 and  deteilable,  that  the  very  idea  of  it  will  revolt  the  feelings  of 
 mankind. 
 
 Zealous.  There  certainly  is  no  trial  which  is  more  grievous 
 to  be  borne  than  contempt,  and  there  is  no  circumllance  v.iiich 
 brings  tlie  profeflion  of  religion  into  fuch  contempt,  as  tlie  mad 
 freaks  of  defperate  enthuliafts,  pretenders  to  infpiration,  and 
 the  crafty  wickednefs  of  deceivers,  who  employ  religion  as  a 
 pretence  to  further  their  own  evil  purpofes  ;  for  as  you  jtdlly 
 obfervCy  the  world  at  large  will  not  be  at  the  pains  to  examine 
 the  difference  there  is  between  thefe  deceivers  and  the  profeJibrs 
 of  the  truth  ;  thofe  who  are  lukewarm  and  not  zealous  in  the  pro- 
 fefiionofthe  truth,  by  thefe  means  become  adiamqd  of  the  trutli 
 itfelf,  fon  fear  of  being  claffed  with  fuch  characters  ;  but  v/oe 
 unto  him  who  apoifatizes  from  the  truth,  becaufe  an  EVii. 
 REPORT  (2  Cor.  vi.  8.)  is  falfely  and  wickedly  raifed  up  againfl 
 it.  I  admit  that  you  have  fcriptural  autliority  for  this  your 
 opinion,  and  in  order  to  counterbalance  it,  I  requeft  you  to 
 proceed  in  the  next  place  to  the  ellabliihment  of  your  afiertion, 
 that  the  gofpel  will  receive  a  new  and  enlarged  promulgation : 
 we  feel  no  hefitation  in  giving  into  the  expeftation  of  events 
 which  we  hope  for  ;  and  it  is  poflibly  to  this  we  arc  to  afcribe 
 the  circumftance,  that  Chriftians  of  all  denominations  have  che- 
 riflied  the  opinion,  that  in  q\uq.  time  the  gofpel  v/ill  receive  a  new 
 revival,  and  more  extended  and  fuccefstul  promulgation  than  it 
 hath  in  times  pait  :  I  acknowledge  that  this  hath  been  my  hope 
 alfo,  but  at  the  fame  time  I  mull  confefs,  that  my  ideas  upon 
 the  fubje6t  have  been  very  general,  and  by  no  means  fixed  and 
 eftablifned  ;  and  I  Ihali  therefore  receive  much  fatisfa6lion  it 
 you  can  produce  clear  and  indifputable  fcripture  authority  to 
 confirm  this  our  hope. 
 
 Cautious.  This  hope  hath  certainly  been  encouraged  by  Cbiif- 
 tians  of  all  denoniinations,  it  will  therefore  be  necelTary  to 
 examine  the  authority  upon  which  they  have  in  general  groundtti 
 this  hope  ;  and  I  have  no  hefitation  in  faying,  that  notwithitand- 
 ing  thefe  hopes  of  Chrilfians  are  capable  of  being  built  upoii 
 the  rock  of  fcriptural  truth,  yet  that  they  have  not-  in  general 
 been  well  founded. 
 
 Zealous.      That  is  Ifrange  indeed. 
 
 Cautious.  I  think  it  is  no  lefs  If  range  than  true  ;  it  is  very 
 poUible  to  ufe  an  argumentto  conlirmatruth  which  doesnotapply. 
 
 Zealous.      It  is  lo,  and  \\hcn  an  argument  is  ufcd  which  dots 
 
 not 
 
384  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  Part  II. 
 
 not  apply,  the  beft  that  can  be  done,  is  to  fliew  that  it  docs  not 
 apply,  ujkI  in  the  next  place  to  rcfort  to  thofe  that  do  apply. 
 
 Cautious,  That  is  my  intention  \  in  the  early  part  of  my  life 
 I  have  heard  thefe  hopes  of  the  more  extended  and  fuccefsful 
 promulgation  of  the  gofpel,  in  time  to  come,  cheriihed  and 
 enforced  by  reference  to  many  pallages  in  the  books  of  the  pro-- 
 phets,  which  I  now  think  do  by  no  means  apply  10  it:  I  wifli 
 to  avoid  prolixity,  and  I  (hall  therefore  only  requeli;  you  to  turn 
 to  the  60th  chapter  of  the  prophet  Ifaiah  ;  pray  read  it  and  the 
 live  following  chapters,  and  then  inform  me  whether  you  have 
 not  been  taught  to  found  the  opinion  in  queftion  upon  feveral  of 
 the  promifes  contained  in  thefe  chapters,  and  upon  fnnilar 
 paflages. 
 
 Zealous.      I  acknowledge  that  1  have. 
 
 Cautious.  So  it  was  with  myfelf;  we  naturally  receive  with 
 avidity  thofe  doilrines  which  are  congenial  to  our  hopes,  and  do 
 not  feel  inclined  to  controvert  the  arguments  which  are  reforted 
 to,  to  encourage  that  which  we  hope  for  \  when  therefore  in  the 
 early  part  of  my  life,  I  have  heard  the  encouraging  promifes 
 contained  in  thefe  and  fimilar  paflfages,  applied  to  the  Chriftian 
 church,  I  have  heard  them  with  exultation,  and  then 
 was  by  no  means  difcouraged  from  giving  aflent  to  the  flattering 
 aflertion,  by  the  frequent  mention  of  Zion,  Jerufalem,  and  the 
 Jyord's  people  Ifrael,  being  the  obje6ls  of  thefe  promifes  ;  I  was 
 taught  to  confider  the  Christian  church,  as  the  Zion  of 
 the  Holy  One  of  Ifrael,  and  Chriftians  as  the  true  Ifrael  of  God. 
 
 Zealous.  I  fee  we  have  both  been  taught  in  the  fame  fchool, 
 and  the  do6lrines  taught  in  this  fchool  are  ancient  do6lrines  ;  as  a 
 proof  of  the  antiquity,  if  not  the  orthodoxy,  of  thus  applying 
 the  promifes  in  favour  of  the  Jews  to  the  Chriflian  church,  I 
 would  refer  to  the  heads  of  the  chapters  in  queftion,  they  un- 
 doubtedly relate  to  the  reftoration  of  the  Jewiili  nation,  and  to 
 that  ftate  of  blefiednefs  and  profperity  which  is  in  ftore  for  them  ; 
 but  you  will  find  that  no  notice  is  taken  of  this  in  the  heads  of 
 the  chapters,  the  60th  chapter  of  Ifaiah,  for  inilance,  which  is 
 fo  abundantly  confolitary  to  Ifrael,  is  thus  entitled  by  our  tranf- 
 lators,  *'  The  glory  of  the  church  in  the  abundant  accefs  of 
 "  the  Gentiles,  and  the  great  bleflings  after  a  fhort  affliilion  ;'"' 
 but  I  now  fee  that  thefe  paiTages  have  no  reference  to  the  Gentile 
 church,  but  wholly  and  folely  refer  to  the  Jews. 
 
 Cautious.  Thefe  glorious  promifes  do  wholly  and  folely  refer 
 to  the  reftoration  of  the  Jews  ;  and  the  Gentile  nations  who 
 profefs  Chriftianity,  and  are  inimical  to  the  idea  of 
 the  restoration  of  the  pre-eminence  to  Israel, 
 have  no  good  ground  to  extra6l  confolation  from  thefe  paliages  ; 
 on  the  contrary,  they  may  here  read  of  their  own  deilru6lion, 
 *'  The  nation  and  kingdom  that  will  not  ferve  thee  fliall  perifli  \ 
 **  yea,  thofe  nations  Ihall  be  utterly  wafted,"  Ifaiah  Ix.  12. 
 
 Zealous. 
 
Part  IL      ,         D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  385 
 
 Zealous.  The  context  certainly  eftablifhes,  that  this  promife 
 is  a  promife  in  favour  of  the  Jewish   nation. 
 
 Cautious.  When  rightly  confidered,  thefe  promifes  alfo  con- 
 tain great  confolation  to  Chriftians,  but  it  is  only  such  Chris- 
 tians as  long  for  and  ardently  defi re  the  reftoration  of  the  Jews, 
 and  are  prepared  and  delirous  to  give  the  pre-eminence  to  their 
 facred  nation;  such  Christians,  although  they  v/ould  by  no 
 means  endeavour  to  rob  the  Jewifh  nation  of  their  promifes,  by 
 figuratively  applying  them  to  the  Chriifian  church,  can  yet,  by 
 the  proper  application  of  them,  enjoy  great  confolation  ;  inaf- 
 much  as  they  know   the   great   benefits  they  are   to 
 
 DERIVE     FROM    THE    EXALTATION    OF    IsRAEL. 
 
 Zealous.  You  faid,  that  notwithitandingthe  hopes  of  Chriflians, 
 that  there  will  be  a  renewed  and  more  powerful  and  fuccefsful 
 promulgation  of  the  gofpel,  in  time  to  come,  is  in  general  built 
 upon  the  mifapplication  of  fcriptures,  which  on  examination  are 
 found  to  applv  entirely  to  the  JewiOi  nation;  yet  that  the  hope 
 was  CAPABLE  of  being  built  upon  fcriptural  foundation,  I  will 
 now  thank  you  to  direct  me  to  this  foundation. 
 
 Cautioi^s.  Pray  turn  to  the  24th  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  in 
 verfe  the  14th  are  thefe  words,  "  And  this  gofpel  of  the  king- 
 *'  DOM  fhall  be  preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witnefs  unto 
 **  all  nations:  and  then  fhall  the  end  come,"  Matt,  xxiv.  14. 
 Thefe  words  are  very  clear  ;  and,  in  St.  Luke's  gofpel,  after 
 noticing  the  perfecutions  they  would  have  to  endure,  in  which 
 they  would  be  brought  before  kings  and  rulers,  for  Chrilt's  fake, 
 he  hath  thefe  words,  "  And  it  (hall  turn  to  you  for  a  teftimony. 
 "  Settle  it  therefore  in  your  hearts,  not  to  meditate  before  what 
 *'  ye  fhall  anfwer  :  for  I  will  give  you  a  mouth  and  wifdom, 
 *'  which  all  your  adverfaries  fhall  not  be  able  to  gainfay  nor  re- 
 *'  fift,"  Luke  xxi.  13 — 15.  This  great  promulgation  of  the 
 gofpel,  is  to  be  preparatory  to  the  end  ;  "  and  then  fhall  the 
 "  end  come:"  it  is  to  be  preached  in  all  the  world, 
 for  a  WITNESS  unto  all  nations;  and  then  Ihall  the  end 
 come  :  what  do  you  conceive  to  be  the  end  here  noticed  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  think  that  the  context  clearly  points  to  the  coming 
 of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory, 
 (Matt.  xxiv.  30.)  as  to  the  end  here  mentioned;  but  the  term 
 alfo  applies,  though  in  a  more  confined  and  limited  fenfe>  to  the 
 deltru^tion  of  Jerufalem. 
 
 Cautious.  Previous  to  the  deffrucftion  of  Jerufalem,  the  gofpel 
 of  the  kingdom  was  preached  in  all  the  world,  for  a  witnefs  unto 
 all  nations ;  and  I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  previous  to  the  coming 
 of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory, 
 the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  will  be  again  preached  in  all 
 the  world,  for  a  witnefs  unto  all  nations ;  and  then  will  the  end 
 come. 
 
 Zealous.     I  truff  that  although  this  paflage  gives  good  ground 
 
 3  D  for 
 
286  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  Part  II. 
 
 for  the  hope,  yet  that  you  can  quote  other  paflages  to  confirm 
 ■this  hope. 
 
 Cautious.  Before  I  quote  any  more  paflages  let  me  make  this 
 remark,  which  I  firmly  believe  to  be  well  founded,  that  this 
 
 RENEWED  AND  MORE  SUCCESSFUL  PROMULGATION  OF 
 THE  GOSPEL  WILL  MEET  WITH  MUCH  PERSECUTION,  AND 
 SPREAD   AND    PREVAIL   UNDER   PERSECUTION,    aS  in  the  firll 
 
 age  of  the  church. 
 
 Zealous,  If  you  can  quote  fcriptural  authority  for  this  opinion, 
 it  will  form  a  very  confiderable  deduction  from  our  hopes.  I 
 have  told  you  that  I  have  often  heard  the  hope  we  are  confider- 
 ing  cheriftied  and  encouraged  from  the  pulpit ;  but  I  do  not  re- 
 member to  have  ever  heard  that  perfecution  was  again  likely  to 
 rear  its  intolerant  head. 
 
 Cautious.  I  fhall  content  myfelf  with  merely  noticing  it  as  it 
 appears  connected  with  the  fubjefl  before  us ;  and  I  muft  fay 
 that  I  think  that  it  is  manifeft,  that  this  gofpel  of  the  king- 
 dom will  be  preached  in  all  the  world,  for  a  witnefs  unto  all  na- 
 tions, in  a  time  of  persecution,  when  Chriftians  will  be  deli- 
 vered up  to  be  affli6led  and  killed,  and  when  they  will  be  hated 
 of  all  nations  (v.  9.)  for  the  name's  fake  of  their  blefled  Mafter : 
 in  a  time  of  persecution,  which  will  rage  to  that  degree  that 
 many  will  be  offended,  and  betray  one  another,  and  hate  one 
 another,  v,  10.  At  a  time,  in  which  falfe  prophets  and  de- 
 ceivers fliall  arife,  and  iniquity  abound  to  that  degree,  that  the 
 love  of  many  fhall  wax  cold,  v.  ii,  12.  If  you  turn  to  the  pa- 
 rallel paifages,  Mark  xiii.  9 — 13.  and  Luke  xxi.  12 — 19.  you 
 will  be  fatisfied,  that  the  gofpel  never  proceeds  with  fuch  power 
 as  when  it  is  perfecuted.  It  therefore  we  have  good  ground  to 
 believe  that  the  trumpet  of  the  gofpel  will  again  found  with 
 power  in  a  time  of  perfecution,  it  is  a  queftion  of  the  greateft 
 importance  to  us  to  confider  what  is  the  ground  of  this  perfe- 
 cution. 
 
 Zealous.  I  acknowledge  that  it  is ;  but  I  mufl:  declare  myfelf 
 ■wholly  at  a  lofs,  and  therefore  requell  you  to  proceed. 
 
 Cautious.  I  think  we  fhall  receive  confiderable  afhflance  in 
 this  matter,  by  confidering  what  was  the  chief  ground  of  fperfe- 
 cution  of  the  Chriftians  in  the  apoftolic  age.  It  feems  to  me 
 that  it  was  not  the  dodlrines  of  the  gofpel  that  were  the  chief 
 grounds  of  the  perfecution  which  was  raifed  againft  the  Chriflian 
 church  in  its  infancy  ;  it  was  not  the  do6lrine  of  eternal  life,  that 
 gave  offence  to  the  Jews  and  occafioned  the  perfecution :  for 
 when  our  Saviour  had  diredtly  and  pofitively  aiferted  this  great 
 do6lrine,  the  fcribes  anfwering,  faid,  *'  Master,  thou  hast 
 *'  WELL  said,"  Luke  xx.  39.  It  was  not  the  dodlrine  of  the 
 refurre6lion  of  the  dead  that  gave  rife  to  the  perfecution ;  for  St. 
 Paul  availed  himfelf  of  the  faith  of  the  great  body  of  the  Jews  in 
 this  dodrine,  to  obtain  their  attention  :   '*  Of  the  hope  and  refur- 
 
 *'  red  ion 
 
fART  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  387 
 
 *'  re£lion  of  the  dead  I  am  called  in  queftion,"  A6ls  xxiii.  6. 
 The  great  can fe  of  the  perfecution  was  jealousy,  which  at 
 that  time  unhappily  was  general  among  the  Jewifh  nation  ;  and 
 the' great  obje6l  of  their  jealous  fear  was,   lest  the  Gentile 
 
 NATIONS      SHOULD     PARTAKE      IN      THEIR      ADVANTAGES. 
 
 They  permitted  Paul  to  declare  unto  them  his  converfion ;  they 
 exprclfed  no  impatience  or  indignation  until  their  iealoufy  was 
 aroufed,  but  then  they  could  endure  no  longer.  ISlo  fooner  had 
 he  declared  unto  them  his  commiflion,  "  And  he  faid  unto  me. 
 Depart:  for  I  will  send  thee  far  hence  unto 
 THE  Gentiles,"  than  they  break  out — "  they  gave  him 
 audience  unto  this  word,  and  then  lift  up  their  voices,  and 
 faid,  Away  with   such   a  fellow  from  the  earth  : 
 
 FOR    IT   IS  NOT   FIT   THAT   HE   SHOULD    LIVE,"    Afts    Xxii. 
 
 21,  22.  If  you  examine  the  New  Teftament,  you  will  find  this 
 jealoufy  is  the  chief  ground  upon  which  ahnoll  all  the  primitive 
 perfecutions  were  founded. 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit  it,  but  I  would  wifli  to  know  in  what  man- 
 ner this  applies  to  perfecutions  to  arife  in  time  to  come  ? 
 
 Cautioi^s.  You  will  fee  in  due  time.  It  was  by  means  of  in- 
 dividuals of  the  Jewilh  nation  that  the  glad-tidings  of  falvation 
 were  dilfeminated  i^mong  the  Gentile  nations  ;  and  it  will  be  by 
 means  of  Chriltians  that  the  glad-tidings  of  the  reftoration  of  the 
 Jews  will  be  preached  and  believed  1  This  great  dodlrine  may 
 not,  and  I  truft  will  not,  give  any  occafion  to  perfecution  in 
 Britain,  and  other  Proteftant  countries,  for  they  are  not  inimical 
 to  the  Jews;  but  in  thofe  countries  in  which  the  Jewifh  nation 
 is  perfecuted  and  opprefled,  it  may  and  mofl  likely  will  be  that 
 thofe  who  declare  this  great  scriptural  truth  will  be  per- 
 fecuted, and  by  being  perfecuted  attradl  the  attention  of  mankind  ; 
 and  have  opportunity  afforded  them  to  publifh  thefe  glad-tidings, 
 with  greater  effeft  than  they  could  if  they  were  not  to  be  perfe- 
 cuted :  '*  But  when  they  fhall  lead  you,  and  deliver  you  up, 
 *'  take  no  thought  beforehand  what  ye  fhall  fpeak,  neither  do 
 *'  ye  premeditate  :  but  whatfoever  fhall  be  given  you  in  that 
 *'  hour,  that  fpeak  ye  :  for  it  is  not  ye  that  fpeak,  but  the  Holy 
 *<  Gholt,"  Mark  xiii.    n. 
 
 Zealous.  I  fee  nothing  unreafonable  in  your  fuppolltion,  that 
 as  jealoufy  was  the  foundation  of  the  firft  perfecutions  which  the 
 Chriftian  church  endured,  fo  that  jealoufy  and  hatred  to  the  glad- 
 tidings  of  the  reftoration  of  the  jews,  may  be  the  ground  of  per- 
 fecution towards  thole  who  inay  be  called  to  declare  thefe  divine 
 truths  to  thofe  nations  who  hate  the  Jews;  and  I  receive  much, 
 confolation  in  joining  with  you  in  the  hope,  that  Britain  and 
 other  Proteftant  ftates  will  not  join  in  the  perfecution,  but  en- 
 courage and  prote6l  thofe  who,  proceeding  upon  the  authority 
 of  God's  word,  declare  thefe  glad-tidings  unto  the  nations. 
 
 Cautious.     Thus  faith  the   Lord,  "  I  am  a  father  to  IfraeV 
 
 "  and. 
 
388  DIALOGUE     IX.  Part  II. 
 
 **  and  Ephraim  is  my  firft-born.  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
 "  O  yc  nations,  and  declare  it  in  the  isles  afar  off,  and  fay, 
 "  He  that  fcattereth  Ifrael  will  gather  him,  and  keep  him,  as  a 
 *'  fhepherd  doth  his  flock,"  Jer.  xx.xi.  9,  10.  I  muft  profefs 
 my  belief  that  this  meffage  of  glad-tidings  will  form  a  confpicu- 
 oijs  article  in  the  gofpel  of  the  kingdom,  which  will  be  preached 
 in  all  the  world,  for  a  witnefs  unto  all  nations,  (Matt.  xxiv.  14.) 
 preparatory  to  the  end;  and  that  as  the  lliips  of  the  favoured 
 jlland  Tarfhilli  are  the  firlf  that  will  be  pioufly  devoted  to  the 
 fervice  of  God,  in  bringing  his  fons  from  far,  (Ifa.  Ix.  9.)  lo 
 that  this  meflage  of  glad-tidings  will  be  moft  confpicuouily  in 
 due  time  promulgated  in  the  isles:  '<  declare  it  in  the  ifles 
 *'  afar  off." 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  clear  that  this  is  a  divine  meflage,  which  is  in 
 due  time  to  be  declared  unto  the  illes.  It  is  equally  clear,  that 
 as  this  melFage  is  concerning  the  JewiiTi  nation,  that  it  is  not 
 committed  to  the  Jews  to  deliver  it.  Who  then  is  there  fo  likely 
 to  become  the  deliverers  of  this  divine  meffage  to  the  nations,  as 
 Chriltians  ? 
 
 Cautious.  And  you  might  have  proceeded  further  flill,  and 
 have  faid,  *'  What  denomination  of  Chriltians  appear  to  ftand 
 laireft  to  be  employed  in  this  high  office  r  Certainly  not  the  Ro- 
 man Catholics,  and  thofe  who  retain  an  averfion  to  the  Jews; 
 certainly  not  thofe  who  lock  up  the  Jewifli  fcriptures  fnnn  the 
 pcrufal  of  the  people  ;  but  rather  thofe  who  read  them,  who 
 itudy  them,  who  highly  efteem  them,  and  who  are  friendly  and 
 kind  to  Ifrael.  What  Chriftians  are  fo  much  fo  as  the  Pro- 
 testants ?  Do  not  thefe  arguinents  point  to  Proteftant  ffates, 
 as  thofe  moft  likely  to  be  honoured  by  having  this  divine  meffage 
 committed  to  them,  to  be  delivered  by  them  to  the  nations  ? 
 It  is  to  be  firft  declared  in  the  ifles  afar  off  from  Zion  ;  and  what 
 Proteftant  ifles  are  there  at  a  diitance  from  the  Holy  Land,  fo 
 confpicuous  as  thofe  under  the  dominion  of  our  pious  and  beloved 
 Sovereign  ? 
 
 Zealous.  Your  queftions  caufe  my  heart  to  leap  for  Joy;  the 
 Lord  hath  been  abundant  in  mercy  towards  the  Britifh  ifles,  and 
 it  may  be  that  greater  honour  is  yet  referved  in  ftore  ! 
 
 Cautious.  When  this  divine  meflage  comes  to  be  delivered  with 
 power,  who  fhall  fay  that  it  may  not  be  followed  by  confpicuous 
 effects  being  produced  even  upon  Ifrael  ?  "  Ho  !  land,  fpread- 
 *'  ing  wide  the  fliadow  of  thy  wings  which  art  beyond  the  rivers 
 *'  of  Cufti,  accuftomed  to  fend  meffengers  by  fea,  even  in  bul- 
 **  rufli  veffels,  upon  the  furface  of  the  waters  !  Go,  fwift  mef- 
 *'  fengers,  unto  a  nation  dragged  away  and  plucked,  unto  a 
 "  people  wonderful  from  their  beginning  hitherto  ;  a  nation  cx- 
 *'  peding,  expeding,  and  trampled  under  foot,  whofe  land  rivers 
 *'  have  fpoiled.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  and  dwellers 
 .*'  upon  earth  fliall  fee  the  lifting  up  as  it  were  of  a  banner  upon 
 
 <'  the 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  389 
 
 **  the  mountains,  and  fhall  hear  the  founding  as  it  were  of  a 
 **  trumpet.  For  thus  faith  Jehovah  unto  me  :  I  will  fit  Itill 
 *'  (hut  I  will  keep  my  eye  upon  my  prepared  habitation)  as  the 
 **  parching  heat  juft  before  lightsiing,  as  the  dewy  cloud  in  the 
 **  day'of  harveit  j  for  afore  the  harvelt,  when  the  bud  is  coming 
 "  to  perfedion,  and  the  bloifom  is  become  a  juicy  berry,  he  will 
 **  cut  off  the  ufelefs  Ihoots  with  pruning  hooks,  and  the  bill  Ihall 
 *'  take  away  the  luxuriant  branches.  They  ihall  be  left  together  to 
 "  the  bird  of  prey  of  the  mountains,  and  to  the  beads  of  the  earth  ; 
 *'  and  upon  it  iliall  the  bird  of  prey  fummer,  and  all  hearts  of 
 *'  the  earth  upon  it  Ihall  winter.  At  that  feafon  a  prefent  fhall 
 *'  be  led  to  Jehovah  of  holts,  a  people  dragged  away  and  plucked  • 
 *'  even  a  people  wondcrlul  from  their  beginning  hitherto,  a  na- 
 *'  tion  expecting,  expecting,  and  trampled  under  foot,  whofe  land 
 *'  rivers  have  fpoiled,  unto  the  place  af  the  name  of  Jehovah  of 
 ."  Holts,  Mount  SiON."  Bilhop  of  Rochelter's  Tranflation  of 
 Ifaiah  xviii. 
 
 Xeuhus.  I  think  that  there  is  good  hope^  that,  notwithftanding 
 perfecution  may  rage  in  other  lands,  and  whatever  diilrefs  may 
 prevail  \x\  other  parts,  yet  that  we  may  be  in  a  great  meafurc 
 exempted  from  them:  to  be  lure  the  18th  of  Ifaiah,  as  the 
 learned  prelate  has  fully  noticed,  fpeaks  of  an  awful  pruning  of 
 the  Chriitian  vine  ;  yet  there  is  not,  either  in  that  chapter  or  in 
 the  31ft  of  Jeremiah,  any  intimation  that  thofe  who  deliver  thefe 
 divine  meffages  will  be  perfecuted  on  account  thereof. 
 
 Cautious.  I  acknowledge  that  there  is  not,  but  that  they  are 
 succfssful;  but  Itill  fcripture  is  clear  that  there  will  be  a 
 great  pruning  of  the  Chriitian  vine,  and  I  think  it  is  very  pro- 
 bable that  previous  to  the  luxuriant  branches  being  removed,  they 
 may  become  more  corrupt  than  they  even  now  are.  It  ever  has 
 been  the  cafe  that  doctrines  which  are  detefted  have  occafioned 
 perfecution  ;  and  I  think  there  is  too  much  reafon  to  fear  that 
 thefe  do6lrines  will  be  detefted  by  thofe  who  detelf  the  Jewilk 
 nation  ;  and  certainly  the  Roman  church  hath  uniformly,  by  its 
 cruel  adlions,  fliewn  a  moft  niarked  deteitation  of  the  Jewilli  na- 
 tion. What  other  palTages  are  there  that  fpeak  of  the  revival 
 and  repromulgation  of  the  gofpel,  that  do  not  either  exprefs  or 
 imply  that  the  time  in  which  it  takes  place  will  be  a  time  of 
 great  perfecution?  Let  us  firft  notice  the  Lord's  witnelfes, 
 whofe  teftimony  is  recorded  in  Rev,  the  11th.  During  the  time 
 allotted  to  them,  in  which  they  deliver  their  teftimony,  it  is  true 
 they  are  invulnerable,  (v.  5.)  but  '*  when  they  fliall  have 
 '■'■  tinilhed  their  teltimony,  the  beaft  that  afcendeth  out  of  the 
 *'  bottomlefs  pit  fliall  make  war  againft  them,  and  fhall  over- 
 *'  come  them,  and  kill  them,"  (v.  7.)  and  although  their  ene- 
 mies are  not  able  to  hurt  them  until  they  have  finiihed  their  tefti- 
 mony, yet  are  they  during  the  time  of  their  teftimony  clothed  in 
 fackcloth,  which  indicates  a  flate  of  mourning  and  dcprellion; 
 
 and 
 
390  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part   II. 
 
 and  the  caufe  of  their  mourning  appears  to  be  that  the  holy  city- 
 is  then  trodden  under  foot  oi  the  Gentiles,  v.  2.  In  the  12th 
 chapter  of  the  R.evelation  we  have  a  glorious  defcription  of  the 
 church  in  the  latter  day  ;  but  glorious  as  is  the  defcription,  it  is 
 the  defcription  of  a  persecuted  church,  which  hath  to  tiee 
 into  the  wildernefs,  where  flie  is  nourifhed  from  the  face  of  that 
 ferpent  which  perfecutes  and  would  wilh  to  devour  her  ;  and  the 
 dragon  is  wrath  with  the  woman,  and  maketh  war  with  the  rem- 
 nant of  her  feed,  which  keep  the  commandments  of  God, 
 
 AND    HAVE    THE    TESTIMONY    OF    JeSUS    ChRIST,    V.  I7. 
 
 Zealous.  You  have  indeed  proved  to  my  fatisfaclion,  that  not- 
 withftanding  a  hope  of  the  repromulgation  of  the  gofpel  hath  been 
 allcgorically  founded  upon  paiTages  that  do  not  apply  to  it,  yet 
 that  it  is  CAPABLE  of  being  founded  upon  the  rock  ot  fcriptural 
 truth  ;  and  you  have  alfo  proved  to  my  fatisfaftion,  that  the 
 gofpel  which  will  then  be  preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witnefs 
 to  all  nations,  preparatory  to  the  end,  will  fooner  or  later  meet 
 with  fevere  perfecution  ;  but  that  thofe  who  deliver  the  telUmony 
 that  they  are  called  and  commiilioned  by  God  to  deliver,  will  be 
 protedfed  by  him,  until  they  have  acled  the  part  which  is  con- 
 signed to  them  to  perform. 
 
 Cautious.  So  it  was  with  St.  Paul,  and  he  was  fenfible  of  it. 
 In  his  epiftle  to  the  Philippians,  he  thus  exprelfes  himfclf :  '*  I 
 *'  would  ye  ihould  underiland,  brethren,  that  the  things  which 
 "  happened  unto  me  have  fallen  out  rather  unto  the  furtherance 
 **  of  the  gofpel  ;  fo  that  my  bonds  in  Chrift  are  manifeil  in  all 
 **  the  palace,  and  in  all  other  places  ;  and  many  of  the  brethren 
 <*  in  the  Lord,   waxing   confident    by   my    bonds,   are 
 
 *'    MUCH      more      bold     TO     SPEAK      THE     WORD    WITHOUT 
 
 **  FEAR,"  Philip,  i.  12 — 14.  As  you  have  expreiTed  your- 
 felf  fatisfied,  I  might  drop  the  fubjeft,  but  I  fliall  confirm  what 
 I  have  faid  by  reference  to  other  texts  of  fcripture. 
 
 In  the  14th  chapter  of  the  Revelation  we  have  alfo  indifputable 
 evidence  that  there  \w\\\  be  a  powerful  repromulgation  of  the 
 gofpel  in  time  to  come  :  '*  And  I  faw  another  angel  fly  in  the 
 */  midll:  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel  ta 
 '*  preach  unto  them  that  dv/ell  on  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation, 
 *'  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  faying  with  a  loud  voice, 
 "  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him  ;  for  the  hour  of  his  judg- 
 **  ment  is  come  :  and  worlhip  him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth, 
 **  and  the  fea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters,"  Rev.  xiv.  6,  7. 
 
 Zealous.  There  is  no  mention  of  perfecution  being  attached 
 to  the  declaration  of  this  divine  exhortation. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  true  that  there  is  not :  the  univerfality  of  the  pro- 
 mulgation of  this  everlafling  gofpel  cannot  be  more  powerfully  ex- 
 prelfcd,  than  by  its  being  reprcfentcd  as  delivered  by  an  angel  flying 
 through  the  midfl;  of  heaven,  proclaiming  it,  with  A  loud  voice, 
 to  them  that  dvveil  on  the  earth,  and  to  every    nation,  and 
 
 kindred. 
 
Fart  II.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  391 
 
 KINDRED,  AND  TONGUE,  AND  PEOPLE;  and  although  all  the 
 fervants  of  God,  like  his  witnesses,  are  invulnerable  until 
 they  have  executed  their  commilfion,  and  performed  that  which 
 he  hath  committed  unto  them  to  do,  or  to  declare  ;  yet  do  I  think 
 that  this  divine  exhortation  is  to  be  expected  at  a  time  of  fierce 
 perfecution. 
 
 Zealous.     Pray  produce  your  reafons  for  thinking  fo. 
 
 Cautious.  You  will  obferve  that  this  divine  exhortation 
 to  the  fear  and  worfhip  of  the  great  Creator  of  heaven,  and 
 earth,  and  the  fea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters,  immediately 
 follows  the  defcription  of  the  great  enemies  contained  in  chapter 
 the  13th.  When  the  enemy  attains  the  fummit  of  impiety,  when 
 "  he  openeth  his  mouth  in  blafphemy  againlt  God,  to  blafpheme 
 *'  his  name,  and  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven;" 
 when  it  is  "  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  faints,  and 
 *'  to  overcome  them:"  when  power  is  given  unto  him  "  over 
 **  all  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations,"  and  all  are  required 
 to  "  worfliip  him,"  (Rev.  xiii.  6 — 8.)  ;  then  it  is  that  there  is  a 
 peculiar  propriety  in  his  being  counteraiSled  by  this  divine 
 EXHORTATION:  "  Fear  God  and  give  glory  to  him,  for  the 
 *'  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come,  and  worliiip  him  that  made 
 **  heaven  and  earth,  and  the  fca,  and  the  fountains  of  waters." 
 
 The  exhortation  is  grounded  upon  the  word  of  God,  and  it  is 
 enforced  by  the  pofitive  declaration  of  the  fa6l,  that  the  day  of 
 judgment  is  very  near:  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come! 
 There  is  evidence  of  the  fail.  The  withholding  caufe  that  kept 
 the  fon  of  perdition  within  bounds,  is  then  removed  "  out  of  the 
 *'  way,"  and  he  is  fully  revealed  in  all  his  malignant  power: 
 *'  The  man  of  fin" — "  the  fon  of  perdition" — "  who  oppofcth 
 *'  and  exalteth  himfelf  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is 
 "  worfhipped" — "  as  God,  fitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  fliew- 
 **  ing  himfelf  that  he  is  God  :"  but  awful  as  is  the  fight  of  fucli 
 wickednefs  ;  fierce  as  is  the  perfecution  exercifed  in  his  caufe, 
 it  is  the  very  iignal  of  better  times;  it  is  the  evidence 
 that  the  hour  of  God's  judgment  is  come  ;  the  wicked 
 one  is  revealed  "  whom  the  Lord  fhall  confume  with  the 
 *'  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  Ihall  deftroy  with  the  brightnefs  of 
 *'  his  coming,"  2  ThefT.  ii.  4 — 8.  *'  Behold,  he  cometh 
 *'  with  clouds  ;  and  every  eye  (hall  fee  him,  and  they  alfo  which 
 *'  pierced  him:  and  all  kindreds  of  the  earth  fliall  wail  becaui'e 
 *'  of  him  ;  even  fo.  Amen."  Rev.  i.  7.  *'  O  fing  unto  the 
 "  Lord  a  new  fong  :  flng  unto  the  Lord,  all  the  earth.  Sing 
 **  unto  the  Lord,  blefs  his  name  ;  fhew  forth  his  falyation  from 
 ♦'  day  to  d;:v.  Declare  his  glory  among  the  hea- 
 *'  then,  his  wonders  among  all  people.  For  the 
 *'■  Lord  is  great,  and  greatly  to  be  praifed  :  he  is  to  be  feared 
 **  above  all  gotis.  For  all  the  gods  of  the  nations  are  idols  :  but 
 *'  the  Lord  made  the  hca\cns.      Honour  and  majtlly  are  before 
 
 '<  him: 
 
392  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  II. 
 
 him  :  ftreHgth  and  beauty  are  in  his  fanftuary.  Give  unto 
 the  Lord,  O  ye  kindreds  of  the  people,  give  unto  the  Lord 
 glory  and  Itrcngth.  Give  unto  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto 
 his  name  :  bring  an  offering,  and  come  into  his  courts.  O 
 worfhip  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holinefs  ^  fear  before  him, 
 all  the  earth.  Say  among  the  heathen  that  the  Lord 
 reigneth  :  the  world  alfo  ihail  be  eftabliilied  that  it  Ihall  not 
 be  moved  :  he  lliall  judge  the  people  righteouily.  Let  the 
 heavens  rejoice,  aud  let  the  earth  be  glad  ;  let  the  fea  roar, 
 and  the  fulnefs  thereof.  Let  the  field  be  joyful,  and  all  that 
 is  therein  :  then  lliall  -all  the  trees  of  the  wood  rejoice  before 
 the  Lord  :  fur  he  cometh,  for  he  cometh  to  judge  the  earth  : 
 he  fliall  judge  the  world  with  righteoufnefs,  and  the  people 
 with  his  truth,"  Pf.  xcvi. 
 Babylon  was  the  real  name  of  that  imperial  city,  under  whofe 
 power  the  Jewifh  nation  was  fubjugated  and  opprelled  ;  Babylort 
 is  alfo  the  myltical  name  of  that  great  city  that  will  become 
 *'  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the  faints,  and  with  the  blood  of 
 *'  the  martyrs  of  Jefus,"  (Rev.  xvii.  6)  ;  it  is  therefore  part  of 
 the  great  confolation  that  is  referved  for  the  fuffering  faints  of 
 God,  that  its  fall  will  be  declared:  "  And  there  followed  ano- 
 *'  ther  angel,  faying,  Baby^lon  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  that  great 
 *'  city,  bccaufe  llie  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine  of  the 
 *'  wrath  of  her  fornication,"  Rev.  xiv.  8.  See  alfo  Revelation 
 17th  and  i8tii,  in  which  the  intimate  connexion  there  is  between 
 the  great  enemies  defcribed  in  Rev.  13th,  and  the  great  Babylon, 
 is  fo  fully  fet  forth,  and  its  awful  fall  is  fo  minutely  related. 
 
 Zealous.  When  the  time  comes  that  thefe  things  are  declared 
 ■with  power,  it  will  certainly  afford  great  confolation  to  the  fuf- 
 fering faints  of  God. 
 
 Caiiltous.  They  will  be  admoniflied  to  come  out  of  her : 
 And  I  heard  another  voice  from  heaven,  faying,  Come  out 
 OF  HER,  MY  PEOPLE,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  fins, 
 and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues  :  for  her  fins  have 
 reached  unto  heaven,  and  God  hath  remembered  her  iniqui- 
 ties, Rev.  xviii.  4,  ,5.  Her  fall  is  matter  of  exultation  to  the 
 fervants  of  God  in  heaven  and  earth  :  "  Rejoice  over  her,  thou 
 heaven,  and  ye  holy  apoftles  and  prophets  ;  for  God  hath 
 avenged  you  on  her,"  v.  20.  "  And  after  thefe  things  I 
 heard  a  great  voice  of  much  people  in  heaven,  faying.  Alle- 
 luia; Salvation,  and  glory,  and  honour,  and  power,  unto  the 
 Lord  our  God  :  for  true  and  righteous  are  his  judgments  :  for 
 he  hath  judged  the  great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth 
 with  her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his  fer- 
 vants at  her  hand.  And  again  they  faid.  Alleluia  ;  and  her 
 fmoke  rofe  up  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  four  and  twenty 
 ciders  and  the  four  beads  fell  down  and  worlhipped  God  that 
 fat    on  the  throne,  faying,  Amen ;    Alleluia.     And   a  voice 
 
 *'  came 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  393 
 
 came  out  of  the  throne,  faying,  Praife  our  God,  all  ye  his 
 fervants,  and  ye  that  fear  him,  both  fmall  and  great.  And  I 
 heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  muhiiude,  and  as  the  voice 
 of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings,  fay- 
 ing, Alleluia:  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth.  Let 
 us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honour  to  him :  for  the  mar- 
 riage of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  herfelf 
 ready.  And  to  her  was  granted  that  (he  fhould  be  arrayed  in 
 fine  linen,  clean  and  white  :  for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righteouf- 
 nefs  of  faints.  And  he  faith  unto  me.  Write,  Blelfed  are 
 they  which  are  calied  unto  the  marriage  fupper  of  the  Lam.b  : 
 and  he  faith  unto  me,  Thefe  are  the  true  fayings  of  God," 
 Rev.  xix.    1 — 9. 
 
 Awful  as  is  the  divine  denunciation  that  the  third  angel  hath  to 
 enforce,  it  mulf  alfo  be  clalled  among  thofe  things  which  are  to 
 afford  itrong  confolation  to  the  perfecuted  faints  of  God.  It  is 
 manifeil  that  this  divine  denunciation  is  delivered  at  the  time 
 when  the  worfhip  of  the  beaft  is  enforced  with  dreadful  rigour, 
 by  his  aifociate  in  iniquity  ;  and  when  Satanic  delufion  is  reforted 
 to,  to  enforce  uniform.ity  to  abominable  idolatry  ;  when  the  image 
 of  the  beaft  is  made  to  fpeak,  and  to  caufe  that  as  many  as  will' 
 not  worftiip  the  image  of  the  beaft  fhall  be  killed;  when  "  he 
 **  caufeth  all  both  fmall  and  great,  rich  and  poor,  free  and  bond, 
 "  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads: 
 *'  and  that  no  man  might  buy  or  fell,  fave  he  that  had  the  mark, 
 **  or  the  name  of  the  beaft,  or  the  number  of  his  name,"  Rev. 
 xiii.  16,  17.  When  terror  is  thus  reforted  to,  it  will  afford 
 great  confolation  to  the  true  fervants  of  God  to  contemplate  the 
 bleirednefs  of  thofe  who  are  faithful  unto  death  in  this  laft  ftrug- 
 gle,  and  by  the  exercife  of  patience  under  fufferings  over- 
 come I  "  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  faints  :  here  are  they  that 
 *'  keep  the  commandm.ents  of  God,  and  the  faith  of  Jefus."  Thofe 
 who  endure  death  in  this  conteft  are  peculiarly  blelfed  :  '*  And 
 I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  faying  imto  me,  Write,  Blessed 
 
 ARE  THE  DEAD  WHICH  DIE  IN  THE  LORD  FROM  HENCE- 
 FORTH :  yea,  faith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  reft  from  their 
 labours  ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them,"  Rev.  xiv.  12,  ig. 
 Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of 
 life,"  Rev.  ii.  10.  How  great  at  this  trying  time,  how  great ! 
 How  ineftimably  confolatory  will  be  this  paftage  to  the  fuffering 
 faints  of  God!  '*  And  I  faw  as  it  were  a  fea.of  glafs  mingled 
 with  fire :  and  them  that  had  gotten  the  vi6lory  over  the  beaft, 
 and  over  his  image,  and  over  his  mark,  and  over  the  number 
 of  his  name,  ftand  on  the  fea  of  glafs,  having  the  harps  of 
 God.  And  they  fing  the  fong  of  Mofes  the  fervant  of  God, 
 and  the  fong  of  the  Lamb,  faying,  Great  and"  marvellous  are 
 thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty  ;  juft  and  true  are  thy  ways, 
 thou  King  of  faints.     Who  fhall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and 
 
 3  E  "  glorify 
 
394  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  Part  IT. 
 
 "  glorify  thy  name?  for  thou  only  art  holy:  for  all  nations 
 *'  fhall  come  and  worfhip  before  thee;  for  thy  judgments  are 
 **  made  manifefl:/'  Rev.  xv.   2 — 4. 
 
 When  terror  is  reforted  to  to  enforce  conformity  to  idolatry, 
 it  is  juft  and  right  that  the  veil  ihould  be  w^ithdrawn,  and  that  the 
 terrors  of  the  Lord  fhould  be  denounced  againft  apoftacy  from 
 his  fervice  :  *'  I  fay  unto  you,  my  friends,  Be  not  afraid  of 
 **  them  that  kill  the  body,  and  after  that  have  no  more  that  they 
 *'  can  do.  But  I  vi^ill  forewarn  you  whom  you  fliall  fear  :  Fear 
 *'  him,  which  after  he  hath  killed  hath  power  to  caft  into  hell ; 
 *'  yea,  I  fay  unto  you.  Fear  him,"  Luke  xii.  4,  5.  He  is 
 good  and  gracious,  and  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever  towards 
 them  that  love  him:  He  **  is  gracious  and  full  of  compaffion, 
 **  How  to  anger,  and  of  great  mercy  ;"  He  "  is  good  to  all,  and 
 *'  his  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works,"  (Pf.  cxlv.  8,  9.); 
 but  it  is  confiftent  with  his  mercy,  that  the  deflroyers  of  the  earth 
 fhould  be  deftroyed,  (Rev.  xi.  18.)  and  when  thefe  deftroyers  of 
 the  earth  refort  to  terror  to  compel  apoftacy  from  the  worftiip  of 
 God,  and  conformity  to  the  moft  cruel  idolatry  ;  it  is  right  that 
 the  TERRORS  OF  THE  LoRD  fhould  be  reforted  to,  to  counter- 
 aft  the  terrors  of  the  wicked  one,  and  to  apprize  mankind  of  that 
 awful  punifhment  that  awaits  the  great  enemy,  and  thofe  who 
 conform  to  his  idolatry :  **  And  the  third  angel  followed  them, 
 **  faying  with  a  loud  voice,  If  any  man  worfliip  the  beaft  and  his 
 **  image,  and  receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand, 
 **  the  fame  ihall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which 
 *'  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation  ; 
 **  and  he  ftiall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimftone  in  the  pre- 
 **  fence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  prefence  of  the  Lamb : 
 **  and  the  fmoke  of  their  torment  afcendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever; 
 *'  and  they  have  no  reft  day  nor  night,  who  worfliip  the  beaft 
 "  and  his  image,  and  whofoever  receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name," 
 Rev.  xiv.  9 — 11. 
 
 Zealous.  The  profpeft  is  awful,  yet  abounding  with  confola- 
 tion  to  thofe  who  look  forward  to  and  ardently  defire  that  the 
 kingdoms  of  this  world  may  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and 
 of  his  Chrift  !  Rev.  xi.  15.  Let  us  now  turn  again  to  the  24th 
 chapter  of  St.  Matthew.  You  have  fully  convinced  me  that  previ- 
 ous to  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
 and  great  glory,  there  will  in  time  to  come  arife  impious  impoftors, 
 falfe  prophets,  and  deceivers,  who  will  exert  greater  powers  of 
 delufion  and  feduftion  than  have  ever  yet  exifted;  you  have  alfo 
 fully  proved,  to  my  fatisfaclion,  that  the  gofpel  of  the  kingdom 
 will  receive  a  revival,  and  more  powerful  promulgation  in  all  the 
 world,  fo  as  to  become  a  witnefs  unto  all  nations;  and  in  confi- 
 dering  this  latter  article,  you  have  been  led  to  fpeak  upon  the 
 fubjedl  of  perfecution,  and  have  convinced  me  that  the  greateft 
 perfecution  is  yet  to  come,  and  that  not  only  lukewarmnefs  but 
 
 even 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  395 
 
 even  apoftacy  itfelf  will  be  the  confequence.  The  6th  and  7th 
 verfes  are  thofe  which  will  next  engage  our  attention,  although 
 we  have  rather  departed  from  the  order  of  the  text  in  not  conii- 
 dering  them  before  :  *'  And  ye  fhall  hear  of  wars,  and  rumours 
 *'  ot  wars  :  fee  that  ye  be  not  troubled  ;  for  all  thefe  things  mud 
 **  come  to  pafs,  but  the  end  is  not  yet.  For  nation  (liall  rife 
 *'  againit  nation,  and  kingdom  againlt  kingdom  :  and  there  fhall 
 **  be  famines,  and  peftilences,  and  earthquakes,  in  divers  places. 
 *'  All  thefe  are  the  beginning  of  forrows,"  Matt.  xxiv.  6,  7,  8. 
 
 There  were  wars  and  rumours  of  wars,  famines,  peltilences, 
 and  earthquakes,  previous  to  the  deftru6lion  of  Jerufitlem;  and 
 you  have  declared  your  opinion,  that  as  thefe  things  arofe  previ- 
 ous to  the  awful  priming  of  the  Jewi(h  vine,  fo  that  fimilar 
 events  are  to  be  expected  at,  and  previous  to,  the  awful  pruning 
 of  the  Chriftian  vine,  (I fa.  xviii.)  which  will  precede  the  coming 
 ot  our  Lord. 
 
 Cautious.  There  remains  one  more  circumftance  to  notice, 
 befide  thofe  contained  in  the  6th  and  7th  verfes  which  you  have 
 quoted;  and  that  is,  *'  the  abomination  of  defolation  fpoken  of 
 *'  by  *Daniel  the  prophet,"  v,  15.  The  Roman  arm.ies  were 
 this  abomination  of  defolation,  which  indicated  that  the  deftruc- 
 tion  of  Jervfalem,  the  great  pruning  of  the  Jewilh  vine,  drew 
 nigh  :  "  When  ye  Ihall  fee  Jerufalem  compaflTed  with  armies, 
 *'  then  know  that  the  defolation  thereof  is  nigh,"  (Luke  xxi.  20.)  ; 
 but  although  the  Roman  army  was  the  abomination  of  defolation 
 to  the  Jewifh  nation,  yet  I  am  firmly  perfuaded  that  the  great 
 abomination  of  defolation  is  yet  to  come  ;  and  as  the  Roman  ar- 
 mies encompaffing  Jerufalem  was  the  fignal  of  its  deflru6lion, 
 fo  will  the  manitellation  of  the  great  abomination  of  defolation  be 
 the  means  of  that  pruning  of  the  Chriifian  vine,  which  will  be 
 the  harbinger  of  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
 with  power  and  great  glory,  and  the  reftoration,  the  full  and 
 complete  reftoration  of  the  Jews.  It  is  difficult  to  confider  thefe 
 fubje6ts  diftinilly,  without  confiderable  repetitions;  and  I  am 
 confcious  that  you  may  h^ve  already  obferved  that  I  have  fallen 
 into  repetitions,  although  I  have  endeavoured  to  avoid  them. 
 
 Zealous.  However  critics  may  cry  out  againft  repetitions,  yet 
 they  have  fometimes  their  ufe.  It  may  certainly  be  carried  to 
 excefs ;  but  I  have  often  received  much  edification  from  fermons 
 in  which  the  text  and  leading  propofitions  have  been  many  times 
 repeated. 
 
 Cautious.  Firft,  then,  as  to  wars  and  rumours  of  wars  ;  pray 
 turn  again  to  2  TheiL  ii,  we  here  find  that  *'  fhc  myftery  of 
 *'  iniquity,"  which  in  time  to  come  is  to  give  birth  to  the  great 
 abomination  of  defolation,  the  man  of  fin,  the  fon  of  perdition, 
 was  already  at  work  in  the  apoftolicdays,  {2Their.  ii.  7.)  although 
 it  was  then  reftrained  and  kept  back ;  the  older  the  ferpent,  the 
 more  is  it  increafed  in  magnitude  and  power,  and  every  renewed 
 
 effort 
 
396  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  11. 
 
 effort  to  break  that  chain  which  keeps  him  within  bounds,  mufl 
 be  expe6led*to  be  greater  than  the  lall.  It  is  geneially,  and  I 
 am  perfuaded  rightly,  confidcred,  that  the  Roman  empire  was 
 that  which  wirhheld  and  prevented  this  wicked  one  from  burfting 
 forth.  The  kingdoms  into  which  this  empire  is  divided  have 
 continued  to  reprefs  him ;  but  what  wars,  and  confequently  ru- 
 mours of  wars,  muft  precede  the  weakening  them  to  that  degree 
 that  he  fhall  be  enabled  to  exert  his  domineering  fury  without 
 control  ?  In  the  7th  chapter  of  the  prophet  Daniel  we  have 
 another  defcription  of  this  wicked  one  ;  he  is  theie  defcribed  as  a 
 little  horn  to  arife  among  the  ten  horns  :  "1  coniidered  the  horns, 
 *'  and,  behold,  there  came  up  among  them  another  little  horn, 
 *'  before  whom  there  were  three  ot  the  firft  horns  plucked  up  by 
 **  the  roots  :  and,  behold,  in  this  horn  were  eyes  like  the  eyes  of 
 *'  man,  and  a  mouth  fpeaking  great  things,"  Dan.  vii.  8.  What 
 wars,  and  confequentiy  what  rumours  of  wars,  mult  there  exift 
 or  have  exifted  before  this  wicked  one  fucceeds  in  fubjugating  and 
 plucking  up  by  the  roots  thefe  three  horns,  three  independent 
 kingdoms:  I  might  reter  to  Daniel  the  8th  and  11th,  36 — 45. 
 to  confirm  what  I  have  faid,  but  I  wifh  to  avoid  prolixity.  If 
 we  turn  to  the  account  we  have  of  this  man  of  fin,  this  fon  of 
 perdition,  this  aboiranation  of  defolation,  as  he  is  defcribed  in 
 Revelation  the  13th,  his  military  fuccefs  appears  to  be  the  general 
 fubjecl  of  conversation  in  the  times  in  which  he  lives;  for  it  is 
 part  of  the  worfhip  that  is  paid  him  :  ^'  And  they  worfhipped  the 
 **  beail,  faying.  Who  is  like  unto  the  bealt  r  who  is  able  to 
 *'  MAKE  WAR  with  him  i"  Rev.  xiii,  4.  Here  we  have  again 
 to  notice  dreadful  wars,  and  more  extenfive  rumours  of  wars ;  but 
 "  See  that  ye  be  not  troubled:  for  all  thefe  things 
 **  muft  come  to  pafs  ;"  thefe  are  but  "  the  beginning  of  forrows," 
 Matt.  xxiv.  6.  8.  It  will  be  "  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with 
 *'  the  faints,  and  to  overcome  them  :"  and  power  *'  over  all  kin- 
 *'  dreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations.  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the 
 "  earth  Ihall  worihip  him,  whofe  names  are  not  written  in  the 
 *'  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  flain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
 "  world,"  Rev.  xiii.  7,  8. 
 
 Zealous.  You  need  fay  no  more  to  convince  me  that  there  will 
 be  wars  and  rumours  of  wars  ;  nation  rifing  againit  nation,  and 
 kingdom  againft  kingdom  :  I  think  that  there  is  great  probability 
 that  the  wars  and  rumours  of  wars  that  at  prefent  exill  are  the 
 beginning  of  thofe  very  wars  and  rumours  of  wars  which  are  re- 
 ferred to,  (Matt.  xxiv.  6,  7.)  neither  do  I  want  any  more  evidence 
 to  convince  me, that  the  very  "abomination  of  desolation 
 **  fpoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,"  (v.  15.)  will  be  revealed 
 fliortly,  preparatory  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of 
 heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  I  am  fully  convinced,  that 
 this  very  abomination  of  defolation  fpoken  of  by  Daniel  the  pro- 
 phet is  the  Antichrist  fpoken  of  by  St.  John,  (1  Johnii.  i8.} 
 
 the 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  397 
 
 THE   MAN   OF  SIN    AND   SON   OF  PERDITION    fpokcn    of  by  St. 
 
 Paul,  (2  Their,  ii.]  who  is  evidently  to  be  expedled  to  be  revealed 
 very  fliortly  before  the  coming  of  our  Lord  ;  for  the  Lord  will 
 confum'e  him  with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  deltroy  him  with 
 the  briij^htnefs  of  his  coming,  v.  8.  I  am  fully  convinced,  that 
 this  abomination  of  defolation  fpoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet, 
 and  referred  to  by  our  Lord,  is  that  very  enemy,  whofe  malignant 
 power  is  fo  minutely  defcribed  in  Revelation  the  13th,  and  whofe 
 awful  deilru6lion  is  fo  clearly  fet  forth  in  Revelation  the  19th  ; 
 it  therefore  only  remains  for  you  to  notice  thefe  remaining  words: 
 *'  And  there  lliall  be  famines,  and  pelHlences,  and  earthquakes, 
 *'  in  divers  places,"  Matt.  xxiv.  7.  The  Avords  in  St.  Mark 
 ar^,  "earthquakes  in  divers  places,  and  there  fli  all  be  famines ' 
 *'  and  troubles,"  Mark  xiii.  8.  The  words  in  St.  Luke  are 
 fuller  ftill  :  "  And  great  earthquakes  fhall  be  in  divers  places, 
 *'  and  famines,  and  peltilences  ;  and  fearful  fights  and  great  figns 
 **  fhall  there  be  from  heaven,''  Luke  xxi.  11. 
 
 Cautious.,  Wars,  and  even  rumours  of  wars,  have  a  natural  ten- 
 dency to  produce  fcarcity,  and  even  famine  itfelf ;  famine  may 
 be  produced  by  the  wickednefs  of  man,  and  famine  is  one  of  the 
 means  reforted  to  by  the  enemy  to  enforce  conformity  to  his 
 abominable  idolatry  :  "  He  caufeth  all,  both  fmall  and  great,  rich 
 "  and  poor,  free  and  bond,  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand, 
 *'  or  in  their  foreheads  :  and  that  no  man  might  buy  or  sell, 
 **  fave  he  that  had  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  bead,  or  the 
 **  number  of  his  name,"  Rev.  xiii.  16,  17.'  Famine,  it  hath 
 generally  been  obferved,  is  fucceeded  by  peftilence  ;  but  it  is  the 
 Lord's  enemies  that  will  be  thofe  who  will  be  moll  confpicuoufly 
 delfroyed  by  pelliience  :  "  This  fliall  be  the  plague  wherewith 
 '*  the  Lord  will  fmite  all  the  people  that  have  fought  againll 
 *'  Jerufalem  ;  their  fiefh  fliall  confume  away  while  they  Itand 
 **  upon  their  feet,  and  their  eyes  fhall  confume  away  in  their 
 "  holes,  and  their  tongue  fnall  confume  away  in  their  mouth," 
 Zech.  xiv.  12.  Whatever  are  the  fecondary  caufes  which  give 
 rife  to  wars,  famines,  and  pellilences,  yet  they  arc  all  under  the 
 control  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael ;  and  he  that  heareth  the  cry 
 of  the  ravens  will  not  fuffer  his  people  to  fink  under  calamities: 
 *'  Although  the  fig-tree  fhall  not  bloffom,  neither  fhall  fruit  be 
 **  in  the  viiies  ;  the  labour  of  the  olive  fhall  fail,  and  the  fields 
 **  fhall  yield  ho  meat ;  the  flock  fhall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold, 
 *'  and  there  fliall  be  no  herd  in  the  flails  :  yet  I  will  rejoice  in 
 "  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  falvation,"  Habakkuk 
 iii.    17,   18. 
 
 Zealous.  Thefe  are  troubles  indeed  ;  but  the  wickednefs  of 
 man  cannot  produce  eartliquakes,  fearful  fights,  and  great  figns 
 from  heaven. 
 
 Cautious.  There  v/ill  be  great  earthquakes,  fearful  fights,  and 
 great  figns  from  heaven :  it  is  clearly  declared  by  our  blelfed  Lord 
 
 that 
 
398  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  Part  II. 
 
 that  fo  it  fhall  be,  (Luke  xxl.  ii.)  ;  and  that  which  hath  been  but 
 once  declared  by  our  bltifed  Lord  ncr-ds  no  confirmation  :  *'  Hea- 
 "  ven  and  earth  ihall  pufs  away,  but  my  words  ihall  not  pafs 
 **  away,"  Matt.  xxiv.  35.  At  the  fame  time  it  is  a  great  con- 
 firmation of  our  faith,  when  we  have  line  upon  line,  and  precept 
 upon  precept,  and  are  enabkd  to  fee  the  agreement  of  the  Old 
 and  New  Teilament  ^  and  thereioic  I  rcqueft  you  to  turn  to 
 Zechariah  the  i4ih  :  *♦  Behold,  the  day  c."  'he  Lord  cometh,  and 
 *'  thy  fpoil  fhall  be  divided  in  the  midil  of  thee.  For  I  svill  ga- 
 *'  ther  all  nations  againit  Jerufalem  to  battle  ;  and  the  city  fti  dl 
 "  be  taken,  and  the  houfes  riiied,  and  the  women  raviihed  j  and 
 **  half  of  the  city  fliall  go  fonh  into  captivity,  and  the  refidue  of 
 *'  the  people  (hall  nit  be  cut  off  from  the  city.  Then  Ihall  the 
 **  Lord  go  forth,  and  fight  againft  thofe  nations,  as  when  he 
 *•  fought  in  the  day  of  battle.  And  his  feet  fhall  Itand  in  that 
 "  day  upon  the  mount  of  Olives,  which  is  before  Jerufalem  on 
 *'  the  eafl,  and  the  mount  of  Olives  fhall  cleave  in  the  midft 
 *'  thereof  toward  the  eaft  and  toward  the  wed,  and  there  Ihall  be 
 *'  a  very  great  valley;  and  half  of  the  mountain  fliall  remove 
 *'  toward  che  north,  and  half  of  it  toward  the  fouth.  And  ye 
 "  fliall  flee  to  the  valley  o\  the  mountains  ;  for  the  valley  of  the 
 *'  mountains  ihall  reach  unto  Azal  :  yea,  ye  ihall  flee,  like  as  ye 
 •'  fled  from  before  the  earthquake  in  the  days  of  Uzziah  king  of 
 *'  Judah:  and  the  Lord  my  Gad  fhall  come,  and  all  the  faints 
 *'  with  thee.  And  it  fhall  come  to  pafs  in  that  day,  that  the  light 
 "  flhall  not  be  clear,  nor  dark  :  but  it  lh:dl  be  one  day  which  fliall 
 **  be  known  to  the  Lord,  not  day,  nor  night  :  but  it  fliall  come 
 *'  to  pafs,  that  at  evening  time  it  fliall  be  light.  And  it  fhall  be 
 **  in  that  day,  that  living  waters  fliall  go  out  from  Jerufalem  ; 
 "  half  of  them  toward  the  former  fea,  and  half  of  them  toward 
 "  the  hinder  fea  :  in  fummer  and  in  winter  fhall  it  be.  And  the 
 *'  Lord  fhall  be  king  over  all  the  earth  :  in  that  day  fhall  there 
 "  be  one  Lord,  and  his  name  one.  All  the  land  fliall  be  turned 
 **  as  a  plain  from  Geba  to  Rimmon  fouth  of  Jerufalem  :  and  it 
 *'  fhall  be  lifted  up,  and  inhabited  in  her  place,  from  Benjamin's 
 "  gate  unto  the  place  of  the  firft  gate,  unto  the  corner  gate,  and 
 *'  from  the  tower  of  Hananeel  unto  the  king's  wine  prelTes.  And 
 "  men  fhall  dwell  in  it,  and  there  fliall  be  no  more  utter  defl:ruc- 
 *'  tion  ;  but  Jerufalem  fhall  be  fafely  inhabited,"  Zech.  xiv. 
 J — 11.  Here  we  have  not  only  to  notice  a  great  earthquake,  but 
 a  great  flgn  alfo,  the  remarkable  appearance  of  the  atmofphere  ; 
 *'  And  it  ihall  come  to  pafs  afterward,  that  I  wnll  pour  out  my 
 *'  fpirit  upon  all  flefh  ;  and  your  fons  and  your  daughters  fhall 
 **  prophefy,  your  old  men  fhall  dream  dreams,  your  young  men 
 "  fhall  fee  viflons :  and  alfo  upon  the  fervants  and  upon  the 
 **  iandmaids  in  thofe  days  v/ill  I  pour  out  my  fpirit.  And  I 
 *'  will  fliew  wonders  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and 
 '*  fire,  and  pillars  of  fmoke.     The  fun  ihall  be  turned  into  dark- 
 
 '*  nefs. 
 
