after they came out of Egypt, so it will be when they are restored: for as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up, after the manner of Egypt, Isai. x. 26.

3. Instead of all nations receiving the commands of God from the Jews, when restored to Jerusalem, it is plain that the Jews themselves will receive the gospel of Christ at the hands of Gentile ministers; for Christ declares that the Jews shall worship before the feet of the Gentiles, and shall know that Christ hath loved the Gentile church, Rev. iii. 9. Not one of these three things are true, nor is the next quotation

true.

Quot. And they shall look to me that was pierced; and shall mourn, like him that mourns for his only son; and shall be in bitterness, like him that is in bitterness for his firstborn. This verse will be fulfilled by the Jews after their return.

Ans. The Spirit of supplication made intercession with groaning for the children of Israel, when they were in Egypt, and God heard their groanings, and came down and delivered them: and the Spirit of life was poured upon them when they were like a valley of dry bones in Babylon, before their return to Canaan, Ezek. xxxvii. 14; and so the Spirit will be poured upon them again, and they will be converted to the faith and worship with the Gentile believers, before their return to Canaan: the Spirit will shew them marvellous things before their restoration; for, "According to

the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew him marvellous things."

Quot. The last dispersion of the Jews, and their being trod under foot of all nations, to the time of their return in the latter days, is two thousand three hundred years.

Ans. This mystery is known to none but God. The disciples asked this secret of the Saviour, after his resurrection, saying, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." Hence it is plain that this secret time is not to be known by man. Secondly, it is a time and season that God has concealed, and put in his own power; and therefore, before Mr. Brothers can fix it, he must prove that he is God: or else he must appear to be, what I am sure he is, namely, a false prophet.

Quot. Days are mentioned by the angel instead of years, to conceal the meaning of the prophecy till the proper time, and the appointed person for it to be revealed to: the present is the time that was then intended; I am the appointed person for it to be revealed to, and the prophet commanded to make it known.

Ans. In this quotation we learn three things: First, That days are put for years, to conceal the meaning of the prophecy.

2. That the time there specified is the present time; and,

3. That Mr. Brothers is the person for it to be revealed to, and the prophet appointed to make it known. All of which are false.

First, Days are not put for years to conceal the meaning of it from any body; for Moses teacheth us to distinguish prophetic days from common days; and tells us that there are weeks of days and weeks of years; and teacheth us the difference between the seventh day, which is the sabbath of rest for Israel, Exod. xx. 9, 10, and the seventh year, which is the sabbatical year, or year of rest for the land, Lev. xxv. 4; so that this mystery is not concealed for the sake of Mr. Brothers: for there are few, if any, writers of note, which have been in the Christian church, which have not taken notice of it: and indeed the former accomplishment of prophecies has made it manifest to all that have any discernment, that Daniel's weeks could never be true of weeks of days, but of weeks of years. Hence it appears that Mr.

Brothers is not the first man that hath been in this secret.

2. Nor does the present time appear to be the time of cleansing the sanctuary, nor are there any signs of it; nor does Mr. Brothers know what he means by it. The second temple is destroyed, nor is a third temple, literally speaking, ever promised, and therefore never to be expected on a scriptural ground: nor will there be any more temple worship in a literal sense: the temple was a type of the body of Christ, and, when the Jews destroyed

the temple of his body, he rent the vail of the second temple in twain, and consecrated a new and living way into the holy of holies, eternal in the heavens, through the vail of his flesh; and ever since he dwells not in temples made with hands, but looks to, and dwells with, them that are of a contrite spirit, and that tremble at his word; whose bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost: as God hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them."

3. Nor does the time of the Jews' return to their own land appear to be revealed even to Daniel himself. It is true, the angel asks Christ, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" And the Saviour "held up his right hand and left hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, that it shall be a time, times, and a half,” Dan. xii. 6, 7. Which date doth not appear to take rise till the church's flight into the wilderness, at, or just before, the rise of antichrist, when this date is brought in again. "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness, into her place; where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent." The church's flight here seems to be taken at the appearance of a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, Rev. xii. 3; which must be at the time of the Roman empire being divided into ten kingdoms, with the pope at the head of them, and the time,

times, and a half, are explained to be a thousand two hundred and sixty prophetic days or years, in which she is to be fed in the wilderness, Rev. xii. 6.

Nor will the Jews be converted or restored while the church is in her wilderness state, but after her deliverance out of it; for the Jews will not be converted until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, of whose fulness there are no signs as yet; nor does the time of the Jews' return to their own land appear to have been made known even to Daniel himself. He inquires of the Saviour, it is true, and says, O my Lord, when shall be the end of these things? and he gets his answer; Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end, Dan. xii. 8, 9. The words are closed, and therefore hid; and sealed, and therefore must remain a secret till the time of the end, when the accomplishment of them will unseal them: nor have they ever been disclosed or unsealed to any, much less to Mr. Brothers.

Quot. "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch," meaning myself, "shall grow out of his roots."

Ans. If this rod and branch is Mr. Brothers, we are all in the dark: but we know that Christ is intended. He is called a plant of renown, and likewise God's servant the branch, who is to be called Jehovah our righteousness. Christ is likewise called a tender branch of the high cedar, or one of the royal family of David: which branch