With similar views we would draw your attention to,
I. The privilege of God's people —
The Jews were " a special people unto the Lord their God "—
[They had been redeemed from a most oppressive bondage, instructed by the voice of revelation, supported by bread from heaven, brought into the nearest relation to the Deity, and honoured with access to him in ordinances of divine appoint- ment. In these, and many other respects, they were distin- guished above all other people upon earth a.]
Such is also the privilege of all true believers —
[They have been rescued from the tyranny of sin and Satan b, taught by the word and Spirit of God c, furnished with daily supplies of grace d, made sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty e, and admitted into the most intimate communion with their Godf. Nor were the Jews so much exalted above the heathen world, as true believers are above all others, even the professed followers of Christ g.]
It will be no unprofitable subject of meditation, if we inquire into,
II. The source of that privilege —
The Jews owed all their blessings to the dis- tinguishing grace of God —
[They were not chosen for their numbers, or for their goodness; for " they were the fewest" and most stiff-necked " of all people." God's love to them had its origin within his own bosom; " he loved them because he would love them :" and in due season he testified that love to them, because he had voluntarily engaged to do so.]
Nor can our blessings be traced to any other source —
[God, in choosing us to salvation, has not respect to any goodness in us, whether past, present, or future : not to past ; for all of us, not excepting even the Apostles themselves, have been inconceivably vileh: not to present ; for many of us, like Paul and the three thousand, were in the very midst of our sinful career, when God plucked us as brands from the burn- ing': not future; for we never should have had any thing
a Deut. iv. 7, 8. and xxxiii. 29. b 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26.
c John vi. 45. d John i. 16. e 2 Cor. vi. 18.
f 1 John i. 3. s Mark iii. 34, 35. Matt. xix. 28.
h Tit. iii. 3. Eph ii. 3. » Acts ii. 13. and ix. 1.