Fart  II.  DIALOGUE     IX.  399 
 
 **  nefs,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the  great  and  the  terrible 
 *'  day  of  the  Lord  come.  And  it  fhail  come  to  pafs,  that  who- 
 *'  foever  fhall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  fiirdl  be  delivered  : 
 **  for  in  Mount  Zion  and  in  Jerufalem  fhall  be  deliverance,  as 
 *'  the  Lord  hath  Laid,  and  in  the  remnant  whom  the  Lord  fliall 
 *'  call,"  Joel  ii.  28 — 32.  In  Revelation  the  11th,  after  the  fhort 
 three  days  and  an  half  in  which  the  enemy  triumphs,  after  having 
 flain  the  Lord's  witnelTes,  a  great  earthquake  takes  place  :  '*  And 
 *'  after  three  days  and  an  half  the  Spirit  of  life  from  God 
 *'  entered  into  them,  and  they  flood  upon  their  feet  ;  and  great 
 **  fear  fell  upon  them  v/hich  faw  them.  And  they  heard  a  great 
 *'  voice  from  heaven  faying  unto  them.  Come  up  hither,  and 
 *'  they  afcended  up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud  ;  and  their  enemies  be- 
 **  held  them.  And  the  fame  hour  was  there  a  great  earthquake, 
 *'  and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the  earthquake  were 
 *'  flain  of  men  feven  thouf^nd  :  and  the  remnant  v/ere  affrighted, 
 '*  and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven,"  Rev.  xi.  11 — 13. 
 Read  the  16th  chapter  of  the  Revelation,  in  v/hich  the  tremendous 
 vials  of  wrath  are  defcribed  ;  and  obferve  the  effc6ls  produced  by 
 the  feventh  :  *'  And  the  feventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the 
 *'  air  ;  and  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven, 
 *'  from  the  throne,  faying.  It  is  done.  And  there  were  voices, 
 **  and  thunders,  and  lightnings  ;  and  there  was  a  great  earthquake, 
 *'  fuch  as  was  not  fince  men  were  upon  the  earth,  fo  mighty  an 
 *'  earthquake,  and  fo  great.  And  the  great  city  was  divided  into 
 *'  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell :  and  great  Babylon 
 **  came  in  remembrance  before  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of 
 **  the  wine  of  the  fiercenefs  of  his  wrath.  And  every  ifland  fled 
 **  away,  and  the  mountains  were  not  found.  And  there  fell  upon 
 **  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  fl:one  about  the  weight 
 •'  of  a  talent :  and  men  blafphemed  God  becaufe  of  the  plague  of 
 *'  the  hail  ;  for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great,"  Rev. 
 xvi.    17 — 21.     See  alfo  Ezek.  xxxviii.  19,  20. 
 
 Zealous.  Notwithltanding  the  awful  events  that  are  before  us ; 
 when  we  confider  that  all  thefe  events  will  be  over-ruled,  and 
 have  for  their  objeft  the  converfion  of  mankind  to  the  faith  and 
 fervice  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  the  only  true  God  ^  when  we 
 confider  that  the  end  of  thefe  fufferings  will  be  the  reftoration  of  If- 
 rael with  pomp,  as  an  acceptable  prefent  to  Jehovah  their  God; 
 when  we  confider  that  thofe  who  will  be  deitroycd  by  the  divine 
 judgments  are  the  deitrovers  of  the  earth,  the  enemies  of  truth  ; 
 the  profpedf  abounds  with  great  confolation  ;  and  w,e  cannot  but 
 encourage  the  hope,  that  in  due  time  thefe  things  will  engage  the  at- 
 tention of  thofe  who  have  the  highcfl:  authority  among  us;  the  con- 
 vocation itfelf  could  not  be  engaged  ininveltigatingany  fubjeft 
 of  greater  importance  to  the  Chriftian  church!  If  (he  generally- 
 received  opinion  of  Chrillians,  as  to  the  great  diifance  of  the  fecond 
 advent  of  our  Lord,  is  erroneous  ;  if  they  have  fcarce  any  ex- 
 pectation 
 
400  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  H, 
 
 pedation  of  his  coming  again  in  glory,  except  at  the  end  of  the 
 world,  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead;  if  learned  billiops  of  the 
 church  ot  England  have  contributed  to  build  up  this  erroneous 
 opinion,  by  endeavouring  to  overturn  what  they  acknowledge 
 to  have  been  the  ancient  opinion  of  the  Chriltian  church;  if 
 they  have  endeavoured  to  perfuade  mankind,  that  paiTages  which 
 fpeak  of  his  coming'*  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
 *'  POWER  AND  GREAT  GLORY,"  have  been  accomplillied  ;  if, 
 on  the  contrary,  we  are  right  in  believing  the  aflertion  of  another 
 learned  bifliop,  that  the  time  of  the  reftoration  of  the  Jews  is  the 
 feafon  of  our  Lord's  fecond  advent,  (Eiihop  of  Rocheiler's  Let- 
 ter to  Mr.  King,  p.  16.)  it  muft  be  admitted,  that  the  great 
 IMPORTANCE  of  the  fubjecf,  the  urgent  cautions  given  us  by  our 
 Lord  himfelf  to  obferve  watchfulnefs  in  cxpe6lation  of  his  coming, 
 (Matt.  xxiv.  36 — ^1.  XXV.  1 — 30.)  the  faithful  warning  given 
 to  us  by  our  blefled  Mailer,  that  the  event  will  come  to  pafs 
 SUDDENLY,  like  lightning,  (xxiv.  27.)  to  the  world  at  large, 
 UNEXPECTEDLY,  (xxiv.  42 — 44.)  and  produce  extenuve  effeds, 
 like  the  waters  of  the  flood;  (xxiv.  36 — 41.)  it  muft  be  ad- 
 mitted that  thefe  things  should  be  urgent  inducements 
 to  the  rulers  in  our  church  (and  all  Chriftian  churches)  to  invef- 
 tigate  this  moft  important  point  in  convocation,  to  the  in- 
 tent that  the  people  may  be  inftru6led  in  the  truth,  and  preferved 
 from  error. 
 
 Cautions.  That  awful  judgment,  the  deftruflion  of  a  difobe- 
 dient  world  by  the  waters  of  the  flood,  came  suddenly  and  un- 
 expectedly upon  the  ungodly,  the  preaching  of  Noah  being 
 difregarded,  2  Pet.  ii.  5.  Other  as  awful  (yet  not  fo  wide  fpread- 
 ing)  judgments,  have  come  as  fuddenly  and  as  unexpe6ledly. 
 That  moft  awful  judgment,  which  came'upon  the  Jewilh  nation, 
 came  at  a  time  when  it  was  not  expected  by  thole  who  were 
 the  obje6ls  of  it ;  the  preaching  of  our  blefled  Lord  and  his  apoftles 
 being  (like  the  preaching  of  Noah)  unheeded  by  them  :  and  we  have 
 pofitive  information,  that  the  fecond  advent  of  our  Lord  will 
 come  as  suddenly  and  as  unexpectedly  ;  to  the  deftrudlion 
 of  thofe  who  are  unbelievingly  unheedful  of  it !  '*  But  of  that  day 
 **  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of  heaven,  but 
 **  my  Father  only.  But  as  the  days  of  Noe  were,  fo  fhall  alfo  the^ 
 **  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be.  For  as  in  the  days  that  were 
 *'  before  the  flood  they  were  eating  and  drinking,  marrying  and 
 "  giving  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the  ark, 
 "  and  knew  not  until  the  flood  came,  and  took  them  all  away  ; 
 <<  fo  fhall  alfo  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be.  Then  fliall 
 **  two  be  in  the  field  ;  the  one  ftiall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left. 
 *'  Two  women  fliall  be  grinding  at  the  mill  ;  the  one  fliall  be 
 **  taken,  and  the  other  left.  Watch  therefore  :  for  ye  know  not 
 •"  what  hour  }our  Lord  doth  come.  But  know  this,  that  if  the 
 **  good  man  of  ihc   houfe   liad  known  in  what  w'atch  the  thief 
 
 "  ivould 
 
Part  II.  O  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX. 
 
 401 
 
 *'  would  come,  he  would  have  watched,  and  would  not  have  fuf- 
 **  fercd  his  houfe  to  be  broken  up.  Therefore  be  ye  alfo  ready  : 
 *'  for  in  fuch  an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  man 
 **  Cometh,"  Matt.  xxiv.  36 — 44.  The  coming  of  the  Son  of 
 man  is  theretore  an  awful  day  of  judgment  and  vifitation  ;  and 
 as  it  is  compared  to  that  day  of  righteous  judgment  in  which  the 
 waters  of  a  Hood  overwhelmed  a  world  tilled  with  violence  and 
 corrupt  manners,  (Gen.  vi;)  fo  is  it  typified  by,  and  blended  with 
 that  awful  judgment  which  came  upon  thejewifli  nation;  Thof^ 
 days  were  ihortcned  for  the  fake  of  the  ele6l  :  "  Except  thofe 
 "  days  fliould  be  fliortened,  there  Ihould  no  flefh  be  faved  :  but 
 **  for  the  eled's  lake  thofe  days  Ihall  be  fhortened,"  Matt. 
 xxiv.  22.  All  Chriftians  will  agree  that  we  ought  to  be  in  a 
 conflant  ftate  of  preparation.  Although  they  have  no  peculiar 
 fervice  in  their  churches,  in  which  that  dreadful  judgment,  the 
 destruction  of  a  world  of  disobedient  people,  is 
 commemorated  ;  although  one  would  think  that  (by  neglefting 
 the  peculiar  obfcrvances  enjoined  to  keep  it  in  conftant  remem- 
 brance. GeUi  ix.  4.)  mankind  llrove  to  forget  that  covenant 
 under  which  they  live,  and  enjoy  all  their  bleffings  ;  although 
 they  do  not,  like  the  pious  Jews  at  the  fight  of  a  rainbow, 
 blci's  God  and  fay,  '*  Bleflcd  art  thou,  O  Lord  our  God,  King  of 
 "  the  univerfe,  Rememberer  of  the  covenant,  faithful 
 *'  in  his  covenants  and  in  performing  of  his  words,"  (Alexander's 
 Tranllation  of  the  Tephilloth,  p.  147.)  but  too  forgetful  of  its 
 being  the  token  of  God's  covenant  with  all  creatures, 
 amufe  themrcKcs  with  commenting  on  prifmatic  colours,  and  the 
 refleclion  and  refraction  of  light  ;  although  they  pofTefs  no  direc- 
 tory as  to  mourning  and  lamentation  for  the  anniverfary  of  the 
 deftrudlion  of  Jerul'alem  ;  yet  they  will  agree  that  we  Ihould  be 
 always  in  a  Hate  of  preparation  for  the  coming  of  our  Lord:  but 
 there  is  a  mod  material  difference  betvveen  that  preparation  which 
 is  grounded  upon  a  "  perhaps  it  may  be  fo,  although  I  do  not 
 *'  believe  it,  but  conlider  it  an  event  very  remote  indeed,"  and 
 that  preparation  which  is  grounded  on  the  expectation  of  its  very 
 near  approach,  or  even  on  the  probability  that  it  is  at  no 
 great  diltance. 
 
 Zealous.  If  ever  there  was  an  intercfting  fubjeCti  it  is  this  ; 
 and  no  defire  of  awakening  the  attention  of  Chriltians,  and  keep- 
 ing them  in  a  conltant  itate  of  preparation  by  the  profpeCt  of  the 
 near  approach  of  that  awful  time,  Ihould  induce  any  one  to  con- 
 ilcler  it  at  hand,  or  not  very  remote,  unlefs  there  ^appears  good 
 reafon  for  entertaining  fucii  an  idea  ;  unlefs  there  appears  fomaC 
 fymptoms  of  its  approach.  When  the  church  at  Theifalonica, 
 from  mifunderltanding  ibme  expreflions  in  St.  Paul's  firfl  epiltle 
 to  them,  formed  an  erroneous  opinion  upon  this  fubjeCt,  he  did 
 not  fuller  them  to  continue  to  retain  it.  Notwithitanding  the 
 temporary  advantage  that  might  have  refultcd  from  their  being 
 
 3  F  induced 
 
40S 
 
 DIALOGUE    IX.  Part  II. 
 
 induced  to  a6l  as  if  in  daily  expedlation  of  the  coming  of  the 
 Lord,  he  fets  them  right ;  for  as  there  never  hath  been  an  event 
 of  greater,  if  fo  great  importance,  as  the  coming  of  our 
 Lord  :  "  when  the  Lord  Jefus  fliall  be  revealed  from  heaven 
 •*  with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire  taking  vengeance  on 
 *'  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gofpcl  of  our 
 "  Lord  Jefus  Chrift  :  who  (hall  be  punifhed  with  everlalting  de- 
 "  ftrudion  from  the  prefence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of 
 **  his  power  ;  when  he  ihall  come  to  be  glorified  in  his  faints, 
 *'  and  to  be  admired  in  all  them  that  believe,"  2  Thelf.  i.  7 — lo. 
 As  there  never  hath  occurred  an  event  of  greater,  if  fo  great  im- 
 portance, fo  ought  NO  MISTAKEN  OPINIONS  Concerning  it  to 
 remain  unnoticed,  or  be  fuffered  to  gain  ground  by  not  being  op- 
 pofed.  St.  Paul  therefore  fets  them  right ;  and  informs  them 
 that  before  that  day  fhould  come  there  would  be  a  falling 
 AWAY,  and  the  man  of  sin,  the  son  of  perdition,  be 
 revealed.  He  refers  to  certain  information  before  communicated 
 to  them,  as  to  a  power  which  withheld,  and  kept  this  man 
 of  fin  from  being  revealed  :  and  he  informs  them,  that  when  this 
 withholding  power  would  be  taken  out  of  the  way,  then  would 
 that  wicked  one  be  revealed ;  whom  the  Lord  would  confume 
 ■with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  deftroy  with  the  brightnefs  of 
 his  coming.  The  primary  intent  of  this  pafTage,  at  the  time  in 
 which  it  was  written,  had  for  its  obje6l  to  guard  the  church  of 
 TheflTalonica  from  confidering  the  event  near  at  hand  ^  but  it  hath 
 a  further  ufe,  in  giving  us  fure  and  certain  indications,  whereby 
 we  may  form  fome  opinion  upon  this  mod  important  point.  If 
 therefore  there  hath  exifted  of  late  years  an  apostac  y,  a  falling 
 away,  fuch  as  hath  never  before  been  obfervable  ;  if  what  appears 
 to  be  the  withholding  caufe,  hath  been  in  very  many  inltances 
 greatly  weakened,  and  in  fome  removed  out  ot  the  way  ;  if  one 
 of  the  mod  learned  of  our  prelates  avows  his  opinion,  that 
 **  It  is  now  we  fee  the  adolefcence  of  that  man  of  fin,  or  rather 
 **  of  lawlelfnefs,  who  is  to  throw  off  all  the  reltraints  of  religion, 
 *^*  morality,  and  cuftom,  and  undo  the  bands  of  civil  fociety — 
 **  that  fon  of  perdition,  who  is  to  arife  o:!t  of  an  apoftacy  ;"  if  this 
 learned  prelate  is  induced  from  the  prophetic  page  to  conne6l  the 
 feafon  of  our  Lord's  fecond  advent  with  the  reltoration  of  the 
 Jews  to  their  own  land  ;  if  his  opinion  of  the  approach  of  awful 
 times  is  ftrongly  exprelfed,  and  if  he  is  right  in  aiferting  that 
 there  are  *'  fuch  fymptoms  of  judgment  gone  abroad,  as  Ihould 
 *'  awaken  all  to  repentance,  lell  all  who  repent  not  Ihould  like- 
 "  wife  perilh."  Surely  thefe  things  are  of  such  magnitude 
 and  importance,  that  they  fhould  give  rife  to  fome  further 
 inveftigation.  If  thefe  things  are  fo,  the  common  people,  who 
 are  acknowledged  to  be  competent  to  underftand  them,  fhould 
 be  inftruded  therein.  On  the  contrary,  if  there  exift  doubts 
 upon  fuch  an  important  fubjed,  thofe  doubts  fhould  be  propofed, 
 
 and 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  40^ 
 
 and  calmly  confidered ;  and  I  queftion  whether  there  was  ever  a 
 point  of  equal  importance  under  confideration  of  any  general 
 COUNCIL,  OR  NATIONAL  SYNOD,  fince  the  Chriftian  church 
 hath  been  eftablifhed. 
 
 Cautious.  The  church,  as  by  law  eftablifhed,  is  a  great  blefling 
 to  this  land ;  and  Chriftian  princes  are  never  more  honourably 
 and   advantageoufly   employed   than    when   they    are    a6ling   as 
 
 NURSING    FATHERS  to  the    CHURCH,    (lia.   xHx.   23,)    but    fuch 
 
 were  the  intolerable  encroachments  of  the  Roman  ecclefiaftics, 
 in  ancient  times,  upon  the  rights  of  princes,  that  the  ftate,  al- 
 though it  hath  cherilhed  the  church,  hath  been  ever  jealous 
 OF  ECCLESIASTICAL  ASSEMBLIES  ;  and,  by  our  law,  no  con- 
 vocation can  be  held  until  it  is  alfembled  by  royal  authority.  If 
 therefore  even  the  biftiops  and  clergy  were  to  be  convinced  that 
 fomething  were  neceflary  to  be  done  in  this  matter,  they  muft 
 wait  until  they  were  altembled,  and  permitted  to  proceed,  by 
 royal  authority.  I  need  not  inform  you,  that  in  the  exercife  of 
 the  royal  authority  the  king  is  ever  prefumed  to  a6l  by  the  advice 
 of  his  minifters ;  and  fuch  were  the  diffentions  which  fubfifted 
 betweeri  the  upper  and  lower  houfe  of  convocation,  when  they 
 were  permitted  to  adt,  in  the  reigns  of  King  William,  Queen 
 Anne,  and  King  George  the  Firft,  that  they  have  not  been  per- 
 mitted to  alTemble  for  any  purpofe,  except  to  preferve  ancient 
 forms,  fince  the  month  of  May  1717.  It  is  much  to  be  la- 
 mented !  but  we  are  not  only  attached  to  our  church  and  its 
 rulers;  we  are  no  less  attached  to  our  fovereign,  Doubtlefs 
 we  are  to  afcribe  this  reftraint  to  good  intention,  to  defire  of  fe- 
 renity;  and  it  muft  be  confefted  that,  in  their  diocefes,  in  their 
 charges  to  their  clergy,  and  by  the  prefs,  as  well  as  in  the  pulpit, 
 a  large  fphere  is  open  for  action ;  and  much  good  has  been  done 
 by  the  rulers  of  our  church  in  thefe  ways,  in  which  they  are 
 FREE  to  aft. 
 
 But  notwithftanding  the  good  thus  done,  every  true  fon  of  the 
 church  of  England  muft  ardently  defire  to  fee  an  unity  of 
 exertion  in  the  cause  of  truth.  The  times  in  which  2, 
 fpirit  of  contention  agitated  the  convocation,  were  times  op 
 contention.  Contention  was  not  confined  to  them,  it  was 
 the  error  of  the  times,  and  few  there  were  who  were  not  par^ 
 takers  of  it,  The  prefent  times  are  of  a  very  different  afpe6l ; 
 controverfies  are  now  carried  on  in  a  better  fpirit,  and  there  feems 
 to  me  to  be  good  reafon  to  believe  that  important  service 
 might  be  rendered  to  the  caufe  of  truth,  by  the  convocation 
 BEING  assembled.  When  thefe  things  are  taken  into  con- 
 fideration, efpecially  under  the  reign  of  a  fovereign  who  has 
 been  fo  exemplary  in  his  attachment  to  the  church,  may  we  not 
 hope  that  no  means  will  be  left  unattempted  to  remove  error,  and 
 confirm  the  people  in  the  profefTion  of  the  truth  } 
 
 All  we  can  do  is  to  hope  that  thofe  who  move  in  an  higher 
 
 fphere 
 
404  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX,  Part  IL 
 
 fphere  will  in  due  time  fee  the  necessity  there  i«  that  the fe 
 things  fhould  be  inveftigated  in  a  way  that  will  attra6l  the  atten- 
 tion of  mankind  ;  but  as  to  ourfelves,  we  are  to  act  as  well  as 
 hope.  Our  blelTed  Lord  hath  faid,  "  Whosoever  fhall  be 
 **  afhamed  of  me  and  of  my  words  in  this  adulterous  and  finful 
 **  generation;  of  him  alfo  Ihall  the  Son  of  man  be  aihamcd» 
 *'  when  he  cometh  in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  the  holy 
 **  angels,"  Mark  viii.  38.  "  Whosoever  (hall  confess 
 **  me  before  men,  him  will  I  confefs  alfo  before  my  Father" 
 **  which  is  in  heaven.  But  whofoever  fhall  deny  me  before  men, 
 "  him  will  I  alfo  deny  before  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven," 
 Matt.  X.  32,  33.  You  mult  perceive,  that  thefe  words  will 
 admit  of  no  limitation  ;  they  are  as  obligatory  upon 
 the  meaneft,  the  loweft,  the  moft  unlearned  layman,  in  the  church 
 of  Chrift  our  Lord,  (and  confequently  as  obligatory  upon  us) 
 as  upon  the  molt  learned  and  powerful  prelate  upon  earth  : 
 *'  Whosoever  fhall  confefs  me  before  men,  him  lliall  the 
 *'  Son  of  man  alfo  confefs  before  the  angels  of  God,"  Luke 
 xii.    8. 
 
 Our  Saviour's  fermon  in  the  mount  is  recorded  for  the  inftruc- 
 tion  and  direction  of  Chriltians  in  every  fphere  of  life  ;  it  was 
 not  delivered  in  fecret,  to  his  ^poltles  only,  but  to  his  difciples 
 (Matt.  v.  1.)  and  the  people:  "  And  it  came  to  pafs,  when 
 *'  Jefus  had  ended  thefe  fayings,  the  people  were  aftonifhed 
 **  at  his  dodlrine  :  for  he  taught  them  as  one  having  authority, 
 **  and  not  as  the  fcribes,"  Matt.  vii.  28,  29.  And  in  this  fermor) 
 are  thefe  pafTages:.  "  Blelfed  are  ye  ^'*  the  words  are  by  no 
 means  limited  to  Chrillian  bifhops,  or  minifters  :  "  Blelfed  are 
 YE,  when  men  fliall  revile  you,  and  perfecute  you,  and  ftiall 
 fay  all  manner  of  evil  againit  you  falfely,  for  my  fake.  Re- 
 jpice,  and  be  exceeding  glad  :  tor  great  is  your  reward  in  hea- 
 ven :  for  fo  perfecuted  they  the  prophets  which  were  before 
 you,"  Matt.  v.  11,  12.  **  Whosoever  therefore  fhall 
 break  one  of  thefe  Ipaft  commandments,  and  fhall  teach  men 
 fo,  he  fhall  be  called  the  lealt  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  :  but 
 whosoever  fliall  do  and  teach  them,  the  fame  fhall 
 be  called  great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  Matt.  v.  19. 
 Seek  YE  firlt  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteoufnefs  ;  and 
 all  thefe  things  fhall  be  added  unto  you,"  Matt.  vi.  33.  From 
 thefe  words  it  is  manifeft,  that  notwithftanding  we  may  with 
 thankfulnefs  acknowledge  the  mercy  of  God  towards  us,  in  giving 
 us  bishops,  (i  Tim.  iii.)  overseers,  whofe  duty  it  is  to 
 *'  feed  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath  purchafed  with  his  own 
 *'  blood,"  (A6ls  XX.  23.)  prefbyters,  (1  Tim.  iv.  14.)  minillers, 
 (1  Cor,  iii.  5.  iv.  1.  2  Cor.  iii.  6.)  elders,  (A£ls  xiv.  23.  xv,  6. 
 Titus  i.  ,5.)  and  deacons,  (Phil,  i,  1,  1  Tim,  iii.)  yet  is  it  by  no 
 means  forbidden,  but  the  duty  of  every  Christian,  not  only 
 to  pray  for  the  ellabliftiment  and  extenjion  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
 
 "  Thy 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  405 
 
 *'  Thy  kingdom  come,"  (Matt.  vi.  10.)  bulto  the  very  extent  of 
 his  ability  to  endeavour  to  labour  therein,  and  to  Oiew  that  he 
 
 is  not  ASHAMED  of  CONFESSING  his  BLESSED  MaSTER,  Or 
 the  TRUTH    of  THE   WORDS  of  his  BLESSED    MaSTER,    (Matt. 
 
 X.  32.  Mark  viii.  38.)  nay  more,  if  errors  prevail,  it  is 
 his  right,  and  his  duty,  to  the  extent  of  his  ability,  to  endeavour 
 to  counteradl  them,  Matt.  v.  19.  vi.  33.  1  Cor.  xiv.  1  Theff". 
 V.    19,   20. 
 
 Zealous.  I  by  no  means  deny  it  ;  although  it  is  certainly  the 
 ORDAINED  MINISTERS  of  religion  that  are  more  peculiarly 
 called  and  ordained  to  this  fervice  ;  and  great  is  the  confolatioii 
 to  be  derived  from  the  confideration,  that  there  will  in  time  to 
 come  be  a  RENEWED  preaching  of  the  gospel,  as  is  de- 
 clared by  the  learned  prelate.  Doubtlefs  the  number  and  the 
 zeal  of  the  regularly  ordained  ministers  will  be 
 greatly  increafed  before  this  great  republication  of  the  gofpel 
 takes  place. 
 
 Cautious.  Permit  me  to  inquire,  when  you  fpeak  of  regu- 
 larly ordained  miniilers,  do  you  mean  to  confine  that  term  ex- 
 cluliveiy  to  the  miniiters  of  our  church  ? 
 
 Zealous.  By  no  means  ;  although  it  would  give  me  the  greatefl 
 pleafure  to  fee  an  entire  union  among  Chriltians,  yet  I  lliould 
 rejoice  to  fee  a  renewed  preaching  of  the  gofpel  arife,  in  all  the 
 Chrirtian  churches  ;  and  poffibly  one  of  the  firlf  effects  of  fuch 
 renewed  promulgation  ot  the  gofpel  may  be,  the  reconciliation  of 
 thofe  fmall  differences  which  exiit  between  them.  I  do-not  refer 
 excludvcly  to  the  regularly  ordained  miniiters  of  our  church,  but 
 to  the  regularly  ordained  minilters  of  all  Chriilian  churches,  and 
 efpecially  the  regularly  ordained  minifters  of  all  Proteftant 
 churches  ;  and  I  fay  again,  that  we  muft  expert ;  and  that  previous 
 to  this  great  work  that  is  to  be  committed  to  them,  we  cannot 
 but  expedl  that  their  number  and  zeal  will  be  greatly  increafed. 
 
 Cautious.  I  hope  it  will  be  found,  that  the  swift  messen- 
 gers noticed  in  Ifaiah  the  18th,  will  be  regularly  ordained  mi- 
 nillers  of  the  Proteilant  churches  ;  at  lead  that  the  moft  confpi- 
 cuous  of  them  will  be  of  that  defcription  ;  but  I  mufl  fay,  I  think 
 that  the  divine  message  (which  will  be  committed  to  thofe 
 mcllengers  who  will  be  the  heralds  of  that  great  event, 
 the  moll:  confpicuous,  the  latter  return  of  the  Jews)  will 
 not  be  delivered  by  regularly  ordained  ministers 
 of  any  of  the  churches  now  in  existence,  but  that 
 they  will  be  laymen  who  will  be  employed  in  that  great  work; 
 no  more  minilfers  of  the  Chrilfian  religion  than  Peter,  James, 
 and  John,  and  the  other  apoftles  of  our  Lord,  were  minifters  of 
 the  Jewifli  religion  ! 
 
 Zealous.     I  am  much  aftoniflied  to  hear  you  fay  (o. 
 
 Cautious.  My  dear  friend,  I  truft  that  I  am  by  no  means  de- 
 Acient  inrefpe\Sl  towards  regularly  ordained  ministers; 
 
 I   have 
 
4o6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  II. 
 
 I  have  as  ardent  hope  as  you  have,  that  there  w^ill  be  a  povi^erful 
 repromulgation  of  the  gofpel,  by  their  means,  in  tinie  to  come  ; 
 but  that  which  is  declared  in  holy  fcripture  must  be  accom- 
 plifhed.  Pray  turn  to  the  i  ith  chapter  of  the  book  of  Numbers, 
 and  you  v^'ill  tind,  that  even  Jofhua's  zeal  for  his  mafter  Moses 
 was  reproved,  vi'hen  he  thought  it  was  a  difparagement  to  him 
 that  divine  gifts  were  communicated  to  others  alfo  :  **  And 
 **  Mofes  faid  unto  him,  Envieft  thou  for  my  fake  r  would  God 
 *'  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were  prophets,  and  that  the  Lord 
 **  would  put  his  fpirit  upon  them!"  Numb.  xi.  29.  If  you 
 turn  to  the  18th  page  of  the  learned  prelate's  work  that  we  have 
 fo  often  referred  to,  you  will  find  him  quoting  thefe  very  words 
 of  Mofes,  and  exprefling  the  fame  wifh  :  **  Would  God,  fay  I, 
 •*  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were  prophets."  You  are  therefore 
 wrong  in  expreffing  difpleafure  at  the  profpecl. 
 
 Zealous.  I  did  not  mean  to  exprefs  difpleafure,  although  I 
 felt  much  concern  at  your  exprelling  yourfelf  to  that  effedl. 
 One  would  naturally  expeft,  that  fo  important  a  meffage  as  the 
 declaration  of  the  divine  will  to  all  nations,  to  convey  his  people 
 towards  Zion,  would  be  committed  to  the  bifhops  and  minifters 
 of  the  churches  to  declare  ;  and  therefore  I  could  not  fupprefs  the 
 concern  I  felt,  when  you  declared  it  to  be  your  opinion,  that  this 
 moft  efficacious  meffage  will  be  delivered  to  the  nations  by  lay- 
 men, and  not  the  regularly  ordained  ministers  of  any 
 of  the  churches  now  in  exiflence. 
 
 Cautieus.  The  Lord  will  fend  by  whom  he  will  fend  :  "  Who 
 **  hath  made  man's  mouth  ?  or  who  maketh  the  dumb,  or  deaf, 
 **  or  the  feeing,  or  the  blind  ?  have  not  I  the  Lord  ?"  Exod,  iv. 
 11.  Were  Elijah  or  Eliiha  priefts  ?  Were  any  of  our  Lord's 
 apoftles  priefts  ?  You  know  that  they  were  not ;  and  I  think  it 
 is  clear,  from  Ifaiah  the  66th,  that  thefe  melTengers  will  not  be 
 
 PRIESTS,  OR  THE  REGULARLY  ORDAINED  MINISTERS,  OF 
 ANY  OF  THE   CHURCHES   NOW   IN    EXISTENCE.       Pray  tum   tO 
 
 the  19th  verfe  :   Who  are  thefe  that  escape  r 
 
 Zealous.  They  are  doubtlefs  thofe  that  are  not  deflroyed  in 
 the  great  deftru6lion  of  the  Lord's  enemies,   Ifai,  Ixvi,  x6. 
 
 Cautious.  They  are  thofe  that  by  the  long-fufFering  mercy  of 
 the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  are  preferved  from  that  great  deftru£lion 
 in  which  their  companions  are  involved ;  thofe  who  have  had 
 ocular  demonftration  of  the  miraculous  interpofition  of  the  Lord 
 God  of  Ifrael  in  favour  of  his  own  peculiar  people  ;  thofe  who 
 are  moft  gratefully  fenfible  of  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  God  of  If-, 
 rael  to  themfelves,  in  fparing  them  and  preferving  them  from  the 
 great  deftru£lion,  that  fierce  indignation  which  confumes 
 their  alFociates  ;  it  is  thefe  preserved  that  will  be  fent  to  de- 
 clare what  they  have  feen  to  the  nations,  to  declare  the 
 CLORY  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  among  the  na- 
 tions :    *<  1  will  fend  thofe  that  escape  of  them  unto  the 
 
 *'  nations, 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX. 
 
 407 
 
 **  nations,  to  Tarfhifh,  Pul,  and  Lud,  that  draw  the  bow,  to 
 "  Tubal,  and  Javan,  to  the  ifles  afar  off,  that  have  not  heard 
 **  my  fame,  neither  have  feen  my  glory  ;  and  they  shall 
 
 **    DECLARE   MY  GLORY  AMONG   THE  GeNTILES.       And  they 
 
 *'  fhall  bring  all  your  brethren  for  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  out 
 **  of  all  nations  upon  horfcs,  and  in  chariots,  and  in  litters,  and 
 *<  upon  mules,  and  upon  fwift  beafls,  to  my  holy  mountain  Je- 
 **  rufalem,  faith  the  Lord,  as  the  children  of  Ifrael  bring  an 
 *'  offering  in  a  clean  veflel  into  the  houfe  of  the  Lord,"  Ifaiah 
 Ixvi.   19,  20, 
 
 Thefe  meffengers  have  an  important  office  committed  unto 
 them,  and  they  are  enabled,  by  God's  mercy,  to  obtain 
 ATTENTION  TO  IT,  and  great  effe£ls  refult  from  it;  but  they 
 certainly  are  not  what  we  call  regularly  ordained  minifters  of  any 
 of  the  churches  now  in  exiftence.  You  would  not  look  for  re- 
 gularly ordained  MINISTERS  of  our  church,  or  of  any  of 
 the  Proteftant  churches,  among  the  hoft  of  adverfaries  that  will 
 be  gathered  againfl:  Jerufalem,  would  you  ?     Ifai.  Ixvi.  18. 
 
 Zealous.  God  forbid  !  This  moft  efficacious  melTage  is  cer- 
 tainly clommitted  to  thofe  that  escape  the  great  deitru6tion. 
 I  cannot  contradi£l  you.  This  is  certainly  that  divine  meffage 
 which  will  be  moft  efficacious. 
 
 Cautious.  But  is  it  not  clear  that  this  meffage  is  diftinfl  from! 
 that  divine  meflage  fent  by  the  fwift  meifengers  noticed  in  Ifaiah 
 the  18th.  The  learned  bifliop  has  beitowed  much  pains  to  prove 
 that  this  is  a  divine  mefTage  fent  by  the  fwift  meffengers  to 
 the  Jews  ;  whereas  the  divine  meffage  noticed  in  Ifaiah  Ixvi, 
 19.  hath  for  its  obje6l  to  declare  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
 God  of  Israel  among  the  Gentiles, 
 
 Zealous.  I  acknowledge  that  they  are  diftinft  meffages,  al- 
 though the  effects  and  confequences  refulting  therefrom  are  the 
 fame.  The  places  from  which  they  are  fent  are  different ;  the 
 one  is  from  the  '*  land  fpreading  wide  the  fhadow  of  her  wings," 
 (Ifai.  xviii.)  the  other  is  evidently  from  the  Holy  Land,  Ifai.  Ixvi. 
 The  people  to  whom  the  former  is  fent,  is  the  Jews  :  to  the 
 people  "  expecting,  expecTting,  and  trampled  under  foot.''  Thofe 
 to  whom  the  latter  metfage  is  fent,  are  Gentiles  :  '*  they  (hall 
 *'  declare  my  glory  among  the  Gentiles."  I  not  only  ac- 
 knowledge that  they  are  diftintl,  but  confefs  that  the  learned 
 bifhop  feems  to  apply  the  18th  of  Ifaiah  to  the  immediate  prepa- 
 rative, to  the  great,  the  general,  the  latter  return. 
 
 Cautious.  In  Ezekiel  the  38th,  the  great  enemy  is  defcribed 
 as  coming  againft  "  the  land  that  is  brought  back  from  th^ 
 "  fword,  and  is  gathered  out  of  many  people"  (not 
 all  people)  "  againft  the  mountains  of  Israel,  which  have 
 "  been  always  wafte :  but  it  is  brought  forth  out  of  the 
 **  nations,  and  they  Ihall  dwell  fafely  all  of  them,"  Ezekiel 
 xxxviii.   8. 
 
 in 
 
40«  DIALOGUE     IX.  Part  IT. 
 
 In  Ezekiel  the  20th,  it  is  declared  that  the  Lord  will  pleaD 
 WITH  HIS  PEOPLE  (who  are  thus  gathered  out  of  the  countries 
 in  which  they  have   betn  fcattered)   face    to    face,  Ezekiel 
 
 XX.   33—3^: 
 
 In  Jeremiah  the  30thj  we  fee  the  mental  trouble  in  which  the 
 Jews  after  their  partial  return  will  be  involved,  and  which  is  dc- 
 fcribed  as  LABOUR  PAINS,  as  Jacob's  trouble  ;  but  he  Ihall 
 be  delivered  out  of  it,  and  a  nation  be  born  in  a  day  :  *'  As  foon 
 *'  as  Zion  travailed,  Ihe  brought  forth  her  children,"  (Ifai.  Ixvl. 
 8.};  and  in  Zechariah  the  12th  we  have  another  view  of  it,  and 
 that  great  mourning  which  will  reA;lt  from  their  beholding 
 **  him  whom  they  have  pierced,"  Zech.  xii.  9 — 14.  If  we 
 are  right  in  believing  that  all  thefe  things  will  come  to  pafs, 
 AFTER  their  partial  return,  and  before  their  great  and  more 
 confpicuous  and  final  return,  which  will  fucceed  it,  after  the  fe- 
 cond  advent  of  our  Lord,  (Matt,  xxiv,  29 — 31.  Ifai.  Ixvi.  15. 
 Zech.  xiv.  4.)  does  it  not  neceflarily  follow  that  the  learned 
 bifliop  muft  be  wrong  in  denying  that  there  will  be  any  previous 
 xeturn,  except  of  a  small  number  of  worse  than  un- 
 .CON  VERTED  Jews.  If  thcrc  is  to  be  a  great  converlion  among 
 them,  a  great  alteration  in  their  fentimcnts  to  be  afFe6led  by  the 
 power  of  God  in  the  Holy  Land,  (Zech.  xii.  9 — 14.  Jer.  xxx. 
 7.  Ezek.  XX.  35,  36.)  does  it  not  neceffarily  follow  that  the 
 learned  bifliop  muft  be  wrong  in  alierting,  in  fuch  pofitive  terms', 
 that  the  Jews  will  be  reftored  to  their  own  land  in  a  converted 
 itate  ? 
 
 Zealous,      I  do  not  deny  it. 
 
 Cautious.  There  is  another  circumftance  in  which  I  cannot 
 but  think  that  the  learned  prelate  is  alfo  miftaken  ;  and  that  is-, 
 as  to  the  cause  to  which  the  awful  pruning  of  the  Chrillian 
 vine,  which  he  fo  pointedly  dwells  on,  is  to  be  afcribed. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  very  forry  to  find  you  again  differing  from  fuch 
 high  authority. 
 
 Cautious.  Why  fo  ?  Let  me  again  repeat  to  you,  that  it  is  the 
 glory  of  our  church  that  it  docs  not  confider  any  of  its  rulers  to 
 be  infallible,  but  abhors  as  impious  the  very  idea  of  confidering 
 the  comment  as  of  equal  authority  with  the  text.  Our  bifhops, 
 equally  with  the  mcaneit  in  our  congregations,  renounce  the 
 proud  claims  to  perfedlion  and  infallibility  ^  and  pray  for  mercy 
 in  the  humble  chara(5ler  of  "miserable  sinners,"  Litany.- 
 Ea  er  fince  the  reforrnatit)n  wc  may  behold  them,  with  Cranmer, 
 Latimer,  and  Ridley,  and  the  other  blelfed  martvrs  and  confeflors 
 of  our  church  at  their  head,  holding  up  in  their  hands  that  noble 
 confellion :  **  Holy  fcripturc  containeth  all  things  necclfary  to 
 *'  falvation  :  fo  that  whatfoever  is  not  read  therein,  or  may  be 
 *'  proved  thereby,  is  not  to  be  required  of  any  man  that  it  fhould 
 **  be  believed,  as  an  article  of  faith  \  or  be  thought  rcquifite  or 
 *♦  Bccclfary  ty  falvation/'  Art.  vi.     In  denying  the  infallibility 
 
 of 
 
Part  U.  DIALOGUE     IX.  409 
 
 of  other  churches,  they  acknowledge  that  they  themfelves  are  alfo 
 fallible:  *' As  the  church  of  Hierufalem,  Alexandria,  and  An- 
 '*  tioch,  have  erred  ;  fo  alfo  the  church  of  Rome  hath  erred, 
 **  not  only  in  their  living  and  manner  of  ceremonies,  but  alfo  in 
 *'  matters  of  faith,"  Art.  xix.  Even  general  councils  "  may 
 **  err,  and  fometimes  have  erred,  even  in  things  pertaining  to 
 *'  God  ;  wherefore  things  ordained  by  them  as  neceifary  to  fal- 
 "  vation,  have  neither  Itr^ngth,  nor  authority,  unlcfs  it  be  de- 
 *'  Glared  that  they  be  taken  out  of  Holy  Scripture,"  Art. 
 xxi.  This,  then,  is  the  fum  of  the  great  confeflion  of  our 
 church  and  its  rulers;  that  one  fentence  of  holy  scrip- 
 ture, one  word  of  Chrift  our  Lord,  is  of  more  weight  than  all 
 the  learning  of  all  the  univeriities  which  now  exill,  or  ever  did" 
 -exift. 
 
 The  learned  Chillingworth  urges  the  fame  thing.  Addrcffing 
 himfelf  to  a  Roinifli  writer,  he  fpeaks  of  the  religion  of  Protell- 
 ants  in  the  following  terms  :  "  Know  then,  Sir,  that  when  I  fay 
 "  the  religion  of  Proteftants  is  in  prudence  to  be  preferred  before 
 *'  your's  ;  as  on  the  one  fide  I  do  not  cnderifand  by  your  religion 
 *'  the  do6lrine  of  Bellarmine  or  Baronius,  or  any  other  private 
 "  man  amongft  you,  nor  the  do<Slrine  of  the  Sorbonne,  or  of  the 
 **  Jefuits,  or  of  the  Dominicans,  or  of  any  other  particular  com- 
 **  pany  among  you,  but  that  wherein  you  all  agree,  or  profefs  to 
 *'  agree,  the  dodlrine  of  the  Council  of  Trent:  fo  accordingly 
 **  on  the  other  fide,  by  the  religion  of  Proteftants  i  do  not  un- 
 **  derftand  the  do6lrine  of  Luther  or  Calvin,  or  Melanilhon, 
 *'  nor  the  confeilion  of  Augfburg,  or  Geneva,  nor  the  Cate- 
 *'  chifm  of  Heidelberg,  nor  the  articles  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
 *'  land  ;  no,  nor  the  harmony  of  Proteilant  confeffions  ;  but 
 •*  that  wherein  they  all  agree,  and  which  they  all  fubfcribe  with 
 *'  a  greater  harmony,  as  a  perfect  rule  of  faith  and  aftion,  that 
 ^*  is,  THE  Bible.  The  Bible,  I  fay,  the  Bible  only,  is  the 
 **  religion  of  Proteftants.  Whatfoever  elfe  they  believe  befides 
 *'  it,  and  the  plain,  irrefragable,  indubitable  confequences  of  it, 
 '*'  well  may  they  hold  it  as  a  matter  of  opinion  ;  but  as  a  matter 
 *'  of  faith  and  religion,  neither  can  they  with  coherence  to  their 
 **  own  grounds  believe  it  themfelves,  nor  require  belief  of  it  of 
 **  others,  without  meft  high  and  moft  fchifmatical  prefumption. 
 **  I,  for  my  part,  after  a  long,  and  (as  I  verily  believe  and  hope) 
 **  impartial  fearch  of  the  true  way  to  eternal  happinefs,  do  pro- 
 "*'  fefs  plainly,  that  I  cannot  find  any  reft  for  the  fole  of  my  foot, 
 ^'  but  upon  this  rock  only.  I  fee  plainly,  and  with  my  own 
 *'  eyes,  that  there  are  Popes  againft  Popes,  and  councils  againft: 
 *'  councils;  fome  fathers  againft  other  fathers,  the  fame  fathers 
 **  againft  themfelves ;  a  confent  of  fathers  of  one  age  againft  a 
 **  confent  of  fathers  of  another  age  ;  traditive  interpretations  of 
 *'  fcripture  are  pretended,  but  there  are  few  or  none  to  be  found  : 
 **  no  tradition  but  that  of  fcripture  can  derive  itfelf  from  the 
 
 3  G  *•  fountain, 
 
410 
 
 DIALOGUE    IX.  Part  II. 
 
 **  fountain,  but  may  be  plainly  proved  either  to  have  been 
 **  brought  in,  in  fuch  an  age  after  Chrift,  or  that  in  fuch  an  age 
 **  it  was  not  in.  In  a  word,  there  is  no  fufficient  certainty  but 
 <*  of  fcripture  only  for  any  confidering  man  to  build  upon.  This, 
 <*  therefore,  and  this  only,  I  have  reafon  to  believe.  This  I 
 «*  will  profefs :  according  to  this,  I  will  live ;  and  for  this,  if 
 *'  there  be  occafion,  I  will  not  only  willingly,  but  even  gladly 
 **  lofe  my  life,  though  I  ihould  be  forry  that  Chriftians  fliould 
 **  take  it  from  me. 
 
 "  Propofe  me  any  thing  out  of  the  book,  and  require  whether 
 **  I  believe  or  no,  and  feem  it  never  fo  incomprehenfible  to  hu- 
 <*  man  reafon,  I  will  fubfcribe  it  with  hand  and  heart,  as  know- 
 •*  ing  no  demonftration  can  be  ftronger  than  this,  God  hath  faid 
 •*  fo,  therefore  it  is  true.  In  other  things  I  will  take  no  man's 
 **  liberty  of  judging  from  him  ;  neither  (hall  any  one  take  mine 
 •*  from  me.  I  will  think  no  man  the  worfe  man,  nor  the  worfe 
 *'  Chriftian  ;  I  will  love  no  man  the  lefs,  for  differing  in  opinion 
 «*  from  me.  And  what  meafure  I  mete  to  others,  I  expedl 
 •*  from  them  again.  I  am  fully  afTured  that  God  does  not,  and 
 *'  therefore  men  ought  not,  to  require  any  more  of  any  man  than 
 **  this  :  **  To  believe  the  fcripture  to  be  God's  word  ;  to  endea- 
 *'  vour  to  find  the  true  fenfe  of  it,  and  to  live  according  to  it." 
 Chillingworth's  Works,  fol.  edit.  1742.  And  to  the  fame  pur- 
 port is  that  ftiort  but  weighty  advice  which  was  given  to  a  young 
 man  by  the  learned  Locke :  "  Study  the  holy  fcriptures,  efpeci- 
 •*  ally  the  New  Teftament  :  therein  are  contained  the  words 
 •'  of  eternal  life.  It  has  God  for  its  author,  falvation  for  its 
 **  end,  and  truth  without  any  mixture  of  error  for  its  matter.'* 
 Locke's  Pofthumous  Works.  You  will  pardon  my  zeal  in  urg- 
 ing this  ;  which  I  fhould  not  have  done,  had  you  not  again  fliewn 
 a  tendency  to  a  difpofition  concerning  which  I  cautioned  you  be- 
 fore. The  high  authority  you  feem  fo  defirous  almoft  implicitly 
 to  bow  down  to,  would,  I  am  perfuaded,  almoft  defpife  the  adu- 
 lation of  any  one  who  fhould  fay,  "  The  bifliop  hath  declared  his 
 •*  opinion,  beware  how  you  controvert  fuch  high  authority;'* 
 and  as  there  have  been  few  men  in  modern  times  who  have  been 
 more  honoured,  in  being  called  to  defend  the  truth,  and  to  employ 
 profound  learning  to  this  end  ;  fo  I  am  perfuaded  that  even  the 
 UNLEARNED  MAN  who  fliould  modeftly  ftate  his  reafons  (ex- 
 tra6led  from  fcripture]  for  differing  from  him,  would  not  be 
 confidered  as  giving  any  offence,  but,  on  the  contrary,  that  his 
 arguments  would  receive  a  candid  examination. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  by  no  means  offended  at  your  admonition. 
 The  bifhop's  words  are  thefe  :  **  I  am  afraid  to  fay,  that  the 
 •*  judgment  will  begin,  or  fall  with  the  greateft  feverity,  in  that 
 •*  part  of  the  church  which  moft  needs  purgation.  For  Avhcn  I 
 •*  confider  the  fuperftitions  introduced  in  the  rites  of  worfhip,  in 
 **  fome  parts;  the  unwarrantable  innovations,  in  the  torm  of 
 
 ♦*  church 
 
Tart  II.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX. 
 
 41J 
 
 <«  church  government,  in  others ;  the  relaxation  of  difcipline, 
 *'  the  lukewarmnefs,  the  negle6l  and  violation  of  the  ordinary 
 **  private  duties,  the  frequent  breach  of  the  ten  commandments 
 *'  in  thofe  parts  where  the  dodlrine,  the  form  of  government, 
 **  and  the  rites  of  public  w^orftiip,  feem  to  me  the  moft  conform- 
 **  able  to  the  model  of  the  primitive  ages ;  I  am  afraid  to  fay 
 **  which  of  the  various  branches  of  the  church  of  Chrift  it  is  in 
 **  which  the  purgation  may  be  the  mofl:  needed."  Are  there  not 
 in  thefe  words  fufficient  causes  afligned  wherefore  the  dreadful 
 pruning  of  the  Chriftian  vine  will  come  upon  it. 
 
 Cautious.  I  by  no  means  controvert  any  of  the  aflertions,  al- 
 though I  think  it  may  be  queftionable,  whether  much  of  the  peace 
 and  ferenity  which  the  Chriftian  churches  enjoy,  under  the  mild 
 and  benevolent  Britifh  government,  may  not  be  attributed  to  con- 
 troverfies  concerning  church  government  having  ceafed  to 
 engage  the  attention  of  mankind,  and  whether  the  very  want  of 
 difcipline  which  is  complained  of  is  really  an  evil  of  magnitude  ; 
 God  forbid,  that  we  fhould  ever  fee  the  difcipline  of  the  days  of 
 Elizabeth,  or  either  of  Charles  the  Firft  or  Second  revived  in 
 this  land  |  Nay  more  ;  God  forbid  that  we  (hould  fee  that  difci- 
 pline which  was  exercifed  in  the  primitive  churches,  revived 
 among  us  !  It  would  not  fuit  the  feelings  of  modern  Chriftians, 
 to  ftand  in  the  church-porch  foliciting  for  years  the  prayers  of 
 the  congregation,  and  begging  reftoration  to  Chriftian  fellowfhip  ; 
 it  would  revolt  our  feelings. 
 
 But  notwithftanding  we  may  lament  thofe  things  which  the 
 learned  bifhop  laments,  I  cannot  but  fay  that  I  think  it  is  the 
 fafeft  and  beft  way  to  refer  to  fcripture  ;  and  if  fcripture  furnifties 
 115  with  a  declaration  of  the  causes  which  bring  down  God's 
 judgments  upon  the  Chriftian  vine,  it  is  fafeft  to  reft  fatisfied 
 therewith ;  and  I  cannot  find  that  fcripture  attributes  any  part 
 of  them  to  unwarrantable  innovations  in  the  form 
 OF  church  government,  but  to  their  not  repenting  of 
 their  evil  works,  not  repenting  of  their  worfliipping  devils,  or 
 demons;  not  repenting  of  their  worfliipping  *'  idols  of  gold, 
 *•  and  filver,  and  brafs,  and  ftone,  and  of  wood  ;  which  neither 
 **  can  fee,  nor  hear,  nor  walk."  It  is  fufficiently  clear  who 
 they  are,  that  notwithftanding  their  fufFerings  ftill  retain  their 
 idolatry,  and  image  worfliip  ;  and  therefore  I  cannot  but  fay, 
 that  excellent  as  the  paftage  may  be  that  you  have  read,  I  ftiould 
 have  confidered  it  better,  if  inftead  of  unwarrantable  in- 
 novations IN  the  form  of  church  GOVERNMENT 
 being  noticed,  as  one  of  the  caufes  wherefore  the  Chriftian  vine 
 may  expe6l  a  pruning,  idolatry  had  been  fubftituted  in  its 
 place,  and  the  people  cautioned  againft  every  thing  that  might 
 tend  to  its  revival  amongft  us :  "  Little  children,  keep  yoorfelves 
 *'  from  idols,"  1  John  v.  21. 
 
 The  dreadful  pruning  of  the  Chriftian  vine  is  in  fcriptitre  alfo 
 
 attributed 
 
412  DIALOGUE     IX.  Part  H. 
 
 attributed  to  Chriftfans  not  repenting  of  **  their  murders, 
 **  nor  of  their  forceries,  nor  of  their  fornications,  nor  of  their 
 "  thefts,"  (Rev.  ix.  21.)  ;  relaxation  of  discipline  is 
 not  mentioned;  on  the  contrary,  thefe  very  murders  have  been 
 in  former  times  committed  by  them,  by  means  of  a  rigid  dis- 
 cipline, which  hat}i  configned  multitudes  both  of  Jews  and 
 Proteftants  to  the  flames,  and  the  mod  cruel  deaths  :  even 
 crusades  have  had  for  their  objeft  the  extirpation  of  thofe 
 whom  a  rigid  discipline  hath  denominated  heretics:  that 
 corrupt  branch  of  the  Chriftian  vine  which  hath  borne  fuch  bitter 
 fruit,  hath,  it  is  true,  been  dreadfully  pruned  already  ;  but  hath 
 it  repented  ?  Doth  it  not  ftill  juftify  its  feverities,  and  is  the  re- 
 laxation of  its  difcipline  to  be  afcribed  to  its  moderation,  and  to  a 
 change  in  its  difpofition  ?  Doth  it  repent  of  its  forceries,  its  for- 
 nications, and  its  thefts  ?  The  fpoils  may  have  been  in  a  great 
 meafure  taken  from  it ;  but  have  we  any  good  reafon  to  conclude, 
 that,  if  opportunity  were  again  to  occur,  it  would  not  be  as  de- 
 firous  as  ever  to  rob  princes  of  their  dominions,  and  to  exercife  as 
 violent,  as  cruel,  as  intolerant,  and  as  corrupt  a  dominion  as  it 
 did  in  former  times  ?  Hath  it  yet  renounced  its  proud  claims  to 
 infallibility,  or  to  univerfal  fway?  Hath  it  ceafed  to  grant  indul- 
 gences, or  fhewn  any  fymptoms  of  repentance  ? 
 
 Zealous.  The  relaxation  of  discipline  hath  often 
 engaged  my  thoughts,  and  I  will  freely  give  you  my  opinion  xipon 
 it.  It  appears  to  me,  that  the  only  difcipline  which  is  right  to 
 be  exercifed  in  the  Chriftian  church,  the  only  difcipline  which 
 the  rulers  in  the  Chriftian  church  have  a  right  to  exercife,  is 
 a  mild  and  benevolent  difcipline,  whofe  primary  obje£l  fhould 
 be  the  reformation  of  the  offending  party  ;  and  if  all  thofe  moft 
 excellent  rules  which  we  have  in  fcripture,  exerted  in  love  and 
 fincere  affedion,  are  found  to  have  been  exerted  in  vain;  and 
 there  is  good  reafon  to  fear,  that  further  forbearance  would  tend 
 to  contaminate  the  church  by  bad  example  ;  in  fuch  cafe,  the 
 greateft  feverity  which  the  Chriftian  church  is  by  fcripture  au- 
 thorized to  infii6l,  is  ejecting  the  offending  and  unrepenting 
 member  from  its  fociety  until  he  repents.  The  way  to  preferve 
 this  mild  and  benevolent,  and  efficacious  difcipline,  feems  to  me 
 to  be  fo  very  clearly  pointed  out  in  holy  fcripture,  and  to  be  fo  v  e  r  y 
 sasily  exercised,  where  the  minifters  of  religion  keep  up 
 that  affedionate  intercourse  which  fhould  exift  between  them 
 and  their  congregations,  that  I  have  been  often  aftonilhed  that  what 
 appears  at  firft  fight  fo  plain  fliould  have  been  found  in  pradlice 
 fo  difficult ;  and  I  will  candidly  tell  you  to  what  I  have  afcribed  it. 
 
 There  is  fcarcely  an  advantage  but  has  its  difadvantage  alfo 
 attendant ;  and  it  is  my  opinion,  that  we  are  to  confider  this  want 
 of  difcipline  as  an  attendant  inconvenience  refulting  from 
 
 THAT  alliance   BETWEEN  CHURCH   AND   STATE  which  IS  fo 
 
 beneficial  in  other  things  to  them  both.     If  the  feverity  of  the 
 
 fentcoce 
 
Part  11.  DIALOGUE      IX.  413 
 
 fentence  extended  no  further  than  is  warranted  by  scrip- 
 ture, it  would  be  well  \  the  party  oifending  would  not  be 
 IRRITATED,  but  would  be  left  calmly  to  reflect  on  the  impro- 
 priety of  his  condu6l,  and  the  juftice,  the  propriety,  and  necelTity 
 of  the  awful  cenfure  he  has  incurred  ;  when  thefe  things  were 
 confidered,  and  the  party  came  to  refledl  upon  the  kindnefs,  the 
 benevolence,  the  forbearance,  that  had  been  exercifed  towards 
 him,  before  the  final  fteps  were  taken  againft  him,  and  to  con- 
 fider  the  benevolent  wifhes  that  were  expreffed  for  his  repentance 
 and  reftoration,  they  v/ould  naturally  tend  to  excite  repentance 
 in  him:  but,  on  the  other  hand,  when  thofe  who  are  called  to 
 exercife  difcipline  come  to  refle6l  upon  the  confequences  now 
 refulting  from  the  exercife  of  difcipline,  and  the  natural  tendency 
 that  they  have  to  irritate  the  feelings;  when  they  confider 
 the  expences,  and  the  confequences  ;  that  the  party  excommu- 
 nicated is  difabled  to  do  any  a£l  that  is  required  to  be  done  by  one 
 that  is  PROBUs  et  legalis  homo  ;  that  he  cannot  ferve  upon 
 juries  or  be  witnefs  in  any  court;  that  he  cannot  recover  lands  or 
 money  due  unto  him  ;  and  that,  after  the  expiration  of  forty  days, 
 the  writ  DE  excommunicato  capiendo  will  be  ilfiied,  and 
 he  will  be  immured  in  prifon  until  he  is  reconciled  to  the  church. 
 Blackflone's  Commentaries,  vol.  iii.  chap.  7.  I  fay,  it  appears 
 to  me,  that  the  dreadful  confequences  refulting  are  thofe  things 
 which  prevent  faults  being  noticed,  and  occafion  difcipline  to  be 
 neglefted  :  in  like  manner,  as  the  feverity  of  fome  of  our  penal 
 laws  occafion  many  offences  to  be  paifed  by  without  profecu- 
 tion. 
 
 Cautious.  I  admit  that  many  of  our  penal  laws  are  fevere ; 
 but  you  will  do  well  to  remember,  that  the  royal  prerogative  is 
 the  great  corrector  of  them.  I  am  much  pleafed  with  what  you 
 have  faid,  it  Ihews  your  charity  and  liberality  ;  and 
 our  legiflature  hath  fhewn  its  liberality  alfo,  in  parting  the  a6l  to 
 enable  the  clergy  to  recover  their  tythes  in  a  fiimmary  and  un- 
 expenfive  mode  ;  for  what  Chrillian,  and  efpecially  what  Chrif- 
 tian  minifter,  could  endure  the  thought  of  immuring  a  poor 
 Quaker  for  life,  becaufe  he  relufes  the  payment  of  a  few  ihil- 
 lings  ! 
 
 1  cannot  however  forbear  informing  you,  that  I  think  very 
 differently  from  you,  concerning  the  exiftence  of  an  alliance 
 
 BETWEEN   CHURCH   AND   STATE. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  the  prevailing  opinion,  that  there  is  an  alli- 
 ance between  church  and  ftate. 
 
 Cautious.  I  know  that  it  is  the  prevailing  opinion,  but  I  can- 
 not but  confider  it  as  an  unfounded  opinion,  derogatory 
 from  the  true  dignity  of  the  church  and  its  rulers  :  an 
 idea,  placing  both  the  church  and  flate  in  an  UN  ami  able 
 LIGHT,  which  they  do  not  deferve. 
 
 Zealous.     So  tar  otherwife,  that   I  am  perfuaded  that  it  is  the 
 
 DIGNITY 
 
4*4 
 
 DIALOGUE    IX.  Part  II. 
 
 DIGNITY  and  IMPORTANCE  rcfulting  to  each  from  the  alli- 
 ance, that  has  occafioned  the  opinion  to  prevail. 
 
 Cautious.  It  matters  not,  what  has  occafioned  the  idea  to 
 prevail  ;  the  queftion  is,  Whether  the  opinion  is  founded  in 
 fad  ? 
 
 An  alliance  is  a  compa<9:,  in  which  parties  who  are  inde- 
 pendent OF  EACH  OTHER  make  mutual  concedions,  or  enter 
 into  mutual  engagements,  to  aflift  and  prote<El  each  other. 
 
 Zealous.  Very  true  ;  and  this  is  the  very  idea  :  the  church 
 prote6ls  the  ftaie,  by  enjoining  its  members  to  be  good  and  obedi- 
 ent fubjefts  i  and  the  ftate,  in  confideration  of  the  benefits  it  thus 
 derives  from  the  church,  grants  certain  advantages  to  its  minifters 
 which  they  could  not  otherwife  poflefs. 
 
 Cautious.  Well,  then,  produce  the  alliance,  and  let  us  read 
 it.  If  there  exiils  an  alliance,  furely  you  can  produce  it.  In 
 countries  the  moft  uncivilized,  where  they  have  not  the  advantage 
 of  letters,  they  exchange  certain  tokens  of  alliance,  to  aflift 
 the  recolledlion  of  it  :  in  ancient  times,  we  perceive  them  raifing 
 PILES  OF  STONES  for  this  purpofe,  Gen.  xxxi.  43 — 52.  If 
 you  cannot  refer  to  words  upon  vellum,  or  paper,  refer  me  to 
 fome  TOKEN  of  alliance. 
 
 Zealous.  I  acknowledge  that  I  cannot  refer  to  any  inftrument, 
 or  even  token  of  alliance  ;  it  is  an  implied  alliance,  but  it  is  no 
 lefs  a  real  alliance. 
 
 Cautious.  An  alliance  cannot  be  formed,  except  by  parties 
 •who  are  independent  and  poflefs  power  to  form  an  alliance :  the 
 moft  exalted  rulers  in  the  Chriftian  church,  are  not  lords  over 
 God's  heritage,  (1  Peter  v.  3.);  they  have  higher  honour,  they 
 are  the  servants  of  God  ;  they  are  called  to  the  moft  ho- 
 nourable ftation:  in  the  book  of  the  Revelation  they  are  even  denomi- 
 nated ANGELS ;  they  are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  (Ephef, 
 vi.  izo.  2  Cor.  V.  20.) ;  but  an  ambalTador  muft  pay  a  ftri£l  regard 
 to  his  CREDENTIALS,  his  INSTRUCTIONS;  he  hath  no  power 
 to  MAKE  CONCESSIONS,  uulefs  he  is  authorized  fo  to  do  by  his 
 fovereign ;  holy  scripture  contains  the  credentials  of 
 fhefe  AMBASSADORS  OF  Christ  ;  it  contains  their  instruc- 
 tions ;  and  I  am  furc  you  cannot  point  out  any  paflages  therein 
 which  authorize  them  to  make  conceflions,  or  to  barter  any  part 
 of  the  authority  committed  to  them  :  they  may  be  called  to  sub- 
 mit to  privations  of  authority,  but  fubmifljon  is  not  compromife 
 or  barter. 
 
 Scripture  affords  us  no  example  of  conge  d'elire,  but  it  doth 
 afford  us  an  example  of  a  convocation,  an  aflTembly  of  the 
 apoftles  and  elders,  and  a  decree  pronounced  by  fuch  aflembly, 
 Afts  XV.  If  therefore  the  rulers  in  the  church  are  reftrained 
 from  afTembJing  in  convocation,  until  they  are  authorized  fo  to  do 
 by  the  executive  government,  they  may  without  a  murmur  sub- 
 mit to  it  ;  but  if  you  view  it  in  the  light  of  a  concession 
 
 from 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  415 
 
 from  them,  it  is  contrary  to  the  letter  and  fpirit  of  their  inftruc- 
 tions,  and  therefore  void. 
 
 An  alliance  implies,  that  there  are  engagements  on  both  fides, 
 Something  conceded  or  given  up  on  both  iides ;  but  the  church 
 hath  nothing  that  it  can  thus  concede  :  it  is  true  that  the  church 
 exhorts  its  members  to  be  good  and  obedient  fubjefts  to  the  ftate ; 
 but  it  is  no  concession,  it  is  an  obligation,  it  is  re- 
 quired, it  is  enjoined,  it  is  commanded,  and  cannot 
 therefore  be  withheld;  and  that  which  is  due,  and  cannot 
 be  withheld,  can  never  be  paid  to  the  party  to  whom  it  is 
 DUE,  as  a  consideration  or  price.  To  build  up  the  idea 
 of  an  alliance,  you  muft  prove  that  this  is  not  due  ;  that  it  is  a 
 conceflion  that  the  church  might  withhold ;  but  fo  far  from  this 
 being  the  cafe,  you  will  find,  that  fcripture  every  where  enforces, 
 requires,  enjoins,  and  commands,  obedience  to  the  powers  that 
 be,  as  a  duty,  and  that  equally  to  the  powers  that  perfecute 
 the  church,  as  to  thofe  powers  that  cherifh  and  protect  it.  The 
 idea,  therefore,  is  an  idea  which  tends  unjuftly  to  calumniate  the 
 churc|i  and  its  rulers. 
 
