brought the Israelites out of Egypt, "with a high hand and an outstretched arm," and He cannot allow them to return. He leads them to a holy habitation; and separate and distinct they must be from the world. I know that there have been seasons in which that awful passage in Scripture has been carried out to a fearful extent, "My people were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works." "But still," said God, "they are my people, and they shall smart for it; but they are my people, and therefore from all your idols I will cleanse you."

But they are not only spiritual and separate, but subordinate to the monarch. They have touched His sceptre top; they have obtained life Divine from Him. They are furnished as His soldiers with weapons of warfare, and those weapons are not carnal, but "mighty through God;" and as they are employed and used by mighty grace imparted unto their souls, they "pull down strongholds," and "cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." Now mark the subordination-" and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." "Thy will be done" is the favourite motto inscribed upon their banners; "not as I will, but as thou wilt," shouted their glorious Captain, and they reiterate the cry. The will of Jehovah is the law of their life. The will of Jehovah is known to be the controlling power of their life. The will of Jehovah is accepted rather than the will of the creature; and their souls are brought to bow down and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, ascribing all glory to Jesus's precious name: and are so subordinate as to accept of what He gives with gratitude, and cheerfully to yield what He deprives them of or withholds. Insubordination anywhere is a devilish thing, but worst of all in Christians towards their God. And every murmur, and every restless, disquiet, uneasy feeling about either His providence or the dispensations of grace, is insubordination, and partakes of the spirit of rebellion against God. Look well to it, then, that you belong to this generation. One word more and I close. These generations are taught and trained supernaturally, and then they come of age. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be their peace. They are trained with the discipline of experience, the discipline of His Church, the discipline of trials, confiicts, and crosses, all of which are so many instruments in the hands of God to train you and me for glory. And if He sees fit to lead us in the way that we do not desire, or to hedge up our path with thorns, or orders us to take retrograde movements in our journey, all of it is to train us to glory. And when He has accomplished His will, and taught us every lesson He intends, for the purpose of training us through every feature of His discipline, then comes the majority, the full age; then comes our patrimony, then comes the "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," which all His subjects are to realize in their personal experience. May He command a blessing on these few hints, and His great name shall have all the glory. Amen.

Delivered in Grove Chapel, Camberwell, Sunday Morning, March 18, 1849, BY THE REV. JOSEPH IRONS.

"Who are Israelites: to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises."-Rom. ix. 4.

METHINKS not a few of my hearers exclaim, "What a privileged character, if all this pertains to them! What a privileged character!not only to be adopted by Jehovah into His family, and recognized as sons and daughters, trained, educated, and provided for as His Church, but glorious in their portion-and not only glorious in their portion, but secure in the covenant; and not only have they this security of inheritance, but all that pertains to the law-the whole service of God instituted for them, and all the promises of God in Christ Jesus the Lord." If any estate on earth could be considered hereditary-if I may so speak and set forth as entailed from generation to generation, upon a certain family, would it not be an enviable thing to share in such a portion? And you will mark, it would put all doubt aside relative to that portion, if once the adoption was proved-if once the family relationship was settled-if once the affinity could be established. The very first sentence of my text leads us to this point in the investigation, "Who are Israelites?'

Those who were present at the time, will recollect the remarks which I made upon the opening verses of the chapter, in which Paul breathes forth his vehement desire relative to the Jews, his own kindred, declaring he had continual sorrow in his heart on their behalf, and the Holy Ghost bearing witness to this exercise of faith. Then immediately again he says, that he could wish himself accursed from Christ for his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh, whom he desired Published in Weekly Numbers, 1d., and Monthly Parts, price 5d.

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to see brought home. And then, in order to describe them and their inheritance, he says, "Who are Israelites." I once thought of putting this in the form of a question, "Who are Israelites?" (although this is not the original design.) "Who are Israelites?" But what is said three or four verses down? "They are not all Israel which are of Israel." And while he sets out the temporal privileges of his brethren, he keeps in view, and eyes with the deepest interest, the real Israel of God, the true circumcision, the children of Abraham according to the promise; for, as we read in the chapter at the conmencement of the service, "The children of the flesh are not the children of the promise;" or, in plain terms, we are told those who are of the faith of Abraham are heirs according to the promise.

It is my intention, first of all, to direct your attention to the national description of character of the Israelites; then, secondly, to look well to their ordained privileges, which are enumerated in the language I have read; and, thirdly, to ask with great earnestness about the obligations they are laid under towards God, the gratitude and praise due to the Most High for such distinguishing mercy.

I. My first point is, indeed, of the highest importance; and I should like to take the liberty, as I first hinted, of putting it in the form of an interrogation, and, looking around at my congregation, ask, "Who among you are Israelites-who amongst those who listen to my voice to-day are Israelites?" because "the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises," have nothing to do with you, nor you with them, unless you are Israelites. Oh that this distinction were better known and kept up in the world! We should not then have ungodly men meddling with sacred things as they do now. To Israelites, and to Israelites only, pertain the adoption and the promises. I do not care to ask of what nation they are. I do not care what their position or standing in society, or of what colour they may be-no, nor to what creed or denomination they may belong—Í do not care a straw about your denominations. My only inquiry shall be directed to the national character set forth in my text-the Israelites, and who are they. You know there were some in the olden time, who were true Israelites not literally the descendants of Abraham, but they became Israelites indeed by spiritual descent. Now let us look to the language of the text for an explanation of the term, for the sake of an illustration. The tribes of Israel are the descendants of one covenant Head. That was their prominent mark, their distinguishing characteristic. Even as late as the days in which our Lord tabernacled on the earth, they said, "We have Abraham for our father;" and looked back to the one appointed covenant Head as the representative of a very far superior covenant Head; for you remember when God is said to have covenanted with Abraham, it was but a repetition of that covenant confirmed before of God in Christ. Then Abraham was the typical representative of a covenant Head, and Christ Himself was from everlasting the covenant Head of all the true Israel of God.

