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Paul, as the Gospel of the CIRCUMCISION was unto Peter, Gal. ii. 7. There are DIVERSITIES of

gifts, but the fame fpirit." "DIFFERENCES of "ADMINISTRATIONS, but the fame Lord." "DIVERSITIES OF OPERATIONS, but it is the fame "God which worketh all in all." 1 Cor. xii. 4—6. Is it not therefore clear, that whoever of the Gentile nations prefumes to forfake the path in which, and in which only, he is commiffioned to walk, and turns back to meddle with the Jewish nation, the ark of JEHOVAH, God of Ifrael; the depofitary of his ❝law, and his witneffes, Ifa. xliii. 10-13. xliv. 8. acts rafhly, unadvisedly, and contrary to the command of Christ our Lord. When, indeed, all the fields are fown; when ALL NATIONS have heard the glad-tidings of the Gofpel, then it will furely be time enough even to difcufs the question, whether, the work being done as commanded, it would or would not be proper to addrefs ourselves to the Jewish nation; but long before this time arrives, I am perfuaded that the opinions of Chriftians, concerning the Jewish nation, will be very different from the prefent opinions of the Miffionary and London Societies concerning them.

Now, as a contraft to the dignified conduct of the prefiding rabbi, let us confider the arguments and acts of those engaged in this matter. We will firft notice the allegation concerning the ATONEMENT, as urged in the tract "Deborah." It is argued that NO LEGAL ATONEMENT CAN NOW BE MADE, inasmuch as the temple of Jerufalem, where

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alone this ritual could be properly obferved, is in afhes! its facred walls are levelled with the ground! this is, as it is ftated to be, AN AWFUL TRUTH, and is confidered as fuch by the Jewish nation as much as it can be by Chriftians; but is there not an indeli cacy in the Jews being even reminded of it by a Christian? If any one is in adverfity is it not univerfally confidered as a reproach, if not an infult, to tell him of it? He feels it, he knows it well enough, and wants no one to tear open thofe wounds which are ever painful to him.

But in the way in which the argument is handled, I conceive that this is the leaft part of the evil of it. Zeal for the glory of God fhould be the first great obje&t of every Christian as well as every Jew: "I will "proclaim the name of JEHOVAH: afcribe ye "GREATNESS unto our God. He is the rock,

his work is PERFECT: for all his ways are "JUDGMENT; a God of truth and without ini"quity, juft and right is he." Deut. xxxii. 4. Whenever, therefore, we perceive conduct imputed to our gracious and heavenly Father which we fhould confider a grievous offence against us, if imputed to ourfelves, it becomes our duty to be zealous for, and as far as in us lies, to vindicate his ways to man.

The doctrine of the ATONEMENT is a doctrine of great confolation both to Jew and Gentile. If we may refort to a fimilitude (Hofea xii. 10.) upon the subject, we may compare it to an ACT OF GRACE. There has been a rebellion in the land, and the king, moved by love to his deluded fubjects, iffues his proclamation,

proclamation, declaring HIS PARDON to all engaged in the rebellion, upon certain conditions; they are to deliver up their arms; they are to repair to the metropolis and acknowledge their offence; they are to express their thankfulness to the king for pardoning them, and plead his pardon in prefence of the judge appointed on these conditions to feal their pardon.

Now what would be the feelings of any king against whom it fhould be alleged that he iffued such a proclamation of pardon, and then, by furrounding his metropolis with his armies, prevented his repentant subjects from pleading his pardon? Is it the fault or the misfortune of the Jewish nation that they have not for the last 1700 years been able to keep their feafts or their fafts at Jerufalem? They must have a very different opinion of the attributes of the Lord God of Ifrael from what is declared in the Books of Mofes and the Prophets, or from what is declared in the New Testament, who can confider the afflictions of the Jews as any bar between them and the mercy of their gracious and merciful God! It is the heart that the Lord God of Ifrael looks at, and if his people Ifrael rejoice before him in their feast of tabernacles, in London or elsewhere, or mourn before him on the great day of atonement, in a strange land, it will be as acceptable in his fight, and attended with as great a bleffing to them as if performed in the city of the Great King!

Reason is the gift of the Almighty, and he treats us as reasonable creatures. Pray read the 35th chapter of Jeremiah, in which the obedience of the Rechabites

Rechabites is fo ftrongly approved, and a bleffing promised to them in confequence thereof. Is any degree of blame imputed to them because they were not at that time living in tents, as Jonadab the fon of Rechab their father commanded them? or was the rectitude of their conduct in any wife called in question upon this account? They obeyed as far as it was poffible for them to obey: "But it came to pass "when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up. "into the land, that we faid, Come, and let us go

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up to Jerufalem for fear of the army of the Chal❝deans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: fo "we dwell at Jerufalem." Jere. xxxv. 11. They were obedient to the command of Jonadab the Son of Rechab their father, as far as it was poffible for them to obey him; and in the inftance which they COULD NOT then obey him by living in tents, it was not their fault, but their misfortune, as it is in like manner that the Jews cannot now keep their feasts and fafts at Jerufalem; the Jews have far more noble and exalted ideas of the juftice and mercy of the Great Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Ifrael, than those seem to have who difturb them.

But how was it with the houfe of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerufalem, who were carried away captives into Babylon for the fins of their nation, but individually FOR THEIR GOOD? Jere. xxiv. 5. Were they able to keep their feafts and fafts at Jerufalem? Was not the temple and the city of Jerufalem then level with the ground? But was this any bar to the mercy and favour of the Lord God of Ifrael towards

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the houfe of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerufalem, whom he had afflicted, by caufing them to be carried away captives into Babylon for their good? Jere. xxiv. 5. Were there not evidences that their inability to keep the folemn day, the great day of atonement, at Jerufalem was no bar to his love and favour towards them? Did he not in Babylon deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, from the burning fiery furnace? Did he not deliver Daniel from the jaws and fangs of the lions? I need fay no more.

As a man chafteneth his fon, fo JEHOVAH chaf teneth his people, Deut. viii. 5. "My fon, defpife "not the chaftening of JEHOVAH ; neither be weary ❝of his correction: for whom JEHOVAH loveth he "correcteth, even as a father the fon in whom he "delighteth." Prov. ii. 11, 12. Affliction is NOT evidence of the hatred of God, but actually the reverse: Bleffed is the man whom thou chafteneft, "O JAH, and teacheft him out of thy law; that "thou mayeft give him rest from the days of adver

fity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For

JEHOVAH will not caft off his people, neither will "he forfake his inheritance. But judgment fhall "return unto righteousness: and all the upright in "heart fhall follow it." Pf. xciv. 12-15.

The Jewish nation have been confpicuous for their fufferings. The Lord God of Ifrael doth not WILLINGLY afflict or grieve the children of men, Lam. iii. 33. on the contrary, he hath pleasure in the profperity of his fervants, Pf. xxxv. 27. but he is a juft and righteous judge; and in his punishments of the

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