 It  no  lefs  tends  to  mifreprefent  and  calumniate  the  ftate  ;  the 
 very  idea  of  an  alliance,  or  treaty,  feems  to  me  to  be  difgraceful. 
 Are  we  not  required,  and  enjoined,  and  commanded, 
 to  "  render  unto  Casfar  the  things  that  are  Ca^far's  r"  Mark 
 xii.  17.  Are  we  not  required  to  **  fear  God  and  honour 
 *'  the  king  ?"  (1  Peter  ii.  17.):  *'  Let  every  foul  be  fubjedt 
 **  unto  the  higher  powers.  For  there  is  no  power  but  of  God: 
 *'  the  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God.  Whofoever  there- 
 *'  fore  refifteth  the  power,  refifteth  the  ordinance  of  God ;  and 
 **  they  that  refifl:  fhall  receive  to  themfelves  damnation.  For 
 **  rulers  are  not  a  terror  to  good  works,  but  to  the  evil.  Wilt 
 **  thou  then  not  be  afraid  of  the  power  ?  Do  that  which  is  good, 
 **  and  thou  fhalt  have  praife  of  the  fame:  for  he  is  the  minifter 
 **  of  God  to  thee  for  good.  But  if  thou  do  that  which  is  evil^ 
 **  be  afraid  ;  for  he  beareth  not  the  fword  in  vain  :  for  he  is 
 *'  the  minifter  of  God,  a  revenger  to  execute  wrath  upon  him 
 •*  that  doeth  evil.  Wherefore  ye  muft  needs  be  fubjedl,  not 
 **  only  for  wrath,  but  alfo  for  confcience-fake.  For  for  this 
 **  caufe  pay  ye  tribute  alfo  :  for  they  are  God's  minifters,  at- 
 **  tending  continually  upon  this  very  thing.  Render  therefore 
 '*  to  all  their  dues  :  tribute  to  whom  tribute  is  due  ;  cuftom  to 
 **  whom  cuftom  ;  fear  to  whom  fear  ;  honour  to  whom  honour," 
 Rom.  xiii.  i — 7.  **  I  exhort  therefore,  that  firft  of  all,  fup- 
 **  plications,  prayers,  interceftions,  and  giving  of  thanks,  be 
 *'  made  for  all  men  ;  for  kings  and  all  that  are  in 
 *'  authority  ;  that  we  may  lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  lifej  in 
 **  all  godlinefs  and  honefty.  For  this  is  good  and  acceptable  in 
 "  the  fight  of  God  our  Saviour :  who  will  have  all  men  to  be 
 **  faved,  and  to  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,"  1  Tim. 
 
 ii.  1 — 4. 
 
4i6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  II. 
 
 ii'.  1 — ^.  Inflead  therefore  of  confidering  this  as  a  concefTion, 
 which  the  term  alliance  implies,  we  mult  view  it  as  an  abso- 
 lute DUTY  ;  a  duty,  the  breach  of  which  fubjeds  the  offending 
 party  to  the  feverclt  church  cenfure  in  this  life,  and,  if  not  re- 
 pented of,  to  DAMNATION  in  the  world  to  come,  (Rom.  xiii.  2.)  t 
 but  it  is  not  church  cenfures  which  alone  enfure  obedience  in  this 
 matter,  for  the  king  is  the  minister  of  God:  "  He 
 *'  beareth  not  the  sword  in  vain:"  *'  He  is  the  minifter  of 
 *'  God  ;  a  revenger  to  execute  wrath  upon  him  that  doeth  evil." 
 
 Throwing  aiide  therefore  the  uifgraceful  idea  of  an  alliance 
 between  church  and  rtate,  which  I  think  I  have  proved  to  be  an 
 unfounded  opinion  ;  let  us  endeavour  to  place  the  ftate  in  that 
 respectable  point  of  view  in  which  it  really  ftands.  We 
 then  behold  the  ftate  in  a  very  amiable  light,  as  a  nurfing  father 
 to  the  church,   Ifai.  xlix.  23. 
 
 It  admits,  it  refpe6ls,  and  admires,  the  piety,  the  loyalty,  and 
 other  virtues  profelFed  in  the  church  ;  it  declares  its  attachment 
 thereto  at  every  opportunity,  and  by  every  means  in  its  power  ; 
 it  feeks  to  benefit  its  counfels  by  giving  feats  to  its  prelates  in  the 
 great  council  of  the  nation  ^  and  if  in  fundry  inftances  it  curbs  and 
 circumfcribes  its  authority,  it  is  in  order  to  guard  againft  thofe 
 evils  which  have  in  former  times  refulted  from  proud,  and  fedi- 
 tious,  and  ambitious  churchmen,  usurping  powers  which 
 were  as  hoftile  both  to  the  fpirit  and  letter  of  the  word  of  God, 
 as  they  were  to  the  authority  of  the  fovereign. 
 
 It  gives  a  decided  preference  in  this  land  to  the  epifcopal 
 church,  on  account  of  the  foundnefs  of  its  dodrine,  its  venera- 
 tion for  the  word  of  God,  and  its  moft  confpicuous  loyalty  ;  and 
 becaufe  its  principles  are  more  fixed  and  decided.  But  the 
 ftate,  although  it  gives  a  decided  preference  to  the  epifcopal 
 church,  doth  not  enter  into  its  jealousies:  fo  far  from  dif- 
 turbing  itfelf,  and  endeavouring  to  crufti  what  fome  may  think 
 to  be  unwarrantable  innovations  in  church  go- 
 vernment, that  with  true  Chriftian  liberality,  and  in  conde- 
 fcention  to  the  prejudices  of  a  large  branch  of  its  fubjedls,  it 
 fmiles  at  their  averfion  to  the  very  name  of  biftiop,  and  it  che~ 
 rilhes  the  Preftjyterian  church,  and  eftablifhes  it  as  the  national 
 church  of  Scotland.  Its  liberality  is  not  even  confined  to  thefe  ; 
 it  is  the  Christian  religion  which  it  willies  to  cherifti, 
 and  it  therefore  does  not  withhold  its  bounty  even  from  Non- 
 conformifts ;  and  its  condu6l  to  the  French  Proteftants,  who  lied 
 for  refuge  upon  the  revocation  of  the  edi6l  of  Nantz,  and  its 
 late  liberality  even  to  thofe  who  denominate  us  heretics,  are 
 evidences  that  the  Britifti  kings  are  nurfing  fathers  to  the 
 church,  Ifai.  xlix.  23. 
 
 Zealous.  I  confefs  that  the  light  in  which  you  place  it,  feems 
 more  honourable  to  the  church  and  its  rulers,  and  more  honour- 
 able to  the  ftate  alfo,   than  that   reprefentation  to  which  you 
 
 objed. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  417 
 
 objecfl:.  There  was,  however,  an  alliance  between  church  and 
 ftate  under  the  Jewifh  difpenfation. 
 
 Cautious.  An  alliance  do  you  call  it  !  yea,  more  than  an  alii* 
 ance  ;  it  was  a  theocracy,  a  government  under  the  imme- 
 diate direction,  the  manitell,  the  miraculous  control,  of  the  Al- 
 mighty ^  and  bleffed  will  be  that  time  when  it  is  again  esta^- 
 BLiSHED  UPON  EARTH  !  We  fliall  not  then  have  to  lament 
 the  inadequate  provifion  that  is  made  for  the  minifters  of  religion  ! 
 But  let  us  drop  this  fubjedl,  which  hath  occafioned  us  to  digrefs 
 from  the  main  point  Avhich  engaged  our  attention. 
 
 In  addition  to  what  I  have  faid  concerning  the  causes  which 
 give  rife  to  the  great  and  awful  pruning  of  the  Chrirtian  vine, 
 there  is,  I  think,  one  circumftance  which  deferves  particular  at- 
 tention ;  and  I  have  therefore  referved  it  to  be  lad  mentioned,  in 
 hopes  that  it  may  make  the  greater  impression  upon  your  mind. 
 
 It  is  THAT   controversy,    WHICH   THE  LORD   HATH   WITH 
 
 the  nations,   concerning  Zion,  Ifai.  xxxiv.  8. 
 
 The  perfecuted,  the  affli£led  people  of  God,  may  well  fay  to 
 every  enemy  who  affli6ts  them,  to  every  perfecutor  that  lifts  up 
 the  rod  agalnft  them  :  "  Thou  couldell  have  no  power  at  all 
 **  againft  me,  except  it  were  given  thee  from  above,"  (Johnxix. 
 n.) :  and  it  is  the  knowledge  of  this  that  hath  made  fuch  a  pious 
 impreflion  upon  the  minds  of  God's  people  Israel,  that  when 
 under  perfecution  they  have  been  entirely  paflive  and  unrepining; 
 *'  As  a  fheep  before  the  fhearers  is  dumb,"  fo  they  have  not 
 opened  their  mouth,  (Ifai.  liii.  7.)  ^  but  have  given  their  backs 
 to  the  fmiters,  their  cheeks  to  them  that  have  plucked  oft"  the 
 hair,  and  have  not  ever  hidden  their  faces  from  fhame  and  fpit- 
 ting,  (Ifai.  1.  6.)  :  but  it  is  not  only  the  pious  fuffering  people  of 
 God  that  are  under  his  control  and  accountable  to  him  ; 
 thofe  who  inflict  the  punishment  are  no  lefs  fubjedt  to 
 his  judgments. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  very  true  ;  and  at  the  day  of  general  judgment 
 they  will  no  doubt  be  every  man  judged  according  to  their  works  ; 
 tlieir  very  motives  of  a£lion  will  then  be  difcovered,  and  the  Judge 
 of  the  whole  earth  will  alTuredly  do  right. 
 
 Cautious.  That  great  day  of  general  judgment,  in  which 
 we  (hall  all  ftand  before  the  judgment-feat  of  Chrift,  (Rom.  xiv. 
 10.  2  Cor.  V.  10,)  and  individually  receive  judgment  ac- 
 cording to  our  works,  fhould  doubtlefs  be  ever  imprelfed  upon 
 our  minds  ;  there  will  be  no  fpace  for  repentance  when  that 
 GREAT  DAY  arrives  :  there  is  neither  *'  work,  nor  device,  nor 
 "  knowledge,  nor  wifdom,  in  the  grave,"  whither  we  go,  and 
 from  whence  we  fliall  be  aroufed,  to  corne  to  judgment,  (Ecclef. 
 IX.  10.  John  V.  28.);  but  there  are  other  judgments  as  well 
 as  this  great  general  individual  judgment;  and  thank  God, 
 thefe  judgments  are  infliftcd  whilll  we  are  in  a  Hate  capable 
 OF   rei=£Ntanc£:  "  With  my  foul  have  I   delired  thee  in  the 
 
 3  H  '*  night  J 
 
4i8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  (Part  IT. 
 
 **  night;  yea,  with  my  fpirit  within  me  will  I  feek  thee  early: 
 
 **    FOR   WHEN    THY    JUDGMENTS    ARE   IN    THE    EARTH,    THE 
 "    INHABITANTS     OF     THE    WORLD     WILL     LEARN     RIGHTE- 
 
 *'  ousNESs,"  Ifai.  xxvi.  9. 
 
 Wars,  as  well  as  peftilence,  famine,  and  earthquakes,  are 
 God's  judgments;  and  truly  may  we  aflfert,  in  the  words  of 
 the  learned  prelate,  that  there  are  **  such  symptoms  of 
 *'  JUDGMENT  gone  abroad,  as  Ihoiild  awaken  all  to  repentance  ; 
 "  left  all  who  repent  not,  fhould  likewife  perifli/'  There  are 
 national  judgments,  as  well  as  individual  judgments, 
 and  punifhments ;  and  wars  are  national  judgments. 
 
 Zealous.  Wars  are  national  judgments,  and  great,  very  great 
 are  the  affliftions  which  refult  from  them  :  we  are  not  to  regard 
 them  as  proceeding  merely  from  the  ambition  of  princes,  the  fe- 
 rocity of  defolators,  the  policy  ofufurpers,  or  the  diabolical  pride 
 and  defire  of  fam.e,  which  fo  frequently  is  found  mixed  therewith  ; 
 all  thefe  things  are  but  fecondary  caufes ;  and  thefe  fecondary 
 caufes  would  not  be  permitted  to  produce  them,  if  it  was  not  the 
 will  of  God,  and  juft,  and  right,  that  the  nations  should  be 
 THUS  AFFLICTED.  The  Lord  delighteth  in  the  peace,  the 
 joy,  the  happinefs  of  his  creatures  ;  when  they  are  at  peace  and 
 in  ferenity,  when  their  bleflings  produce  content  and  joy,  and 
 their  hearts  overflow  with  gratitude,  and  blefs  and  praife  his  holy 
 name  for  the  abundance  of  all  things,  (Deut.  xxviii.  47.)  ;  then 
 it  is  that  the  Lord  hath  pleasure  in  the  profperity  of  his  fer- 
 vants,  Pf.  XXXV.  27.  He  hath  no  pleafure  in  afflifting  his  crea- 
 tures, 01*  in  permitting  them  to  be  afflicted,  or  in  feeing  their 
 fuiFerings !  *'  As  I  live,  faith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  plea- 
 **  sure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked;  but  that  the  wicked  turn 
 **  from  his  way  and  live,"  Ezek.  xxxiii.  n.  Judgment  is 
 his  work,  but  it  is  his  strange  work  ;  it  is  his  zSt,  but  it  is 
 his  strange  act,  (Ifai.  xxviii.  21.);  that  in  which  he  hath 
 NO  pleasure!  Whether  it  be  judgment  upon  his  own  pecu- 
 liar people,  or  the  determined  confumption  ^'  upon  the  whole 
 **  earth,"  (v.  22.)  it  is  equally  a  work  in  which  he  hath  no 
 pleasure.  As  I  live,  faith  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  the  only 
 true  God:  <*  As  I  live,  fahh  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  plea- 
 *'  sure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked;  but  that  the  wicked  turn 
 *'  from  his  way  and  live." 
 
 Cautious.  It  affords  great  consolation  when  we  refleft, 
 that  all  the  Lord's  judgments  are  numbered,  weighed,  and  mea- 
 fured,  and  that  all  the  fufferings  which  have  ever  been  endured 
 by  mankind,  or  now  are  endured,  or  will  in  time  to  come  be  en- 
 dured, are  all  weighed  in  the  balance  of  juftice  !  It  is  efientially 
 neceffary  for  the  good  of  mankind,  that  wickedncfs  Ihould  be 
 punilhied  ;  and  whether  it  is  punifhed  by  individual  fufferings,  or 
 by  national  afflidions,  it  is  equally  the  a£l,  the  judgment  of  God  ! 
 National  tranfgreffions  may  be  long  borne  with,  but   r  orb  ear- 
 
 a  N  c  e 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  419 
 
 ANCE  IS  NO  ACQUITTANCE,  as  is  evident  from  the  Lord's  de- 
 claration to  Mofes  in  the  matter  of  the  golden  calf;  he  reftrained 
 the  fiercenefs  of  his  wrath,  and  confumed  them  not  as  a  nation, 
 but  faid  imto  Mofes  his  fervant,  "  Behold,  mine  angel  fliall  go 
 *'  before  thee  :   nevertheless  in  the  day  when  I  visit 
 
 **    I    WILL    VISIT   THEIR    SIN   UPON   THEM,"    Exod.  XXxii.   34. 
 
 There  is  fuch  a  thing  as  a  nation  filling  up  the  mea- 
 sure OF  its  iniquities;  thus  it  was  faid  concerning  the  de- 
 liverance of  the  children  of  Abraham  out  of  Egypt:  "  In  the 
 "  fourth  generation  they  fhall  come  hither  again:  for  the 
 *'  iniquity  of  the  Amorites  is  not  yet  full,"  Gen. 
 XV.  16.  When  the  iniquity  of  the  Amorites  became  full,  the 
 Lord's  judgments  were  executed  upon  them,  by  the  fword  of 
 Ifrael ;  and  when,  by  the  repeated  national  tranfgreflions  of  the  ' 
 Jews;  by  their  dreadful  provocations  in  worfhipping  idols;  by 
 their  awful  negleft  of  the  worfhip  of  the  Lord  their  God  (which 
 can  only  be  truly  performed  when  the  whole  heart  is  engaged  in 
 the  fervice,  and  it  is  performed  in  fpirit  and  in  truth)  ;  the  fcale 
 ot  divine  julHce  defcended,  and  they  could  no  longer  be  fuflered 
 to  remjin  unpunilhed  :  then  their  great  national  affli6lions  com- 
 menced; it  wasjuft,  and  right,  that  they  fhould  then  commence  ; 
 and  awful  as  they  have  been,  it  is  juft,  and  right,  that  they  ftiould 
 have  endured  fo  long.  The  Judge  of  the  whole  earth  hath  ever 
 done  righteoufly  !  yea,  true  and  righteous  are  all  his  judgments, 
 Pfal.  xix.  9. 
 
 Zealous.  Thefe  ideas  are  confirmed,  and  without  controverfy 
 eftabliihed,  by  the  divine  judgments  againft  Ifrael,  and  the  nati- 
 ons, being  declared  and  denounced,  before  they  have  been 
 executed  ;  and  the  reafbn  that  holy  fcripture  abounds  with  more 
 numerous  denunciations  againft  the  Jews  than  againft  the  other 
 nations,  feems  to  be,  that  their  advantages  being  beyond  com- 
 parifon  greater  than  thofe  poflefted  by  any  other  nation,  their  crimes 
 became  more  inexcusable,  and  divine  juftice  required  that  they 
 fhould  be  first  punifhed :  therefore  their  enemies  have  fo 
 awfully  prevailed  againft  them. 
 
 Qiuticus.  They  have  ;  but  it  behoves  us  ever  to  bear  in  mind, 
 that  the  Lord  is  no  lefs  the  Judge  of  ALL  the  nations  of  the 
 earth,  than  he  is  of  Ifrael,  his  own  peculiar  people,  (Gen. 
 xviii.  25.  Exod.  xix.  5.  Dan.  ii,  47.  iv.  34,  35.)  ;  all  men  indi- 
 vidually, and  all  nations  in  their  colle6live  capacities,  are  ac- 
 countable TO  FiiM  !  If  he  raifes  up  one  nation  to  punifh 
 another  nation,  he  will  call  that  nation  into  whofe  hand  he  hath 
 put  the  rod  of  chaftifement,  to  a  severe  account  as  to  its 
 exercife  of  the  power  to  afflift  !  Not  a  fparrow  falleth  into  the 
 fnare  without  his  permission;  and  therefore  we  muft  allow, 
 that  the  great  defolation  of  the  native  Americans  by  the  Spaniards 
 was  a  judgment  upon  them:  but  this  doth  not  leifen  that 
 dreadful   responsibility,    or  lighten   that  ponderous 
 
 load 
 
420  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part   II. 
 
 LOAD  of  national  guilt,  which  was  accumulated  In  that  tranf- 
 adlion! 
 
 Allowing,  for  the  fake  of  argument,  that  the  African  negroes 
 are  the  defcendants  of  him  concerning  whofe  pofterity  it  was  de- 
 clared, *'  a  fervant  of  fervants  fhall  he  be  unto  his  brethren," 
 (Gen.  ix.  25.)  ;  this,  if  it  could  be  proved  to  be  the  fact, 
 ■would  by  no  means  mitigate  the  guilt,  or  lelTen  the  refponfibilitv, 
 of  the  individual  or  the  nation  that  fhould  behave  towards  them 
 with  rigour,  cruelty,  or  injuftice. 
 
 Zealous.  I  entirely  fubfcribe  to  your  affertion.  Thofe  nations 
 that  have  afflicted  other  nations  have  fcarce  ever  been  adluated  by 
 any  other  motives  than  pride  or  ambition,  and  often  even  ambi- 
 tion itfelf  has  been  aifumed,  to  cover  the  bafer  views  of  cruelty, 
 and  the  defire  of  plunder;  and  therefore  he,  in  whofe  fight 
 thcfe  motives  of  a6lion  are  linful,  will  affuredly  punifti  the 
 opprclVor. 
 
 Cautious.  If  the  Lord  will  affuredly  punifli  the  oppreffor  of 
 the  uninftrudled  Indian,  or  the  degraded  African,  how  much 
 more  of  that  DISTINGUISHED  nation  of  whom  he  hath  de- 
 clared, **  He  that  toucheth  you  toucheth  the  apple  of  his  eye!" 
 Zech.  ii.  8.   Deut.  xxxii.  10.   Pf.  xvii.  8. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  an  awful  thing  to  a(5l  in  hoflility  againfl  God's 
 PEOPLE  Israel;  even  thofe  who  were  sent  againll  them  had 
 no  good  caufe  to  rejoice  in  being  thus  employed  :  ot  the  Alfyrian 
 it  was  faid,  *'  It  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  when  the  Lord  hath 
 **  performed  his  whole  work  upon  Mount  Zion  and  on  Jerufa- 
 **  lem,  I  will  punilh  the  fruit  of  the  ftout  heart  of  the  king  of 
 **  Aifyria,  and  the  glory  of  his  high  looks.  For  he  faith,  By 
 *'  the  ftrength  of  my  hand  I  have  done  it,  and  by  my  wifdom  ; 
 "  for  I  am  prudent:  and  I  have  removed  the  bounds  of  the  peo- 
 *'  pic,  and  have  robbed  their  treafures,  and  I  have  put  down  the 
 *'  inhabitants  like  a  valiant  man  :  and  my  hand  hath  found  as  a 
 **  ncit  the  riches  of  the  people  :  and  as  one  gathereth  eggs  that 
 **  are  left,  have  I  gathered  all  the  earth  ;  and  there  was  none 
 "  that  moved  the  wing,  or  opened  the  mouth,  or  peeped.  Shall 
 *'  the  axe  boaft  itfelf  againfl:  him  that  heweth  therewith  ?  or  fhall 
 *'  the  faw  magnify  itfelf  againfi:  him  that  fhaketh  it?  as  if  the 
 *'  rod  fhould  fhake  itfelf  againft  them  that  lift  it  up,  or  as  if  the 
 **  ftaff  fliould  lift  up  itfelf,  as  if  it  were  no  wood.  Therefore 
 **  fhall  the  Lord,  the  Lord  of  hofts,  fend  among  his  fat  ones 
 ^*  leannefs  ;  and  under  his  glory  he  fliall  kindle  a  burning  like 
 **  the  burning  of  a  fire.  And  the  light  of  Ifrael  fhall  be  for  a 
 *'  fire,  and  his  Holy  One  tor  a  flame  :  and  it  fliall  burn  and  de- 
 **  vour  his  thorns  and  his  briers  in  one  day  ;  and  fliall  confume 
 "  the  glory  of  his  foreft,  and  of  his  fruitful  field,  both  foul  and 
 *'  body  :  and  they  fliall  be  as  when  a  ftandard-bearer  fainteth. 
 ♦*  And  the  reft  of  the  trees  of  his  foreil  fhalj  be  few,  that  a 
 <*  child  may  write  them,"  If^i.  x.    12 — 19.      He  exceeds  his 
 
 authority^ 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  421 
 
 authority,  and  blafphemes  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  ; 
 and  ''  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  forth,  and  fmote  in  the  camp 
 *'  of  the  Ailyrians  a  hundred  and  fourfcore  and  five  thoufand  : 
 **  and  when  they  arofe  early  in  the  morning,  behold,  they  were 
 *'  all  dead  corpfes,"  Ifai.  xxxvii.  36.  Their  enemies  may 
 march  forth  in  confidence  againil  Zion,  but  if  the  fpirit  of  grace 
 and  of  fupplication  arifes  among  the  Jews  ;  if  they  are  enabled 
 with  a  true  faith  to  believe  in  the  Lord  their  God,  and  to  take 
 heed  to  the  words  of  his  prophets  ;  but  efpecially  if,  by  the 
 fpirit  "of  true  devotion,  they  are  enabled  to  sing  praises 
 UNTO  THE  JyORD   THEIR  GoD  ;    fing   praifcs   unto  the   Lord, 
 
 **  FOR  HE  IS  GOOD,   FOR  HIS  MERCY  ENDURETH   FOR 
 
 *'  EVER^"  then  their  enemies  deftroy  each  other,  and  all  that 
 Ifrael  have  to  do,  is  to  praife  the  Lord  for  their  deliverance,  and 
 to  gather  up  the  fpoils  ot  their  enemies,   2  Chron.  xx. 
 
 Cautious.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  "  Fear  not 
 '*  thou,  O  my  fervant  Jacob,  faith  the  Lord  ;  neither  be  dif- 
 *'  mayed,  O  Ifrael  :  for,  lo,  I  will  fave  thee  from  afar,  and  thy 
 *'  feed  from  the  land  of  their  captivity;  and  Jacob  lliall  return, 
 *'  and  (hall  be  in  reft,  and  be  quiet,  and  none  fhall  make  him 
 "  afraid.      For  I  am  with   thee,  faith  the  Lord,  to  fave  thee  : 
 
 *'    THOUGH     I     MAKE    A    FULL     END    OF    ALL   NATIONS   WHI- 
 
 *'  THER  I  HAVE  SCATTERED  THEE,  yct  will  I  not  make  a 
 ^'  full  end  of  thee,"  Jer.  xxx.  10,  11.  Proclaim  with  a 
 loud  voice,  *'  Cry  thou,  faying.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  hofts ; 
 "   I  am  jealous  for  Jerufalem  and  for  Zion  with  a  great  jealoufy, 
 
 **    And  I  AM   VERY  SORE   DISPLEASED   V/ITH   THE    HEATHEN 
 
 "  that  are  at  eafe  :  for  I  was  but  a  little  displeased, 
 *'  and  they  helped  forward  the  afRiition.  Therefore  thus 
 **  faith  the  Lord;  I  am  returned  to  Jerufalem  with  mercies: 
 *'  my  houfe  ihall  be  built  in  it,  faith  the  Lord  of  hofts,  and  a 
 **  line  fliall  be  ftretched  forth  upon  Jerufalem.  Cry  yet,  fay- 
 **  ing,  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  hofts;  My  cities  through  profpe- 
 **  rity  fliall  yet  be  fpread  abroad;  and  the  Lord  fhall  yet  com- 
 *'  fort  Zion,  and  fliall  yet  choofe  Jerufalem,"  Zech.  i,  14 — 17. 
 I  need  not  refer  to  thofe  paftages  which  we  have  fo  frequently 
 noticed,  and  which  uniformly  declare,  that  the  time  in  which 
 Ifrael  is  reftored  to  favour,  is  the  time  in  which  the  moft  awful 
 judgments,  the  moft  dreadful  deftru6lion  of  their  enemies  will  be 
 accompliflied  ;  and  in  which  the  Chriftian  vine  will  receive  a  fe- 
 vere  and  falutary  pruning  :  *'  Thus  faith  thy  Lord  the  Lord, 
 "  and  THY  God  that  pleadeth  the  cause  of  his 
 "  people,  Behold,  I  have  taken  out  of  thine  hand  the  cup  of 
 •'  trembling,  even  the  dregs  of  the  cup  of  my  fury!  thou  fhalt 
 ''  no  more  drink  it  again  :  but  I  will  put  it  into  the  hand  of 
 '*  THEM  THAT  AFFLICT  THEE  ;  which  have  faid  to  thy  foul, 
 **  Bow  down,  that  we  may  go  over  :  and  thou  haft  laid  thy  bodv 
 *'  as  the  ground,  and  as  the  ftreet,  to  them  that  went  over," 
 
 Ifaiah 
 
422  DIALOGUE     IX.  Part  IL 
 
 Ifaiah  li.  22,  23.  The  nations  have  helped  forward  the 
 afflidion  of  God's  people  Ifracl,  (Zech.  i.  15.) ;  they  have  ex- 
 ceeded their  commiilion,  and  have  been  permitted  to  proceed, 
 until  the  meafure  of  their  own  iniquities  are  very  nearly 
 filled  up;  a  change  may  therefore  be  expected,  if  it  hath 
 NOT  ALREADY  COMMENCED;  a  change,  in  which  the  Lord 
 will  comfort  his  people  Ifrael  ;  and  pronounce  the  awful  decree, 
 for  the  de(tru6lion  of  thofe  nations  whom  he  hath  employed  as 
 HIS  RODS  for  their  chalf ifement !  "  Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye 
 *'  my  people,  faith  your  God.  Speak  ye  comfortably  to  Jeru- 
 "  falem,  and  cry  unto  her,  that  her  warfare  is  accompliflied, 
 *'  that  her  iniquity  is  pardoned  :  for  fhe  hath  received  of  the 
 "  Lord's  hand  double  for  all  her  fins,"  Ifai.  xl.  1,  2.  But 
 when  the  affli£led  people  of  God  are  thus  comforted,  a  juft  judg- 
 ment overtakes  their  enemies,  and  in  particular  Great  Babylon 
 comes  '*  in  remembrance  before  God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup 
 of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath,"  Rev.  xvi.  19. 
 *'  Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her 
 **  fins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues.  For  her  fins 
 **  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  God  hath  remembered  her  ini- 
 *'  quities  :  reward  her  even  as  flie  rewarded  you,  and  double 
 *'  unto  her  double  according  to  her  works,''  Rev.  xviii.  4 — 6. 
 
 Zealous.  If  the  Lord  hath  in  ancient  times  deftroyed  rhofe 
 nations  whom  he  employed  as  his  rods  to  afflidl  and  punifh  his 
 own  peculiar  people,  it  certainly  may  be  expeft'^d  that  as  awful 
 punilhments  await  thofe  nations  who  have  in  more  modern  times 
 afflided  them  :  but  it  is  put  beyond  doubt  that  thus  it  will  be  ; 
 there  is  fcarcely  ftronger  evidence  in  the  word  of  God,  that  the 
 Jews  will  be  reftored,  than  that  their  enemies  will  be  deftroyed 
 by  the  almighty  power  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  an  awful  fubjeft.  The  Lord's  indignation 
 ■will  afluredly  Be  accompliflied  in  the  deftru^lion  of  his  enemies : 
 **  For,  behold,  the  Lord  will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his 
 *'  chariots  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render  his  anger  with  fury, 
 **  and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire.  For  by  fire  and  by  his 
 *'  fword  will  the  Lord  plead  with  all  flefli  :  and  the  flain  of  the 
 *'  Lord  fhall  be  many,"  Ifai.  Ixvi.  15,  16.  If  we  believe  thefe 
 things,  it  behoves  us  to  confider  how  we  are  to  demean  our- 
 felves  under  fuch  circumftances  ;  in  what  way  we  fhall  be 
 enabled  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ! 
 
 Zealous.  We  perufe  hillory,  and  efpecially  the  hiftory  of  our 
 anceftors,  not  only  for  inflrudion,  but  for  pleasure.  But  if 
 "vve  are  to  confider  the  crimes  of  our  anceftors,  which  we  difcover 
 by  the  page  of  hiftory,  as  a  load  of  guilt  for  which  God's  judg- 
 ments may  be  expected  to  fall  upon  our  own  heads,  we  fhall  no 
 longer  receive  pleafure  from  that  fource  ;  I  by  no  means  intend 
 to  controvert  the  fait,  or  the  fcripture  dodlrine,  that  nations  are, 
 AS  nations,  in  their  collcdlive  capacity  refponfible,  and  fub- 
 
 jea. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  ^23 
 
 je6l  to  punifliments  ;  nor  that  when  the  meafure  of  their  iniqui- 
 ties are  full,  that  they  are  deilroyed  ;  but  if  we  are  right  in  con- 
 fidering  nations  in  this  light,  I  fee  no  reafon  why  we  may  not 
 carry  the  idea  even  further  Hill,  and  view  societies,  and  even 
 PROFESSIONS,  in  their  collective  capacities,  as  refponfible  in 
 like  manner. 
 
 Cautious.  I  fee  no  reafon  why  we  may  not ;  and  it  feems  to 
 me  that  fcripture  confirms  the  idea:  Were  not  Korah,  Dathan, 
 and  Abiram,  and  their  families,  deftroyed  by  God's  judgment  in 
 confequence  of  their  rebellious  fin  ?  Numb.  xvi.  Were  not 
 THE  PRIESTS  OF  Baal  colleftively  deftroyed  by  God's  judg- 
 ment being  executed  upon  them  by  his  fervant  Elijah  ?  Were 
 not  the  worfliippers  of  Baal  cut  off  by  God's  judgment  executed " 
 upon  them  by  the  fword  of  Jehu  ?  1  Kings  xviii,  40.  2  Kings 
 X.  25.  ^ 
 
 Whether  we  receive  pleafure,  or  experience  pain,  from  the 
 page  of  hiftory,  it  is  by  God's  goodnefs  to  us  that  v.e  pofTefs  it ; 
 all  our  advantages  we  dern  e  from  him  !  and  great  is  the  advantage 
 we  derive  from  hiftory.  By  means  of  hiftory  our  faith  is  con- 
 firmed, for  we  are  thereby  enabled  to  difcover  the  accomplifii- 
 ment  of  thofe  divine  denunciations  which  have  already  been  ful- 
 filled ;  this  is  an  ineftimable  advantage,  inafmuch  as  it  is  the  beft 
 and  moft  fatisfadlory  afllirance,  that  thofe  prophefies  which  re- 
 main to  be  accomplilTied  will  moft  aifuredly  be  fulfilled. 
 
 We  read  in  holy  fcripture,  that  "  the  cup  of  tremblins;," 
 which  hath  been  fo  long  in  the  hand  of  the  Jews,  will  be  taken 
 out  of  their  hand,  and  put  into  the  hand  of  those  that 
 HAVE  afflicted  THEM,  and  that  they  fhall  drink  the  vert 
 DREGS  of  it!  Ifai.  li.  22,  23.  **  In  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
 there  is  a  cup,  and  the  wine  is  red;  it  is  full  of  mixture,  and 
 he  poureth  out  of  the  fame:  but  the  dregs  thereof, 
 all  the  wicked  of  the  earth  shall  wring  them 
 out,  and  drink  them,"  Pf,  Ixxv.  8.  '*  The  day  of 
 the  Lord  is  near  upon  all  the  heathen:  as  thou  hafl 
 done,  it  fhall  be  done  unto  thee  :  thy  reward  ftiall  return  upon 
 thine  own  head.  For  as  ye"  (O  houfe  of  Ifrael,  have  had 
 the  cup  of  trembling  put  into  your  hand,  and)  "  have  drunk 
 upon  my  holy  mountain,  fo  ftiall  all  the  heathen  drink 
 continually,  yea,  they  fliall  drink,  and  they  fhall  fwallow  down, 
 and  they  fhall  be  as  though  they  had  not  been,"  Obad.  15,  16. 
 Thus  faith  the  Lord  God  \  When  the  whole  earth  rejoiceth, 
 (fee  Pf.  xcvi.)  I  will  make  thee  desolate.  As  thou  didft 
 rejoice  at  the  inheritance  of  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  because 
 IT  WAS  desolate,  fo  v/ill  I  do  unto  thee:  thou  fhalt  be 
 defolate,  O  Mount  Seir,  and  all  Idumea,  even  all  of  it:  and 
 they  fhall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,"  Ezek.  xxxv.  14 — 15. 
 Plow  awful  arc  the  divine  denunciations  againit  all  the  kingdoms 
 of  the  world,  which  are  contained  in  Jeremiah  the  25th,  and  ' 
 
 which 
 
424  D  T  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  If. 
 
 which  conclude  in  thefe  words :  "  Therefore  thou  flialt  fay  unto 
 **  them,  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  hofts,  the  God  of  Ifrael  ; 
 **  Drink  ye,  and  be  drunken,  and  fpue,  and  fall,  and  rife  no 
 **  more,  bccaufe  of  the  fword  which  I  will  fend  among  you. 
 "  And  it  fliall  be,  if  they  refufe  to  take  the  cup  at  thine  hand  to 
 *'  drink,  then  flialt  thou  fay  unto  them,  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of 
 **  hofts ;    Ye   Ihall    certainly  drink.     For,   lo,    I    begin  to 
 
 "  BRING  EVIL  ON  THE  CITY  WHICH  IS  CALLED  BY  MY 
 
 **  NAME,  AND  SHOULD  YE  BE  UTTERLY  UNPUNISHED  ?  Ye 
 
 *'  SHALL  NOT  BE  UNPUNISHED  :  FOR  I  WILL  CALL  FOR  A 
 
 *'  SWORD  UPON  ALL  THE  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  EARTH, 
 
 **  SAiTH  THE  Lord  of  hosts.  Therefore  prophefy  thou 
 •*  againft  them  all  thefe  words,  and  fay  unto  them,  The  Lord 
 *'  (hall  roar  from  on  high,  and  utter  his  voice  from  his  holy  ha~ 
 "  bitation  ;  he  fhall  mightily  roar  upon  his  habitation  ;  he  fliall 
 *'  give  a  fliout,  as  they  that  tread  the  grapes,  againft  all  the  in- 
 **  habitants  of  the  earth.  A  noife  fliall  come  even  to  the  ends 
 "  of  the  earth  ;  for  the  Lord  hath  a  controverfy  with  the  na- 
 "  tions  ;  he  will  plead  with  all  fiefli  ;  he  will  give  them  that  are 
 **  wicked  to  the  fword,  faith  the  Lord,  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of 
 **  hofts,  Behold,  evil  fliall  go  forth  from  nation  to  nation,  and 
 *'  a  great  whirlwind  (hall  be  raifed  up  from  the  coafts  of  the 
 *'  earth.  And  the  flain  of  the  Lord  fliall  be  at  that  day  from  one 
 **  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth  :  they 
 *'  fliall  not  be  lamented,  neither  gathered,  nor  buried;  they 
 *'  fliall  be  dung  upon  the  ground,"  Jer.  xxv.  27 — 33.  Thefe 
 awful  judgments,  which  moft  aflurcdly  will  be  executed,  refult 
 from  the  injuftice  and  violence  with  which  the  nations  have  treated 
 the  affli6led  people  of  God:  "  It  is  the  day  of  the  Lord's  ven- 
 *'  geance,  AND  the  year  of  recOmpences  for  the  con- 
 "  troversyof  Zion,"  Ifai.  xxxiv.  8.  When  thefe  things 
 are  accompliflied,  it  vvill  be  faid,  "  The  day  of  vengeance  is  in 
 mine  heart,  and  the  year  of  my  redeemed  is  come,'* 
 Ifai.  Ixiii.  4. 
 
 The  great  end  for  which  thefe  things  are  recorded,  is  to  in- 
 struct thofe  who  will  not  refuse  instruction,  (Dan.  xii. 
 10.)  ;  and  they  clearly  point  out  how,  and  in  what  manner,  we 
 fliall  be  enabled  to  flee  from  the  v/rath  to  comf.  If 
 tliefe  dreadful  judgments  hang  over  the  nations,  and  will  aifu- 
 redly  be  inflided,  on  account  of  the  Lord's  contro- 
 versy with  them  concerning  Zion;  we  can  be  at  no 
 lofs  to  find  that  path,  in  which  we  are  to  efcape  the  wrath  to  come ; 
 and  in  this  inftance  history  is  of  great  afliftance  to  us,  for  hif- 
 tory  difplays  fuch  a  mafs  of  horrid  cruelties,  wanton  opprefllon, 
 cruel  contempt,  and  malignant  malice,  towards  the  Jews,  that 
 we  cannot  but  acknowledge  that  thefe  denunciations  have  been 
 deferved,  and  that  when  they  are  executed  they  will  be  jufl;  and 
 righteous  judgments ! 
 
 But 
 
Part  It,  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX. 
 
 425 
 
 But  awful  as  are  thefe  truths,  we  have  no  caufe  to  be  caftdown 
 at  the  profpe6l  that  is  before  us.  Let  us  put  the  cafe  in  the 
 ftrongefl  light  that  we  are  capable  of  placing  it,  by  fuppofing 
 ourfelves  descended  from  those  very  desolators  who 
 crucified  the  Jews  before  the  walls  of  Jerufalem,  in  fuch  num- 
 bers that  room  was  wanted  for  the  crolfes,  and  crofles  for  the 
 bodies,  (Jofephus,  book  v.  ch.  11,  fe£t.  1.)  ;  who  fufFered  thou- 
 fands  of  their  captives  to  peri(h  for  want !  Let  us  fuppofe  our- 
 felves, for  the  fake  of  argument,  descended  from  those 
 BASE  wretches,  who  ripped  up  and  dilTefted  their  prifoners, 
 under  the  idea  that  they  might  have  fwallowed  fome  part  of  their 
 treafure!  Let  us  fuppofe  ourfelves  descended  from  those 
 SONS  OF  violence,  who  have  flaughtered  the  Jews  in  after 
 times,  and  that  the  blood  that  circulates  in  our  veins  is  derived 
 through  anceftors  who  have  uniformly  been  bloody  perfecutors  of 
 the  Jews  ;  yet,  notwithftanding,  if  we  are,  by  God's  grace, 
 enabled  to  abhor,  detest,  and  abjure  such  wickedness; 
 if  we  can  lay  our  hands  upon  our  hearts,  and  renounce  fuch  de- 
 testable actions,  and  with  all  our  heart,  and  with  all  our 
 foul,  aclinowledge  and  profefs  that  fooner  than  partake  in  fuch 
 enormities,  we  would  zealously  prefer  the  endurance 
 OF  such,  and  even  greater  sufferings.  If  this  is 
 the  cafe,  let  us  enjoy  the  comfort  that  is  held  out  to  us  by  the 
 word  of  God:  it  is  only  thofe  children  who  walk  in  the  evil 
 ways,  .and  approve  of  the  evil  actions  of  their  anceftors,  that 
 have  to  tremble  at  the  profpe£t  before  them  :  **  The  foul  that 
 **  fmneth,  it  Ihall  die.  The  fon  fhall  not  bear  the  iniquity  of 
 **  the  father,  neither  fhall  the  father  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  ion  : 
 **  the  righteoufnefs  of  the  righteous  fliall  be  upon  him,  and  the 
 *'  wickednefs  of  the  wicked  Ihall  be  upon  him.  But  if  the  wicked 
 ^*  will  turn  from  all  his  fins  that  he  hath  committed,  and  keep 
 *'  all  my  ftatutes,  and  do  that  which  is  lawful  and  right,  he  fliall 
 *■'  furely  live,  he  fhall  not  die.  All  his  tranfgreilions  that  he 
 "  hath  committed,  they  ftiall  not  be  mentioned  unto  him  :  in 
 *'  his  righteoufnefs  that  he  hath  done  he  fhall  live.  Have  I  any 
 *'  pltafure  at  all  that  the  wicked  ihould  die  ?  faith  the  Lord  God: 
 '*  and  not  that  he  fhould  return  from  his  ways,  and  live  ?"  Ezek. 
 xviii.   20 — 23. 
 
 Zealous,  The  Lord  God  of  Ifracl  is  gracious,  and  merciful, 
 flow  to  anger,  and  of  great  goodnefs  :  yta,  ''  He  is  good,  and 
 **  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever.'' 
 
 Cautious.  I  cannot  but  profefs  my  opinion,  that  the  wars,  and 
 other  futferings,  which  are  at  preient  in  exiiicnce,  are  the  bp- 
 ginning  of  thofe  judgments  which  are  to  be  expe61:ed  ;  the 
 Lord  hath  a  controverfy  v.ith  the  nations,  concerning  Zion  : 
 I  cannot  but  profefs  my  opinion,  that  the  futferings,  that  pruning, 
 the  beginning  of  which  the  Chriftian  vine  hath  already  expe- 
 rienced, hath  proceeded  from  the  iara?  caufe  ;  the  Lord  hath  a 
 
 3  I  controveriy 
 
4'26  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     IX.  Part  II. 
 
 controverfy  with  the  Chriftian  vine  concerning  ZiON.  We 
 are  ever  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  enemy  could  have  no  power  to 
 prune  the  vine,  unlefs  it  were  given  him  fo  to  do,  (Dan.  vii. 
 21.  John  xix.  11.  Rev.  xiii.  7.) ;  and  when  we  confider  that  it 
 is  to  the  corrupt  branches  of  the  ChriiUan  vine  to  which  we  can- 
 not but  afcribe  by  far  the  major  part  of  the  perfecutions  and  fuf- 
 ferings  of  the  Jew^s,  for  the  last  fourteen  hundred 
 YEARS,  we  mull  acknowledge  the  jufiiice  and  righteoufnefs  of 
 the  divine  judgments  in  this  matter.  The  mifconduft  of  Chrif- 
 tians  towards  the  Jews  may  in  general  be  traced  to  the  hatred  of 
 PRIESTS  AND  MONKS;  the  Jews  have  bccn  as  it  Were  profcribed 
 by  THEM,  and  they  have  not  bluflied  to  avow  their  hatred,  and 
 to  denounce  God's  judgments  againft  thofe  who  have  mildly 
 corre6led  their  wickedneis  :  "In  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Theo- 
 **  dofms,  a  certain  bishop  had  excited  his  flock  to  burn  a  Jewilh 
 "  fynagogue  ;  which  being  complained  of  to  Theodofius,  he  or- 
 '*  deredthe  offenders  to  be  punilbed,  and  that  the  bishop  Ihould 
 "  rebuild  it  at  his  own  expence."  What  think  you  of  this 
 fentence  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  think  it  was  a  moft  mild  and  merciful  fen- 
 tence ;  his  crime,  in  my  opinion,  amounted  to  high  treason 
 againft  the  emperor  ;  but  palling  by  the  treafon  of  the  a£t,  it  was 
 undoubtedly  the  crime  that  we  denominate  arson,  and  for  which 
 this  FIERY  Bispiop  would  have  had  no  more  than  his  dcferts  if 
 he  had  been  hanged.  The  emperor,  therefore,  pafling  by  the 
 crime  againft  the  itate,  and  only  requiring  him  to  repair  the 
 CIVIL    injury  he  had  occauoned,  was  certainly  ailing  most 
 
 MERCIFULLY. 
 
 Cautious.  Notwithftanding  this  is  the  light  in  which  it  appears 
 to  us,  the  priefts  of  thofe  days  thought  differently  ;  and  Ambrolc 
 (who  I  believe  is  called  a  faint)  had  the  audacity  to  write  to 
 the  emperor,  denouncing  God's  judgments  upon  him  for  pro- 
 nouncing fo  IMPIOUS  a  fentence.  (See  note  in  Warburton's 
 Julian,  page  99.}  It  is  declared  in  holy  fcripture  that  the  Lord 
 will  take  the  "  cu.p  of  trembling"  out  of  the  hand  of  Ifrael,  and 
 put  it  into  the  hand  of  thofe  that  have  afflicted  them  ;  ^nd  I 
 think  it  a  moft  remarkable  circumiiance,  that  in  proportion 
 as  the  Jews  have  latterly  received  kinder  treatment  from  man- 
 kind, which  induces  one  to  think  that  the  Lord  hath  taken,  or  is 
 about  to  take,  the  "cup  of  trembling"  out  of  their  hand,  the 
 fame  cup  hath  been  put  into  the  hands  of  thofe  who  have  A  f- 
 flicted  them.  Contraft  the  fituation  of  priests  and 
 monks  of  the  prcfcnt  day  with  thofe  of  paft  time;  behold  their 
 .ftatcly  edifices,  and  venerable  cloifter.s,  crumbling  into 
 dust!  Confider  the  ample  revenues  they  once  enjoyed;  but 
 above  all,  contemplate  that  absolute  control  which  they 
 formerly  cxcrcifed  over  the  minds  of  mankind,  and  by 
 means  thereof  over   the  property  and  pnrk?  of  tiie  people,  and 
 
 evei> 
 
Part  IT.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  427 
 
 even  over  the  dominions  of  princes !  Where  is  now  their  influ- 
 ence ?  Have  we  not  feen  them  objects  of  compaflion  ?  There  is 
 NO  HUMILIATION  fo  great,  as  that  which  fubmits  to  receive 
 FAVOURS  from  thofe  againft  whom  hoftility  and  vindidive  paf- 
 iions  have  been  cheriflied.  When  the  patron  conceives  difplea- 
 fure  againft  the  man  he  has  patronized,  and  endeavours  to  crush 
 his  expectations,  he  fickens  if  he  does  not  fucceed ;  but  fhould 
 the  fcene  be  changed,  and  the  patron  be  reduced  to  fuch  an  ab- 
 ject STATE  that  he  is  compelled  to  accept  of  the  bounty  of  him 
 whom  he  hath  endeavoisred  in  vain  to  crush  ;  comparifon 
 muft  ceafe,  and  it  muft  be  acknowledged  that  humiliation 
 can  fcarcely  be  carried  lower  !  Have  we  not  feen  thofe  priefts 
 and  monks,  who  have  denominated  us  heretics,  fleeing  to  us  for 
 refuge,  and  accepting  that  bounty  from  Britain  which  hath  in 
 fome  meafure  mitigated  that  cruel  reverfe  of  fituation  they 
 have  experienced  !  Have  we  not  feen  the  fucceffor  of  thofe  eccle- 
 fiaftical  tyrants  who  have  denominated  us  heretics,  and  curfed  us 
 bitterly,  and  with  the  greateft  folemnity,  condescending  to 
 accept  a  body  guard  of  Britifh  dragoons  to  preferve  him  from  the 
 infults  of  thofe  who  were  once  wont  to  fall  proftrate  before 
 him,  and  humbly  to  entreat  permiflion  to  kifs  his  Hipper  ?  What 
 humiliation  can  exceed  this  humiliation  ? 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  very  true  we  can  fcarcely  form  a  ftronger 
 contraft. 
 
 Cautious.  Thofe  refined  feelings  which  are  truly  ho- 
 nourable to  thofe  who  poflefs  them,  fliould  not  be  carried  too 
 far,  left  they  betray  our  judgment. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  very  true  that  they  fhould  not ;  but  on  the  other 
 hand,  there  is  nothing  more  difgraceful  and  deteftable  than  exul- 
 tation OVER  THE  fallen  ;  and  to  this  detestation  we 
 are  doubtlefs  to  afcribe  thofe  ftrong  expreftions  of  the  learned 
 biftiop,  when  fpeaking  of  thefe  things  :  "  I  fee  therefore  nothing 
 *'  in  the  fubverfion  of  the  Gallican  church,  but  what  is  caufe  of 
 **  alarm  to  every  church  in  Chriftendom  ;  nothing  in  the  suf- 
 "  ferings  of  the  aged  pope,  which  can  be  caufe  of  exul- 
 "  tation  and  joy  in  the  heart  of  any  Chriftian ;  nothing  in  the 
 *'  indignities  and  infults  which  have  been  put  upon  him  by  low- 
 *'  BORN  MISCREANTS,  a  difgrace  to  the  reformed  religion 
 *'  which  they    profefs,   but   what   fhould  excite   horror   and 
 
 "    INDIGNATION." 
 
 Cautious.  The  Lord,  who  giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath,  and 
 all  things,  "  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations,"  (A6ls  xvii. 
 26.);  and  the  poor  and  low  born  are  as  dear  in  his  fight  as 
 the  rich  and  noble  ;  it  is  the  mifconduft  of  mankind  that  is  the 
 only  true  ground  of  reproach,  low  birth  doth  not  increafc  it ;  on 
 the  contrary,  as  it  muft  be  prefumed  that  the  low  born  have  no 
 great  advantages  from  education,   their  faults  muft  be  confidered 
 
 as 
 
428  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  Part  II. 
 
 as  capable  of  mitigation;  fine  feelings,  and  refined  fenfibility, 
 are  not  (ihank  God)  confined  to  the  great  or  noble  ! 
 
 I  entirely  agree  that  every  infult  Ihews  a  depraved  raind,  and 
 if  offered  to  fallen  greatnefs,  or  to  the  afflided,  that  it  Ihuuld 
 excite,KORROR  and  indignation;  but  if  the  affertion  is  ac- 
 knovvledgec  to  be  incoiitroverlible,  what  can  be  faid  in  mitigation 
 of  fhofe  infults,  and  of  that  opprefilon,  which  for  1400  years 
 (chiefly  by  the  means  ot  monks  and  priefts)  have  been  exercifed 
 towards  tiic  affliifed  Jews  ?  What  blood  is  fo  noble  as  that  which 
 circulates  in  their  veins  ?  and  yet  fallen  greatnefs  hath  been  no 
 protedion  to  them  !  Behold !  was  ever  forrow  like  unto  their 
 forrow  r  was  ever  afflidlion  like  unto  their  affii6lion  ?  and  yet 
 their  forrow  and  their  affiiclion  have  been  no  proteilion  to  thera, 
 but  have  as  it  were  invitee',  infult  and  opprellion  ! 
 
 But  although  the  very  idea  of  infulting  fallen  greatnefs  would 
 excite  horror  in  our  minds,  v,'e  are  not  to  lliut  our  eyes  to  the  po- 
 fitivc  declarations  of  God's  word,  for  fear  left  we  Ihould  be 
 SUSPECTED  of  encouraging  a  difpofition  which  is  fo  foreign  to 
 our  feelings.  The  cup  of  trembling  may  be  taken  out  of  the 
 hand  of  Ifrael,  and  may  be  put  into  the  hand  of  thofe  who  have 
 afflided  them,  (Ifai.  li.  22,  23.)  without  our  exulting  that  it 
 is  put  into  the  hands  of  thofe  that  have  affiided  them.  We  can 
 notice  the  fa6l,  without  exulting  at  it. 
 
 When  we  read  the  lamentation,  we  can  form  the  contraft,  and 
 fay,  *'  Is  this  the  man  that  did  make  the  earth  to  tremble,  and 
 *'  did  fliake  kingdoms?"  Ifai.  xiv.  16.  Is  this  he  that  kicked 
 off  ihe  imperial  diadem,  and  made  princes  ftand  barefoot  at  his 
 door?  How  are  the  mighty  fallen!  "  It  is  fallen!  It  is  fallen!' 
 *'  Babylon  the  great;  of  the  wine  of  her  fornication  hath  fhe 
 *'  made  all  nations  drink."  (Bengelius's  Tranilation.)  We  can 
 notice  this  contraft,  and  can  obferve  this  fall,  without  infulting 
 the  fallen,  or  exulting  at  it. 
 
 I  need  not  fay  any  thing  to  convince  you  that  the  words  adul- 
 tery and  fornication  are  frequently  ufed  in  holy  fcripture  to  de- 
 note idolatry;  and  who  is  it  that  hath  made  all  nations 
 drink  of  the  intoxicating  wine  of  her  idolatrous  fornication  ? 
 
 A  Proteftant  biihop,  merely  from  the  circumftance  of  his  being 
 a  biihop,  might  feel  a  difinclination  to  enter  into  comparifon  ;  for 
 it  is  when  comparifons  are  to  the  advantage  of  the  perfon 
 making  the  comparifon,  that  they  become  odious  ;  but  not- 
 with [landing,  it  may  be  necefTary  that  the  comparifon  fhould  be 
 made,  for  otherwife  we  cannot  obferve,  and  acknowledge  as  we 
 
 ought,    THF,   MT'RC-y   OF  GOD   TO   US   PrOTESTANTS. 
 
 We  have  in  former  times  partaken  of  the  cup  of  trembling, 
 as  well  as  the  Jews  ;  and  in  proportion  as  the  cup  of  trembling 
 hath  been  taken  out  of  their  hand,  it  hath  been  taken  out  of  our 
 hand  alfo,  and  given  into  the  hand  of  thofe  who  have  afflicted  us 
 both.     VVe  are  to  afcribe  our  blellings   to  God's  free  grace,  his 
 
 abundant 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    IX.  429 
 
 abiindant  mercy ;  we  are  not  to  mix  any  degree  of  felf-righte- 
 oufKjfs  in  the  comparilbn,  for  we  polfefs  nothing  that  we 
 ha'  e  riJ^t  received  ;  we  may  even  confefs  how  little  we  have 
 improved  and  dcferved  the  advantages  which  it  has  pleafed  God 
 to  bfcAow  upon  us ;  but  we  ihould  aft  an  ungratefal  part,  if 
 we  were  not  to  remember  with  thankfulnefs  the  blelhngs  wc 
 have  received. 
 
 To  the  mercy  of  God  it  is  that  we  arc  to  afcribe  the  circum- 
 fla;  ce  ihat  God  hath  raifed  up  in  this  land  witnesses  of  his 
 TRUTH,  who  have  taught  us  to  abhor,  deteft,  and  abjure  that 
 IDOLATR.,  which  we  as  well  as  other  nations  formerly  im- 
 bibed tro  n  the  hand  of  the  great  patron  of  idolatry.  To  the 
 r;.ercy  or  God  it  is  that  we  are  to  afcribe,  that  thefe  his  fervants 
 ha^  e  left  for  our  inllrudiion  that  noble  teftimony  againft  ido- 
 L.-.TRY  which  exlib  in  our  book  of  homilies ;  to  the  mercy  of 
 Gou  tcv/ards  iis  it  is  to  which  we  are  to  afcribe  the  fact,  that 
 P.oteflants  of  all  denominations  among  us  are  equally  inimical 
 to  idolatry,  and  almoit  univerfally  (hew  a  difpofition  to  *'  put 
 '*  aAvay  all  rancour  of  religious  diifention,"  and  ardently  defire 
 that  r.ll  they  "  who  agree  in  the  eifentials  of  our  moft  holy  faith, 
 "  and  look  for  pardon  through  the  merits  and  interceffion  of  the 
 "  Saviour,  may,  notwithilanding  their  differences  upon  points  of 
 *'  daub=.ful  opinion,  and  in  the  forms  of  external  worfliip,  ftill 
 
 *^    BE   UNITED    IN    THE    BONDS     OF    CHRISTIAN     CHARITY," 
 
 and   fulfil  that  great  commandment  of  our  blefled   Saviour,  of 
 
 LOVING   ONF.   ANOTHER,  AS  HE   HATH   LOVED   THEM. 
 
 (rorm  of  Piayer  for  the  Faft,  igth  OQ:.  1803.)  It  is  to  the 
 meicy  of  God  towards  us  that  we  are  to  afcribe  that  fpirit  of 
 loyalty  vv'hich  is  confpicuous  among  us,  and  that  importance 
 which  it  hath  pleafed  God  to  beffow  upon  Britain  in  the  fcale  of 
 empire. 
 
 When  we  confider  thefe  things,  our  hearts  fliould  overflow 
 with  gratitude  ;  when  we  confider  that  Protestant  bishops 
 AND  MINISTERS  have  not  been  fubjeftcd  to  that  fall  which 
 has  been  experienced  by  thofe  who  have  given  the  nations  to  drink 
 of  the  cup  of  idolatry,  but  that  they  have  incrcafed  and  are  in- 
 creafmg  in  refpeftability,  we  (hoidd  with  pious  gratitude  inquire, 
 "  What  fhall  I  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits  towards 
 *'  me  r"  The  anfwer  to  this  queftion  will  dire£l  us  to  beware 
 that  we  do  not  fuffer  our  principles  to  be  Ihaken,  efpecially  that 
 great  point  which  God  hath  given  us  to  profefs,  detestation 
 OF  IDOLATRY  ;  that  WC  Wait  patiently,  with  good-will  towards 
 Zion  ;  and  ardently  defire  and  pray  for  that  reltoration  of  God's 
 people  Ifrael,  which  he  hath  fo  pofitively  declared  fhall  be  ac- 
 complillied,  and  that  we  obferve  the  greatelf  vigilance  in  guard- 
 ing againft  that  horrid  idolatry  which  will  prevail  before  the 
 
 eREAT  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  ENEMIES  OF  God'STRUTH 
 ANjp    THE    OFPRESSORS    OF   God's    PEOPtE. 
 
 "    If 
 
43©  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  If. 
 
 **  If  any  man  worlhip  the  bead  and  his  image,  and  receive  his 
 **  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  the  fame  fliall  drink  of 
 "  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  wliich  is  poured  out  without 
 **  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation  ;  and  he  fhall  be  tor- 
 *'  mentedwi'h  fire  and  brimfcone  in  the  prefence  of  the  holy 
 *'  angels,  and  in  the  prefence  of  the  Lamb  :  and  the  fmoke  of 
 "^  their  torment  afcendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever  ;  and  they  have 
 **  no  reft  day  nor  night,  who  worfhip  the  beaft  and  his  image, 
 "  and  v.'hofoever  receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name,"  Rev.  xiv. 
 9—11. 
 
 TENTH    DIALOGUE. 
 
 Itt  zvhich  Rcafons  are  ghcn  for  the  Opinion,  that  the  Coming  of 
 our  Lord  in  the  Clouds  of  Heaven  with  power  and  great  Glory, 
 is  an  Event  which  will  he  difcernible  by  the  bodily  Eye ;  and  that 
 his  Angels y  whom  he  will  fend  to  gather  together  his  Eleil,  from 
 the  four  Winds,  from  one  End  of  Heaven  to  the  other,  (Matt, 
 xxiv.  29 — 31.7  ^^'^  ^^^^  Angels,  to  ivhom  he  will  commit  the 
 gathering  together  of  his  Elect,  his  beloved  Nation  the  "Jews. 
 
 CAUTIOUS  AND  ZEALOUS. 
 
 Cautious.  '\WT^  now  come  to  the  confideration  of  that  great 
 V  V  event,  the  preludes  to  which  were  in  part  the 
 fubje£l  of  our  laft  converfation ;  it  is  the  most  important 
 tVENT  that  can  engage  the  attention  of  a  believer  in  the  word 
 of  God,  and  there  is  fcarce  a  fubjeft  on  which  a  Chriftian  fhould 
 more  anxioufly  defire  to  be  kept  from  error  ;  this  is  ever  urged 
 as  the  motive  to  watchfulness,  and  the  circumftance  that 
 it  will  be  accompliflied  in  a  day  and  hour  unknown  to  men  and 
 angels,  which  was  unknown  to  our  Lord  himfelf  in  the  days  of 
 his  humiliation,  is  \ifed  as  an  additional  motive  to  induce  us  to 
 watchfulnefs,  and  preparation  for  it  :  *'  Watch  therefore  :  for 
 "  ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come,"  Matt.  xxiv. 
 42. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  well  aware  of  the  great  importance  of  the 
 fubjed,  and  that  the  cautions  to  obferve  a  conftant  watchfulnefs 
 in  expe£lation  of  it  abound  in  the  New  Teftament ;  I  have  no- 
 ticed that,  whilft  in  St.  Matthew's  gofpel,  the  event  itfelf  is 
 defcribed  in  three  verfes,  (v.  29 — 31.)  the  cautions  to  watchful- 
 nefs and  preparation  for  the  coming  of  our  Lord  occupy  forty- 
 five 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  431 
 
 five  verfes,  (Matt.  xxiv.  36.  to  xxv.  30.)  and  I  admit  that  of  all 
 fubje6ls  it  is  that  on  which  we  Ihould  moft  anxioufly  defire  to  be 
 kept  from  error ;  for  the  abundance  of  the  cautions  to  obferve 
 watchfuhiefs,  indicate,  that  there  is  great  danger  in  being 
 off  our  guard,  or  otherwife  unprepared;  and  it  is  pofitively  de- 
 clared, that  the  event  will  happen  at  a  time  when  many  will  be 
 far  from  expelling  it  :  "  Take  heed  to  yourfelves,  left  at  any 
 "  time  your  hearts  be  overcharged  with  furfeiting,  and  drunken- 
 *'  nefs,  and  cares  of  this  life,  and  fo  that  day  come  upon 
 *'  you  unawares.  For  as  a  snare  fhall  it  come  on  all  them 
 **  that  dwell  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.  Watch  yc 
 **  therefore,  and  pray  always,  that  ye  may  be  accounted  worthy 
 **  to  efcape  all  thefe  things  that  fhall  come  to  pafs,  and  to  fland  ■ 
 **  before  the  Son  of  man,''  Luke  xxi.  34 — 36.  **  The  day  of 
 *'  the  Lord  fo  Cometh  as  a  thief  in  the  night:  for  when 
 *'  they  fhall  fay,  Peace  and  fafety,  then  fudden  deftrudion 
 *'  Cometh  upon  them,  as  travail  upon  a  woman  with  child  ;  and 
 **  they  fliall  not  efcape,"  x  ThelT.  v.  2,  3.  2  Pet.  iii.  10.  Matt. 
 xxiv.  43.  Luke  xli.  39. 
 
