tree, how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?" No one need be told this in relation to the engrafting of a natural scion : it carries its own evidence along with it. If a scion will grow on a foreign stock, much more will it, if grafted into its own parent stock. Such, then, is the advantage which the Jews possess over every other people upon earth. It is to their own stem that they are to be restored. The recollection, therefore, of what God has done in the conversion of the Gentiles should dispel all our fears in reference to the Jews, and encourage our efforts to restore them to God.
But, before we proceed to enforce this duty, it will be proper to bring the subject home to ourselves ; and to urge on all a due improvement of the privileges which we ourselves enjoy.
We all profess to be branches of the good olive- tree : and we are entitled to regard ourselves in this light precisely as the Jews of old did, and as our blessed Lord has taught us to do, when he spake of himself as the true vine. But he distinguished be- tween fruitful branches which were approved by him, and barren branches which were to be broken off and burned. Consequently, our external privileges will be of little service to us, if they be not improved in a way of fruitfulness. Let us, therefore, examine our fruit from day to day, and see whether it be such as the goodness of our God entitles him to expect ? Let us inquire, whether in heart, as well as in profession, we are separated from the wild and worthless olive, on which we originally grew. We all acknowledge, in our Catechism, that we were, " by nature, children of wrath ;" and that, at the time of entering into our baptismal engagements, we were " made the children of grace." Let us inquire, therefore, whether this engrafting have really taken place, not in profession only, but by an actual union of our souls with Christ? Are we living on him, and receiving daily, out of his fulness, such communications of grace as are really productive of the fruit which he himself, during his
1898.1 god's dispensations to jews and gentiles. 4SD
sojourning on earth, brought forth ? In him we find a perfect deadness to the world and all its vanities. Is there the same in us ? It was his meat to do the will of his heavenly Father. Is there " the same mind" in us ? Have we a resemblance to him in our whole spirit and conduct? and are we " walking in all things as he walked ?" I ask not, whether we are perfect ; for there is imperfection in the best of men : but, are we aiming at perfection, and panting after it, and labouring to be "pure, even as Christ was pure?" If we be living branches of the true olive, we must of necessity, in these matters, resemble Christ ; and to imagine ourselves vitally united to him, whilst in the general course of our lives we bear fruit altogether different from his, is fatally to deceive our own souls. We know assuredly, that, as Christ inspected the barren fig-tree, and denounced a curse against it on account of its barrenness, so will the heavenly Hus- bandman inspect our fruit, and deal with us according to it. It is in vain, therefore, to deceive ourselves : for his judgment will stand; and it will be according to truth. We may " call darkness light, and evil good :" but he will not do so : and if, notwithstanding all his warnings, we will continue to expect his approbation in any other way than that of continued fruitfulness in the fruits of righteousness, we have nothing to expect but a speedy and everlasting ex- cision. Let any one go to Shiloh, and see what the Lord did for the wickedness of his people there : or let him go to Palestine and the Seven Churches of Asia, and see what an unfruitful olive has reason to expect. Shall we say, ' But this was done to Churches only, and not to individuals?' What, I ask, are Churches, but congregated individuals? And who is authorized so to limit what God has not limited; or rather, I should say, Who will presume to deny what God has so frequently and so plainly affirmed ? Woe be to that man who shall rest his soul on any such distinction as this ! I declare, before Almighty God, and in his sacred name, that every soul amongst you who either continues barren, or, under any