the Gentiles were the uncircumcifion; they were abominable outcafts, whofe very entering into the temple was enough to pollute it. They were ftrangers and aliefs; but now God declares in the gofpel, that he will justify the uncircumcifion through faith, Rom. iii. 30. "And the fcripture, foreseeing that God would juftify the heathen thro' faith, preached the gofpel before to Abraham, faying, In thee fhall all nations be bleffed," Gal. iii. 18. The Gentiles here meant were called dogs, and the Jews were called the children; hence faid Chrift to the woman of Canaan, when trying her, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and caft it to dogs. Without are dogs," Rev. xxii. 15.; but fuch dogs have been gathered, I Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11. "Such were fome of you, but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juf tified."-Thus the people that may, and fhall be gathered are defined, they are Gentiles, uncircumcifed, heathens, dogs; and if that be a defcription of you, man, woman, then the promise concerns you, and you are called to embrace it with application.

2. It is a gathering of graceless and ungodly people. that is here defigned. Though he makes them gracious and godly when once he hath gathered them; yet, before they be gathered, and while he is feeking to gather them to himself, they are gracelefs and ungodly; “ I come not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance," Mark ii. 17. And indeed, if he would except finners, he would except all mankind, and call none at all; for, "All have finned:" therefore fay not, you are a finner, and therefore cannot be of that number, to whom this word of grace belongs; for if you be a finful creature of Adam's family, we are charged to hold out the word of falvation to you; "Go, preach the gofpel to every creature," Mark xvi. 15.

3. It is a gathering of the most finful people that ever were, that is here intended.Chrift, fay you, may gather finners, but none fo grofs as me: therefore I tell you, that even the groffeft of finners are included in this gathering: hence the ftout-hearted people are encouraged to come to him; "Hearken, ye ftout-hearted, and far

from

from righteoufnefs, I bring near my righteoufnefs; and my falvation fhall not tarry," Ifa. xlvi. 12, 13. Hearken to his reasoning, Ifa. i. 18. “ Though your fins be as fcarlet, they fhall be as white as fnow; though they be red like crimfon, they fhall be as wool."-Why fays he thus, but that the greatest and moft guilty finner may not be difcouraged, from gathering about the throne of infinite grace? Hence neither the cruel maffacres and curfed forcery of Manaffeh, nor the blafphemy and perfecution of Paul, did exclude them from obtaining mercy and being gathered to Shiloh : yea, the Jews, who murdered the Lord of glory, fee them both called and converted, Acts ii. 14.

cian.

4. It is a gathering of difeafed people that is here meant, Mark ii. 17. When Shiloh comes, it is to gather the fick and difeafed about him to heal them; They that be whole need not the phyfician, but they that are fick: multitudes gathered about him to touch him; and, As many as touched him, were made whole. All that are fick are called to come to him, and all that want the phyfiWe need not understand it of thefe that are fenfibly fick, and fee their need, fuch only will indeed come: but it is true without a figure, That all that are really fick, and stand in need of a phyfician, ought to come. Now, what is your difeafe, man, woman? For the phyfician is come here to gather all difeafed perfons about his hand, that he may get the glory of healing them. Is darkness and ignorance your disease? Behold, Shiloh is come to be a light to lighten the Gentiles. Is deadness your disease? Behold, "He is come to, give life, and to give it more abundantly." Is blindness your disease? He is come to open the eyes of the blind. Is hardnefs of heart your disease? He is come to take away the weart of Stone, and give the heart of flesh.-Whatever be the disease, let the gathering of difeafed people be to him. If your difeafe be unbelief, fo as you cannot for your life elicit one act of faith; he hath the Spirit of faith to give for curing of that. If your difease be impenitency, fo as you cannot repent of one fin; he hath the Spirit of repentance to give for curing of that. If your disease be enmity and hatred againft God and

Chrift;

