what may well be called the divine politics of the world. Truly, we may exclaim with the prophet, that the nation of Israel has been wonderful from her beginning hitherto.*

They were the sole depositaries upon earth of the saving knowledge of the true God. "In Jewry," saith the Psalmist," is God known, his name is great in Israel." And by the prophet Amos, "Thus spake the Lord of hosts to the Jewish nation, You only have I known of all the families of the earth." There is, indeed, a knowledge of God from which no intelligent creature can be hid. His existence is known, being clearly seen by the things which He hath made; so that all mankind are without excuse. But the wonders of creation tell nothing of the moral character of the Creator, and it is in this alone that saving knowledge consists. This was confined to the Jews. All the other nations upon earth, with whatever degrees of clearness they may have known the existence of God the Creator, glorified Him not as God the moral governor: "Neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." With what animation does the prophet Isaiah expose the idolatry of the nations as contrasted with the state of Israel. Isaiah xliii. 9, 10: "Let all the * Isaiah xviii. Rom. i. 21-23.

nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” And xliv. 9 and 19-22: "They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses: they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burnt part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: 0 Israel! thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee."

St Paul, in his sermon at Athens, informs us that God winked at that time of ignorance among the nations. Thus we see that the Jews alone were made acquainted with the true God, and

bore to the world the relation of God's special witnesses.

They were also the chosen channel for the transmission of the promised seed, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed. In this sense, most remarkably, salvation is, and has been, of the Jews. The foreordained seed of Abraham, to be transmitted from father to son, in the tribe of Judah, in the family of David; and in the fulness of time to be taken of the substance of a virgin of the house and lineage of David, and united to God in the person of the eternal Word-that seed was the shield of a fallen world. There was in the Jewish nation a citadel, rendered impregnable by the predestinating purpose of Jehovah. Satan, successful in all other lands, was forced to feel that there remained a spot upon earth, against which the gates of hell could not prevail; a standing witness of the sovereignty of Him who ruleth after the counsel of His own will, in heaven, earth, and hell; a solitary rose blooming in the midst of a wild howling wilderness, a specimen and an earnest (though a faint one) of what God could make the whole earth, of what the whole earth shall be made when the appointed time shall come; a nation which contained a tribe, which contained a family, which contained the predestinated flesh of the God-Man, the Saviour of the world.

Further, the Jewish nation formed the main spring of what may be called the divine politics of the world. For their sakes, kings and nations were raised up and cast down by the Lord of

hosts. Hear the philosophy of ancient Jewish history revealed by the Holy Ghost; hear, O ye Gentiles and be astonished at the loving-kindness of the God of Israel. His acts of terrific judgment upon Israel's enemies are enumerated in praise of His mercy: because Israel, to whom He was showing mercy, was His son, His firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the LORD of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever. The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever. The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that smote Egypt in their first-born: for his mercy endureth for ever: and brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever. With a strong hand, and with a stretched-out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which divided the Red Sea into parts for his mercy endureth for ever. And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever. But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea for his

To him which led his

mercy endureth for ever. people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: and slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon, king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: and Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: and gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: even an heritage unto Israel his servant : for his mercy endureth for ever. Who remem

bered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: and hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever."*

Hear, also, what the Lord saith to the king of Assyria: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the LORD hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion, and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks."† Hear, also, what the LORD saith of Cyrus: "He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundations shall be laid. Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations beIsaiah x. 5-12.

* Psalm cxxxvi.