❝lofing their name, their language, and their memo rial, were never after any more spoken of." But if the whole race of Ifrael became thus extinct, and perifhed for ever, how can the numerous prophecies be fulfilled, which promise the future converfion and reftoration of Ifrael as well as of Judah? The truth I conceive to lie between thefe two opinions. Neither did they all return to Jerufalem, neither did all, who remained behind, comply with the idolatry of the Gentiles, among whom they lived. But whether they remained, or whether they returned, this prophecy of Ifaiah was ftill fulfilled; the kingdom, the commonwealth, the state of Ifrael was utterly broken; they no longer fubfifted as a diftinct people from Judah, they no longer maintained a feparate religion, they joined themselves to the Jews from whom they had been unhappily divided, they loft the name of Ifrael as a name of diftinction, and were thenceforth all in common called Jews. It appears from the book of Efther, that there were great numbers of Jews in all the hundred twenty and feven provinces of the kingdom of Ahafuerus or Artaxerxes Longimanus king of Perfia, and they could not all be the remains of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who had refused to return to Jerufalem with their brethren; they muft many of them have been the defcendents of the ten tribes whom the kings of Affyria had carried away captive; but yet they are all spoken of as one and the fame people, and all without diftinction are denominated Jews. We read in the Acts of the Apoftles, (II. 9.) that there came to Jerufalem to celebrate the feaft of Pentecoft Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mefopotamia: thefe men came from the countries, wherein the ten tribes had been placed, and in all probability therefore were fome of their pofterity; but yet these as well as the reft are ftiled (ver. 5.) Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Thofe likewife of the ten tribes, who returned to Jerufalem, united with the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and formed but one nation, one body of Jews; they might for fome ages perhaps preferve their genealogies; but they are now incorporated together, and and the diftinction of tribes and families is in great meafure loft among them, and they have all from the Babylonifh captivity to this day been comprehended under the general name of Jews. In St. Paul's time there were feveral perfons of all the ten tribes in being; for he fpeaketh of the twelve tribes hoping to attain to the promife of God; (Acts XXVI. 7.) and St. James addreffeth his epiftle to the twelve tribes which are fcattered abroad. (James I. 1.) And we make no queftion, that feveral perfons of all the ten tribes are in being at prefent, tho' we cannot feparate them from the reft; they are confounded with the other Jews; there is no difference, no diftinction between them. The (1) Samaritans indeed (of whom there are fill fome remains at Sichem and the neighbouring towns) pretend to be the defcendents of the children of Ifrael, but they are really derived from those nations, which Efarhaddon king of Affyria planted in the country, after he had carried thence the ten tribes into captivity. And for this reafon the Jews call them by no other name than Cuthites, (the name of one of thofe nations) and exclaim against them as the worst of heretics, and if poffible have greater hatred and abhorrence of them than of the Chriftians themfelves. Thus we fee how the ten tribes of Ifrael were in a manner loft in their captivity, while the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin were reftored and preserved several ages afterwards. And what, can you believe, were the reafons of God's making this difference and diftinction between them? The ten tribes had totally revolted from God to the worship of the golden calves in Dan and Bethel, and for this, and their other idolatry and wickedness, they were fuffered to remain in the land of their captivity. The Jews were reftored, not fo much for their own fakes, as for the fake of the promises made unto the fathers, the promise to Judah that the Meffiah fhould come of his tribe, the promise to David that the Meffiah fhould be born of his family. It was therefore neceifary for the tribe of Judah, and the families of that tribe, to be kept diftinct until the coming of the Mef (1) See Prideaux as before. fiah. But now thefe ends are fully anfwered, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin are as much confounded as any of the reft: all diftinction of families and genealogies is loft among them: and the (2) Jews themfelves acknowledge as much in faying, that when the Meffiah fhall come, it will be part of his office "to fort their families, "reftore the genealogies, and fet afide ftrangers." II. The prefervation of the Jews thro' so many ages, and the total deftruction of their enemies are wonderful events; and are made ftill more wonderful by being fignified before-hand by the fpirit of prophecy, as we find particularly in the prophet Jeremiah, (XLVI. 28.) Fear not thou, O Jacob my fervant, faith the Lord, for I am with thee, for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee. The prefervation of the Jews is really one of the moft fignal and illustrious acts of divine providence. They are difperfed among all nations, and yet they are not confounded with any. The drops of rain which fall, nay the great rivers