November 17

Preached unto the Gentiles.—1 Timothy 3:16.

THE Jews imagined that they were ever to remain the peculiar people of God. Nothing, therefore, was more utterly opposed to their feelings than that the Gentiles should be raised to an equality with themselves. Some of the apostles found it difficult to receive it, and even Peter had to be impressed by a vision, before he could cordially believe that the Gentiles were to be made joint-participants of the grace of life. Yet, so had God purposed, and so had the prophets foretold, that Christ should be preached unto the Gentiles. It had been predicted by Isaiah, that Christ should be given "for a light to the Gentiles;" and Jehovah had said, that "he should be his salvation to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6.). Jesus also had commissioned his apostles to preach the gospel in all the world, and to every creature. And he said after his resurrection to two of his disciples, "thus it was written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." The infatuated Jews continued to reject the Messiah, and despised his gospel, and thus by their unbelief, ceased to be the Lord's peculiar people; then it was that the gates of salvation were thrown wide open to all the nations of the earth, and to every child of man. Thus salvation was sent unto the Gentiles. And how we ought to rejoice in this blessed and glorious arrangement. By this our nation, which was once one of the darkest and vilest spots on earth, has been visited by the heralds of the word of life. And thus have we been rescued from the rudest barbarism, and elevated to the highest eminence of intellectual happiness and glory. Yes, the gospel has been preached to the Gentiles, and hundreds of thousands have heard, believed, and have been saved by it. And the gospel of Christ shall be preached among all the nations of the earth, before the end come. The period also shall arrive, when the poor infatuated unbelieving children of Abraham, snall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn, and confess Jesus, and be blessed in him. Then shall there be one fold for Jew and Gentile, and their name shall be one, and Jesus shall be all and in all. Even so, O Lord, hasten it in thy time, Amen!