If the mercy of God be so great as savinglý to instruct us, even while he hides himself from us, what light may we not expect, when he shall please to unveil his perfections?

We can understand nothing of the works of God, if we do not take it as a principle, that he blinds some while he illuminates others.

XIX.

THAT TRUE CHRISTIANS AND TRUE JEWS, HAVE BUT ONE AND THE SAME RELIGION.

THE Jewish Religion SEEMS essentially to consist in the paternity of Abraham, the rite of circumcision, the sacrifices, the ceremonies, the ark, the temple at Jerusalem, and, in short, in the law and the covenant of Moses.

I affirm, however, that it consisted in neither of these, but in the love of God alone; and that God rejected every thing without this.

That God bore no manner of regard to the carnal Israel who descended from Abraham.

That the Jews were to be punished by God

And it shall be, that if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods; I testify against you this day, that ye shall surely perish; as the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish. Deut. viii. 19, 20.

That strangers, if they loved God, should be accepted by him as the Jews.

That the true Jews would ascribe all their merit to God, and not to Abraham. Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer. Isa. lxiii. 16.

Moses himself assured them that God was no accepter of persons. God, says he, regardeth not persons, nor taketh rewards. Deut. x. 17.

I affirm, that the circumcision enjoined was that of the heart. Circumcise, therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. For the Lord your God is a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, who regardeth not persons, &c. Deut. x. 16, 17. Jer. iv. 4.

That God promised to bestow on them this grace. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Deut. xxx. 6.

That the uncircumcised in heart shall be judged of God. I will punish them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; for all these

nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart. Jer. ix. 25, 26.

I add, that circumcision was a figure, instituted to distinguish the Jews from all other nations. Gen. xvii. 10. And this was the reason that it was not performed in the wilderness, because there was then no danger of their mixing with strangers; and since Jesus Christ has come, it is no longer necessary.

That the love of God is every where enforced : I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live; that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him ; for he is thy life. Deut. xxx. 19, 20.

It is said, that the Jews, for want of this love of God, should be rejected on account of their crimes, and the Gentiles admitted in their stead. I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God, they have provoked me to anger with their

vanities, and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people, I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. Deut. xxxii.

That temporal blessings are fallacious, and that the only true good is to be united to God. Ps. lxxiii. 27.

That their festivals and sacrifices were displeasing to God. Isa. lxvi. 3. Jer. vi. 20. Not only those of the wicked Jews; but He even took no pleasure in those of the good, as appears from the fiftieth Psalm, where, before the wicked are peculiarly addressed in those words, To the wicked God saith, &c. v. 16, it is declared that God has no regard to the sacrifices or the blood of beasts.

That the offerings of the Gentiles should be accepted by God, and that he should withdraw his approbation from the offerings of the Jews. Mal. i. 11. Hos. vi. 6.

That God would make a new covenant by the Messiah, and that the old covenant should be annulled. Jer. xxxi. 31.

That the old things should be forgotten. Isa. xliii. 18.

That the ark should no more come to mind. Jer. iii. 16.

That the temple should be rejected. Jer. vii. 14. That the sacrifices should be abolished, and purer sacrifices established. Mal. i. 10.

That the Aaronical order of priesthood should be set aside, and the order of Melchisedec introduced by the Messiah, and that this priesthood should be everlasting. Ps. cx. 4.

That Jerusalem should be cast off, and a new name given to the people, which should be more excellent than that of Jews, and of eternal duration. Isa. vi. 11, 12—lvi. 3, 5.

That the Jews should be without prophets, without kings, without sacrifices, and without an altar; and should nevertheless subsist as a distinct people. Hos. iii. 4. Jer. xxxi. 37.

XX.

THAT GOD CANNOT BE SAVINGLY KNOWN BUT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

Most of those who undertake to demonstrate the divine Being to ungodly persons, commonly begin with the works of nature, and they very rarely succeed. I do not mean to dispute the validity of these proofs, which are consecrated by the holy scripture: they are conformable to reason; but very often they are not suited and proportioned to that disposition of mind which prevails in those for whom they are intended.

For we must observe, that such discourses are not addressed to men who have a lively faith in