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Lord of the earth, and will reftore them to their promised country and privileges.

Boy. Ifrael, you grant, acknowledges Jefus Chrift to be the feed of David, and that he appeared at the time appointed.

Mofes. Agreed thus far; but Ifrael never will accept Jefus, whom you call Chrift, for the Meffiah, his character and perfon being the reverse to the perfon and character of their Meffiah, who will manifeft himself the glory and astonishment of all nations: from all parts will the nations bring gifts to Jerufalem; our temple and worship rettored, where peace and harmony will dwell, every man enjoying himself under his Vine and Fig-tree, with every bleffing, without fear of war, and Ifrael be a glory throughout the earth. Kings and princes will honour them, and every one will think himself happy if he is permitted to take hold of the fkirt of a Jew. This is the expectation of Ifrael, not as your Chrift, who fprung from obfcurity, without being known who he was; he was raised among the dregs of the vulgar and reprobate, who he herded with, breaking and encouraging his affociates to be guilty of the breach of laws and every crime with impunity. Twelve of the most hardy ruffians he took into his most familiar friendship, and in culcated and taught them magic; for he exceeded all that ever went before him, or fince, in the black art. Peter waa his chief, to whom he communicated his fecrets; the others drenched deep in this deadly poifon. Seventy others were made drunk, and to this day many are in

toxicated

toxicated in the Roman church, who copy after this mighty Lord.

Boy. Meffiah fhall be cut off, but not for himself, and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and he fhall cause the facrifice to cease, and the city and temple to be deftroyed, and to the end defolations are determined.

Mofes. Here I am loft in horror and despair. Meffiah cut off, his covenant confirmed, Ifrael with her temple and facrifice caft off, Jerusalem deftroyed, and Judea laid waste and given to the Gentiles, themselves made flaves. O the the mifery of two thousand years.

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Boy. Ifaiah 9th chapter. For unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given, and the government fhall be upon his fhoulders, and his name fhall be called, Wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end, and upon the throne of David and his kingdom to order and establish it with judgment. and with justice, from henceforth even for ever; the zeal of the Lord of Hofts will perform this.

of

Mofes. Ifrael grants her Meffiah no part the Divinity, but every perfection of human nature, and great fhare of the Spirit, far exceeding, if poffible, Mofes, whom the Almighty fpoke with face to face. Affuming to himself this infinite dignity was the condemnation and death of Jefus Chrift; for many accufations proved ineffectual and abortive unto our high and chief prieft. Caiphas asked him, (as he had declared himself) Art thou Chrift

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the fon of the Bleffed? Without hefitating, he answered, "I am; and you shall see the son of man fitting on the right-hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Then the highpriest rent his clothes and faith, "What need we further witness, you have heard the blafphemy; what think you?" and they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Then they fpit upon him, covered his face, buffeted him, and faid deridingly, "Prophefy," and the fervants ftruck him; and to confirm to you more fully that Jefus, taking on himself the dignity of the Divinity, was his condemnation and death. The words of our high-priest to Pilate is fufficient with the body of the people, when the governor would have fet him free. Thefe are their words: "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himfelf the Son of God.

Boy. If this have ever been the fentiments of the Jews, it explains very clearly the cause which influenced them to put the prophets to death, for almost the whole have spoken of the divinity of Chrift; and you well know that they were unpleafing companions to Ifrael, for they put them to death.

Mofes. Ifrael has been complained of as a ftiff-necked and ftony hearted race, throughout her fcriptures; but where is the nation without this obduracy: Ifrael has her foibles, but the alfo has her virtues. What other people have attended as Ifrael upon her God, from the time of our father Abraham, the term four thousand years, to this day; fuffering from

time to time, and this laft period upon the clofe of two thousand years; the greatest contumelies, reproach, and the moft grievous burdens; why? because we remain firm to our God, and religion of our fore fathers. Yet Ifrael has finned, or why banished.

Boy. Meffiah cut off, his covenant confirmed, city, temple, and facrifice destroyed, Israel caft out, and country parcelled out to the Gentiles.

Mofes. A bitter draught I confefs, the wound enters deep, but ftill I am in the dark. Ifrael cannot be guilty of fo black a crime, and not know her guilt.

Boy. Ifaiah 53 chap. Who hath believed our reports, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed, for he fhall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he hath no form nor comelinefs; and when we fhall fee him, there is no beauty that we should defire him. He is defpifed and rejected of men; a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him. He was defpifed, and we esteemed him not futely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our forrows, yet we did efteem him stricken, fmitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our tranfgreffions, he was bruifed for our iniquities; the chaftifement of our peace was upon him, and with his ftripes we are healed. All we, like fheep, have gone aftray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppreffed, and he was afflicted;

yet,

yet, he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the flaughter, and as a fheep, before her fhearers, is dumb; fo he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prifon and from judgment; and who fhall declare his genera

tion? for he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the tranfgreffions of My people was he ftricken, and he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he hath done no violence; neither was there any deceit in his mouth; yet it pleased the Lord to bruife him. He hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his foul an offering for fin he fhall fee his feed, he fhall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord fhall profper in his hands. He fhall fee of the travail of his foul, and fhall be fatisfied: by his knowledge fhall my righteous fervant justify many; for he fhall bear their iniquities; therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he fhall divide the fpoil with the ftrong; because he hath poured out his foul unto death, and he was numbered with the tranfgreffors; and he bore the fin of many, and made interceffion for the tranfgreffors.

Mofes. These are dark and hidden mysteries, fealed up in the vifion of God from the begining: the prophecy of our father Jacob concerning the Meffiah's (when the fceptre should be taken from Judah) appearing, and the prophecy as we took notice of Daniel's feventy weeks, reflects and marks out the epoch; alfo confirming his covenant. Ifaiah goes farther, and treats of ingratitude, fufferings, and igno

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