encouraging. The prayers, the alms, the self-denying exertions made on their account shall not be in vain; the long-lost and scattered people shall at length be brought back; one King, as we have seen, shall be King to them all; and the receiving of them again. to the Divine favour shall be as life from the dead to the Gentile world.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! Of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things. To Him be glory for ever. Amen.

IV.

The Advent of the Lord
the Regeneration of the Nations.

BY THE REV. W. WILLIAMS.

ROMANS xi. 15.

If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?"

It has been already shown in the previous Lecture, that the Restoration of Israel to their long-lost privileges, and the fulfilment to them of the promises made to the fathers, are closely connected with the Advent of our Blessed Lord. If then it can now be proved that the regeneration of the nations takes place upon that restoration, and is the merciful effect

consequent upon it, then it will follow necessarily that this glorious event is as closely connected with the Advent as the other. But that the regeneration of the nations does depend upon the restoration of Israel, is distinctly set forth in the text; and therefore a plain and direct exposition of these words will be sufficient to establish the truth which we have to consider on the present occasion, viz., the Advent of the Lord the Regeneration of the nations.

Nevertheless because it is important that we should obtain a clear conviction of that great interpreting truth of the mysteries of prophecy, viz., that the Lord's second coming is to take place before that time of blessedness for this present earth, for which all Christians are looking, it is my intention, after expounding the words before us, to introduce two or three independent proofs of the fact, that the good thing which is here promised waits for the glorious appearing of the Son of God. May the Lord the Spirit mercifully guide us into all truth, and direct our hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

The text draws a parallel, and in some measure a contrast between the effect upon the

world of the casting away of Israel and that of its receiving unto God. Our attention therefore must in the first place be directed to that casting away, and its effect, and so shall we be the better prepared to understand not only the receiving which is to follow, but also the blessing that flows from it upon all nations.

We have then to consider in the first place the casting away of Israel, and its effect upon the world: "If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world." It must be always remembered that this casting away of Israel, whatever it may signify, does not refer to the whole of the nation: there was an election of grace among them, whom God did not cast away. The apostle distinctly asserts this fact in the commencement of the chapter: "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." Then having instanced the seven thousand among the people who in the days of Elias had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal, he adds, in the fifth verse, "Even so at this present time also there is a remnant

according to the election of grace." There were a few, a remnant of the whole, who were taught of God in the exercise of His free electing grace. These therefore that had

heard and learned of the Father came to Jesus, "and him that cometh to me," saith the Lord, "I will in no wise cast out." *They receiving Christ were received of Him; consequently they being not cast away, were retained as the people of the Lord, nay, and were known and read of all men as His Epistles, bearing witness for Him, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.t

But while these, "the election," as the apostle tells us in the seventh verse, "obtained" this acceptance and honour, "the rest were blinded." The rest of the nation after the exception of these chosen ones were all blinded to the excellency of Christ Jesus; they saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him;‡ nay, He was to them, as St. Peter saith, "a

* John vi. 45, 37.

+ For this, though declared concerning the Corinthian converts, is equally applicable also to the believing Jews.

Isaiah liii. 2.

I