mountain by its roots, and cast it into the seax. " To him that believeth, nothing shall be impossible y." And it is worthy of observation, that salvation is promised, not to him that is strong in faith, but to him that believeth. Our commission from Christ himself is, to declare, without any reserve, " He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; and he that believeth not, shall be damned2."]
Thus, at this present time, is the text fulfilled to the least and weakest of God's people ; not one of them, however lame, being so left as not ultimately to " take the prey."
But we are yet further to shew, III. How it shall be fulfilled in the millennial age —
[To this period does the prophet apply the very same kind of language as that which I have already so copiously cited from him : " The Lord will have mercy on Jacob ; and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land : and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place : and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids : and they shall take them captives, whose captives they ivere ; and they shall rule over their oppressors3:" It seems impossible that the whole world of Jews and Gentiles should be so effectually com- bated, as to be turned to the worship of the true God, espe- cially by such weak instruments as are now upon earth. But who spread our holy religion through the whole Roman Em- pire ? A few poor fishermen. And what if the servants of God at this day be but few and weak; Is not God able to work by them? Has he not even " put his treasure into earthen vessels, on purpose that the excellency of the power may be seen to be of Him, and not of usb?" How did the walls of Jericho fall, but by the sound of rams' horns ? and how were the host of Midian vanquished, but by the breaking of Gideon's lamps, and the vociferation of a few dispersed men ? What effects, then, may we not expect from the preached Gospel at this day, if God be pleased to accompany it with his power from on high ? It is as able at this day, as ever it was, to " cast down every thing that exalts itself against the know- ledge of Christ c : " and in God's good time it shall run and be glorified throughout the whole earth d." Unbelief, viewing the world as dead in trespasses and sins, is ready to ask, " Gan
x Matt. xxi. 21. y Matt. xvii. 20. z Mark xvi. 15, 16.
a Isai. xiv. 1,2. t> 2 Cor. iv. 7. c 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.
d 2Thess. iii. 1.