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the Social System.* The emblems relating to this subject. are, mostly, at the north gate; see Ezek. 40: 35–45; and it is among a number of remarkable coincidences, that one of the "tables of stone," at this gate, see verse 40, is directly upon, or very near, New Lanark, the place where the beneficent labors of Mr. Owen have been principally, and more successfully, conducted. In the description of the frame of a city, Ezek. 40, the church establishment, as might be expected, is spoken of only as one of the elements of social organization; the particulars are given in the remaining chapters.

If it be susceptible of moral demonstration, that the frame of a city is a map, and that the north court is England, can it be doubted, that England is that nation, spoken of in Matthew 21: 43? The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, [the Jews,] and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. That England is, also, that nation so unequivocally alluded to in the Jewish scriptures, as aiding in the restoration of the Jews, as continuing their efficient ally, and finally, as acting in concert with the restored Jewish nation, in diffusing correct principles, on the subjects which have been mentioned above, throughout the world. In the following pages some additional evidence will be afforded, of a determinate character, to prove that England is indeed this nation.

The above will give a sufficient idea, for the present, of the leading principles, brought forward in the work, entitled Millenial Institutions. Other particulars may be mentioned hereafter.

*The term Socialism, would, obviously, not be appropriate, in this work.

COMMENT.

ISAIAH XXIII.

THE burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

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Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished. And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the har- 3 vest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations. Be thou ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea hath 4 spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. As at the report 5 concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of 6 the isle. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of 7 ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

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Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tar11 shish there is no more strength. He stretched out his hand over the sea; he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant city, 12 to destroy the strong holds thereof. And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon; arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

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Behold the land of the Chaldeans: this people was not till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness; they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof, and he brought it to ruin. 14 Howl ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid

waste.

15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as 16 an harlot. Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

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And it shall come to pass, after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. 18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to

the LORD it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

It will be indispensable to understanding this prophecy, to determine what place is meant by Tarshish. The following, among other reasons, lead to the belief, that the Tarshish of scripture is England. 1. Tarshish is an island. Surely the

isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, &c. Is. 60: 9. 2. It is a well known historical fact that the Phoenicians visited England, the district of Cornwall, to procure tin. Silver and lead are also mentioned with great probability. These were all, formerly, abundant in Cornwall. Cornwall also produces iron, which, it is said, the ancient inhabitants of Britain had the art of refining; not improbably derived from the Phoenicians. The commodities of Tarshish were silver, iron, tin and lead.* For a considerable period tin was supposed to be peculiar to the British isles. The earliest author, so far as I am aware, who speaks of tin as procured elsewhere, is Diodorus Siculus, who was living at the time of the Roman invasion.† 3. In the day of the Lord of hosts, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth, Tarshish is a maritime nation; and for some reason is distinguished above other nations. That day shall be upon all the ships of Tarshish. Is. 2: 16, with context. Not however, for destruction. See context as above. 4. Tarshish is to take the lead in aiding in the restoration of the Jews. The text has been already referred to. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, &c. Is.

* Ezek. 27: 12.

There are reasons for believing that the tin mines of England were discovered before those of Spain; though it is possible that these are mentioned, previous to the time above. Herodotus, who lived considerably nearer to the period of which we are speaking, thus expresses himself. "I have nothing certain to relate concerning the western boundaries of Europe. I know as little of the islands called Cassiterides, from the tin which is thence imported agmong us; and though I have diligently inquired, yet have I never seen any man who, by his own experience, could inform me of the nature of that sea which bounds the extremities of Europe; however, it is certain that amber and tin come from its remotest parts." There is probably no notice of the tin trade, earlier than this, by any authentic historian.

60: 8, 9. 5. At a period which all commentators would probably regard as future, Tarshish is distinguished among the nations, as being commercial and warlike. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? &c. Ezek. 38: 13.

The voyage to Tarshish, required, it would seem, three years. The circumstances of the voyage were perhaps, somewhat as follows. It may be admitted that the ships of the Jews, not those of the Tyrians, were built at Eziongeber, on the Red sea. Various probable reasons may be assigned for this. The Jews had previously had little concern in navigation, and at this time, not unlikely, employed Arabian ship-builders. Arabia Petroa being comparatively sterile, the corn, wine and oil, of Palestine may have turned to better account there than elsewhere, &c. &c. After the ships were completed, they were probably laden for the voyage, with commodities of the east. 2 Chron. 8: 17, 18. Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side, in the land of Edom. And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants, ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon. See, also, 1 Kings 9: 26-28. The monarch went to Eziongeber, most probably, to be present at one of the great commercial fairs, such as are mentioned, Ezek. 27. geber was admirably situated for holding such fairs. Perhaps no place was better adapted for being the commercial center of the world, at least for the purpose of an occasional exchange of commodities. Whether the ships of this particular expedition, made the voyage to Tarshish also,

* 2 Chron. 9: 21.

Ezion

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