"them and the anger of JEHOVAH was kindled "againft this land, to bring upon it all the curfes

that are written in THIS BOOK: and JEHOVAH "rooted them out of their land in anger, and in "wrath, and in great indignation, and caft them "into another land, as it is this day." Deut. xxix. 24-28.

This is a prophecy of Mofes, the fervant of God, and it is a prophecy of great confolation to US of the Gentile nations, who believe in the divine legation of Mofes, as well as a prophecy of great confolation to Ifrael alfo; and it is peculiarly incumbent on the directors and members of the Miffionary Society, and all who concern themselves as to the communication of the glad-tidings of the gofpel to Heathen nations, to meditate upon this prophecy. There is much information to be gathered from it, and I hope that in particular the directors of the Miffionary Society will not be offended at my fubmitting the following queftions for their confideration concerning it.

I conceive that it is clearly established in these words of Mofes the fervant of God, that ALL NATIONS will be converted to the knowledge of the one true God, the Great Creator of heaven and earth, JEHOVAH OF HOSTS, the God of Ifrael, by means of Ifrael his people.

How? Are the Jews to become preachers unto all nations? It doth not feem from the words of Scripture that they are to become preachers to the nations, but they are to be as it were the TEXT from which it will please God to raise up others, to preach unto

all

all nations; and I think this is clearly inferred, nay more than inferred, EXPRESSED in the words of Mofes, the fervant of God, which we have quoted. It is a matter peculiarly INTERESTING to the directors of the Miffionary Society, and to all who intereft themselves in these things, for it feems in a peculiar manner to be PROPHETIC of the fruit, the refult of that fuccefs which has in a measure attended the pious exertions of Miffionaries; and especially it seems to be PROPHETIC of that fuccefs which by God's bleffing we hope and firmly believe has in a moft remarkable manner attended, and will we hope more amply yet attend, the exertions of the British and Foreign Bible Society, who avail themselves of the great art of printing, an art which it hath pleased God to give unto us in these latter ages, as one of the MEANS whereby ALL NATIONS will be enabled to refer to the Books of Mofes, which they are described as doing in the 27th verse.

The Heathen nations, when they come into poffeffion of these facred books and meditate upon them, will draw their own inferences from them, and the inferences they will draw are just inferences; the very words they will use are prophetically recorded by Mofes, the fervant of God, and we may reft affured that if the words fo recorded do not contain our fentiments, that we fhall in fome way or other be convinced of our error. In what manner are thefe things at prefent represented by Christians in general, as well as by the Miffionary Society in particular?

They admit that the defolate ftate of the holy land is evidence of the truth of God's most holy word. They admit that it is JEHOVAH, God of Ifrael, who hath fcattered Ifrael into all nations; that it is he who hath rooted them out of their land in anger, and " in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them "into another land, as it is this day, Deut. xxix. 28. But when the queftion naturally arifes from this, their admiffion, "WHEREFORE hath JEHOVAH "done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat "of this great anger?" They will not AS YET reply to the question in the words that are recorded by Mofes, the fervant of God, but, on the contrary, they afcribe the defolate state of the holy land, and the heat of this great anger, to another caufe. They acknowledge Mofes, the fervant of God, as a true prophet, but are not as yet difpofed to answer this queftion in the words recorded by him: "Because "they have forfaken the COVENANT of JEHO86 VAH, the God of their fathers, which he made "with them when he brought them forth out of the "land of Egypt," ver. 25. But although they are not YET disposed to reply to this question in the words recorded, the time WILL COME in which ALL NATIONS will reply to this question in the very words recorded by Mofes, the fervant of God, There is no refifting the decree of JEHOVAH OF HOSTS, the God of Ifrael; he has ordained, he has decreed that ALL NATIONS fhall make this confeffion concerning Ifrael, and concerning the land which he promised and gave unto their fathers. It is

his will, and he has predeftinated (Rom. viii. 29.) ALL NATIONS to give glory unto him, by confeffing that it is because Ifrael his people have "for"faken the COVENANT of JEHOVAH, the God ❝ of their fathers, which he made with them when " he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt."And because they went and ferved other gods, "and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, " and whom he had not given unto them."-It was because of these things that "the anger of JEHOVAH "was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all

the curfes that are written in THIS BOOK" of Mofes, the fervant of God, from which these words are extracted; it was because of these things that "JEHOVAH rooted them out of their land in anger, " and in wrath, and in great indignation, and caft ❝ them into another land, as it is this day," Deut. xxix. 25-28. When it fhall please God in his fovereign grace to prepare the nations to make this confeffion, in the words that he hath ordained them to use, what will be their conduct towards Ifrael? They would as foon think of thrufting their hands into the fire, as to endeavour to weaken the attachment of the Jewish nation to the COVENANT which God made with their fathers, when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt; and whenever they pray for Ifrael, it will be that they may be enabled by his grace" to return unto JEHOVAH their God, "and obey his voice according to all that Mofes his fervant COMMANDED them, with ALL their heart and with ALL their foul," Deut. xxx. 2.

How

How very different are the present sentiments of mankind? It would be the height of injuftice in any one to represent the Miffionary Society as having adopted NEW IDEAS upon this fubject, they have not adopted new ideas; their error hath been, that they have not examined the opinions of thofe Chriftians who have preceded them. A great degree of love to the Jewish nation has arifen among them, and I firmly believe that this love towards the Jewish nation, which hath arifen among them, is of God, and that he will bless them in confequence of this love, which he has given them to feel for Ifrael his people. As yet this love has not been directed to its proper object, they have acted under a mistake; but it hath not been an error of their own coining, they have walked in the path traced out by Chriftians who have preceded them. A path may be traced out in a map, and copies of this map may be multiplied, but as long as the path continues merely upon the map, and no one attempts to walk in this path, the truth of the lines of the map may be admitted, but cannot be PROVED; they fhould not have paid attention to this map, either to the copies of it which are in our libraries, or to the copies of it which are in the German libraries, but fhould have confulted the more ancient and only correct map of God's most holy word. They would not have from thence adopted the idea that it could tend to the benefit of the Jewish nation, if they could perfuade them to FORSAKE the covenant which it pleased the Almighty to make with their fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt;

they