most fatisfactorily proved, that these predic→ tions were certainly antecedent to the event. Ifaiah, in his prophecies concerning the future Meffiah, continually mentions his admiffion of the Gentiles to his dominion. And there fhall come forth a rod (or fceptre) out of the flem of Fee: and a branch fhall grow cut of his roots. fhall be a rect of Jeffe,

And in that day there

which shall ftand for

an enlign of the people to it shall the Gentiles feck. Ifaiah xi. 1, 2, and 10-Behold my fervant, where I uphold: mine elect, in when my foul deligbeth. I have put my spirit wpen kim, ke fball bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Haish xlii. 1.--I have called thee in righteousness-for a light unto the Gentiles. Haigh xlii. 6.And the Gentiles fall fee thy righteousness: and all the kings the glory. Haiah Ixii. 2.--And the Gentills phall come to thy light, and kings to the bigbends of thy ring. Ifaiah Ix. 3.-To the fame purpofe fpeaks the prophet Jeremiah-The Gentiles fhall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall fay, Surely ear fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and elings, in which there is no profit. Jere

miah xvi. 19--The words of the prophet Malachi to this purpofe are very particular. I have no pleasure in you (ye houfe of Ifrael) faith the Lord of bofts: neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rifing of the fun, even unto the going down of the fame, my name fhall be great among the Gentiles-my name fhall be great among the beathen. Malachi i. 10 and 11.--The Pfalmist introduces the Meffiah, as mentioning the promise of God, that the Gentiles should be admitted to his kingdom.—The Lord hath faid-Afk of me, and I fall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance: and the farthest parts of the earth for thy poffeffion. Pfalm ii. 8.-Here we fee the rejection of the Jews ftrongly intimated; and the admiffion of the Gentile nations declared. Thus we find these holy men foretelling an event, quite contrary to the popular opinion, when there appeared not the leaft probability of its being fulfilled. No human forecaft could have conceived it.

The fame intimation was given long afterwards, when the prophet Simeon took in his arms the infant Jefus, and pronoun

ced

ced him to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of Ifrael. Luke ii. 32. But above all our Saviour himself, who affumed with his ufual humility the title and character of a fhepherd, tells his difciples, that he fhould fuperintend, not merely them, and thofe of their nation, but another flock, which demanded his care. Other Sheep I barve, which are not of this fold: them alfo must I bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there fhall be one fold, and one Shepherd. John x. 16.

The Second Difficulty.

We now come to a fecond obftacle, which nothing but the interpofition of the Deity could remove. This arofe from the wrong notions, which the apostles and difciples of Chrift had entertained of his kingdom, and their national abhorrence of other people. They had the teftimony of the prophets to enlighten their minds, and they had heard the words of their mafter; who told them, that he fhould have another fold. But their prejudices were ftrong, and here

ditary:

No

ditary and however exprefs the declaration, they could not conceive it to be true. thing but the divine influence could wean them of their prepoffeffion. At laft it pleased God to admonish Peter in a vision; and to inform him, that the bar was now to be taken away and that he was to call nothing of itself unclean, and impure, which God had created: and, consequently, he was nót to fhew any abhorrence to people of other nations. Upon this the apostle made a visit under the direction of the Holy Spirit to Cornelius, a Roman centurion. And finding that this perfon had been favoured with a divine communication, Peter feemed to awake as out of a long fleep, and saidOf a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of perfons: but in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. In confequence of this he baptized Cornelius, and his family, who had previously received the gift of the Holy Ghost and he afterwards inftructed the other apoftles and disciples with the will and determination of God. But still they adhered to the rites of the Mofaic law,

which were not compatible with Chriftianity. For they confifted for the most part of emblems and allufions, which related to Christ and his mediatorial office: and the type became idle and useless, when the thing fignified was arrived. Upon this it pleased God to raise Paul of Tarfus, a very extraordinary man, who, through a false zeal, had been a grievous perfecutor of the Chriftians. But, by a miraculous converfion, he became a strong pillar of the church; and the principal apoftle of the Gentiles. He infifted upon the inutility of the former law which was inconfiftent with the gofpel of Chrift, which was ftiled the law of the New Teftament. Saint Peter, at laft, co-operated with him: and they confirmed the other difciples. Upon this they all began to betake themfelves into various regions of the earth; teaching, and baptizing: and thoufands and ten thousands were made profelytes to the gofpel. The prejudices and difficulties, which I have here mentioned, could not have been removed by human means. We perceive the power of God through the whole operation.

The