quity was to be forgiven, and their Sins remembred no more.

WHAT then can all these Particulars point out but the Gospel? it is this alone, which answers the Description; and to fuppofe that no more is meant by these full and comprehensive Expreffions, than the folemnizing a Paffover under Hezechias, or the Restoration of the Jews from Captivity, or the coming of many Profelytes into their Religion, is to play with the Sense of Words, and to give them a forced, as well as a falfe Interpretation.

THESE Prophecies were understood of the Gospel and its Effects, by the Writers of the New Teftament, to whom the fame Spirit of GOD explained them, that at firft dictated them: this of the Text particularly is thus applied by the Apoftle St. Paul in Atts xiii. 47. who, when the Jews at Antioch rejected his Doctrine, faid, Lo! we turn to the Gentiles, for fo bath the Lord commanded us, faying, I have set thce to be a Light of the Gentiles, that thou fhouldeft be for Salvation unto the End of the Earth.

WE

WE fee then, that the Prophecy in the Text, as well as others of the like Nature, looks forward towards the Gospel, which in the Fulness of Time appeared in the World; and this being premised, the Subject of the enfuing Difcourfe fhall be to shew these three Things.

I. THAT the declared Defign of Providence is, that the Gospel of Chrift or the Meffiah, fhould be preached and received in all the Nations of the World, unto the End of the Earth.

II. THAT this Defign of Providence was not effected in the Days of the Apostles, or in any of the Ages which have fucceeded them : And

III. THAT therefore, fince we know what the Design of God is, and that it has not yet been accomplished, it is every Christian's Duty to forward the Work, and contribute towards it; especially when a Door is opened, and Opportunity is offered for propagating the Chriftian Faith.

AND this will naturally lead me to make an Application of the whole, to the Occafion of our Meeting, and to the particular Business and Employment of this Society.

I. To begin with the firft Head, and fhew that the declared Defign of Providence, &c.

AND here it may be remark'd, how large and comprehensive the Expreffions are which the Prophets make Ufe of on this Occafion; how various the Phrases, and how general the Extent of all of them : no Exceptions or Limitations are any where found, and the whole Force of the Jewish Language feems spent in the Recital of them: All People, and all (a) Ifa. Flesh, all (a) Nations and Tongues, (b) all (b) Zep. the Ifles of the Heathen, (c) all that are (c) Ats afar off, (d) the Abundance of the Sea,

Ixvi. 18.

ii. II.

ii. 39.

1x. 5.

ix. 10.

(f) Mal.

a. the Forces of the Gentiles, (e) from Sea to Czech, Sea, (f) and from the rifing up of the Sun unto its going down, and (as in the Text) Salvation unto the End of the Earth; thefe and the like Marks of Univerfality are the conftant Stile of the Prophets, when this glorious Subject is in their View.

i. II.

BUT

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BUT ftill it must be confeffed, that from the Expreffions alone, us'd in fuch pompous Tongues as the Eastern are, it cannot be concluded for a Certain, that they must be understood in the wideft Sense of them: The Prophetick Stile is too well known, to make it neceffary to take all that is faid without abatement made for the Flight of his Metaphors and Boldnefs of its Figures: We fhall fee fome Proofs of this under the Second Head of my Difcourfe: at prefent it may be obferv'd, that by the help of fome other Confiderations the Point may be clear'd up, and the Meaning of these Prophecies may be fhewn to be a Strict and Literal one; for that Demonstration, which the Words themselves don't afford us, may be had from the Circumftances of the Deliverer, and from the Nature of the Gofpel or Salvation.

26.

Chrift, by taking the Human Nature upon him, became equally related to All Mankind, all Nations being made of one as xvii. Blood, as the Apostle expreffes it: tho' born a few, yet in the Flesh he was allied to the whole Human Race; and therefore the Prefumption is pretty strong,

that

that All, who had a fhare in his Nature, were to have a fhare in his Meffage too.

HOWEVER, the fame thing may be more certainly concluded from the Nature of the Gospel or Salvation which he brought, from its being of equal Ufe and Concernment for All Nations and Perfons as for Any: Say, why it was fent into the World, unless because it was wanted; and then affign a Reason (if you can,) why the Bleffing fhould be confin'd to some part of the World only: This Nation may probably be Wickeder than That; but Remiffion of Sins (which the Gofpel proclaims) is what every Nation, the least corrupted in Belief or Practice, stands in need of: and furely no Diftinction could ever be defign'd by GoD, where Nature's Cry for Help was one and the fame: this would but ill fuit with the Character which the Scriptures give Rom. ii. of him, that he is no Refpecter of Perfons, and that he is not the God of the Fews only, but of the Gentiles also.

II. and

iii. 29.

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FROM thefe Confiderations therefore it may be gather'd, that all the Expreffions, which declare that the Gofpel is to be preached to and received by all Nations,

are