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And this way of reading the text fays, I think, four things.

(1.) That the gathering of the people to Shiloh, is a certain evidence that the fceptre is departed from Judah; for the fceptre was not to depart from them, till Shiloh fhould come, and gather the people to him. Now, the fceptre is departed from Judah; therefore Shiloh is come, and the gathering of the people is to him.

(2.) That the coming of Shiloh, and the gathering of the people to him, was of equal certainty by the counfel of heaven the gathering of the people to Christ was as certainly forefeen, as it was certainly forefeen that he was to come; and that according to the counfel of God, the gathering of the people hath been and shall be to Chrift, is as fure and certain, as it is fure that he is come already; for thus they ftand connected, namely, the coming of Shiloh, and the gathering of the people to him.

(3.) It fays, that the coming of Shiloh, and gathering of the people to him, was to take place together; and indeed the gathering of the Gentiles took its remarkable accomplishment with his coming. Whenever he was born in Bethlehem, behold there came wife men from the eaft, enquiring after him: we are fure they were Gentiles, and belonged not to the commonwealth of Ifrael; and the refpect they paid to Christ, the King of the Jews, was a happy presage of what would follow, when thefe that were afar off should be made nigh by Chrift. It is true, they were magicians; but fome take it in a good fenfe, for the Magi among the Perfians were their philofophers and their priests: but though we take it in the worft fenfe, it was an early inftance of Chrift's victory over the devil; whatever fort of wife-men they were before, now they begin to be wife-men indeed, when they fet themfelves to enquire after Chrift. In this there were fome early trophies erected of Chrift's victory over Satan's territories, abftract from the Gentiles that were religious profelytes of old; herein commenced the gathering of the people to him.

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(4.) This

(4.) This reading fays, that as upon the coming of Shiloh, the gathering of the people fhould be no more delayed; fo, upon his coming, their gathering fhould be no more difcontinued; but that the gathering of the people fhould continue and run parallel with the period wherein it can be faid that now Shiloh is come. The text fpeaks of a twofold period: the firft is the time before Chrift's coming, wherein it could be faid, Shiloh is not come; and, fo long as that could be faid, the fceptre was to remain with Judah. The fecond is the time of Chrift's coming, and after it, wherein it can be faid, that Shiloh is now come, and the gathering of the people to him: therefore fo long as that period remains, fo long must the gathering be.

In a word, this reading of the words imports, that while the scene is now fo far altered, that it can be faid, The fceptre is departed from Judah, which will be to the end of the world; fo long. we have ground to expect, that the gathering of the people fhall be to Shiloh, who is now come. The fceptre is departed from the Jews, and the Saviour is come to the Gentiles: whatever way we read it then, it ftands establifhed for a firm certainty, that to Shiloh fhall the gathering of the people be.

Now, omitting many obfervations that might be drawn from the words, I confine myself to that which especially concerns ourselves, namely,

OBSERV. That it is eftablished in the council of heaven, concerning Jefus Chrift, the Meffias, that to him fhall the gathering of the people be.

Now, that this is eftablifhed in the council of heaven, is plain from the facred records of that council, which you have in your hand. I need not cite all the fcriptures that speak of the converfion of the nations to him; I will but name two or three. Pfalm ii. 8. where God is declaring the decree concerning our Meffias; he fays to him, "Afk of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeffion." Afk of me;

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what fhall I give thee in confideration of that noble undertaking of thine, which I am fo well pleafed with, and fo much glorified by? Why, might Chrift fay, all that I afk is, that I may have a feed to ferve and glorify thee and me; that I may have my friends among the loft heathen pagan world; let me fee in them, as well as in others, the travel of my foul, and be fatisfied.Well, fays the Father, it is granted; "I give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeflion." See Ifa. xi. 10. 12. Ifa. xliii. 5, 6. Ifa. lvi. 8. and Ix. 4,-9.

The method we would propofe for illuftrating this propofition, through divine aid, fhall be the follow

ing:

I. To offer fome Remarks with refpect to the nature of this gathering, and the qualities of it.

II. Who are the people of whom it is faid this gathering fhall be.

III. To whom this gathering of the people fhall be, and in what refpect it is to Christ.

IV. The manner of this gathering; by what means, and in what method it fhall be.

V. When are the fpecial times and feafons wherein this gathering to Chrift does, or fhall take place. VI. Why, or for what reasons this gathering fhall be to him; why the people, and why to Shiloh. And then,

VII. Shut up all with fome Inferences from the whole.

I. The first thing propofed was, to offer fome remarks with refpect to the nature of this gathering, efpecially

these four.

