SECT. Where is it fo warmly urged, as in the III. writings of the great Apoftle of the Gen

tiles. In fhort, it is the exprefs command of our Lord himself, that his Apostles fhould go and teach all nations, baptiz

ing them in the name of the Father, " and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft'." The fenfe, in which Chrift is faid to build the temple, has already been noticed m.

The next prophecy, that demands our attention, is one applied by our Saviour to himself"; and the whole tenor both of his words and actions fhews fufficiently, with how much propriety. "The Spirit of the "Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tid

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ings unto the meek; he hath sent me "to bind up the broken-hearted, to pro"claim liberty to the captives, and the

opening of the prison to them that are "bound; to proclaim the acceptable year "of the Lord, and the day of vengeance "of our God; to comfort all that mourn -Strangers fhall ftand and feed your "flocks, and the fons of the alien fhall be

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your plowmen, and your vine-dreffers

Matt. xxviii. 19. m Vid. fup. p. 212.

• Luke iv. 17.

"Their feed fhall be known among the CHAP. "Gentiles, and their offspring among the

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people: all that fee them, fhall acknowledge them, that they are the feed which "the Lord hath bleffed-The Lord God

"will caufe righteoufnefs and praise to fpring forth before all the nations."

The latter part of this prediction speaks of the call of the Gentiles, and the final converfion of the Jews. We ourselves are ftanding proofs of the truth of the first of these promises; and as for the fecond, we must piously hope and believe, that God will accomplish it likewise in his own good time.

Perhaps one of the most particular prophecies, of the admiffion of the Gentiles, and the exclufion of the Jews, is contained in the fixty-fifth chapter of this truly evangelical Prophet. "I am fought of them, that afked not for me; I am "found of them, that fought me not. I

faid, Behold me, behold me, unto a na"tion that was not called by my name. "I have fpread out my hands all the day "unto a rebellious people, which 'walked

• Ifaiah Ixi.

II.

III.

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SECT. "in a way not good after their own thoughts-which fay, Stand by thyself, "come not near to me, for I am holie: "than thou. These are a fmoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day— "Behold my fervants fhall eat, but ye "fhall be hungry; behold my fervants "fhall drink, but ye fhall be thirsty; be"hold my fervants fhall rejoice, but ye "fhall be afhamed; behold my fervants "fhall fing for joy of heart, but ye fhall cry for forrow of heart, and howl for "vexation of fpirit; and ye fhall leave

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your name for a curfe unto my chofen." Such is the accuracy, with which the fpiritual pride of the Jews during our Saviour's ministry, and their fupercilious contempt of the Gentiles, is described. With equal exactness is their fituation delineated, ever fince they incurred the heinous guilt of crucifying the Lord of life. From that time to this, their name has been almoft literally a curfe over the whole earth.

There is another prophecy in the fixtieth chapter of Ifaiah, which, if poffible, is yet more exprefs than the former. "Arife,

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fhine, for thy light is come, and the

glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

"For

II.

"For behold, darkness fhall cover the CHAP. "earth, and grofs darkness the people: but "the Lord fhall arise upon thee, and his glory fhall be feen upon thee. And the "Gentiles fhall come to thy light, and kings to the brightnefs of thy rifing. "Lift up thine eyes round about, and fee; "all they gather themselves together, they "come to thee: thy fons fhall come from far, and thy daughters fhall be nursed at

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86

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thy fide. Then fhalt thou fee, and flow together; and thine heart fhalt be enlarged; because the abundance of the "fea fhall be converted unto thee, and the "forces of the Gentiles fhall come unto "thee-Surely the ifles fhall wait for me, "and the ships of Tarfhifh firft, to bring thy fons from far, their filver and their

gold with them, unto the name of the "Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of "Ifrael, because he hath glorified thee. "And the fons of strangers shall build up

thy walls, and their kings fhall minister "unto thee: for in my wrath I fmote "thee, but in my favour have I had mercy "on thee. Therefore thy gates fhall be open continually; they fhall not be shut

day nor night; that men may bring "unto thee the forces of the Gentiles,

. SECT.

II.

"and that their kings may be brought"Thou shalt alfo fuck the milk of the Gentiles, and fhalt fuck the breast of kings."

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It is obfervable, that the grand seat of Christianity is particularly mentioned in this beautiful paffage. The abundance of the fea; the isles; and the fhips of Tarshish; are well-known terms in Scripture to express the continent of Europe. Whether it be addreffed to the church of Chrift transferred from the Jews to the Gentiles, or whether it relate to the particular manner in which the Jews are to return from the land of their difperfion, is perhaps not abfolutely certain. But whichever of these circumstances be more particularly alluded to by the Spirit of God, the converfion of the Gentiles to Chriftianity is most clearly predicted.

Ifaiah dwells fo continually on this theme, that to repeat all his prophecies relative to the call of the Heathen nations, would be nearly to tranfcribe the whole volume. I cannot however forbear citing one more to the fame purpose, in which Christ himself is the fpeaker, for it also feems