they have not all obeyed the gospel, even though pressed upon their acceptance-for these Israelites in particular, to whom the closest approaches had been made, and the fullest revelation had been given, turned out after all a disobedient and gainsaying people.

6

This somewhat unmanagable passage may be thus paraphrased. There is no difference between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord and Maker of all, is rich to all who call on Him. For whosoever shall call on His name shall be saved. But how can they call on Him till they believe in Him, and how can they believe unless they hear of Him, and how can they hear but by a preacher? And in order to this, preachers must be sent, even as those were of whom Isaiah speaks, when, hailing them as the messengers of good, he exclaims, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Yet it follows not that all who are thus preached unto shall believe. In point of fact, all did not put faith in the good tidings; and accordingly the same Isaiah complains of the smallness of their number -saying, Who hath believed our testimony? Yet though belief does not always come after a testimony, a testimony always, or at least ordinarily comes before the belief-for faith cometh by hearing, though not by all or any sort of hearing, but the hearing only of the word of God. Has not this word then been proclaimed to all? Yes truly -the barrier between Jew and Gentile is now

moved away; and the Sun of Righteousness should be made as free and patent to all as is the sun of nature. But did Israel share in this light? Yes, and that in a more signal and preeminent way: But, unworthy as they proved themselves of the privilege, even their own legislator threatened the removal of their candlestick to the other and darker places of the earth; and the highest of their prophets told them in still more decisive terms, that those high preferments of which they boasted, should be taken away from them, and given to others and that becanse of their continued resistance to a beseeching God, who had so long but in vain, pressed on their acceptance the overtures of His great salvation.'

There are various and important topics for reflection presented throughout the passage which forms the ground-work of this Lecture. But we forbear the further consideration of them at present; and all the more readily, that the opportunity for a future treatment of them will not be wanting in what remains of the epistle. For the views which have been already given by us of the 17th verse we refer to a Sermon published many years ago.

1

1First printed in 1812, and now to be found in our volume of 'Public and Occasional Sermons,' being vol. xi of the Series.

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LECTURE LXXXIII.

ROMANS, xi, 1--5.

"I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace."

In the preceding chapter we are told of the perfect and unqualified freeness of the gospel-insomuch that it may be held forth, nay urged, with all simplicity and earnestness on the acceptance of every man; and in virtue of this, whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved. It follows therefore, that there is not a human creature under heaven, from whom the offers of this said gospel ought to be withheld; and it is on the undoubted truth of this position that we have founded at least one reply to a question put, and sometimes in the form of a charge or complaint against the equity of the Divine administration, Why the blessings of Christianity should be so limited in point of extent, or, Why a religion, expressly designed for all

mankind, should have appropriated or taken full possession of so small a part of the human family? Our answer then was, that, ere we arraigned the policy or procedure of the Almighty in this matter, we should first hold a reckoning with ourselves, and determine whether we stand exempted from all censure and crimination on account of it.

Certain

it is, that a full and unrestricted commission has been put into our hands-Go unto all nations, Go and preach the gospel unto every creature. Have we fulfilled this task? Before speculating on the part which God may have had in this result, would it not be well to enquire how far we stand acquitted of our own part in it? Ere we put the question, Why it is that all men do not believe is there not another question which seems to have the natural precedency, Have all men been preached unto? Have missionaries yet gone abroad over all the dark places of the earth; or, even at our own doors, has the message of salvation been enough sounded forth, or pressed with sufficient importunity on the attention of all the families within the limits of Christendom? If in this we have failed or fallen short, which we have most glaringly, it is scarcely for us at least to charge God with partiality-the God who has put into our hands so liberal and large a warrant, and accompanied it with the promise too, that, in the discharge of it He would be with us always even unto the end of the world. Have we worked enough under the precept?—or prayed enough over the promise? It is scarcely

for us at least to cast reproaches on the high government of Heaven, ere we first addressed ourselves and that with diligent hands and dependent hearts, to our assigned task upon earth; and then, after having overtured the gospel to all men, seen whether, as the effect of a universal proclamation, a universal Christianity did not follow in its train.

But this, however justly or pertinently it may be said, is yet far from a complete or adequate solution of the phenomenon in question. It is not enough to tell us that the gospel might be declared unto all men, and that all who believe shall be savedwhen in point of fact all do not and will not believe it. As to the objective presentation thereof, there might be the utmost possible latitude and freeness in the gospel; but, in order to its taking effect, there must also be a subjective consent thereto on the part of those to whom it is addressed. Now it appears from thousands and thousands more of successive specimens, in the as many different localities where the experiment has been tried, that all who hear the gospel, even however rightly and authoritatively preached to them, do not obey the gospel; and this difference, this subjective difference between one man and another, is a fact or phenomenon which remains to be accounted for. We shall not here say over again what we have already said, when, expounding former chapters in this epistle, we were led to discuss the high topic of predestination. We then admitted, and still with all confidence repeat, that while there is diver