now for many ages been completely arrested. Nor must we attribute this notorious circumstance altogether to want of exertion. The depressed oriental church may indeed have been long in a state of constrained torpidity; but neither the Romanist nor the Protestant has discontinued the holy warfare and yet we all too well know, what very trifling effects have been produced either by the one or by the other. I say not this as undervaluing even the most trifling effects; for, in one point of view, they are infinitely important, and as such, amply repay every exertion: but still, when we look back to the earlier centuries, what are a few thousands of scattered individuals, if compared to the unreclaimed millions which throng the vast continents of Asia and Africa?

“The truth is, that, whatever partial success may attend missionary exertions in regard to individual Pagans or Mohammedans, the Gentiles will never be converted nationally, and upon a large scale, until the Jews shall have been first converted: and the ground of this very important position is, that the converted Jews are destined, in the unsearchable wisdom of God, to be the sole, finally successful missionaries to the Gentile world."

Upon the nature of the blessing thus to be bestowed upon the nations by means of the restored Jews, I observe, that it appears to me, it will be true and proper conversion to God: and not merely, as some persons have urged, a state similar to that

of Adam before the fall-a holy and happy state, indeed, but still not the state of a converted sinner, upheld by the Holy Spirit.

In support of the opinion that it will be a converted (a Christian and not an Adamic) state, I refer, first, to the sixty-seventh Psalm, which is a prayer of the Jewish nation concerning their final restoration, and its consequences on the earth. "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us, that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations." Here the alleged consequence of the Lord's returning favour to the Jews, is, that his saving health shall then be made known among the nations. And in the seventh verse, it is declared, that God shall bless the Jews, and the consequence shall be," all the ends of the earth shall fear him." These expressions are common for conveying the general idea of conversion; and if it be denied that the nations shall be converted, some reason ought to be shown why the usual meaning of such expressions should be restricted in this place.

I refer, secondly, to Isaiah liii. 11, compared with Isaiah xi. 9. 66 By his knowledge (the knowledge of him) shall my righteous servant justify many." And, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." In the former of these

passages, justification is connected with the knowledge of the Lord. In the latter, it is predicted, that the knowledge of the Lord shall be co-extensive with the inhabitants of the earth. It is, therefore, a matter of divine prediction, that all the inhabitants of the earth at that time, shall be justified. But justification is a blessing characteristic of a Christian or converted state, a blessing described by apostles and prophets as bestowed upon the ungodly; and to predicate it of persons in an Adamic state, would be to employ the word in a sense wholly different from the common scriptural use of it.

Since, therefore, the nations of the earth shall be all justified, for they shall all have the knowledge of the Lord, I conclude that they shall be in a converted state; having peace with God, not as Adam had, in inherent righteousness without the knowledge of evil, but as we have, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I refer, thirdly, to Romans xi. 12, 15. "If the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them be the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" The fall of the Jewish nation has been a blessing to the world, in opening a door for the gospel to come among the Gentiles to the conversion of a few: much more, argues the apostle, the recovery of that nation shall be a blessing

to the world, even life from the dead. But how much more, if the blessing communicated after their recovery be so inferior to gospel blessedness? An Adamic state of innocent creatureship, is so infinitely inferior to a Christian state of union with God, that no increased proportion of the number of creatures so blessed, would justify the much more of the apostle. On the contrary, the Christian blessing of a few, would be the much more, yea, infinitely superior to the Adamic blessing of millions. If, however, the nature of the blessing be the same in both cases, then the circumstance of the vast increase of numbers may be fairly pleaded as the meaning of the much more. I conclude, therefore, that the nature of the blessedness communicated to the nations of the earth, by means of the restored Jews, will be Christian-i. e. union with God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

I refer, fourthly, to Revelations xxi. The New Jerusalem is seen coming down from God out of heaven and this glorious bride of the Lamb (even the aggregate of the mystical body of Christ, risen and translated into the image of their great Head) being described, it is added, at verse 24-" And the nations of them which are SAVED (Twv owloμevwv) shall walk in the light of it."

In opposition to this, it is urged, that if they be so Christianized, they cannot fall away: but it is predicted (Rev. xx. 7, 8) that they shall be deceived by the devil, and fall, after the millennium :

and, consequently, it is necessary to limit the nature of their blessedness during the millennium to an Adamic state, from which it is alleged they may fall, as our first parents did.

I acknowledge the difficulty involved in this objection: but I do not feel it to be of such a nature as to interfere with the more obvious interpretation of the texts above considered. In the first place, it is grounded upon a passage of scripture, to the true meaning of which we have not one parallel text to guide us, or guard us against mistake. And secondly, the event predicted in that solitary passage, is to take place at the end of a yet future dispensation. On both these accounts it is reasonable to suppose that the passage is more obscure, than those other passages which, with all the advantages of parallel reference, predict events much nearer at hand. And it seems to me, therefore, to be altogether unreasonable and inconclusive, to allow the supposed meaning of that passage, by a reflex influence, to dispossess the plainer interpretation of these. I prefer adhering to the natural meaning of these, and acknowledging, that there is something in that beyond my power to explain. Upon this general principle, I decline submission to the difficulty grounded on this passage of the Apocalypse. I do not, however, deny that a solitary text, if plain in itself, and involving no apparent opposition to other passages, is an abundantly sufficient warrant for our most unhe