 Caufious.  St.  Peter  prophefieth  of  a  denial  of  the  certainty 
 of  his  coming :  "There  Ihiill  come  in  the  laft  days  fcoffers, 
 "  walking  after  their  own  lulls,  and  faying,  Where  is  the 
 "  promife  of  his  doming?  for  fince  the  fathers  fell  afleep,  a4i 
 **  things  continue  as  they  were  from  the  beginning  of  the  crea- 
 *'  tion,"  2  Pet.  iii.  3,  4.  We  have  had  to  witnefs  fuch  impiety, 
 and  our  faith  fhould  be  confirmed,  and  not  fliaken  thereby. 
 There  is  reafon  for  watchhilnefs,  left  we  Ihould  miftake;  for 
 fliortly  previous  to  his  coming  many  will  come  in  the  name  of 
 our  Lord,  faying,  "  I  am  Chriit,"  and  will  *'  deceive  many," 
 (v.  5,)  :  '*  Many  falfe  prophets  fliall  arife,  and  fliall  decei\e 
 **  many,"  (v.  ii.):  **  There  fhall  arife  falfe  Chriits  and  falfe 
 *'  prophets,  and  fhall  fhew  great  figns  and  \\onders,  infomuch 
 "  that  (if  it  were  pofSblej  they  fhall  deceive  the  very  ele^t," 
 (v.  24.)  :  if,  therefore,  we  were  to  think  that  external  violence 
 from,  thefe  impoltors  is  that  which  we  have  chiefly  to  watch  and 
 guard  againft,  that  barefaced  idolatry  would  be  propofed  To 
 us,  under  penalty  of  death  to  non-conformifts,  we  fliould  be  under 
 a  moft  grievous  miftake.  This  is  the  ultimatum  ;  but.  it  is  pre- 
 ceded by  delufion,  by  feduiSlion,  by  appeals  to  figns  and  wonders, 
 to  delude  and  feduce  ;  the  great  adveriarv  n  ill  not  only  be  fealed 
 in  the  temple  of  God,  but  he  will  endeavour  to  convince  man- 
 kind,   and  SHEW  HIMSELF    THAT    HE    IS  GOD,    2  ThejL  it.  4. 
 
 There  will  be  fomething  very  deluding,  very  wonderful  in  his 
 appearance,  which  will  delude  multitudes  to  the  acknowledgm.ent 
 ot  the  jultice  of  his  prctenlions  :  a  wound  unto  death  is  fpoken  of, 
 and  yet  this  deadly  wo\md  is  healed  ;  fo  that  '*  all  the  world 
 "  wondered  after  the  bealt.  And  they  worfhipped  the  dragon 
 *'  which  gave  power  unto  the  beait :  ;And  they  worfliipped  th« 
 
 ■•-•  beait. 
 
4ae  DIALOGUE     X.  Part  IL 
 
 **  beaft,  faying,  Who  is  like  unto  the  beaft  ?  who  is  able  to 
 **  make  war  with  him?"  Rev.  xiii.  3,  4.  His  military  fuccefs 
 is  ufed  as  an  argument  to  prove  the  juftice  of  his  pretenfions,  and 
 that  the  faints  againft  whom  he  makes  war,  and  whom  he  over- 
 comes, are  not  faints,  but  fmners.  The  true  faints  are  tnen 
 grown  into  almoft  univerfal  contempt,  iniquity  abounds,  and  the 
 love  of  many  (to  the  truth)  wa>;es  cold  ;  iiapious  impoitors  have 
 arifen  and  become  the  deteftation  of  mankind,  and  the  faints  are 
 by  an  unjuft  judgment  claffed  with  thefe;  the  great  falfe  prophet 
 arifeth,  and,  as  his  motives  appear  difmterefted,  (for  it  is  the  di- 
 vinity and  power  of  the  firft  beaft  that  he  feeks  to  eftablilh)  he  is 
 enabled  to  delude  many:  his  appearance  is  moll  plauiible,  for  he 
 hath  a  lamb-like  appearance,  although  he  fpeaketh  like  a  dragon. 
 Rev.  xiii.  11.  **  He  doeth  great  wonders,  fo  that  he  maketh 
 •'  fire  come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth,  in  the  fight  of  men ; 
 **  and  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  by  the  means 
 **  of  thofe  miracles  which  he  had  power  to  do,  in  the  fight  of  the 
 **  beaft,  faying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they 
 **  SHOULD  make  an  image  to  the  beaft,  which  had  the  wound  by 
 **  a  fword,  and  did  live.  And  he  had  power  to  give  life  unto 
 **  the  image  of  the  beaft,  that  the  image  of  the  beaft  ftiould  both 
 **  fpeak,  and  caufe  that  as  m.any  as  would  not  worfhip  the  image 
 i^  of  the  beaft  fiiould  be  killed,"    Rev.  xiii.    13 — 1,5. 
 
 Zealous.  That  watchfulnefs  we  are  required  to  exercife,  is 
 to  be  direfted  to  guard  with  as  much  folicitude  againft  a  furprife 
 under  falfe  colours,  as  againft  open  barefaced  idolatry  and  vio- 
 lence. 
 
 Cautious.  Thofe  fcoffcrs  who  fay,  "  Where  is  the  promife  of 
 '*  his  coming?"  (2  Pet.  iii.  4.)  are  not  the  moft  dangerous ;  an 
 open  enemy,  though  more  malignant,  is  oiten  not  fo  dangerous 
 as  a  miftaken  friend.  If,  therefore,  we  were  to  be  led,  by  re- 
 fped:  for  learned  men,  to  adopt  the  idea  that  this  coming  of  our 
 Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,  was 
 accomplilhed  many  ages  paft  in  an  allegorical  manner,  (Bifliop 
 Warburton's  Julian,  book  i.  ch.  1.  p.  21,  &c.  2d  edit.  Bilhop 
 Newton,  vol.  ii.  p.  307.)  it  would  virtually  be  obliterating  all 
 thefe  urgent  exhortations  to  watchfulnefs,  and  expc6lation  of  the 
 accompliihment  of  the  great  event.  If  we  were  to  be  led  to 
 adopt  the  opinion  (and  it  was  the  prevailing  opinion  a  very  few 
 years  ago)  that  the  defcriptir>n  of  the  great  enenues  contained  in 
 2  Thelf,  ii.  Rev,  xiii.  xvii.  and  xviii.  had  already  received  its  full 
 accompliftiment  in  the  Papacy  ;  that  the  evil  times  were  paft,  and 
 THE  MILLENIUM,  a  time  of  peace  and  ferenity,.  was  about  to 
 commence  ;  would  not  this  naturally  tend  to  prepare  us  to  fall 
 into  the  delufions  of  the  enernv  ?  If  we  are  led  to  adopt  the 
 opinion,  that  the  only  accompliihment  that  thefe  words  declaring 
 *'  the  coming  of  our  Lord,"  will  receive,  will  be,  that  there 
 will  be  a  NEW  and  more  powerful  promulgation  of 
 
 TH& 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  433 
 
 THE  GOSPEL,  might  it  not  lead  thofe  who  adopt  it  to  be  deluded 
 by  the  powerful  preaching  of  the  falfe  prophet  ? 
 
 Zealous.     Do  you  then  confider  the  falfe  prophet  as  a  preacher  ? 
 
 Cautious.  In  Revelation  xvi.  13.  and  xix.  20.  that 
 wicked  one  (who  is  in  Revelation  the  13th  denominated 
 a  beafl:  com.ing  up  out  of  the  earth)  is  called  the  falfe 
 prophet.  What  is  the  bufinefs  of  a  prophet,  but  to  declare  the 
 DIVINE  WILL?  You  may  call  it  what  you  pleafe,  but  he  who 
 fhould  prefume  to  afTert  the  propriety  of  conformity  to  any  reli- 
 gion, whether  true  or  falfe,  mult  in  fome  degree  at  lead  be  con- 
 iidered  in  the  light  of  a  preacher  of  it  ;  but  it  he  fnould  affert  his 
 miflion  to  be  divine,  if  he  fhould  perform  great  wonders,  and 
 make  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth,  in  the  fight 
 of  men,  to  convince  them  that  the  religion  which  he  endeavours 
 to  fupport,  is  truth  ;  furely,  in  fuch  cafe,  it  mufl  be  admitted, 
 that  he  is  not  only  a  preacher,  but  a  powerful  preacher  too. 
 His  efforts  and  delufions  are  exerted  to  eflablilh  idolatry  ; 
 and  it  is  deferving  of  mature  confideration,  whether  it  is  not  a 
 revival  of  ancient  idolatry,  in  favour  whereof  this  falfe  prophet 
 exerts  his  delufions. 
 
 It  was  the  opinion  of  the  very  learned  Bengelius,  that  although 
 the  13th  chapter  of  the  Revelation  was  in  part  fulfilled  in  the 
 Papacy,  in  former  times ;  and  although  Rome  was  and  is  the 
 great  Babylon  defcribed  in  Revelation  xvii.  ;  yet  that  the 
 great  Antichrifl  was  to  be  confidered  as  an  individual  then 
 to  come,  the  lafl  head  of  the  Papacy,  who  would  exceed  in 
 power  all  his  predecefTors ;  fo  that  thofe  pretenfions  which  the 
 Papacy  could  never  get  mankind,  and  princes  efpecially,  wholly 
 to  fubmit  to,  would  be  exercifed  for  a  time  with  Satanic  power 
 and  intolerance  by  him.  I  do  not  feel  inclined  to  controvert 
 this  opinion,  but  it  mufl  I  think  be  admitted  that  the  great 
 Antichrifl,  be  he  who  he  may,  is  a  military  man,  a  great 
 GENERAL,  a  SUCCESSFUL  WARRIOR;  for  it  is  this,  and  his 
 recovery  of  his  dreadful  wound,  that  excites  the  wonder  of  man- 
 kind :  "  And  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  beafl,  and  they 
 *'  worfhipped  the  dragon  that  gave  power  unto  the  beafl,  and 
 **  they  worfhipped  the   beafl,    faying.  Who   is    like    unto 
 
 <'    THE  BEAST  ?    WhO   IS  ABLE  TO   MAKE  WAR  WITH   HIM  ?" 
 
 Zealous.  It  mufl  be  admitted,  that  in  matters  of  fuch  great 
 importance  we  cannot  be  too  vigilant.  And  as  the  befl  guards 
 againft  both  force  and  delufion  are  contained  in  the  very 
 WORDS  of  our  bleff-'d  Saviour,  we  will,  if  you  pleafe,  proceed 
 to  the  confideration  of  them. 
 
 Cautious.  Being  permitted  to  dete£l  error,  is  the  next  flep  to 
 the  attainment  of  truth  \  let  us  then  proceed  in  this  way,  and 
 liflen  for  a  moment  to  the  allegations  of  the  deceivers  :  **  /  atn 
 *'  Chr'ijl ;  and  the  time  draweth  neavy"  Luke  xxi.  8.  To  this 
 allegation  it  might  be  replied,  *'  That  the  time  draweth  near, 
 
 3  K  <*  or 
 
434  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 "  or  at  leafl:  that  It  is  not  very  remote,  we  have  good  reafon  to 
 **  believe  ;  bccaufe  we  are  taught  to  expecSl  falfe  Chrifts,  falfc 
 **  prophets,  and  impoftors,  before  the  coming  again  of  the  true 
 **  Chrift  :  you  affert  thai:  you  are  the  true  Chriit,  and  you  pof- 
 **  fibly  may  DECEIVE  many,  (Matt.  xxiv.  5.);  but  you  are 
 **  an  impoflor,  for  you  do  not  come  in  that  manner  in  which  the 
 **  Lord  hath  declared  that  he  cometh." 
 
 Xealous.  When  a  man  bears  witnefs  concerning  himfelf,  he 
 certainly  fubje<5ls  himfelf  to  the  imputation  that  his  witnefs  is  not 
 true  ;  we  will  therefore  proceed  to  confider  the  teftimony  of 
 thofe  who  do  not  bear  witnefs  of  themfelves. 
 
 Cautious.  Thefe  declare,  *'  Behold  he  is  in  the  dcfert ;"  ^^  Be- 
 *'  hold  he  is  in  the  Jecret  chambers."  In  the  defert  ?  In  the  fecret 
 chambers  ?  and  not  obferved  by  us,  who  have  with  fo  much  dili- 
 gence and  folicitude  watched  for  and  waited  in  expeftation  of  his 
 appearance  ?  *'  Tesy  you  have  ignorantly  expeSted,  that  his  appear- 
 *'  ance  zvould  be  fuch  an  appearance  in  the  clouds  of  heaven y  as  would 
 *^  be  the  ohje£l  ofvifion  to  the  bodily  eye  ;  in  this  you  are  contradicted 
 **  by  moji  learned,  men y  and  the  event  proves  that  they  are  in  the  right ; 
 *^  for  behold  he  is  in  the  desert,  or  in  the  secret  cham- 
 **  BERS.  The  ftgns  and  ivonders  performed  by  him,  prove  that  he 
 "  is  the  Chri/i.  Come  and  behold  the  Jigns  and  zvonders  performed  by 
 '*  hi77iy  and  then  you  will  by  demonjlration  be  convinced,  that  what  I 
 *'  affert  is  truth."  Have  I  put  too  many  words  into  the  mouth 
 of  this  deceiver  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  do  not  think  you  have,  for  it  feems  to  me  to  be  all 
 implied  in  the  allegation.  Whether  we  confider  thofe  who  make 
 ufe  of  thefe  allegations  as  deceivers,  who  for  fmifter  purpofes  re- 
 fort  to  them  with  intent  to  deceive  ;  or  as  fome  of  thofe  who, 
 being  deceived  themfelves,  have  a  zeal  for  error,  and  (without 
 knowing  it  to  be  error)  feek  to  make  converts  ;  yet  this  is  clear, 
 that  they  aflert  that  the  great  event  is  accomplished,  that 
 Chrili  IS  come,  (Matt.  xxiv.  29 — 31.)  i  ^"^1  the  very  circum- 
 ftance  of  their  endeavouring  to  convince  mankind  that  he  is  come, 
 **  Behold  he  is  in  the  desert  ;" — **  Behold  he  is  in 
 *'  the  secret  chambers  ;"  proves,  that  the  coming  of 
 which  they  endeavour  to  convince  mankind,  is  a  secret  coming, 
 unattended  with  effects  which  would  arreft  the  attention  of  all 
 mankind. 
 
 Cautious.  Well,  then,  in  what  manner  would  you  reply  to 
 fuch  a  deceiver  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  fliould  in  the  firfl:  place  repeat  the  13th  chapter  of 
 Deuteronomy,  to  prove  that  figns  and  wonders  are  not  concluiive 
 evidence  of  truth,  but  that,  for  the  trial  of  the  faith  of  the  pro- 
 felfors  of  true  religion,  it  is  poffible  for  fuch  events  to  be  per- 
 mitted, (v.  3.);  I  Ihould  in  the  next  place  refort  to,  and  urge 
 the  very  words  of  our  Lord,  which  we  have  been  confidering,  to 
 dcte<^  their  errors,  and  to  prove  that  we  arc  not  to  go  forth  to 
 
 feek 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  435 
 
 feek  him  in  the  defert,  or  in  the  fecret  chambers  :  "  If  they  fhall 
 *'  fay  unto  you.  Behold,  he  is- in  the  defert;  go  not  forth  : 
 *'  behold,  he  is  in  the  fecret  chambers;  believe  it  not. 
 *'  For  as  the  lightning  cometh  out  of  the  eaft,  and  fliineth 
 "  even  unto  the  weft ;  so  shall  the  coming  of  the  Son 
 **  OF  MAN  BE,"  Matt.  xxiv.  26,  27.  And  I  fhould  endeavour 
 to  fliew,  that  although  the  fervants  of  God  may  be  admonifhed 
 to  flee  out  of  Babylon,  **  Come  out  of  her  my  people,"  they 
 are  not  fo  admonifhed  to  come  out  of  her,  and  retire  into  the 
 wildernefs  or  defert,  under  the  idea  that  the  true  Mefllah  is  come 
 again,  and  then  a£lually  in  the  defert ;  but  it  is  to  avoid  being 
 involved  in  the  fins  and  awful  judgment  of  Babylon,  that  is  the 
 ground  of  the  admonition  to  them  to  come  out  of  her  :  '*  Come_ 
 *'  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of 
 
 "    her      sins,      and      that      YE      RECEIVE       NOT      OF      HER 
 
 *'  PLAGUES,"  Rev.  xviii.  4.  The  true  church  may  have  to  flee 
 into  the  wildernefs,  (Rev.  xii.J  and  will  be  enabled  fo  to  do, 
 (v.  14.)  ;  but  it  is  not  from  any  idea  that  the  true  Mefliah  is 
 come  again,  and  to  be  found  in  the  wildernefs,  that  fhe  thus 
 fleeth  ;'  but  that  flie  may  be  **  nourifhed  "  and  protedled  from  the 
 aflaults  of  the  ferpent.  Rev.  xii.  14. 
 
 Cautious.  And,  finally,  you  might  add,  that  the  very  circum- 
 ftance  of  their  endeavouring  to  convince  you  that  the  coming 
 AGAIN  of  our  Lord  hath  taken  place,  (Matt.  xxiv.  30.)  proves 
 that  they  are  deceivers ;  for  when  the  event  takes  place,  it  will 
 be  SUFFICIENTLY  EVIDENT;  it  wiU  be  as  the  lightning 
 which  cometh  out  of  the  call,  and  fhineth  even  unto  the  weft  ; 
 
 *'   so  SHALL  THE   COMING  OF  THE  SoN  OF  MAN   BE:"    it  Will 
 
 be  SUDDEN,  and  alas!  to  many  unexpected  ! 
 
 Zealous.  If  it  comes  unexpedledly,  and  as  a  snare,  it  how- 
 ever mufi:  be  admitted,  that  never  was  there  more  urgent  cautions 
 given  to  guard  againft  fuch  a  furprife,  than  by  our  blefled  Lord  ; 
 (Matt.  xxiv.  XXV.)  and  thofe  who  pay  due  attention  to  his 
 blelfed  word,  will  not  be  furprifed  by  the  event,  but  will  with 
 pious  awe  be  found  expelling  it. 
 
 Cautious.  Thofe  who  are  in  darkness  it  is  who  will  be 
 taken  unexpedledly ;  and  darknefs  is  darknefs,  whether  it  blinds 
 the  eyes  of  the  ignorant  enthufiaft,  or  of  the  learned  controver- 
 fialift,  (Matt.  vi.  23,  Luke  xi.  34.)  ;  and  therefore  if  thofe  who 
 have  held  the  higheft  ftations  in  the  church,  and  been  dignified 
 with  titles  from  all  the  univerfities  in  Chriftendom,  were  to  have 
 taught  us  to  put  an  allegorical  interpretation  upon  thefe  words, 
 and  to  have  endeavoured  to  perfuade  us  either  that  the  event  is 
 pafl:,  or  the  accomplifhment  of  it  to  be  expelled,  in  any  othibl 
 w/^  Y  than  is  declared  in  the  very  words  of  Clirill  our  Lord,  it  is 
 our  duty,  to  the  extent  of  our  ability,  to  guard  againft  such 
 darkness  ;  for  it  is  thofe,  and  thofe  only,  who  prize  the  words 
 OF  Christ  above  human  learning  and  every  other  confideration, 
 
 that 
 
436  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 that  will  be  found  prepared,  and  properly  '*  waiting  for  the 
 *'  coming  of  our  Lord  Jefus  Chrill/'  (i  Cor.  i.  7.)  ;  of  thefe  it 
 may  be  faid,  *'  But  ye,  brethren,  are  not  in  darkness,  that 
 "  that  day  Ihould  overtake  you  as  a  thief,"  1  Thefl".  v,  4. 
 When  this  great  day  arrives,  when  this  important  hour 
 commences,  it  will  be  impossible  to  retain  a  miftakcn  opinion 
 concerning  it,  and  therefore  it  will  not  then  admit  of  two  opi- 
 nions concerning  it.  When  the  rain  defcended,  and  the  ark 
 began  to  be  lifted  up  from  the  furface  of  the  earth,  did  the  houfe 
 of  Noah  ftand  in  any  need  of  further  declarations  of  the  divine  will, 
 as  to  the  mode  in  which  the  denunciation  would  be  accompliOied  ? 
 Behold  the  difobedient,  who  regarded  not  the  preaching  of  Noah, 
 fleeing  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains  !  Were  they  not  convinced 
 BY  the  event  r  Day  after  day  the  torrent  advances,  and  they 
 are  at  length  buried  in  the  deep  !  Gen.  vii.  17 — 24.  This  very 
 hiltoric  fail  is  reforted  to  by  our  bleiled  Lord,  as  illuftrative  of 
 the  fubject.    See  Matt.  xxiv.  37 — 42. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  convinced,  that  when  the  event  arrives  there 
 will  be  an  entire  uniformity  of  opinion  concerning  it ;  and  al- 
 though to  fome  it  will  afford  the  greateft  felicity,  and  to  others 
 the  greateft  diftrefs,  yet  that  there  will  then  be  no  need  of  refort- 
 ing  to  arguments  to  prove  that  it  is  accomplilhed,  and  there- 
 fore all  thofe,  be  they  who  they  may,  who  would  perfuade  man- 
 kind that  the  event  is  accomplillied,  are  deceivers  and  deceived. 
 
 Cautious.  Bleffed  are  thofe  who  look  forward  to,  and  '*  love 
 "  HIS  appearing/'    (2  Tim,  iv.    8.);    for  ''  Behold    he 
 
 "  COMETH  WITH  CLOUDS,  AND  EVERY  EYE  SHALL  SEE 
 **  HIM,  AND  THEY  ALSO  WHICH  PIERCED  HIM:  AND  ALL 
 **    KINDREDS    OF    THE     EARTH    SHALL    WAIL     BECAUSE    OF 
 
 **  HIM.  Even  SO,  Amen!"  Rev.  i.  7.  *' The  Lord  whom 
 •*  ye  feek,  fliall  fuddenly  come  to  his  temple,  even  the  melTenger 
 *'  of  the  covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in:  behold,  he  fliall  come, 
 *'  faith  the  Lord  of  hofts !  But  who  may  abide  the  day  of  his 
 **  coming  ?  and  who  fliall  ftand  when  he  appeareth  ?  for  he  is 
 *'  like  a  refiner's  fire,  and  like  fullers'  foap  :  and  he  fliall  fit  as 
 **  a  refiner,  and  purifier  of  filver :  and  he  fliall  purify  the  fons 
 **  of  Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and  filver,  that  they  may 
 *'  offer  unto  the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteoufnefs.  Then  fhall 
 *'  the  offering  of  Judah  and  Jerufalem  be  pleafant  unto  the  Lord, 
 *'  as  in  the  days  of  old,  and  as  in  former  years,"  Mai.  iii.  1 — 4. 
 *'  Behold,  the  day  cometh,  that  fliall  burn  as  an  oven,  and  all  the 
 *'  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  fliall  be  ftubble  :  and  the 
 **  day  that  cometh  fliall  burn  them  up,  faith  the  Lord  of  hofts, 
 *'  that  it  fhall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch,"  Mai.  iv.  1. 
 
 Zealous.  I  have  already,  In  a  former  converfation,  admitted, 
 that  the  Jewish  tribulation  has  been  a  long  tribulation; 
 and  that  it  is  when  the  Jewifh  tribulation  is  accomplifhed  that 
 this  GREAT  DAY  approacheth  :  '<  Immediately  after  the 
 
 <<    TRIBU". 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  437 
 
 *'  TRIBULATION  OF  THOSE  DAYS  "  it  IS,  that  we  are  to  look 
 for  the  coming  of  our  Lord  '*  in  the    clouds  of    heaven 
 
 "    WITH    POWER    AND    GREAT   GLORY,"    Matt.    xxiv.    29,    30. 
 
 We  will  now,  if  you  pleafe,  proceed  to  the  very  words  in  which 
 the  coming  of  our  Lord  is  fo  particularly  mentioned:  **  Immedi- 
 *'  ately  atter  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days  fhall  the  fun  be  dark- 
 *'  cned,  and  the  moon  iliall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  ftars 
 *'  ihall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  fhall 
 *'  be  fhaken  :  and  then  fhall  appear  the  fign  of  the  Son  of  man 
 *'  in  heaven:  and  then  fliall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn, 
 **  and  they  fhall  fee  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
 "  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  And  he  fhall  fend  his 
 **  angels  with  a  great  found  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  fhall  gather 
 *'  together  his  eleft  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  hea- 
 "  ven  to  the  other,"  Matt.  xxiv.  29 — 31.  I  prefume,  from 
 what  you  have  already  faid,  that  you  believe  that  the  fun  will 
 really  and  actually  be  darkened  ;  and  the  moon  not  give  her  light ; 
 and  the  ftars  fall  from  heaven;  and  the  powers  of  the  hea- 
 vens be  fhaken.  I  know  that  you  are  not  ignorant  of  the  general 
 principles  of  aftronomy  ;  and  I  need  not  fuggeft  to  you,  that 
 philofophers  and  aftronomers  would  raife  objections  to  the 
 LITERAL  accomplifliment  of  thefe  words. 
 
 Cautious.  Words  fometimes  from  circumflances  alter  their 
 fignification  ;  the  word  liberty  hath  lately  undergone  this 
 change.  When  wicked  men,  under  the  mafk  of  zeal  for  liberty, 
 commit  enormities  which  raife  the  aftonifhment  and  indignation 
 of  mankind,  we  deteft  the  very  found  of  the  word,  on  account  of 
 its  being  thus  perverted.  The  word  philosophy  alfo  hath 
 been  in  like  manner  perverted  from  its  true  fignification  :  if  thofe 
 denominated  philofophers  depart  from  the  true  love  of  wis- 
 dom, which  the  word  implies,  and  become  vain  in  their  imagi- 
 nations, (Rom.  i.  21 — 23.)  and  contemptuous  towards  thofe  to 
 whom  it  hath  pleafed  God  to  give  wifdom,  that  they  themfelves 
 do  not  pofTefs,  (A6ls  xvii.  18.);  if  they  oppofe  true  wifdom,  the 
 word  philofophy  fo  far  changes  its  fignification  (at  leaft  in  com- 
 mon acceptation)  that  it  revolts  the  feelings  of  thofe  who  lament 
 the  perverfion  of  it.  Thus  St.  Paul,  in  his  epiftle  to  the  Co- 
 loflians,  faith  :  "  Beware  left  any  man  fpoil  you  through  phi- 
 *'  losophy  and  vain  deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men,  after 
 "  the  rudiments  of  the  world,  and  not  after  Chrift,"  Col.  ii.  8. 
 He  doth  not,  in  thefe  words,  difcommend  the  true  love  of  wif- 
 dom, true  philofophy,  but  the  falfe,  the  counterfeit  of  it ;  for 
 he  himfelf,  in  his  epiftle  to  the  Romans,  points  out  that  the 
 knowledge  of  God's  works  (which  is  true  philofophy)  leads 
 mankind  to  the  knowledge  of  the  divine  perfedlions,  which  is 
 true  religion,  Romans  i.  18 — 20. 
 
 As  the  profeffors  of  corrupted  philofophy  were,  in  ancient 
 limes,  the  mofl  implacable  enemies  to  revealed  religion  ;  fo  have 
 
 the 
 
4x8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 rsij 
 
 the  pretended  philofophers  of  thcfc  days  increafed  in  malignity 
 towards  it ;  fo  much  fo,  that  the  very  term  hath  become  odious. 
 But  even  the  malice  of  the  enemies  to  revealed  religion  is  over- 
 ruled^ and  in  like  manner  as  herefTes  have  given  occafion  to 
 the  advocates  for  truth,  to-  defend  the  Chriftian  verity,  and  to 
 cUipel  ignorance  concerning  it;  fo  have  the  malicious  infinuations 
 •and  uniounded  objections  of  pretended  philofophers  given  occa- 
 iion  to  true  philofophers,  Chriftian  philofophers,  to  prove  the 
 truth  of  the  fa£ls  recorded  in  the  books  of  Mofes.  We  are  con- 
 firmed in  the  belief  of  ancient  hiilory,  by  the  exiftence  of  the 
 ruins  of  ancient  buildings,  and  the  difcovery  of  ancient  coins, 
 ■s^hich  corroborate  the  facts  related  in  ancient  authors;  and,  in 
 like  manner,  geologifts  have  proved  the  great  fa6t  related  by 
 Mofes  of  the  univerfal  deluge,  by  the  prefent  ftate  of  the  earth  on 
 which  we  dwell.  True  philofophy  cannot  fhake,  but  muft  con- 
 firm the  truth  of  God's  word.  If,  therefore,  miners  difcover 
 marine  produdlions  deep  buried  in  the  eai*th,  or  the  bones  of  ani- 
 mals which  do  not,  cannot  nov/  inhabit  the  countries  in  which 
 their  bones  are  found  deep  buried  in  the  earth  ;  w^e  can  appeal  to 
 thefe  fails  to  prove  the  truth  of  the  Mofaic  account  of  the  flood, 
 with  as  much  confidence  as  the  hiftorian  would  appeal  to  the  ruins 
 of  Rome,  or  to  a  feries  of  medals,  to  prove  the  exiftence  of  the 
 Roman  emperors.  Aftronomy,  geology,  eleftricity,  chemiftry, 
 and  every  other  branch  of  knowledge,  confirm  the  truth  of  God's 
 ivord.  Are  we  taught  by  aftronomy  to  confider  the  planets  as 
 ■worlds  like  that  on  which  we  dwell,  and  the  fixed  ftars  as  the 
 funs  of  other  fyftems  t  It  confirms  the  truth  of  God's  word, 
 which  reprefents  his  works  as  immense  :  "  The  nations  are  as 
 **  the  drop  of  a  bucket,  and  are  accounted  as  the  fmall  dust  of 
 **  the  balance"  in  his  fight,  who  "  hath  meafured  the  waters  in 
 *'  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and  meted  out  heaven  with  a  fpan, 
 **  and  comprehended  the  dult  of  the  earth  in  a  meafure,  and 
 "  weighed  the  mountains  in  fcalcs,  and  the  hills  in  a  balance," 
 Ifai.  xL  12,  1,5.  Have  they  been  enabled  to  afcertain  with  the 
 utmoft  precifion  that  the  tides  are  produced  by  the  attraction  of 
 the  moon,  and  that  a  comet  might  produce  the  fame  efFecl  in  a 
 much  greater  degree  ;  and  to  obferve  that  a  very  conliderable 
 efFe6l  was  produced  upon  the  largeft  planet  in  our  fyrtem  by  the 
 approach  of  a  comet  towards  it  ?  Although  we  ftand  in  no  need 
 ot  fuch  circumftances  to  confirm  the  truth  of  God's  v/ord,  or  to 
 convince  us  how  eafy  it  is  for  him  by  whofe  command  they  move, 
 to  make  ufe  of  them  to  produce  great  changes,  yet  do  they,  when 
 rightly  confidered,  increafe  our  faith.  The  fame  may  be  faid 
 concerning  the  knowledge  derived  from  the  ftudy  of  the  nature 
 and  properties  of  the  air,  and  the  knowledge  of  chemiftry  and 
 electricity.  The  true  knowledge  of  God's  works,  which  is  true 
 philofophy,  leads  us  to  admire  the  wifdom  obfervable  in  that 
 combination  of  tlicm  which  produces  fuch  beneficial  efFedls  ;  to 
 
 adore 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  4^^ 
 
 adore  him  who  hath  difplaycd  his  power,  his  wifdom,  and  good- 
 nefs,  in  their  creation  and  prefervation  ;  and  furely  in  no  one  in- 
 ftance  is  the  power,  the  wifdom,  and  the  goodnefs  of  the  great 
 Creator  more  oblervable  than  in  that  capacity  which  he  hath 
 given  to  man  to  underftand  thefe  things,  and  to  admire  and  adore 
 the  Creator  of  heaven  and  the  earth,  the  fea,  and  the  fountains 
 of  waters!  Rev.  xiv.  7.  Rom.  i.  20.  *'  Sing  unto  the  Lord 
 **  with  thankfgiving ;  ling  praife  upon  the  harp  unto  our  God: 
 **  who  covereth  the  heaven  with  clouds,  who  prepareth  rain  for 
 **  the  earth,  who  maketh  grafs  to  grow  upon  the  mountains. 
 *'  He  giveth  to  the  bead  his  food,  and  to  the  young  ravens  whicli 
 *'  cry,"  Pf.  cxlvii.  7 — 9.  *'  Praife  ye  the  Lord.  Praife  ye 
 *'  the  Lord  from  the  heavens  :  praife  him  in  the  heights.  Praite 
 "  ye  him,  all  his  angels  :  praife  ye  him,  all  his  hofts.  Praife  yc 
 **  him,  fun  and  moon:  praife  him,  all  ye  ftars  of  light.  Praife 
 **  him,  ye  heaven  of  heavens,  and  ye  waters  that  be  above  the 
 *'  heavens.  Let  them  praife  the  name  of  the  Lord  :  for  he  com- 
 *'  manded,  and  they  were  created.  He  hath  alfo  ftablifhed  them 
 *'  for  ever  and  ever  :  he  hath  made  a  decree  v/hich  Ihall  not  pafs. 
 **  Praife  the  Lord  from  the  earth,  ye  dragons,  and  all  deeps;: 
 **  fire,  and  hail;  fnow,  and  vapour;  ftormy  wind  fulfilling  his 
 *'  word  :  mountains,  and  all  hills  ;  fruitful  trees,  and  all  cedars: 
 *'  beafts,  and  all  cattle;  creeping  things,  and  flying  fowl:  kings 
 **  of  the  earth,  and  all  people  ;  princes,  and  all  judges  of  the 
 *'  earth:  both  young  men,  and  m.aidens;  old  men,  and  chil- 
 "  dren  :  let  them  praife  the  name  of  the  Lord:  for  his  nam>:; 
 **  alone  is  excellent;  his  glory  is  above  the  earth  and  heaven. 
 *'  He  alfo  exalteth  the  horn  of  his  people,  the  praife  ot  all  his 
 *'  faints  ;  even  of  the  children  of  Ifrael,  a  people  near  unto  him, 
 *'  Praife  ye  the  Lord,"  Pf.  cxlviii.  But  above  all,  let  us  praife 
 him  for  his  love  to  us  miferable  finners  :  '*  God  fo  loved  the 
 "  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whofoev^r  be- 
 *'  lieveth  in  him  Ihould  not  periih,  but  have  everlasting 
 *'  LIFE.  For  God  fent  not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condema 
 **  the  world:  but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be 
 "  SAVED,"  John  iii.  16,   17,     His   mercy  endureth   for 
 
 EVER. 
 
 As  furely  as  there  was  thick  darknefs  which  endured  three 
 days  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  (Exod.  x.  22.)  ;  as  furely  as  there 
 was  darknefs  over  all  the  land  at  the  crucifixion  of  our  Saviour, 
 (Matt,  xxvii.  45.) ;  fo  will  there  be  real,  aftual,  and  vilible 
 *'  SIGNS  in  the  fun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  IJars,"  (Luke 
 xxi.  25.)  as  fymptoms  of  the  approach  of  that  great  day. 
 
 We  are  no  where  told  that  the  agitation  will  extend  beyond 
 the  fphere  which  furrounds  us;  the  great  agitation  is  in  the  fir- 
 mament which  furrounds  the  earth  in  which  we  live,  (Gen.  i.  6, 
 7,  8.)  that  FIRMAMENT  which  divides  the  waters  from  the  wa- 
 ters, and  which  by  God  himfclf  is  denominated  heaven;  "  And 
 
 *'  God 
 
44©  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X,  Part  IL 
 
 **  God  called  the  firmament  heaven."  Whenever  therefore  we 
 behold  a  fhooting  or  a  falling  ftar,  inftead  of  beholding  it  v^'ith 
 unconcern  as  an  eledric  meteor,  it  fliould  confirm  our  faith,  that 
 at  the  approach  of  that  great  day  thefe  vv^ill  be  fo  large,  and  af- 
 fume  that  avv'ful  appearance,  that  they  fliall  become  a  sign  of 
 its  approach.  Whenever  we  behold  the  flaming  train  of  a  comet, 
 it  fhould  confirm  our  faith,  that  signs  in  the  heavens  will  indi- 
 cate the  approach  of  the  day  of  Chrift  !  The  feventh  vial  will 
 be  **  poured  out  into  the  air,"  (Rev.  xvi.  17 — 21.)  "  and  the 
 **  powers  of  heaven"  will  be  fhaken,  Luke  xxi.  26. 
 
 It  is  not  in  the  New  Teftament  alone  in  which  thefe  fa£ls  are 
 declared.  Thus  faith  the  Lord,  by  the  prophet  Joel :  ''  And 
 *'  it  fliall  come  to  pafs  afterward,  that  I  will  pour  out  my  fpirit 
 **  upon  all  flefh  ;  and  your  fons  and  your  daughters  fhall  pro- 
 *'  phefy,  your  old  men  (hall  dream  dreams,  your  young  men  Ihall 
 *'  fee  vifions  :  and  alfo  upon  the  fervants  and  upon  the  haud- 
 *'  maids  in  thofe  days  will  I  pour  out  my  fpirit.  And  1  will  fliew 
 *'  wonders  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and  fire,  and 
 "  pillars  of  fmoke.  The  fun  fhall  be  turned  into  darknefs,  and 
 *'  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the  great  and  the  terrible  day 
 **  of  the  Lord  come.  And  it  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  whofo- 
 **  ever  fhall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  fhall  be  delivered  : 
 **  for  in  Mount  Zion  and  in  Jerufalem  fhall  be  deliverance,  as 
 **  the  Lord  hath  faid,  and  in  the  remnant  whom  the  Lord  fhall 
 **  call,"  Joel  ii.  28 — 32.  And  again,  in  Zechariah  the  14th, 
 6th  and  7th  verfes :  *'  And  it  fhall  come  to  pafs  in  that  day, 
 *'  that  the  light  fliall  not  be  clear,  nor  dark  :  but  it  fliall  be 
 "  one  day  which  fliall  be  known  to  the  Lord,  not  day,  nor  night : 
 **  but  it  fhall  come  to  pafs,  that  at  evening  time  it  fhall  be 
 "  light." 
 
 As  there  will  be  real,  adlual,  and  vifible  ''  figns  in  the  fun, 
 **  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  ftars ;"  fo  will  there  alfo  be 
 *'  upon  the  earth  diflrefs  of  nations,  with  perplexity  ;  the  fea 
 *'  and  the  waves  roaring  ;  men's  hearts  failing  them  tor  fear, 
 *'  and  for  looking  after  thofe  things  which  are^  coming  on  the 
 '*  earth :  for  the  powers  of  heaven  fl;all  be  fliaken,"  Luke  xxi. 
 25,  26.  It  will  be  IMPOSSIBLE  to  be  an  unconcerned  fpedtator 
 of  thefe  things;  they  will  produce  great  fear,  confternation,  and 
 perplexity,  to  thofe  who  have  not  watched  and  looked  for  his 
 appearance  ;  but  to  thofe  who  have  expelled,  and  have  watched 
 for,  and  by  anticipation  have  defired  and  loved  *'  his  appear- 
 **  ing,"  (2  Tim.  iv.  8.)  thefe  awful  figns  are  figns  of  joy: 
 *•  When  thefe  things  begin  to  come  to  pafs,  then  look  up,  and 
 **  lift  up  your  heads;  for  your  redemption  draweth 
 *'  nigh,"  Luke  xxi.  28.  Thefe  words  were  fpoken  to  the 
 Jewifli  nation,  the  redemption  of  Ifrael  draweth  nigh  :  "  BlefTed 
 "  be  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  ;  for  he  hath  vifited  and  redeemed 
 "  HIS  people,  and  hath  raifed  up  an  horn  of  falvation  for  us 
 
 «'  in 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  44r 
 
 *'  in  the  houfe  of  his  fervant  David;  as  he  fpake  by  the  mouth 
 ''  of  his  holy  prophets,  which  have  been  fince  the  world  began  : 
 **  that  we  fhould  be  faved  from  our  enemies,  and  from  the  hand 
 **  of  all  that  hate  us  ;  to  perform  the  mercy  promifed  to  our  fa- 
 **  thers,  and  to  remember  his  holy  covenant ;  the  oath  which  he 
 **  fware  to  our  father  Abraham,  that  he  would  grant  unto  us, 
 **  that  we  being  delivered  out  of  the  hand  of  our  enemies  might 
 **  fcrve  him  without  fear,  in  holincfs  and  righteoufnefs  before 
 **  him,  all  the  days  of  our  life,"  Luke  i.  68 — j^. 
 
 The  world  will  not,  however,  long  continue  in  this  ftate  of 
 awful  expeftation ;  for  **  then  fliall  they  fee  the  Son  of  man 
 **  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power  and  great  glory,"  Luke  xxi.  27. 
 *'  Then  (hall  appear  the  fign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven  :  and 
 **  then  (liall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  fhall  fee 
 "  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power 
 '*  and  great  glory.  And  he  (hall  fend  his  angels  with  a  great 
 *'  found  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  fhall  gather  together  his  ele£l 
 "  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other," 
 (Matt.  xxiv.  30,  31.)  ;  *'  from  the  uttermoft  part  of  the  earth  to 
 **  the  uttermoll  part  of  heaven,"  Mark  xiii.  27. 
 
 Zealous.  I  really  cannot  raife  any,  obje6lion  to  the  light  in 
 which  you  reprefent  thefe  things  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  cannot  but 
 confider  it  as  confirmed,  by  many  other  plain  pafTages  of  fcripture, 
 that  thefe  things  will  receive  an  actual  and  real  accompliih- 
 ment.  After  his  refurre6lion  from  the  dead,  our  Lord  visibly" 
 afcended  into  heaven  :  *'  And  when  he  had  fpoken  thefe  things, 
 *'  WHILE  THEY  BEHELD,  he  was  taken  up;  and  a  cloud  re- 
 '*  ceived  him  out  of  their  fight.  And  while  they  looked  fted- 
 **  faftly  towards  heaven  as  he  went  up,  behold,  two  men  ftood 
 *'  by  them  in  white  apparel ;  which  alfo  faid,  Ye  men  of  Galilee, 
 *'  why  ftand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ?  this  fame  Jefus,  which 
 *'  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like 
 
 *'    MANNER    AS    YE    HAVE     SEEN     HIM     GO    INTO     HEA""^EN," 
 
 Ads  i.  9,  10,  11.  If  the  event  were  to  receive  an  allegorical 
 accompliiliment,  how  could  it  be  with  truth  faid,  that  he  fliall 
 "  fo  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  feen  him  go  into  heaven  r" 
 **  Behold,  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten  thoufand  of  his  faints,  to 
 *'  execute  judgment  upon  all,  and  to  convince  all  that  are  un- 
 *'  godly  among  them  of  all  their  ungodly  deeds  which  they  have 
 *'  ungodly  committed,  and  of  all  their  hard  fpeeches  which  un« 
 **  godly  finners  have  fpoken  againft  him,"  J  ude  14,  15.  *'  Be- 
 "  hold,  he  cometh  with  clouds,  and  every  eye  fhall  fee  him, 
 "  and  tjiey  alfo  which  pierced  him,  and  all  kindreds  5f  the  earth 
 **  lliall  wail  becaufe  of  him.  Even  fo :  Amen."  It  feems  to  . 
 mc  that  thefe  things  will  be  accompli llied  by  a  real,  actual, 
 and  VISIBLE  appearance  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
 with  power  and  great  glory. 
 'Cautiaus.     As  you  are  -convinced,  I  fliall  not  enlarge,  but  fliaH 
 
 3  L  content 
 
^4*  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IT. 
 
 content  myfelf  with  merely  referring  you  to  the  books  of  tlie 
 Jewifh  prophets  i  examine  them,  and  your  fahh  in  thefe  things 
 will  be  conf  rmed.  And  as  an  inducement  to  you  to  proceed  in 
 this  examination  of  thofe  prophefies  which  relate  to  the  coming 
 OF  THE  Messiah,  and  the  great  events  that  are  to  result 
 THEREFROM,  you  will  do  Well  to  bear  in  your  recollcclion  that 
 one  of  the  mod  learned  of  our  bifhops,  and  ihe  great  champion 
 of  orthodoxy,  hath  cleaily  and  explicitly  declared  his  opinion, 
 **  that  a  far  greater  proportion  of  the  prophecies,  even  ot  tlie  Old 
 •*  Teflament,  than  is  generally  imagined,  relate  to  The 
 **  SECOND  advent  OF  OUR  LoRD.  Few  Comparatively  re- 
 **  late  to  the  firft  advent  by  itfeif,  without  reference  to  the  fe- 
 *'  cond.  And  of  thofe  that  have  been  fuppofed  to  be  accom- 
 "  plilhed  in  the  firft,  many  had  in  that  only  an  inchoate  accom- 
 *'  plifhment,  and  have  yet  to  receive  their  full  completion." 
 Bilhop  of  Rochefter's  Letter  to  Mr.  King,  page  3. 
 
 Zealous.  The  afferiion  is  fixed  in  my  mind.  Thofe  prophe- 
 cies that  relate  to  the  hrft  advent  of  our  blelTed  Saviour  when  he 
 came  to  suffer,  to  be  **  a  man  of  forrows/'  to  be  **  wounded 
 *'  for  our  tranfgreflions," — "  bruifed  for  our  iniquities  ;"  that 
 the  "  chaflifement  of  our  peace"  might  be  laid  upon  him  ^  and 
 that  by  *'  his  flripes  we  might  be  healed  ;"  were  all  really  and 
 adually,  and  not  merely  figuratively  and  alhgorically  accom- 
 plifhed,  (Ifai.  liii.) ;  and  this  is  to  my  mind  a  firm  aifurance  that 
 thofe  prophecies  which  relate  to  his  coming  again  in  glory  will 
 alTuredly  receive  a  real  and  a6lual  accomplifhment. 
 
 Cautious.  As  furely  as  hfc  was  really  and  ailually  "  brought 
 "  as  a  lamb  to  the  llaughter  ■^"  as  furely  as  he  was  really  and 
 adlually  ftricken  for  the  tranfgreflion  ot  God's  people  ;  as  furely 
 as  it  pleafed  the  Lord  '*  to  bruife  him,"  and  **  to  put  him  to 
 *'  grief,"  and  to  "  make  his  foul  an  offering  for  fin,"  (Ifai.  liii.) ; 
 fo  furely  *'  the  Lord  will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his  chariots 
 *'  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render  his  anger  with  fury,  and  his  rebuke 
 **  with  tlames  of  fire.  For  by  fire  and  by  iiis  fword  will  the 
 "  Lord  plead  with  all  flefh  :  and  the  flain  of  the  Lord  fhall  be 
 '*  many,"  Ifai.  Ixvi.  1,5,  16.  So  furely  will  the  Lord  really 
 and  actually  come  **  to  judge  the  world  vvitli  righteoufnefs  and 
 **  the  people  with  his  truth,"  Pf.  xcvi.  13.  "  Then  Ihall  appear 
 *'  the  fign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven:  and  then  ihall  all  the 
 *'  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  Ihall  fee  the  Son  of  man 
 **  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory. 
 *'  And  he  fliall  fend  his  angels  with  a  great  found  of  a  trumpet, 
 '*  and  they  Ihall  gather  together  his  eleft  from  the  four  winds, 
 **  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other,"  Matt.  xxiv.  30,  31, 
 *'  Even  so,  come,   LordJesus!  Amen."  Rev.  xxii.  20. 
 
 Zealous.  It  now  only  remains  for  us  to  confidcr  thofe  latter 
 words,  which  defcribe  the  great  end  and  intent  of  this  comine 
 ef  our  Lord:  *'  And  he  fliall  fend  his  angels  with  a  great  found 
 
 *'  of 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  443 
 
 *<  of  a  trumpet,  nnd  they  fhall  gather  together  his  ele£l  from  the 
 *'  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other,"  (Matt. 
 xxiv.  31.)  i  "  from  the  uttermort  part  of  earth  to  the  uttermoil 
 **  part  of  heaven,"  Mark  xiii.  27. 
 
 Cautious.     I  have  already  given  you  my  reafons  for  believing 
 
 that    this    GATHERING     TOGETHER     OF     THE     ELECT,    is    THE 
 
 RESTORATION  OF  THE  Jews,  and  their  being  gathered  toge- 
 ther and  prefented  as  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  at  Mount  Zion, 
 (Ifai.  Ixvi.  •10.)  :  *'  If  any  of  thine  be  driven  out  unto  the  utter- 
 *'  molt  parts  of  heaven,  from  thence  will  the  Lord  thy  God 
 *'  gather  thee,  and  from  thence  will  he  fetch  thee:  and  the 
 *'  Lord  thy  God  will  bring  thee  into  the  land  which  thy 
 "  fathers  polfcifed,  and  thou  (halt  polTcfs  it ;  and  he  wdll  do  thee 
 *'  good,  and  multiply  thee  above  thy  fathers.  And  the  Lord  thy 
 **  God  will  circumcife  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  feed,  to 
 **  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
 *'  foul,  that  thou  mayell  live,"  Deut.  xxx.  4 — 6. 
 
 Notwithlbnding  the  Lord  wmU  employ  melfengers  of  the 
 human  race  to  declare  his  glory  among  the  Gen- 
 tiles, \n  confequence  of  which  they  Ihall  bring  all  the  fcat- 
 tered  defcendants  of  Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  *'  tor  an 
 '*  offering  unto  the  Lord  out  of  all  nations  upon  horfes,  and  in 
 "  chariots,  and  in  litters,  and  upon  mules,  and  upon  fwitt  beafts, 
 *'  to  my  holy  mountain  Jerufalem,  faith  the  Lord,  as  the  chil- 
 **  dren  of  Ifrael  bring  an  offering  in  a  clean  veffel  Into  the  houfe 
 *<  of  the  Lord,"  (liai.  Ixvi.  20.)  ;  yet  I  can  by  no  means  think 
 that  the  words  before  us  will  be  fulfilled  by  their  million  ; 
 on  the  contrary,  I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  the  Lord  will  alio 
 employ  real  angels  to  gather  together  his  ele6l,  his  beloved 
 nation  the  Jews. 
 
 I  am  not  afhamed  to  avow  my  fentiments  in  this  matter ;  for 
 it  is  analogous  to  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Teftament  that  we 
 believe  that  real  angels  will  be  employed  in  this  great  work. 
 How  greatly  was  the  gofpel  fpread  by  the  inftrumentality,  the 
 miniitration  of  angels,  who' arc  "  minillering  fpirits,  fent  forth 
 *'  to  minilter  for  them  who  Ihall  be  heirs  ot  falvation  !"  Heb.  i. 
 14.  An  angel  of  God  appeared  unto  Cornelius  the  centu- 
 rion, (A£ts  x.  3.)  and  you  know  that  he  was  in  confequence 
 converted.  The  angel  ofthe  Lord  appeared  to  Peter 
 when  in  prifon,  his  chains  fall  from  off  him,  and  the  prifon  doors 
 open  before  him,  A(ils  xii.  3 — 11.  The  angel  "F  God 
 by  night  opened  the  prifon  doors,  delivering  the  apolfles  and 
 commanding  them  to  go  preach  in  the  temple,  A6ls  v.  19,  20. 
 The  angel  of  the  Lord  fpake  unto  Philip,  faying,  Arife 
 and  go  towards  the  fouth  ;  he  went,  and  the  eunuch  was  con- 
 verted and  baptized,  A6ls  viii.  26 — 40. 
 
 The  office,  the  employment  of  thele  angels,  (Matt.  xxiv.  31.) 
 is  not  declared  to  be  the  preaching  of  the  gofpel;  but,  "   He 
 
 <*  null 
 
444  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 **  fhall  fend  his  angels  with  a"  great  found  of  a  trumpet,"— 
 **  with  a  trumpet  and  a  great  voice,  and  they  ihall   gather 
 
 <*  TOGETHER  HIS  ELECT  FROM  THE  FOUR  WINDS,  FROM 
 ■•*    ONE   END  OF  HEAVEN    TO    THE  OTHER," '*  from   the    Ut- 
 
 **  termofl:  part  of  the  earth  to  the  uttermofl  part  of  heaven,'' 
 Mark  xiii.  27.  Thefe  angels,  who  will  thus  be  employed  in 
 gathering  together  the  elect,  are  real  angels,  whom  the  Lord 
 will  employ  in  gathering  together  his  beloved  nation  the  Jews. 
 I  think  it  is  clear,  that  notwithftanding  the  deliverance  of  Ifrael 
 out  of  Egypt  was  one  of  the  greateft  events  that  ever  occurred, 
 (Deut.  iv.  34.)  yet  that  the  reftoration  of  the  Jews,  which  will 
 be  effedfed  by  the  inftrumentality  of  all  nations,  will  be  a  far 
 more  confpicuous  event. 
 
 Zealous.  I  admit  it :  their  deliverance  out  of  Egypt  was  only 
 out  of  one  nation,  but  their  deliverance  in  time  to  come  will  be 
 out  of  all  nations,  and  will  be  lb  fplendldly  confpicuous,  that  it 
 is  declared,  "  Behold,  the  days  come,  faith  the  Lord,  that  they 
 ♦*  fhall  no  more  fay,  The  Lord  liveth,  which  brought  up  the 
 ♦*  children  of  Ifrael  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  but.  The  Lord 
 ^*  liveth,  which  brought  up  and  which  led  the  feed  of  the  houfe 
 *'  of  Ifrael  out  of  the  north  country,  and  from  all 
 •'  countries  whither  I  had  driven  them  j  and  they  fhall  dwell 
 **  in  their  own  land,"  Jer.  xxiii.  7,  8. 
 
 Cautious.  "We  are  alfured  that  the  Lord  fent  an  angel  for 
 their  deliverance  out  of  Egypt  :  **  Behold,  I  fend  an  angel  before 
 **  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  the  way,  and  to  bring  thee  into  the  place 
 ■"  Vi'hich  I  have  prepared,"  Exod.  xxiii.  20.  If,  then,  we  are 
 alfo  alFured  that  the  Lord  will  fend  his  angels  to  gather  together 
 his  eledl  from  the  four  winds,  from  the  uttermoft  part  Oi  the  earth 
 tc  the  uttermoft  part  of  heaven,  where  he  hath  fcattered  and  dif- 
 perfed  them,  is  there  any  thing  incongruous  in  the  opinion,  that 
 in  like  manner  as  a  real  angel  went  before  them  in  their  deliver- 
 ance out  of  Egypt,  to  keep  them,  to  prefcrve  and  defend  them 
 in  the  way,  fo  that  real  angels  will  be  employed  for  fimilar  pur- 
 pofes  when  they  fliail  be  gathered  out  of  all  nations,  from  the 
 uttermoft  part  of  the  earth  to  the  uttermoft  part  of  heaven  ? 
 
 Xeaioiis.     I  do  not  fee  any  thing  incongruous  in  the  opinion. 
 
 Cautious.  The  belief  of  this  by  no  means  Ihakes,  but  rather 
 confirms  our  opinion,  that  the  nations  will  be  induced  willingly, 
 ;ind  as  an  a61:  of  piety,  to  contribute  to  the  eafe  and  fpeed  with 
 which  tliey  will  be  reftored  to  Zion  \  but  enables  us  to  account 
 for  that  which  would  otherwife  appear  difficult  to  account  for, 
 how  hard  is  it  to  convince  mankind  \  Even  the  plaineft  truths  are 
 controverted  ;  but  this  change  in  the  defires  and  opinions  of 
 mankind  concerning  the  Jews,  will  be  efFe6led  by  him  who  or- 
 dereth  and  dilpofeth  the  othtrwife  unruly  opinions,  wills,  and 
 aft"e£lions  of  mankind  ;  and  fcripture  eftablifhes  the  fact,  that  the 
 Lord  doth  employ  real  angels,   fpirituai  beings,  for  thefe  pur- 
 
 pofes, 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  445 
 
 pofes,  (Numb.  xxii.  22 — 35.  Gen.  xxiv.  7,  40.  1  Kings  xix.  j, 
 Dan.  iii.  28.  vi.  22.):  and  it  feems  to  me  that  it  is  chieily  by 
 the  inllrumentality  ot  thefe  angels  that  the  great  change  in  thq 
 opinions  and  condu£l  of  mankind  towards  the  Jews  is  effe^led. 
 
 ZeaioHs.  You  need  not  give  yourfelf  any  further  trouble  to 
 multiply  quotations.  There  is  fcarc-ely  a  do6lrine  from  which 
 the  true  Chriltian  derives  greater  confolation  than  that  which  he 
 finds  in  holy  fcripture  concerning  tb.e  inrtrumentality  of  angels. 
 It  raifcs  an  indignation  in  my  mind,  and  I  trull  it  is  an  indig- 
 ration  (Rev.  ii.  2.)  juilified  in  fcripture,  when  I  hear  the  fa(Ss 
 and  politive  declarations  of  holy  fcripture  turned  into  allegory, 
 and  am  told,  for  inftance,  that  the  angel  mentioned  in  2  Kings 
 xix.  33.  was  not  a  real  angel,  but  merely  peftilence  perfonified. 
 It  was  not  pelHlence  perfonified  ;  but,  if  the  peitilence  was  the 
 means  whereby  they  were  deftroyed,  it  was  "  the  angel  of  the 
 *'  Lord"  that  was  employed  to  elfucl  it.  It  is  no  diminution  of 
 the  gift  of  God  that  he  ordains  means  whereby  his  gifts  are  to  be 
 enjoyed.  The  labour  of  the  hufbandman  and  vine-dreiler  being 
 employed,  is  the  means  by  him  ordained  whereby  we  enjoy  the 
 *'  wine* that  maketh  glad  the  heart  of  man,  and  oil  to  make  his 
 **  face  to  fhine,  and  bread  which  ftrengtheneth  man's  heart," 
 (Pf.  civ.  ij.)  j  and  they  are  as  really,  truly,  and  a6fually  his 
 gifts,  as  if  they  were  fhowered  down  to  us  as  the  manna  was 
 From  heaven.  Numb.  xi.  9.  Pf.  Ixxviii.  22 — 25.  And,  in  like 
 inanner,  it  is  no  diminution  of  his  gl(^ry,  but  an  exemplification 
 of  his  power  and  his  glory,  that  he  employs  angels  as  his  fervants 
 in  the  affairs  of  mankind.  He  who  Ihould  endeavour  to  weaken 
 the  faith  of  a  believer  in  the  word  of  God,  concerning  this  blelTed 
 doctrine,  fhould  be  regarded  in  the  fame  light  as  a  king  would 
 regard  that  pretended  friend  whom,  he  ftiould  dete6l  in*a  cor.fpi- 
 racy  to  rob  him  of  his  crown  !  Rev.  iii.  11.  We  form  an 
 idea  of  the  dignity,  the  opulence,  the  high  ftation,  and  extenfive 
 dumlnion  wnich  will  in  due  time  be  coiiferred  upon  the  heir, 
 by  the  pains  and  expence  which  are  beflowed  upon  his  education, 
 by  the  wifdom,  dignity,  and  power  of  thofe  employed  by  his  pa- 
 rent in  fuperintending  his  perfon  and  concerns  ;  and  let  thofe  who 
 have  low  and  contemptuous  notions  of  mankind,  or  who  fliut 
 their  eyes  to  that  high  exaltation  which  is  rcferved  for  the  wor- 
 fliippers  of  the  Creator  of  heav'cn  and  earth,  the  fca  and  the  foun- 
 tains of  waters  ;  let  them  ei>deavour  to  degrade  mankind  by  their 
 endeavours  to  fully  that  luftre  with  which  the  Lord  hath  honoured 
 his  faints ;  but  let  all  thofe  who  have  juff  and  exalted  fentiraents 
 of  the  excellence  and  dignity  of  the  works  of  the  great  Creator, 
 derive  that  comfort  which  is  produced  by  tlie  contemplation  of 
 the  faft,  that  angels,  fuperior  fpiritral  beings,  great  in  power 
 and  goodnefs,  high  in  the  favour  of  God  and  exalted  in  dignity, 
 an  higher  order  of  his  creatures,  (Luke  xx.  36.)  are  employed  by 
 him  for  the  benefit  of  his  fervants  of  the  human  race  \  they  gladly 
 
 perform 
 
446  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  It. 
 
 perform  his  commands :  "  Blcfs  the  Lord,  ye  his  angels,  that 
 *'  excel  in  llrength,  that  do  his  commandments,  hearkening 
 **  unto  the  voice  of  his  word.  Blefs  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  his 
 **  hosts;  ye  miniflcrs  of  his,  that  do  his  pleafure.  Blels  the 
 **  Lord,  all  his  works  in  all  places  of  his  dominions  :  blefs  the 
 *'  JvOrd,  O  my  foul,"  Pf.  ciii.  20 — 22.  For  tliefe  high  and 
 exalted  beings  are  employed  by  their  great  Creator  for  the  benefit 
 of  us  miferable  linners.  There  is  **  joy  in  the  prefence  of  the 
 *'  angels  of  God  over  one  finner  that  rtpenteth,"  Luke  xv,  10. 
 They  are  "  ministering   spirits,   sent  !?orth    to    mi- 
 
 *'    NISTER    for    them    WHO    SHALL     BE     HEIRS    OF   SALVA- 
 
 *'  TiON,"  Hcb.  i.  14.  *'  The  angel  of  the  Lord  cncampcth 
 **  round  about  them  that  fear  him,  and  delivercth  them,"  Pf. 
 xxxiv.  7.  And  although  almoft  all  the  remarkable  interpofitions 
 of  holy  angels,  which  arc  noticed  in  the  New  as  well  as  the  Old 
 Tcltament,  were  interpofitions  in  favour  of  his  beloved  nation 
 the  Jews,  yet  have  we  the  confolation  to  believe  and  know  that 
 his  providence  extends  to  us  alfo  who  are  not  of  this  his  peculi- 
 arly beloved  nation.  His  mercy  and  goodnefs  are  as  exteniive  asi 
 his  Avorks  ;  yea,  he  heareth  even  the  cry  of  the  ravens,  and  the 
 little  fparrow  is  not  forgotten  by  him,  Pf.  cxlv.  9.  Job  xxxviii, 
 41.  Pf.  cxlvii.  9.   Matt.  x.  29 — 31. 
 
 Cautious.  I  rejoice  to  fee  that  you  enjoy  "that  great  confolation 
 which  this  do6trine  is  fo  well  calculated  to  communicate,  and 
 therefore  I  need  fay  nothing  more  upon  this  doctrine  of  great 
 confolation, 
 
 'Zealous.  It  is  our  duty,  whenever  there  appears  to  us  to  be 
 any  thing  like  contradidlion  in  the  word  of  God,  to  acknowledge 
 that  it  proceeds  from  our  mifapprehenfion  of  it,  from  the  weak- 
 nefs  of  our  faith,  the  llownefs  of  our  comprehenfion,  (Luke 
 xvii.  5.)  ;  I  have  reafon  to  make  this  remark,  as  the  introdu6tion 
 to  what  hath  been  a  difficulty  in  my  way  :  if  it  is  in  your  power 
 to  remove  ihc  ditficiilty,  I  am  fure  it  will  give  you  pleafure  fo  to 
 do,  and  I  ihal.l  thanktully  accept  the  favour. 
 
 Cautious.  It  will  give  me  pleafure  \  pray  therefore  proceed 
 to  (late  your  difficulty. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  this  :  I  conceive  that  it  is  clearly  eftabliffied  in 
 fcripturc  that  the  fecond  advent  of  our  blefled  Lord,  when  he 
 Ihall  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory, 
 will  be  a  si; UD KM  event  ;  nothing  is  more  fudden  than  light- 
 ning, to  which  it  is  compared:  "  As  the  lightning  cometh  out 
 *'  of  the  ealt,  and  fhineth  even  unto  the  welt,  fo  Ihall  alfo  the 
 "  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be,"  Matt.  xxiv.  27.  This  fud- 
 deiuiefs  of  the  event  is  repeatedly  urged  as  an  inducement  to  us 
 to  watch:  "  Watch  therefore,  for  ye  know  not  what  hour  your 
 *'  Lord  doth  come,"  (v.  42.)  ;  *'  Be  ye  alfo  ready  \  for  in  fuch 
 **  an  hour  AS  vk  think  not  the  Son  of  man  cometh,"  (v.  44.): 
 *<  The  day  of  the  Lord  io  cometh  as  a  thief  in  the  night. 
 
