bon, they may take up the ancient song that was meant to call back the thoughts of Israel to the Lord's doings on their behalf in other days. There, "at the fish-pools of Heshbon," which Solomon afterwards celebrated in his Song of Songs, (chap. vii. 4,) they may take up that relic of the past, and teach the men of Gad vauntingly to celebrate the utter extirpation of the idolaters who dwelt there in former days:—

"Come unto Heshbon! Let the city of Sihon be built and restored! "For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. "It consumed Ar-Moab ! the lords of the Arnon-heights."-Num. xxi. 27. Or, once more; they may at Mahanaim remind Israel of the hosts of angels that there met their father Jacob-the hosts of God that still encompass all those that fear Him, (Gen. xxxii. 1; Ps. xxxiv. 7.)

And thus may we see how the dispersing of Levi over all the tribes might be a skilful contrivance of God for keeping up a healthful remembrance of holy traditions and truths associated with the localities. This dispersion was originally a curse, (Gen. xlix. 7;) but the curse is turned into a blessing. Chief of all, however, by this arrangement two ends were accomplished-1. The fulfilment of the prophecy of Jacob; and as it was the lot that determined the position of each of the families of Levi, this fulfilment evidently proceeded from the Lord. 2. The securing, in every part of the land, the residence of a company of men who, by their simple presence, kept the tribes in mind that there was a temple and an altar which Jehovah had set up, and typical institutions of which He had consecrated the Levites as guardians. Was not this equivalent to a continuous, present, living testimony to the importance of the altar and sacrifice, and other such types? Scattered and dispersed, the sons of Kohath, Gershom, and Merari had the honour of ever pointing, as with the finger, through these rites, to a coming Messiah, a Saviour who was Himself altar and temple, and would supersede them soon by His own person and work. Meanwhile, as a tribe, in their various subdivisions, and each individually besides, they glorified God by their obedient adherence to His wise arrangements. Their service might seem obscure and commonplace; still it was what the Lord gave them to do. Some one says, "The King's image and superscription may be graven alike on a brass mite, and on an ingot of gold." And so it was with Levi's house-all of them alike set apart to serve the Lord, though some ministered in the Sanctuary, while others spent the largest portion of their life in Nazareth-like obscurity.

ART. III.—THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST, AND NATURE OF THE AGE TO COME.

(Continued from p. 119.)

CHAPTER III.

That the Israelites will be made a holy people: That the nature and degrees of their holiness will be superior to that which has been experienced by any mere man since the fall of our first parents; and will consist in the entire destruction of original sin, and a restoration to the holiness of the paradisiacal state: That the curse will be removed from them, and also from their land.

I. That the Israelites will be made a holy people.

1. Isa. iv. 3, 4, "And it shall come to pass, that he which is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning."

Without entering into a critical examination of the terms used in this portion of prophecy, the purifying judgments hinted at plainly appear to refer to that last great and awful infliction of the wrath of God upon the disobedient Israelites, after the Millennium, by Gog and his savage multitude, mentioned by Ezekiel, in chapters xxxviii. and xxxix.; by Zechariah, chapter xiii. 8, 9, and xiv. 1, 2; and also by St John, Rev. xx. 8, 9. The purport of the passage seems to be as follows:-When the judgments of the Lord shall thus have been executed on the wicked, and they are destroyed from among the Israel of God, those that remain in Zion, Jerusalem, or the land of Israel, "even all that are written among the living," or "written to life," that is, all who are spared, and remain alive, called in the next verse, "the daughters of Zion," -will be made holy, by having their spiritual filth completely washed away.

It is easy to perceive, that this quotation implies much more than is required to be proved in this section. But it fully assures us that they will, at least, be made a holy people. 2. Isa. lix. 20, And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord."

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This passage, as quoted by the apostle, Rom. xi. 26, is thus

rendered, "There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."

This also, in its primary and proper sense, refers to the renovation of the seed of Jacob. But their holiness, however, is necessarily included in the words. The prophet and the apostle express each of them a distinct idea. The prophet speaks of the Redeemer's coming to Zion, and the apostle of His subsequent coming out of Zion; but both are for the purpose of "turning away ungodliness from Jacob;" and, of course, making them holy. The passage peculiarly refers to the commencement of His literal reign on Mount Zion, and the consequent conversion and renovation of the Jewish nation.

