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The following verses most clearly refer to the general restoration in the last days; for certainly nothing corresponding took place at the termination of the Babylonian captivity. Israel, in general, still remained in a state of dispersion and the small remnant that did return, returned but in one direction. How different the language that we now read!

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Fear not, for I am with thee.

From the east will I bring thy seed,
And from the west will I gather thee.
6. I will say to the north, Give up;
And to the south, Withhold not.

Bring my sons from far,

And my daughters from the end of the earth.

7. Every one that is called by my name,

And whom for my glory I have created,

Whom I have formed, and whom I have prepared.

This cannot but remind us of the language of St. Paul: "The vessels of mercy, whom he hath afore prepared unto glory;" and, doubtless, we may add, as to the consummation of these mercies: "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." With respect to the natural descendants of Abraham, we have already been taught, that when the "consumption decreed" shall be "finished," what is left will be a holy seed. Such will be the end of the troubles of the last days to them. The remnant among the Gentiles, how they escape, we must learn from other Scriptures.

The next verse will remind us of the character already given to that Israel whom the immediate hand of God

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8. Bring forth the people that are' blind, though they have

eyes;

And that are' deaf, though they have ears.

This language, as we have remarked above, seems to indicate, that it is at a very late period the veil will be generally removed from Israel—not till after, or towards the end of their grand final restoration. The gathering of all nations, as follows in the next verse, whatever be the nature of its fulfilment, is an event ever connected in prophecy with the final restitution of Israel:

9. Let all the nations be gathered together, And let all the peoples be assembled.

The language of the remainder of the ninth verse, and of the four following, seems generally to amount to this: that the sure word of prophecy, which "makes known beforehand the power and coming of the great Redeemer,” is intended to form one of the greatest demonstrations to mankind of the being and attributes of Jehovah; and more especially towards that era when these things shall begin to come to pass. It has also been already stated, that an ignorance concerning these prophecies and their fulfilment, will be a notorious proof of the falsehood of the religion of Israel's last opponent, the "nations assembled," probably, of the last verse: -

Who among them can declare this,

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And can make us to understand the former predictions?'1

Let them produce their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, It is true.

10. Ye are my witnesses, hath Jehovah said,
And my servant whom I have chosen.

Or, "the first events that come to pass."

Of the prophecies, as of the other oracles of God, Israel was the keeper and the depositary. The Jewish church is the great witness to mankind: and among the Jewish prophets, our Lord himself must be reckoned. The title of the last and most luminous prophecy is, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass."

That ye might know and believe me,
And understand that I am He.

Before me no God was formed,

And after me can be none.

11. I, even I, am Jehovah,

And there is no Saviour besides me.

12. I declared, and I saved, and I made known,
And among you was no strange 'God :'

And ye shall be' my witnesses, saith Jehovah, that I am
God;

13. Ay, even from this day, that I am He:

And that there is none that can deliver out of my hand;

I will work, and who will counteract it?

Even from that day the church of Israel, to whom were committed the oracles of God, the true word of prophecy, should begin to be witnesses that Jehovah alone was God. Their deliverance out of Babylon, which is again foretold, would be a proof of this, and would prepare the way for greater things hereafter:

14. Thus hath Jehovah said,

Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sakes I have sent to Babylon;

And I have cast down all their barriers,

Even of the Chaldeans, who boasted in their ships.

I, Jehovah, your Holy One,

The Founder of Israel, your King.

This is one of those rapid glances we mentioned above, where the prophetic vision shows an intermediate object in connexion with the future redemption, which it is its main purpose to reveal. We have here no parable, nor allegory; but a plain prediction of an event of high interest to the remnant of Judah, which was shortly to come to pass. The mode of Babylon's being taken by Cyrus is plainly pointed out; the barriers, the strong gates of brass to which they trusted, were by an overruling Providence, rendered of no use. The river, the great source of their wealth and confidence, proved the means of their ruin.

This is all that belongs to Babylon. The vision passes swiftly to the greater mercies of the second Exodus. The remnant was to return from Babylon. This is implied in what has been said, and is afterwards expressly mentioned. But this return does not here even serve for a type. In truth, its circumstances had little in them to serve for a type, or to afford resemblances of that grand restoration of the last days. Accordingly, we see, in the verses that follow, the Holy Spirit draws his figures and allusions from the Exodus out of Egypt; but tells us, at the same time, that the deliverance predicted shall be far greater than that ancient theme of their praise. This forbids us for a moment to suppose, that the return of the remnant of Judah could be at all in view.

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Who made a way in the sea,

And a path in the mighty waters;

17. Who led forth the chariot and the horse, The army and the force together:

They lay down, they rose no more;

They were extinguished, they were quenched as tow. 18. Ye shall not celebrate these' former events,

On deeds of old ye shall no longer dwell.

19. Behold, I produce a new thing;

Now shall it spring up. Will ye not observe it?
Ay, I will make in the wilderness a way,
Streams of water in the great desert.

20. The wild beast of the field shall glorify me,

The serpents, and the daughters of the doleful song.

For I have given waters in the wilderness,

And streams in the great desert,

To give drink to my people, my chosen.

21. This people have I formed for myself, They shall recount my praise.

This new exordium leads us back to the miraculous passage of the Red Sea. It bids us remark what the God of Israel then did for his people-the opening a way in the sea for his ransomed to pass through-the destruction of the Egyptian armies. These were wonderful events; they had ever been the standing theme, from age to age, of the grateful songs of Zion. But the church is now told to expect mercies so new and so great, that these former wonders will be comparatively eclipsed and forgotten. What this new wonder is to be is next mentioned. It is that miraculous passage through the desert, so often mentioned in connexion with Israel's final restoration. This is to exceed all the wonders of the first

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