Lord, " every yone from his place; even all the "iles of the heathen," Zeph. ii. 11. among which the happy ifles where our lot is caft was doubtlets numbered.

But if Gentile finners are to be gathered from "the caft and weft, the north and fouth," our Lord's words are expreffive of gracious defigns upon them as diftinguished by whatever outward circumftances. As diftinguished, for instance, by nation and language; for he who cannot lie hath faid, "I will gather all nations and tongues, " and they fhall come and fee my glory," IC. lxvi. 18. As diftinguished by features and com plexion; for in the prophetical words of David, we are affured, that " Ethiopia (hall foon stretch

out her hands to God," Pfal. Ixviii. 31. point. ing, doubtless, at the numerous, the numberless, fwarthy tribes, which inhabit different countries through Africa, Afia, and America. And diftinguished by their rank and ftation in the world. With respect to the inferior tribes of men, it is promifed, not only that "the deaf fhall hear the

words of the book, and the eyes of the blind "fee out of obscurity and out of darkness;" but that "the meek alfo fhall increase their joy in

the Lord, and the poor among men rejoice i "the holy ONE of Ifrael," If xxix. 19. And with regard to thofe in higher life," Kings them"felves (fays the Father to his Son, or church)

fhall come to the brightness of thy rifing," If. lx. 3 Though not many, according to Paul, yet, from this prediction, it appears, that fome wife men after the flesh, fome mighty, and fome noble fhould be called, 1 Cor. i. 26.

Moreover, if Gentile finners are to be gathered from the four winds, our Lord's words are an intimation, that lome who were molt unlikely, who laboured

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laboured under the greateft difadvantages, and were loaded with the most enormous crimes, fhould eventually be the fubjects of redeeming grace. Accordingly, of the converts at Corinth, we are told, that fome were "fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, cffeminate, abufers of themfelves with "mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, "and extortioners," 1 Cor. vi. 9, &c. And of the Gentile converts at Ephefus, that they were dead "in trefpaffes and fins-; that they walked in them according to the courfe of this world; and that "they were without Chrift, aliens from the com"monwealth of Ifrael, ftrangers from the cove.

nants of promife, having no hope, and without "God in the world," Eph. ii. 1, &c.

As cur Lord, in this paffage, evidently fpeaks of gracious defigns upon the Gentiles, fo he affures us, that not one, oi a few, but many such should reap the benefit of them. They may not be many from each of the quarters we have mentioned; they may not be many in particular kingdoms or gencrations; they many not be many in our day, at leaft, according to our apprehenfion; and they will not be many when compared with the unholy tribes with whom they are mingled in their foveral generations: Eat, when gathered into one, when fully affembled in the realms of blifs, they fhall make a most refpectable appearance, fhall fwell to an innumerable concourfe. Befides the hundred forty and four thousand which were fealed, the apoftle "beheld a a great multitude which no man could "number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, "and tongues," ftanding "before the throne of God, and before the Lamb," Rev vii. 9.

The argument, however, for "ftimulating your "end-avours toward the propagation of Chriftian "knowlege among the Gentiles," will appear in a

fill ftronger light, when the richness of the bleffing here promifed is duly attended unto. "Many fhall "come (faid the incomparable Preacher) from the "eaft and weft, and ball fit down with Abraham, "Ifaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven."

If, in ordinary cafes, our zeal for the intereft of others be greater or leffer, according to the impor tance of the end which we propofe to accomplish by the exercife of it, in the prefent cafe, it behoved, upon that principle, to rife to the highest pitch.

*

If converting our fellow-men from Heathenifm to Chriftianity, in general, or to any one diftinguishing mode of religion, in particular, was all that our Lord's words encouraged us to afpire after, the argument would be greatly weakened; becaufe fuch converfions may be frequent where regeneration is not known: But converfion, in its largeft fenfe, as comprehending a gracious, a fcriptural, and faving change, being the privilege wrapped up in the bofom of this text, no zeal can be too keen, no ambition too high, no endeavours too great, in order to the accomplishment of it.

With respect to their coming from all quarters, we beg your attention to this general obfervation, That God having connected the mean and the end infeparably together, if the means of converfion are not fent where the finners comprehen led in this promife refide, they fhall be brought where the kingdom of God is known.

Nothing to this purpofe can be imagined more remarkable, than the repair of finners out of all nations to Jerufalem, when the time to favour Zion, by the effufion of the holy Ghoft, was fully come, Acts ii. 5. Had thofe people (whether they were Jews or Gentiles) remained in their native countries, the knowlege of falvation would not then have reached them; bur, because they were to be converted

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converted at Jerufalem, on the day of Pentecoft, they were previously brought, in the providence of God, to that happy place.

The Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and others, came, from their refpective countries, to dwell at Jerufalem, from fecular, poffibly, as well as religious views but God brought them, that he might fulfil, in thoufands, Acts ii. 41. at once, the good pleasure of his goodness *. If they, for inftance, had the profecution of trade in their eye, God had the more noble purpofe in his, of putting the "pearl of great price" into their poffeflion': If they came to amafs earthly riches, he brought them, that durable riches and righteoufnefs" might be erjoyed by them; and, if they came for the benefit of dwelling at the metropolis of Judea, God brought them, that they might become "fellow"citizens with the faints," and belong to “the "houshold of faith."

But though fuch Gentile finners as are comprehended in this promife, refide where the light of the gospel fhines,-if their converfion is to be effected by other means than what they have access to, without defign in them, they fhall be removd to the very place where that mean fhall be enjoyed, and crowned with fuccefs.

The ftory of Onefimus, we take to be a friking inftance of this.In the family of Philemon, he had near access to the means of grace : But the God of falvation, intending to convert him by the ministry of another, permitted that unworthy

* This piece of history is not quoted as an instance of God's bringing Gentile finners to the means of converfion, because moft, if not all of these might be Jews or profelites; only as a general example of the wildom of providence in making the places of mens abode fubfervient to their converfion.

thy flave to leave Philemon's service, and retire to Rome, where Paul, while in bonds, was the inftrument of bringing him to the faving knowlege of Jefus Christ.

Onefimus, having made this elopement, went to Rome, that he might be freed from a temporary fervitude; but, God brought him there, that he might fet him free from the worfe than Egyptian flavery of fin. He went thither in queft of licentious liberty; but, God brought him, that he might endow him with the glorious liberty of his ow children. The wretch went to Rome, that his perfidious character, as a purloiner of his mafter's goods, might be concealed; but, God brought him, that he might awaken his guilty confcience, and reduce him to the bleffed neceffity of condemning himself. And while Onefimus retired to Rome, that he might evade Philemon's fearch, and efcape the punishment due to his crimes,-0, how rich the grace! God brought him, that he might deliver him from the wrath to come, and recommend him, as a fellow-Chriftian, to his injured master for ever.

If, therefore, finners take up their refidence, with a view to nothing higher than conveniences and advantages of an outward nature, and their converfion take place by means which they could not otherwife have had accefs to :-If they attend a particular ordinance with no nobler view than to amufe themselves, gratify curiofity, meet with an acquaintance, fet a tryft, tranfact bufinefs, acquire a name, or, poffibly, to appear in their best cloaths; -and God be pleafed to make that very ordinance effectual to their falvation:-Or, though they repair to ordinances with the pitiful view of fcoffing at the preacher, making merry with the performance, or turning the ferioufnefs of others in