Yet there be fome of every nation that are bleffed in him, and receive bleffings from him; and upon which account they afcribe praife unto him, Rev. v. 9. and they fung a new fong, faying, thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof; for thou waji hain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every tongue, kindred, people and nation. Thus it appears, that this promife hath its full accomplishment in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, especially if we confider what the LORD laith, fu. xlix. 6. I also will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayeft be my falvation to the ends of the earth. Now by CHIS's being God's falvation to the ends of the earth, may be understood the accomplishment of all nations. being bleffed in him, which made the raptured Ifraelite to say, Luke ii. 29, 30, 31, 32. Lord, now lettest thou thy fervant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have feen thy falvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Ifrael.

Likewife all nations might be bleffed in CHRIST, as the gofpel, which contains all the bleffings of heaven, was com manded to be published throughout all nations, Matt. xxviii. 19. Go therefore and teach all nations, &c. Agreeable thereto, we find, that his ambaffadors have compaffed fea and land to proclaim the bleflings of the great MESSIAH; a view of which made the Prophet fay, Pfal. xix. 4. Their line (in the original, their doctrine) is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. This was the only way appointed by GoD for the accomplishment of this great promife, and made the great MESSIAH himself to fay to the ifles that are afar off, that have not heard my fame, fays he, neither have feen my glory; and they fhull declare my glory among the Gentiles, Ifa. Ixvi. 19. And remarkable is that faying of the great MESSIAH, Ifa. Ix. 9. Surely the ifles fhall wait for me. And again, he faith, I will fay unto the north, give up; and to the fouth keep not back; bring my fons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; which evidently fhews, that the bleffings of CHRIST are not confined to any particular people or nation, and that the promile we are treating of, hath its completion in JESUS, as the feed of Abraham, according to the fiefa, in whom all nations of the earth were to be bleffed.

Friendly. But is it not faid, John iv. 22. Salvation is of the Jews? And doth not the Apoftle confirm it in Rem. ix, 4, 5. who are Ifraelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, and the giving of the law, and the

promifes; whofe are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the feh, Chrift came, who is over all, God bleed for ever?

and will in a

them

Truth. Salvation may be faid to be of the Jews, as they were a peculiar and diftinct people, feparated by GOD from all other nations of the world, to whom he made known his mind diftinguishing manner, promifed that the MESSIAH fhould fpring from among them, and therefore gave many types and prefigurations of his coming; he likewife declared that he would be their GOD, and that they should be his people; upon which account Mofes fays, Happy art thou, Ifrael, who is like unto thee, O people? Yet it is evident, that the bleffings of life and falvation, or in other words, the blefings of the MESSIAH were not to be confined to the Jews, as Mofes gave them early intelligence, where he fays, Deut. XXXII. 21. I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. And faith the MESSIAH himfelf, I am fought of them that afked not for me; I am found of them that fought me not; I jaid, behold me, behold me, to a nation that was not called by my name, Ifa. lxv. 1. And again he faith, Hof. ii. 23. I will fay unto them which were it my people, thou art my people; and they shall fay, thou art my Gad, Now the Prophet Ifaiah elegantly defcribes who this people were, and having a prophetic view of what CHRIST would do for them, cries out in a kind of transport, Isa. lx. 1. Arife, foine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is rijen upon thee; v. 2. he fays, Behold, darkness fhall cover the earth, and grofs darkness the people; intimating thus much, that when his light fhall come, it thall be a time of great ignorance, darknefs, and alienation from the ways of GOD, among his own peculiar people; or it might denote, the Gentiles heathenith darkness and idolatry; yet, notwithstanding all, as if he had faid, but the Lord fhall arife upon thee, and his glory fall be feen in thee; then in v. 3. he applies himself to the MESSIAH and fays, the Gentiles fhall come to thy light, and the Kings to the brightness of thy rifing; and faith Matthew, In his me fhall the Gentiles truft. Theie make it manifeft, that the bleffings of the MESSIAH are not confined to the nation of the Jews, for at that time Jews and Gentiles were the characters that diftinguished the whole world, and might be the reafon which made the Apoftle call the Gentiles the world, Rom. xii. 12. therefore by the bleffings of falvation being communicated to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, which took in all the world, we might thereby apprehend, the confummate accom

plishment of the promife in CHRIST, in whom all nations of the

earth were to be bleffed, as faith the Apostle, Gal. iii. 14. That the bleffings of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles; which evidently appears, according to Acts xiii. 46, 47, 48. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and faid, it was neceffary that the word of God should first be fpoken unto you (meaning the Jews) but feing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlofting life, bo we turn to the Gentiles. For fo the Lord commanded us, faying, I have fet thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldeft be for falvation to the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

From hence, my dear Friendly, let you and I admire the riches of JEHOVAH's love, that it fhould branch forth fo richly and freely to us Gentiles, whom the Jews accounted as dogs and outcafts, nay as accurfed; yet, O amazing! that we fhould be the objects of JEHOVAH's love: and, what is ftill more aftonithing and ftupendous, that he fhould leave in unbelief his ancient people the Jews, the feed of Abraham, to take us into the bofom of his love. O wonderful grace! amazing kindness! if we would contemplate love, here we may view it with admiration! well may the Angels defire to pry into it, and happy they that are always contemplating and adoring it! John iii. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we fhould be called the fons of

God.

