conversion, and from whence the benefit shall arise.

Lord, all ye na

"Make a joyful

Serve the Lord

David certainly alludes to this, in the expressions which so often occur in his Psalms of thanksgiving; such as, "O praise the tions: praise him, all ye people *." noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. with gladness: come before his presence with singing." Isaiah contains many clear and distinct prophecies on the subject. In the second chapter of this Prophet, we discover a full prediction respecting the establishment of the Messiah, and the conversion of the Gentiles. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem ‡." In the xlixth chapter of the same Prophet, he says, "I will give thee for a light to lighten the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth. In the liv th chapter we find the Prophet, for the

* Psalm cxvii. + Psalm c.

Isai. ii. 2, 3.

comfort of all nations, predicting the amplitude of the church. The lvth chapter opens with that beautiful invitation which is general to all the world; which is neither confined to people nor country, nation nor language. "HO, EVERY ONE that thirsteth," &c. In the lxv th of the same Prophet, the prediction appears in another shape: "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name." In the last chapter, we find the same Prophet even declaring more powerfully the certainty of God's gracious promises to the heathen world: "It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory *.” "And it shall come to pass,

that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord +." If we had space, we might extract many more remarkable passages on the same subject from this Prophet, but we must turn to Jeremiah: and in the third chapter this striking prophecy presents itself to our view; "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem : neither shall they walk any more after the imagi

* Isai. lxvi. 18.

+ Isai. lavi. 23.

nation of their evil heart *." Amos uttered a prediction, which appeared to allude not only to the coming of the Messiah, and the calling of the Gentiles, but also to the restoration of the Jews. And in doing so, he is not singular; for many of the prophecies may be taken in this sense likewise. In fact, the same interpretation is applicable to our quotations from the lxvith of Isaiah. "In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this t."

Zechariah furnishes us with the following example: "And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee ."

Malachi, in his first chapter, displays to us God's purpose of the calling of the heathen world, in the following distinct terms : "For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto

* Jer. iii. 17. † Amos ix. 11, 12. + Zech. ii. 11.

my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts*." This passage is so clear, that even the Jews themselves are obliged to admit, that it cannot be interpreted in any other sense, than in al lusion to the calling of the heathen world; and when we compare it with our Lord's answer to the Samaritan woman, we shall find in them an agreement, which, if it were possible, adds a weight to both; which produces in each, from the reflection of the other, the light of Divine truth in so strong a manner, that the most impious unbeliever dare not resist its brightness. Our Lord says, "Believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him t." The extension of the kingdom of Christ, has shewn us the actual fulfilment of this prophecy.

The Old Testament contains many other predictions, both relating to the calling of the Gentiles and the final restoration and conversion of the Jews: we have not space here to quote

* Mal. i. 11.

↑ John iv. 21-22.

them. However, we cannot omit the following remarkable passage, from the twelfth chapter of Zechariah, at the 10th verse: "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplications : and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one

* We refer those of our readers, who are desirous of searching into prophecy in a spirit of pious inquiry, for some of the most remarkable of the predictions respecting the final restoration and conversion of the Jewish nation, to the xxxth of Deut., the ist, xi th, xiv th, xxviith, liv th, lxth, lxist, lxiid, Ixvi th of Isaiah; to the xxxth and xxxist of Jeremiah; to the xith, xxth, xxxiv th, xxxvi th, and xxxviith of Ezekiel; to the ist and iid of Hosea, and to the ixth of Amos, together with the viiith and xiith of Zechariah. The attentive reader will discover in many of the verses of some of these chapters, and in the whole of others, passages which appear to me to be distinct allusions to the ingathering of Israel. These are not, I am aware, the only places in Scripture where the restoration of the Jews is alluded to; but in selecting the above passages, I have been guided by the wish of giving the reader a general idea on the subject; acknowledging myself much more fit to be taught than' to teach with regard to it-not having been able to derive any assistance from the French of M. Jaquelot for what I here advance. Should any of my readers be desirous of further information on this head, I beg to call their attention to Three Discourses, with Notes, on the important and interesting Subject of Christian Missions to the Jewish People, by my Brother, the Rev. Richard Bingham, Jun., M.A., Curate of Gosport Chapel, and Secretary of the Portsmouth, Portsea, and Gosport Association in aid of the London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, published for the author by Seeley and Sons, Fleet Street.

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