France would not be long permitted to retain quiet poffeffion of Jerufalem.

THE KING

OF THE NORTH is to come like a whirlwind, with chariots, and horfemen, and with many ships, to enter into the countries, to overflow and pass over; to have power over the treasures of Egypt; and the Lybians, and Ethiopians, are to be at his steps-he is to enter into the glorious land, and to overthrow many countries; but Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon, fhall efcape out of his hand. But tidings out of the east and out of the north fhall trouble him; therefore he fhall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacle of his palaces between the feas, in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none fhall help him." If * Infidel France be this " King of the north,"

1

i Herodotus mentions two Ethiopias, Afiatic Ethiopia, or a part of Arabia, and African Ethiopia, or the interior of Africa. A part of India is also occasionally called Ethiopia, and the inhabitants Ethiopians, by fome antient writers. And the Arabians as well as the Africans are called Ethiopians in Scripture. The Cushim, or descendants of Cush, inhabited a part of Arabia.

* Edom lay to the south of Palestine, and was inhabited by the children of Abraham; Moab and Ammon to the eaft of Palestine; their inhabitants were the defcendants of Lot.

we

we may prefume, that it will take poffeffion of the present dominions of the Turkish Mahometan power; but this feems to be represented as the last step of its afcent to univerfal empire, and there is nothing in Scripture to contradict its Speedy downfal from this height-nothing indeed is faid refpecting the period of its duration.

The magnitude and extent of the evils attending the establishment of fuch a power, in fuch an advantageous fituation, appear terrific beyond expreffion, whether considered in a political, a moral, or a religious light. But furely we may expect, that it would rouse the World in arms against it. The northern Powers, who seem to have been withheld from interrupting the appointed course of his avenging fword', will then, we cannot but

1 The conduct of the allied armies in 1793-the violent death of the King of Sweden, when on the point of taking the command of an army against the French-the fudden death of the Emprefs of Ruffia, the day before fhe was to fign an inftrument, actually drawn up, for fending 60,000 men against them--the conduct of the Court of Pruffiaof Germany in general; and many other circumstances of a fimilar kind, which will occur to the Reader, when confidered in the aggregate, are furely very ftriking marks of Divine interpofition.

suppose,

fuppofe, mufter their confederate forces m m; and the nations of the east may flock to attack this restless tyrant, exasperated by his victory over the crefcent of Mahomet, and his infatiable thirst for power and riches. It cannot be imagined that the Jews would fee with indifference the fall of the Turkish Empire, which has fo long "trodden down Jerufalem.” Their hope of deliverance would be naturally raised to a height unknown for many ages; and their Prophecies would be examined with redoubled attention. A general council similar to that which was affembled in Hungary in the year 1650", may be called, or at least measures taken for a general confultation; and this difperfed, defpifed, neglected people may become, at fuch an awful period, of inexpreffible importance in the political as well as in the religious world. It certainly is not impofible, that the French may offer them their antient land, with the double view of contradicting the word of Prophecy, and of attaching a

The rapid growth of the coloffal Empire of Ruffia, the impediments which have been thrown in the way of its designs upon Turkey, and its inactivity fince the peace of 1790, (except to increase its own greatness by the partition of Poland) naturally suggest the idea, that it will be a principal actor in this great conflict.

" See Basnage Hiftoire des Juifs, iv. ix. p. 976, and the Modern Univerfal History, vol. v. p. 609. Edit. 1760.

VOL. II.

U

powerful

powerful people, whom they affect to call Republicans, to their interefts; in order to render them fubfervient to their vast designs. of univerfal conqueft. But fo far as I can venture to form an opinion of the probability of circumstances, concerning which we have yet no folid ground to build upon (for as yet we cannot certainly pronounce that this Prophecy of Daniel refers to the Infidel power of France, or that France will be the conqueror of the Turkish Empire), I do not think this likely to happen. It feems to me more probable, that the French fhould choose to retain poffeffion of a country fo well adapted to their acknowledged views ; and that thus this people may be the means of recovering the land from its prefent state of defolation, and 66 prepare the way for the kings," while they vainly think to fecure the execution of thofe

• Palestine is feldom confidered, but as connected with Religion and the Jewish history. Imagine it in the hands of a powerful, commercial, "active, and ingenious people, furnifhed with all the fciences, and fkilful in all the arts of this enlightened age, as it is ufually termed, and its fituation will appear fingularly calculated for the feat of universal empire. It borders upon the Mediterranean-lies close to Egypt and the Red Sea-is connected with Afia Minor, and the Perfian Gulph, by means of the Euphrates, and thus in reality" poffefes the gates" of Europe, Afia, and Africa.

I.

vaft

vaft plans, which boundless ambition, avarice, and impiety, combine to form.

During the progrefs of this work, or foon after its completion, the day's appointed for the punishment of the Jews may be fulfilled, and the times of the Gentles" may draw near The remnant" of the church,

their clofe.

and nations that have escaped the far-extended calamities produced by the fecond Beaft and his Image, may furely be expected to acknowledge the hand of God in thefe judgments, and

give him glory" for their protection. These then will be ready, from religious principles, to lend their aid towards the reinftatement of the Jews in their own land, as foon as it ap pears to be the defign of God to restore them to his favour P. Other nations, influenced by political

"Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the ifles fhall wait for me, and the hips of Tarfbifh firft, to bring thy 'fons from far, their filver, and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Ifrael, because he hath glorified thee. And the fons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings fhall minifter unto thee." Ifaiah lx. Is it an improbable conjecture, that the British Ifles, fo highly favoured by the establishment of the Church of Chrift, and hitherto by figual marks of Divine protection in the midst of furrounding dangers and temptations, fhould be brought, by a merciful fhare of