"to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait "for me, and the fhips of Tarshish' first, 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, be "cause he hath glorified thee;" chap. Ix. 8, 9. "And they (the Gentiles) fhall bring all your "brethren for an offering unto the Lord, out of "all nations, upon horses, and in chariots, and "in litters, and upon mules, and upon fwift "beafts, to my holy mountain Jerufalem, faith "the Lord, as the children of Ifrael bring an of"fering in a clean veffel, into the house of the "Lord," chap. lxvi. 20.

SEC

(1) Bochart fuppofes Tarshish to be a part of Spain, afterwards called Tarteffus. But it appears by comparing 1 Kings xxii. 48. with 2 Chron. xx. 36. that there was a place of the fame name near Ophir, fuppofed by fome to lie in the East Indies, by others, on the east coast of Africa. Mr. Bruce, in his "Travels to difcover the Source of Nile," has difcuffed this fubject with much information and ability; and with great appearance of truth, places Tarfhifh and Ophir, on the eastern coast of Africa, It is certain that the expreffion likewife is proverbial, fignifying any fhips famous for trade: and what ships fo famous in thefe latter days, as those of Britain; perhaps they fhall fhew the firft example of carrying God's exiled people to their own land.

SECTION V.

Miffionaries are fent from Judea, to propagate the Gofpel among the Nations.

ANOTHER event which fhall begin to be accomplished at this period is, the propagation of the gospel by the Jews, among the benighted nations. While they carry in the one hand the temporal fword for the deftruction of fpiritual Babylon, they hold in the other the spiritual fword, for the deliverance of ignorant nations, from the tyranny of fin and Satan.

A commiffion given to the Jews for this purpofe, together with the execution and fuccefs of it, is recorded Ifa. xlv. 20.-25. "Affemble "yourselves and come: draw near together, ye "that are escaped of the nations: they have no

knowledge that set up the wood of their gra"ven image, and pray unto a god that cannot "fave." Here God addreffes the Jews immediately upon their restoration; and reprefents the deplorable condition of those nations, that were still involved in ignorance and idolatry. "Tell ye, and bring them near, yea, let them "take counsel together: Who hath declared "this from ancient time? who hath told it "from that time? Have not I the Lord? And "there is no god elfe beside me, a juft God,

" and

"and a Saviour, there is none befide me." He exprefsly commands the Jews to bring thefe nations near to him, who were hitherto alienated from him. He directs as to the manner, they must be brought near, by perfuafion, "let "them take counfel together;" they are to be perfuaded, by urging on their confciences, the completion of the prophecy concerning the converfion and restoration of the Jews, predicted fo long before; affording fufficient evidence to the rational mind, that JEHOVAH is the only true God, and the only Saviour of those who truft in him. "Look unto me, and "be ye faved, all the ends of the earth; for I

am God, and there is none elfe." He iffues a proclamation in his own name by way of direc tion to them to make a free offer of the Saviour, to all people without exception; and a promife of eternal falvation to those who look to him with the eye of faith; to remind them at the fame time that "there is no falvation "in any other." By way of encouragement to the Jews, to execute this commiffion faithfully and zealously, he intimates the fuccefs of it: "I have fworn by myfelf, the word is gone out "of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not "return, that unto me every knee shall bow, "every tongue fhall fwear. Surely fhall one fay, in the Lord have I righteousness and

66

"ftrength:

ftrength: even to him fhall men come, and "all that are incenfed against him fhall be "afhamed." He declares by a folemn oath, that every knee fhall bow to his fovereignty, and every tongue confefs the justice of his claim.

That multitudes fhall lay hold of the mercy offered, and cheerfully adore him as their Savi

while those who obftinately reject him, fhall reluctantly bow the knee, to offer unavail. ing fupplications, and proclaim his juftice, by their fhrieks of woe, when he fitteth on the throne of his glory, and fhall call all nations before him'.

This is afferted in plain terms, Ifa. ii. 2, 3. "And it fhall come to pafs in the last days, "that the mountain of the Lord's house shall "be established in the top of the mountains,"and all nations fhall flow unto it ;-for out of "Zion fhall go forth the law, and the word of "the Lord from Jerufalem." It is implied in the figurative description of the progrefs of the gospel in the latter days, which frequently occurs in the prophets. The gofpel, carrying divine grace to all nations, is reprefented by a river entering into the fea; but this river iffues from the fanctuary at Jerufalem; that is, the gofpel proceeds from, and is propagated by the Jewish

(1) Compare Phil. ii. 20. with Rom. xiv. 11.

Jewish church. "And the waters came down "from under the right fide of the house ;-then "faid he unto me, These waters iffue out toward "the eaft country, and go down into the defart, "and go into the fea :" Ezek. xlvii. 1.—8. "And a fountain shall come forth of the house "of the Lord, and fhall water the valley of "Shittim," Joel iii. 18. "And it shall be in "that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerufalem: half of them toward the former "fea, and half of them toward the hinder sea : ❝ in fummer and in winter fhall it be," Zech, xiv. 8.

A narration of the fame event, is laid before us, Ifa. lxvi. 19. "And I will fet a fign among ❝ them (the Gentiles), and I will send those that "efcape of them (the Jews) unto the nations, "to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the "bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the ifles afar "off, that have not heard my fame, neither "have seen my glory; and they shall declare

my glory among the Gentiles." Thefe places to which the Jewish miffionaries are fent, lie in all directions, caft, weft, fouth, and north from Judea. Tarfhish, as the name of a place on the eaftern ocean, is moft probably here a general term for the eaftern nations; Pul and Lud reprefent the inhabitants of the continent of

Africa,