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deemed them by the blood of his Crofs. "Tis true, the profpect as yet feems very gloomy, and one fees in them every thing that is deteftable, and scarce one good quality; add to this, they are despised by the whole world, and have often been banished divers countries for their perfidious practices. But may not one add, they fee very little amongst the generality of thofe called Chriftians, to. induce them, either to read the New Teftament, or to hear thofe called Chriftian Teachers? For are the Jews accused of being covetous, deceitful, liars, thieves, cruel, and rapacious? And may not all this, with dreadful and aggravating circumftances, be applied to the greater part

of fuch as are called Chriftians ?—I will not mention the direful circumstances of Mexico and Peru, or those of the Dutch in the Eaft Indies; as. perhaps, it may be objected they were Papists and Dutchmen who committed thofe horrid barbarities over so many thoufands: but let any one confider the tranfactions of our own countrymen in the East-Indies, and of the Slave-Trade in the WeftIndies. O earth! cover not their blood! How many in England now are rioting upon the flesh and blood of the poor Blacks, who are made to howl every day? I don't remember, either hearing, or reading, that ever a Jew was engaged in that infernal calling. In fhort, I know not one evil attributed to the Jews but what is found among the Chriftians'; I mean, fuch as are called Chrif tians-fo that can be no bar at all, feeing where fin does abound, grace fhall much more abound.

3. AS CHRIST has died for them to atone for their offences, fo he has procured for them the Holy Spirit to foften the ftony heart, and torn it intò an heart of flesh :

for

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for unto them, in an especial manner, belong the promises mentioned in Ezekiel, and directly to the point is that defcription of holy mourning,And I will pour upon the Houfe of David, and the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the spirit of grace and fupplication; and they fhall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one that mourneth for his only fon, and shall be in bitternefs for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born *. And at the first gracious out-pouring of the Spirit, the first glorious shower, the Apoftle having quoted a paffage from Joel, where the effufion of the Spirit is fpoken of, concludes his addrefs to the Jews thus: For the promify to wit of the Spirit, i to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call +.

THE Gospel being univerfally proclaimed, of courfe it will reach the Jews, and they will hear it; and, as Faith comes by hearing, foitwill come to them. They originally took offence at the low and mean appearance which the Saviour made in the world. They, not understanding the Scriptures, had been taught to expect a Meffiah in pomp and grandeur; but now they will fee his kingdom is not of this world, and will acknowledge their King coming meek and lowly, to dwell in meck and lowly hearts. The vail is yet upon their hearts, but then the vail fhall be taken away; for the Lord is that Spirit, which hall take the vail away; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty §. The heart of tone being turned into a heart of fiefh, they shall bow to the once

*Zech. xii. 20.
Zech. ix. 9. :

defpifed

+ As ii. 39.
§ 2 Cor. iii. 15, 16, 17.

defpifed Nazarene; for every knee shall bow, and, confequently, their knees fhall bow, and every tongue confefs him to be. Lord to the glory of the Father, Thus will their unbelief be removed, and they graffed into their own olive; there shall be one fold and one Shepherd +.: They were offended at the Gentiles having the offers of Salvation, and, like the elder fon in the parable, would. not go in; but the father came out and intreated him, and made him to understand that it should not leffen his patrimony; for, said he, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine; nevertheless, it is meet that ave fhould be glad, and make merry, for this thy brother is come: for he was dead, but is alive; he was loft, and is found ‡. And who would not rejoice to see the defcendants of those venerable Patriarchs and Prophets, Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, Mofes and Aaron, Samuel and David-I say, who would not rejoice to fee them brought to the true Shepherd of Ifrael? Who, that knows any thing of Religion, can but feel a moft cordial affection for that chofen race, from whom the Saviour of the world came, who was born King of the Jews? Now, as God foretold their difperfion at a time when it did not feem very likely, yet it minutely came to pafs, why fhould not their restoration as affuredly take place?-I have proved that he is able, and, I think, I have fufficiently proved that he is willing; and he will remove their infidelity, and make them a willing people in the day of his power. If the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and his Chrift, muft the progeny of faithful Abraham, the friend of God, and the literal brethren of the Great

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Great Meffiah-I fay, muft these be a fet of out-cafts, a troop of vagrants, and a fort of lawlefs banditti ? God forbid. It is true, for a long feafon Ifrael hath been without the true God, and without a true teaching Prieft, and without law: but if they feek him, though in trouble, he will be found of them*. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon them: he will subdue their iniquities: he will caft all fins into the depth of the fea.-He will perform the truth unto Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which he hath fworn to their fathers from the days of old. In short, fo great an honour will God confer upon his people, that in those days it shall come to pass, that ten men fhall take boli, out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the fkirt of him that is a fer, faying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with

you ‡.

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SERMON VII.

The Fullness of the Gentiles.

1S A. xi. 11.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jeffe, which shall ftand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles feek, and his rest shall be glorious.

HAVE lately pleaded the cause of the dispersed and

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unbelieving Jews, proving, from the living oracles, that God hath not caft them off; but that he will gather them from all lands, and will manifeft himself to be their God, and will own them to be his people-his people for ever-for they fhall go out no more-hall wander from the true Shepherd no more. And, as it hath been obferved, who will not rejoice at their being gathered in ? › When we confider the noble ftock from whence they are fprung, the father of the faithful, and the friend of God; as alfo the exceeding free intercourfe Jehovah favoured. them with, their rifing and falling, conquefts and defeats, captivity and freedom, make the greateft fubject of the Bible,-whoever confiders this, and efpecially confi dering the near affinity betwixt them and the Great Meffiah; I fay, whoever he is that confiders this, cannot

but

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