264 NONE EXCLUDED FROM HOPE. ticipation of divine blessings and that, even by the law of works, if life and righteousness could have been obtained by it, as well as by the covenant of grace, or law of faith. But if they abuse their knowledge, and their sacred advantages, to the neglect of God and godliness, faith and works, they justly fall under a more severe condemnation every way, 'because their guilt is greater. But there may be some special reasons given why God thought it proper, in the course of his providence, to send the notice of this salvationby Jesus Christ among the Jews, before he sent it to the Gentile world. I. The Jews were the chosen people of God, the sons and daughters of Abraham, his friend, the first favourites of heaven, considered as a family and a nation : and as he first preached to them the purity and perfection of his law, whence they might discover their own sin and misery; so he published his gospel of grace by Jesus Christ first among them, and sent his Son with the messages of peace and forgiveness first to their nation. The great God thoughtit becoming his equity to publish his abounding Mercy first toward them, amongst whom he first published his law, to spew them their guilt and misery through the abounding of sin : " By the law is the knowledge of sin; and where sin has abounded, grace has much more abounded ;" Rom. iii. and v... H. The Jews had this same gospel preached to them many ages before in types and emblems, in sacred ceremonies and dark prophecies. Now it was fit, that the types and prophecies should be explained and the grace contained therein revealed first to them ; for hereby the gospel obtained a great confirmation, and establish( d itsown truth, whenit appeared in all the parts of it so exactly answerable to the ancient figures, and to the predictions of manyhundred years. It was fit that the Messiah should appear among them first, where his character and picture hadbeen drawn for many ages before, that so he might be known and distin- guished whensoever he should visit the world. It was fit that his doctrine should be first published in plain language, where it had been long written and spoken in metaphors. Thus the gospel went forth first from Jerusalem, that it might be preached and proclaimed withmore glorious evidence among the rest of thenations. III. Jesus Christ, who is the subject and substance of the gospel, was himself a Jew, of the seed of Abraham, of the nation of Israel. He was born, he lived, he died amongst-them. All the great affairs of his birth, his life, his ministry, his death and resurrection, were transacted in their country, and in the midst of them. It was fit the benefit thereof should be first offered to them.
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