the 1290 days, to the making them up 1335 days or years; which is just 45 years more." (v. 12.) So that the Reader may now see evidently, what was hinted in the first question and answer, viz. that the end of the Jews' scattering was not the end of their miseries; but that these will be greater, at their first rising and coming together to contend for their liberty. But when they have contended, and gotten the victory, (which shall be within the space of 45 years,) then shall be a blessed time. This makes up the third note of time of the glorious restauration now at the very door.

“Then (saith the Lord, again unasked) shall be the resurrection of the saints; for then Daniel shall stand up in his lot." (v. 13.) This is the fourth note, or the glorious restauration actually begun.

From the foregoing, taken altogether, it invincibly appears to me, that the Jews must be taken into the account of the Two Witnesses; and that they shall hereafter (viz. in the 45 years) be awakened to give a divine testimony for the truth in a more eminent manner, and in a full body. Until this be done, the glorious restauration cannot come to pass; which circumstance, not being taken into the account, has, I verily believe, been the reason, why

n 2 Kings xvii, 6.

so many learned men have been deceived in their calculation of the times leading to it.

4. But some may ask, where shall we find such a considerable number of believing Jews, that have given so much testimony to the truth of both Testaments since the time of Christ, as may deservedly number them among the two witnesses? For the satisfying of this doubt, we must first note their several dispersions, habitations, conditions, &c.

The Jews suffered four great dispersions, remarkable above all other petty ones, which followed upon the greater. First, the ten tribes of Israel were carried away captive about 721, B. C. by Salmanezer king of Assyria, who is said to have placed them in Halah, and in Habor, by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. These never returned in any considerable number. Secondly, the two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were led away captive to Babylon, by Nebuchadnezzar, about 611, B. C. Although a good part of these returned again after seventy years; yet a great number of them returned not, as is evident from 1 Chron. iv. 21—23, and John vii, 35 ;* and in that they had academies and doctors not inferior to those of Jerusalem: so

o 2 Kings xxiv, xxv.

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that from them proceeded the Chaldee Paraphrase, and that great Doctor and Patriarch of Rabbies, Hillel. The third captivity befel them in the days of Ptolemy Lagus, one of the Greek kings reigning in Egypt, about 320 years B. C. who carried away into Egypt many of the offspring of them who had returned from Babylon; planting them at Alexandria and thereabouts.P These are in the New Testament called Hellenists, because they spoke the Greek tongue, and used in their synagogues the translation of the Greek Septuagint, which was made in Egypt. Titus, son of Vespasian, made the fourth captivity; about A. D. 71: carrying away a vast number of the Jews (ninety seven thousand, as Josephus says,q) into all parts of the world.

But ye will say, here are the men of the Jewish nation, but where is their testimony or witnessing? Have patience; the point is high, and steep above the common level; and therefore I cannot come to the arμŋ, but by an advantageous winding about and orderly ascending, according to the footsteps of divine truth directing me.

Ye have seen, then, the four main dispersions of the Jews; now see how the Apostles (who were Jews) gave their testimony of the truth to these their dispersed countrymen. We speak

now to the three first dispersions with their branches jointly; because they were in being whilst the Apostles were alive: afterwards we shall speak to the fourth, by itself, for it came not to pass, till most of the penmen of the New Testament were deceased.

Peter, then, being at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, (about A.D. 33) finds there, then sojourning (for so we must render dwelling*) Jews, DEVOUT MEN, out of every nation under heaven: viz. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, (i. e. Persians) and the dwellers (observe they dwell not at Jerusalem but) in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, and Pontus, and Asia; Phrygia, and Pamphilia, in Egypt, and the parts of Lybia, about Cyrene, strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians.r Peter calls these Men of Israel," and charges on them the guilt of crucifying Christ; which they acknowledged by being "pricked at heart," and with deep repentance asking the Apostle's advice, what to do.s They could not be Gentile proselytes; for he distinguishes proselytes from Jews saying, "Strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes :” signifying to us, that all the rest were Jews by blood and race. Thus, when St. Luke here names "Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites," he means those of the ten tribes,

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carried away captive by Salmanezer, unto Halah, and Habor, by the river Gozen, and to the cities of the Medes, (as before shewn;) where learned Jerome (who was a great traveller and linguist) commenting on Joel iii, 6, saith, that they lived in his time; and he was alive at least in the year 392 after the birth of Christ.

