when all these things were finished. Then the Lord "scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the whole earth." v. 8. And every family was directed by his guardian angel to that land which was given to them: Tarshish went and settled in that land; Cush, the son of Ham, went to Ethiopia; Ophir, the son of Shem, went to that part which was afterwards known by his name, the land of Ophir; and so did all the rest. * At that time Abraham was forty-eight years old; he saw the wickedness of the new little world; he told them the Lord certainly would punish them for their rebellion; but they despised his good advice: *he cursed them, and said, "Destroy, O Lord! and divide their tongues." Psalm lv. 9. At that time Abraham was the only man upon the face of the earth who worshipped the true God. We just mentioned that the lot was cast among the heavenly Sanhedrin; the lot which fell to the portion of God was Abraham and his family; as it is written, "For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." Deut. xxxii. 9. The fathers who went down into Egypt were seventy; for so it is written, "And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy." Exod. i. 5. According to this number the gentile world was established; that is, each of these seventy persons represented one nation; and so we are informed by the word of God. "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel." Deut. xxxii. 8. Here we may learn that the * lot of God was in number as much as that of all the seventy angels. The division of tongues was a punishment to the sons of Adam, on account of their rebellion, for which reason they were scattered abroad; only * one good family was found among them all, and that family fell to the lot of God. What was here to be done? Should God cast away a godly portion, and instead of it take a wicked one? Certainly not, for wickedness is an abomination unto the Lord. God is good, and his delight is in good; he therefore gloried in his godly portion. Now God had a holy law: to whom was it proper to give it, to a wicked family, or to his own family? Every one will say, that no family had * a right to his oracles except his own, and this was no more than justice; and therefore he gave the law for an inheritance to Israel. "Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob." Deut. xxxiii. 4. Here you see, * as an act of justice, and lawfully, the oracles of God belonged to no nation except to Israel. It must be acknowledged, that those to whom the oracles of God aré committed must alone be the ministers of God. Question. We know that God is good and merciful to all his creatures: did God glory only in his own lot? Has he cast away the seventy lots which he gave to the seventy angels? Are they not also his? Is he not the Lord of heaven and earth? Are the oracles of God to make happy only one family, and must all the rest perish? Answer. Although the oracles of God are the inheritance of Israel alone, yet the nations are not deprived of its benefit. The one is bound to take care of it, because it was given into their charge; the other has no charge, and is not bound to take care of it; but they may come and unite themselves, and partake the same benefit: nay, *they are called and invited by the word of the Lord of it; and here I will give you the very words of the invitation. "Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." Isaiah lvi. 2-7. Here it is proved, that all nations are called to the law, and he who comes to it has a promise beforehand to be happy; but upon condition he observes the sabbath, and the other commandments; *for he who will be a sharer of the benefit of the oracles of God must observe what is written in them. -Further, you may consider the great charge to Israel concerning strangers that come to join them. First, attend to the command of Moses. "He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." Deut. x. "So 18, 19. Again, they are almost made equal with Israel even in the day of the restoration. shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God." Ezek. xlvii. 21-23. * Here is the calling of the gentiles, and they are made equal in promise with Israel; and, if they despise this calling, they cannot lay the blame upon any body but themselves: at that day it will be said, No law, no promise. *THE MESSIAH'S KINGDOM IS NOT SPIRITUAL, BUT ABSOLUTELY EARTHLY.-* In the last chapter of Ezekiel is described the inheritance of the Messiah. "And the residue shall be for the prince." "Moreover, from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's." Ezek. xlviii. 21, 22. " And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have * one shepherd; they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my sta tutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children's children for ever; and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore." Ezek. xxxvii. 22, 24-26. " And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it." Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. "Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them." Jer. xxx. 20, 21. "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor.... And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious." Isa. xi. 1-4, 10.. |