This is the grand instruction intended to be set forth in all that is said of the tribes of Abraham literally. While they were descended from one covenant Head, they carried distinct standards and banners as they marched through the wilderness; and well they might, when you come to look at such a vast company as six hundred thousand men, besides

women and children, passing through the Red Sea and across the desert -six hundred thousand men, a mighty army-but they were divided into tribes and families, for the sake of order, just as military forces are divided into regiments, and squadrons, and companies, under different officers. So the Israelites marched through the desert. They were in order, in rotation, and an express command was given, which tribe should march first, and which second, that no confusion might arise, but that all might be maintained in order. And yet all these twelve tribes constituted but one Israel of God.

Just so under the gospel dispensation. We might enumerate many tribes, and speak of them as marching across the desert. But the only one point concerning them is, whether they are descended from ore and the same covenant Head-whether they are the offspring of Christ-whether they are born of God-whether they are really and truly His seed according to the grace of God and the covenant settlement of eternity. No matter whether they be of the tribe of Judah or of Benjamin. The question is, whether they are the descendants of one covenant Head, born of God, partakers of the life Divine, really regenerated, new creatures in Christ Jesus. None but these are Israelites. It is very true that if, according to our fleshly feelings, one might be allowed to make a choice, I should have made choice of the tribe of Judah. And why? Because it was faithful with God, and always went first. And I confess I am very fond of being in the front rank. I am anxious to be ahead in spirituality of all those we meet with on the way to God in glory. I would be ahead of all these tribes, though I would hail them as brethren and fellow-tribes. I cannot bear to be in the rear, I confess. I would march forward, but that is as God pleases to let me. So long as I march with the tribes, I can claim affinity with the covenant Head, to belong to the original stock, the grand source of all the Christianity ever known in the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.

One word more. Those Israelites are the very persons who have the security, distinction, and mark of the circumcision among them. Now the apostle tells us, in his epistle to the Philippians (using the very figure), what the true circumcision is. He says it is not the circumcision after the flesh, but the circumcision without hands. And he says, we are the persons-an exceedingly bold word to use. But who' We," which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus. and have no confidence in the flesh." Now, what think you of the claim to be an Israelite? Look well to it. Here is an accurate description of them-" Worship God in the spirit." This is the true circumcision--" worship God in the spirit.' Two things are here implied-in the Spirit's power, and in the exercise of the graces of the Holy Ghost. "Worship God in the spirit.' This would include the matter of fact, that every act of worship, that is really such, is dictated by the Holy Ghost, and is proof positive that the Holy Ghost dwells in that man, calling forth and putting into exercise His own graces, revealing the fulness of Christ by His teaching, and presenting before the throne of God, the prayer and praise of the family of God. But here is another sense which you should look well into. It is that of having all the powers of the soul brought under the mighty operation of the Holy Spirit's graces, to distinguish theirs from what is termed fashionable religion. When this is well understood, all the faculties of the soul with which

man is created are brought under the powerful operation of faith, of love, of humility, and meekness, and hope, and patience; and under the mighty influence of these graces the soul is led out to be engaged intimately with God. Oh, how I wish I could command language to tell you what I feel of this-how I wish I could tell you how this goes on sometimes in my poor soul-everything pertaining to the will, the affections, the desire, the judgment, the understanding -all that pertains to man as a created being, brought under the mighty influence of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Now the main point here between the Israelites and the strangers, the mixed multitude around them, is simply this-they bring, by dint of human effort, all their natural faculties into some kind of employment in and about religious things, while those that worship God in the spirit have those very faculties which others use as an act of nature, brought supernaturally under the power and constraining operation of the Holy Ghost, the mighty movements of all His graces, engaging them supernaturally with God.

I hope I have been fully understood in this particular, and would that I could make it still plainer. To "worship God in the spirit" and to rejoice in Christ Jesus, in His person, in His official character, in His perfect work, in His covenant Headship, in His relationship, with intimate and affectionate intercourse. The Israelite rejoices in Christ. Those of the true circumcision are declared to have renounced all confidence in the flesh. They know the creature so well, they have done with all dependence on the creature, they have learned the solemn lesson, that he who trusts his own heart is a fool (and he must be a fool indeed to trust any one else's heart if he cannot trust his own). These are the true circumcision; consequently they are Israelites.

Take another characteristic in describing this national character. Who are Israelites? They were emancipated and elevated. Their emancipation did not make them Israelites, but proved them to be such. Now if you will go down to Egypt, if you will content yourself there, if you will approximate as much as possible to the Egyptian habits and manners, there will be some difficulty in distinguishing you. If you will assimilate with the world, do not wonder that you are reckoned of the world. If you pursue their course, do not be surprised if we set you down as abiding in the broad road. If the practices and pursuits, and the religion of worldlings, satisfy you, do not pretend to be Israelites. Israel's emancipation was wrought with a high hand. I do not believe the tribes of Israel would have left the Egyptian bondage to this day if God had left them to their own free will. Even when the deliverance was going on they hesitated. Again and again it is declared that God brought them out with a high hand and outstretched arm. It is His own mighty work to separate and distinguish the saints from the world, and bring them out from the slavery of Satan, the service of sin, the thraldom of their taskmasters, to pursue their marked course, the heavenly road to the everlasting Canaan.

Moreover, not only was this emancipation accomplished, but an elevation of character goes along with it. I know the worldlings do not like this idea, but they must have it, whether they like it or not. All the worldlings are in a state of degradation. They are not all Israelites who are of Israel. I shall have a word to say on this point under the second head, but I will here for one moment glance at the fact that the families of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were distinguished