Further, when St. James directs his Epistle to the "twelve tribes scattered abroad" (observe the word twelve) he means those of the three first grand dispersions. And when St. Peter directs his two Epistles "to the scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bythynia,"t he means those lesser dispersions that issued out of the three first greater; viz. those that were drawn out of Babylon and Mesopotamia, and planted elsewhere in those foreign countries. Now in the countries before mentioned, there were not only, in the Apostles times, divers synagogues of the Jews,* (among whom also were believers ;)" but there were also several famous churches of Jews. At Jerusalem (for example) 3000 Jews were converted at the preaching of Peter, when he found these "devout men" of the dispersion; and this number was afterwards augmented to at least 5000.V At Antioch also there was a famous church. And at the great city of Rome, was a church,w in which were some believing Jews; as appears by the matter, scope and

phrase of the Epistle to the Romans, but expressly from Acts xxviii, 24. St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews further intimates, that there were Christian churches of saints among them, wherever scattered.† In the Roman Empire were also many other churches mentioned in Scripture; (as at Cenchrea and Corinth ; divers in Galatia, Asia, and Macedonia; at Colosse in Phrygia, and in the isle of Crete ;) among whom were doubtless many Jews scattered in these places.

Touching the fourth and last captivity of the Jews, we can only be confident of two of the Apostles, that they lived to see that unhappy day-viz. Jude and John.

First then of the Apostle Jude; the Centuriæ Magdeburgenses tell us, that he was one of those who exercised the ministry of the Gospel from Christ's ascension, to the time of Trajan the Roman emperor, who began his reign A. D. 99.y And our English Annotations, in setting down the Argument of St. Jude's Epistle, assert, that he survived many of his colleagues: grounding themselves on v. 17; wherein they interpret him as speaking of the Apostles, as though they were dead. And indeed, the very placing his Epistle next to that of St. John, and the last of all the Epistles, signifies that his was the longer life; it being probable that the Epistles were received by the Church into the canon of the authentic Scriptures, according

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to the order of their penning and publishing. Now the circumstance that St. Jude, himself a Jew, does not inscribe his Epistle to any particular people, but to all, (even as antiquity titles it, The General Epistle of Jude") implies, that he intended it as well for believing Jews as Gentiles : which is further probable for these reasons. First, being about to give three examples of God's judgements on apostates, all out of the Old Testament, (vv. 4—6,) he prefaces them thus: "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this;" which expression must needs look more towards the Jews, who more properly knew this once, (viz. in times past,) than the Gentiles. Secondly, there are divers passages that are far more taking with the Jews than the Gentiles ;as that of Michael contending with the devil about the body of Moses, (v. 9,) which was known only by unwritten tradition among the Jews; and those passages concerning Cain, Korah, and Balaam ;-and that of Enoch's prophecy, (v. 11,) the book whereof, if ever in writing, was long since lost.

Touching St. John. 1. He had the matter of his book of the Revelation shewed to him in the time of his banishment in the Isle of Patmos, A. D. 96, (as the best chronologers affirm,z) which was about twenty five years after the last of the four captivities; at which time, for any to question whether there were seven churches in Asia would be as absurd, as to bid me shew him the sun. The same chronologers affirm that he wrote his gospel three years after his vision of the Revelation,-viz. A. D. 99. His epistles were evidently written towards the end of his life; for they mention,

that Antichrist was then beginning to appear.a Further, St. John, as well as the other apostles, excepting Paul,b was a minister to the circumcision, and therefore his writings must be considered as having a special regard to the Jews of the four dispersions; holding forth to them, with great testimony, the truth and necessity of adhering to the doctrine of the Gospel.

We cannot but admire the infinite wisdom and goodness of God, in turning those evils, which the Jews suffered, into most advantageous opportunities for spreading the Gospel by "devout men" among them : whom he had preserved in that warm temper, and stirred up to come to Jerusalem at the solemn feasts; making them thereby ear, and eye, and some of them feeling, witnesses of the pow er of miracles confirming the New Testament doctrine, and the power of doctrine confirming the miracles : so that they could go home to Parthia, Media, &c. and tell to all, what they had seen, heard, and felt of the power of heavenly doctrine and miracles at such or such a feast! Nor can we forget, how effectually this testimony was given and taken in that it is said of the saints scat tered at Rome (whereof were some believing Jews; as we showed before from Acts xxviii, 24,) that their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world." And of the Church of Smyrna, in which were some believing Jews, (as is hinted Rev. ii, 9,) what glorious things are spoken!"I know (saith Christ) thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich," &c.