which was made unto the fathers: since God had fulfilled the same, and given them the sure mercies of David:-since he had not suffered his Holy One to see corruption,—but raised him up to be a Prince and Saviour:-let them learn the faithfulness of God, the certainty of his word, and beware, lest other prophecies should also be accomplished which spoke not of mercy but of judgment.

40. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets;

41. Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. 5

That some despisers, some unbelievers were foreseen, was manifest from the tenor of many prophecies. Let those who now received the message of salvation, beware of being those despisers. The words of promise had been fulfilled: so likewise would the threatenings of vengeance be verified, if they should" cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despise the word of the Holy One of Israel." 6

5 Isa. xxix. 14. Hab. i. 5.

6 Isa. v. 24.

LECTURE XLI.

THE GOSPEL PREACHED BY PAUL AND BARNABAS IS RECEIVED BY THE GENTILES AT ANTIOCH, AND OPPOSED BY THE JEWS.-A. D. 45.

ACTS xiii. 42-47.

42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

43. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

The time had not yet come, when these converts could know the real nature of the course on which they were entering. Like persons setting out for a distant country, and filled with lively hope, for a while their new prospects would sustain them, and as the Ethiopian baptized by Philip, they would "go on their way rejoicing." But there is still a malicious adversary, seeking whom he may pervert: there is still a tempting world; there is a deceitful heart, and dangerous friends, and habits long indulged, and passions which may slumber

for a while, and yet revive. To his own disciples, the Lord had said; "Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea is now come, when ye shall be scattered, every man to his own."

All this was well known to Paul and Barnabas; who therefore exhorted and warned them, and persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Not to be disheartened by the opposition which awaited them, the trials they must encounter from a corrupt nature in a sinful world. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." He who had opened the kingdom to them, had set the example, as he had also given the warning: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

44. And the next sabbath-day came almost the whole city together, to hear the word of God.

Here then was an accomplishment of the many prophecies, which had spoken of a light issuing from Jerusalem, of a salvation which her sons should bring; and of a multitude which should embrace the blessings offered them. (Mic. iv. 1.) "In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills;-and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say,

1 John xvi. 31.

Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths for the law shall go forth of Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." So likewise Isaiah, in his prophetic strain, had foreshown the glory of Jerusalem: and as if beholding the dawn from afar, had said, (lx. 1,) "Arise, shine, for thy light is come; and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

When those who were really looking for the fulfilment of the promises, as Zacharias, and Simeon, and Anna, were made acquainted with the birth of the infant Saviour, they all with one accord exclaimed, Now has "the Lord remembered his holy covenant, and raised up a horn of salvation for us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers." In like manner when the Jews at Antioch saw almost the whole city coming together to hear the word of God, we might expect them to unite in saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel! The day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death." " Now we understand what the prophets foretold, which are read in our syna"Who are these that gogues every sabbath day. fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

2 See Luke i. 68—80; ii. 25—38.

4

They are flocking to verify the promise, "The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." 5 Alas! a very different spirit prevailed among the Jewish body.

45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

46. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

47. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 6

In the counsels of God it was necessary that the gospel should be preached" to the Jew first, and afterward to the Gentile." It was not until after the invitation had been issued to the regular guests, that messengers were sent to the highways and hedges, and the mixed multitude gathered in. The "calling of God is without repentance," and Israel was his chosen people : "at Salem was his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Sion."

5 Is. lx. 5; foreign nations in abundance, visited by sea. 6 Is. xlix. 6.