From hence we may see,
1. What encouragement we have to pray for our own souls —
[Alas ! in what a low state is even the Christian world ! Scarcely, if at all, are the generality of Christians in a better condition than the Jews themselves : the same neglect of God, the same worldly and carnal habits, the same indifference to the concerns of the soul, are found amongst the one as the other. For the most part, we are in the very same predicament as they were previous to the establishment of the Gospel among the Gentiles. They rested in the law, and made their boast of God, and, in consequence of their possessing a revelation of his will, assumed the high-sounding titles of ' guides of the blind, instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes ; ' and yet, though professing to be teachers of others, they taught not themselves, and, whilst making their boast of the law, through breaking the law they dishonoured God1. Thus do we act in relation to the Gospel. We glory over the Jews who are ignorant of the Messiah whom we worship; and yet, in point of pure morality and solid piety, we are not a jot superior to them. Never- theless, if we implored mercy at the hands of God in the name and for the sake of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we should assuredly obtain an answer of peace. O what good and
s Zech. viii. 2 — 8.
h See Jer. xxx. 3, 9, 10, 17 — 22. and xxxi. 3 — 14.
' Rom. ii. 17 — 24.