his peculiar people, and giving them his righteous laws, and expelling seven nations from the land of Canaan in order to give it to his chosen people for their inheritance ? But however freely he exercises his own prerogative in this respect, he will take care that his final appointment of men's states shall accord with perfect equity : he even calls the day in which that decision shall pass, '* The day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." The truth is, that though God has no respect to men's moral characters in the Jir&t communications of his mercy, he invariably transforms the objects of that mercy in such a manner, as to make it suitable and proper that he should confer upon them the ultimate and everlasting tokens of his love. The Israel of old, and those to whom that name at this time belongs, were, and are, a chosen people : but all the true Israel are renewed in the spirit of their minds ; they are *' such as are of a clean heart;" and there- fore they are such as may reasonably hope to expe- rience the transcendent goodness of their God.
The words before us will naturally lead us to con- sider,
I. The character of Israel —
" All are not Israel, who are of Israel*." The true Israel are widely different from those who are only " Israelites after the flesh." They cannot how- ever be known from others by their outward appear- ance. Others may be as modest in their apparel, and as humble in their looks, as they ; and yet have no part with them in their more distinctive cha- racters. They cannot be distinguished from others by their language. There certainly is a mode of speaking which religious people will adopt : they will be sincere, modest, inoffensive; and will ac- custom themselves to such speech as, " being sea- soned with salt," is calculated to " administer grace to the hearers," But hypocrites may vie with them in this particular also. Nor can they be altogether known from others by their actions: for though their
actions
*K.ora. ix. 6.
386.]