80, 31, 32, 33- "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith: But Ifrael, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they fought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law; for they stumbled at that stumbling stone : As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone, and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

What account can be given of this event; that the Gentiles, who had been ignorant of the method of the acceptance of sinners with God, had fallen in with the divine method, when proposed? And that the Jews, who had much greater advantages for the knowledge of divine subjects, did not fall on the right method of obtaining divine acceptance? The reason, with respect to the Gentiles, is, that their minds were free and unprejudiced; and with regard to the Jews, that they were prejudiced in favor of their wrong interpretations of the Mosaic constitution, and against Jesus Christ, and the method of faith: for they stumbled at Christ, as the prophet foretold that they would.

Thus, kind reader, we have gone through one of the chapters, which according to Mr. S., contain the weight of evidence, in this epistle, for eternal never ending misery. We have seen God choosing Ifaac rather than Ishmael, to be the root of the Jewish church,

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church. And then, God chose, for the fame purs pose, Jacob rather thon Esau, without the leaft respect to the personal qualities of either, for they bad done neither good nor evil. Then a declaration of God's right to delay the deserved punishment of the wicked, for the display of his glorious character; and to show mercy to persons or people, as he should judge best. We have also seen what the postle means by the sovereignty of divine mercy even his calling the Gentiles into church estate, with a remnant of the Jews, and causing the rest of the Jews to fuffer a temporary rejection from his church.

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Here is not one single word, in all this ix. chapter of any election to future happiness, or reprobation to future misery. But we will suspend our observations on Mr. S.'s treatment of this epistle, till we have looked through the other chapters.

We will now proceed to the 10th chapter.

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"Brethren, my heart's defire and prayer to

God for Ifrael is, that they might be saved."

Brethren, it is my most cordial defire and prayer to God, in favor of Ifrael, that they may not fuffer a perpetual rejection from the church of God.

2. "For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge."

For I can give testimony for Ifrael, that they are zealous to be considered as a favorite people; but they mistake the method of divine acceptance.

8. "For they, being ignorant of God's rightcoulness,

tousness, and going about to establish their own! righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."

For they, in neglect of the divine method of the finner's acceptance, and pursuing one of their own have not fubmitted themselves to that which is by faith.

4. "For Christ is the end of the law for righta eousness to every one that believeth."

For the merits of Christ have given such fatisfaction to the divine law and government, that all, both Jews and Gentiles, by faith, may obtain divine acceptance.

5. "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them,"

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For Mofes, describing a legal method of divine acceptance, says, that the man who perfectly obeys the law, shall be accepted.

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6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wife, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is to bring Christ down from above :) Or, Who shall descend into the deep; (that is, to bring up Chrift from the dead :) But what faith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with

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the heart man believeth unto righeousness, and with the mouth confeffion is made unto salvation. For the scripture faith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

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But the gospel method of divine acceptance, speaketh thus; There is no need to enquire, Who shall ascend into heaven, or descend into the deep, to bring Chrift upon the stage again: But the word is near; it is the gospel which we preach; the language of it is this, if you will confess that Jesus is the Meffias, and do cordially believe that God hath given such teftimony to him, as to raise him from the dead; you shall be accepted of God as righteous. For confeffion with the mouth, and belief with the heart, is the gospel method of divine acceptance.

12, 12. "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the fame Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be faved."

For, to ease the minds of my brethren, the Jews, I wish them to know that the divine benevolence is impartial and universal, towards both Jews and Greeks; they both have the same Lord; and he is rich in goodness and mercy to them both; and is ready to hear every prayer, which is devoutly directed to him from the whole Jewish and Gentile worlds: And all the fons of Adam, whe thus call upon him shall be accepted of him.

-14, 15, 16, 17. "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? and how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things? but they have not all obeyed the gospel: for Efaias faith, Lord, who hath believed our report? so then faith, cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Still farther to give satisfaction to my brethren, as to the propriety of the method of divine benevo lence, in fending the gospel and its preachers among the Gentiles. I just observed that the uni versal Lord heard all who called upon him.

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But how can the Gentile world call upon him, in whom they have not yet believed ? and how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how is it possible that they should hear without a preacher? nor can they have a preacher except he should be sent among them.

As the prophet Efaias, long ago exclaimed, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gof-, pel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But not all, either Jews or Gentiles, who have heard the gospel, have believed, and just was the prophetic complaint of Efaias, Lord who hath believed our report? so then, as faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God: What reason is there

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