heathen nations will be brought into this church by the instrumentality of converted Jews, when the church of Christ will again be a Baptist church.

- I. That there had been no such institution as the church of Christ before the day of Pentecost, has already been proved in Essay III., p. 92, &c.

II. That the church constituted on that day was composed of converted Jews, is evident from the Scriptures. John the Evangelist has informed us that Jesus Christ "came unto his own, and his own received him not; but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1: 11, 12. Hence it appears that, though the body of the Jews rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah, yet there were many who did receive him, and many that waited for the consolation of Israel believed on him; besides many other Jews who believed in him, but kept it a secret, for fear of the Jews, like Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night, and Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus secretly.

On the day of Pentecost, we are told that, besides the 120 that "were together with one accord and in one place," ," "there were also dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven," and Peter addressed them as Jews. Acts 1: 26; 2: 14,

22. Out of this multitude 3000 were added to the church on the same day, and many thousands afterward, And when the Apostle Paul had told the elders of Jerusalem what great things the Lord had wrought among the Gentiles by his hands, they in return said unto him, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands (or rather myriads) of Jews there are which believe; and

they are all zealous of the law." Acts 21; 18–20. And farther, we read that "the Word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith." Acts 6: 7.

III. That all these Jews, and all those added afterward to the church during the life-time of the apostles, whether Jews or Gentiles, were Baptists in principle and practice is evident, 1st, from the Scriptures, where immersion is the only mode mentioned, and the subjects are spoken of as believers in Christ. 2. It is evident from the confession of the most eminent and learned Pedobaptists. However they differ with respect to the origin of pedobaptism, yet they almost universally agree that the practice was not known in the first century, as has been fully shown in the preceding Essays.

IV. I proceed to show that, after the Jews have been restored to their own land, and converted unto God, they will be Baptists.

1. That the Jews, as a body, will literally return to the land of Canaan, and be afterward converted to God, I have fully proved in the 4th part of my Narrative, or "Judah and Israel."

2. That their return cannot be far off, is evident from the period of time spoken of by Daniel, referred to by the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Apostle Paul, and in the revelation to St. John.

The Prophet Daniel speaks thus: "And one said, how long shall it be to the end of these wonders; and I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the rivers, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a

half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." Dan. 12: 6, 7.

Three things contained in this prophecy demand our notice; 1, the period of time mentioned. This is called a time, times, and half a time. New Testament and classical writers use times for years, as we often say so many summers or winters. Time, times, and half a time is as much as to say three years and a half, each year having 360 days, making 1260 days, or as many prophetical years. This prophecy is repeated in the revelation to St. John, and the same period of time expressed by days and months. Thus we read: "The court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles; and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth." Rev. 11: 2, 3. Again it is said : "And there was given unto him, i. e., the beast, a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." Rev. 13: 5. We notice next that,

2. At the end of these 1260 years the mystery or wonders shall be finished. From the foregoing passages from the Revelation we learn that the mystery or wonders relate to the beast or antichrist, whose power shall be destroyed at the close of these 1260 years; but before that mystery is finished, we notice,

3. That the people of the prophet shall be delivered "when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people," i. e., when the Jews shall be freed from the power of those who oppressed them, and brought safely to the possession of their land. Seeing,

then, that the period for the destruction of antichrist must be near its close, and the Jews are to be restored before that event comes to pass, we conclude, therefore, that the time for the restoration of the Jews must be near at hand. The reader will observe that I said the time for the restoration of the Jews cannot be far off. I did not attempt to mention the exact year, month, day, nor hour when it will be effected: such a precise knowledge of the prophecy is not attainable. We know, and are certain, that it must take place before the 1260 years are expired; but we are uncertain at what year or month they will expire, because we are not certain at what year this period of 1260 years had its commencement. Thus Daniel knew that the captivity of Israel at Babylon would be 70 years; but, not knowing the exact period when these 70 years commenced, he inquired of God to know the end. In like manner, the 70 weeks or 490 years spoken of in Dan. 9th were sufficiently clear to point out the near approach of the coming of the Messiah; yet the exact year could not be known with certainty, because of the uncertainty when these 70 weeks commenced, as there were different decrees issued concerning their return. Hence great and universal expectations concerning the coming of the Messiah were excited years before his actual incarnation. To return to our subject. We observed that our Lord referred to this prediction. Speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, he says: "They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21: 24.

Here a fixed term is assigned for the end of the captivity or dispersion of Judah; and that fixed term is the

expiration of the times of the Gentiles. What, then, are these times of the Gentiles? and to what does our Lord refer when he thus speaks of them? He refers plainly enough to the very passage in Daniel which we have been considering; for such an expression as the times of the Gentiles is not to be deemed a mere arbitrary and accidental phrase; a phrase then first employed; a phrase wholly indefinite; a phrase which has no relation to more ancient prophecies. Accordingly, the captivity of Judah among all nations, foretold by our Lord, corresponds with the scattering of the holy people mentioned by Daniel, and the times of the Gentiles at the same period, as the three times and a half. We observe farther, that the Apostle Paul has taken notice of this prediction. "Blindness," says he, "in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come." Rom. 11 25. The apostle assures us that Israel, for the most part, will remain in a state of spiritual blindness until the fulness or the accomplishment of the times of the Gentiles shall arrive. He refers to the prophecy of our Lord, just as our Lord referred to the prophecy of Daniel; and thus all three agree in telling us that Judah will be restored near the close of the times of the Gentiles, or of the three times and a half, or of the 1260 years.

I proceed to observe, in the next place, that the near approach of the restoration of the Jews may be argued from the pleasing signs of the time connected with that subject.

Providence explains and confirms prophecy. There are generally several remarkable circumstances connected with any great event frequently predicted; and when we see the first circumstance taking place, we may expect the second not to be afar off. How pleasing