says James, (and surely his commentary on the prophecies must, and will, take precedence of all the judaizing commentators of our times;) but hear James further: "As it is written, after this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up." For what purpose? James answers, "That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name (Israel) is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."

Now let our teachers be silent, and learn the first rule of interpreting the prophecies concerning the building again the ruins of Jerusalem. This that the prophets declare, as James acknowledges, began to be done in the days of the apostles; yet who can pretend that Jerusalem, old literal Jerusalem, began to be builded again in the days of the apostles? And it remains as evident to the unbiassed mind, that the prophets allude to the gospel, and to a New Jerusalem, as it is that the sun ever shone.

Why is it, say you, that our good, holy, and great men, of the present day, are, as you say, so blinded? Do you set yourself up to be above them? By no means. I am not, nor are they, or you, anything but poor, frail, selfish mortals; but my Master is above all, and his word is true. And to read that word understandingly, we must all have the veil of Judaism taken away; or we shall most assuredly err from the truth. Are we yet to learn that God "takes the weak things of this world to confound the wise and mighty?"

And when I see our would-be-great men, boasting like a Goliah,* I think of David, my Master, and the smooth stone, and am content to leave the battle in the hands of him, "the Shepherd, the stone of Israel."

*See Dowling's Reply to Miller, page 155: "For I should think it about as rational to triumph for a victory over arguments like Mr. Miller's, as to boast of my strength for demolishing a paper castle."

Again, Ezekiel says, "And they all shall have one shepherd." Who shall all have one shepherd? I answer, the whole house of Israel, the two sticks, and their companions. And now we will let Christ tell us who they are. John x. 15, 16: "I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Does not Christ mean the very san.e thing as Ezekiel? Christ calls them folds, Ezekiel calls them sticks; Christ unites them into one fold, Ezekiel into one stick; Christ calls them sheep, Ezekiel calls them the whole house of Israel. Christ plainly means Jews and Gentiles; then as plainly do we infer Jews and Gentiles in Ezekiel. Christ will, in process of time, unite all his sheep into the gospel kingdom, whether they be Jew or Gentile, bond or free. Then, as Paul tells us, Eph. iv. 4—6, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Ezekiel says, My tabernacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.' See Rev. xxi. 3-5: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write:

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for these words are true and faithful."

Lastly. I will show when these things began to be fulfilled, and when they will be finished. They began when the unbelieving Jews were cut off, and the believing Gentiles began to be grafted in. It began when Jesus nailed the ceremonial law to his cross, and commanded the gospel to be preached in

all the world. It began when the old covenant van ished away, and the new covenant was established on better promises. Heb., chapters viii. and ix. It began when Judah's rod ended in the Shiloh, and the gospel ensign was unfurled to the Gentiles.

When will it be finished? When the great voice from heaven, from him that sat upon the throne, shall say, "IT IS DONE." Rev. xxi. 6. Yes, it will be completed when the angel, standing on the sea and on the land, shall lift his hand and swear, that time shall be no longer. Rev. x. 5 and 6. When the last Gentile who ever will be born again has received the Holy Spirit by regeneration, then will the last companion come in, and so all Israel shall be saved. Rom. xi. 25, 26. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, and send his angels unto the four winds of heaven, and gather his elect home into the new heavens, new earth, and New Jerusalem;-then will heaven and earth, men and angels, Judah and Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, Jew and Gentile, all respond the great Amen, saying, “It is done."

Now let me close with a few remarks. And first, to the Jew, let me say, Repent, believe on the dear Jesus of Nazareth, whom your fathers did crucify, or you will never be united with the stick of Joseph. There is no other way, there is no other name under heaven whereby you can be saved-rend the veil from your faces, the covenant which God made with your fathers, when he took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. You have broken it, yes, in a thousand ways it is broken; you have seen it pass away like the morning cloud, or like the early dew -it is gone, and not a wreck of it is left behind. Where is the sceptre in Judah? Your father Jacob said 'it should not depart from Judah until Shiloh come." You know it has departed, and by the same parity of reasoning you ought to know that the Messiah has come. Rend your veil, my brother, and look into this new covenant which God has made for the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, after those days, i. e. after the Shiloh came. Hear, I pray

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you, the voice of him that spake from heaven, and is yet speaking, saying, "Repent, and be converted, every one of you; that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." And Ezekiel plainly tells you that you must observe his judgments and statutes and do them, in order to be grafted into the stick of Judah and Joseph united. Then let me entreat you to repent, believe on him who has come, in the time and manner your prophets have specified, and you will find rest to your souls. I am awfully afraid your veil will blind you, your Rabbis will deceive you. Our doctors and great men are flattering, and crying peace and safety when sudden destruction cometh. All, all, are combined to destroy the poor unbelieving Jew. Oh, Christian, awake to this subject! The Jews, that were the means of handing down these glorious promises to us Gentiles, are perishing by thousands, and none to lay it to heart. Ho, all ye that pass by, is this nothing to you? Will the priests pass by on one side, and the Levites on the other, and not one Samaritan to help the wounded, down-trodden Jew? I bless God there is a few, a little despised band of Samaritans, who look upon this subject in its proper light, in my humble opinion, who will do all in their power to give the Jew the midnight cry. Go on, my brethren, in the glorious cause; show the Jews and Gentiles their transgressions and danger. Let the trump give a certain sound-prepare to meet your God, Oh Israel! For he will come, and will not tarry. Then will his tabernacle be with men, then will he sanctify the whole house of Israel, then will he be our God, and we shall be his people, and his sanctuary shall be in the midst of us for evermore. AMEN.

LECTURE ON

THE TIMES AND ITS DUTIES.*

ROMANS xiii. 12.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

THE apostle in the context exhorts his Roman brethren to good works, to a holy life in conformity with the law, the royal law, which teaches us to love God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves. He then gives the text as one of the most prominent reasons why we should conform to the requisitions of the law: because the night is far spent, and the day is at hand.

I shall, therefore, in explaining the text,

I. SHOW WHAT THE APOSTLE MEANS BY 66 NIGHT AND DAY."

ADMONITION,

II. SHOW THE PROPRIETY OF HIS "CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS.

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III. ATTEND TO HIS EXHORTATION, "LET US PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT."

I. EXPLAIN THE TERMS NIGHT AND DAY.
Night and day are used in this passage to illus-

*The three following lectures on "The Times," "The Truth," and "Visions of Ezekiel," were written some years ago; and are but sketches of the subjects on which they treat. The author had neither time nor health to re write them. And although the manner and style of them are not as good as the author and editor would desire; yet they contain so much plain, old-fashioned truth, that we have concluded to give them to the public, in the expectation that they will exert a salutary influence. ED.