it is more than probable, that by the Kenite, he meant Ammon; although, for reasons unkno to us, he called them by the name mentioned in Genesis *. Secondly, we find that God tells Moses, that he will not give the children of Israel any part of the land of Edom, Ammon and Moab, which it is probable they expected, as included in the promise made to Abraham; because, as Moses says, it was also accounted the land of the Rephaim, the giants:it was therefore necessary for God to tell Moses, that he would not give them any part thereof at that time. Thirdly, these three nations are expressly mentioned by the prophet Isaiah as the future conquest of the Israelites in the days of the Messiah, as mentioned chap. xi. 14. On Edom and Moab they shall lay their hand; and the children of Ammon shall obey them." From all which, I presume, it is manifest, that the Kenite here mentioned, is the same as promised to Abraham, as one of the nations

who

* And in this sense, the Chaldee paraphrast Onkelos seems to understand it: for he hath both in Genesis, and here in Numbers, translated "the Kenite," ND "Shalmaah :" which is a manifest proof, that he considered them as one and the same nation; and, of course, confirms the explanation here given.

קיני

who were to be finally subdued or destroyed in the days of the Messiah.

In verse 24, he proceeds, " And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Ashur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever." By the ships of Chittim, he pointed out the Romans, who were to afflict Ashur, or properly the Assyrians, and Eber, i. e. the children of Eber, the Jews; and this was fully accomplished: for as Dion informs us, Assyria, properly so called, was conquered by the Emperor Trajan: and it is well known, that the Romans under Vespasian and Titus, destroyed the second temple, and carried the nation into this long and dreadful captivity: he therefore adds, " And he also shall perish:" that is Chittim, i. e. the Romans shall be utterly destroyed, because they were the enemies. of the Jews, and afflicted them sorely. And this is only a duplicate of what is mentioned above when speaking of Edom, "And he shall destroy the remnant out of the city." And which is the fourth beast mentioned in the prophecies of Daniel, as denoting the last of the four great monarchies, as will be fully explained in the course of these Dissertations.

These

These prophecies, clearly clearly point out the future redemption of Israel, and the destruction of their enemies; for the entire destruction of all their enemies is to take place at the coming of the Messiah. For although they were employed in some measure as God's instruments, to punish the nation; yet were they more intent on gratifying their own infatiable. revenge on God's chosen people, than on executing the divine will, as the prophet Isaiah says, in speaking of the King of Assyria "Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so, but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off nations not a few." And as the prophet, denounced a severe punishment to be inflicted upon Assyria, after they should have served the purposes of Divine providence, saying, "Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the LORD hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion, and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks." So will God, at the future restoration of the Jews, severely punish all those who have afflicted them in this long and dreadful captivity,

as

* Isaiah, x. 7.

1 Ibid. xii.

as will be clearly evinced by the numerous prophecies cited in the course of the work. And as a proof of this, I shall mention the prophecy of Jeremiah, which clearly points out two remarkable and wonderful events, viz. the preservation of the Jewish nation, and the total destruction of their enemies. "Fear not thou, O Jacob, my servant, saith the LORD; for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations, whither I have driven thee; but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in justice, and will not utterly cut thee off." (Jerem. xlvi. 28.) Thus is the preservation of the Jews founded on God's gracious promise; and if we seriously reflect on it, we shall find it really to be one of the most signal and illustrious acts of Divine providence. And a learned prelate observes *, the drops of rain which fall, nay, the great rivers which flow into the ocean, are soon mingled and lost in that immense body of waters and the same in all human probability, would have been the fate of the Jews; they would have been mingled, and lost in the common mass of mankind; but on the contrary,

• Newton on the Prophecies, Vol. 1, p. 124.

we

1

we find, that they flow into all parts of the world, mix with all nations and yet keep separate from all.

But this, is no more than what Moses foretold them upwards of three thousand years ago, "And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God, &c." (Levit. xxvi. 44.)

In this Prophetic poem, he hath also clearly pointed out the mercy of God in the preservation of Israel, and the means taken by Providence to effect it; for in Deut. xxxii. 26, he says, "I said, I would drive them into one corner, (and consequently) I would make the rememberance of them to cease from among men." This, hath really been the case of the ten tribes, whom the king of Assyria carried captive to Halah, and Habor, by the river Gozan: and of whom, we have not to this hour, any certain or authentic account, as to their real place of abode. And this would have been the fate of the rest of the nation, had they been carried to one spot.