have fhewn the restoration of the nation, under the fimilitude of the image of the dry bones; as Chriftian commentators in general fay, because there were no graves there; and therefore he did not make mention of any; as they all laid in the open valley: he therefore would have faid, as ufual, And I will bring you up from among the nations, &c. and will bring you into your land: and not have spoken of breath, and life, and the opening of the graves, &c. It therefore is plain, that this prophecy is to fhew the future refurrection; as hath been fhewn from the arrangement of the three prophecies that follow each other.

The reason that Chriftian commentators in general explain it, as denoting the future reftoration of the nation; and not their refurrection, hath been fhewn at large, (Vol. Ift. p. 182. &c.) in my remark on Bishop Lowth's Note on Ifaiah xxvi. 19.

I must now observe, that it is manifeft, that this prophecy hath at no time whatsoever been fulfilled; but remains to be accomplished at the time of the future restoration of the nation, by means of the true Meffiah.

The fixth prophecy commences verfe 15th, of the fame chapter that contained the preceding prophecy; and is continued to the end of the laft verfe of the fame.

The Prophet having in the preceding prophecy, fhewn the future refurrection of the dead; proceeds now to inform us, that at the time of the refurrection, and the reftoration of the nation; the union of the kingdoms of Ifrael and Judah, will also then take place; and they fhall not be divided into two kingdoms, any more; ver. 15— "The word of the LORD came alfo unto me, faying; Moreover, thou fon of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and the children of Ifrael his companions; Then take another stick and write upon it," For Jofeph, the stick of Ephraim and of all the house of Ifrael his companions. Then join them one to another (as) into one stick, and they shall be

22.

* That is, Benjamin and Levi, who adhered to the kingdom of Judah; as alfo fome few of the other tribes, that fell to Judah.

This denotes all the other tribes of Ifrael, and therefore the Prophet faid, "all the house of Ifrael."

come

come one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, faying, Wilt thou not fhew us what thou* (meaneft) by these? Say unto them, thus faith the LORD God; Behold, I will take the stick of Jofeph which (was) in the hand of Ephraim and of the tribes of Ifrael his companions, and will put them on it, with the stick of Judah, and will make them one ftick, and they fhall be one in mine hand†.

* Heb. What (are) thefe unto thee?

And

The Archbishop of Armagh's Note on this place, is curious; and plainly fhews how thefe critics trifle with the facred text it is as follows.in mine hand]T,“ in the hand of Judah," is the reading of 6. Arab. from the abbreviation", as Cappellus curiously observes" Curious indeed! For unfortunately for thefe curious critics, we know of no fuch thing as abbreviations in Scripture: Abbreviations are only to be found in Rabbinical writings. But it muft farther be obferved, that the Archbishop's comment, is equally as curious as Capellus's obfervation: for he obferves, "I prefer this reading, as it makes the Prophecy more defi nite, in the hand of Judah; first, under Zerubbabel, and hereafter under a great king of that tribe." But with all due deference to the Archbishop's great knowledge, in facred and profane learning, I fain would afk him, where he found, that Zerubbabel ever reigned over Judah, Ephraim, and all the house of Ifrael, their companions? Now, (not to mention the other parts of this prophecy; as, their not returning to

And the fticks whereon thou writeft* fhall be in thine hand before their eyes.

And fay

thou unto them, Thus faith the LORD God; Behold, I will take the children of Ifrael from among the nations whither they are gone, and will gather them from every fide, and bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Ifrael; and one king fhall be king over them all; and they shall no more be two nations, neither shall they he divided into two kingdoms any more at

all."

And as the divifion of the kingdom, was one caufe of their falling into idolatry, by Jeroboam's making the calves; he tells them, that after their union, they fhall no more return to fin ver. 23d. "Neither fhall they

fin any more; and God's fanctuary being placed in the midft of them for ever) this promife furely, cannot be faid to have been fulfilled under Zerubbabel, who was nothing more, than the governor of Judea under Cyrus; and not the king under whom the whole nation is to be united. It however, is fome confolation to us poor Ifraelites, that in his great goodneís the Archbishop has allowed us to hope that, it may be fulfilled hereafter, under a great king of that tribe." * Hcb. Shalt write..

"

defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their abominations, nor with any of their tranfgreflions: but I will fave them from all their dwelling places wherein they have finned, and will cleanse them :" That is, from all the countries where they have been in captivity; and where they had finned, by bowing down to stocks and stones; agreeable to what our legiflator Mofes faid* "And thou shalt ferve other gods, wood and ftone." And because they were there pol luted in their fins, he fays, and I will cleanse them;" fo that they will then be clear from all pollution; and which will be the means of their being happy in the enjoyment of what they had fo long been deprived of: namely, their being under the immediate government of God, and the house of David; as the Prophet fays in the latter member of the verse, and ver. 24th. " And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And my fervant David (shall be) king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd; and they shall walk in my judgments, and obferve my ftatutes, and do them,"

Deut. xxviii. 36—64.