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The Apostle pursues the View, given in the laft Section, and fhews that the Gospel had been diffufed widely thro' the World; tho' according to other Prophecies, which he bere mentions, from Mofes, and Ifaiah, the Jews had rejected it, while the Gentiles embraced it. Rom. X. 14, to the End.

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23.

ROM the Promife of Salvation to them Sect. that shall call on the Name of the Lord, I have juft been inferring, (Ver. 12, 13.) that there Rom. X. 14. is no Difference between Jews and Gentiles, as to the Poffibility of obtaining Salvation from GOD. And from hence we may farther infer, what is very fufficient to juftify me, and my Brethren, in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, tho' we are the Objects of fo much Reproach and Persecution on that Account. Let us therefore attend to the Inference. For how fhall they call on him, on whom they have not believed, as worthy to be invoked with Divine Honours and Adoration ? And how fhall they believe on him, of whom they bave not heard? And how shall they hear of him, without a Preacher, to carry thefe important Tidings, which the Light of Nature could never be able to discover. And, as for the Ministers of the Gospel, how fhould they preach, except they be fent exprefsly for that Purpose? For, as we were originally Jews, our own Prejudices on this Head were fo ftrong, that we should never have thought of carrying the Gofpel to the Gentiles, if GOD had not particularly charged us to do it. But bleffed be GOD, that the Charge has been given, and the Embafly fent; and moft welcome fhould it be to all that receive it, as it is written and defcribed in that lively Prophecy (a), (Ifai.

(a) In that lively Prophecy.] Moft Commentators think, that the 52d Chapter of Ifaiah is to

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Sect. 23. Rom. X. 15.

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For Faith is by Hearing, and Hearing by the Word.

(Ifai. lii. 7, 8.) "Ob how beautiful are the Feet,
"the very Footsteps, of those who bring the good
Tidings of Peace, who bring the good Tidings
of those various good Things, which God hath
"now been pleased to beftow on his Church.
"Tis pleasant to fee and hear the Meffengers,
pleafant to view the very Tract of Ground,
"over which they have paffed, on the Moun-
"tains which furround Jerufalem (b)."

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beautiful are the Feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace, and bring glad Tidings of good Things!

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16 But they have not all obeyed the Gomel. For believed our Report?

Efaias faith, Lord who hath

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But alas, all have not obeyed the Gospel, glori-
ous as its Tidings are, nor given it that cordial
Reception, which its happy Contents might well
have demanded. And they, who are well ac-
quainted with the Oracles of the Old Teftament,
and study them impartially, will not be furprized
at it. For Ifaiah faith, in that very Context, Abo
which contains fo many illuftrious Teftimonies
to the Caufe, in which we are engaged; (Ifai. liii.
1.) Who hath believed our Report, and to whom
is the Arm of the Lord revealed, and made
"bare."
Faith indeed [cometh] by Hearing, and
Hearing in the Cafe now before us by the Word,
the exprefs Command of GCD, to make the De-
claration (c). 'Tis therefore our Duty to deliver
the Meffage, wherefoever we come, whether to
Jews or Gentiles, in humble Hope, that fome
will believe; tho' we have fo much Reafon to
fear, that many will reject it.

This

17 So then, Faith cometh by Hearing, and Hearing by the Word of God.

be explained, as a Prophecy of the Return of the Jews from Babylon, and that the Text here quoted refers to the joyful Welcome, that should be given to the Meffengers, who brought the firft Tidings of Cyrus's Decree for their Difmiffion. And if it were fo, the Apofle might very juftly infer from thence the fuperior Joy, with which the Meflengers of the Gospel fhould be received. But, I think, a great deal may be faid to fhew it probable, that the Context in Queftion has in its original Senfc a farther Reference. Compare Ifai. li. 4.-6. But not judging it neceffary in the Paraphrafe, to build upon it as an Argument, I thall not by any Means difcufs the Matter here.

(b) The very Footsteps.] L'Enfant thinks the Feet are put for the Arrival. Compare Gen. xxv. 30. in the Original. But, I think, the Turn, given in the Paraphrafe, illustrates it much better. Bos obferves, that in Sophocles, the Hands and Feet of thofe, who come upon a kind Defign, are reprefented as beautiful to thofe, who received Benefit by their Arrival. (c) Faith indeed [cometh.] Mr. L'Enfant would tranfpofe the 16th and 17th Verfes; and it is certain, as any one may eafily perceive, that the Connection of all from the 15th to the 18th, would in that View be clearer; but as no Copies warrant it, I think it is by no Means to be prefumed upon. I have therefore tranflated apa, which is often a Sort of an Expletive, by the Word indeed, which throws this Verfe into fome Kind of Connection with the Next, and if referred to a there, will I hope be thought agreeable enough to the Greek Idiom.

The Jews might have known this from Mofes, and Isaiah.

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This is our Duty ; but a Duty, which we can- Sect. 23. not perform without fome Difcouragement; yet I may confidently say, it hath in the Main been Rom. X. 18. practifed, and I may appeal to what you at Rome knew of the Matter, in Confequence of your Correfpondence with all Parts of the Empire. Have they not beard of the Gofpel all Abroad, fo that I may take up the Words of David, (Pfal. xix. 4.) when defcribing the Course of the celestial Luminaries, and apply them to the Zeal, and in fome Measure to the Success, with which the Miffionaries of this holy Religion have exerted themselves, affifted by the bleffed Spirit of Go D, and animated by the Hope of that glorious Immortality, to which they have taught others, to afpire. Of them may I fay, that "verily "their Voice is gone out thro' all the Earth, and "their Words to the End of the World:" Many diftant Nations have already heard these glad Tidings, which GOD will at length render univerfal. (Col. i. 6, 23.)