 **  For 
 
Tart  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  44^ 
 
 **  For  when  they  fliall  fay,  Peace  and  safety;  then  sud- 
 *'  DEN  DESTRUCTION  comcth  upon  tiiem,  as  travail  upon  a 
 *'  woman  with  child;  and  they  fliall  not  efcape,"  1  ThefT.  v. 
 2,  3.  2  Peter  iii.  10.  Rev,  iii.  3.  xvi.  1^,  It  feems  to  be  inti- 
 mated, that  mankind  will  be  alraoll:  entirely  off  their  guard  : 
 *'  As  a  SNARE  ihall  it  come  on  all  them  that  dwell  on  the  face 
 **  of  the  whole  earth,"  Luke  xxi.  3,5.  Security  feems  to  be  the 
 fymptom  of  its  immediate  approach  :  "  As  it  was  in  the  days  of 
 "  Noe,  fo  lliall  it  be  alio  in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man.  They 
 *'  did  eat,  they  drank,  they  married  wives,  they  were  given  in 
 *'  marriage,  imtil  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the  ark,  and  the 
 *'  flood  came,  and  deftroyed  them  all.  Likewife  alfo  as  it  was 
 *'  in  the  days  of  Lot ;  they  did  eat,  they  drank,  they  bought,  they 
 *'  fold,  they  planted,  theybuilded;  but  the  fame  day  that  Lot* 
 *'  went  out  of  Sodom  it  rained  fire  and  brimftone  from  heaven, 
 *'  and  deftroyed  them  all.  Even  thus  fhall  it  be  in  the  day  when 
 *'  the  Son  of  man  is  revealed,"  Luke  xvii.  26 — 30. 
 
 All  this  I  firmly  believe  will  be  accomplifhed;  and  that  not- 
 withftanding  it  will  come  as  a  fnare  upon  the  world  at  large,  yet 
 that  thofe  who  watch  for,  and  look  forward  to,  and  expert,  and 
 long  for,  and  love  his  appearing,  (aTim.iv.  8.);  thofe  who 
 with  the  beloved  apoitle  can  lay  from  their  hearts,  "  Even  fo, 
 *■'  come.  Lord  Jeius,"  (Rev.  xxii.  20.);  will  not  be  found  un- 
 prepared: "  But  ye,  brethren,  arc  not  in  darknefs,  that  that  day 
 *'  fhould  overtake  you  as  a  thief,"  1  Theff.  v.  4.  All  this  per- 
 fectly accords  ;  but  that  which  hath  appeared  to  me  as  a  difficulty 
 Is  contained  in  the  21ft  chapter  of  St.  Luke  :  *<  And  there  fhall 
 "  be  figns  in  the  fun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  flars  ;  and 
 **  upon  the  earth  dillrefs  of  nations,  with  perplexity  ;  the  fea 
 "  and  the  waves  roaring  ;  men's  hearts  failing  them  for  fear, 
 **  and  for  looking  after  thofe  things  which  are  coming  on 
 **  the  earth  :  for  the  powers  of  heaven  fhall  be  fhaken.  And 
 *'  then  fliall  they  fee  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  with 
 *'  power  and  great  glory.  And  when  thefe  things  begin  to  come 
 **  to  pafs,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads;   for    your 
 
 *'    REDEMPTION   DRAWETH    N  I  G  H  ,"  Luke  Xxi.   2^ 28.       This 
 
 paffage  aflbrds  great  confolation  to  us,  as  far  as  it  alfures  us,  by 
 implication  at  leafl,  that  there  will  be  thofe  who  watch  for,  and 
 rejoice  in,  the  proipedl  ot  the  near  approach  of  redemption  ;  but 
 I  mull  confefs,  that  I  cannot  reconcile  the  preceding  part  of  the 
 paifage  with  thofe  that  I  have  already  quoted,  which  fpcak  of 
 that  itate  of  j>eace,  fafety,  and  fccurity,  in  which  the  wicked 
 will  be  furprifed  to  their  deilrudlion  :  on  the  contrary,  inftead  of 
 beholding  them  lidled  in  peace  and  safety,  we  here  behold 
 the  NATIONS  IN  distress,  and  mankind  in  perplexity; 
 the  fea  and  the  waves   roaring,  and  men's  hearts    failing 
 
 THEM  for  fear,  and  FOR  LOOKING  AFTER  THOSE  THINGS 
 WHICH    ARE    COMING     QN    THE    EARTH.        This    difficulty    is 
 
 a£:aim 
 
44S  n  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IT. 
 
 again  Incrcafed,  by  the  confideration  that  it  will  not  be  only  by 
 means  ot"  the  diftrefs  of  nations,  and  the  perplexity  in  which  man- 
 kind will  be  involved,  that  men's  hearts  will  fail  them,  in  looking 
 after  thofe  things  which  are  coming  on  the  earth  ^  they 
 will  have  pofitive  information,  '*  that  the  hour  of  God's 
 "  JUDGMENT  IS  COME."  Thls  is  the  ground  of  that  exhorta- 
 tion which  is  recorded  in  Revelation  the  14th  :  "  And  I  law  another 
 **  angel  fly  in  the  midfl  of  heaven,  having  the  everlafting  gofpel 
 **  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to  every  na- 
 •*  tion,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  faying  with  a  loud 
 **  voice.  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him;  for  the  hour 
 **  OF  his  judgmknt  is  come:  and  worfliip  him  that  made 
 *'  heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  fea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters,'* 
 Rev.  xiv.  6,  7.  We  cannot  but  confider  this  exhortation  to  be 
 very  efficacious  .;  the  extent  of  its  promulgation  to  every  nation, 
 kindred,  tongue,  and  people,  confirms  us  in  the  opinion  that  it 
 will  be  univerfally  delivered,  and  become  very  efficacious :  this 
 confirms  the  declaration,  that  men's  hearts  will  really  '*  fail 
 *'  them,  for  looking  after  thofe  things  that  are  coming  upon  the 
 *''  earth  !"  If,  therefore,  you  can  aihft  me  to  reconcile  this 
 ftate  of  PERPLEXITY,  ANXIETY,  and  FEAR,  with  that  ftate 
 af  peace,  SAFETY,  SERENITY,  and  UNCONCERN,  in  whlch 
 the  world  will  be  furprifed  to  their  deftrudion,  you  will  much 
 oblige  me;  for  we  ihould  be  equally  repreheniible,  were  we  to 
 retain  the  opinion  that  men's  hearts  will  fail  them  for  looking 
 after  thofe  things  that  are  coming  upon  the  earth,  to  the  contra- 
 diction of  the  equally  pofitive  declaration,  that  as  a  fnare  ihall  it 
 come  upon  all  them  that  dv.cll  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth  ; 
 -as  we  fhould  be,  if  we  were  to  retain  the  latter  paiTage  in  fuch  a 
 fenfe  as  to  amount  to  a  virtual  contradiction  of  the  former. 
 
 Cautious.  I  think  the  difficulty  is  entirely  removed,  when  we 
 compare  thefe  paffages  with  other  parts  of  holy  fcripture  ;  v»hich> 
 I  think,  ellablifli  the  fad,  that  A  fter  tiiofe  events  which  dif- 
 trefs  and  perplex  mankind,  and  caufe  their  hearts  to  fail  them 
 for  fear,  and  for  looking  after  thofe  things  which  are  coming  on 
 the  earth,  there  will  be  a  short  pa.use  of  fmful  peace  and 
 iecurity,  out  of  which  they  will  be  aroufed  by  beholding  "  th6 
 '**  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
 **  great  glory,"  Matt.  xxiv.  30. 
 
 Zealous.  I  was  not  aware  of  this,  which  would  certainly 
 completely  remove  the  difficulty  I  have  mentioned  :  I  will 
 therefore  thank  you  to  refer  to  thofe  paffages  from  which  you 
 gather  this  opinion. 
 
 Cautious.  You  quoted  Revelation  the  14th,  in  ftating  your 
 difficulty.  I  prefume,  from  what  you  faid,  that  you  underltand 
 the  expreflion,  which  will  in  due  time  be  enforced  with  great 
 power,  "  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him,  for  the  Houa 
 ••  OF  HIS  judgment   is  COME,"    as  »i  pofitive  declaration, 
 
 that 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X. 
 
 449 
 
 that  the  hour  in  which  our  blefled  Lord  will  come  in  the  clouds 
 ot  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,  is  at  that  time  a6lually 
 come.  I  requeft  you  to  reconfider  this  your  opinion  ;  you  are 
 to  remember,  that  this  divine  meirage  is  to  be  delivered  to  "  every 
 *'  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people;"  this  certainly 
 implies,  that  fome  confiderable  time  will  be  required  for  the  de- 
 livery of  this  declaration,  and  prevents  our  taking  it  in  that 
 limited  fenfe  in  which  you  feemed  to  confider  it. 
 
 Zealous.      I  fee  the  force  of  your  obfervation. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  THE  everlasting  gospel,  glad-tidings  of 
 great  joy,  that  will  thus  be  preached  unto  every  nation,  and 
 kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people.  The  word  gofpel  fignifies 
 glad-tidings,  and  it  is  the  everlafting  gofpel;  it  is  glad- 
 tidings  of  that  bleflTed  ftate  of  happinefs  which  it  hath  pleafed 
 God  to  ordain,  to  be  poifelTed  by  his  people  ;  it  is  the  declaration 
 of  the  near  approach  of  that  blefled  Hate  which  Chrillians  have 
 fo  long  prayed  for;  *'  Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  will  be  done  in 
 **  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven  :"  it  is  the  declaration  of  the 
 commencement  of  thofe  awful  judgments  whereby  the  deftroyers 
 of  the  e'arth  will  be  dedroyed  ;  fo  that  thofe  who  receive  thefe 
 glad-tidings  will  be  enabled  by  anticipation  to  join  in  that  ccleftial 
 fong  :  "  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  king- 
 "  doms  of  our  Lord,  and  ofhisChriil;  and  he  fliall  reign  for 
 "  ever  and  ever:"  and  with  deep  humility  to  acknowledge  the 
 juftice  and  righteoufnefs  of  all  his  difpenfations  :  "  We  give  thee 
 *'  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  and  wafl:,  and  art  to 
 "  come  ;  becaufc  thou  haft  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  halt 
 *'  reigned.  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is  come, 
 **  and  the  time  ot  the  dead,  that  they  ihould  bejudged,  and  that 
 
 *'  THOU  SHOULDEST  GIVE  REWARD  UNTO  THY  SERVANTS 
 "  THE  PROPHETS,  AND  TO  THE  SAINTS,  AND  THEM  THAT 
 *'     FEAR   THY   NAME,    SMALL    AND    GREAT;    and  Ihouldell  dc- 
 
 *'  ftroy  them  which  deltroy  the  earth,"  Rev.  xi.  15,  17,  18. 
 
 You  jultly  obferved,  that  the  great  argument  and  inducement 
 to  the  fear  and  wordiip  of  God,  which  is  the  fubftance  of  the 
 everlafting  gofpel  which  will  thus  be  preached  unto  every  nation, 
 and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  is  the  aftual  arrival  of  the 
 time  of  God's  judgment :  *'  Fear  God  and  give  glory  to  him, 
 
 *•    FOR    THE    HOUR    O  F   H I S  J  UDGME  NT    IS    COME."       But  this 
 
 may,  with  ftri6l  truth  and  propriety,  be  declared,  before  that 
 awful  hour  arrives  in  wiiich  our  blefled  Lord  fliall  come  in  the 
 clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  There  will  be 
 awful  events,  as  the  prelude  to  this  important  hoiir  ;  and  when 
 thefe  awful  harbingers  appear,  it  may  with  ftridl  truth  and  pro- 
 priety be  declared,  that  the  hour  of  God's  judgment  is  come, 
 for  they  are  his  judgments.  All  thofe  awful  events  which  are 
 tleclared  in  the  gofpels  as  preludes  to  the  fecond  coming  of  our 
 Lord,  are  to  be  found  more  minutely  related  in  the  book  of  the 
 
 3  M    '  Revelation. 
 
450  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 Revelation.  It  is  not  in  the  gofpcl  alone  in  which  we  are  in- 
 tormed  that  there  will  be  *'  figns  in  the  fun,  and  in  the  moon,  and 
 **  in  the  ftars  ;  and  upon  the  earth  diftrefs  of  nations,  with  per- 
 *'  plcxity  ;  the  fea  and  the  waves  roaring;  men's  hearts  failing 
 •'  them  tor  fear,  and  for  looking  after  thofe  things  which  arc 
 *'  coming  on  the  earth,"  (Luke  xxi.  25,  26.)  ;  as  preludes  to  the 
 glorious  appearance  of  the  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
 power  and  great  glory. 
 
 The  Lord's  witnelfes  will  be  inverted  with  "  power  to  fhut 
 *'  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days  of  their  prophecy :  and 
 *'  have  power  over  waters  to  turn  them  to  blood,  and  to  fmite 
 **  the  earth  with  all  plagues,  as  often  as  they  will,"  Rev,  xi.  6. 
 When  thefe  things  are  in  accompli(hment,  may  it  not  with  ftricSl 
 truth  and  propriety  be   declared,   '*  Fear  God  and  give  glory  to 
 
 **    him,      FOR     THE     HOUR     OF     HIS     JUDGMENT     IS     COME    ?" 
 
 When  the  great  enemies  arife,  with  their  malignant  power,  (Rev. 
 xiii.)  but  efpecially  when  the  vials  of  God's  wrath  are  poured 
 out  upon  them  and  their  adherents,  (Rev,  xvi.)  may  it  not  with 
 ftrift  truth  and  propriety  be  declared,  that  the  hour  of  God's 
 
 JUDGMENT   IS   COME  ? 
 
 **  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  faying  to  the 
 feven  angels,  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the 
 wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth.  And  the  firft  went,  and  poured 
 out  his  vial  upon  the  earth  ;  and  there  fell  a  noifome  and 
 grievous  fore  upon  the  men  Avhich  had  the  mark  of  the  beall, 
 and  upon  them  which  worlhipped  his  image.  And  the  fecond 
 angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  fea  ;  and  it  became  as  the 
 blood  of  a  dead  man:  and  every  living  foul  died  in  the  fea. 
 And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and 
 fountains  of  waters  ;  and  they  became  blood.  And  I  heard 
 the  angel  of  the  waters  fay,  Thou  art  righteous,  O  Lord,  which 
 art,  and  waft,  and  fhalt  be,  becaufe  thou  haft  judged  tluis. 
 For  they  have  fhed  the  blotid  of  faints  and  prophets,  and  thou 
 haft  given  them  blood  to  drink  ;  for  they  are  worthy.  And  I 
 heard  another  out  of  the  altar  fay,  Even  fo,  Lord  God  Al- 
 mighty, true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments.  And  the  fourth 
 angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  fun  ;  and  power  was  given 
 unto  him  to  fcorch  men  with  fire.  And  men  were  fcorched 
 with  great  heat,  and  blafpliemed  the  name  of  God,  which 
 hath  power  over  thefe  plagues  :  and  they  repented  not  to  give 
 him  glory.  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
 feat  of  the  beaft  ;  and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darknefs  ;  and 
 they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  and  blafphemed  the  God 
 of  heaven  becaufe  of  their  pains  and  their  fores,  and  repented 
 not  of  their  deeds,"  Rev.  xvi.  1 — 11.  A  grievous  fore  was 
 REALLY  and  ACTUALLY  one  of  the  plagues  of  Egypt;  the 
 waters  of  Egypt  were  really  and  actually  turned  into 
 blood i    and   thick  darknefs,   even  darknefs    that   might  be 
 
 FELJ, 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  451 
 
 FELT,  was  REALLY  and  ACTUALLY  infliiSled  upon  Egypt, 
 Exod.  vii,  14 — 21.  ix.  8 — 12.  x.  21 — 23.  I  muft  therefore 
 profefs  that  I  believe  that  thefe  judgments  will  be  inflicted  in  a 
 way  that  will  approach  much  nearer  to  a  literal  accomplifhment 
 than  is  generally  allowed  by  learned  men.  When  thefe  grievous 
 judgments  are  inflidled  upon  the  Lord's  enemies,  may  it  not  with 
 great  truth  and  propriety  be  declared,  *'  Fear  God,  and  give 
 *'  glory  to  him,  for  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come? 
 *'  and  worfhip  him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  fea, 
 *'  and  the  fountains  of  waters,"  Rev.  xiv.  7. 
 
 Zealous.  Undoubtedly,  when  any  of  thofe  awful  events  which 
 in  the  evangelifts  are  defcribed  as  the  preludes  to  the  coming  of 
 our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory, 
 or  any  of  thofe  judgments  which  are  defcribed  in  the  book  of  the 
 Revelation  as  preparatory  to  the  fame  event,  when  the  kingdoms 
 of  this  world  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Chriil ; 
 when  thefe  awful  events  begin  to  come  to  pafs,  it  may  with 
 great  truth  and  propriety  be  declared,  that  the  hour  of  God's 
 judgment  is  come  :  and  God's  people  Ifrael,  and  true  Chrif- 
 tians  alf6,  may  look  up,  and  lift  up  their  heads,  under  the  firm 
 perfuafion  that  their  redemption  draweth  nigh,"  Luke 
 xxi.  28. 
 
 Cautious.  When  thefe  divine  judgments  are  abroad  in  the 
 earth,  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  will  learn  righteoufnefs,  (Ifai. 
 xxvi.  9.) ;  but  we  arenot  to  imagine  that  there  will  be  no  pause, 
 and  partial  ceffation  of  thefe  judgments  ;  for  under  the  vial  of  the 
 fixth  angel  we  perceive  the  enemies  making  their  moft  violent 
 effort  againft  the  people  of  God.  The  Lord's  witnefTes  feem 
 then  to  have  delivered  their  teftimony  ;  and  when  they  have  de- 
 livered their  teftimony,  the  beaft  that  afcendeth  out  of  the  bot- 
 tomlefs  pit  makes  war  againft  them,  overcomes  them,  and  kills 
 them;  and  the  enemy,  and  his  adherents,  enjoy  a  partial 
 triumph,  they  rejoice  over  them,  and  make  merry,  and  fend 
 gifts  one  to  another,  becaufe  the  Lord's  witneftes  are  flain,  who 
 tormented  them  that  dwelt  upon  the  earth,  Rev.  xi.  10.  They 
 fucceed,  for  a  fhort  time,  in  l\ibje6ling  all  to  their  fway,  (Rev. 
 xiii.  8.)  except  the  eleft  ot  God  ;  and  iiir  up  the  whole  earth  to 
 efpoufe  their  caufe  :  "  And  I  faw  three  unclean  fpirits  like  frogs 
 *'  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of 
 "  the  beaft,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  falfe  prophet.  For 
 **  they  are  fpirits  of  devils,  working  miracles,  which  go  forth 
 "  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  world,"  Rev. 
 xvi.  13,  14.  This  appears  to  me  to  be  the  laft  aTid  moft  fuc- 
 cefsful  period  of  the  reign  of  the  Lord's  adverfaries  ;  the  Lord's 
 witneftes  are  then  ftain,  and  their  enemies  rejoicing  over  them  ; 
 the  enemies  are  eftabliihed,  and  the  divine  interpofiiions  in  fa- 
 vour of  his  people  feem  to  have  ceafed  for  a  time.  Then  it  will 
 be  that  the  people  of  God  will  have  ten-fold  occafion  to  watch  ; 
 
 then. 
 
452  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 then,  when  peace  and  safety  is  the  watch-word  of  the 
 enemy,  ^ind  all  the  earth  is  humbled  before  him,  and  when 
 apollatcs  feem  to  have  reafon  to  exult  and  fay,  *'  Where  is  the 
 **  promife  of  his  coming?"  then  will  the  people  of  God  have 
 moil:  reafon  to  watch,  lest  they  renounce  their  hope; 
 and  therefore  it  is  with  great  goodncfs  to  us  added,  tor  the  confo- 
 lation  of  God's  people  under  thefe  trying  circum(tances  ;  Behold  ! 
 *'  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  BleiTed  is  he  that  M-atcheth, 
 *'  and  keepeth  his  garments,  lelf  he  walk  naked,  and  they  fee 
 **  his  fhame,"  v.  15,  Be  not  difheartened,  for  although  the 
 enemy  meaneth  not  fo,  but  is  thus  gathering  his  adherents  with 
 intent  to  extirpate  the  eled  of  God,  yet  he  is  ailing  under 
 THE  CONTROL  OF  HIM  whom  he  oppofeth  ;  he  is  gathering 
 them  to  **  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty  ;"  he  is 
 gathering  them  to  the  place  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  *•  Ar- 
 *'  mageddon."  When  thus  gathered,  we  know  that  their  great 
 deftrudion  is  accom.plifned,  by  the  fevcnth  vial  being  poured  out, 
 in  which  the  wrath  of  God  is  filled  up  and  accomplifhed. 
 
 There  are  therefore  great  judgments  to  come,  previous  to  the 
 coming  of  our  Saviour  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
 great  glory  !  And  after  the  accomplifhment  of  thefe  preceding 
 judgments,  there  appears  to  be  a  pause,  in  which  the  enemies 
 rejoice,  in  peace  and  fafety,  ferenity,  and  carnal  fecurity  ;  and 
 this  MOST  TRYING  CIRCUMSTANCE  appears  to  be  the  ground 
 for  the  laft  caution,  to  obferve  watchfulness:  immediately 
 before  the  feventh  vial  is  poured  out,  it  is  declared,  *'  Behold, 
 **   I  come  as  a  thief.     Bleifed  is  he  that  watcheth." 
 
 If  you  review  all  thofe  prophecies  of  the  Old  and  New  Tefla- 
 ment,  which  fpeak  of  the  awful  deftruilion  that  awaits  the  ene- 
 mies of  God's  people,  which  will  take  place  when  their  Mefliah 
 is  revealed  to  them  ;  and  compare  them  with  the  effecls  produced 
 by  the  pouring  out  of  the  feventh  vial,  from  Revelation  xvi.  17. 
 to  Revclat'on  xx.  6.  you  will  have  occafion  to  obferve  how 
 EXACTLY  they  TALLY  TOGETHER!  and  you  will  look  for- 
 ward with  a  firm  faith  to  the  accomplifliment  of  the  great  event. 
 
 The  awful  deftrudion  of  the  enemies  of  the  caufe  and  people 
 of  God  is  accomplifhed,  when  the  feventh  vial  hath  been  poured 
 out  ;  the  people  of  God  are  then  delivered  from  their  apprehen- 
 fions  ;  they  have  been  grievous  apprehenfions.  It  has  been,  the 
 time  of  Jacob's  trouble  ;  but  by  the  deftru6tion  of  their  enemies 
 they  have  been  delivered  out  of  this  great  trouble,  (Jer.  xxx.  7.) 
 and  by  this  deliverance  the  Jewish  tribulations  end  : 
 **  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  thofe  days  fhall  the  fun 
 **  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  ihall  not  give  her  light,  and  the 
 <'  ftars  ihall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens 
 **  fhall  be  fliaken  :  and  then  fliall  appear  the  fign  of  the  Son  of 
 «'  man  in  heaven  :  and  then  ihall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth 
 <<  mourn,  and  they  Ihall  fee  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds 
 
 <'  of 
 
Part   II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  455 
 
 of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  And  he  fliall  fertd  his 
 angels  with  a  great  found  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  Ihall  gather 
 together  his  ele6l  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  hea- 
 ven to  the  other,"  Matt.  xxiv.  29 — 31.  "  If  any  of  thine 
 be  driven  out  unto  the  outmofl:  parts  of  heaven,  from  thence 
 will  the  Lord  thy  God  gather  thee,  and  from  thence  will  he 
 fetch  thee  :  and  the  Lord  thy  God  will  bring  thee  into  the  land 
 which  thy  fatiiers  poli'elled,  and  thou  ihalt  polfcfs  it  ;  and  he 
 will  do  thee  good,  and  multiply  thee  above  thy  fathers.  And 
 the  Lord  thy  God  will  circumcife  thine  heart,  and  the  heart 
 of  thy  feed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart, 
 and  with  all  thy  foul,  that  thou  mayeft  live,"  Deut.  xxx. 
 4-6. 
 
 Zealous.  I  fincerely  thank  you  for  the  pains  yon  have  taken 
 to  remove  the  difficulty  which  embarralled  me  ;  I  now  fee,  that 
 thofe  expreflions  which  fpeak  of  "  men's  hearts  failing  them  fojr 
 "  fear,  and  for  looking  after  thofe  things  which  are  coming  upon 
 "  the  earth,"  will  be  fulfilled  previous  to  that  time  in  which 
 the  wicked  will  be  lulled  into  that  ftaite  ot  peace  and  fafety,  out 
 of  which*  they  will  be  awakened  by  "  the  trump  ot  God  :" — **  The 
 Lord  himfeli  fhall  defcend  from  heaven  with  a  fhout,  with  the 
 voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God  ;  and  the 
 dead  in  Chrift  fhall  rife  nrlt:  then  we  which  are  alive,  and 
 remain,  fhall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds, 
 to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  fo  (hall  we  ever  be  with  the 
 Lord  ," — '*  them  alfo  which  fleep  in  Jefus,  will  God  bring 
 with  him,"  1  ThefT.  iv.  14 — 17.  "  Behold,  the  Lord  cometh 
 with  ten  thoufand  of  his  faints,  to  execute  judgment  upon  all, 
 and  to  convince  all  that  are  ungodly  among  them  of  all  their 
 ungodly  deeds  which  they  have  ungodly  committed,  and  of  all 
 their  hard  fpeeches  which  ungodly  fmners  have  fpoken  againft 
 him,"  Jude  14,  15.  This  awful  event  takes  place  when  it  is 
 not  expeiled  :  **  Tht  day  of  the  Lord  fo  cometh  as  a  thief  in  the 
 night.  For  when  they  Ihall  fay,  Peace  and  safety;  then 
 fuddendeftruclion  cometh  upon  them,  as  travail  upon  a  woman 
 with  child  ;  and  they  fhall  not  efcape,"  1  ThelT.  v.  2,  3. 
 Cautious.  At  the  commencement  of  our  converfation,  you 
 intimated  that  you  had  another  queition  to  put  to  me. 
 
 Zealous.  Notwithftanding  you  have  in  feveral  inifances  antici- 
 pated and  removed  the  difficulties  upon  which  my  intended  quef- 
 tions  were  grounded^,  yet  I  will  proceed  to  Hate  them.  They  all 
 had  reference  to  the  very  interelting  quell  ion,  How  far  we  were 
 to  look  forward  to  an  actual,  real,  and  literal  accomplifhment  of 
 the  great  event  we  have  been  confidering,  or  were  to  watch  for 
 an  allegorical  accompli fliment  of  it  ? 
 
 You  muft  have  perceived,  that  I  look  forward  to  an  a£lual 
 and  real,  and  not  merely  to  a  figurative  and  allegorical  accom- 
 plifliment  ;  yet  I  am  by  no  means  difpofed  to  fink  the  confidera- 
 
 tioji 
 
454  DIALOGUE    X.  Part  II. 
 
 tion  of  thofe  arguments  which  might  be  urged  to  curb  and 
 reftrain  us  from  dwelling  with  too  much  force  upon  the  expec- 
 tation of  an  abfolutely  literal  accomplifliment ;  and  the  chief  ar- 
 gument thus  to  reftrain  us,  may,  I  think,  be  deduced  from  the 
 preceding  parts  of  the  book  of  the  Revelation,  which  we  confider 
 as  paffed  by,  and  accomplilhed.  If  we  have  to  acknowledge 
 that  they  have  been  fulfilled  in  an  allegorical  manner,  it  fhould 
 operate  as  a  caution  to  us  to  beware  that  we  do  not  with  too 
 much  vehemence  dwell  upon  the  expectation  of  an  abfolutely 
 literal  accomplifliment. 
 
 Cautious.      I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  opinion. 
 
 Zealous.  The  paftages  which  appear  to  me  to  call  for  mature 
 confideration,  with  reference  to  our  queftion,  are  chiefly  Reve- 
 lation vi.  12 — 17.  viii.  7 — 12.   ix.  1 — 11.  and  ix.  13 — 21. 
 
 There  appears  to  be  a  ftrong  refemblance  in  the  efFe6ls  pro- 
 duced by  the  trumpets  and  the  vials  ;  although  the  operation  of 
 the  former  feems  limited  to  the  third  part,  whereas  the  latter 
 afFe6ls  the  whole.  There  is  alfo  a  declaration  in  the  13th  verfe 
 ot  the  8th  chapter,  which  particularly  requires  confideration  with 
 reference  to  the  queftion  before  us ;  it  is  recorded  between  the 
 fourth  and  fifth  trumpets,  and  is  in  thefe  words  :  **  And  I  be- 
 **  held,  and  heard  an  angel  flying  through  the  midft  of  heaven, 
 **  faying  with  a  loud  voice.  Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  the  inhabi- 
 **  ters  of  the  earth  by  reafon  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trumpet 
 •'  of  the  three  angels,  which  are  yet  to  found!"  Rev.  viii.  13. 
 
 It  is  not  my  intention  to  raife  any  arguments  from  the  paflages 
 I  have  quoted  ;  I  have  only  to  requeft  that  you  will  inform  me 
 in  what  manner  you  would  reply  in  cafe  thefe  paflages  were 
 urged  as  arguments  againft  the  expedlation  of  a  ftriilly  literal 
 accomplifliment  of  thofe  prophecies  which  we  have  been  confi- 
 dering ;  and,  finally,  I  would  requeft  you  to  remember  that  the 
 learned  Bifliop  of  Rochefter  thus  expreifes  himfelf  in  a  note 
 upon  the  ^th  verfe  of  Ifaiah  the  18th:  '*  The  harveft  is  the 
 *'  conftant  image  of  that  feafon,  when  God  fliall  gather  his  eleft 
 •'  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  reap  the  field  of  the  world, 
 **  gather  his  wheat  into  his  barns,  and  burn  up  the  chaff  with 
 •*  unquenchable  fire.  Images,  which  relate  not  to  the  tranfla- 
 **  tion  of  the  juft  to  heaven,  and  the  burning  of  the  wicked  in 
 **  hell ;  but  to  the  placing  of  the  faithful  in  a  ftate  of  peace  and 
 **  fecurity  on  earth,  and  to  the  excifion  of  the  incorrigible  of  the 
 **  irreligious  faction." 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  happy  you  have  brought  forward  thefe  paf- 
 fages,  and  fliall  fubmit  to  you  a  few  obfervations  upon  them,  in 
 the  order  in  which  you  have  produced  them  ;  but  I  muft  infift 
 tipon  it  that  you  do  not  require  me  to  raife  objedlions  from  the 
 palTages  you  have  quoted,  in  order  that  I  may  obviate  them. 
 If  you  will  ftate  any  objedions  from  thefe  paflages,  I  promife 
 you  that   I  will  fmcerely  give  you   my  opinion  how  far  they 
 
 apply  ; 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E      X.  455 
 
 apply  ;  and  that  I  think  is  all  that  you  can  reafonably  require 
 of  me. 
 
 Zealous.  Well,  then,  with  refpedl  to  the  firft  palTage  which 
 I  produced,  viz.  the  fixth  feal ;  you  doubtlefs  muft  admit  that 
 the  awful  events  defcribed  in  this  palTage  are  accomplifhed  ;  arid 
 if  fo,  that  they  were  allegorically  accomplifhed:  *'  And  I  be- 
 **  held  when  he  had  opened  the  fixth  feal,  and,  lo,  there  was  a 
 *'  great  earthquake ;  and  the  fun  became  black  as  fackcloth  of 
 *'  hair,  and  the  moon  became  as  blood  ;  and  the  ftars  of  heaven 
 *'  fell  unto  the  earth,  even  as  a  fig-tree  cafteth  her  untimely  figs, 
 **  when  fhe  is  fhaken  of  a  mighty  wind.  And  the  heaven  de- 
 "  parted  as  a  fcrowl  when  it  is  rolled  together ;  and  every 
 *'  mountain  and  ifland  were  moved  out  of  their  places.  And  the 
 *'  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the  rich  men,  and 
 **  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bondman, 
 *'  and  every  freeman,  hid  themfelves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks 
 **  of  the  mountains  ;  and  faid  to  the  mountains  and  rocks.  Fall 
 **  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  fitteth  on  the 
 **  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  :  for  the  great  day 
 "  of  his  wrath  is  come  ;  and  who  fhall  be  able  to  ftand  ?"  Rev. 
 vi.  12 — 17.  If  this  pafTage  has  been  allegorically  accomplifhed, 
 does  it  not  amount  to  a  ftrong  alfurance,  that  thofe  parts  of  the 
 Revelation  which  have  not  yet  been  fulfilled  will  receive  a  like 
 allegorical  accomplifbment  ? 
 
 Cautious.  The  palTage  you  have  produced  is  placed  fo  far 
 back,  fo  near  the  very  beginning  of  the  events  declared  in  the 
 Revelation,  that  I  have  no  hefitation  in  declaring  my  firm  belief 
 that  the  events  referred  to  in  this  paffage  are  fulfilled ;  but  the 
 queftion  is,  how  and  in  what  manner  they  have  been  fulfilled? 
 
 Zealous.  At  all  events,  it  muft  be  admitted  that  they  have 
 ONLY  been  allegorically  fulfilled.  Bifhop  Newton  applies  it  to 
 the  great  change  which  took  place  upon  earth  when  Constan- 
 TiNE  changed  the  religion  of  the  empire.  He  refers  to  Haggai 
 ii.  6 — 21.  Ifai.  ii.  19 — 21.  xiii.  lo.  xxxiv.  4.  Jer.  iv.  23,  24. 
 Ezek.  xxxii.  7.  Joel  ii.  10 — 31.  and  Hofea  x.  8.  to  ellablifh 
 this  figurative  and  allegorical  mode  of  interpretation;  and  argues 
 that  the  fall  of  any  of  the  cities  and  kingdoms  (referred  to  in  thefe 
 pafTages)  "  was  not  of  greater  concern  and  confequence  to  the 
 **  world,  nor  more  deferving  to  be  defcribed  in  fuch  pompous 
 *'  FIGURES,  than  the  fall  of  the  Pagan  Roman  empire,  when 
 **  the  great  lights  of  the  heathen  world,  the  sun,  moon, 
 **  AND  STARS,  the  powers  civil  and  ecclefiaftical  were  all 
 **  eclipfed  and  obfcured,  the  heathen  emperors  and  Ca^fars  were 
 **  SLAIN,  the  heathen  priells  and  augurs. were  extirpated, 
 **  the  heathen  officers  and  magillrates  were  removed,  the  hea- 
 *'  then  temples  were  demolilhed,  and  their  revenues 
 *'  APPROPRIATED  TO  BETTER  USES.  It  is  cuflomary  with 
 *'  the  prophets,  after  they  have  defcribed  a  thing  in  the  mo(t 
 
 *'  fymbolical 
 
456  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IL 
 
 "  fymboHcal  and  figurative  di£lion,  to  reprcfent  the  fame  again 
 **  in  plainer  language  ;  and  the  fame  method  is  obfervcd  here  : 
 **  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the  rich  nun, 
 **  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bondman, 
 **  and  every  freeman  ;"  that  is,   Maximian,  Galerius,   Maximin, 
 **  Maxentius,  Licinius,  &c.   with   all   their  adherents  and  fol- 
 *'  lowers,  were   fo  routed  and  difperfed,  that  they  "  hid  them- 
 *^  f elves  in  the  dens,  and  in  the  rocks   of  the  mountains,  andjaid  t'> 
 *'  the  mountains  and  rocks.   Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us;"  expreihons 
 <<  ufcd,  as  in  other  prophets,    (llai.    ii.    19,   21.    Hofea   x.   8. 
 *'    Luke  xxiii.  30.)  to  denote  the  utmoft  terror  and  conlternation: 
 **   Fallon  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  fittcth  on  the  throne, 
 *'  and  from  the  ivrath  of  the  Lamb  ;  for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is 
 *'  co?ne ;    and  zvho  Jhall  be  able    to  /land  ^      This   is   therefore  a 
 *'  triumph  of  Chrift  over   his  heathen  enemies,  and  a  triumph 
 *'  after  a  fevtre  perfccution  \  fo   that   the   time,  and  all  the  cir- 
 ♦'  cumilanccs,  as  well  as  the  feries  and  order  of  the  prophecy, 
 **  agree  perfeclly  with  this  interpretation.     Galerius,  Maximin,, 
 **  and  Licinius,  made  even  a  public  confeilion  of  their  guilt,  re-- 
 *'  called  their  decrees  and  edicts  againft  the  Chriltians,  and  ac- 
 *'  knowledged  the  juft  judgments  of  God  and  of  Chrilt  in  their 
 "  deilruftion."  Dilfertations  on  the  Prophecies,  vol.  iii.   69—73. 
 This  is  the  bilhop's   application   of  the   paifage.     There  is  an 
 analogy  obfervable,  but  at  the  fame  time  I  mult  contefs  that  the 
 words  of  fcripture  thus  applied  are  fo   very  strong,  that  the 
 event  does  not  altogether    satisfy  the  words  of  the  text  ; 
 but^  at  all   events,    we   mult   admit  that  the   words   have  been 
 ALLegorically  fulfilled. 
 
 Cautious.  Thofe  who  are  tlie  ad\ocates  for  a  figurative,  alle- 
 gorical, hieroglyphical  interpretation  of  fcripture,  are  apt  to 
 charge  thofe  with  abfurdity  uho  look  forward  to  what  is  frc- 
 quemly  called  a  literal  accompliniment  ;  and,  trom  feme  of 
 your  expreilions,  I  cannot  but  think  that  you  imagine  that  I  am 
 inclined  to  take  thefe  things  in  too  literal  a  fenfc.  I  therefore 
 think  it  is  incumbent  upon  me  to  explain. 
 
 Firlt,  then,  who  ever  doubted  but  that  fcripture  abounds  in 
 figures  of  fpeech  ?  We  have  the  befl:  authority,  the  authority  of 
 God's  word  itfelf,  that  fo  it  is:  "  I  have  alfo  fpoken  by  the 
 *'  prophets,  and  I  have  multiplied  vifions,  and  ufed  siMi- 
 *'  LiTUDEs,  by  the  miniltry  of  the  prophets,"  Hofea  xii.  10. 
 Who  ever  doubted,  but  that  the  \vords  fun,  moun,  and  ftars, 
 may  be  ufed  in  a  figurative  fenfe  ?  (Gen.  xxxvii.  o,  10.)  Who 
 ever  doubted,  but  that  the  harvelt,  and  vintage,  (Rev.  xiv, 
 1^ — 20,]  are  figures  of  fpeech,  defcriptive  of  the  gathering  of 
 the  righteous  to  partake  of  the  joy  of  their  Lord,  and  the  crulli- 
 ing  and  deltrudion  of  the  wicked  by  God's  judgments  ?  Or  who 
 ever  yet  conlidered  the  great  chain  with  which  the  angel 
 binds  the  dragon  (Rev.  xx,  \.)  as  a  ponderous,  mallive,  material 
 
 chain  r 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  0  G  U  E     X.  4,37 
 
 chain  ?  I  mufl  therefore  requeft  you  to  do  me  the  juflice  to  re- 
 member that  I  have  thus  exprelTed  mylelf. 
 
 But,  2dly,  it  by  no  means  follows  that  we  are  therefore  to 
 confider  the  language  of  holy  fcripture  as  a  fpeaking  hierogly- 
 phic, as  is  aflerted  by  Bifliop  Warburton  ;  for  whether  we  write 
 by  letters,  or  in  hieroglyphic  charadlers  ;  whether  we  ufe  the 
 flowery  idrom  of  the  eaft,  or  the  plain  unadorned  expreflions  of 
 our  native  tongue;  there  mufl  be  a  certain,  a  fixed  and  determi- 
 nate fenfe,  aflixed  to  the  charafters  iifed  ;  and  as  it  is  not  only 
 from  the  letter,  the  context,  and  the  fubjecR:  matter,  but  alfo 
 from  the  eflfefts  and  'confequences,  and  the  fpirit  and  reafon  of 
 the  law,  that  we  form  a  found  opinion  concerning  the  intention 
 of  the  legillature  ;  fo  are  we  to  be  governed  by  a  like  found  and 
 well-grounded  difcretion,  in  feeking  for  the  fenfe  of  holy  fcrip- 
 ture. It  by  no  means  follows,  that  btcaufe  feveral  prophecies, 
 delivered  in  figurative  language,  have  been  accomplidied,  that 
 therefore  we  are  to  confider  all  the  prophecies  which  remain  to 
 be  fulfilled,  as  figuratively  exprelfed.  On  the  contrary, 
 there  have  been  as  many,  if  not  more  prophecies  fulfilled  In  a 
 plain  an*d  literal  fenfe,  than  in  a  figurative  manner.  Was  not 
 the  flood  denounced  by  him  who  declareth  things  to  come,  120 
 years  before  it  was  accompliflied  ?  and  when  it  was  accomplidicd, 
 was  it  not  really  and  aftually,  and  even  litkrally  accom- 
 plilhed  r  was  there  any  thing  figurative  attached  to  it?  If, 
 then,  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
 power  and  great  glory  is  compared  to  this  event,  does  it  not  be- 
 hove us  to  beware  that  we  do  not  deceive  ourfelves  in  looking  for 
 an  allegorical  tulfilment  of  that  which  will  alfurediy  be  really 
 and  ACTUALLY  accompliihed  ?  The- defl:ruclioa  of  the  cities 
 ot  abomination  were  predicted,  and  confequently  their  deilruftlon 
 was  a  fulfilment  of  prophecy  ;  but  was  not  their  deftruflion 
 foretold  in  plain,  unadorned,  and  pofitive  language  ;  and  waS 
 not  the  accomplifhment  a  real,  actual,  aild  even  literal 
 ACCOMPLiSEiMENT  of  the  denunciation?  And  is  not  this  event 
 referred  to,  like  the  former,  as  an  example,  from  whence  we 
 arc  to  draw  conclufions  ? 
 
 The  plagues  of  Egypt  were  all  dEnoiInced  before  they  were 
 executed,  and  confequently  were  each  a  fulfilment  of  prophecy  ; 
 and  -were  they  not  really  and  adlually,  and  even  literally  fulfilled  ? 
 I  might  urge  the  fame  quellions  concerning  the  fojourning  of  If- 
 rael  in  Egypt,  and  their  deliverance  out  of  Egypt;  their  wander- 
 ing in  the  wildcrnefs,  and  their  entrance  into  Canaan  ;  the  fall 
 ot  tile  w^alls  of  Jericho,  the  death  of  Hophni  and  Phineas,  and  a 
 vail  number  of  other  fa6ls,  declared  in  holy  fcripture  :  thefe 
 fails,  and  the  captivitv  in  Babylon,  and  return  from  Babylon, 
 were  all  declared  ;  thole  parts  of  them  which  were  alHidive  were 
 denounced,  and  thofe  that  were  confolatory  were  promifed , 
 but  they  were  all  predLclcd  and  foretold  before thev  happened, 
 
 3   N  '  ;;..id 
 
4^8  .      D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 and  confequently,  when  they  were  fcverally  accompliflied,  their 
 accompIiOiment  became  a  iulfihrient  of  prophecy  ;  and  were  not 
 all  thcfe  things  really,  actually,  and  even  literally  accomplilhed? 
 
 I  might  refer  to  thofe  prophecies  which  were  accomplilhed  in 
 the  birth  of  our  blefled  Saviour,  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea;  in  his 
 flight  into  Egypt,  and  his  abode  in  Nazareth  ;  in  the  various 
 prophecies  which  were  fulfilled  in  his  humiliation,  in  the  events 
 of  his  fojourning  on  earth,  in  the  particulars  of  his  agony  and 
 bloody  fweat,  his  crofs  and  paflion  ;  his  precious  death  and 
 burial ;  his  glorious  refurre6lion  and  afcenfion  :  and  I  might  aflc, 
 Were  not  all  thefe  prophecies  really  and  adlually,  and  even 
 literally  fulfilled  ? 
 
 With  fuch  evidence  before  us,  God  forbid  that  we  fhould  be 
 afhamed  of  profeiling  our  expectation  of  a  real  and  actual 
 accomplifliment  of  all  the  prophecies  which  yet  remain  to  be 
 fulfilled;  I  fay  a  real  and  actual  accomplilhment ;  for 
 even  in  thofe  inftances  where  we  are  reftrained  from  looking  for 
 a  ftri6lly  literal  accomplifhment,  we  are  neverthelefs  to  look  for 
 a  real  and  actual  accomplifhment,  an  accomplifliment 
 which  will  SATISFY  the  words  in  which  the  event  is  predided. 
 In  this  refpe6t,  I  mull  profefs,  that  I  think  the  patrons  of  alle- 
 gorical interpretation  are  frequently  very  reprehenfible.  Arc 
 there  not  inltances  in  which  they  magnify  and  fwell  out  events, 
 in  order  to  make  them  fit  and  apply  ;  and  if,  notwithltanding  all 
 their  exertions,  it  does  not  appear  entirely  to  tally  with  the  pre- 
 didfion,  do  we  not  obferve  them,  as  it  were,  weakening,  curbing, 
 and  reltraining  the  fenfe  of  the  text,  in  order  to  accommodate 
 the  one  to  the  other  ? 
 
 Zcalcus.     I  acknowledge  that  I  have  obferved  inflances  of  it. 
 
 Cautious.  It  feems  to  me  that  the  applicaiion  of  Bilhop  New- 
 ion,  of  the  pafiage  under  confideration,  is  open  to  this  obferva- 
 tion ;  nay  more,  from  the  tenor  of  his  ovxii  words,  I  am  much 
 miilaken  if  he  was  not  himfelf  aware  of  it.  The  eilabliihment 
 of  Chriftianity  by  the  civil  power,  the  appropriation  of  the 
 revenues  of  the  heathen  temples  TO  better  uses,  was  cer- 
 tainly a  remarkable  event ;  but  this  advantage  may  be  viewed  in 
 TOO  strong  a  light,  and  I  think  it  was  viewed  in  too  itrong  a 
 light  by  thofe  \^  ho  were  benefited  by  it;  and  thus  it  may 
 liave  continued  to  be  viewed  in  too  ilrong  a  light,  even  to  the 
 prefent  time. 
 
 Every  temporal  advantage  hath  its  disadvantage  attending 
 it  ;  and  in  proportion  as  temporal  advantages  are  attainable,  by 
 the  profefiion  of  any  particular  form  of  religion,  in  like  propor- 
 tion does  it  fubje(51:  that  particular  profeffion  to  the  disadvan- 
 tage refiihing,  from  perfons  engaging  therein  from  motives  ot 
 intereft.  It  is  not  a  difadvantage  afftding  the  eftablilhed  church 
 exclusively  ;  wherever  property,  or  power,  or  influence,  or 
 rcfped,  is  attainable  by  the  profcflion  of  religion,  it  is  possi- 
 ble 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  459 
 
 BLE  that  thefe  things  may  be  fought  from  corrupt  motives. 
 So  far  from  it  being  an  inconvenience,  a  difadvantage,  attached 
 EXCLUSIVELY  to  an  eftabliflicd  church,  that  I  am  fully  per- 
 fuaded  that  mod  of  the  herefies  have  alfo  refulted  from  this  very- 
 thing.  It  is  very  flattering  to  the  pride  of  man  to  be  at  the  head 
 of  a  party,  and  therefore  parties  are  formed  by  men  of  corrupt 
 minds. 
 
 There  alfo  have  been,  and  poflibly  may  flill  exift,  thofe  who 
 will  go  fo  far  as  to  profefs,  that  the  religion  of  the  ftate  should 
 BE  the  religion  of  the  people,  be  it  what  it  may:  if  there  are 
 fuch,  it  mult  be  confidered,  that  fuch  men  are  the  moft  dangerous, 
 and  moft  unworthy  members,  that  can  poffibly  join  themfelves  to 
 any  eftablilhment  •  but  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  there  are  very  few, 
 if  any,  fuch  men  among  us;  for  thofe  of  our  cluirch  who  refide 
 in  Scotland  have. churches  of  their  own,  where  they  mult  be  con- 
 fidered as  diirenters  from  the  eftablilhment.  I  fincerely  hope 
 that  the  time  approaches  when  a  complete  confolidation  will 
 take  place  :  an  entire  imiformity  in  opinion  was  neither  expe6ted 
 or  required,  even  in  the  apoftolic  age,  (Rom.  xiv.)  ;  but  a  com- 
 plete confolidation  of  Chriflian  love  and  affection,  and  a  mutual 
 refpe£t  and  exchange  of  kindnefs,  may  fubfilt  where  there  is  not 
 an  entire  uniformity  in  opinion  ;  and  I  am  happy  that  this  difpo- 
 fition  is  at  prefent  fo  confpicuoully  poffelfed  by  thofe  of  the  highell 
 authority  among  us,  as  is  manifeit  from  the  following  palTage  in 
 the  form  of  prayer  for  the  late  general  fait :  **'  And  give  us  all 
 "  grace,  to  put  away  from  us  all  rancour  of  religious  diflention; 
 "  that  they  who  agree  in  the  cfTentials  of  our  molt  holy  faith, 
 "  and  look  for  pardon  through  the  merits  and  intercellion  of  the 
 *'  Saviour,  may,  notwithftanding  their  differences  upon  points 
 *'  of  doubtful  opinion,  and  in  the  forms  of  external  worlhip, 
 **  ftill  be  united  in  the  bonds  of  Chriitian  charity,  and  fulfil  thy 
 *'  bleffed  Son's  commandment  of  loving  one  another,  as  he  hath 
 *'  loved  them." 
 
 Zealous.  I  fay  Amen  to  thefe  words,  with  all  my  heart  and 
 all  my  foul.  I  was  going  to  obferve,  that  you  have  rather  di- 
 greffed  from  the  paffage  under  confideration  ;  but  as  you  have, 
 I  mil  ft  communicate  to  you  a  thouglit  upon  the  paffage  you  have 
 quoted,  which  has  given  me  great  pain.  I  hope  you  will 
 bear  with  me,  and  that  I  Ihall  not  offend  you  by  mentioning  it. 
 
 Cautious.  My  dear  friend,  1  am  lure  it  is  far  from  your  in~ 
 tention  to  offend  me  \  and  where  no  offence  is  intended,  far  be 
 it  from  me  to  take  offence. 
 
 Zealous.  In  the  prayer,  from  wliich  you  havejuft  quoted  that 
 excellent  paffage,  we  pray  for  grace  to  be  bellowed  upon  the 
 rebels  in  Ireland,  and  that  they  may  be  brought  to  a  due  fenfe  of 
 the  enormity  of  their  crime  ;  and  then  follows  the  excellent  paf- 
 fage you  have  quoted.  You  know  that  it  is  chiefly  in  Ireland 
 that  religious  dilfcntions  have  lately  exifted  with  molt  rancour; 
 
 and 
 
4^0  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X,  Part  II. 
 
 and  I  aflTiirc  you  I  have  felt  more  pain  when  I  have  read  any  in- 
 ftances  of  rancour  and  unkindnefs  from  tliofe  who  call  themfehes 
 Protcllants,  towards  the  Roman  Catholics,  than  when  the  mif- 
 condnft  has  been  on  the  other  fide  ;  but  from  the  circumitance 
 of  Ireland  being  thus  referred  to,  and  the  diflentions  there  h'Sin^ 
 between  PROTtSTANTS  and  Roman  Catholics,  it  diftrciild 
 me  that  it  feemed  to  be  implii-:d,  in  the  pallage  you  ha\e 
 tjuoted,  that  the  great  points  in  which  we  dilier  from  the 
 church  of  Rome,  were  foftened  down,  and  admitted  to  be  merely 
 
 "  DI  FFF  KENCES  UPON  POINTS  OF  DOUBTFUL  OPINION, 
 *'    AND    IN    THE     FORMS    OF    -EXTERNAL    WORSHIP." 
 
 Cautious.  Dilfentions  upon  religious  fubiecis,  are  at  all  times 
 difgraceful,  and  to  thofe  who  have  truly  the  intercft  of  religicMi 
 at  heart,  they  are  very  painful ;  they  are  a  memento  of  that  very 
 imperfeft  flate  in  which  we  now  are  :  1  cannot  therefore  agree 
 \vith  you  in  your  furmife.  The  diifentions  upon  this  fubjett  in 
 Ireland,  remind  us  of  the  unkindnefs  that  hath  in  former  times 
 fubhlied  even  among  Protcllants,  in  confequence  of  w^hich  great 
 fufFerings  have  been  endured,  in  times  paft,  by  the  truly  religious. 
 They  bring  to  our  remembrance  the  fufFerings  of  the  miniifers  of 
 the  church  of  England,  Avho  were  eje6led  under  the  ufurpatioii 
 of  Cromwell ;  they  bring  to  our  remembrance  the  fufFerings  of 
 the  minillers  of  the  church  of  England,  who  were  fuddenly  ejected 
 for  nonconformity,  on  St.  Bartholomew's-Day,  foon  after  the  re- 
 ilorution  of  Charles  the  Second;  they  bring  to  our  recollection 
 the  fufFerings  and  imprifonment  of  fuch  pious  Non-Conformilts, 
 as  Jolm  Bunyan,  the  author  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progrefs.  With 
 thefe  things  in  our  recoUeclion,  it  is  perfectly  consistent 
 and  right,  that  we  fliould  pray  that  fuch  things  may  be  far  from 
 lis  in  future.  The  implication  you  have  mentioned  never  oc- 
 curred tome,  imtil  you  mentioned  it ;  I  hope  there  is  no  foun- 
 dation for  your  remark.  We  are  bound  by  Chriitian  charity  to 
 put  the  beit  conllrudtion  upon  words,  and  to  watch  againft  im- 
 putations and  mifconftrudlions  of  words  ;  but  fhould  fuch  evil 
 days  arife,  that  Chriflian  Proteliant  zeal  were  to  die  away,  and 
 the  rulers  in  our  church  to  become  lb  lukewarm,  as  to  confider  the 
 fiery  trial  endured  by  the  martyrs  of  our  church,  as  endured  by 
 them  merely  for  points  of  doubtful  opinion,  we  muft 
 remember,  for  our  confolation,  that  the  church  eftablifhed  in 
 this  land  is  no  more  than  a  branch  of  Christ's  church 
 ypON  EARTH.  Notwithi'tanding  wc  prefer  and  are  members 
 of  this  branch  of  the  church,  we  are  members  of  a  much  larger 
 and  uiore  extended  church  ;  we  are  united,  in  love  and  afFedion, 
 TO  all  THE  Protestant  churches  ;  and  if  fuch  evil  days 
 were  to  arife,  that  Popiih  idolatry,  Popifh  do6lrines,  or  Popiih 
 fuperftition,  were  to  be  confidered  by  the  rulers  in  our  church 
 as  unimportant  differences  upon  points  of  doubtful  opinion,  it 
 ■\vould  be  fo  point  blank  contradidlory  to  their  ancient  and  now 
 
 avowed 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  461 
 
 avowed  principles,  that  we  inould  be  juflified  in  expofing  their 
 apoftacy.  You  mull  renieniber,  for  your  confolation,  that  al- 
 though we  liave  the  honour  of  reckoning  among  the  martyrs  and 
 contelTors  of  our  church  (which  was  a  diffenting  church  in  the 
 reign  of  Queen  Mary)  one  archbi(hop,  four  bilhops,  and  twenty- 
 one  clergymen  ;  yet  we  can  alfo  reclvon  two  hundred  laymen 
 mart)  rs,  and  above  fifty  tender-hearted  women  martyrs,  in  the 
 fame  ihort  period  of  three  years:  "  As  thy  day  is,  fo  fliall  thy 
 "  (trength  be."  That  great  church,  ot  which  our  church  is 
 only  a  branch  !  that  church,  which  is  built  upon  the  confelTion 
 that  our  blefled  Mafter  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
 LIVING  God,  hath  this  promife,  which  affords  comfort  in 
 every  trial :  **  The  gates  of  hell  fhall  not  prevail  againft  it,"  Matt, 
 xvi.  18.  And  therefore,  my  dear  friend,  I  would  advife  you  to 
 difmifs  the  thought  which  hath  diitrefled  you  from  your  mind  ; 
 and  to  believe,  and  to  hope,  as  I  do,  that  fhould  fuch  trying 
 rimes  again  occur,  we  fhould  find  many  prelates  who  would 
 fufl'er  for  the  truth  with  as  much  faith  and  patience  as  Cranmer, 
 Latimer,   Ridley,  and  Hooper. 
 
 'LeaJoih.  I  will  do  my  endeavour  ;  and  now  requeft  you  to 
 proceed. 
 
 Cautious,  T  think  the  learned  bifhop,  in  order  to  render  the 
 event  as  coniiderable  as  polllble,  viewed  it  through  a  magnifying 
 medium.  He  fpeaks  of  the  heathen  emperors,  and  Casfars, 
 being  SLAIN  ;  the  heathen  priefls  and  augurs  being  extir- 
 pated \  and  the  heathen  temples  being  demolilhed.  Is  this 
 altogether  juifified  by  the  fa6l  ?  Did  the  Chrilfians  rebel  againft 
 the  emperors,  and  Caefars,  and  flay  them  r  Were  the  priefls  and 
 augurs  really  extirpated?  and  if  fo,  by  whom?  and  were 
 the  heathen  temples  really  demolilhed  ?  I  acknowledge  that  I 
 thought  other\\'iie  ;  but  allowing,  lor  the  fake  of  argument,  that 
 it  were  as  the  biihop  reprefents  it,  what  commilhon  could  Chrif- 
 tians  produce  for  doing  fuch  a6ls  of  violence  ? 
 
 Thus  magnihed,  the  event  does  not  fatisfy  the  words  of  the 
 text,  and  therefore  the  words  of  the  text  mull  be  foftened  ;  but 
 notwithftanding  the  difpleafure  which  the  heathens  mult  have 
 felt  at  having  the  revenues  of  their  priefls  taken  from  them,  and 
 given  to  Chriliian  bifliops,  I  think  the  event  can  by  no  means  be 
 fairly  reprefenied,  as  fuch  an  awful  consternation,  as  to 
 fatisfy  the  words  of  the  text  :  "  They  hid  themfelves  in  the 
 "  dens,  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains  ;  and  faid  to  the 
 "  niountains  and  rocks.  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face 
 *'  of  him  that  fitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  from  the-wrath  of  the 
 "  Lamb  :  for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  and  who  fliall 
 "  be  able  to  ftandr"  How  does  this  agree  witn  the  revival  of 
 heathen  idolatry  under  Julian?  And  I  think  the  learned  bifliop 
 is  not  more  happy  in  confulering  the  time  of  Conltantine  as  the 
 time  of  triumph  to  the  Chriftian  religion  5  for  it  was  a  time  of 
 
 Division- 
 
462  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  Part  II. 
 
 DIVISION  and  contention  in  the  church,  fo  that  Gregory 
 Nazianzen  hinnfelf  "laments,  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was 
 *'  converted  by  discord  into  the  image  of  chaos,  of  a  noc- 
 *'  TURNAL  TEMPEST,  and  even  of  hell  itself."  G.  Naz. 
 Orat.  i.  p.  33.  Gregory's  Church  Hillory,  vol.  i.  p.  160. 
 
 It  is  not  thofe  who  look  forward  to  a  real  and  actual,  and, 
 w^hcre  the  words  will  bear  it,  even  a  literal  fulfilment  of 
 fcripture,  that  are  juftly  chargeable  with  abfurdity  ;  but  thofc 
 who,  becaufe  they  meet  with  two  or  three  features  which  bear 
 fome  analogy  to  an  allegorical  interpretation,  are  inclined  to 
 magnify  and  diftort  other  events,  in  order  to  make  them  agree. 
 
 In  commenting  on  Revelation  the  12th  (DifiTertations,  vol.  iii. 
 p.  200  to  219)  Bifliop  Nev/ton  (notwithftanding  he  hath  before 
 fixed  the  time  of  Conllantine  the  Great  to  be  at  the  clofe  of  the 
 6th  chapter)  applies  the  12th  chapter  to  the  fame  time.  The 
 woman  in  labour  he  thinks  is  the  Chrillian  church  under  the  ten 
 perfecutions  ;  the  manly  fon  fhe  brings  forth  is  Conllantine  the 
 Great,  who  is  advanced  to  the  empire  ;  the  dragon  he  reprefents 
 to  be  the  Pagan  power  of  Rome  ;  and  Satan  and  his  angels  being 
 cart  out  of  heaven  into  the  earth  (according  to  his  fcheme)  is 
 the  heathen  power,  and  priefts,  being  removed  from  their  high 
 ftations.  It  appears  to  me  very  itrange,  that  inafmuch  as  the 
 bilhop  admits  there  will  yet  be  a  great  perfecution  of  the  fer- 
 vants  of  God  (p.  147.)  that  he  fhould  not  fleer  clear  of  the  ma- 
 nifefl  impropriety  of  jumping  back  over  a  period  of  fourteen 
 centuries  in  his  application,  doing  violence  to  the  order  of  the 
 text,  and  for  what  r  to  feek  out  an  application  which  entirely 
 diftorts  the  fa6ls  related.  The  fadls  related  in  chapter  the  12th 
 evidently  relate  to  the  church  under  persecution,  her  child 
 is  caugiit  up  unto  God  and  his  throne,  to  be  preferved  from  the 
 devouring  fury  of  the  dragon  ;  and  the  woman  is  not  placed  in 
 the  throne  of  powek,  but  is  fcreened  from  the  fury  of  the 
 dragon,  by  being  fecluded  in  the  wildernefs  from  his  attacks. 
 How  ill  does  this  agree  with  thofe  events  to  which  he  applies 
 them.  It  is  true,  that  "  there  is  no  power  but  of  God,  the 
 powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God,"  (Rom.  xiii.  1.)  ;  but  what 
 would  a  pious  fovereign  fay  to  the  flattering  prieit,  who  fliould 
 prefume  to  perfuade  him,  from  thefe  words,  that  to  him  it  is 
 given  to  fit  upon  the  throne  of  God  ?  (p.  209.)  When 
 once  the  rage  of  allegorizing  takes  poileflion  of  the  mind,  as  far 
 as  it  goes  it  diveils  its  poifeiTor  of  all  thofe  advantages  with  which 
 he  is  blcilcd.  Was  not  the  worthy  biihop  coni'p*icuous  for  learn- 
 ing, piety,  and  ■\vifdom  r  and  yet,  does  not  the  reprefentation  of 
 the  corruptible  throne  of  an  earthly  potentate  to  be  the  throne 
 OF  God;  border  on  impiety  ?  and  does  not  his  interpretation  of 
 the  1 2th  verfe,  fiiake  even  his  reputation  for  wifdom  ?  "  Re- 
 "  joice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  thenj,"  is  impotently 
 applied  to  *'  the  believing  emperors  and  miniltcrs  of  the  word, 
 
 *'  the 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  463 
 
 **  the  martyrs  and  confefTors ;"  but  can  the  concluding  words  of 
 the  verfe  be  reconciled  to  the  biihop's  application,  if  we  retain  a 
 grain  of  common  fenfe  ?  "  Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth, 
 *'  and  of  the  fea,  for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  having 
 **  great  wrath,  becaufe  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  fliort 
 *'  time."  According  to  his  application,  it  is  true  that  tiie 
 *'  heathen  magiflrates,  together  with  the  whole  train  of  priefts 
 *'  and  fophills,"  might  conceive  great  wrath  at  being  cart:  down 
 from  their  feats,  and  ftripped  of  their  revenues ;  but  how  could 
 this  be  a  fource  of  woe  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  ?  Accord- 
 ing to  the  bilhop,  the  power  of  the  enemy  to  perfecute  the 
 Chriftians  was  taken  away,  and  when  taken  away  it  is,  that 
 WOE  is  denounced  on  account  of  his  great  wrath  !  As  well 
 and  as  conllftently  might  it  have  been  faid,  *'  Woe  unto  you,  ye 
 *'  Protertants,  for  Bonner  your  perfecutor  is  no  longer  in  power, 
 *'  he  is  in  great  wrath,  he  is  fafely  lodged  in  the  Marfhalfea  !'* 
 "  Woe  unto  you,  ye  (lieep,  for  the  devouring  wolf  is  taken,  and 
 *'  is  fecurely  chained  !" 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  pertedlly  fatisfied  with  the  explanation  you 
 have  givfen ;  there  have  doubtlefs  more  prophecies  been  fulfilled 
 in  a  literal  than  in  an  allegorical  fenfe  ;  and  it  is  neccifary  that  it 
 Ihould  be  llrongly  imprelled  upon  our  minds,  that  the  two  mo(l 
 awful  judgments  tliat  ever  were  inflifted,  viz.  the  dell:ru61;ion  of 
 a  difobcdient  world  by  the  waters  of  the  flood,  and  the  de(lru£lion 
 of  the  cities  of  abomination  by  fire  from  heaven,  were  both  pre- 
 dided,  and  fulfilled,  in  a  real,  actual,  and  literal  manner;  and 
 as  thefe  two  inltances  are  fele6tcd  by  our  bleffed  Lord  himfelf, 
 when  difcourfing  of  his  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
 power  and  great  glory,  it  certainly  behoves  us  to  draw  the  in- 
 lerence,  that  as  thefe  awful  judgments  were  really,  a6fually, 
 and  literally  accompliihed  ;  fo  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the 
 clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,  will  be  really 
 and  actually,  and  not  figuratively,  accompliihed. 
 