1. You may remark, that there are feveral forts of gatherings, that we would diftinguish. There is an outward corporeal gathering, and an inward fpiritual gathering outward gatherings are not here especially intended. It is true, that a flocking to ordinances is very pleasant, as it was to the Pfalmift, when he said, "I was glad when they said, Come let us go up to the houfe of the Lord:" and when that word is accomplished,

Ifa. ii. 3. "Many people fhall go and fay, Come let us go up to the mount of the Lord, to the houfe of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths." But many gather about a tent, and gather together to ordinances, that never are gathered to Shiloh. Some like the Athenians, gather to ordinances, to hear if the minifter will tell them any news; fome, like the Pharifees, watch for a word to carp at, and play the part of the devil in accufing of the brethren: fome, like the Jews, feek after the law, and legal duties, that they may establish their own righteoufnefs; fome, like the Greeks, feek after wifdom and eloquence, and flowers of rhetoric: fome gather only to gaze, and others to mufe; and perhaps they mufe upon their market, their journey, their dinner, their fupper, their diverfion; and may be, the fermon is done before they know well where they are: fome gather to hear, but fo foon as the minifter begins, they fall afleep, as though they had been brought in for dead corpfes, and the minister were preaching their funeral-fermon: fome gather to ordinances and hear; but they hear, and fcorn; they hear, and mock; they hear, and defpife. May we not fay with Chrift, "What went ye out to the wilderness for to SEE?" rather than, What went ye out to HEAR? For people remember that which they fee, but forget all that they hear; which fays, that they came rather to fee than to hear. Some indeed will mind what they think to the minifter's reproach, or what will afford matter for their own diverfion; but with respect to the main thing, they depart from fermons with their hearts like a bottomlefs purfe, that can hold no money; and fo they go home without gathering any fruits that fall from the tree of life, which fhould be the greatest defign of their gathering together. Nay, as Satan pointed Adam to another tree, left he fhould go to the tree of life; fo he points to fome other bufinefs, and to fome other exercife and ftudy: hence they go home, faying, The minifter hath not an edifying gift; fays another, I cannot profit by him; fays another, He does not keep his text; fays a fourth, He preached too long, and I cannot mind all; as if the ground fhould

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complain of the feed, which yet will not receive the feed. Few gather to ordinances, or attend upon the word, as the ftar, that fhould lead them to Chrift; as the ladder that fhould mount them to heaven; as the manna that. fhould refresh their fouls. Many gatherings of the people confift only in prefenting their bodies like dead carcafes before the Lord; "They worship God with their mouth, and honour him with their lips; but their heart is far removed from him." The fpecial gatherings here intended, is an inward and fpiritual gathering. The gathering of the people to Shiloh, is the gathering of fouls to Chrift, a gathering of hearts, a gathering of affections to him. An outward gathering, like bodily exercise, profits little, where there is no fpiritual gathering and-holy approach to a God in Chrift; and it is a pity, where there is a great congre." gation of people, there fhould be but a fmall aggregation to Chrift; while the foul comes not along with the body to his ordinances. O that only is a bleffed gathering, when God gathers fouls to himself, and Chrift gathers hearts to himfelf!" Bleffed is the man whom thou chooseft, and caufeft to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we fhall be fatisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple," Pfal. lxv. 4. And indeed there will be no gathering to Shiloh here, if God himfelf do not caufe us to approach.-Hence as you are to diftinguish betwixt a corporal and fpiritual gathering, that you may not think it enough when you bring only your bodies before the Lord, while yet you leave your hearts behind you, and the defire of your foul is not to his name; fo you are to diftinguish betwixt a paffive and active gathering: as a bodily-gathering is unprofitable, where there is no foul-gathering; fo active gathering to Shiloh is impoffible without a paffive gathering. That there shall be an active gathering to Chrift, is as certain as the firm decree of heaven; John vi. 37.“ All that the Father hath given me, fhall come to me:" but it is as certain, that there can be no active, without a pasfive gathering; ver. 44." No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath fent me, draw him." Both

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