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But I may farther fay, hath not Ifrael known,
or had an Opportunity not only of knowing that
the Gospel should be preached, but that it should
be carried to the Gentiles too? For firft, Mofes
faith in that celebrated Song of his, which the
Children in all Generations were to learn. (Deut,
xxxii. 21.) "I will raife their Jealoufy by [thofe,
"who were] not a Nation, [and] their Anger with
foolish People;" which may well be under-
ftood as ultimately referring to this great Scheme.
And Ifaiah bath the Boldness to fay, in a Context, 20
where fo many Things evidently refer to the Gof-
pel, (Ifai. lxv. 1, 2.) "I was found of them, that

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fought me not; I was made manifeft to them, that inquired not for me, nor difcovered any Concern "to be informed of my Nature, or my Will;" Whereas, inviduous as he knew it would be to a Nation fo impatient of Rebuke, with Relation to Ifrael he faith, in the very next Verse, "All the

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Day long have Iftretched out mine Haads, in the "most importunate and affectionate Addreffes, "to a difobedient and gainfaying People, who are

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continually objecting and cavilling; whom no

"Perfuafion

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Sect. 23. Rom. X. 21.

Ver. 14.

Ver. 15.

Ver. 18.

Reflections on the Preaching, and Spread, of the Gospel. "Perfuafion can win to regard their own Hap"piness, so as to be willing to admit the Evi

dence of Truth, and the Counfels of Wif"dom." It appears then on the whole, that fince the Prophets fo plainly foretold, that the Gentiles fhould be called, and the Jews rejected, it is no Way unbecoming my Character, as a Meffenger from GOD, and a Friend to the Jewish Nation to affert the fame, and to act upon it.

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IMPROVEMENT.

LESSED be GOD for the preaching of the Gofpel, fo abfolutely neceffary to that Faith, without which we can have no well grounded Hope of Salvation. Bleffed be GOD therefore for the Miffion of his Minifters, and for his abundant Goodness, in fending them to us Sinners of the Gentiles. Let us give them a refpectful and attentive Hearing, and fay, bow beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of those, that preach Salvation, and publick Peace! And let us take great Care, that we do not only speak respectfully of their Doctrine, but that we comply with the Purposes of their Embaffy.

It is Matter of continual Joy to reflect, not only that God hath afforded to all Men fuch Means of attaining Divine Knowledge, by the Intimations of it, which he hath given in the Conftitutions of the Heavenly Bodies, and in the whole Frame of vifible Nature; but alfo, that he hath fent the express Meffages of Grace to fo many Millions, in the extensive Publication of his Gofpel. Let us rejoice in the Spread it hath already had, and let us earneftly and daily pray, that the Voice of those Divine Meffengers, that proclaim it, may go forth unto all the Earth, and their Words reach in a literal Senfe to the remotest Ends of our habitable World. Let us pray, that wherever the Word of God hath a free Course, it may be more abundantly glorified; and that its Minifters may not have fo Ver. 16, 21. much Reafon to fay, who hath believed our Report? and to complain of ftretching out their Hands all the Day long to a difobedient and gainsaying People. Exert, Oh Lord GoD, thine almighty Arm, make it bare in the Sight of all the Nations. Shed abroad thy faving Influences on the Hearts of Multitudes, that they may believe, and turn unto the Lord! May the great Saviour of his Ifrael be found of thofe that feek him not, and by the furprizing Condefcenfions of his Grace, may he manifeft himself to thofe, that do not inquire after him. And may his ancient People not only be provoked to Anger, but awakened to Emulation too; and put in their Claim for those Bleffings, which God has by his Son vouchfafed to offer to all the Gentiles.

Ver. 20.1

Ver. 19.

SECT.

Yet GOD hath not utterly forfaken bis People Hrael;

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The Apoftle Shews, that tho' the Rejection of Ifrael be for the prefent general, according to their own Prophecies, and attended with astonishing Blindness and Obftinacy, yet it is not total; there being fill a Number of happy Believers among them. Rom. XI. 1,---10.

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ROMANS XI. 1.

E have seen, my Brethren, how the Per- Sect. 24. verfeness of the Jews, and the Calling of the Gentiles, hath been foretold; but do I Rom. XI. 1. fay then, that GOD bath intirely rejected his whole People, fo as to have Mercy on none of them? GOD forbid! I should then pronounce a Sentence of Reprobation upon myself; for I also am an Ifraelite, as it is well known; I am of the Seed of Abraham, and can trace my Genealogy, and fhew particularly, that I am [of] the Tribe of Benjamin. No, bleffed be his Name, GOD 2 hath not rejected thofe of his People, whom he foreknew; but hath ftill, as in the most degenerate Ages, a Seed, whom he hath chofen to Faith and Salvation. Know ye not what the Scripture faith to this Purpofe, in the Story of Elijah? (Compare Kings xix. 14.) when he pleads with GOD against Ifrael, faying, Lord, 3 " they have cruelly flain all thy faithful Prophets, "and they have digged up the very Foundations "of thine Altars (a), and I am left alone, after "the Slaughter of all thine other Servants; and they feek my Life too, and fend Murtherers in "Purfuit of me from Place to Place, that there may not be one Worshipper of Jehovah left

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(a) Digged up thine Altars.] It feems from hence, that, tho' according to the Law there was only one Altar for Sacrifice, and that in the Place, where GOD had fixed his peculiar ; yet by fome fpecial Difpenfation, pious Perfons in the Ten Tribes built Altars elfewhere. 'Tis well known, at léaft, that Samuel, end Elijah, had done it, and perhaps, they were either kept up, or others raised on the fame Spots of Ground.

(b) The

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