 Since  men  were  upon  the  earth,  there  have  been  no  other 
 judgments  fo  awful,  as  the  two  divine  judgments  which  are  thus 
 refortcd  to  by  our  blefl'ed  Lord,  as  examples  ;  and  if  we  were 
 required  to  fcleft  the  next  mort:  awful  judgment,  what  inftance 
 could  we  produce  but  the  dcfiruftion  of  Jerufalem  under  Titus, 
 the  continuation  of  the  wrath  againft  Ifrael,  which  occafioned  the 
 continuation  of  their  deftruclion  under  Adrian,  and  the  continu- 
 ation of  the  fame  wrath  in  their  long  difperlion  and  degradation  ? 
 And  this  very  awful  event  is  the  prelude  to  the  equally  awful 
 judgment  upon  the  Gentile  nations.  Lnmediately  after  the  ter- 
 mination of  the  Jewiih  tribulations,  the  tribulations  of  the  Gentile 
 nations  commence  :  ''  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  thufe 
 *'  days  Ihall  the  fun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  fhall  not  give 
 *'  her  light,  and  the  fiars  lliall  fall  from,  heaven,  and  the  powers 
 *'  of  the  heavens  fhall  be  fliaken  :  and  then  fliall  appear  the  figti 
 
 *'  of 
 
464  DIALOGUE    X.  Part  IL 
 
 of  the  Son  of  man  in  lieaven  :  and  then  fliall  all  the  tribes  of 
 the  earth  mourn,  and  they  Ihall  fee  the  Son  of  man  coming  in 
 the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  And  he 
 fliall  fend  his  angels  with  a  great  found  of  a  trumpet,  and  they 
 fliall  gather  together  his  elcif  from  the  tour  winds,  from  one 
 end  of  heaven  to  the  other,"  Matt.  xxiv.  29-^31. 
 It  is  not  merely  from  the  New  Teltament  that  we  gather  thefe 
 awful  fa6ls;  the  Old  Teflament  and  the  ISlew  are  ever  in  unifon 
 together  :  "  Therefore  thou  flialt  fay  unto  them,  Thus  faith  the 
 Lord  of  holts,  the  God  of  Ifrael  ;  Drink  ye,  and  be  drunken, 
 and  fpue,  and  fall,  and  rife  no  more,  becauf-e  of  the  fvvord 
 which  I  will  fend  among  you.  And  it  (hall  be,  if  they  retufe 
 to  take  the  cup  at  thine  hand  to  drink,  then  ihalt  thou  fay  unto 
 them.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  hoifs  ;  Ye  fhall  certainly  drink. 
 For,  lo,  I  begin  to  bring  evil  on  the  city  which  is  called  by 
 my  name,  and  Ihould  ye  be  utterly  unpunillied  r  Ye  fhall  not 
 be  unpunilhed  :  for  I  will  call  for  a  fword  upon  all  the  inha- 
 bitants of  the  earth,  faith  the  Lord  of  holts."  How  very 
 pointedly  and  accurately  does  this  agree  "vvith  the  declaration  of 
 our  blelled  Lord,  that  the  Jev/iili  nation  were  to  be  the  firsT 
 punished;  and  that  immediatkly  aeter  their  tribulation 
 was  accompliilied,  it  would  then  be  the  turn  of  the  Gentiles  to 
 endure  like  fufferings  !  The  prophet  therclore  proceeds  with  the 
 awful  events  :  "  Therefore  prophefy  thou  againft  them  all  thefc 
 words,  and  fay  unto  them.  The  Lord  iluill  roar  from  on  high, 
 and  utter  his  voice  from  his  h<>ly  liabitatitMi ;  he  lliall  mightily 
 roar  upon  his  habitation ;  he  lliall  give  a  Ihout,  as  they  that 
 tread  the  grapes,  againft  all  the  inhabitants  ot  the  earth.  A 
 noife  lliall  come  even  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  tor  the  Lord 
 hath  a  controverfy  with  the  nations  ;  he  v/ill  plead  with  all 
 flelh  ;  he  will  give  them  that  are  wicked  to  the  fvvord,  faith 
 the  Lord.  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  holts,  Behold,  evil  fhall 
 go  forth  from  nation  to  nation,  and  a  great  whirlwind  fhall  be. 
 raifed  up  from  the  coalts  of  the  earth.  And  the  llain  of  the 
 Lord  fhall  be  at  that  day  from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto 
 the  other  end  of  the  earth  :  they  fliall  not  be  lamented,  neither 
 gathered,  nor  buried;,  they  Ihall  be  dung  upon  the  ground," 
 Jer,  XXV.  27—33. 
 
 Cautious.  As  I  have  objeclcd  to  the  application  of  the  paflage 
 (Rev.  vi.  12 — 17.)  as  applied  folely  to  the  change  eitefted  on  earth 
 by  means  of  Conitantint,  i  think  it  incumbent  on  me  to  endea- 
 vour to  convince  you,  that  the  awful  pailage  before  us  hath 
 received  a  much  more  at^hial,  real,  and  importanl  fulnlment, 
 than  that  fuggelled  and  enforced  by  Bifnop  Newton. 
 
 In  the  book  of  the  Revelation,  the  eye  of  faith  can  beiiold 
 heaven  opened  to  Tts  view.  It  is  opened  to  our  view  for  our 
 comfort  ;  we  hear  the  celeftial  fongs  of  the  angelic  hofts:  but 
 that  which  is  calculated  to  give  us  greater  pleafure,  is,  that  here 
 
 ■»v<i 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  465 
 
 we  are  enabled  to  fee  the  blefTednefs  of  **  the  fpirits  of  juft  men 
 "  made  perfe6l,"  Heb.  xii.  23.  The  gloomy  dodrine  of  the 
 infenfibllity  of  the  foul  after  death,  is  not  a  fcripture  doifrine. 
 
 In  ancient  eccleliaftical  hiftory  we  read  of  the  torrents  of  blood 
 Ihed  by  the  perfecutors ;  the  torments  endured  by  Chriftians,  be- 
 caufe  they  would  not  deny  their  bleifed  Mafter  :  we  have  accounts 
 handed  down  to  us  of  ten  fierce  perfecutions  ;  and  it  was  not 
 until  the  enemies  of  the  caufe  and  people  of  God  were  glutted 
 with  blood,  that  the  perfecution,  by  God's  good  providence, 
 ceafed.  Eccleliaftical  hiftory  can  afford  us  no  further  alTiftance  j 
 the  material  eye  cannot  behold  their  glittering  crowns  ;  the  ma- 
 terial ear  is  not  capable  o^  receiving  the  blifsful  harmony  of  their 
 feraphic  fongs ;  how  greatly  then  ftiould  we  efteem  that  facred  book 
 which  draws  afide  the  veil  ?  In  the  fifth  feal  we  read  thus  : 
 *'  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  feal,  I  faw  under  the  altar 
 *'  the  fouls  of  them  that  were  (lain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for 
 "  the  teftimony  which  they  held  :  and  they  cried  with  a  loud 
 "  voice,  faying.  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  doft  thou 
 *'  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the 
 "  earth'?  And  white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them  ; 
 "  and  it  was  faid  unto  them,  that  they  ftiould  reit  yet  for  a  little 
 *'  feafon,  until  their  fellow  fervants  alfo,  and  their  brethren, 
 "  that  fhould  be  killed  as  they  were,  ftiould  be  fulfilled,"  Rev. 
 vi.  9 — 11.  They  receive  a  prefent  reward  and  blelTednefs,  but 
 it  is  but  an  earneft  of  greater  blelfednefs  to  come.  Here  is  alfo 
 an  intimation  of  another  great  perfecution  upon  earth,  whereby 
 the  number  of  the  bleffed  martyrs  will  be  greatly  Irxreafed.  In 
 chapter  the  15th  we  are  permitted  to  behold  the  high  reward  of 
 thefe  blefled  martyrs,  who  will  yet  be  faithful  unto  death,  and 
 receive  the  crown  of  life  :  "  And  I  faw  as  it  were  a  fea  of  glafs 
 mingled  with  fire  :  and  them  that  had  gotten  the  vidlory  over 
 the  beaft,  and  over  his  image,  and  over  his  mark,  and  over 
 the  number  of  his  name,  ftand  on  the  fea  of  glafs,  having  the 
 harps  of  God.  And  they  fing  the  fong  of  Mofes  the  fervant 
 of  God,  and  the  fong  of  the  Lamb,  faying.  Great  and  mar- 
 vellous are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty  ;  juft  and  true  are 
 thy  ways,  thou  King  of  faints.  Who  ihall  not  fear  thee,  O 
 Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name?  for  thou  only  art  holy:  for  all 
 nations  ftiall  come  and  worftiip  before  thee;  for  thy  judgments 
 are  made  manifeft,"  Rev.  xv.  2 — 4. 
 But  it  is  not  only  the  high  reward  of  the  martyrs,  that  is  re- 
 vealed to  us  in  this  blell'ed  book  :  we  are  permitted,  as  an  awful 
 warning  to  us,  to  behold  that  terrific  state  in  which  their 
 perfecutors  are  involved;  not  on  earth,  but  in  that  unfeea 
 jtate  which  no  ecclefiaiUcal  hiftory  can  defcribe,  and  which  the 
 eye  of  faith  alone  can  behold,  when  aftifted  by  the  Revelation 
 of  God  ;  the  terror  and  difmay,  the  confternation  of  thefe  un- 
 happy beings,  who  thus  call  unto  the  mountains  and  the  rocks  to 
 
 3  O  fall 
 
4'J^  DIALOGUES,  Fart   IL 
 
 fall  on  them,  and  to  hide  them  ''  from  the  face  of  him  that  fitteth 
 "  upon  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,"  is  much 
 more  applicable  to  their  fituation  after  death,  than  to  any  coniter- 
 nation  that  might  be  felt  by  thofe  of  them  who  might  remain 
 alive  at  the  time  when  the  religion  of  the  empire  was  changed. 
 
 If  they,  or  any  of  them,  were  in  this  awful  Itate  of  terror, 
 difmay,  and  confternation,  upon  earth,  how  is  it  that  we  do 
 not  read  of  the  bifhops  and  Chriftian  minifters  of  thofe  times 
 exerting  themfelves  to  comfort  them  ?  The  mod  awful  Itate 
 m  which  man  can  be  placed  on  this  earth,  admits  of  hope, 
 and  confequently  of  comfort.  Might  they  not  have  exhorted 
 them  to  faith  and  repentance,  by  the  remembrance  that  it  was 
 beftowed  upon  the  perfecuting  Saul  of  Tarfus  ?  Might  they  not 
 have  exhorted  them  to  faith  and  repentance,  and  encouraged  them 
 to  fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him,  whofe  "mercy  endureth 
 *'  FOR  EVER,"  by  referring  to  the  fa£l,  that  repentance  and 
 pardon  was  vouchfafed  even  unto  a  Manasseh  ?  Might  they 
 not  have  preached  to  them  concerning  the  great  atone- 
 ment ? 
 
 It  was  the  duty  of  the  bifliops  and  minifters  of  thofe  days,  if 
 this  convidcion  of  fm,  this  (late  of  terror  and  conllernation,  aclu- 
 :illy  took  place  upon  earth  among  thofe  who  had  been  their  per- 
 fecutors,  to  have  a;^ed  thus.  I  mult  here  quote  a  few  words 
 from  the  Bifhop  of  Rochelter's  charge  in  1800  ;  "  It  is  our  duty, 
 *'  therefore,  to  do  all  v/e  can.  To  perfuade  an  early,  but  to 
 "  afiilt  and  encourage  even  a  late  repentance.  To- fet  forth 
 **  to  the  terrified  soul  the  merits  of  Christ's  blood. 
 *'  To  hold  up  to  the  eye  of  faith  THE  crucified  Redeemer. 
 *'  To  join  our  prayers  to  the  finner"s  tears,  and,  in  the  very  worll 
 **  cafes,  to  cry  aloud  to  him  that  is  mighty  to  favc.  Remember, 
 *'  brethren,  that  God  was  in  Chrift  reconciling  fmners  to  him- 
 *'  felf,  and  that  he  hath  committed  unto  us  the  word  and  miniilry 
 "  of  reconciliation." 
 
 1  fear  that  the  terror  and  confternation  that  exifted  upon 
 earth  at  that  time  was  chiefly  occafioned  by  their  lofs  of  revc- 
 Tiue  and  confequence  ;  and  if  fo,  the  bifhops  and  miniilers  of  thofe 
 days  were  certainly  right  in  not  prcfuming  to  comfort  them  ;  for 
 the  very  fight  of  thofe  who  enjoyed  the  revenues  they  were  de- 
 prived of,  would  only  have  added  to  their  alili6lion. 
 
 The  terror,  difmay,  and  ccnflernation  defcribed,  is,  I  think, 
 a  far  more  awful  consternation  than  ever  exifted  upon 
 earth.  It  is  in  that  unfeen  Itate  of  exiftence,  in  which  the  im- 
 happy  dead  are  placed  !  where  hope  ne'er  comes,  that  comes  to 
 all !  The  event  defcribed  by  opening  the  fifth  feal,  is  confolation 
 to  the  fpirits  of  the  martyrs  in  heaven,  a  prefent  ftate  of  bleifed- 
 nefs  is  beflov/cd  upon  them,  and  a  promile  of  a  more  ample  re- 
 ward when  they  fhall  be  joined  by  the  martyrs  of  the  latter  day  ; 
 but  their  blooj  cricth  not  in  vain,  for  the  terrors  of  the  Lord  take 
 
 hold 
 
Part  IT.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  46;^ 
 
 hold  of  the  fpirits  of  their  perfecutors,  they  are  convinced,  in 
 that  awful  Itate  of  the  unhappy  dead,  which  admits  of  no  conver- 
 fion  ;  and  they  cry  imto  the  mountains  and  the  rocks,  "  Fall  ou 
 '■'■  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  fitteth  on  the , throne, 
 *'  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  :  for  the  great  day  of  his 
 **  wrath  is  come  ;  and  who  fhall  be  able  to  (land  ? 
 
 Zealous.  I  receive  much  latisfadion  from  what  vou  have 
 fa  id. 
 
 Cautious.  The  learned  and  pious  Bengelius  thus  reprefents  it, 
 and  it  affords  a  dreadtul  warning  to  the  dwellers  upon  earth  1  It 
 is  an  awful  thing  to  a6t  in  holHlity  towards  God's  people  !  Perfe- 
 cutors, be  they  of  what  party  they  may,  and  be  their  fuccefs  ever 
 fo  uninterrupted,  enjoy  but  a  fiiort  triuniph  ;  they  may  pollibly 
 die  peaceably  in  their  beds,  furrounded  by  their  friends,  and  think 
 that  in  their  exertions  to  obtain  uniformity  by  force,  they  have 
 rendered  God  fervice,  (John  xviii.  2.);  but  no  fooner  doth  the 
 great  change  take  place,  than  they  are  convinced,  and  cry 
 imto  the  iBOuntains  and  to  the  rocks,  "  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us 
 ^'^  how.  the  face  of  him  that  fitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  from 
 *'  the  vi'rath  of  the  Lamb." 
 
 You  referred  to  the  angelic  voice,  which  denounces  woe  to 
 the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  ;  and  intimated,  that  it  requires  par- 
 ticular confideration  with  refpect  to  the  queftions  we  have  been 
 conlidering. 
 
 Zealous.  The  doubt  which  I  thought  might  be  urged  from  it 
 is  fimilar  to  that  which  we  have  jufl  confidered.  I  prefume  you 
 admit  that  the  time  in  which  thcfe  woes  were  denounced,  is  paft; 
 if  fo,  I  would  requell  you  to  point  out  that  period  in  ecclefiailical 
 hiflory  to  which  you  think  this  denunciation  refers  ;  and  if  you 
 cannot  refer  to  any  events  which  correfpond  with  this  denuncia- 
 tion, I  would  inquire  what  reafons  you  can  give  for  the  hope, 
 that  thofe  other  angelic  voices,  and  angelic  declarations,  con- 
 tained in  the  fubfequent  parts  of  the  book,  will  be  fulfilled  m 
 fuch  a  manner  as  to  produce  important  confequenccs  upon  earth. 
 
 Cautious.  Eilhop  Newton,  in  the  third  volume  of  his  Dilfcr- 
 tations,  page  146,  thus  exprelfes  himfelf :  "  We  are  now  living 
 <'  under  the  fixth  trumpet;  and  the  empire  of  the  Euphratean 
 *'  horfemen,  or  Othmans,  is  flill  fubfifting,  and  perhaps  in  as 
 *'  large  extent  as  ever."  In  this  refpe<5l  I  entirely  agree  with 
 the  learned  biihop.  The  times  in  which  we  live  are,  I  think, 
 defcribed  in  the  tatter  part  of  the  9th,  and  the  beginning  of  the 
 10th  chapter  of  the  Revelation  ;  of  courfe  I  admit  that  the  time 
 is  paft,  in  which  this  angel  exclaims,  "  Woe,  woe,'  woe,  to  the 
 "  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  by  reafon  of  the  other  voices  of  the 
 "  trinnpet  of  the  three  angels  which  are  yet  to  found  \"  that  be- 
 ing at  the  end  of  the  8th  chapter. 
 
 In  the  next  place,  if  we  were  to  fearch  into  ecclefiaflical  hif- 
 tory,  to  fee  if  we  could  therein  difcovcr  any  events  correfponding 
 
 Vtith 
 
4^8  n  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  H. 
 
 with  this  declaration,  of  woe  to  come,  we  certainly  fhould  fearch 
 in  that  period  of  time  which  preceded  the  firft  of  the  three  woes  f 
 but  you  mull  be  aware,  that  this  period  is,  of  all  others,  the 
 darkeit,  and  that  the  hillory  of  thofe  times  of  afRiclion  are  very 
 imperfed.  If  I  am  not  much  millaken,  Bengelius  notices  fome 
 circumitances  in  hiftory,  with  reference  to  thefe  denunciations  of 
 woe  :  but  allowing,  for  the  fake  of  argument,  that  we  could  not 
 refer  to  any  fuch  circumflance,  it  would  by  no  means  follow, 
 that  becaule  this  denunciation  of  woe  to  mankind  might  not  be 
 noticed  upon  earth,  that  therefore  the  other  divine  declarations 
 and  mclTages,  in  the  fubfequent  parts  of  the  book,  wqll  be  equally 
 unnoticed,  when  the  time  comes  in  w^hich  they  will  be  delivered. 
 
 This  denunciation  of  woe  very  pointedly  exprelTes  the  calami- 
 ties that  were  then  coming  upon  the  earth  ;  but  is  it  in  the  text 
 declared,  that  this  denunciation  would  be  noticed  upon  earth,  or 
 produce  any  confpicuous  effefts  ? 
 
 Zealous.  There  certainly  is  no  intimation  in  the  text  that  this 
 denunciation  would  be  noticed,  or  produce  any  confpicuous  effects 
 upon  earth  ;  the  woes  themfelves,  and  not  this  denunciation  of 
 them,  it  is,  that  produce  fuch  confpicuous  effeits  upon  earth. 
 
 Cautious.  In  like  manner  it  is  noticed  in  Revelation  ix.  12. 
 *'  One  woe  is  pad;  and,  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more 
 *'  hereafter."  But  it  is  not  faid,  that  this  declaration 
 would  be  noiiced,  or  produce  effe£ls  upon  earth  \  on  the  contrary, 
 I  think  it  is  intimated,  that  no  effe6l  would  be  produced  upon 
 the  earth  by  the  declaration.  If  any  effe£l  were  to  be  produced, 
 one  would  expe6l  that  repentance  would  be  the  effect  pro- 
 duced ;  but  it  is  plain,  that  repentance  is  not  by  affiiftion  wrought 
 in  thofe  who  furvive  the  firit  and  fecond  woe  :  "  The  reil:  of  the 
 **  men  which  were  not  killed  by  thefe  plagues,  yet  repented  not 
 "  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that  they  fhould  not  worlhip  devils 
 "  and  idols  of  gold,  and  filver,  and  brais,  and  (tone,  and  of  wood  : 
 "  which  neither  can  fee,  nor  hear,  norAvalk:  neither  repented 
 *'  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  forceries,  nor  of  their  for- 
 *'  nication,  nor  of  their  thefts,"  Rev.  ix,  20 — 21.  Whereas 
 the  cafe  is  molt  materially  different  with  refpeel  to  the  declara- 
 tions in  the  fubfequent  parts  of  the  book  \  as,  I  trull,  I  fliall 
 convince  you. 
 
 The  main  intent  of  the  three  declarations  concerning  the  woes, 
 feems  to  be,  to  mark  the  periods  of  the  woes;  thus,  previous  to 
 the  commencement  of  the  firft  woe,  it  is  declared,  *'  Woe, 
 **  woe,  woe,  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  by  reafon  of  the 
 **  other  voices  of  the  trumpet,  ot  the  three  angels  which  are  yet 
 "  to  found,"  Rev.  viii.  13.  The  three  laft  trumpets  are  em- 
 phatically WOE  trumpets;  they  are  feverer,  and  more  afflic- 
 tive, than  the  preceding.  When  the  firft  woe  trumpet  hath  pro- 
 duced its  effect,  a  pause  takes  place,  and  it  is  faid,  **  One  w6e 
 *'  is  pait ;  and,  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more  hereafter," 
 
 Rev. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  469 
 
 Rev.  ix.  12.  As  we  believe  that  the  time  in  which  we  live  is 
 that  period  of  time  which  elapfes  between  the  clofe  of  the  fecond 
 woe  and  the  commencement  of  the  third,  we  fhall  receive  much 
 confolation  by  obferving,  that  it  is  not  until  the  14th  verfe  of  the 
 11th  chapter  that  it  is  faid,  "  The  fecond  woe  is  paft ;  and,  be- 
 *'  hold,  the  third  woe  cometh  quickly."  Thefe  pafiages  are 
 like  Itrong  lines,  drawn  in  order  to  keep  us  from  blending  thofe 
 things  which  are  dilHn61:  from  each  other. 
 
 Notwithltanding  "  we  are  living  (as  Bifliop  Newton  obferves) 
 *'  under  the  lixth  trumpet,"  which  is  the  fecund  woe;  and  not- 
 withftanding  *'  the  empire  of  the  Euphratean  horfemen,  or  Oth- 
 "  mans,  is  Itill  fubfifting,  and  pofhbly  in  as  large  extent  as  ever;" 
 yet  although  the  extent  of  their  territory  may  be  nearly  as  great 
 as  ever,  their  power  to  punilh  is  greatly  weakened,  if  not  entirely 
 taken  away ;  and,  confequently,  we  may  hope  that  the  dreadful 
 Avoe,  which  comes  by  their  means,  is  in  a  great  meafure  fpent 
 and  paft.  The  Turkilh  power  appears  to  be  a  falling  power  ; 
 for  many  years  it  hath  ceafed  to  be  a  vi6torious  power  ;  its  limbs 
 are  paralized,  and  its  heart  faint.  It  is  from  the  page  of  hiftory, 
 and  not  fVom  their  prefent  appearance,  that  we  are  enabled  to 
 eftimate  the  dreadful  woes  that  have  been  endured  by  corrupt  and 
 IDOLATROUS  Chriftian  nations,  by  their  means.  And  what 
 repentance  hath  been  produced  among  idolatrous  and  corrupt 
 Chriftian  nations,  by  their  fufterings  in  times  paft,  under  the 
 defolating  fiiry  of  the  Turks  r   Rev.  ix.  20,  21. 
 
 But,  thank  God  !  repentance  and  reformation  hath 
 been  in  a  very  confiderable  degree  produced,  by  God's  grace 
 bcftowed  upon  mankind;  and  chiefly  since  the  fury  of  the  ftorm 
 of  the  fecond  woe  hath  abated.  In  proportion  as  the  refor- 
 mation hath  fpread,  in  like  proportion  hath  the  effedls  of  the? 
 fecond  woe  abated. 
 
 This  gift  of  grace  is,  I  think,  clearly  defcribed  in  the 
 loih  chapter  of  the  Revelation;  but  I  ftiall  pafs  this  by  for  the 
 prefent.  The  angelic  declarations  in  the  fubfequent  part  of  the 
 book,  cannot  but  produce  confpicuous  eftedls  upon  earth. 
 The  angel  mentioned  in  the  6th  verfe  of  the  14th  chapter,  hath 
 **  the  everlafting  gofpcl  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  upon 
 **  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and 
 *'  tongue,  and  people  ;"  this  therefore  cannot  be  ful- 
 filled, but  by  a  powerful  and  univerfal  promulgation  of  the  gof- 
 pel.  The  exhortation  is  delivered  "  to  every  nation,  and  kindred, 
 *'  and  tongue,  and  people,  to  fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him; 
 "  and  to  worfhip  him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth,  -and  the  fea, 
 "  and  the  fountains  of  waters;"  and  this  exhortation  is  grounded 
 upon  the  declaration,  that  "  the  hour  of  his  judgment 
 IS  COME.  Highly  as  I  prize  that  great  blefling  which  God 
 hath  beftowed  upon  us,  in  caufing  truth  to  revive,  and  the  re- 
 formation to  take  place,  I  muft  profcfs  my  belief,  that  the  refor- 
 mation 
 
4;^*  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  Part  11. 
 
 ftiation  huh  not,  as  yet,  become  a  fulfilment  of  this.  Hath 
 the  gofpel,  by  means  of  the  reformation,  been  yet  publifliecl  to 
 every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people  r  By  no  means  ! 
 Have  any  of  the  minifters  of  the  reformed  churches,  as  yet,  re- 
 ceived fiich  a  full  alTurance  of  the  approacli,  nay  more  than  the 
 approach,  the  commencement  of  the  divine  judgment,  as  to 
 enable  them  to  declare  that  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is 
 COME  ?  But  you  will  obferve  that  even  this,  if  it  had  taken 
 place,  would  not  fatisfy  the  words  of  the  text ;  for  this  declara- 
 tion, that  the  hour  of-  his  judgment  is  come,  is  to  be  publifhcd 
 to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people  ;  we  iiave 
 therelore  the  confolation  to  look  forward  to  a  more  powerful' 
 promulgation  of  the  gofpel,  than  tliat  which  took  place  at  the. 
 reiormation,  or  at  any  period  fince  the  reformation. 
 
 The  time  would  fail  us,  if  we  were  to  notice  all  the  inflances  ; 
 I  Oiall  therefore  pafs  by  to  the  declaration  of  the  third  angel,  who 
 denounces  with  a  loud  voice,  "  If  any  man  worihip  the  bealt  and 
 "  his  image,  and  receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand, 
 **  the  fame  fhall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which 
 *'  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation; 
 "  and  he  ihall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimlLone  in  the  pre- 
 *'  fence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  prefence  of  the  Lamb  : 
 *'  and  the  fmoke  of  their  torment  afcendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever; 
 **  and  they  have  no  rell  day  nor  night,  who  worihip  the  beaft  and 
 *'  his  image,  and  whofoever  receivcth  the  mark  of  his  name," 
 Rev.  xiv.  c) — 11.  How  is  it  poffible  to  fuppofe  that  this  denun- 
 ciation can  be  delivered  without  bein.g  noticed,  and  producing 
 eonfpicuous  effeds  upon  earth  ?  It  is  evident,  from  the  very  face 
 of  it,  that  this  denunciation  will  be  delivered  in  a  time  of  great 
 perfecution,  v/hen  the  dreadful  rigour  concerning  the  mark  of  the 
 beait,  defcrib'ed  in  Revelation  the  13th,  is  in  full  exercife. 
 
 The  angel  who  hath  to  denounce  the  au'ful  fall  of  Babylon, 
 (chap,  xviii.)  is  defcribed  "  as  having  great  power,  and  the  e  arth 
 **  WAS  LIGHTENED  WITH  HIS  GLORY  ;"  Can  this  be  fulfilled 
 v^ithout  its  being  noticed  upon  earth  ?  Is  it  not  manifelUy  implied 
 in  thefe  v/ords,  that  the  knowledge  of  the  approach  of  God's 
 judgment  upon  Babylon,  which  is  fo  clearly  defcribed  in  the 
 hooks  of  the  prophets,  will  be  thus  fo  extenilvely  dilTeminated, 
 that  the  earth  will  be  enlightened  thereby.  This  is  followed  by 
 that  BLESSED  VOICE,  which  faith,  "  Come  out  of  her,  my 
 "  PEOPLE,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  fins,  and  that  ye  re- 
 **  ceive  not  of  her  plagues,''  Rev.  xviii.  4.  Is  it  poliible  that 
 we  can  doubt  whether  this  blefied  caution  Avill  be  efficacious? 
 Did  tliis  blelfed  voice  ever  fpeak  to  his  people  in  \ain  ?  Is  if 
 not  the  voice  of  the  great  Shepherd  hipjsi-lf?  "The 
 *'  fiieep  hear  his  voice:  and  he  calleih  his  own  Iheep  by  name, 
 *'  and  leadeth  them  out.  And  when  he  puttcih  forth  his 
 **  ovv-n  Iheep,  be  goeth  before  tjicm,  and  the  iheep  follow  him  : 
 
 *'  for 
 
Part  IT.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  471 
 
 *'  for  they  know  his  voice.  And  a  Granger  will  they  not  follow, 
 *'  but  will  flee  from  him  :  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of 
 **  Grangers,"  John  x.  3 — 5. 
 
 Zealous:.  I  am  convinced  that  when  thefe  divinely-infpired 
 melfengers  arifc,  the  efFedls  produced  by  their  meflages  will  btr 
 confpicuous.  Thofe  among  Proteftants  who  have  imagined  that 
 thefe  divine  melfages,  efpecially  the  two  firlt  of  the  three  angels 
 mentioned  in  Revelation  the  14th,  have  received  their  fulfilment 
 in  the  powerful  preaching  of  fome  of  the  molt  confpicuous  re- 
 formers, appear  to  me  to  have  magnified  the  events,  which  they 
 have  confidered  as  a  fulfilment  of  thefe  things.  At  the  firft  pro- 
 mulgation of  the  gofpel,  the  miracles  of  healing  performed  by 
 the  apoftles  greatly  tended  to'the  fpreading  of  the  glad-tidings  of 
 falvation^  and  the  gift  of  tongues,  in  a  mofl  efpccial  manner, 
 enabled  them  to  preach  to  the  converfion  of  the  nations.  It  is 
 not  ASSERTED  that  the  three  angels  mentioned  in  the  14th  chap- 
 ter of  the  Revelation  \vill  pollefs  thefe  means  which  were  bellowed 
 upon  the  apofiles  and  elders  in  the  apoitolic  age  ;  but  is  it  not 
 ftrongly  implied,  that  at  lead  the  gift  of  tongues  will  be  again 
 bellowed 'upon  the  churches?  for  the  everlalcing  gofpel  is  to  be 
 preached  unto  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
 people.  Angelic  voices  have  actually  and  really  been  heard  upon 
 earth;  numer(n:s  inltances  might  be  produced,  although  none 
 more  remarkable  than  at  the  birth  of  our  Saviour  :  "  There  were 
 *'  in  the  fame  country  ihepherds  abiding  in  the  field,  keeping 
 *'  watch  over  their  flock  by  night.  And,  lo,  the  angel  of  the 
 *'  Lord  carne  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ihone  round 
 *'  about  them:  and  they  were  fore  afraid.  And  the  angel  laid 
 '<  imto  them.  Fear  not :  for,  behold,  1  bring  you  good  tidings 
 *'  ot  great  joy,  which  iliall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  i^ 
 *'  born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  Avhich  is  Chriit 
 **  the  Lord.  And  this  Ihall  be  a  fign  unto  you  ;  Ye  fhall  find 
 *'  the  babe  v/rapped  in  fwaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a  manger. 
 "  And  fuddehly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the 
 -"  heavenly  hod:  praifing  God,  and  faying,  Glory  to  God  in  the 
 "  highelt,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  mea,"  Luke 
 ii.  8 — 14. 
 
 Cautious.  You  will  do  v/ell  to  recolledl  by  whom  thefe  angelic 
 voices  were  heard.  Thefe  fliepherds  were  Jews  ;  they  were  of 
 that  peculiar  nation  to  v.hom  fuch  a  manifelt  dilHnclion  and  pre- 
 ference was  given  ;  all  the  revelations  of  the  divine  will  to  man- 
 kind have  flowed  through  the  channel  of  the  Jf.  Vvi:  do  v/e 
 polTefs  a  fingle  page  of  holy  fcripture  that  was  nut  written  by  a 
 Jew?  What  revelation  of  the  divine  will  was  ever  beflovvcd  uposi 
 mankind,  that  v/as  not  conveyed  through  a  Jewish  channel? 
 Both  Pharaoh  and  Nebuchadnezzar,  it  is  true,  dreamed  dreams, 
 which  proceeded  from  God;  but  they  neither  underllood  the 
 dreams  they  had  dreamt,  until  Jofeph  the  Hebrew  prifoner,  and 
 
 Daniel 
 
472  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IL 
 
 Daniel  the  captive  Jew,  defcendants  of  thofe  blefTed  patriarchs 
 Abraham,  and  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  were  enabled,  by  God,  to  re- 
 veal and  interpret  the  dreams  unto  them.  Cornelius  the  centu- 
 rion faw  a  vifion,  it  is  true ;  but  what  was  the  purport  of  the 
 vilionr  It  inftrudted  him  to  fend  to  Peter  the  Jew,  who  would 
 inform  him  concerning  the  divine  will. 
 
 Thefe  divine  exhortations,  contained  in  Revelation  the  14th, 
 were  penned  by  the  beloved  John  the  Jew,  and  great  effeds  will 
 be  in  due  time  produced  by  them  ;  but  I  mull  profefs  that  I  do 
 not  conceive  that  they  will  be  fulfilled  by  any  iupernatural  decla- 
 ration in  time  to  come  ;  neither  do  I  look  for  any  miraculous 
 gift  of  tongues,  to  enable  thefe  declarations  to  be  quickly  circu- 
 lated. By  the  great  intercourfe  oi  the  nations  with  each  other, 
 by  means  of  commerce,  inlfrudlion  can  now  be  eafily  communi- 
 cated ;  it  only  requires  God's  bleiiing  (which  will  be  given)  upon 
 the  means  we  poiiefs. 
 
 With  refpedl  to  your  idea,  that  poflibly  thofe  other  gifts  and 
 powers  which  were  poifelfed  in  the  apollolic  age  may  be  agairv 
 beltowed  upon  the  churches,  I  mult  own  that  I  cannot  difcover 
 any  evidence  upon  v/hich  to  found  fuch  an  opinion  ;  I  can  find 
 no  promifc,  or  even  intimation,  that  thofe  who  will  be  called  to 
 the  high  honour  to  dilfeminate  the  divine  declarations  contained 
 in  Revelation  the  14th,  will  have  any  power  to  work  miracles. 
 I  muit  profefs  my  opinion  that  there  never  was  a  miracle  per- 
 formed by  any  individual  of  any  other  nation  than  that  ot  the 
 Jews.  Pray  fet  me  right  if  I  am  wrong.  Can  you  refer  to 
 any  inflance  ?  and  did  not  the  miraculous  powers  tade  in  the 
 Chriflian  church,  in  proportion  as  the  Jewish  converts  (who 
 were  all  zealous  of  the  law,  A61s  xxi.  20.)  were  by  age  or 
 perfecution  tranllated  from  earth  to  heaven  ? 
 
 Miracles,  it  is  true,  are  no  conclusive  evidence  of  di- 
 vine infpiration,  (Deut.  xiii.);  it  is  poflibie  that  they  may  be 
 permitted  for  the  trial  of  the  faith  of  God's  people,  (v.  3.)  and 
 we  are  informed  that  the  faith  of  God's  people  will  in  time  to 
 come  be  thus  tried,  (Rev.  xiii.  11 — i/-}-  ^^^^  ^'^^  ^^h  exer- 
 tion of  the  miraculous  powers,  in  time  to  come,  ^vhich  we  are 
 authorizi-:d  to  exped  to  be  exerted  in  the  caufe  of  truth,  arc 
 the  a6ts  of  the  Lord's  witnefles,  which  a£ts  you  will  find  recorded 
 in  the  11th  chapter  of  the  Revelation.  I  have  already  given  you 
 my  reafons  for  believing  that  thefe  confpicuous  i'crvants  of  the 
 Lord  will  be  of  the  Jewish  nation.  Althoi'gii  the  Jewifh 
 nation  will,  as  a  nation,  be  converted  to  the  true  knowledge  of 
 our  bleifed  Saviour,  as  their  true  MefTiah,  in  one  day,  (Ifai.  Ixvi. 
 8.)  ;  although  they  will  collectively  mouin  at  the  fight  of 
 him  whom  they  have  pierced,  (Zech.  xii.  10.) ;  yet  it  by  no 
 means  follows  that  there  will  be  no  converfion  ainong  them  pre- 
 vious to  that  great  event :  on  the  contrary,  it  feems  to  me  that 
 this  eleventh  chapter  of  the  Revelation  contains  evidence  of  fuch 
 
 converfion. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  473 
 
 converfion.  Thefe  holy  witnefles  are  witneffes  of  our  blefled 
 Lord  Jefus  Chrifl :  is  it  not  his  voice  that  declareth,  *'  I  will 
 *'  give  unto  my  tw^o  witneffes,  that  they  may  prophefy,  a  thou- 
 **  fand,  two  hundred,  and  threefcore  days,  clothed  in  fackclothi"' 
 Rev.  xi.  3,  When  the  Jews  obferve  the  great  alteration  which 
 will  be  efted:ed  in  the  minds  of  mankind  in  favour  of  their  nation, 
 by  the  inltrumentality  of  Chriftians  ;  when  Chriitians  fhall  fully 
 have  repented  of  their  mifcondu6l  towards  them  ;  when,  by  their 
 means,  the  nations  fhall  become  inflrudled  in  God's  purpofes  of 
 mercy  towards  Ifrael,  and  they  fhall  have  publiflied  the  glad-> 
 tidings  which  even  now  they  have  the  authority  of  God's 
 WORD  to  publish  :  *'  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  O  ye  na- 
 *'  tions,  and  declare  it  in  the  ifles  afar  off,  and  fay.  He  that 
 "  fcattered  Ifrael  will  gather  him,  and  keep  him,  as  a  fhepherd 
 *'  doth  his  flock,"  (Jer.  xxxi.  10.)  ;  Avhen  they  perceive  the  ar- 
 dent defire  that  there  will  be  in  Chriftians,  in  God's  good  time, 
 to  lead  his  people  Ifrael  unto  him  to  Mount  Zion,  as  the  moft 
 acceptable  offering  they  can  prefent  unto  him,  (Ifai.  xviii.  7.) ; 
 when  they  fhall  have  fure  evidence  that  Chriftians  -ardently  long 
 for  that  Dlelfed  time  when  they  fhall  be  permitted,  wi<-h  a  rap- 
 turous devotion  to  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  to  carry  the  fons  of 
 Ifrael  in  their  arms,  and  the  beloved  daughters  of  Ifrael  upon 
 their  fhoulders,  towards  Zion,  (Ifai.  xlix.  22.)  ;  and  that  Chrif- 
 tians look  forward  with  hope  to  the  high  honour  of  being  per- 
 mitted to  go  up  to  Mount  Zion  to  keep  the  feaft  of  tabernacles, 
 (Zech.  viii.  23.  xiv.  16 — 21.);  it  cannot  but  produce  fome 
 eifea. 
 
 Biftiop  Newton  conhders  thefe  witneffes  as  having  in  fome 
 meafure  already  arifen,  and  that  the  palfage  hath  been  in  part 
 fulfilled  in  thofe  fervants  of  God  who  have  teltiiied  againft,  and 
 been  perfecuted  unto  death  by,  the  Papacy  ;  but  independent  of 
 the  circumftances  which  clearly  and  indilputably  eftablilh  the  fa£t 
 that  thefe  holy  witneifes  are  of  the  Jewifh  nation,  let  me  afk. 
 Did  any  of  the  reformers,  or  any  of  the  witneifes  whom  the  Lord 
 from  time  to  time  railed  up  to  teftify  againft  the  Papacy,  poifefs 
 any  miraculous  powers  ?  or  were  they  in  any  manner 
 enabled  to  defend  themfelves  by  supernatural  means  ? 
 They  were  not ;  they  were  paflive,  as  the  flieep  before  its 
 fhearers  ;  they  walked  in  the  ileps  of  their  blelfed  Mafter,  who 
 gave  his  back  to  the  fmiters,  his  cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off 
 the  hair,  who  hid  not  his  face  from  Ihame  and  fpitting,  (Ifai.  1. 
 6.)  ;  they  accounted  not  their  lives  dear  unto  them,  fo  they  might 
 but  finifli  their  courfc  with  joy,  (A6ls  xx.  24.)  ;  they  took  their 
 deaths  patiently,  well  knowing  that  thus  they  conformed  to  thq 
 will  of  God  ;  and  fo  will  thefe  holy  witneifes  take  their  deaths 
 patiently,  when  they  fhall  have  finiftied  their  teftimony  ;  but  pre- 
 vious thereto,  they  will  prove  that  the  Lord  hath  not  armed  them 
 with   miraculous  powers  in  vain.     They  will  be   armed    with 
 
 3  P  miraculous. 
 
474  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 miraculous  powers,  in  order  that  they  may  exert  them.  It  is 
 the  will  ot  God  that  they  ihould,  like  Elijah  of  old,  exert  thofe 
 powers  wherewith  he  will  arm  them:  *' And  if  any  man  will 
 *'  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth,  and  devoureth 
 "  their  enemies  :  and  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  he  muft  in  this 
 *'  manner  be  killed.  Thefe  have  power  to  fhut  heaven,  that  it 
 *'  rain  not  in  the  days  of  their  prophecy  :  and  have  power  over 
 **  waters  to  turn  them  to  blood,  and  to  fmite  the  earth  with  all 
 *'  plagues,  as  often  as  they  will,"  Rev.  xi.  5,  6.  Such  adls 
 have  never  been  performed  fince  the  days  of  Elijah  the  Tifhbite, 
 but  they  will  be  again  performed  by  thefe  holy  witnefTes,  (1  Kings 
 xvii.  xviii.  xix.  2  Kings  i.  ii.  Mai.  iv.  5.);  for  the  fcriptures 
 muft  be  fulfilled,  Matt.  xxvi.  54.  Mark  xiv.  49. 
 
 Zealous.  You  obferved  that  the  main  intent  of  the  three  paf- 
 fages  which  denounce  woe,  feems  to  be,  to  mark  the  com- 
 mencement and  conclufion  of  the  woes  ;  thus  in  chapter  viii.  13. 
 before  the  firft  of  the  three  woes  commences,  it  is  faid,  *'  Woe, 
 *'  woe,  woe,  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  by  reafon  of  the 
 **  other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels  which  are  yet 
 *'  to  found."  And  again,  after  the  eifetl  of  the  firft  woe  has 
 been  recorded  in  the  beginning  of  the  9th  chapter,  it  is  in  the  12th 
 verfe  added,  *'  One  woe  is  paft;  and,  behold,  there,  come  two 
 *'  woes  more  hereafter."  And  again,  in  chapter  the  iith,  at 
 the  14th  verfe,  it  is  faid,  *'  The  fecond  woe  is  paft  ;  and,  be- 
 *'  hold,  the  third  woe  cometh  quickly."  By  means  of  thefe 
 ftrong  lines,  thus  drawn,  the  afts  of  thefe  holy  witnelFes  are 
 clearly  appropriated  to  the  times  after  the  clofe  of  the  fecond 
 woe,  and  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  third  woe  ;  for 
 it  is  not  until  they  have  finiftied  their  teftimony  \  it  is  not  until 
 the  beaft  that  afcendeth  out  of  the  bottomlefs  pit  ihall  have  made 
 war  againft  them,  and  have  overcome  and  killed  them,  and  their 
 enemies  have  rejoiced  and  exulted  in  their  deftruiFtion  ;  it  is  not 
 until  their  refurre6lion  and  \'ifible  afccnfion  into  heaven  ;  it  is 
 not  until  the  great  earthquake  which  produces  the  converfion  of 
 the  preferved  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  great  city,  where  thefe 
 witneiTes  fuffer,  and  where  alfo  our  Lord  was  crucified  ;  it  is  not 
 until  all  thefe  things  have  been  related,  that  it  is  faid,  **  The 
 **  fecond  woe  is  paft ;  and,  behold,  the  third  woe  cometh 
 **  quickly,"  Rev.  xi.    1 — 14. 
 
 I  conceive  that  words  cannot  be  more  explicit.  The  third 
 woe  is  YET  TO  COME,  even  when  all  thefe  circumftances  con- 
 cerning the  Lord's  holy  witnefTes  have  received  their  full  and 
 complete  accompliftimeat ;  and  if  Bifliop  Newton  is  right  in  con- 
 fidering  the  Turkifti  power,  the  Euphratean  horfemen,  as  the 
 inflidlers  of  the  fecond  woe:  it  then  follows,  by  undeniable  con- 
 fequence,  that  the  times  in  which  we  live,  viz.  towards  the  clofe 
 of  the  fecond  woe,  are  the  very  times  in  which  the  great  things 
 which  are  recorded  concerning  thefe  holy  witneifes,  approach 
 
 towards 
 
Part  II.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  475 
 
 towards  their  accomplifhment ;  for  the  paflage  I  have  quoted  I 
 conceive  clearly  eftablifhes  that  thefe  holy  witnefles  will  arife, 
 and,  in  fadl,  every  thing  relating  to  them,  receive  its  complete 
 accompiifliment,  before  the  commencement  of  the  third  woe, 
 which  is  yet  to  come. 
 
 Cautious.  I  conceive  that  you  are  perfeftly  correct  in  your 
 conclufions  ;  Bilhop  I'Te-vton,  in  this  his  opinion  of  the  Turkifh 
 power,  the  Euphrater.n  horfemen,  being  the  infli6lers  of  the  fe- 
 cond  woe,  is  fupported  by  numerous  authorities ;  you  will  find  many 
 referred  to  by  him.  I  would  alfo  refer  you  to  Fox's  Book  of 
 Martyrs,  for  an  account  of  the  calamitous  fufferings  of  Chrillian 
 nations,  under  the  iron  mace  of  the  then  victorious  Turkifli  arms  ; 
 I  would  refer  you  to  Gibbon's  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman 
 Empire  (for  you,  I  truft,  will  be  in  no  danger  from  the  fneers 
 and  inlinui^itions  v/hich  are  interfperfed  in  the  book)  for  an  account 
 of  the  overthrow  and  fufferings  of  Chriltians  ;  read  his  account  of 
 the  fiegc  of  Conftantinople,  and  you  will  hnd  that  the  page  of 
 hiftory,  even  when  penned  by  one  who  is  confidered  as  rather 
 unfriendly  to  the  caufe  of  Chriftianity,  conveys  conviftion  that 
 theTurMfli  powers  have  been  the  infli6lers  of  the  greateft  calami- 
 ties upon  Chriftians. 
 
 In  the  next  place,  in  order  to  confirm  you  in  the  opinion  that 
 the  interpretation  is  a  right  interpretation,  I  would  requeft  you 
 to  inquire  whether  the  Chriftian  nations,  who  were  thus  given 
 up  to  the  defolating  fury  of  the  Turks,  were  not  idolatrous  Chrif- 
 tians  ;  and  whether  repentance  was  produced,  in  thofe  who  fur- 
 vived  the  calamities  infli£led  by  the  Turks  ;  whether  repentance 
 was  produced  by  thefe  av/ful  fufferings  :  ''  The  rest  of  the 
 **  men  which  were  not  killed  by  thel'e  plagues,  yet  repented 
 **  not  of  the  works  of  th^ir  hands,  that  they  Ihould  not  worfhip 
 *'  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and  filver,  and  brafs,  and  flone,  and 
 **  of  wood  :  which  neither  can  fee,  nor  hear,  nor  walk  :  neither 
 *'  repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  forceries,  nor  of 
 *'  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts,"  Rev.  ix.  20,  21.  The 
 text  does  not  (thank  God)  authorize  us  to  affert  that  no  repent- 
 ance was  produced  in  any  of  thofe  who  were  cut  off  by  thefe  pu- 
 niihments  :  we  may  hope  that  many  of  them  did  repent,  but  it  is 
 thofe  who  furvived  the  calamities  among  whom  repentance  was 
 not  produced  by  thefe  means;  it  was  "  the  rest  of  the  men 
 *'  which  were  not  killed  by  thefe  plagues,"  which  yet  remained 
 impenitent.  One  would  think,  that  the  fight  of  fuch  fufferings 
 would  have  humbled  and  awakened  their  minds,  and  induced 
 them  to  confefs  that  the  Lord,  at  whofe  command  nations  and 
 empires  rife  and  fall,  fiourifh  and  decay,  was  evidently  greatly 
 difpleafed  with  them  ;  that  their  fufferings  were  evidence  that  he 
 had  a  controverfy  with  them  ;  and  that  they  would  have  examined 
 wherefore  ;  that  they  would  have  fearchcd  what  was  the  accurfed 
 or  devoted  thing  among  them  that  was  tl^e  caufe  why  their  enemies 
 
 thus 
 
47^  DIALOGUE    X.  Part  II. 
 
 thus  prevailed  againft  them,  (Jofh.  vii.);  but,  on  the  contrary, 
 no  fuch  repentant  efFe£ls  were  produced  by  thefe  calamities  upon 
 thofe  who  furvived  them.  All  thefe  things  confirm  me  in  the 
 opinion  that  the  interpretation,  the  application,  is  a  right  and 
 \vell-founded  application. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  fully  perfuaded  that  it  is  a  well-founded  appli- 
 cation. 
 
 Cautious.  I  am  further  confirmed  in  the  opinion,  by  the  exaft 
 agreement  there  is  obfervable  in  the  events  which  fucceed  it. 
 Notwithftanding  repentance  was  not  produced  by  the  fufFerings 
 under  the  Turkifh  fcourge,  yet  thank  God  repentance  hath 
 BEEN,  in  a  great  meafure,  fince  produced  by  God's  grace, 
 and  by  his  fo  ordering  and  difpofing  the  events  of  this  world  that 
 the  knowledge  of  his  word,  which  is  the  chief  means  of 
 HIS  GRACE,   Ihould  be  diffeminated. 
 
 From  the  firft  verfe  of  the  loth  chapter  of  the  Revelation,  to 
 the  end  of  the  19th  chapter,  we  have  an  account  of  the  revival  of 
 true  religious  knowledge  by  means  of  the  wordofGod;  an 
 account  of  the  fufFerings  of  God's  people,  on  account  of  their  at- 
 tachment to  the  word  of  God  ;  and  an  account  of  the  deftruc- 
 tion  of  the  enem.ies  of  that  blelTed  King  of  Kings,  and  Lord 
 OF  Lords,  whofe  name  is  called  The  Word  of  God  !  (Rev. 
 xix.  13.  16.):  *'  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word 
 **  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  The  fame  was  in 
 **  the  beginning  with  God.  All  things  were  made  by  him  ;  and 
 "  without  him  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was  made.  In  him 
 **  was  life  ;  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men.  And  the  light 
 *'  fuineth  in  darknefs  \  and  the  darknefs  comprehended  it  not." — 
 *'  That  was  the  true  light,  which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh 
 *'  into  the  world.  He  was  in  the  world,  and  the  world  was 
 '<  made  by  him,  and  the  world  knew  him  not.  He  came  unto 
 **  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not.  But  as  many  as  re- 
 *'  ceived  him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  fons  of 
 "  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name  :  which  were  born, 
 **  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flefli,  nor  of  the  will  of 
 "  man,  but  of  God.  And  the  Word  was  made  flelh,  and  dwelt 
 *'  among  us,  and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only 
 "  begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth,"  Johni.  1 — 5. 
 9—14. 
 
 The  word  of  God,  the  holy  fcriptures,  are  the  chief  means  of 
 grace,  which  God  hath  bellowed  upon  mankind;  wherever  the 
 word  of  God  is  preached,  there  is  the  power  and  the  demonflra- 
 tion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  it  was  recorded,  (1  Cor.  ii.  4.); 
 wherever  it  is  read  with  reverence,  as  the  word  of  God,  with  a 
 fmcere  defire  to  be  benefited  thereby,  the  efFeds  produced  are  in 
 iinifon  with  the  efFe£ts  produced  by  the  preaching  of  it.  Although 
 the  miraculous  powers  of  the  Holy  Spirit  conferred  upon  Chrif- 
 tians  in  the  firil  age  of  the  church  have  ceafed,  yet  do  we  polTefs 
 
 as 
 
Part  II.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  477 
 
 as  great,  if  not  greater  advantages  than  were  poffeffed 
 even  by  our  predeceiibrs  in  the  apoftolic  age  ;  we  have  the  fame 
 promife  of  the  Spirit  that  they  had,  the  fame  Mediator:  *'  There 
 *'  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator  between  God  and  men,  the 
 '*  man  Chrilt  Jefus,''  (1  Timothy  ii.  5.)  ;  and  his  people  ever 
 have,  and  ever  will  have,  the  benefits  he  hath  purchafed  tor,  and 
 promifed  to  them  :  "  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  fhall  give 
 *'  you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may  abide  with  you  for 
 **  EVER  i  even  the  Spirit  of  truth  ;  whom  the  world  cannot  re- 
 *'  ceive,  becaufe  it  fecth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him:  but  ye 
 ^'  know  him  ;  for  he  dwelleth  with  you,  and  fhall  be  in  you. 
 **  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortlefs  :  I  will  com.e  to  you,"  John 
 xiv,  16 — 18.  "  The  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghoft, 
 *'  whom  the  Father  will  fend  in  my  namiC,  he  fhall  teach  you 
 *'  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  what- 
 *'  foever  I  have  faid  unto  you,"  v.  26. 
 
 This  word  hath  been  accomplifhed,  from  that  day  to  this ;  it 
 is  now  accomplifhing,  and  will  be  fo  until  the  end  of  time.  In 
 accomplifhment    of   this    gracious    promife,    all- things    were 
 
 BROUGHT   TO   THE    REMEMBRANCE    OF    THE  DISCIPLES,    and 
 
 were  recorded  by  them  for  the  benefit  of  the  churches  ;  and 
 WE  POSSESS  THIS  INESTIMABLE  TREASURE,  and  Can  feel 
 and  experience  that  our  hearts  burn  within  us  whilft  we  hear  or 
 read  of  thefe  things,  (Luke  xxiv.  32.)  and  enjoy  that  grace  which 
 accompanies  the  word  of  God,  which  grace  is  freely  beflowed 
 by  him  whofe  providence  is  over  all  his  works,  (Matt.  x.  29 — 31. 
 Lukexi.  13.) ;  by  his  grace  and  fpirit  our  underltandings  are  opened, 
 and  we  are  enabled  to  underfland  the  fcriptures,  Luke  xxiv.  ^5. 
 
 Notwithitanding  the  av/tul  departure  of  the  Chriftian  church 
 from  tiie  truth,  and  fimplicity  of  the  gofpel ;  notwithitanding  the 
 bifhops,  priefts,  and  monks,  after  they  had  tailed  the  Iweets  of 
 power,  endeavoured  to  raife  an  empire  by  the  influence  they  ac- 
 quired over  the  minds  of  mankind  ;  notwithitanding  for  this 
 purpofe,  and  left  their  impofition  fhould  be  dete6led,  they  locked 
 up  the  fcriptures,  and  forbid  the  common  people  to  read  them  ; 
 yet  even  in  thefe  dark  ages,  to  which  we  are  now  referring,  did 
 it  pleafe  God  fo  to  interfere  for  the  protettion  of  his  word,  that 
 although  then  locked  up  from  the  perufal  of  the  people,  they 
 have  been  handed  down  to  us -pure  and  unadulterated. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  an  ineifimable  advantage  to  us,  that  they  were 
 preferved  pure  and  unadulterated.  There  never  was  a  gift  be- 
 llowed upon  mankind,  lince  the  world  was  created,  that  is  worthy 
 to  be  compared  to  that  great  gift  of  God,  the  gift  of  his 
 ONLY  BEGOTTEN  SoN  :  "  God  fo  loved  the  world,  that  he 
 *'  GAVE  his  ONLY  BEGOTTEN  SoN,  that  whofoevcr  believeth 
 "  in  him  Ihould  not  perifh,  but  have  eternal  life.  For  God 
 ['  fent  not  his  Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world  ;  but 
 ''  that    the   world    through    him    might    be    faved,"    John   iii. 
 
 16, 
 
478  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IL 
 
 16,  fj.  And  the  word  of  God  is  connedled  with,  and  the  £;reat 
 means  of  difTeminating  this  faving  knowledge ;  for  **  Faith 
 **  Cometh  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of  God," 
 Rom.  X.  17.  The  very  words  of  holy  scripture  are  fpirit 
 ^and  life,  (Johnvi.  63.):  '*  All  fcripture  is  given  by  infpira- 
 **  tion  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  dodlrine,  for  reproof,  for 
 **  corredlion,  for  inftruftion  in  righteoufnefs  :  that  the  man  of 
 **  God  may  be  perfe6l,  thoroughly  furnifhed  unto  all  good 
 *'  works,"  2  Tim.  iii.  16,  17.  It  is  of  divine  origin,  and  as  the 
 words  of  it  came  down  from  heaven,  it  teaches  us  the  way  to 
 heaven. 
 
 Cautious.  When  the  Turkifh  power  had  vented  the  violence 
 of  its  furioi  s  attacks,  that  is,  tovrards  the  clofe  of  its  power  to 
 aftlicTt,  it  pleafcd  God  to  break  that  lock,  under  which  the  policy 
 of  ecclefiallical  ufurpers  had  itcreted  thofe  holy  fcrip aires,  that 
 WORD  OF  God,  which  was  deflgned  for  the  edification  of  all 
 Chriflians,  of  every  degree.  Now  let  me  reqiieft  you  to  turn 
 to  the  10th  chapter  of  the  Revelation,  in  order  to  fee  whether  the 
 events  therein  defcribed  are  accordant  to  that  which  we  have  ob- 
 ferved  to  be  the  fa6l  effablifhed  by  hiftory.  The  mighty  angel 
 defcribed  in  this  chapter,  who  is  clothed  with  a  cloud  and  a  rain- 
 bow (that  token  of  the  faithfulnefs  of  God's  promifes  and, his 
 regard  for  his  word,  Gen.  ix.)  upon  his  head  ;  whofe  face  \v^as 
 as  it  were  the  fun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire,  is  defcribed 
 with  an  open  book  in  his  hand.  How  accurately  doth  this 
 point  out  the  great  event  which  took  place  when  the  infliclers  of 
 the  feccnd  woe  had  nearly  fpent  their  force,  viz.  that  the  next 
 moft  memorable  event  would  be,  that  that  bleffed  book,  thofe 
 holy  fcriptures,  which  had  been  fo  long  fecreted  under  the  locks 
 and  keys  of  the  Papacy,  would  be  open  for  the  infpedion  and 
 inftru6tion  of  mankind  ! 
 
 All  events  are  under  the  control  of  him,  whofe  providence  is 
 over  all  his  works,  and  who  is  the  only  giver  of  wifdom.  What 
 an  ineffimable  gift  unto  mankind  was  the  knowledge  of  the  means 
 of  multiplying  copies  by  tjie  great  art  of  printing  ;  and  I  need 
 not  inform  you  that  the  difcovery  of  this  ufeful  art,  as  it  were, 
 paved  the  way  for  that  quick  dillemination  of  the  word  of  God, 
 which  commenced  at  that  time,  and  hath  increafed,  is  increafmg, 
 and  we  trult  will  never  be  again  diminifiied. 
 
 Zealous.  There  certainly  is  a  very  flriking  analogy  ;  and  1 
 think  the  light  in  which  you  place  it  is  by  no  means  fubjedl  to 
 thofe  objections  which  attach  to  confidering  this  chapter  as 
 defcriptive  of  Luther  or  any  other  of  the  reformers. 
 
 Cautious.  Great  as  was  the  work  to  which  Luther  was  called, 
 what  ability  did  he  polfefs  that  he  did  not  derive  from  the  word 
 OF  God  ?  It  pleafed  God  to  make  him  and  the  other  reformers 
 able  and  fuccefsful  minilters  of  the  word  of  God  ;  but  no 
 man  on  earth  is  worthy  of  the  auguff  d>;fcription  that  is  given  in 
 
 this 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  479 
 
 this  chapter :  "  He  fet  his  right  foot  upon  the  fea,  and  his  left 
 **  foot  upon  the  earth,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a 
 *'  lion  roareth  :  and  when  he  had  cried,  feven  thunders  uttered 
 '*  their  voices,"  which  the  beloved  John  was  commanded  to  ab- 
 ftain  from  writing.  How  greatly  fhould  this  induce  us  to  watch- 
 fulnefs  and  humility  !  There  are  important  things  which  are 
 yet,  for  wife  and  gracious  purpofes,  concealed  from  our  view  ; 
 and  thefe  things  that  are  thus  concealed  are  introduced  between 
 the  clofe  of  the  fecond  woe  and  the  commencement  of  the  third 
 woe,  in  which  fpace  it  feems  to  me  that  we  now  live. 
 
 Thus  much,  however,  we  are  enabled  to  gather  from  that 
 awful  oath  of  this  mighty  angel,  which  remains  upon  record  ; 
 that  thofe  things  which  it  hath  pleafed  God  to  declare  to  his  holy 
 prophets  fhall  moft  affuredly  be  accomplilhed  when  the  trumpet 
 of  the  feventh  angel  founds,  when  the  third  woe  commences. 
 As  I  have  already  endeavoured  to  prove  to  you  that  the 
 refloration  of  the  Jews  is  the  great  fubjeft  of  the  prophetic  de- 
 clarations, and  that  the  defcription  we  have  in  the  very  next 
 chapter  of  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  tHem  that  wor- 
 ship therein,  indicates  that  a  change  in  favour  of  the  Jews  is  to 
 be  expefted  ;  as  I  have  already  noticed  the  Jewish  appearance 
 of  the  Lord's  witnefles,  whofe  afts  are  the  fame  as  were  per- 
 formed in  the  fervice  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  by  Elijah  the 
 Tiflibite  ;  1  fhall  fay  no  more  at  prefent,  except  that  you  may 
 gather,  from  what  I  have  faid,  that  I  confider  the  commence- 
 ment of  their  reftoration  as  an  event  at  hand,  or  at  leaft  by  no 
 means  remote. 
 
 It  is  true  it  requires  much  time  to  change  the  habits  and  dif- 
 pofitions  of  mankind ;  it  is  nearly  three  centuries  fince  the  dawn 
 of  the  reformation  :  but  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  hath  iricreafed 
 in  the  lad  century,  I  conceive,  in  a  much  greater  degree  than  it 
 ever  did  before  :  I  do  not  conceive,  indeed,  that  there  are  any 
 greater  men  among  us  than  there  were  in  t!ie  lall:  century  ;  but 
 knowledge  is  more  diffused,  and,  as  all  events  are  in  the  hand 
 of  God,  and  will  be  over-ruled  by  him,  to  fulfil  his  word,  I 
 cannot  but  exprefs  my  hope  that  the  nations  will  be  foDii 
 convinced  that  *'  He  that  fcattered  Ifrael,  will  gather  him  ;  and 
 *'  keep  him  as  a  fheph'erd  doth  his  flock,"  Jer.  xxxi.  10. 
 
 Zealous.  I  muft  acknowledge  that  I  derive  much  fatisfa^lioa 
 from  what  you  have  faid  :  I  conceive  that  there  never  wns  a 
 book  perufed  by  the  human  eye  that  was  arranged  in  that  exact 
 ORDER  that  is  obfervable  in  the  Revelation  \  and  as  it  is  manifell 
 that  the  events  therein  recorded  are  to  occur  in  the  order  In  which 
 they  are  recorded,  it  is  an  inquiry  of  the  greatell  importance', 
 *'  What  part  of  this  facred  book  is  it  that  appears  to  be  in  fulfil - 
 *'  ment  at  the  prelent  time?"  for  without  we  are  enabled  to 
 afcertain  this  with  fome  degree  of  precifion,  we  muft  neccffariiy 
 remain  entirely  at  a  lols  concerning  thofe   events  that  are  uy  be 
 
 expcdled. 
 