which flow into the ocean, are foon mingled and loft in that immenfe body of waters: and the fame in all human probability would have been the fate of the Jews, they would have been mingled and loft in the common mafs of mankind; but on the contrary they flow into all parts of the world, mix with all nations, and yet keep feparate from all. They ftill live as a diftiuct people, and yet they no where live according to their own laws, no where elect their own magiftrates, no where enjoy the full exercise of their religion. Their folemn feafts and facrifices are limited to one certain place, and that hath been now for many ages in the hands of ftrangers and aliens, who will not fuffer them to come thither. No people have continued unmixed fo long as they have done, not only of thofe who have fent forth colonies into foreign countries, but even of those who have abided in their own country. The northern nations have come in fwarms into the more (2) See Bishop Chandler's Defence of Christianity, Chap. 1. Sect. 2. p. 38. 3d Edit. fouthern fouthern parts of Europe; but where are they now to be difcerned and diftinguished? The Gauls went forth in great bodies to feek their fortune in foreign parts; but what traces or footsteps of them are now remaining any where? In France who can feparate the race of the ancient Gauls from the various other people, who from time to time have fettled there? In Spain who can diftinguish exactly between the firft poffeffors the Spaniards, and the Goths, and the Moors, who conquered and kept poffeffion of the country for fome ages? In England who can pretend to fay with certainty which families are derived from the ancient Britons, and which from the Romans, or Saxons, or Danes, or Normans? The moft ancient and honorable pedigrees can be traced up only to a certain period, and beyond that there is nothing but conjecture and uncertainty, obfcurity and ignorance: but the Jews can go up higher than any nation, they can even deduce their pedigree from the beginning of the world. They may not know from what particular tribe or family they are defcended, but they know certainly that they all fprung from the stock of Abraham. And yet the contempt with which they have been treated, and the hardships which they have undergone in almoft all countries, fhould one would think have made them defirous to forget or renounce their original; but they profess it, they glory in it: and after so many wars, maffacres, and perfecutions they ftill fubfift, they ftill are very numerous: and what but a fupernatural power could have preferved them in fuch a manner as none other nation upon earth hath been preferved? Nor is the providence of God less remarkable in the deftruction of their enemies, than in their prefervation For from the beginning who have been the great enemies and oppreffors of the Jewish nation, removed them from their own land, and compelled them into captivity and flavery? The Egyptians afflicted them much, and detained them in bondage feveral years. The Affyrians carried away captive the ten tribes of Ifrael, and the Babylonians afterwards the two remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Syro-Macedonians, especially An tiochus tiochus Epiphanes, cruelly perfecuted them: and the Romans utterly diffolved the Jewish state, and dispersed the people fo that they have never been able to recover their city and country again. But where are now these great and famous monarchies, which in their turns fubdued and oppreffed the people of God? Are they not vanished as a dream, and not only their power, but their very names loft in the earth? The Egyptians, Affyrians, and Babylonians were overthrown, and entirely fubjugated by the Perfians: and the Perfians, (it is remarkable) were the reftorers of the Jews, as well as the deftroyers of their enemies. The Syro-Macedonians were fwallowed up by the Romans: and the Roman empire, great and powerful as it was, was broken in pieces by the incurfions of the northern nations; while the Jews are fubfifting as a diftinct people at this day. And what a wonder of providence is it, that the vanquished should fo many ages furvive the victors, and the former be fpread all over the world, while the latter are no more? Nay not only nations have been punished for their cruelties to the Jews, but divine vengeance hath purfued even fingle perfons, who have been their perfecutors and oppreflors. The firft born of Pharaoh was deftroyed, and he himfelf with his hoft was drowned in the fea. Moft of thofe who oppreffed Ifrael in the days of the Judges, Eglon, Jabin and Sifera, Oreb, and Zeeb, and the reft, came to an untimely end. Nebuchadnezzar was ftricken with madnefs, and the crown was foon transferred from his family to ftrangers. Antiochus Epiphanes (3) died in great agonies, with ulcers and vermin iffuing from them, fo that the filthinefs of his fmell was intolerable to all his attendents, and even to himfelf. Herod, who was a cruel tyrant to the Jews, (4) died in the fame miferable manner. Flaccus, governor of Egypt, who barbaroufly plundered and oppreffed the Jews of Alexandria, (5) was afterwards banished and flain. Caligula, who perfecuted the Jews (3) 2 Maccab. IX. 9. Polybii Fragm. p. 997. Edit. Cafaubon. (4) Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 17. Cap. 6. Sect. 5. p. 768. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 1. Cap. 33. Sect. 5. p. 1040. (5) Philo in Flaccum. for |