3. Isa. lx. 21," Thy people also shall be all righteous.”

The whole chapter from which this citation is made, affords abundant proof that it refers to the future circumstances of the Israelites as a nation; and sufficient evidence will be adduced from other passages, that their righteousness will not be merely external, but will proceed from a radical change in the mind. In the words just quoted it is expressly asserted, that that holiness shall also be universal in its extent.

4. Isa. lxii. 12, " And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord."

This is predicted to be the character which other nations and peoples will give to the future inhabitants of Jerusalem, &c., at the time when that city shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of her God," (ver. 3,) which probably refers to the glory of the earthly Jerusalem, in consequence of the descent of the heavenly city.

5. Jer. xxiv. 7, " And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart."

It is evident that the time of the fulfilment of this promise will be, when the seed of Jacob, as a nation, shall " be built, never to be pulled down; and planted in their land, never to be plucked up," (ver. 6.)

The emphatical terms used in this passage imply, not only a thorough change in heart and life, but also a peculiar degree of holiness.

6. Jer. xxxi. 23, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet" (or, "From this time" that is, the time of His finally bringing again their captivity,) "they shall use this speech in the land of Judah, and in the cities thereof, when I shall

bring again their captivity; The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness."

No one, it is presumed, will question the assertion, that the time has not yet arrived in which these expressions could be applied with any degree of propriety or truth. We may therefore depend on its being fulfilled at some future period.

7. Jer. xxxiii. 8, " And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me."

If we consider the full purport of this text, we shall clearly perceive, that it does not imply a succession of acts, in pardoning and cleansing them when they shall respectively repent and believe, according to the manner of His dealing with men under the present dispensation; but one general act to them as a nation, pardoning and cleansing them at once. But we are anticipating the section that will follow.

8. Ezek. xxxvii. 23, 24, "Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. They shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them."

The terms contained in this passage, also, may properly be considered as implying more extensive spiritual good than is engaged to be proved in this section. Their holiness, however, is implied.

9. Joel iii. 17, "Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more."

The time referred to in these words appears to be that which will succeed the descent of the heavenly Jerusalem. The circumstance of no strangers, or unholy persons, being permitted to pass through her any more, exactly coincides with Rev. xxi. 27, " And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, or worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” It is scarcely necessary to say, that the inhabitants will consequently be holy.

10. Zeph. iii. 13, "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth." Respecting their holiness no comment is necessary. Concerning "the remnant of Israel," here mentioned, more will be said in the future pages of this work.

As the future holiness of the seed of Jacob is, of course, included in the subject of the next section, to adduce any more proofs of it in this, would be superfluous.

II. That the nature and degrees of their holiness will be superior to that which has been experienced by any mere man since the fall of our first parents; and will consist in the total destruction of original sin, and a restoration to the holiness of the paradisiacal state.

Before we proceed, it may be necessary to apprise the reader, that in proof of the subject of this section he will see brought forward passages to which, from his previous views of them, he may at first sight be led to conclude that the author has attached an interpretation highly objectionable. But he is requested to suspend his judgment and censure till after a careful perusal of the next section, which will be found to reflect such a light on this, as will justify the views here given of them.

1. Isa. i. 25, “And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.”

These words are evidently addressed, by way of predictive promise, to the inhabitants of the future earthly Jerusalem, and, doubtless, those of the land in general. They allude to a refiner of the precious metals, who purges, or burns away, any dross or alloy that was before mixed with them. From the language made use of, and the nature of the allusion, it necessarily implies the complete purification of their nature from all sin, original as well as actual: for few, it is presumed, will be disposed to deny that spiritual dross and tin implies original sin, as well as actual transgression. And as there is no restriction in the promise, we may safely conclude, that it will be done purely, or as the margin reads, "according to pure

ness."

2. Jer. xxxi. 29, 30, "In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge."

The common exposition given of these words as referring to the present decisions of Divine providence or justice, in visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children who continue to walk in their evil ways, may be considered as a part of the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit; but it can by no means be allowed to be the whole, or even the principal part of it. The