for complaint, fince the univerfal Lord wifhes to treat both Jews and Gentiles with kind and impar tial benevolence, that he hath fent the gospel among the Gentiles ?

18, 19, 20, 21. “But I fay, Have they not heard? yes, verily, their found went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I fay, Did not Ifrael know? firft, Mofes faith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation will I anger you. But Efaias is very bold, and faith I was found of them that fought me not; I was made manifeft unto them that afked not after me. But to If rael he faith, All day long I have ftretched forth my hands unto a difobedient and gainfaying peo~ple."

But what right can my brethren have to find fault, that the Gentiles have heard the gofpel? they have alfo heard, and had the offer of it; for the preachers of the gofpel have been heard almost all over the Roman empire. But how could Ifrael be ignorant, that the Gentiles were to hear the gofpel, and be invited into the church of God? fince Mofes expressly fay, Deut. xxxii. 21. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not god; they have provoked to anger with me their vanities; and I will move them with thofe which are not a people, I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation." But Efaias, in bolder and plainer language, predicts the unmerited favor of God to the Gentile world *

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was found of them that fought me not; I was manifefted, as the kind Father of the human race, to them that afked not after me. But juft and righteous is this temporary rejection of Ifrael, fince they have long enjoyed and abused the favor of their God.

Now, my candid reader, you have paffed in review another of thofe three important chapters, which contain the most exprefs proof of the eternal mifery of a part of the Jewish nation.

In this chapter we have feen difplayed, to great advantage, the gospel method of divine acceptance, The mistake of the Jews, in feeking juftification in their way; and the importance of fecking it through faith. We have been led to confider the Father of creation as entertaining an impartial benevolence to all the nations of the earth; and fending the gospel, with its facred bleflings to every creature, to all men ; according to the various predictions of his ancient prophets; and rejecting a part of the Jewish nation from the privileges of his church, for their unbelief, Of this rejection we shall be better able to judge from the next chapter. Does the reader yet fee the least fhadow of evidence of eternal milery, or of a partial benevolence of God towards men?

'We will now proceed to the 11th. chapter.

1. "I fay then hath God caft away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Ifraelite, of the feed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin."

Are we to conclude that God hath caft off all his

people?

people? Far be it. I am an Ifraelite, of the feed of Abraham, and tribe of Benjamin.

2, 3. God hath not caft away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the fcripture faith of Elias, how he maketh interceffion to God against Ifrael faying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they feek my life?"

God hath not now caft away those whom he foreknew as early receivers of the gospel. Time was when the prophet Elias thought, that all Ifrael had gone to the worship of idols; but it presently appear

ed that he was mistaken.

4.

"But what faith the answer of God unto him? I have referved to my felf seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baa!."

But the answer of God to the prophet, was that he had referved feven thousand men, who had not worshipped the image of Baal.

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. "Even fo then, at this pref ent time alfo there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwife grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it be no more grace; otherwise work is no more work. What then? If rael hath not obtained that which he feeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the reft were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of flumber, eyes that they fhould not fee, and ears that they should not hear)

unto

unto this day. And Daivď faith, Let their table be made a fnare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompenfe unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not fee, and bow down their back alway."

As in the days of Elias, fo is it now: there is a remnant of the Jews who have received the gospel, and these are the election of grace to continue in their old olive, and make a part of the Chriftian Gentile church; and for the reft of the nation; they are ftill blind and full of prejudice.

And if this election of a part of Ifrael to the enjoyment of present church standing, be in virtue of perfonal merit, it is not of free favor; otherwise, there is no perfonal merit. And if it be of free favor it is not of personal merit; otherwife there is no fuch thing as free favor. What then fhall we fay ? the cafe truly is, that the diftinguishing privilege of the people of God, which the whole nation is fond of, they have not obtained, under the new difpenfation, but an elect number have, and the reft remain blind.

According to the predictions of Efaias, they have Been devoted to judicial blindness and deafness to this day.

And David, fpeaking of hard-hearted rebellious Ifrael, fays, Let their table be a fnare, a trap, a ftumBling block, and a recompenfe unto them. Let judicial blindnefs feize them, and let them bow down and ftumble.

11, “I " I fay then, have they ftumbled that they fhould fall? God forbid. But rather through their fall falvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy."

I ask then, have Ifrael ftumbled fo as finally to fall, and is their prefent rejection a final one? Far be it. The fact, is, that, through their fall, or present rejection, the Gentiles are admitted into their ancient church ftate, to excite them to emulation, that they may hereafter be received.

12. "Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness ?"

If the prefent fall of a part of the Jews be the o6cafion of a rich bleffing to the Gentile world, and the partial rejection of the ancient church, be the mean of a large acceffion from the Gentiles: their full return and reception to favor, must be a much richer blefling to the world.

13, 14. "For I fpeak to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office; If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them."

I addrefs my felf to the Gentiles, as I am their a postle, I fulfil my apoftolic charge. And I with that, by my fidelity to the Gentiles, I may be a mean of exciting emulation in the breafts of my people, and, in this way, of reclaiming and faving them.

15. "For if the calling away of them be the re

conciling