Puslapio vaizdai
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THE apostle Paul exprefsly affures us,*

that the nations of men, which "fometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Chrift; for he is our peace," the common peace of Jews and Gentiles,

having broke down the wall of partition between us, and reconciled us both to God in one body by the crofs: "In confequence whereof believing Gentiles" are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints and houfhold of God." Accordingly, that is his doctrine, There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the fame Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whofoever fhall call upon the name of the Lord fhall be faved. And again, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female ; for ye are all one in Chrift Jefus: And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's feed, and heirs according to the promise.'

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CONSONANT hereto was the commiffion our Lord gave his apostles to preach the gospel, the glad tidings of the accomplishment of the "bleffing promifed to Abraham." That was their order,§ "Go

Eph. II. 13th to the 18th. Rom. X. 12, 13. ‡ Gal. III. 28, 29. § Mat. XXVIII. 19.

ye

ye, and teach ALL NATIONS, baptifing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. It is elsewhere † worded, "Go ye into ALL THE WORLD, and preach the gospel to EVERY CREATURE," the whole human race. And it is in fact true, that they preached the gofpel, falvation by Jefus Chrift, not to the Jews only, but to the Gentiles alfo, without difcrimination, that is, to all nations and families of the earth, fo far as they were able, making no difference.

THE Jewish nation, 'tis true, were to have the precedence. The gofpel was firft to be preached to them; but not to the exclufion of the other nations. They alfo were comprehended, yea, expressly mentioned, in the promife to Abraham : And, in fulfilment of this promife, the gofpel ought to be, and actually was, preached to them. A fpecimen of this we meet with immediately upon the Spirit's being poured out upon the apostles on the day of Pentecoft; for" devout men, out of every nation under heaven," being now at Jerufalem, the " bleffing," contained in the "promife to Abraham," was offered to them in the name of Jefus Christ. *

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Chrift. And it is evident, from the preaching, especially of the apostle Paul, that no diftinction was made between one nation and another, between one man and another; but in all places, and to all perfons, as there was opportunity, the way to falvation by Jefus Chrift was impartially made known.

THE language, in which the actually bleffed by Jefus Chrift, the promised feed, áre fpoken of in fcripture, is a further obfervable proof, that the nations,in all corners of the earth, in all ages, without diftinction or limitation, are the object of the promise in my text. They are introduced in the book of the Revelation,* "Singing a new fong to Jefus the lamb of God," and faying, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou haft redeemed us to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and haft made us unto God kings and priests." And the apostle John" beheld in vifion,† and lo, a great multitude of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, ftood before the throne, and before the Lamb, and cried with a loud voice, faying, Salvation to our God,

and unto

* Rev. V. 9, 10. † Rev. VII. 9, 10.

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the Lamb. And no wonder this is the representation; for the " bleffed in Jefus Chrift," in the coming ftate, will be a collection of all forts and conditions of men, out of all nations, in all parts and ages of the world, even from the days of Adam, till time fhall be no more. It is accordingly to be remarked here, the "bleffing" promifed to "all nations" looks backwards as well as forwards; taking in all believers, like Abraham, from the beginning of the world to that day, as well as from that day to the end of the world. Hence Chrift, the promised feed, is spoken of, in the revelation to John, as the Lamb flain from the foundation of the world," that is, in the purpose, and according to the counfel of God; and fo as that obedient believers of all nations of the earth, even from the day that God promifed and faid, "the feed of the woman fhall bruife the ferpent's head," might be admitted to the benefit of "redemption thro' his blood, the forgiveness of their fins, according to the riches of God's grace.

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THUS gloriously extenfive is the OBJECT of the bleffing thro' the promised feed. 'Tis not confined to the nation of

D

Rev. XIII. 8.

the

the Jews in diftinction from theGentiles; neither is it limited to fome Gentile-nations to the exclufion of others: But "all nations of the earth," from the beginning of the world to the end of it, are comprehended in it.

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I HAVE now faid what may be tho't fufficient to illuftrate the promise in my text. It remains to make what has been offered useful, by calling your attention to fome fuitable reflections. And,

THE first thing obviously perceivable is, that the bleffing mankind in Jefus Chrift was the aim of God, and what he has been profecuting, all along from the beginning of the world. This was at first fuggefted only in general promises and predictions, and thefe fo worded as that Adam, Abraham, Mofes, David, and the Prophets, had not a clear and comprehenfive understanding of the things virtually and really intended by them. And, perhaps, it would not have confifted with the grand intermediate step in the affair of man's falvation, the fufferings and death of Jesus Christ, to have spoken more explicitly upon the matter, till this had been accomplished. But ftill, fo much was

faid

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