480  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 expefted,  and  confequently  precluded  from  deriving  that  great 
 BENEFIT  which  this  blelTed  book  is  calculated  to  communicate; 
 for  it  is  "  the  Revelation  of  Jefus  Chriit,  wluch  God  gave  unto 
 
 *'  him,  TO  SHEW  UNTO  HIS  SERVANTS  THINGS  WHICH 
 f*    MUST   SHORTLY   COME   TO   PASS,"    RcV.    i.    1, 
 
 Cautious.  You  will  obferve  that,  although  we  confider  our- 
 felves  living  in  the  fpace  between  the  clofe  of  the  fecond  woe  and 
 the  commencement  of  the  third  woe,  that  it  by  no  means  follows 
 that  none  of  the  circumllances  iioticed  in  the  fubfequent  parts  of 
 the  book  have  began  to  be  obfervablc  ;  fo  far  from  this  being  the 
 cafe,  that  I  truil  I  ihall  convince  you  that  we  are  authorized 
 to  fearch  in  ecclefiaftical  hiifory  for  circumftances  which  are 
 analogous  to  the  defcriptions  in  the  fubfequent  parts  of  the  book. 
 The  myltical  Babylon  defcribed  in  Revelation  the  17th,  doubtlefs 
 cxifted  in  the  apoltolic  age,  and  hath  exilted  from  that  time  to  this, 
 although  it  may  never  yet  have  arrived  to  that  acme  of  cruelty 
 and  wickednefs  that  it  will  alVume  w^hen  it  becomes  "  drunken 
 *'  with  the  blood  of  the  faints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
 '*  of  Jefus,"  Rev,  xvii.  6.  It  hath  already  been  "  the  mother  of 
 "  harlots,  and  abominations  of  the  earth,"  (v.  5.);  it  luith  been 
 the  great  patronefs  of  idolatry,  although  it  may  not  yet  have 
 arrived  at  that  full  raeafure  of  wickednefs  that  it  will  accumulate 
 to  itfelf  immediately  before  its  awful  fall ,  for  then  it  is  defcribed 
 as  "  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul 
 "  SPIRIT,  and  the  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird," 
 Rev,  xviii.  2.  The  tellimony  therefore  of  Protertant  writers 
 concerning  "  Babylon  the  great,  the  niothtr  of  harlots,  and 
 "  abominations  of  the  earth,"  (Rev.  xvii,  5.)  remains  unfhaken. 
 
 The  mydery  of  iniquity  vv-as  at  work  even  in  the  apoltolic  age, 
 (a  Their,  ii.  7.)  and  hath  been  at  work  froni  that  time  to  this, 
 although  it  may  not  yet  have  fully  and  completely  ailnmed  that 
 full  Itaturc  of  powerful  impiety  and  vvickedneis,  that  it  is  delcribcd 
 as  cx'ercifing,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  13th  chapter  of  the  Reve- 
 lation. The  teftiir.ony  therefore  of  Proteflant  writers  againft  the 
 Papacy  remains  unlhaken. 
 
 In  the  7th  and  8th  verfes  of  the  37th  chapter  of  the  Revelation 
 arc  thefe  words  :  *'  Afid  the  angel  faid  unto  me.  Wherefore  didll 
 *'  thou  marvel  ?  I  wall  tell  thee  the  myftery  of  the  woman,  and 
 *'  of  the  heart  that  carrieth  her,  which  hath  the  feven  heads  and 
 *'  ten  horns.  The  beait  that  thou  fawert  was,  and  is  wot; 
 *'  and  shall  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and 
 "  go  into  perdition  :  and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  {hall  won- 
 ''  der,  v/hofe  naines  were  not  written  in  the  book  of  lite  from  - 
 *'  the  foundation  of  the  world,  v/hen  they  behold  the  heart  that 
 *'  WAS,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is,"  Rev.  xvii.  7,  8.  It  has 
 been  jiillly  obferved  by  the  prelate  Roos,  who  follows  the  learned 
 Bengelius,  that  thisdefcription  evidently  points  out  that  the  power 
 txcrcifcd  by  the  great   Aniichrill  is  a  renovation  of  an  ancient 
 
 power  : 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  481 
 
 power  :  this  ancient  power  they  take  to  be  the  Papacy.  Un- 
 doubtedly, the  power  fpoken  of  in  the  text  experiences  a  grievous 
 fall,  and  the  Papacy  hath  certainly  experienced  a  grievous  fall. 
 Be  the  power  what  it  may,  it  may  at  a  certain  time  (the  time 
 afTumed  in  the  text]  be  faid  of  it,  It  was,  and  is  not,  and 
 SHALL  afcend  out  of  the  bottomlefs  pit.  And  before  it  goes 
 into  perdition  ;  before  it  meets  with  its  awful  overthrow,  recorded 
 in  Revelation  the  18th  and  19th,  it  will  receive  a  reanimation  : 
 it  fhall  afcend  out  of  the  bottomlefs  pit,  and  excite  the  aftonifh- 
 ment  of  mankind,  who  will  wonder  when  they  behold  the 
 beaft  that  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is.  All  the  world  are 
 defcribed  as  wondering  after  the  beaft  in  Revelation  xiii.  3,  4. 
 and  as  worfhipping  the  dragon  that  gave  power  unto  the  beaft, 
 and  worftiipping  the  beaft,  faying,  *'  Who  is  like  unto  the 
 "  beaft  ?   who  is  able  to  make  war  with  him  r" 
 
 The  Satanic  delufions,  cruel  intolerance,  and  arbitrary  power 
 exercifed  by  the  fecond  beaft,  the  falfe  prophet,  (Rev.  xiii. 
 11 — 17.)  appears  to  me  to  be  yet  to  come,  and  to  be  exercifed 
 in  favour  of  the  firft  beaft  (v.  12,)  about  the  time  of  his  renova- 
 tion o(  power,  his  afcent  out  of  the  bottomlefs  pit.  In  every 
 ftage  of  his  malignancy  he  is  an  ordained  fcourge  ;  for  we  find 
 that,  concerning  the  ten  kings  that  are  mentioned  in  Revelation 
 xvii.  it  is  faid,  that  "  God  hath  put  in  their  hearts  to  fulfil  his 
 *'  will,  and  to  AGREE,  and  give  their  kingdom  unto  the 
 *'  beaft,  until  the  words  of  God  fliall  be  fulfilled,"  v.  17.  Now 
 in  order  to  convince  you  that  many  of  thofe  things  we  have  been 
 noticing  occur  in  that  period  of  time  that  elapfes  between  the 
 clofe  of  the  fecond  woe  and  the  commencement  of  the  third  woe, 
 I  requeft  you  to  recolle£l  that  when  the  holy  witnelfes  have 
 finifhed  their  teftimony,  it  is  "  the  beaft  that  afcendeth  out  of  the 
 *'  bottomlefs  pit,"  (Rev.  xi.  7.)  that  makes  war  againft  them, 
 overcomes  them,  and  kills  them  :  the  enemy,  in  his  renovated 
 power,  in  the  full  exertion  of  his  Satanic  wickednefs. 
 
 Zealous.  From  this  it  follows,  that  the  third  woe  doth  not 
 commence  until  after  the  enemies  defcribed  in  Revelation  the  13th 
 and  17th  have  attained  the  very  fummit  of  their  wickednefs:  tor 
 it  is  not  until  thefe  holy  witneftes  have  finiftied  their  teftimony 
 that  they  become  vulnerable  ;  then  it  is  that  the  beaft  that  af- 
 cendeth out  of  the  bottomlefs  pit,  the  great  enemy  in  his  laft  and 
 moft  malignant  form,  (Rev.  xvii.  8.)  makes  war  againft  them, 
 and  overcomes  them,  and  kills  them  ;  it  is  not  until  they  ar? 
 thus  killed,  and  their  enemies  rejoice  over  them,  (Rev.xi.  7 — 10.) ; 
 it  is  not  until  their  reanimation,  and  vifible  afccnfion  into  heaven, 
 which  is  immediately  fuccceded  (in  the  fame  hour)  by  that  great 
 earthquake  which  produces  the  converfion  of  thofe  who  are  not 
 deftroyed  thereby,  (v.  11,  12,  13.)  ;  it  is  not  until  all  thefe  things 
 are  palt,,  that  it  is  faid,  **  The  fecond  woe  is  paft  \  and,  behold, 
 *'  the  third  woe  cometh  quickly,"  v.  14. 
 
 3  O  Cautious^ 
 
48«  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 Cautious.  I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  opinion,  notwithftand-- 
 ing  thofe  tor  whom  I  have  the  greateit  refpeft  have  reprefented 
 the  fufFcrings  under  the  Papacy  as  the  third  woe.  I  think  that 
 the  declaration,  '*  The  fccond  woe  is  pad,  and  behold  the  third 
 **  woe  cometh  quickly,"  being  placed  as  it  is,  immediatclv 
 AFTER  the  account  of  the  Lord's  holy  witnefles,  amounts  to 
 a  full  alFurance  that  we  are  not  to  conlider  the  Tufterings  under 
 the  Papacy  in  times  pait,  or  the  fufFcrings  imder  the  wars  that 
 now  exilt,  or  the  lufFerings  which  God's  people  will  yet 
 HAVE  TO  ENDURE  under  the  great  cnemies  dcfcribed  in  Reve- 
 lation the  13th,  17th,  and  18th,  as  the  third  woe  ;  but  that  the 
 third  woe  produces  much  more  awful  sufferings. 
 
 I  am  alio  confirmed  in  this  by  the  following  confiderations  : 
 although  it  mull  be  adnutted  that  great,  very  great  have  been  the 
 fufFerings  under  the  Papacy,  and  that  it  hath  in  ancient  times 
 emulated  the  intolerance  and  cruelties  difplayed  in  the  primitive 
 perfecutions,  and  in  fome  inltances  exceeded  them  ;  yet  who 
 WERE  THEY  that  fufFered  under  the  cruelties  of  the  Papacy? 
 Were  they  not  the  fervants  of  God  ?  They  were  ;  and  in  holy 
 fcripture  there  are  no  woes  denounced  againil:  the  fervants  of 
 God,  who  fuffer  for  their  attachment  to  his  mod:  holy  word  ;  the 
 word  of  God  abounds  with  Itrong  confolation,  and  not  with  woe 
 to  them:  **  Say  ye  unto  the  righteous  that  it  fliall  be  wkll 
 *'  with  him  :  for  they  fliall  eat  the  fruit  of  their  doings."  It  is 
 agalnd  the  wicked  that  woes  are  in  the  word  of  God  denounced : 
 *'  Woe  unto  the  wicked!  it  fhall  be  ill  with  him:  for  the 
 *'  reward  of  his  hands  Ihall  be  given  him,"   Ifai.  iii.  10,  11. 
 
 The  fufFerings  of  God's  people,  if  endured  for  attachment  to 
 the  word  of  God,  and  the  caufe  of  their  blelFed  Mailer,  (how- 
 ever grievous  they  may  be  to  fiefh  and  blood)  are  not  evils  to 
 THEM,  but  carnells  of  great  good  and  abundant  bleflednefs  to- 
 wards them.  The  fufFerings  endured  by  the  fervants  of  God 
 under  the  Papacy,  or  the  fufFerings  that  will  molt  alFuredly  be 
 endured  in  time  to  come,  under  the  great  enemies  defcribed  in 
 Revelation  the  13th,  17th,  and  18th,  when  they  arrive  at  the 
 fummit  of  their  wickcdncfs,  are  fufFerings  for  righteousness' 
 SAKE  ;  and  to  fuch  as  thus  fufFer,  there  is  no  woe  denounced  in 
 the  word  of  God,  but  great  confolation :  **  Blessed  are  they 
 "  which  are  persecuted  for  righteousness'  sake: 
 **  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed  are  ye,  when 
 "  men  lliall  revile  you,  and  perfecute  you,  and  fhall  fay  all 
 **  manner  of  evil  againfl  you  falfely,  for  my  sake.  Rejoice, 
 "■'  and  be  exceeding  glad  :  for  great  is  your  reward  in  hea- 
 *'  ven  :  for  fo  perlecuted  they  the  prophets  which  Avere  before 
 **  you,"  Matt.  v.  10,  It,  12.  *<  Blessed  are  ye,  when  men 
 *'  Ihall  hate  you,  and  when  they  ihall  feparate  you  from  their 
 *'  company,  and  iliall  reproach  you,  and  caft  out  your  name  as 
 ''  evil,   for  the  Son  or  man's  sake.     Rejoice  ye  in  that 
 
 "  day, 
 
Part  H.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E      X.  483 
 
 "  day,  and  leap  for  joy:  for,  behold,  your  reward  is  great 
 *'  in  heaven:  for  in  like  manner  did  their  fathers  unto  the 
 "  PROPHETS,"  Luke  vi.  22,  23. 
 
 The  third  woe  Cometh  upon  the  wicked,  the  impenitent, 
 the  great  enemies,  and  their  adherents  ;  who  have  thus  perfecuted 
 the  fcrvants  of  God.  You  may  read  an  account  of  the  awful 
 fufFcrings  of  the  enemies,  when  enduring  this  woe,  in  Revelation 
 the  16th,  18th,  and  19th;  they  have  evidence  of  the  power  of 
 that  great  God  whofe  fervants  they  have  perfecuted  on  earth, 
 even  before  they  pafs  by  death  to  that  Hate  in  which  there  fhaU 
 be  '*  wailing,  and  gnafhing  of  teeth,"  (Matt.  xiii.  42.) ;  for 
 whilft  they  are  fuffering  under  the  woes  that  are  denounced  againft 
 them,  we  read  that  they  blaspheme  *'  the  name  of  God  which 
 *'  hath  power  over  thefe  plagues,"  and  repent  not,  nor  give 
 glory  to  him  ;  they  blaspheme  "  the  God  of  heaven,  becaufe 
 of  their  pains  and  their  fores,"  and  repent  not  of  their  deeds. 
 Rev.  xvi.  8 — 11. 
 
 Zealous.  I  am  perfectly  fatisfied  with  what  you  have  faid.  I 
 mufl  own  that  I  have  ever  confidered  it  as  an  article  of  my  creed, 
 that,**  He  that  foweth  the  good  feed  is  tlie  Son  of  man ;  the  field 
 **  is  the  world  ;  the  good  feed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom  ; 
 **  but  the  tares  are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one  ;  the  enemy 
 "  that  fowed  them  is  the  Devil;  the  harvest  is  the  end  of  the 
 **  world;  and  the  reapers  are  the  angels.  As  therefore  the 
 **  tares  are  gathered  and  burnt  in  the  fire,  fo  fhall  it  be  in  the 
 **  end  of  this  world.  The  Son  of  man  ihall  fend  forth  his  angels, 
 *'  and  they  Ihall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things  that  offend, 
 **  and  them  that  do  iniquity  ;  and  Ihall  calf  them  into  a  furnace 
 *'  of  fire:  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of 
 *'  teeth.  Then  fliall  the  righteous  fliine  forth  as  the  fun  in 
 **  the  kingdom  of  their  father,"  Matt.  xiii.  37 — 43.  I  was 
 therefore,  I  muft  confefs,  rather  furprifed  by  reading  that  note 
 of  the  learned  prelate,  which  feems  to  reilrift  the  harvest  to 
 the  events  that  will  take  place  in  this  world.  The  words  of 
 the  note  upon  Ifaiah  the  18th,  verfe  5,  are  thefe  :  "  The  harvell 
 **  is  the  conftant  image  of  that  feafon,  when  God  (hall  gather  his 
 **  ele6l  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  reap  the  field  of  the 
 **  world,  gather  his  wheat  into  his  barns,  and  burn  up  the  chafF 
 **  with  unquenchable  fire.  Images  which  relate  not  to  the 
 **  tranflation  of  the  jutl  to  heaven,  and  the  burning  of  the  wicked 
 *'  in  hell  ;  but  to  the  placing  of  the  faithful  in  a  (late  of  peace 
 *'  and  fecurity  upon  earth,  and  to  the  excifion  ot  the  incorrigible 
 **  of  the  irreligious  faction." 
 
 Cautious.  My  dear  friend,  you  will  permit  me  to'obferve,  that 
 the  words  you  have  quoted  are  the  words  of  a  very  fliort  note  ; 
 and  that  we  fhould  ever  be  upon  our  guard  that  we  do  not  put 
 conltruclions  upon  what  may  be  merely,  as  it  were,  the  Hip  of 
 the  pen.      I  am  perfuaded  that  it  is  fo  in  this  inftance ;   I  think 
 
 there 
 
4^4  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 there  is  a  fmall  word  or  two  omitted,  and  that  the  paflage  (hould 
 run  thus:  *'  Images  which  relate  not  exclusively  to  the 
 *'  tranilation  of  the  juft  to  heaven,  and  the  burning  of  the  wicked 
 **  in  hell ;  but  also  to  the  placing  of  the  faithful  in  a  ftate  of 
 "  peace  and  fecurity  upon  earth,  and  to  the  excifion  of  the  in- 
 **  corrigible  of  the  irreligious  fa6lion."  It  has  been  the  weak- 
 ncfs  of  fome  to  run  from  one  extreme  to  another ;  but  nothing 
 of  this  fort  can,   I  trull,  be  imputed  in  this  inftance. 
 
 The  Chriftian  churches,  it  is  true,  have  long  continued  under 
 the  impreihon,  that  at  the  harveft,  the  end  of  the  world,  at  the 
 coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
 glory,  the  world  and  all  therein  v/ill  be  as  it  were  inftantly  burnt 
 up  ;  all  the  dead  will  be  raifed,  the  wicked  will  be  caft  into  hell, 
 and  the  righteous  be  admitted  into  heaven.  In  this  refpe6f  the 
 Chriftian  church  hath  walked  in  the  fteps  of  the  dlfciples  of  our 
 Lord  ;  they  were  not  to  be,  at  that  time,  inftruclcd  as  to  the  times 
 and  feafons,  which  the  Father  had  put  in  his  own  power,  A6ls  i.  7. 
 But  this  expedlation  of  the  churches  is  the  spirit  and  essence, 
 the  sum  and  substance  of  the  true  faith,  of  the  true  church  of 
 Chrift,  which  "  looks  for  the  refurredlion  of  the  dead,  and  the 
 **  life  of  the  world  to  coine."  The  great  points  contained  in 
 this  furamary  of  the  expedlations  of  Chriftians  must  ever 
 remain  unshaken. 
 
 It  is  the  infirmity  of  human  nature  to  precipitate  ;  it  pro- 
 ceeds from  the  fmall  fpace  of  time  that  is  allotted  to  us  in  this 
 life,  and  the  very  limited  fphere  in  which  we  move  ;  and  if  the 
 difciplcs,  previous  to  our  Lord's  afcenfion,  notwithftanding  they 
 were  inftrufted  that  "  of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no  man, 
 **  no  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the 
 '*  Father,"  (Mark  xiii.  32.)  continued  to  prefs  and  concentrate 
 the  great  events  recorded  in  the  24th  and  25th  chapters  of  St. 
 Matthew,  and  to  expe6l  that  they  would  then  foon  be  all  accom- 
 plilhed,  fuddenly  and  at  the  fame  time  ;  it  is  not  at  all  furprifing 
 that  notwithftanding  Chriftians  of  more  modern  times  may  be 
 aware,  that  many  of  the  primitive  Chriftians,  as  to  the  times 
 
 WHEN   these   things   WERE  TO   BE   ACCOMPLISHED,    formed 
 
 to  themfelves  conclufions  and  opinions  which  they  were  not  au- 
 thorized to  form  ;  vet  that  they  (being  fubje6t  to  like  infirmity) 
 Ihould  conclude,  that  when  thofe  things  which  remain  to  be  ac- 
 complilhed,  begin  to  come  to  pafs,  that  they  will  all  be  fulfilled 
 fuddenly,  and  at  the  fame  time. 
 
 It  was  not  given  unto  them,  at  that  time,  to  know  the  times' 
 a!id  the  feafons  which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power, 
 (Aflsi.  7.);  and  tlierefore  they. could  not  possess  any  fur- 
 ther inftru6lion  upon  thefe  interefting  and  important  points,  imtil 
 it  ftiould  pleafe  God  to  give  them  fuch  further  mftruclion.  When 
 it  picaled  God  to  give  fuch  additional  information,  we  obferve  the 
 d-cp  humility  it  produced,  (Rev.  i.  17,)  ^  and  as  it  now.  forms  a 
 
 part 
 
Part  II.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  48-5 
 
 part  of  God's  word,  it  behoves  us  to  receive  it  with  deep  humi- 
 lity and  thankfulnefs. 
 
 When  therefore  it  was  given  to  his  holy  apoftle  Paul,  to  declare 
 Tinto  his  churches,  that  "  the  Lord  himfelf  Ihall  defcend  from  hea- 
 **  ven  with  a  ihout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the 
 "  trump  of  God :  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise 
 *'  FIRST  :  then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  fhall  be  caught 
 *'  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the 
 "  air  :  and  fo  fhall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord,"  1  ThelT.  iv.  16,  ij. 
 It  confirmed  them,  and  it  fhould  confirm  us,  in  the  certainty  of 
 our  expeftations  ;  at  the  fame  time  that  it  reftrains  us  from  ex- 
 pe6ling  the  refurredlion  of  the  jufl:  and  the  unjuft  to  be  accom- 
 plifhed  at  the  fame  inftant  ;  and  gives  us  a  bleifed  profpe61:,  that 
 thofe  Chriflians  who  remain  alive  at  the  coming  of  our  Lord, 
 will  be  changed,  even  without  the  endurance  of  death:  *'  We 
 *'  fhall  not  all  ileep,  but  we  fhall  all  be  changed,  in  a  moment, 
 '*  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  lafl  trump  :  for  the  trumpet 
 *'  fliall  found,  and  the  dead  fhall  be  raifed  incorruptible,  and 
 *'  we  piall  be  changed.  For  this  corruptible  muft  put  on  in- 
 *'  corruption,  and  this  mortal  muft  put  on  immortality.  So 
 *'  when  this  corruptible  fhall  have  put  on  incorruption,  and  this 
 **  mortal  fhall  have  put  on  immortality,  then  fhall  be  brought 
 *'  to  pafs  the  faying  that  is  written,  Death  is  fwallowed  up  in 
 *'  viftory.  O  death,  where  is  thy  fting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy 
 *'  viftory  ?"   1  Cor.  xv.  51 — 55. 
 
 But  it  is  in  a  peculiar  manner  in  the  "  Revelation  of  Jefus 
 "  Chrift,  which  God  gave  unto  him,  to  fhcw  unto  his  fervants 
 *'  things  which  muft  fhortly  come  to  pafs,"  (Rev.  i.  1.)  in  which 
 we  are  inftruded  concerning  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jefus 
 Chrift,  and  our  gathering  together  unto  him  ;  concerning  the 
 harveft  and  the  vintage  ;  the  refurrcdion  of  the  juft,  and  the  un- 
 juft, and  the  final  confummation  of  all  things :  and  thank  God 
 that  every  line  thereof  is  a  confirmation  of  the  hopes  and 
 expectations  which  were  formed  concerning  thcfe  things  by  our 
 Lord's  apoftles  and  difciples,  and  a  confirmation  of  that  hope 
 which  hath  exifted  among  God's  people,  from  that  time  to 
 this. 
 
 The  coming  of  our  Lord  is  the  great  fubjecf  of  the  book ! 
 From  the  foundation  of  the  Chriftian  church  unto  this  day,  it 
 hath  ever  been  the  belief  of  Chriftians,  that  "  we  fhall  all  ftand 
 *'  before  the  judgment-feat  of  Chrift,"  Rom.  xiv.  10.'  This 
 univerfal  judgment  is  the  great  fubjeft  of  this  blefted  book  ;  it 
 relates  to  the  coming  of  Christ  to  judgment!  *'  Be- 
 **  hold,  he  Cometh  with  clouds;  and  every  eye  shall 
 "  SEE  him,  and  they  alfo  which  pierced  him  :  and  all  kindreds 
 '*  of  the  earth  fhall  wail  becaufe  of  him.  Even  fo.  Amen," 
 Rev.  i.  7.  His  vifitations  of  his  churches,  thofe  awful  punifh- 
 inents  which  the  corrupt  and  lifclcfs  branches  of  his  vine  hath 
 
 experienced. 
 
4S^  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IL 
 
 experienced,  are  proofs  that  he  reigneth,  *'  that  he  fearcheth  the 
 **   reuis  and  hearts,"  Rev.  ii.  23. 
 
 From  the  apollolic  age  to  this  day,  Chrifllans  have  been  iti- 
 ftruc'led,  and  have  believed,  that  in  the  lall  times  Antichrilt  Ihall 
 come,  (1  John  ii.  18.)  that  wicked  one,  whom  the  Lord  Ihall 
 confume  with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  Ihall  deftroy  with  the 
 BRIGHTNESS  of  his  coming,  (e  ThelT.  ii.  8.);  and  in  this  blefTed 
 book  we  are  furniflied  with  an  exa£l  defcription  of  the  rife  and 
 progrefs,  the  adlions  and  pretenfions,  the  blafphemy  and  wick- 
 edncfs,  the  delufions  and  the  power,  of  this  wicked  one  and  his 
 adherents  j  whom  the  Lord  will  confume  with  the  spirit 
 OF  HIS  MOUTH,  and  deftroy  with  the  brightness  of  his 
 COMING  :  nay  more,  we  are  permitted  to  behold  that  awful 
 deftru6lion  which  he  and  his  adherents  thus  experience  by  the 
 brightness  of  his  coming!  Rev.  xix.  11 — 21.  We  behold 
 tliem  becoming  food  for  the  carnivorous  birds  of  prey,  (Rev.  xix. 
 J7,  18,  21.  Erek.  xxxix.  17,  i8.)  and  their  wicked  leaders 
 SINGLED  out,  as  awful  monuments  of  the  fiercenefs  of  his 
 wrath  againft  the  oppofers  of  his  truth,  and  the  oppreffors  of  his 
 people.  The  beall  and  the  falfe  prophet  will  not,  like  their 
 adherents,  be  (lain  by  the  fword  that  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth, 
 (Rev.  i,  16.  xix.  15,  21.  2  Their,  ii.  8.  Ifai.  xi.  4.)  but  will  be 
 TAKEN,  and  be  the  firft  that  will  have  to  endure  the  second 
 death  :  '*  And  the  bead  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  falfe 
 **  prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  de- 
 **  ceivcd  them  that  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beaft,  and  them 
 *'  that    worfliipped   his    image.     These    both    were    cast 
 
 *'    ALIVE     INTO     A     LAKE    OF     FIRE     BURNING    WITH     BRIM- 
 
 "  STONE,"  Rev.  xix.  20.  Thefe  '*  are  deltroyed  with  the 
 "  brightnefs  of  his  coming,"  2  Theff.  ii.  8. 
 
 Zealous.  This  is  certainly  one  ot  the  moft  awful  events  upon 
 record,  either  part  or  to  come,  in  the  whole  word  of  God  ;  hut 
 are  you  right  in  calling  it  the  second  death  ? 
 
 Cautious.  Yes,  my  friend,  I  conceive  that  I  am  correal  in 
 defcribing  this  awful  puniilmient  of  the  bead,  and  the  falfe  pro- 
 phet, as  the  SECOND  death.  Pray  refer  to  the  next  chapter, 
 and  you  will  find  that  the  second  death  is  inflicted  upon  the 
 beafl,  and  the  falfe  prophet,  even  before  it  is  inflidled  upon 
 Satan  himfelf.  The  torment  of  the  bealt,  and  the  falfe  pro- 
 phet, commences  before  the  Millennium;  Avhereas  Satan  then 
 is  only  bound,  Ihut  up,  and  imprifoned  in  the  abyfs,  the  bottom- 
 lefs  pit.  He  doth  not  partake  of  the  fierce  torment  endured  by 
 the  beaft,  and  the  falfe  prophet,  until  after  his  final  attempt 
 againft  God's  ele<^,  which  is  at  the  end  of  the  Millennium  : 
 *'  And  I  faw  an  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key 
 *'  of  the  bottomlefs  pit,  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand.  And  he 
 "  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  fcrpent,  which  is  the  Devil, 
 **  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thoufand  years,  and  calt  him  into 
 
 *'  the 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  487 
 
 **  the  bottomlefs  pit,  and  fhut  him  up,  and  fet  a  feal  upon  him, 
 **  that  he  Ihould  deceive  the  nations  no  more,  till  the  thoufand 
 **  years  fliould  be  fulfilled:  and  after  that  he  mud  be  loofed  a 
 •*  little  feafon.  And  I  faw  thrones,  and  they  fat  upon  them, 
 "  and  judgment  was  gi\'en  unto  them:  and  I  faw  the  fouls  of 
 **  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witnefs  of  Jefus,  and  for  the 
 *'  word  of  God,  and  which  had  not  worlhipped  the  bead,  nei- 
 *'  ther  his  image,  neither  had  received  his  mark  upon  their  fore- 
 **  heads,  or  in  their  hands  ;  and  they  lived  and  reigned  with 
 "  Chrift  a  thoufand  years.  But  the  reit  of  the  dead  lived  not 
 *'  again  until  the  thoufand  years  were  finifhed,  this  is  the  firfl 
 "  refurreftion.  Blelfed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  firll 
 **  refurredion  :  on  fuch  the  fecond  death  hath  no  power,  but 
 *'  they  fhall  be  priefts  of  God  and  of  Chrilt,  and  fhall  reign  with 
 "  him  a  thoufand  years.  And  when  the  thoufand  years  are  ex- 
 *'  pired,  Satan  fhall  be  loofed  out  of  his  prifon,  and  Ihall  go  out 
 **  to  deceive  the  nations  which  ar^  in  the  four  quarters  of  the 
 **  earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather  them  together  to  battle  : 
 **  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  fand  of  the  fea.  And  they  went 
 *'  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and  compaifed  the  camp  of  the 
 *'  faints  about,  and  the  beloved  city:  and  fire  came  down  from 
 *'  God  out  of  heaven,  and  devoured  them.  And  the  Devil  that 
 '  *■  deceived  them  was  cnjl  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimjloney  when 
 *'  the  beaji  and  the  falje  prophet  are,  and  Jh all  be  tormented  day  and 
 *'  night  for   ever   and  ever.      And    I    saw   a    great    white 
 
 *'  THRONE,     AND     HIM     THAT    SAT    ON     IT,      FROM    WHOSE 
 
 *'  FACE  THE   EARTH   AND   THE   HEAVEN   FLED   AWAY;    AND 
 
 *'  THERE   WAS   FOUND    NO   PLACE    FOR   THEM.       And   I    SAW 
 
 **  THE   DEAD,    SMALL    AND    GREAT,    STAND    BEFORE  GoD; 
 
 **  AND  THE    BOOKS    WERE    OPENED:    AND    ANOTHER    BOOK 
 
 *<  WAS  OPENED,    WHICH    IS   THE    BOOK  OF   LIFE  :    AND   THE 
 
 '*  DEAD    WERE    JUDGED     OUT     OF     THOSE     THINGS    WHICH 
 
 *'  WERE   WRITTEN    IN   THE    BOOKS,    ACCORDING    TO    TKEIR 
 
 **  WORKS.     And  the  sea    gave    up  the  dead  which 
 
 *'  WERE  IN  IT;  AND  DEATH  AND  HELL  DELIVERED  UP 
 **  THE  DEAD  WHICH  WERE  IN  THEM  :  AND  THEY  WERB 
 •**    JUDGED    EVERY     MAN     ACCORDING    TO    THEIR    WORKS.' 
 
 '*'  And  death  and  hell  were  caft  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is 
 '*  the  fecond  death.  And  whofoever  was  not  found  written  in  the 
 **  book  of  lite  was  call  into  the  lake  of  fire,"  Rev.  xx.  1 — 15. 
 You  perceive  that  hell  fire,  (Ifai.  Ixvi.  24.  Matt,  xviii.  8,  9. 
 Alark  ix.  43 — 48.)  that  lake  of  fire  and  brimdone,  into  whi^^h 
 the  beait  and  falfe  prophet  are  caft  before  the  Miltenniimi  con'- 
 menccs,  (Rev.  xix,  20,  j  is  that  awful  ilate  of  torment  into  which 
 the  Devil  himfelf  is  caft  after  his  final  alfault  againll  God's 
 elecf,  at  the  clofe  of  the  Millennium  ;  and  which  is  declared  in 
 verfe  the  14th  to  be  the  second  death. 
 
 Zealous.     I  admit  that  you   are  corredt.     I  fee  that  it  is  pofi- 
 
 tivel/ 
 
488  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  U, 
 
 tively  declared,  **  And  the  Devil  that  deceived  them  was  caft  into 
 *'  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimrtone,  WHERE  THE  beast  and  the 
 **  FALSE  PROPHET  ARE,  and  fliall  be  tormented  day  and  night 
 **  for  ever  and  ever."  And  again,  in  verfes  14  and  15:  *'  And 
 <*  death  and  hell  were  cafl  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is  the 
 *'  SECOND  DEATH.  And  whofoever  was  not  found  written  in 
 *'  the  book  of  life,  was  call  into  the  lake  of  fire." 
 
 Cautious.  Thus  that  knowledge  which  it  pleafed  God  tobeftow 
 upon  his  churches,  by  his  holy  apoftle  Paul,  that  there  would  be  a 
 fpace  between  the  refurreclion  of  the  peculiarly  fathful,  **  the 
 *'  dead  in  Chrilt,"  (Rom,  vi.  8.  Col.  ii.  20.  2  Tim.  ii.  ii. 
 1  TheiT.  iv.  16.)  and  the  general  refurre£lion  at  the  laft  day,  ia 
 confirmed,  and  enlarged  \  and  we  find  that  the  one  takes  place  at 
 the  commencement  of  the  Millennium  of  peace  and  bleflcdnefs 
 upon  earth,  and  that  the  geiieral  refurreilion  does  not  take  place 
 until  the  clofe  of  this  bleifcd  period. 
 
 It  is  true,  that  very  grofs  ideas  have  been  at  times  dilTeminatcd 
 concerning  the  firil  refurreclion,  and  the  faints  living  and  reigning 
 with  Chrilt  a  thoufand  years.  This  hath  occafioned  the  dodlrine 
 itfelf  to  be  flighted.  Woe  unto  that  man,  who  adds  unto,  or  takes 
 away  from,  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy.  Rev.  xxii. 
 18,  19.  It  is  NOT  faid,  in  verfe  4,  And  they  lived  and  reigned 
 whh  Chrift  upon  earth,  a  thoufand  years;  but  '*  they  lived 
 *'  and  reigned  with  Chrift  a  thoufand  years,"  Rev.  xx.  4.  And 
 even  in  that  fong  of  praife  which  is  fung  in  heaven  by  the  fpi- 
 rits  of  juft  men  made  perfe6l,  who  will  partake  of  this  blifstul 
 reign,  and  which  is  in  our  tranflation  rendered,  "  Thou  art 
 *'  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  feals  thereof :  for 
 *'  thou  waft  flain,  and  haft  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out 
 *'  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation;  and 
 *'  haft  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priefts  :  and  we  fiiall 
 *'  reign  on  the  earth,"  Rev.  v,  9,  10.  It  is  by  the  learned 
 Bengelius,  in  his  German  tranflation,  rendered  over;  I  have 
 been  aiTured  that  the  following  words  are  a  literal  tranflation  of 
 his  German:  *'  Worthy  art  thou  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open 
 **  its  feals  ;  becaufe  thou  fufteredft  thyfelf  to  be  flaughtered, 
 *'  and  haft  purchafed  us  with  thy  blood,  out  of  every  tribe,  and 
 **  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation ;  and  haft  made  them  to 
 *'  our  God  unto  a  kingdom  and  unto  priefts,  and  they  fhall  reign 
 
 *'    OVER   the   earth." 
 
 Zealous.  It  is  in  queftions  like  this  in  which  we  unlearned 
 men  m.olt  feel  our  inferiority. 
 
 Cautious.  The  reign  of  the  rifen  faints  with  Chrift  is  a  reign 
 in  heaven  for  a  thoufand  years  ;  they  reign  over  the  earth  and 
 its  inhabitants  ;  they  become  the  guardian  angels  of  that  happy 
 race  of  mankind  who  will  exift  on  earth  during  that  blefled  period 
 the  Millennium:  "  miniftering  fpirits  fent  forth  to  minifter  for 
 "  them  who  IhuU  be  heirs  of  falvation,"  Heb.  i.  14.     The  earth 
 
 will 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  4% 
 
 will  then  be  full  of  fuch  heirs  of  falvation  5  for  the  earth  fhall 
 then  be  "  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover 
 **  the  fea,"  Ifai.  xi.  9.  Hab.  ii.  14^ 
 
 There  will  be  a  Millennium  of  blefTednefs  on  eartHj 
 and  at  the  fame  time  a  Millennium  of  fuperior  blcfiednefs  in 
 HEAVEN  :  and  the  blefl'ednefs  of  the  church  on  earth,  during  this 
 period  of  a  thoufand  years,  will  increafe  the  bleifednefs  of  the 
 church  triumphant  in  heaven,  Luke  xv.  7,  10. 
 
 Zealous.  From  the  apoftolic  age  to  this  day,  the  Chriftian 
 church  hath  daily  prayed,  **  Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  will  be 
 *'  done  IN  EARTH  AS  IT  IS  IN  HEAVEN."  There  undoubtedly 
 will  be  fuch  a  flate  of  bleifednefs  on  earth,  for  our  bleffed  Lord's 
 thus  teaching  his  difciples  to  pray  amounts  to  a  full  allurance  that  ' 
 it  fliall  be  accompliihed  ;  how  highly  therefore  fhould  we  prize 
 that  holy  book,  which  gives  us  fuch  full  affurance  as  to  that  blefled 
 Hate  in  which  thefe  prayers  will  be  anfwered,  of  that  bleffed 
 ftate  in  which  the  promifes  contained  in  the  Old  Teftament  and 
 in  the  New,  will  be  fulfilled;  in  which  *<  the  kingdoms  OF 
 *'  THIS  world"  will  "  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
 "  of  h?s  Chrilt;"  over  which  he  fhall  reign,  for  ever  and  ever, 
 "  King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords,"  Rev.  xi.  15.  xix.  16. 
 XX.   3,7. 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  creeds  of  our  church  there  is  as  yet  no  ex- 
 prellion  pointing  to  this  great  hope,  but  it  is  a  hope  that  has  in- 
 creafed  in  proportion  as  the  word  of  God  has  been  diffeminated, 
 and  will  be  accomplifhed  immediately  after  that  great  deltruftion 
 of  the  Lord's  enemies,  "  whom  the  ]>ord  fhall  confume  with  the 
 *'  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  (hall  deftroy  with  the  brightnefs  of  his 
 *'  coming,"  2  Theff,  ii.  8. 
 
 Zealous.  It  is,  I  think,  clearly  eftablifhed,  that  the  great  and 
 bleffed  change  that  will  thus  be  effected  upon  earth,  refults  from, 
 and  is  produced  by,  the  coming  of  our  Lord;  but  I  muff 
 fay,  that  I  have  my  doubts  whether  that  coming  (previous  to  the 
 Millennium)  is  the  coming  which  is  fpoken  of  in  the  7th  verfe 
 of  the  firff  chapter  :  *'  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds,  and 
 *'  EVERY  EYE  SHALL  SEE  HIM,  and  they  alfo  which  pierced 
 **  him:  and  all  kindreds  of  the  earth  fhall  wail  becaufe  of  him. 
 **  Even  fo,  Amen."  Or  whether  thefe  words  will  not  receive 
 their  full  completion  in  that  awful  judgment  that  is  recorded  in 
 the  latter  part  of  the  20th  chapter,  (v.  ii — 1,5.)  »  ^"^  which 
 awful  judgment  takes  place  after  the  Millennium,  immediately 
 before  the  new  heaven,  new  earth,  and  new  Jerufalera  are 
 preiented  to  our  view. 
 
 Cautious.  It  doth  not  become  us  to  be  too  minute  in  our 
 inquiries;  it  is  enough  for  us  to  believe  that  "  every  eye  fhall 
 **  fee  him:"  this  certainly  will  not  receive  its  full  and  complete 
 accomplifhment  until  after  the  Millennium  has  come  to  its  clofe ; 
 for  it  is  not  until   then  that  *'  the  dead,  fmall  and  great,  ftani 
 
 3  R  <<  before 
 
490  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 **  before  God ;"  and  the  books  are  opened,  and  the  dead  are 
 fudged  out  of  thofe  things  that  are  written  in  the  books,  **  ac- 
 '**  cording  to  their  works  ;"  it  is  not  until  then,  that  the  fea  gives 
 up  **  the  dead  which  are  in  it ;"  and  death,  and  hell,  deliver  up  the 
 dead  which  are  in  them ;  and  that  they  are  judged,  "  every  man  ac- 
 <*  cording  to  their  works,"  Rev.  xx.  1 1 — 15.  It  is  only  the  pecu- 
 liarly faithful  and  blefled  that  partake  in  the  firft  refurredlion,  at 
 the  commencement  of  the  Millennium,  (v.  4 — 6.) ;  all,  therefore, 
 that  do  not  partake  of  the  firft  refurre6tion,  and  all  that  are  per- 
 mitted to  remain  alive  upon  earth,  and  to  pass  from  that  Itate 
 of  trial,  difficulty,  danger,  and  perplexity,  which  will  exift  upon 
 earth  fhortly  previous  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  into  that 
 ftate  of  bleifednefs  which  will  exift  upon  earth  during  the  Mil- 
 lennium :  thefe,  and  all  thofe  who  are  born  into  the  world  during 
 the  Millennium,  will  certainly  have  to  come  to  judgment  after 
 the  Millennium,  Rev.  xx.  11 — 15.  Then  *'  every  eye  ftiall  fee 
 **  him ;"  but  it  by  no  means  follows  but  that  multitudes  of  the 
 human  race  (if  not  every  human  being)  exifting  upon  the  earth  at 
 the  coming  of  our  Lord,  will  a£lually  fee  him,  when  he  cometh 
 to  eftabliih  his  kingdom  iipon  earth,  and  to  gather  his  eleS,,  at 
 the  commencement  of  the  Millennium.  All  thofe  who  are 
 living  upon  earth,  at  this  awful  time,  may  be  thus  clafTed  :  they 
 are  either  Jews  or  Christians  ;  or,  those  who  are  neither 
 Jews  nor  Chriftians  ;  they  are  either  the  pcrfecuted  people  of  God, 
 or  the  perfecutors  of  the  people  of  God,  or  Neutrals.  Let  us  there- 
 fore examine  the  word  of  God,  with  refpeil  to  each  of  thefe  claffes, 
 in  order  to  difcover  how  each  will  be  affefted  by  the  great  event 
 which  takes  place  at  the  commencement  of  the  Millennium. 
 
 And  firft,  as  to  the  Jews. 
 
 Zealous.  With  refpeil  to  the  Jews,  you  need  fay  no  more  : 
 you  have  fully  convinced  me  that  the  reltoration  of  the  Jews  to 
 profperity  in  their  own  land  (which  is  the  great,  the  exulting 
 theme  of  the  prophets)  will  begin  to  take  place  fhortly  previous 
 to  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  (Jer.  xxx.  xxxi.  Ifai.  xviii.  Ix.  Ixvi.) ; 
 that  they  will  be  afiaulted  by  the  great  Antichrift,  and  delivered 
 by  the  divine  interpofition,  (Jer.  xxx.  Ezek.  xxxviii.  xxxix. 
 Zech.  xii.  xiv.) ;  that  they  will  be  converted  by  this  divine  in- 
 terpofition in  their  favour,  and  fee  that  he  who  thus  interpofes 
 for  their  deliverance  is  their  true  Meffiah,  that  very  *'  Jefus  of 
 *'  Nazareth,  the  king  of  the  Jews,"  whom  their  fathers  igno- 
 rantly  crucified,  that  the  fcriptures  might  be  fulfilled,  Zech.  xii. 
 10.  A6ls  iii.  17,  18.  xxvi.  23.  Luke  xxiv.  46. 
 
 They  will  experience  Jacob's  trouble,  and  will  be  delivered 
 out  of"  it,  (Jer.  xxx.  6,  7.);'  they  will,  as  a  nation,  be  born  in  a 
 day,  (Ilai.  Ixvi.  7 — 9.);  the  Lord  will  plead  with  them,  face 
 TO  face,  like  as  he  pleaded  with  their  fathers  in  the  wildernefs 
 of  the  land  of  Egypt,  (Ezek.  xx.  35,  36.)  ;  the  Lord  will  ac- 
 i:oniprini   his  word,  and  *'  pour  upon  the  houfe  of  David,  and 
 
 **  upon 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  49t 
 
 '<  upon  the  Inhabitants  of  Jerufalem,  the  fpirit  of  grace  and  of 
 **  fupplications :  and  they  fhall,"  faith  he,  "  look  upon  me 
 **  whom  they  have  pierced,  and  they  fhall  mourn  for 
 **  him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  fon,  and  fhall  be  in  bitter- 
 **  nefs  for  him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitternefs  for  his  firftborn,'* 
 Zech.  xii.  lo.  This  is  the  great  prehide  to  their  profperity, 
 and  to  the  final  gathering  of  them  out  of  all  nations  ;  and  as  the 
 blelTcd  flate  on  earth  that  is  defcribed  in  the  New  Teflament 
 (the  Millennium)  is  exadly  accordant  with  that  ftate  of  blefled- 
 nefs  which  is  defcribed  in  the  books  of  the  Jewifh  prophets,  I 
 conceive  that  it  is  clearly  eftabliilied  that  the  Jewifh  nation  will 
 thus  REALLY  and  actually  behold  our  blelled  Lord,  when  he 
 Cometh  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  to  deliver  them  out  of  their  trou- 
 ble, to  deftroy  his  and  his  people's  enemies  by  the  brightnefs  of 
 his  coming,  and  to  eftablifh  his  kingdom  upon  earth.  I  there- 
 fore admit  that  thefe  words,  **  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds, 
 *'  and  every  eye  fhall  fee  him,  and  they  alfo  which  pierced  him, 
 *'  and  all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  fhall  wail  becaufe  of  him : 
 *'  even  fo,  Amen;"  as  far  as  refpe^ls  the  Jews,  will  be  accom- 
 pliflied'previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  Millennium. 
 
 Cautious.  Well,  then,  let  us  proceed,  in  the  next  place,  to 
 inquire,  how  Christians  will  ftand  affefted  by  the  fame  awful 
 event,  by  that  *'  coming  of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with 
 *'  power  and  great  glory  ;"  when  **  he  fhall  fend  his  angels  with 
 **  a  trumpet,  and  a  great  voice,  and  they  fhall  gather  together 
 "■  his  elc6l  from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the 
 *'  other,"  Matt.  xxiv.  30,  31.  You  have  already  admitted  that 
 this  will  take  place  when  the  tribulations  of  the  Jews  are  accom- 
 plifhed,  which  is  direclly  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the 
 Millennium. 
 
 Let  us  confider  what  is  the  ftate  that  Chriftians  then  are  in : 
 there  hath  been,  fhortly  previous  to  that  time,  a  very  great  revi- 
 val in  the  Chriftian  church ;  the  everlafting  gofpel  hath  then 
 been  preached  unto  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
 people;  the  latter-day  harvest  hath  not  only  commenced, 
 but  draws  towards  its  clofe ;  and  multitudes  of  Chriftians  being 
 admonifhed  by  the  awful  declaration  contained  in  Revelation  xiv. 
 9 — 12.  have  been  faithful  unto  death,  and  have  thus  gotten  the 
 vi6tory  over  the  beafl,  and  over  his  image,  and  over  his  mark, 
 and  over  the  siumber  of  his  name,  (Rev.  xv.  2.) ;  they  have  been 
 beheaded  (pofTibly  by  the  axe  of  the  guillotine)  "  for  the  witnefs 
 *'  of  Jefus,  and  for  the  word  of  God;"  and  have  not  *'  wor- 
 *'  fhlpped  the  beaft,  neither  his  image,  neither  have  received 
 *'  his  mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands  ;"  thefe  are 
 thus  gathered  into  the  heavenly  garner ;  fo  that  the  number  of 
 Chriilians  remaining  upon  earth  at  that  time  has  become  very 
 confiderably  diminifhed  by  the  Jierfecution. 
 
 Zealous.     I  think  you  are  right.     The    harvest  certainly 
 
 doth 
 
igi  DIALOGUE    X.  Part  II. 
 
 doth  not  relate  merely  *'  to  the  placing  of  the  faithful  in  a  (late 
 *'  of  peace  and  fecurity  on  earth,  and  to  the  excifion  of  the  incor- 
 ('  rigible  of  the  irreligious  fadion,"  as  expreffed  by  the  learned 
 bifliop  ;  but  alfo  to  the  '*  translation  of  the  just  to 
 
 "    HEAVEN." 
 
 Cautious.  The  vintage,  which  fucceeds  the  harveft,  it  is, 
 that  is  the  emblem  of  the  fierce  wrath  of  God  upon  the  oppofers 
 of  his  truth,  and  the  oppreflbrs  of  his  people,  (Rev.  xiv.  17 — 20. 
 xix.  11 — 21.  Ifai.  Ixiii.  3.);  the  incorrigible  of  the  irreligious 
 fadlion  are  deftroyed  by  the  vintage  of  wrath. 
 
 We  are  not  the  lefs  to  efteem  our  church   (the  church  of 
 England)  becaufe  it  doth  not,   in  its  confeflion  of  faith,  take  no- 
 tice of  THAT  HOPE  which  we  cherifh,  as  to  the  eftablifhment  oi 
 the  faithful  in  due  time  in  "  a  ftate  of  peace  and  fecurity  upon 
 **  earth,"  but  directs  its  children  to  concentrate  all  their  hopes 
 and  expedlations  in  heaven.     I  cannot  but  think  that,  in  this 
 refpeft,  the  providence  of  the  great  Ruler  of  his  churches  hath 
 been  confpicuous  in  our  favour :  it  is  a  dodlrine  which  appears  to 
 me  to  be  intended  for  the  comfort  of  his  people  when  under 
 grievous  perfecution,  or  when  they  are  in  expedtation  of  perfe- 
 cution.     The  beginning  of  this  hope  of  a  bleffed  ftate  upon  earth, 
 is  in  the  Jewilh  fcriptures  ;  but  did  not  many  of  the  Jews,  as  it 
 were,  concentrate  their  hopes  therein,  to  the  neglect  of 
 thofe  do£trines  of  life  and  immortality  which  are  to  be  found  in 
 their  fcriptures  ?  and  did  not  moft  of  them  Ihut  their  cars  againft 
 thofe  fuller  manifeftations  of  God's  love  to  man,  and  thofe  ex- 
 peftations  of  fuperior  and  celeftial   blelTednefs  difplayed  in  the 
 doftrines  of  life  and  immortality   which   are   contained  in  the 
 gofpel  ?  Hath  it  not  alfo  been  in  fome  degree  the  fame  in  the 
 Chriftian  churches?  Have  not  many  of  thofe  who  have  cherifhed 
 the  hope  of  the  eftablifhment  of  the  kingdom  of  the  faints  upon 
 earth,  (Dan.  vii.  22,  27.)  given  into  fuch  carnal  conceptions  of 
 it,  that  true  Chriftians  might  juftly  fay  of  them,  '^  O  my  foul, 
 **  come  not  thou  into  their  fecret ;  unto  their  aflembly,  mine 
 **  honour,  be  not  thou  united,"  Gen.  xlix.  6.      I  chiefly  refer  to 
 the  impieties  of  the  Millenarians  of  Munfter,  and  to  the  impieties 
 of  the  Millenarians  of  the  days  of  Cromwell   and  Charles  II. 
 Great  care  ftiould  therefore  be  taken,  by  thofe  who  cherifti  the 
 scriptural   expectation    of  the  eftablifliment  in  due  time 
 of  a  ftate  of  peace  and  security  upon  earth,  that  they 
 do  not  ftiake  the  more  important  article  of  faith,  which  hath 
 ever,  been  the  confolation  of  the  churches,  *'  the  life  of  the  world 
 *'  to  come!"     Heaven  and    earth,    the  cjiurch    militant    upon 
 earth,  and  the   church  triumphant  in   heaven,    are  equally  the 
 kingdom  of  our  Lord,  (Heb.  i.   6,  8.    Pf,  xlv.  6,  7.);  and  his 
 fervants  upon  earth  are  removed  by  death  into  his  church  trium- 
 phant  in    heaven;    and  the  harvest   is  the    fimilitude  under 
 >vhich  is  difplayed  the  gre^t  addition  which  the  church  triumphant 
 
 in 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  493 
 
 in  heaven  will  receive  from  the  church  militant  here  upon  earth, 
 in  the  latter  clay,  under  the  fevere  perlecutions  of  the  great 
 enemy,  and  at  the  coming  of  our  Lord. 
 
 Zealous.  Our  queition  is  at  prefent  reftrifted  to  thofe  Chris- 
 tians who  have  efcaped  the  flaughtering  hands  of  the  great 
 enemies,  and  are  living  on  earth,  when  he  cometh  to  vindicate 
 his  ele6l,  "  to  fmite  the  earth  with  the  rod  of  his  mouth,"  and 
 with  *'  the  breath  of  his  lips  "  to  "  flay  the  Avicked,"  Ifai.  xi.  4. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  fo  ;  and  I  beg  you  to  recolleft  thofe  urgent 
 cautions  we  have  had  occafion  to  notice,  concerning  the  coming 
 of  our  Lord.  What  is  it  that  thefe  cautions  and  exhortations 
 refer  to  ?  Do  they  refer  to  that  coming,  that  judgment  that  takes 
 •place  at  the  clofe  of  the  Millennium,  or  to  that  judgment  that, 
 takes  place  at  the  commencement  of  the  Millennium. 
 
 Zealous.  We  certainly  mull  not  restrict  it  to  the  judgment 
 to  come,  at  the  clofe  of  the  Millennium. 
 
 Cautious.  We  mull  not.  However  it  may  apply  to  that,  it 
 certainly  more  immediately  applies  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  at 
 that  time,  when  he  comes  for  the  vindication  of  his  ele61:,  and 
 the  de(tru£lion  of  the  oppofers  of  his  truth  and  the  opprelTors  of 
 his  people,  previcjus  to  the  commencernent  of  the  Millennium. 
 Thofe  who  have  departed  this  life,  looking  forward  to  and  ex- 
 pedling  his  coming,  have  not  expelled  in  vain,  although  they 
 may  not  yet  have  entered  into  that  full  reward  m- hich  they  will 
 at  that  time  experience.  Peter  faid  unto  our.  Lord,  *'  Eehold, 
 '*  we  have  foriaken  all,  and  followed  thee  ;  what  ihall  we  have 
 •^  therefore  r"  Our  Lord  replied  unto  them,  *'  Verily  I  fay  unto 
 "  you,  that  ye  which  have  followed  me  in  the  regeneration, 
 *'  when  the  Son  of  man  fhall   sit   in   the  throne  of  his 
 
 ''^  GLORY,  YE  ALSO  SHALL  SIT  UPON  TWELVE  THRONIS, 
 *<    JUDGING   THE    TWELVE    TRIBES    OF   IsRAEL,"    Matt.  xix. 
 
 27,  28.  And  again,  in  Mark  x.  29 — 31  :  '*  There  is  no  man 
 ^'  that  hath  left  houfe,  or  brethren,  or  lifters,  or  father,  or 
 '*  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands  for  my  fake,  and  the 
 "  gofpel's,  but  he  fliall  receive  an  hundred-fold  now  in  this 
 *'  time,  houfes,  and  brethren,  and  fillers,  and  mothers,  and 
 ^*  children,  and  lands,  with  perfecutions ;  and  in  the  world  to 
 ^*  come  eternal  life  :"  for  thofe  who  are  permitted  to  partake  in 
 the  joys  of  the  hrlt  refurretSlion,  are  peculiarly  blelTed  and  holy; 
 <*  on  fuch  the  fecond  death  hath  no  power,  but  they  fhall  be 
 **  priefts  of  God,  and  of  Chrift,.  and  fliall  reign  with  him  a 
 i"  thoufand  years,"  Rev.  xx.  6. 
 
 It  is  a  heavenly,  a  celeltial  blcfTednefs,  that  will  be  their  high 
 reward.  The  promile  given  unto  St.  Peter  and  the  reft  of  the 
 apoftles  will  be  luliilled  at  the  commencement  of  the  Millennium  ; 
 the  promife  of  eternal  life,  which  we  have  juft  recited,  will 
 be  accompliilied  in  heaven  at  the  commencement  of  the  Mil- 
 Jennium.     Do  we  not  read  of  tlie  accomplilhmcnt  of  thefe  pro- 
 
 mifcs 
 
494  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  Part  IL 
 
 mifes  in  the  4th  verfe  of  the  20th  chapter  :  ''  And  I  faw 
 *'  THRONES,  and  THEY  fat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given 
 **  unto  them  :  and  I  Hiw  the  fouls  of  them  that  were  beheaded 
 "  for  the  witnefs  of  J>.fus,  and  for  the  word  of  God,  and  which 
 *'  had  not  worfhipped  the  beail,  neither  his  image,  neither  had 
 *'  received  his  mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands  ;  and 
 <*  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Chriit  a  thoufand  years  j"  and  at 
 the  clofe  of  the  thoufand  years  they  become  inhabitants  of  the 
 new  heaven,  the  new  earth,  and  the  new  Jerufalem  !  Rev. 
 xxi.  xxii. 
 
 The  urgent  cautions  and  exhortations  to  obferve  watchfulnefs 
 in  expedation  of  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  are  in  force  at  this 
 day  ;  nay  more,  immediately  before  the  feventh  vial  of  wrath  is 
 poured  out,  we  read  the  lalt  caution  and  exhortation :  <'  Behold, 
 *'  I  come  as  a  thief,  bleifed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth 
 *•  his  garments,  left  he  walk  naked,  and  they  fee  his  Ihame," 
 Rev.  xvi.  15.  Let  us  therefore  be  careful,  that  we  be  not  lulled 
 to  ileep,  by  putting  a  figurative  and  allegorical  interpretation 
 upon  what  will  moft  aiTu redly  receive  a  real  and  actual 
 accomplifhment.  When  we  partake  of  the  Lords  fupper,  we 
 *'  do  Ihew  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come,''  1  Cor.  xi.  26. 
 Let  us  not,  then,  be  afhamed  of  our  profellion,  but  look  for- 
 ward with  joy  to,  and  expe6t  and  love  his  appearing,  (2  Tim. 
 iv.  8.)  for  "  every  eye  fhall  fee  him," 
 
 The  effect  that  will  be  produced  upon  thofe  Christians 
 ■who  are  alive  at  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  previous  to  the  com- 
 mencement of  the  Millennium  of  the  faints  in  heaven,  and  the 
 Millennium  of  peace  and  happinefs  in  his  kingdom  upon  earth, 
 is  minutely  dcfcribed  by  the  holy  apolt'e  Paul,  in  the  4th  chapter 
 of  his  firft  epiltle  to  the  Theifaionians :  *'  I  would  not  have  you 
 **  to  be  ignorant,  brethren,  concerning  them  which  are  afleep, 
 "  that  ye  forrow  not,  even  as  others  which  have  no  hope.  For 
 "  it  we  believe  that  Jefus  died  and  rofe  again,  even  lb  them  alfo 
 "  which  Ileep  in  Jefus  will  God  bring  v/ith  him.  For  this  wc 
 *'  fay  unto  you  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  we  which  are  alive 
 **  and  remain  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  lliall  not  prevent  them 
 *'  which  are  alleep.  For  tiie  Lord  himself  fliall  defcend 
 '*  from  heaven  with  a  Ihout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel, 
 **  and  with  the  trump  of  God:  and  the   dead   in   Christ 
 
 *'  SHALL  RISE  FIRST:  THEN  WE  WHICH  ARE  ALIVE  AND 
 "  REMAIN  SHALL  BE  CAUGHT  UP  TOGETHER  WITH  THEM 
 **  IN  THE  CLOUDS,  TO  MEET  THE  LORD  IN  THE  AIR  :  AND 
 **    SO   SHALL   WE     EVER     BE     WITH   THE  LORD,  '    1   ThcfT,    iv. 
 
 13 — 17.  You  perceive  that  this  great  event  is,  by  the  apoille, 
 conneded  with,  and  that  it  takes  place  at  the  time  of,  the  hrll 
 refurredion,  which  is  at  the  commencement  of  the  Millennium  : 
 *'  We  fliall  not  all  ileep,  but  we  shall  all  be  changed, 
 '*  in  a  nionicm,  in  the  twinkling  oi  an  eve,  at  the  laft  trump  : 
 
 '*  for 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  49.5 
 
 **  for  the  trumpet  fliall  found,  and  the  dead  fhall  be  raifed  in- 
 *'  corruptible,  and  we  shall  be  changed.  For  this  cor- 
 **  ruptible  mufl  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  muft  put 
 "  on  immortality,"   1  Cor.  xv.  51 — 53. 
 
 Zealous.  Thofe  Chriftians  who  are  thus  alive  at  the  coming  of 
 our  Lord,  and  who  are  found  watching,  and  expefting  his  coming, 
 will  be  blelfed  indeed  ;  for  they  will  be  tranllated  from  earth  to 
 heaven,  without  having  to  endure  death:  but,  my  dear  friend, 
 how  will  it  fare  with  thofe,  who  profefs  the  Chriltian  religion, 
 without  being  thus  prepared  for,  and  expe6fing  his  coming  ? 
 
 Cautious.  Alas !  what  can  be  expeded  but  diftrefs  ?  The 
 celeftial  blifs  that  will  refult  from  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  to 
 thofe  who  will  partake  in  the  firft  refurrc6lion,  and  to  thofe. 
 Chriftians  who,  being  alive  at  the  time,  are  tranllated  from  earth 
 to  heaven,  is  celebrated  in  one  of  the  moft  exulting  hymns  of 
 praife  that  is  upon  record  in  the  word  of  God:  "  And  a  voice 
 *'  came  out  of  the  throne,  faying,  Praife  our  God,  all  ye  his 
 *'  fervants,  and  ye  that  fear  him,  both  fmall  and  great.  And  I 
 **  heard  as  it  was  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude)  and  as  the  voice 
 **  of  hiany  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings,  fay- 
 "  ing,  Alleluia  :  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent 
 **  reigneth.  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honour  to 
 *'  him:  for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his 
 "  wife  hath  made  herfelf  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted,  that 
 **  fhe  fhould  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white:  for  the 
 *'  fine  linen  is  the  righteoufnefs  of  faints.  And  he  faith  unto  me, 
 *'  Write,  Blelfcd  are  they  which  are  called  unto  the  marriage 
 **  SUPPER  of  the  Lamb.  And  he  faith  unto  me,  Thefe  are 
 **  the  true  fayings  of  God,"  Rev.  xix.  5 — 9.  I  conceive  that 
 in  thefe  words  there  is  a  manifeit  allufion  to  Matthew  the  s^th, 
 which  will  anfwer  your  inquiry  :  "  Then  Ihall  the  kingdom  of 
 "  heaven  be  likened  unto  ten  virgins,  which  took  their  lamps, 
 *'  and  went  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom.  And  five  of  them 
 **  were  wife,  and  five  were  foolifh.  They  that  were  fooliih 
 *'  took  their  lamps,  and  took  no  oil  with  them:  but  the  v/ife 
 '*  took  oil  in  their  velfels  with  their  lamps.  While  the  bride- 
 *'  groom  tarried  they  all  fliimbcred  and  (Icpt.  And  at  midnight 
 *'  there  was  a  cry  made.  Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh  ;  go 
 **  ye  out  to  meet  him.  Then  all  thofe  virgins  arofe,  and  trimmed 
 **  their  lamps.  And  tiie  foolifh  faid  unto  the  wife,  Give  us  of 
 *'  your  oil  ;  for  our  lamps  are  gone  out.  But  the  wife  anfwered, 
 *'  faying.  Not  fo  ;  left  there  be  not  enough  for  us  and  you  :  hul 
 "  go  ye  rather  to  them  that  fell,  and  buy  for  yourfeives.     And 
 
 *'  WHILE  THEY  WENT  TO  BUY,  THE  BRIDI'GROOM  CAME: 
 *'  AND  THEY  THAT  WERE  READY  WENT  IN  WITH  HIM  TO 
 "    THE   MARRIAGE,    AND   THE   DOOR    WAS   SHUT.       Afterward 
 
 *^  came  alfo  the  oihcr  virgins,  faying,   Li^rJ,   J^ord,    open  to  us. 
 
 *'    But     HE     ANSWERED     AND     SAID,    \'eRILY     I     SAY     UNTO 
 
 "    YOU, 
 
496  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IL 
 
 *'    YOU,     I     KNOW    YOU    NOT.       WaTCH     THEREFORE,    FOR 
 **    YE  KNOW  NEITHER  THE    DAY    NOR  THE   HOUR  WHEREIN 
 
 "  THE  Son  of  man  cometh,"  Matt.  xxv.  i — 13. 
 