Secondly, What fill ftrikes the mind with the most elevated admiration and joy, is, that it is love unthought of, and unfought for; and I might add, love that is too high to be comprehended, and too deep to be fathomed; which fhould engage our minds, out of gratitude and ingenuity, to pay a facred regard to the Apostle's exhortation, 1 Pet. iii. 3. For the time paft of our life may fuffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles: no more to walk as vaffals and flaves to our lufts, grafping at momentary fhadows, and fublunary enjoyments, like thote that are in bondage to the world, and are fervants to fin and Satan, but let us, having our affections fixed above, pay a folemn veneration to the ways of our GoD, declaring plainly, that we feek a country, namely, an heavenly one and if we expect a kingdom, which cannot be moved, then as the Apoftic faith, 2 Pet.. iii. 11. What manner of perfon ought we to be in all holy converfation and godliness.

Friendly. My dear Truth, with your leave, we will now proceed to the next prophecy of CHRIST, which appears, Gen xlix. 10. The fceptre jhall not depart from Judah, nor a latt

giver from between bis feet, until Shiloh come: to whom the gathering of the people fhall be. Pray whom may I understand by Shilob? What by his coming before the fceptre departed from Jadab? And what by his gathering of the people?

Truth. By Shiloh, feveral of the Jewish Targums, underftand the King MESSIAH; which was in general the received lenle of the ancient Jews, and is frequently acknowledged in the writings of the modern ones: and indeed the figni fication of the word proves the fact, though learned men, both among Jesus and Chriftians, differ about its derivation, and thereby the fignification of it; yet they all agree in this, that it fignifies the MESSIAH. Kimchi fays, it fignifies his SON; upon which the learned Dr. Gill juftly obferves, "What Son "of his can we fo reasonably fuppofe to be intended, as the "famous renowned Son of his, the Nagid, the Prince "MESSIAH, who was to fpring from his tribe, as it is mani"felt the MESSIAH JESUS did; and the word having a "feminine affix, has led fome to obferve, and that not without fome reason, that this Son of Judah was to be the feed of "the woman, or to be born of a virgin. Others have taken "it to be a compound word, and fo read it, to whom gifts "belong or fhall be brought; for which Tarchi cites the "Midrash Agadah. Now of the MESSIAH, it is prophefied, "that prefents fhould be brought, and gifts given to him, Pfal. lxxii. 10, 15. which had its literal accomplishment "in the MESSIAH JESUS; to whom the wife men prefented gifts, gold, frankincenfe, and myrrh: but the most learned men derive the word from an Hebrew root, which fignifies to be quite peaceable and profperous." Which fignifications are very applicable to the MESSIAH, whofe difpofition was fo quiet, and fo far from popular applause and oftentation, that the Prophet fays, Ifa. xlii. 2. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor caufe bis voice to be beard in the street. And as to peaceableness, he is ftiled the Prince of peace. And faith the Prophet Micah, This man fhall be our peace: and alfo faith the Apoitle, Col. i. 20. Having made peace by the blood of his crofs. And then, as to his being profperous, it is exactly confonant with the LORD's promife to him, as the MESSIAH and SAVIOUR of his people, Ifa. liii. 10. He fhall fee his feed, he fhall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall profper in his hands; which is no more than what might be expected, upon fuch a grand defign, and wonderful undertaking; all which proves, that the prophecy hath its full accomplishment in CHRIST. This will farther appear, if we confider, what is faid of the

"

k

Shiloh, and unto him fhall the gathering of the people be! which will agree with no other but the King MESSIAH, as the Prophet describes it, † Ifa. xi. 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Feffe, which shall ftand for an ensign of the people; to it fhall the Gentiles feek, and his eft fhall be glorious; and a prophetic view of the Gentiles fleeing to him, and of CHRIST'S ample gathering of them into his fold, makes him in another place cry out in rapture, Who are thefe that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows? Some render the words, unto him fhall the obedience of the people be; which ftill is a confirmation of this prophecy being fulfilled in JESUS, whofe people are not only made willing in the day of his power, but are, by grace, an obediential people; one faith, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Another faith, speak, Lord, thy fervant heareth. Here am I, fend me. Another faith, What shall I render to the Lord, &c. Rev. xii. 4. These are they that follow the Lamb whitherfoever he goeth.

Before we enter upon the other particular in the text, let us make a fhort reflection. Does Shiloh fignify quietness, peace, and profperity? Have you and I found quietnefs and ferenity of mind, peace and tranquillity of foul, in the LORD JESUS?" who faith, bn xvi. 33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. Likewife hath his blood and love been profperous and victorious in the falvation of our fouls? Hath it conquered our wills, fubdued our corruptions, captivated our affections, fanctified our minds, and thereby made us veffels fit for our master's use; then may we rejoice in the dear Shiloh of Ifrael, to whom it was prophecied that the gathering of the people fhould be, which is clearly exemplified in JESUS, as the true MESSIAH.

First, They are gathered to him by converting grace; for by nature they are all like fheep that are gone aftray, but by the efficacy of regenerating grace they return unto him as the fhepherd and bifhop of their fouls.

Secondly, They are gathered to him affectionately, when they cleave to him with full purpose of heart, and out of a principle of love and regard for his honour, embrace his ways, and follow him in all his divine appointments, feal their love to him, (before God, angels and man) by a steady adherence

+We hope the realer will not be offended, at our frequent method, in opening one fcripture by the key of another, as we think it the moft concife and fatisfactory way. Thole that defire more polemical differtations upon the fubject, we refer them to Dr. PRIDEAUX, and Dr. GILL.