 Zealous.  We  have  now  confidcred  how  the  Jews  and  Chris- 
 tians will  be  feverally  afFe6led  by  the  great  event ;  and  we  have 
 already  had  occafion  to  notice  the  awful  deltrudtion  that  will  come 
 upon  the  opposers  of  God's  truth,  and  the  oppressors 
 of  his  people;  and  therefore  you  may  pals  to  thofe  whom  you 
 have  denominated  Neutrals.  I  wifli  to  hear  what  you  can  fay 
 concerning  them  ;  for  I  muft  fay  that  I  confidered  all  the  human 
 race  inlifted  as  it  were  on  one  fide  or  the  other,  and  confequently 
 as  not  admitting  of  Neutrals.  You  will  remember  that  it  is,  ia 
 Revelation  xiii.  8.  declared,  *'  And  all  that  dwell  upon 
 *'  the  earth  shall  worship  him,  whole  names  are  not 
 •*  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  flain  from  the  founda- 
 *'  tion  of  the  world." 
 
 Cautions.  Bengelius  renders  it,  "  will  worship  him." 
 It  was  forefeen,  and  recorded,  that  fo  it  would  be  \  but  the  word 
 shall  feems  to  imply  a  force  upon  them :  there  will  be  no  force 
 upon  them  but  that  tendency  to  evil  which  exiits  in  thofe  that 
 love  darkncls  ratiier  than  light,  bccaufe  their  deeds  are  evil, 
 (John  iii.  19.)  and  the  cruel  force  exercifed  by  the  enemies;  and 
 great  will  be  the  reward  of  thofe  who  repent  of  their  fins,  and 
 patiently  fubmit  to  every  fufft;ing,  and  prefer  death  rather  than 
 commit  fo  great  a  crime. 
 
 It  is  true,  that  the  great  deftrudion  by  the  waters  of  the  flood, 
 and  the  other  awful  judgment,  to  both  which  it  is  compared, 
 were  judgments  out  of  which  very  few  were  delivered  :  eight 
 only  were  preferved  alive  in  tlie  ark.  But  it  appears  to  me,  that 
 there  will  be  very  many  who  will  be  prcft-rved  alive  upon 
 earth,  and  pals  from  that  ffate  of  diitrefs  wliich  will  precede  the 
 coming  of  our  Lord,  into  that  Itate  ot  peace  and  fecurity  upon 
 earth,  which  will  be  enjoyed  during  the  Millennium  :  I  have 
 denominated  them  Neutrals,  tor  want  of  any  other  term  that 
 would  better  exprefs  my  meaning.  The  great  enemies  and  their 
 adherents  are  dellroyed,  confequently  they  are  not  on  tlieir  fide  ; 
 faithful  Chriltiiins,  v/ho  are  watching  tor,  and  expecting  the 
 coming  of  our  Lord,  are  tranllated  to  heaven,  as  we  have 
 already  noticed,  which  tht;se  are  not  ;  confequently  they  are 
 not  altogether  of  thtfc  :  I  inive  therefore  denominated  them 
 Neutrals.  Who  is  there  that  Ihall  dare  to  limit  the  grace  of 
 Chriil:  r  It  is  true  that  it  is  faid,  "  All  that  dwell  upon  the  earth 
 *'  will  worlhip  him,  whofe  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of 
 '*  life  of  the  Lamb  llain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  ;"  but 
 who  is  vhere  that  Ihall  dare  to  fay  that  thefe  names  are  itw  in 
 number,  or  that  v»hole  nations  may  not  (wiih  fe\v  exceptions}  be 
 preferved  ;  that  nations  may  not  be  thus  written  in  the  book 
 of  life  ? 
 
 It 
 
Part  IL  D  I  A  L  G  G  U  E    X.  497 
 
 It  is  from  the  word  of  God  alone  that  we  muft  receive  inflruc- 
 tlon  upon  this  fubjeft,  and  I  think  that  the  word  of  God  affords 
 us  this  great  confolation. 
 
 Before  I  notice  thofe  pafTages  which  appear  to  me  immediately 
 to  refer  10  the  fubj.e6l,  I  ihall  fay  a  few  words  concerning  pa(t 
 events,  which  appear  to  me  to  bear  fome  analogy  to  it.  The 
 times  of  Elijah  appear  to  bear  a  very  ftrong  refemblance  to  the 
 times  we  have  been  confidering  ;  Elijah,  in  the  19th  chapter  of 
 the  firit  book  of  Kings,  makes  ufe  of  thefe  words  :  "  I  have  been 
 **  very  jealous  for  the  Lord  God  of  holls  :  becaufe  the  children' 
 **  of  Ifrael  have  forfaken  thy  covenant,  thrown  down  thine 
 **  altars,  and  flain  thy  prophets  with  the  fword ;  and  I,  even 
 **  I  ONLY  am  left;  and  they  fcek  my  life,  to  take  it  away.". 
 Yet  the  Lord,  who  seeth  in  secret,  (Matt.  vi.  6.)  by  his 
 anfwer,  inib-u6led  him,  in  thefe  words:  '*  I  have  left  me  feven 
 '''  thoufand  in  Ifrael,  all  the  knees  which  have  hot  bowed  unto 
 *'  Baal,  and  every  mouth  which  hath  not  kilTcd  him,"  v.  i8w 
 When  the  Lord  pleafes  to  protecSl  his  hidden  ones,  he  can  blind 
 the  eyes  of  their  perfecutors  in  thac  manner,  thatthey  Ihall  grope 
 in  vaiA  to  find  the  doors  of  thofe  fecret  chambers  in  which  his 
 hidden  ones  are  fecreted.  Thus  it  was  with  Lot  and  his  family  : 
 the  men  that  were  at  the  door,  fceking  his  life,  were  fmitteri 
 with  biindnefs,  both  fmall  and  great  ;  "  fo  that  they  wearied 
 *'  themfelvcs  to  find  the  door,"  Gen*  xix.  11.  Thus  it  was,  in 
 the  inltance  of  Eliflia  ;  he  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
 fmote  thofe  who  purfued  him  with  blindnefs ;  fo  that,  notwith- 
 ifanding  he  fpake  unto  them,  yet  they  knew  him  not,  (2  Kings 
 vi.  8 — 23.} :  "  Gome,  my  people,  enter  thou  into  thy  chambers^ 
 "  and  fhut  thy  doors  about  thee:  hide  thyfelf  as  it  were  for  a. 
 *'  little  moment,  until  the  indignation  be  overpaft.  For,  behold, 
 **  the  Lord  comcth  out  of  his  place  to  puniih  the  inhabitants  of 
 **  the  earth  for  their  iiiiquity  :  the  earth  alfo  Ihall  difclofe  her 
 "  blood,  and  iTiall  no  inore  cover  her  flain,"  Ifai.  xxvi.  20,  21. 
 Who  would  have  expe6led  that  a  fervant  of  Ahab,  a  confidential 
 fervant  of  the  wicked  Ahab,  the  deflroyer  of  God's  pc  ople,  fhould 
 have  been  preferved  from  partaking  in  his  idolatry  and  -rimes  ? 
 Obadiah  was  the  governor  of  Ahab's  houfe,  and  yet  Obadiah 
 feared  the  Lord  greatly  :  and  "  when  Jezebel  cut  off  the  prophets 
 *'  of  the  Lord,  Obadiah  took  an  hundred  prophets,  and  hid  them 
 *'  by  fifty  in  a  cave,  and  fed  them  with  bread  and  water," 
 1  Kings  xviii.   3,  4,  13. 
 
 We  have  the  authority  of  God's  word  for  believing  that  there 
 will  be  a  very  great  repromulgation  of  the  gofpel,  and  that  it  will 
 be  preached  to  ''  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  and  to  every 
 *'  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people  ;"  but  extenfive 
 as  this  repromulgation  of  the  gofpel  will  be,  we  have  not,  I  con- 
 ceive, autliority  to  alTert,  that  every  individual  dwelling 
 upon  earth,  that  every    individual,   of  every  nation,  and 
 
 3  S  kindred^ 
 
49?  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  IL 
 
 kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  will  be  inftru6led  by  hearing  it. 
 Although  we  Ihould  be  very  reprehenlible  if  we  were  to  afTcrt  it, 
 yet  it  may  be  that  many  of  thofe  who  compofe  that  immcnfe 
 multitude  who  will  be  affembled  by  the  great  Antichrift,  may  not 
 be  AWARE  of  the  iniquity  of  the  caufe  in  which  he  is  engaged, 
 and  may  be  preferved  from  partaking  in  his  wickednefs,  or  may 
 defert  his  ftandard  when  they  become  convinced  of  his  impiety. 
 Thus  the  captain  of  the  third  company  of  fifty,  that  was  fent  to 
 apprehend  Elijah,  "  fell  on  his  knees  before  Elijah,  and  befought 
 *'  him,  and  faid  unto  him,  O  man  of  God,  I  pray  thee,  let  my 
 *'  life,  and  the  life  of  thefe  fifty  thy  fervants,  be  precious  in  thy 
 **  fight.  Behold,  there  came  fire  down  from  heaven,  and  burnt 
 **  up  the  two  captains  of  the  former  fifties  with  their  fifties  : 
 **  therefore  let  my  life  now  be  precious  in  thy  fight,"  2  Kings 
 i.  13,  14,  In  like  manner  there  may  be  a  remnant  saved, 
 even  of  that  immenfe  multitude  who  are  gathered  together  by  the 
 great  enemy. 
 
 Zealous^  The  degree  of  guilt  certainly  depends  in  a  great 
 meafure  upon  the  degree  of  light  againll  which  it  is  committed  ; 
 but  we  certainly  have  no  authority,  from  the  19th  chapter  of  the 
 Revelation,  to  imagine  that  any  remnant  of  the  enemy's  forces 
 will  efcape  deftru6lion.  After  the  more  dreadful  and  exemplary 
 punifhment  of  the  bead  and  the  falfe  prophet,  which  is  recorded 
 in  the  2ath  verfe,  it  is  added:  '*  And  the  remnant  were  llain  with 
 *'  the  fword  of  him  that  fat  upon  the  iiorle,  which  fword  pro- 
 **  ceeded  out  of  his  mouth  :  and  all  the  fowls  v/cre  filled  with 
 «'  their  flefh,"  v.  21. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  very  true  ;  but  you  will  obferve  that  it  is  not 
 declared  that  there  have  been  none  of  his  forces  that  have  deferted 
 his  ftandard  ;  it  is  not  declared  that  none  of  his  flaves  have  efcaped 
 from  him  ;  we  certainly  have  no  authority  from  Revelation  the 
 19th  to  imagine  that  there  will  any  thus  efcape,  and  be  enabled  to 
 flee  from  the  wrath,  which  is  thus  hovering  over  the  enemies  and 
 their  adherents:  but  we  have  the  authority  of  the  angelic  oath, 
 recorded  in  Revelation  the  loth,  for  believing,  that  in  the  days  of 
 the  voice  of  the  feventh  angel,  when  he  Ihalt  found,  the  myfi:ery 
 of  God   (hall  be  finilhed,  as   he   hath   declared  to   his 
 
 SERVANTS   THE   PROPHETS. 
 
 We  are  thus  not  only  permitted  to  refer,  but  are  a£lu5^Jly  re- 
 ferred, to  the  books  of  the  Jewiih  prophets  \  and  we  have  already 
 had  occafiori  to  obferve  the  exadl  agreement  there  is  between  the 
 books  of  the  Jewifli  prophets  and  the  expedfatlons  that  Chriftians 
 are  authorized  to  form  from  the  New  Teftament  concerning 
 things  to  come. 
 
 The  great  analogy  obfervable  between  the  19th  of  the  Revela- 
 Jion  and  the  39th  chapter  of  Ezekiel,  confirms  us  in  the  opinion 
 that  they  relate  to  the  fame  great  dert ru6lion  of  the  oppofers  of 
 God's  truth,  and  the  opprefl'ors  of  his  people ;  and  if  they  do, 
 
 ;trui 
 
Part  II.  D  1  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  499 
 
 and  the  text  is  rightly  rendered  in  the  2d  verfe  of  our  tranllation, 
 we  then  have  authority  for  believing  that  one  sixth  part  will 
 efcape  deftrudion  :  **  I  will  turn  thee  back,  and  leave   but 
 
 **    THE  SIXTH   PART  OF  THEE,"   Ezek,  XXxix.  2. 
 
 Zealous.  Why  do  you  fuggeft  a  doubt,  whether  the  paflage  is 
 rightly  rendered  in  our  tranilation  ? 
 
 Cautious.  For  the  very  beft  reafon  that  can  be  given  ;  becaufe 
 the  tranflators  themfelves  have  fuggefted  a  doubt,  whether  they 
 have  rightly  rendered  it.  You  will  perceive  a  marginal  reading, 
 in  thefe  words  :  **  ftrik*  thee  with  lix  plagues;"  or  **  draw  thee 
 *'  back,  with  an  hook  of  fix  teeth."  If  this  marginal  reading  is 
 the  right,  what  a  manifeft  reference  is  there  obfervable,  to 
 thofe  fix  plagues  that  the  enemies  will  experience,  before  the 
 feventh  is  poured  out  to  th^ir  complete  deftrudion  ?    Rev.  xvi, 
 
 1 — 21. 
 
 Zealous.  However,  the  reading  infertcd  in  the  text  is  certainly 
 that  which  is  preferred  by  the  tranflators. 
 
 Cautious.  It  is  fo ;  but  wherever  there  is  3  doubt  fuggefted, 
 by  a  marginal  reading,  it  behoves  us  to  beware  that  we  do  not 
 place*  too  much  dependance  upon  the  ^xpreflion,  which  may 
 poflibly  admit  of  another  fignification, 
 
 In  the  prophet  Ifaiah  we  have  another  view  of  what  we  con- 
 ceive to  be  the  fame  deltrudlipn  of  the  Lord's  enemies,  that  is  fo 
 fully  related  in  Revelation  the  i9tli,  Jn  Ifaiah  the  66th  it  is  de- 
 clared, **  Behold,  the  Lord  will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his 
 **  chariots  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render  his  anger  with  fury,  and 
 **  his  rebukes  with  flames  of  fire.  For  by  fire,  and  by  his  fword, 
 ^*  will  the  Lord  plead  with  all  fielh  :  and  the  llain  of  the  Lordi 
 **  fliall  be  many,"  And,  in  the  fubfequent  part  of  the  chapter, 
 there  is  reafon  given  to  us  to  hope  that  there  will  be  a  remnant 
 (of  thofe  who  were  once  in  the  enemies  ranks)  preferved,  for 
 gracious,  benevolent,  and  important  purpofes  2  -*  It  fliall  come, 
 **  that  I  will  gather  all  nations  and  tongues;  and  they  shall 
 ♦*  COME,  AND  see  MY  GLORY.  And  I  wiU  fct  a  fign  among 
 ^*  them,  and  I  will  send  those  that  escape  of  them 
 ^'  untQ  th^  nations,  to  Tarfliifli,  Pul,  and  Lud,  that  draw  the 
 *'  bow,  to  Tubal,  and  Javan,  to  the  ifles  afar  ofi^,  that  have  not 
 ♦'  heard  my  fame,  neither  have  feen  my  glory;  and  they  fliall 
 **  declarQ  my  glory  among  the  Gentiles.  And  they  fliall  bring 
 *♦  all  your  bretiiren  for  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  out  of  all  na- 
 **  tions  upon  horfes,  and  in  chariots,  and  in  litters,  and  upon 
 ^*  mules,  and  upon  fwift  bcafts,  to  my  holy  tnountain  Jerufalemj 
 ♦*  faith  the  Lord,  as  the  children  of  Ifrael  bring  an  offering  in  a 
 *'  clean  veffel  into  the  fioufe  of  the  Lord,  And  I  will  alfo  take 
 *'  of  them  for  priefl:s  and  for  Levitcs,  faith  the  Lord.  For  as  the 
 **  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will  make,  fliall  re- 
 *^  main  before  me,  faith  the  Lord,  fo  fliall  your  feed  and  your 
 **  name  remain.     And  it  fliall  come  to  pals,  that  from  one  new 
 
 *'  mooa 
 
SOO  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II, 
 
 "  moon  to  another,  and  from  one  fabbath  to  another,  (hall  all 
 '*  fleih  come  to  worfliip  before  me,  faith  the  Lord.  And  they 
 **  (hall  go  forth,  and  look  upon  the  carcafes  of  the  men  that 
 **  have  tranfgreffed  againfl  me  :  for  their  worm  fhall  not  die, 
 **  neither  iTiall  their  hre  be  quenched  :  and  they  Ihall  be  an 
 **  abhorring  unto  all  fleOi,"   Ifai.  Ixvi.  15,  16,   18 — 24. 
 
 Zealous.  This  certainly  tends  to  perfuade  one  that  the  text  in 
 Ezek.  xxxix.  2.  is  rightly  tranflated. 
 
 Cautious.  It  does  fo ;  and  this  pafTage  abounds  with  great 
 CONSOLATION,  becaufe  it  ftrongly  implies  that  there  will  be 
 GREAT  NUMBERS,  OF  ALL  NATIONS,  preferved  alive  on  earth, 
 to  partake  of  that  blelTed  itate  of  peace  and  ferenity  which  will 
 cxiff  in  the  Millennium.  Then  will  the  Chriftian's  prayer  be 
 fully   anfwered :    *'  Thy   kingdom    come,    thy    will    be 
 
 **    done    in   EARTH,    AS    IT    IS    IN   HEAVEN." "Then    fhall 
 
 **  the  earth  bring  forth  her  increafe,  and  God,  even  our  own 
 *'  God  fhall  give  us  his  blefling.     God  fhall  blefs  us,  and  all 
 
 *'    THE  ends  of   THE  EARTH   SHALL  FEAR   HIM,"  Pf.  Ixvii.  7. 
 
 **  The  kingdoms  of  this  world"  thus  becoine  "  the  kingdoms  of 
 **  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Chrift  ;"  over  which  *'  he  fliall  reign  for 
 *'  ever  and  ever,"  Rev.  xi.  i^. 
 
 Zealous.  Our  inquiry  is,  how  far  the  feveral  clafTes  of  man- 
 kind, in  which  the  whole  human  race  are  divifible,  will  fcverally 
 be  afFe6led  by  the  coming  of  our  Lord  previous  to  the  Millennium. 
 The  profpedl  is  an  exulting  profpe6l,  as  far  as  it  refpeCLS  true 
 Chriitians,  who  are  watching  for  and  expe6ting  his  coming  ;  for 
 they  are  tranflated  to  heaven,  to  reign  with  Christ  a  thoufand 
 years  before  the  general  refurre6lion.  The  profpeft,  as  far  as  it 
 refpefts  the  martyrs  and  confeflbrs,  and  thofe  who  flecp  in  Jefus, 
 and  are  accounted  worthy  to  partake  in  the  firff  refurre6lion,  is 
 alfo  abundantly  confolatory  ;  for  they  partake  in  this  high  reward, 
 and  are  ever  with  the  Lord.  The  profpeft,  as  far  as  it  concerns 
 the  Jews,  who  will  be  thereby  converted,  and  be  reflored  to 
 peace  and  profperity  in  their  own  land,  and  become  the  mod 
 honoured  and  powerful  nation  upon  earth,  and  be  finally  tranf- 
 lated, with  the  faithful  of  all  nations,  to  be  inhabitants  of  the 
 ricw  heaven,  the  new  earth,  and  the  new  Jerufalem,  abounds 
 alfo  with  great  confolation.  The  profped:,  as  far  as  it  refpeds 
 thofe  among  the  nations  who  are  preferved  to  perform  that  great 
 act  of  piety,  the  conveying  all  the  Jews  that  then  remain  difperfed, 
 as  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  to  his  holy  mountain 
 Jerufxlem,  and  who  will  partake  of  the  happinefs  of  being  per- 
 mitted to  go  up  to  worfhip  the  King,  the  Lord  of  hofts,  and  to 
 keep  the  teaft  of  tabernacles,  (Zech.  xiv.)  is  alfo  a  profpe6t 
 of  great  confolation.  The  only  dark  fide  of  the  pidure,  is  the 
 great  detfrudlion  that  will  precede  this  great  change  for  the 
 Oetter. 
 
 Cauilous.     My  dear  friend,  be  afTured  of  this,  that  ''  the  Lord 
 
 *<  is 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  501 
 
 **  is  gracious,  and  full  of  compafilon  ;  flow  to  anger,  and  of 
 **  great  mercy.  The  Lord  is  good  to  all :  and  his  tender  mercies 
 **  are  over  all  his  works,"  Pf.  cxlv.  8,  9.  He  is  good,  and  his 
 mercy  enduretb  for  ever;  but  there  is  no  inflance  in  which  his 
 goodnefs  and  his  mercy  are  more  m-'nift  Jl,  than  in  his  delivering 
 his  people  from  their  opprelfors,  and  de.troying  the  destroyers 
 OF  THE  EARTH,  Rtv.  xi.  i8.  Pray  turn  to  the  136th  Pfalm, 
 and  you  will  find  the  fweet  fmger  of  Ifrael  celebrating  the  praife 
 of  God  for  his  mercies:  *■  O  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  tor  he 
 **  is  good:  for  his  mercy  endurcth  for  ever."  But  his  mercy  is 
 not  only  noticed  in  his  works  of  creation,  and  in  his  providence, 
 ■whereby  he  giveth  tood  to  all  flpfli ;  but  his  deliverance  of  his 
 people  from  their  opprelfors,  and  the  deftrudion  of  their  oppref-- 
 Ibrs,  forms  a  part  ot  the  facred  fong :  "  To  him  that  divided  the 
 *'  Red  Sea  into  parts  :  for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever.  And 
 *'  made  Ifrael  to  pafs  through  the  mid  if  of  it  :  for  his  mercy  en- 
 ^'  dureth  for  ever.  Put  overthrew  Pharaoh  and  his  holl  in  tjhe 
 "  Red  Sea  :  tor  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever." — "  O  give  thanks 
 *'  unto  the  God  ot  heaven  :  for  his  mercy  endureth  forever," 
 Pf.  cxxxvi.  **  Sing  ye  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed 
 *'  glorioutly  ;  the  horfe  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the 
 *'  fea,"  Exod.  xv,  1. 
 
 It  is  elfentially  neccffary  to  the  peace  and  ferenity  of  God's 
 people  upon  earth,  that  the  Lord  fhould  destroy  the  de- 
 stroyers OF  the  earth.  We  are  not  to  imagine  that  all 
 the  deftroyers  of  the  earth  will  be  congregated  together  imder  the 
 flandard  of  the  great  enemy,  (Rev.  xix.  Ezek.  xxxviii.  xxxix. 
 Ifai.  Ixvi.)  ;  we  are  not  to  imagine  that  the  Lord's  judgment, 
 whereby  the  deftroyers  of  the  earth  are  deflroyed,  will  be  entirely 
 confined  to  that  fpot  on  which  the  great  enemies,  and  their  im- 
 menfe  forces,  are  in  array.  The  molt  confpicuous  part  of  the 
 judgment  will  doubtlefs  be  there  ;  for  of  thofe  who  escape  of 
 them  it  is  faid,  that  they  fhall  *'  fee  my  glory,"  (Ifai.  Ixvi.  18.)  ; 
 and  they  arc  fent  to  the  nations  to  declare  what  they  liave  thus 
 feen  and  obferved,  and  in  confequence  of  their  declaring  the  glory 
 of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  and  his  miraculous  interference  in  be- 
 half of  his  people  lirael,  among  the  Gentiles,  the  complete  refto- 
 ration  of  liVael  takes  place.  It  therefore  is  manifelt,  that  the 
 mofl;  confpicuous  part  of  the  judgment  is  there.  .But  it  appears 
 to  mc  that  it  is  pofitively  declared  in  holy  fcripture,  that  this  great 
 jud-gment  will  extend  from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the 
 other  end  of  the  earth.  How  awfully  confpicuous  hath  been 
 the  Lord's  judgment  againft  his  ov^'n  peculiar  people,  the  Jews; 
 and  againft  that  city  which  was  called  by  his  name,  (Jer. 
 XXV.  29.) :  and  this  is  reforted  to  as  an  aifurance  of  the  certainty 
 of  that  judgment  winch  will  be  accompiiihed  upon  all  nations  of 
 the  earth  :  ''  Lo,  I  begin  to  bring  evil  on  the  city  which  is  called 
 ?*  by  my  name,  and  Ihould  ye  be  utterly  unpunifhed  ?  Ye  ihall 
 
 **  not 
 
502  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X.  Part  II, 
 
 *'  not  he   iinpunifhed :    for    I    will    call    for  a   sword 
 
 *'  UPON  all  the   inhabitants  of  the  earth,  saith 
 
 *'  THE   Lord    of   hosts.     Therefore  prophefy  thou  againfl 
 
 **  thcrn  all  thefe  words,  and  fay  unto  them,  The  Lord  fhall  roar 
 
 *'  from  on  high,  and  utter  his  voice  from  his  holy  habitation  ; 
 
 '^'  he  (hall  mightily   roar  upon  his    habitation;  he  fliall  give  a 
 
 *'  ihout,  as  they  that  tread  the   grapes,    against   all  the 
 
 *'  INHABITANTS  OF  THE  EARTH,     A  noifc   fl)all  Come  even 
 
 "  to  the  ENDS  OF  THE  EARTH  ;  for  the  Lord  bath  a  controverfy 
 
 •-^  with  THE   NATIONS;  he  will  plead  with  all    flesh;  he 
 
 *'  will  give  theni  that  are  wicked  to  the  fword,   faith  the  Lord. 
 
 *'  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of  hoits,  Behold,  evil  shall  go 
 
 *'  forth  FROM  NATION   TO  NATION,  and  a  great  whirlwind 
 
 **  fliall  be  raifed  up  from  the  coarts  of  the  earth.     And  the  flaiii 
 
 *'  of  the  Lord  fhall  be  at  that  day  from    one    end  of  the 
 
 "  EARTH  even  unto  THE  OTHER  END  OF  THE  EARTH  : 
 
 **  they  fhall  not  be  lamented,  neither  gathered,  nor  buried  ;  they 
 **  fhall  be  dung  upon  the  ground,"  Jer.  xxv.  29 — 33, 
 
 An  earthquake  is  mentioned  as  taking  place  at  this  time,  in 
 Ezekiel  xxxviii,  ig,  20;  and  again  in  Zechariah  xiv :  *'  And 
 *'  his  feet  ihall  ftand  in  that  d:iy  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
 *'  which  is  before  jerufalem  on  the  ea(l,  and  the  Mount  of 
 *'  Olives  fliall  cleave  in  the  midft  thereof  toward  the  eaft  and 
 *'  toward  the  wefi,  and  there  fliall  be  a  very  great  valley  ;  and 
 *'  half  of  the  mountain  fhall  remove  toward  the  north,  and  half 
 ^'^  of  it  toward  the  fouth.  And  ye  fliall  iiee  to  the  valley  of  the 
 "  mountains  ;  for  the  valley  of  the  mountains  fliall  reach  unto 
 *'  Azal :  yea,  ye  fliall  tiee,  like  as  ye  fled  before  the  earthquake 
 **  in  the  days  of  Uzziah  king  of  Judah  :  and  the  Lord  my 
 **  God  shall  come,  and  all  the  saints  with  thee,'* 
 ii-ech.  xiv.  4,  ,5. 
 
 Zealous.  This  is  undoubtedly  that  coming  of  our  Lord  which 
 we  are  to  look  forward  to,  and  watch  for,  with  reverential  hope, 
 (Matt.  xxiv.  xxv.)  ;  but  is  this  earthquake  mentioned  in  the  New 
 Tellament  as  an  attendant  upon  his  coming  r  I  am  aware  that 
 **  earthquakes  in  divers  places,"  are  noticed,  as  one  of  the  fymp- 
 toms  of  the  approach  of  his  coming,  (Matt.  xxiv.  7.);  but  this 
 earthquake  is  mentioned  as  taking  place  at  the  very  time  of  his, 
 coming. 
 
 Cautious.  In  the  29th  verfc  of  Mattiiew  xxiv.  it  is  men- 
 tioned, that  even  the  very  "  powers  of  the  heavens  fhall  be 
 ■-'*  fhaken-,"  and,  in  H-^ggai  ii.  7,  8  :  **  Thus  faith  the  Lord  of 
 "  hofls  ;  Yet  once,  it  is  a  little  while,  and  I  will  shake  the 
 •'"  heavens,  and  the  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the 
 **  DRY    land;    and   I    will   ihake  all    nations,    and  the 
 
 *•    DESIRE     of    all    NATIONS     SHALL    COME:    and    I  wiU    fill 
 
 ^*  this  houfe  with  glory,  faith  the  Lord  of  hoils." 
 
 The  great  fubject  of  the  book  of  the  Revelation  is  the  coining 
 
 of 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  503 
 
 of  our  Lord  ;  from  firffc  to  laft  it  contains  an  account  of  the  events 
 that  are  to  occur  previous  to,  and  at  his  coming  ;  but  we  are 
 inftrufted  therein,  that  it  is  at  the  time  of  the  pouring  out  of  the 
 feventh  vial,  w^hen  the  great  event  will  be  accomplilhed, 
 (Matt.  xxiv.  29 — 31.};  to  which  we  are  to  k)ok  forward  with 
 patient  watchfuhitfs.  In  this  refpe6l  we  are  inltru6led  to  expedl 
 his  coming  at  that  time,  in  which  we  fhould  be  induced,  as  it 
 were,  naturally  to  expeft  it. 
 
 Zealous.  The  expe6lation  of  the  coming  of  our  Lord  certainly 
 is  now,  and  ever  hath  been,  the  great  expectation  of  the 
 Chriflian  church  ;  and,  inafmuch  as  the  Revelation  contains  a^ 
 complete  difplay  of  events  to  come,  from  the  promulgation 
 thereof  to  the  linal  confummation  of  all  things,  it  cannot  but  be . 
 expected  that  we  (hall  be  enabled  to  difcover  the  time  and  order 
 in  which  this  great  event  is  to  be  expefted.  The  day  and  hour 
 of  his  coming  was  not  known  either  to  men  or  angels  ;  it  was  not 
 known  by  our  blelfed  Lord  himfelf,  in  the  days  of  his  humiliation, 
 (Mark  xiii.  32.) ;  but  furely  we  (liall  be  enabled,  by  perufing  the 
 Revelation  to  that  end,  to  difcover  the  period  in  which  the 
 great  ind  awful  event  will  be  accomplifhed. 
 
 Cautious.  As  to  the  day  and  hour,  we  certainly  are  entirely 
 ignorant ;  and  it  is  my  firm  belief  that  the  day  and  hour  will  never 
 be  known  until  the  great  event  is  accomplilhed;  but  as  to  that 
 period  in  which  it  will  happen,  I  think  that  we  have  fcriptural 
 authority  to  fay,  that  it  will  take  place  when  the  feventh  vial  is 
 poured  out.  The  preceding  vials  are  poured  out  upon  the  beaft, 
 and  his  adherents ;  but  the  feventh  vial  completes  their  dellrudion. 
 In  it,  the  wrath  of  God  again'd  the  oppofers  of  his  truth,  and  tlie 
 oppreifors  of  his  people,  is  filled  up  and  accomplilhed. 
 
 The  apoftle  Paul  hath  taught  us  to  expert  the  coming  of  our 
 Lord  at  this  period;  for  he  halh  declared  that  the  "^vickcd  one  will 
 be  confumed  with  the  fpirit  of  his  mouth,  and  Vvill  be  deftroyed 
 with  the  BRIGHTNESS  OF  HIS  COMING,"  2  Thelf.  ii.  8, 
 Rev.  xix. 
 
 The  coming  of  our  Lord  is  THE  great  event,  to  which  all 
 other  events  are  but  the  preludes.  When  he  accomplilhed  man's 
 redemption,  before  he  bowed  his  head  and  gave  up  the  ghoft,  he 
 faid,  *'  It  is  FINISHED,"  (John  xix,  30.)  ;  and  when  he  cometh 
 again  in  glory,  with  the  holy  angels,  the  mydery  of  God  will  be 
 FINISHED,  as  he  hath  declared  to  his  fer\ants  the  prophets. 
 Rev.  X.  7.  It  being  therefore  the  great  and  concluding  event, 
 one  would,  as  it  were,  naturallv  expe6t  to  find  it  recorded  under 
 the  seventh  seal.  When  v/e  find  the  feventh  feal  branching 
 out  into  the  feven  trumpets,  one  would  expe6l  tu  find  it  recorded 
 under  the  seventh  trumpet;  and  we  do  find  that  no  fooner 
 hath  the  fc\enth  trumpet  founded,  than  the  effects  that  will  be 
 produced  thereby  arc  anticipated,  in  that  fong  of  praife  :  *'  The 
 *'  kingdoms  of  this   world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our 
 
 *'  Lord, 
 
S^i  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E     X;  Part  It. 
 
 *'  Lord,  and  of  his  ChrlH: ;  and  he  fliall  reign  for  ever  and  ever/* 
 Rev.  xi.  1^.  But  M^e  have  to  obferve,  that  the  feventh  trumpet 
 comprehends  the  feven  vials.  We  are  thus,  as  it  were,  naturally 
 directed  to  look  tor  the  accompliflirnent  of  the  grpat  event, 
 and  to  expecl  that  the  coming  of  our  Lord  (the  awful  effects  of 
 which  coming,  to  the  feveral  clalRs  ot  mankind,  we  have'  been 
 confidering]  will  be  accomplilhed  at  the  time  when  the  seventh 
 VIAL  is  poured  out. 
 
 If  Ave  turn  to  the  i6th  chapter  of  the  Revelation,  in  which  the 
 pouring  out  the  vials  of  wrath  are  recorded,  we  ihall  be  fully 
 confirmed  in  this  expe£i:ation  :  we  have  thc^  belt  authority,  the 
 declaration  of  our  blelfed  Lord  himielf.  When  the  lixth  vial 
 hath  been  poured  out,  we  behold  "ihc  great  eneixiies,  and  ail  their 
 ioTCos,  gathering  themfelves  together  j  they  little  think  for  what 
 purpofe  they  are  thus  gathered  1  At  the  time  of  this  gatherings 
 when  the  caufe  of  truth  and  righteoufncfs  appears  to  be  despe- 
 rate ;  then  it  is  that  the  lad  warning  is  given,  and  our  blelfed 
 Saviour  himfclf  declares,  in  his  molt  holy  word,  his  Revelation, 
 *'  Behold,  I  gome  as  a  thief,  blelfed  is  he  that  vvatcheth,- 
 *'  and  keepcth  his  garments,  left  he  walk  n.iKed,  and  they  fee  his 
 **  fhanie,"  Rev.  xvi.  15, 
 
 Zealous:  This  indifputably  elfabliflies  the  fact,  that  the  coming 
 of  our  Lord  {Matt.  xxiv.  29 — 31.)  is  to  take  place  at  the  tune 
 of  the  pouring  out  of  the  seventh  vial.  And  it  feems  clear 
 that  the  great  deuru6tion  of  thofe  whom  you. have  denoi.iinated 
 Neutrals,  which  is '  fo  fully  fet  forth  in  Jer.- xxv.  takes  place  at 
 tlie  fame  time. 
 
 Cautious.  Do  not  m.iflake  me,  I  did  not  denominate  thofe'who 
 v.'ill  be  destroyed  in  that  great  dellruclion  which  will  extend 
 from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other  end 
 OF  THE  earth,  (Jer.  XXV.  33.)  as  Neutrals;  I  meant  to 
 apply  the  term  Neutrals  to  thofe  only  who  will  be  preferved 
 from,  and  excepted  out  of,  this  deilruction  ;  thofe  to  whom  the 
 preferved,  who  will  have  to  '*  declare  the  glory"  of  the  Lord  God 
 of  Ifrael  ''  among  the  Gentiles,"  (Ifai.  Ixvi.  19.)  are  sent.  It 
 feems  to. me,  that  this  19th  verfe  of  Ifaiah  Ixvi.  Itrongly  implies, 
 that  notwitliitanding  the  very  powerful  promulgation  of  the  ever- 
 lalling  gofpel,  to  every  nation,  kindred,  tongue,  and  people  \ 
 and  notwithilanding  the  great  events  occurring  at  that  time  will 
 engage  the  attention  of  moit  of  the  civilized  nations  of  the  earth, 
 yet  that  there  will  be  multitudes,  either  of  the  imcivilized  nations, 
 or  of  thofe  in  the  internal  and  fecludcd  parts  of  civilized  nations, 
 or  of  both,  at  that  time  \  who  will  be  awfully  awakened  to  ferious 
 connderation,  by  the  concuflion  of  the  great  earthquake  mentioned 
 in  Revelation  xvi.  18  ;  and  by  the  great  judgment  which  will  de- 
 ftroy  the  wicked,  from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  imto  the  other 
 end  ot  the  earth,  as  is  mentioned  in  Jer.  xxv.  33  ;  thefe  are  thofe 
 tliiit  I  denominated  Neutrals,  becautc  they  appear  to  be  (evcM 
 
 at 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  505 
 
 at  the  time  of  the  great  earthquake,  which  accompanies  the  "de- 
 ftru£lion  of  the  enemies)  in  a  state  of  ignorance  ;  they 
 have  not  even  then  heard  of  the  *'  fame"  of  the  Lord  God  o£ 
 Ifrael,  or  feen  his  "  glory,"  (Ifai.  Ixvi.  19.) ;  but  being  av^'akened 
 by  thefe  awful  events,  they  call  upon  the  name  of  the 
 Lord,  and  are  delivered,  and  are  thus  prepared  to  receive  the 
 teftimony  of  the  preferved  ;  who  will  be  fent  to  the  nations,  to 
 declare  the  glory  of  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael  among  them,  even 
 among  the  preferved  of  the  Gentiles  ;  and  thus  prepared  to  re- 
 store thofe  Jews  who  may  then  remain  among  them,  as  a  pious 
 OFFERING  unto  the  Lord  God  of  Ifrael,  to  his  holy  mountain 
 Jerufalem,  (Ifai.  Ixvi.  20.):  **  I  will  pour  out  my  fpirit  upon 
 *'  all  flefh  ;  and  your  fons  and  your  daughters  fhall  prophefy, 
 *'  your  old  men  fliall  dream  dreams,  your  young  men  fliall  fee- 
 *'  vifions  :  and  alfo  upon  the  fervants,  and  upon  the  handmaids 
 **  in  thofe  days  will  I  pour  out  my  fpirit.  And  I  will  ihew 
 *'  wonders  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and  fire,  and 
 **  pillars  of  fmoke.  The  fun  ihall  be  turned  into  darknefs,  and 
 **  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the  great  and  the  terrible  day  of 
 "  thq  Lord  come.     And  it   fhall  come   to  pafs,  that  whoso- 
 
 **  EVER  SHALL  CALL  UPON  THE  NAME  OF  THE  LORD 
 
 **  SHALL  BE  DELIVERED  :  for  in  Mouut  Zion  and  in  Jerufa- 
 *'  lem  fhall  be  deliverance,  as  the  Lord  hath  faid,  and  in  the 
 **  remnant  whom  the  Lord  fiiall  call,"  Joel  ii,  28 — 32.  After 
 they  thus  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  they  are  no  longer  Neu- 
 trals, but  become  the  obedient  fervants  of  the  Lord  God  of 
 •Ifrael,   Ifai.  Ixvi.  20. 
 
 As  to  thofe  who  will  be  deftroyed  at  this  time,   "  from  Onb 
 
 **  END  OF  THE  EARTH,  EVEN  UNTO  THE  OTHER  END  OF 
 
 **  THE  EARTH,"  (Jer.  XXV.  33.);  they  are,  in  verfe  the  31ft, 
 denominated  the  wicked,  and  are,  1  think,  fome  of  thofe 
 who  are  in  Revelation  xi.  18.  denominated  the  deftroyers  of  the 
 earth  ;  and  we  perceive  that  when  deftruftion  overtakes  them, 
 it  doth  not  change  their  hearts,  for  they  blafpheme  even  when  in 
 the  very  agonies  of  death  :  "  there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out 
 **  of  heaven,  every  ftone   about  the  weight   of  a  talent:  and 
 
 *'  MEN  BLASPHEMED  GoD  BECAUSE  OF  THE  PLAGUE  OF 
 **  THE  HAIL:  FOR  THE  PLAGUE  THEREOF  WAS  EXCEED- 
 *'  ING  GREAT." 
 
 It  is,  to  be  fure,  a  moft  awful  event,  that  there  fliould  be  fo 
 cxtenfive  a  judgment  as  to  reach  **  from  one  end  of  the  earth 
 *'  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth  ;"  but  it  is  confident  with 
 the  divine  mercy  that  fo  it  fhould  be.  It  is  the  wicked,  the  de- 
 ilroyers  of  the  earth,  that  will  thus  be  deftroyed  r  "  The  wicked 
 **  are  like  the  troubled  fea,  when  it  cannot  reft,  whofe  waters 
 **  call  up  mire  and  dirt.  There  is  no  peace,  faith  my  God,  to 
 *'  the  wicked,"  Ifai.  Ivii.  20,  21.  They  are  neither  peaceable 
 or  bappy  theoifelves,  neither  will  they  permit  others  to  be  peace- 
 
 3  T  able 
 
5o6  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 able  and  happy  ;  it  is  therefore  confiftent  with  mercy  and  wifdom 
 that  they  fliuiild  thus  be  removed,  for  when  they  are  thus  re- 
 moved, tlie  kingdoms  of  this  world  will  become  the  kingdoms  of 
 our  Lord,  and  of  his  Chrill.  The  wolf  alfo  then  *'  lliall  dwell 
 **  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  fliall  lie  down  with  the  kid  ; 
 "  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling  together  ;  and 
 "  a  little  child  fliall  lead  them.  And  the  cow  and  the  bear  fliall 
 *'  feed;  their  young  ones  (hall  lie  down  together:  and  the  lion 
 *'  fliall  eat  fl;raw  like  the  ox.  And  the  fucking  child  fhall  play 
 *'  on  the  hole  of  the  afp,  and  the  weaned  child  Ihall  put  his 
 *'  hand  on  the  cockatrice'  den.  They  fliall  not  hurt  nor  deftroy 
 *'  in  all  my  holy  mountain :  for  the  earth  shall  be  full 
 
 *'  OF  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  LoRD,  AS  THE  WATERS 
 *'    COVER    THE    SEA,"    Ifai.  xi.  6 9. 
 
 Zea/ous.  The  peace,  the  ferenity,  the  happinefs,  the  joy, 
 both  temporal  and  fpiritual,  that  will  fucceed  thefe  times  of  fuf- 
 fering,  are  mofl:  abundantly  confolatory  :  the  ftormy  night  will 
 be  fucceeded  by  a  ferene  and  happy  day.  We  have  now  confi- 
 dered  in  what  manner  the  feveral  clalfes  of  mankind  (under  which 
 the  whole  human  race  may  be  included)  will  be  feverally  alTc6led 
 by  the  great  event  y  and  1  muft  obferve,  that  in  the  way  in  which 
 you  reprefent  it,  the  judgment  will  be  far  more  extenfive  and  aw- 
 fully fevere  than  is  reprefented  to  be  the  cafe  by  thofe  whofe  at- 
 tention have  been  chiefly  diredled  to  Rome  and  the  Papacy  ;  the 
 Overthrow  of  thefe  they  confider  as  the  removal  of  the  great  bar 
 to  the  peace  and  profperity  of  God's  people  upon  earth. 
 
 Cautious.  Experience  is  the  befl:  in{tru6lor.  We  have  lived 
 to  fee  the  humiliation  »f  the  Papacy,  but  have  better  times  fuc- 
 ceeded it  r  So  far  the  reverfe,  that  out  of  its  ruins  another  power 
 ha.th  arifen,  in  which  almoft  every  Antichrirtian  feature  hath  be- 
 come peculiaily  cniifpicuous,  and  the  Papacy  itfelf  hath  become 
 its  abje£t  vaflal.  If  we  were  to  indulge  the  hope  that  this  power 
 will  be  broken,  can  we  rcafonably  expe£f  that  it  would  be  imme- 
 diately fucceeded  by  better  times  ?  I  think  not.  I  think  that 
 experience  proves,  that  that  Antichriftian  fpirit,  that  myrtery  of 
 iniquity,  which  was  working  even  in  the  apollolic  age,  (2  Thefl*. 
 ii.  7.)  hath  fpread  into  all  nations,  although  the  effects  produced 
 by  it  in  fom.e  nations  have  been  much  more  confpicuous  than  in 
 others.  Chriflianity  teaches  us  the  great  doftrine  of  the  provi- 
 dence of  God,  and  that  the  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God, 
 (Rom.  xiii.  1.)  ;  whereas  the  lawlefs  one,  the  Antichrifl:ian  fac- 
 tion, is  the  very  spirit  of  pride,  haughtiness,  and 
 ANARCHY  ;  it  regards  no  laws,  either  human  or  divine  ;  it  is 
 pride,  anarchy,  and  haughtinefs;  ambition  and  felfiflinefs;  envy, 
 hatred,  and  malice,  and  all  uncharitablenefs,  perfonified  in  the 
 oppofers  of  God's  truth  and  the  oppreifors  of  his  people;  thofe 
 ■who  are  under  the  influence  of  this  revolutionary  and  anarchial 
 mania,  will  be  deflroyed  by  the  divine  judgment  j  part  of  this 
 
 divine 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  507 
 
 divine  judgment  will  be  executed  upon  them  by  thofe  very  fwords 
 that  they  have  girded  on  with  intent  to  extirpate  the  fervants  of 
 God  ;  the  Lord  will  fo  order  it,  that  they  will  deftroy  each  other : 
 <*  every  man's  fword  Hi  all  be  againlt  his  brother,"  Ezek.  xxxviii. 
 »i.  Zech.  xiv.  13.  And  this  will  not  only  lake  place  among  ihe 
 holtile  army,  but  from  "  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the 
 <*  other  end  of  the  earth,"  Jer.  xxv.  33.  Thus  it  was  in  the 
 days  of  Jehofliaphat,  2  Chron.  xx.  23.  But  great  as  will  be 
 this  deftrucSlion,  by  the  hand  of  each  other,  it  will  be  only  the 
 prelude  of  that  great  deil;ru6lion  Vv^hlch  will  be  produced  by  the 
 great  earthquake  and  the  tremendous  hail,  and  thofe  other  awful 
 judgments  which  will  complete  the  deilruftion  of  the  wicked, 
 from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth. 
 Thus  it  was,  when  the  Lord  deftroyed:  the  enemies  of  Ifrael,  iri' 
 the  days  of  Jofliua  :  *^  The  Lord  difcomfited  them  before  Ifrael, 
 "  and  flew  them  with  a  great  flaughter  at  Gibeon,  and  chafed 
 **  them  along  the  way  that  goeth  up  to  Beth-horon,  and  fmote 
 **  them  at  Azekah,  and  ynto  Makkedah.  And  it  came  to  pafs, 
 **  as  they  fled  from  before  ^frael,  and  were  in  the  going  down  to 
 "  Bt^th-horon,  that  the  Lord  caft  down  great  fl:ones  from  heaven 
 *'  upon  them  unto  Azekah,  and  they  died  :  they  were  MORE 
 "  WHICH  DIED  WITH  HAILSTONES  than  they  whom  the 
 **  children  of  Ifrael  flew  witli  the  fword,"  Jofli.  x.  10,  11. 
 It  is  an  acfl  of  mercy  to  the  world,  that  the  Lord  (hould  thus  de- 
 ftroy the  wicked  from  one  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other 
 end  of  the  earth  ;  for  the  fpirit  of  anarchv  is  infectious  as  the 
 peftilence.  A  little  leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump,  (Gal.  v.  9.) 
 and  therefore  no  peace  and  ferenity  could  be  expelled  to  be  en- 
 joyed for  any  continuance,  unlefs  the  old  leaven  of  malice 
 AND  WICKEDNESS  Were  to  be  taken  away,   1  Cor.  v.  8. 
 
 I  think  it  is  manifell,  from  the  very  words  of  the  text,  that 
 the  defl:ru6lion  of  the  Lord's  enemies,  which  is  accompliflied  at 
 the  pouring  out  of  the  feventh  vial,  will  extend  over  the  whole 
 world.  Immediately  alter  the  enemies  are  gathering  together  ; 
 immediately  after  the  lait  warning  recorded  in  Revelation  xvi.  15  : 
 "  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.     Blessed   is  he  that 
 
 '*  WATCHETH,  AND  KEEPETH  HIS  GARMENTS,  LEST  HE 
 *'    WALK    NAKED,    AND   THEY  SEE    HIS    SHAME;"    the    effeds 
 
 produced  by  the  pouring  out  of  the  feventh  vial  are  thus  recorded  : 
 *'  And  the  feventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air  ;  and 
 *'  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from 
 **  the  throne,  faying,  It  is  done.  And  there  were  voices,  and 
 **  thunders,  anjd  lightnings  ;  and  there  was  a  great  earthquake, 
 **  fuch  as  was  not  lince  nien  were  upon  the  earth,  fo  mighty  an 
 **  earthquake,  and  fo  great.  And  the  great  city  was  divided 
 **  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell:  and  great 
 *'  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before  God,  to  give  imto  her 
 *♦  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierccnefs  of  his  wrath.     And  every 
 
 ''  ifland 
 
5o8  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  Part  II. 
 
 **  ifland  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were  not  found.  And 
 *'  there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  (tone 
 *'  about  the  weight  of  a  talent :  and  men  blafphemed  God  becaufc 
 *'  of  the  plague  of  the  hail  ;  for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceed- 
 '*  ing  great,"  Rev.  xvi.  17 — 21.  And  in  the  three  following 
 chapters,  but  cfpecially  in  the  18th  and  19th  chapters,  we  hava 
 a  more  enlarged  account  of  the  deflru6lion  of  the  great  Babylon, 
 and  the  beaft,  and  the  falfe  prophet,  and  their  adherents  ;  thefe 
 are  undoubtedly  deftroyed  at  that  time  when  our  Lord 
 
 COMETH  SUDDENLY  AND  UNEXPECTEDLY,    (z  Thefl".  ii.  8.)  ; 
 
 when  the  feventh  vial  is  poured  out. 
 
 How  great  and  extenfive  muflhave  been  that  earthquake  which 
 attended  the  tiood,  when  all  '*  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep 
 *'  were  broken  up  I"  (Gen.  vii.  ii.)  the  rem.ains  of  which 
 conculhon  remain  vifible  to  this  day.  Earthquake  is,  of  all 
 others,  the  moft  extensive  desolation;  the  accounts  we 
 have  in  hiftory  eftablifh  this  to  be  the  fad.  The  earthquake  in 
 Sicily,  Avhich  happened  in  1693,  '^^^  ^'^^Y  l^"*^'^  the  whole  ifland, 
 but  Malta  and  Naples  alfo  ;  almoft  all  the  buildings  were  thrown 
 down  by  it ;  fifty-four  cities  and  towns,  befides  a  great  number 
 of  villages,  were  either  entirely  deflroyed,  or  greatly  damaged 
 by  it.  Catania,  one  of  the  mofl:  ancient  and  tionrilhing  cities 
 in  the  kingdom,  the  refidence  of  feveral  monarchs,  and  the  feat 
 of  an  univerlity,  fulfered  the  moll  feverely.  F.  Ant.  Serrovita 
 being  on  his  way  thither,  and  at  the  diffance  of  ^  few  miles,  ob- 
 ferved  a  black  cloud  like  night  hovering  over  the  city,  and  there 
 arofe  from  the  mouth  of  Montgibello  great  fpires  of  flame, 
 which  fpread  all  around.  The  fea  all  of  a  fudden  began  to 
 FOAR,  and  rife  in  billows  ;  and  there  was  a  noife,  as  if  all  the 
 artillery  in  the  world  had  been  at  once  difcharged.  The  birds 
 flew  about  aftonifhed,  and  the  cattle  ran  crying  and  diilra6led. 
 The  horfes  of  himfelf  and  his  companions  flopped,  trembling, 
 fo  that  they  were  forced  to  alight.  They  were  no  fooner  off, 
 than  the  ground  rofe  under  them.  Cafling  their  eyes  towards 
 Catania,  they  beheld  a  thick  cloud  of  dull  in  the  air  !  This  was 
 the  fcene  of  their  calamity,  for  of  the  magnificent  Catania  there 
 was  net  the  lead  footilep  to  be  feen.  Bonajutus  alTures  us,  that 
 of  18,914  inhabitants,  18,000  perifhed  therein;  about  60,000 
 perfons  were  deftroyed. 
 
 The  earthquake  which  happened  on  November  the  ift,  1755, 
 by  which  Lifbon  v/as  nearly  deftroyed,  was  very  extenfive.  The 
 day  broke  with  a  ferene  fky,  but  afterwards  the  fun  became  dim. 
 A  roaring  noife  was  heard,  and  three  fliocks,  in  the  fhort  fpace 
 of  eight  minutes,  reduced  the  city  to  an  heap  of  ruins ;  and 
 60,000  of  its  inhabitants  were  deftroyed.  Flames  of  fire  were 
 obfcrved  to  iifue  from  the  fides  of  the  mountains  ;  fubterraneous 
 rumblings  were  felt,  attended  with  a  difcharge  of  great  quantities 
 of  fmoke.     The  water  in  the  fea  rofe  feveral  times,  and  in  the 
 
 fpac« 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  joj 
 
 fpace  of  a  few  minutes  ebbed  and  flowed  fifteen  feet  above  the 
 higheft  fpring  tides.  The  fliock  was  feverely  felt  even  at  fifty 
 leagues  from  the  fhore.  It  fhook  Oporto,  Madrid,  Seville,  and 
 Cadiz.  At  Cadiz  the  fea  rofe,  in  a  mighty  wave,  to  the  height 
 of  fixty  feet,  and  carried  dertru6tion  againlt  whatever  it  met  in 
 its  progrefs.  Even  the  Avaters  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland, 
 were  agitated  by  this  earthquake  ;  and  the  concuflion  of  the  earth 
 was  felt  in  Holland,  Switzerland,  and  feveral  other  parts  of 
 Europe,  The  feverity  of  the  iliock  extended  to  Africa,  and  fe- 
 veral cities  on  the  coall  of  Barbary  were  deftroyed  by  it.  It 
 extended  to  the  illand  of  Madeira,  where  the  water  rofe  fifteen 
 feet  above  high  water  mark ;  and,  paffing  through  the  immenfe 
 Atlantic  Ocean,  it  was  felt  on  the  continent  of  America. 
 
 Very  poifibly  there  may  have  been  much  more  extenfive  earth- 
 quakes even  than  this  ;  but  this  we  are  aflured  of,  that  the  earth- 
 quake that  will  take  place  when  the  feventh  vial  is  poured  out, 
 T^ill  be  greater  far  :  '*  There  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and 
 *'  lightnings,  and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  such 
 "  as  was  not  since  men  were   upon  the  earth,  so 
 
 *'    MidHTY     AN     earthquake     AND      SO     GREAT  !"       If    WC 
 
 conlider  the  vafl  extent  of  other  earthquakes,  how  great  muft  that 
 be  which  shall  exceed  them  all!  By  this  the  great  city 
 will  be  divided  into  three  parts,  (Zech.  xiv.  4.)  but  the  other 
 cities,  the  cities  of  the  nations,  will  fall;  and  great 
 Babylon  will  come  "  in  remembrance  before  God,  to  give  unto 
 **  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fiercenefs  of  his  wrath."  The 
 earth  will  thus  be  prepared  for  that  bleffed  (late  of  peace  and  fe- 
 renity  which  ^^i\\  fucceed  ;  there  will  then  be  no  inhofpitable 
 ceferts,  no  barren  -mountains  :  "  Every  iiland  fled  away,  and 
 *'  the  mountains  were  not  found  I"  Rev.  xvi.  20. 
 
 The  bleiVednefs  that  fliall  then  exill  upon  earth  will  have  pe- 
 culiar reference  to  the  profperity  of  God's  chofen  and  peculiar 
 people,  the  Jews  :  "  The  wildernefs  and  the  folitary  place 
 *'  fhall  be  glad  for  them  ;  and  the  defert  (hall  rejoice,  and 
 "  bloifom  as  the  rofe.  It  fliall  bloifom  abundantly,  and  rejoice 
 **  even  with  joy  and  finging:  the  glory  of  Lebanon  fliall  be  given 
 *'  unto  it,  the  excellency  of  Carmel  and  Sharon,  they  shall 
 "  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the  excellency 
 *'  of  our  God. 
 
 *'  Strengthen  ye  the  weak  hands,  and  confirm  the  feeble 
 "  knees.  Say  to  them  that  are  of  a  fearful  heart,  Be  ftrong, 
 '*  fear  not:  behold,  your  God  will  come  with  ven- 
 **  geance,  even  God  with  a  recompence;  he  will 
 *'  come  and  save  you.  Then  the  eves  of  the  blind  fliall  be 
 **  opened,  and  the  ears  of  the  deaf  Ihall  be  unftopped.  Then 
 "  fliall  the  lame  man  leap  as  an  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the 
 ♦'  dumb  fing  :  for  in  the  wildernefs  fliall  waters  break  out,  and 
 *'  flreams  in  the  deicrt.     And  the  parched  ground  fliall  become 
 
 *'  a  pool, 
 
5«d  DIALOGUE    X.  Part  II. 
 
 "  a  pool,  and  the  thirfty  land  fprings  of  water  :  in  the  habitation 
 **  of  dragons,  where  each  lay,  fhall  be  grafs  with  reeds  and 
 "^  rulhes.  And  an  highway  ihall  be  there,  and  a  way,  and  it 
 "  {hall  be  called,  The  way  of  holinefs  ;  the  unclean  fliall  not 
 **  pafs  over  it ;  but  it  fhall  be  for  thofe  :  the  wayfaring  nten, 
 •*  though  fools,  Ihall  not  err  therein.  No  lion  ihall  be  there, 
 *'  nor  any  ravenous  beaft  lliall  go  up  thereon,  it  (hall  not  be  found 
 *'  there;  but  the  redeemed  (hall  walk  there  :   and   the   ran- 
 
 **  SOMED  OF  THE  LoRD  SHALL  RETURN,  AND  COME  TO 
 **  ZiON  WITH  SONGS  AND  EVERLASTING  JOY  UPON  THEIR 
 **  HEADS:  THEY  SHALL  OBTAIN  JOY  AND  GLADNESS, 
 *'  AND  SORROW  AND  SIGHING  SHALL  FLEE  AWAY,"  Ifai^ 
 XXXV.    1 lO. 
 
 Zealous.  The  curfe  pronounced  upon  the  earth,  on  account 
 of  man's  difobedience,  (Gen,  iii,  17 — 19.)  feems  thus  to  be 
 taken  away. 
 
 Cautious,  You  are  to  recollefl,  that  glorious  and  blelTed  &s 
 xvill  be  that  ftate  of  happinefs  upon  earth,  during  the  Millen- 
 nium, that  it  will  be  fucceeded  by  a  Itate  of  greater  blessed- 
 ness in  the  new  heaven,  the  new  earth,  and  the  new 
 Jerusalem.  All  the  eifecls  of  man's  difobedience  may  not  be 
 completely  removed  until  this  liate  of  greater  blessedness, 
 which  will  fucceed  the  Millennium  :  jt  is  not  until  then  that  it  is 
 faid,  *'  And  God  (hall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes  ; 
 **  and  there  (hall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor 
 *'  crying,  neither  (hall  there  be  any  more  pain  :  for  the  for- 
 "  mer  things  arc  palTcd  away,"  Rev.  xxi.  4^  Notwithllanding 
 all  the  e(Fe(R;s  of  man's  difobedience  may  not,  during  the  Millen- 
 niimi,  be  completely  removed,  yet  we  may  encourage  the  hope, 
 that  they  will  in  a  great  meafure  be  removed  ;  inilead  of  the 
 "earth  continuing  imder  the  curfe  denounced  in  Genefis  iii.  17.  it 
 will  then  bring  forth  its  increafe,  (Pf.  Ixvii.  6.) ;  and  we  have 
 ievery  reafon  to  expe6f  that  mod  of  thofe  evils  to  which  mankind 
 iire  now  expofed,  and  which  are  now  fo  painful  and  affli(5live  to 
 thofe  who  fufFer  under  them,  will  be  removed  :  **  Then  the  eyes 
 **  ol  the  blind  (hall  be  opened,  and  tlie  cars  of  the  deaf  (hall  be 
 *'  unftopped.  Then  (hall  the  lame  man  leap  as  an  hart,  and 
 •'  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  Ihall  Hng,"   Ifai    xxxv.  5,  6. 
 
 But  the  moll  extenfivc  and  fevere  fufferings  of  mankind  are 
 r.ot  even  now  produced  by  the  (terility  of  the  earth,  or  by  that 
 ju ft  decree  which  impofes  labour  upon  us;  they  are  not  even 
 now  produced  by  our  being  fubje6l  to  pain,  and  even  death  it- 
 felf;  but  by  the  Wickednels  of  mankind;  by  pride,  avarice,  and 
 ambition,  and  the  other  evil  pallions,  which,  for  the  fake  of  vain 
 distinction,  u'ould  overthrow  every  tiling  that  is  refpe6table, 
 and  (laughter  millions,  in  order  to  acquire  po\ver  by  means  of 
 TERROR  ;  or  facrifice  the  liappinefs  of  thoufands  for  the  fake  of 
 gain  ;  or  diiturb  the  peace  of  families  for  the  gratification  of  evil 
 
 padions. 
 
Part  II.  D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E    X.  511 
 
 paflions.  Mental  afRidions  are  more  fevere  than  corporeal  : 
 **  A  wounded  fpirit  who  can  bear  r"  and  mental  affli6lions  chiefly 
 refult  from  the  evil  pallions  of"  mankind.  What  a  bleil'ed  world 
 would  even  this  world,  in  its  present  state,  become;  if 
 the  wicked  were  to  ceafe  their  troubling,  (Job  iii.  17.)  if  all  the 
 evil  pafTions  were  eradicated,  and  mutual  efteem,  and  refpedl,  and 
 love,  were  to  fucceed  ;  in  fa6l,  if  the  precepts  of  our  blefled 
 Saviour  were  to  become  universally  in  fluencial  ;  there 
 would  be  no  wars  then,  no  oppreflion,  no  fears  ;  but  we  fhould 
 bear  each  other's  burthens,  and  alleviate  each  other's  troubles. 
 If  fuch  would  be  the  ftate  of  the  world,  even  now,  if  it  were 
 not  for  the  evil  paflic  ns  of  mankind  ;  how  great  will  be  the 
 bleflednefs  of  that  Itate,  to  make  way  for  which  the  wicked  fhali 
 be  removed,  and  the  earth  be  reftored  to  its  fertility.  This  will 
 be  efFedled  by  the  coming  of  our  Lord  to  eftablifh  his  kingdom 
 upon  earth,  (Matt.  xxiv.  30.  Mark  xiii,  26.  Luke  xxi.  27. 
 A<^s  i.  11.  1  Cor.  XV.  ^2.  2  Their,  ii.  8.  Rev,  i.  7.  xi.  15.  xvi. 
 15 — 21.  xix.  11 — 21.  Ifai.  Ixvi.  15.  Jer.  xxv.  30.  Ezek. 
 xxxviii.  18.  Dan.  vii.  13 — 14.  Zech.  xiv.  4.);,  He  will  then, 
 as  is  daclared  in  Pfalms  ii.  and  Ixxii.  have  the  heathen  for  his 
 nheritance,  and  the  uttermoft  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  poflef- 
 lion:  '*  His  name  fliall  endure  for  ever  :  his  name  fhall  be  con- 
 tinued as  long  as  the  fun:  and  men  fliall  be  blefled  in  him: 
 
 ALL   nations   shall   CALL   HIM   BLESSED.       BlESSED    BE 
 
 THE  Lord  God,  the  God  of  Israel,  who  only 
 doeth  wondrous  things.  And  blessed  be  his  glo- 
 rious NAME  FOR  ever  :  AND  LET  THE  WHOLE  EARTH 
 BE    FILLED   WITH   HIS  GLORY.       AmEN    AND    AmEN." 
 
 *'  But  WHO   may    abide    the   day   of   his  coming 
 
 *'    and      WHO      SHALL      STAND      WHEN      HE     APPEARETH  ?** 
 
 Mai.  iii.  2. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Printed  by  S.  Covchkan,  Thrograorton-Strect, 
 
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