Chrift; he hath the Spirit of love to give for curing that. If your disease be carnality, fo as your thoughts and affections are carnal and flethly; he hath the Spirit of holiness to give for curing that. If your difeafe be weaknefs, that you cannot think, you cannot act, you cannot pray; he hath the Spirit of power to give for curing that. If your difeafe be error and delufion, as well as dimnefs and confufion: he hath the Spirit of truth to give, to lead you into all truth. If your disease be fecurity, fearing nothing, but fleeping in the arms of the devil, deftitute of all grace, filled with all atheism and blafphemy, and fuch unconcernedness and indifference, that no arguments in the world can awaken you; Behold, Shiloh is come, who is the refurrection and the life, having the Spirit of all grace to give, Ifa. xlii. 1. "Behold my Servant, whom I uphold; mine Elect, in whom my foul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him, he fhall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." There is one difeafe called the unpardonable fin, which the man that is under would never fo much as wish to be cured of; abftracting from that, I know no difcafe excluded out of the Mediator's commiffion. Whatever be the difeafe then, of which you would wish and need to be cured, if you be among the number of dif eafed people, that is the people of which the gathering

must be to Shiloh.

5. It is a gathering of distracted people and mad fools. This is fet forth in the parable of the prodigal, who played the fool and madman, till he came to himself, and came home to his father, who, notwithstanding of his former madness and folly, kindly received and entertained him, Luke xv. 17. 24. What is all the people in the world but a company of mad fools, and befides themselves; feeding upon fwines hufks, fenfual pleasures, and lying vanities? yet of fuch people is the gathering to Shiloh. Therefore, O finner, do not exclude yourself from the benefits of this promife, tho' you have been carrying like one that hath been out of his wits all your days.--Some in the world are called wits, and think themselves fo, who yet are mad and out of their wits, fo long as they do not think of gather

gathering to Shiloh, "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and, Who of God is made unto us wildom."

"Turn ye

6. It is a gathering of imprifoned people that is here meant for Shiloh is come to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prifon to them that are bound, Ifa. lvi. 1. Now, what fort of a prifon are you in, man? This word of falvation is to you; to your ftrong holds, ye prifoners of hope," Zech. ix. 12. The people that are gathered to Shiloh, are defigned prifoners; and if a prifoner be your name and defignation, be it ever fuch a deep, dark, and dreadful prifon, here is a door of hope for you. Is your prifon-door barred and bolted, fo as no man or angel can open? Behold, he proclaims the opening of the prifon to them that are bound. When he in the gofpel proclamation is faying, Open prifon-doors, open, open; O take hold of his ftrength, and invite his power to be put forth, and you fhall find all the bands fhall be broken in pieces. To give him employment to open your prifon, is one of the ways of gathering to him. Do you look upon yourself as a prifoner in the further corner, hidden in the deepeft and darkest hole of the prifon? Behold the gathering hand of him that can fave to the uttermoft, canreach to the furtheft corner in the prifon, and bring you forth, fo as your name fhall be called, Sought out, and found out, Ifaiah lxii. 12. But, on this fubject, fee my notes on Ifa. xlii. 6.*-Now, if the people to be gathered to Shiloh be of that fort, if it be a gathering of pagans, to make them Chriftians; a gathering of gracelefs people, to make them gracious; a gathering of great finners, to make them great faints; a gathering of difeafed people, that they may be made whole, a gathering of fools and mad-men, that they may be made wife; a gathering of prifoners, that they may be made free: if this be the defignation of thefe people of whom the gathering fhall be to Shiloh, O then, is your name and defignation touched at here! What hinders, but you put in for a fhare of this gathering VOL. IV. † C

grace! *See Vol. I. Sermon IV. intitled, Chrift the People's Covenant, page 162.

grace! By what claufe are you excluded, if you be one of the people here mentioned, man, woman? And why will you exclude yourselves from coming to Chrift? The gofpel excludes you not, for it names you in a manner; and you fhould anfwer to your name, faying, Lord, here I am, I find I am mentioned among these of whom the gathering fhall be to Shiloh; therefore, behold I come to him; let my foul, and all its faculties be centred cn him.

But, in cafe you think that I have miffed your name, I muft tell you, that all that are called by the gospel of Chrift are allowed to gather under his wings; and it is by the free univerfal call given to all the people to whom the gospel comes; it is by this, that God gathers all his chofen into Chrift; and the promise, given forth indefinitely to all the people, is a ground of encouragement to them all, to come to Shiloh by faith; there fore, fays the apostle to them whom he was calling to come to Chrift, whom they had crucified, Acts ii. 39. "The promife is to you, and to your children; and to all them that are afar off, even to as many as the Lord our God fhall call.” And here, as all that are afar off are called, fo more particularly, there are two forts of people called, that fome do not dream to be fo, namely, 1. They that exclude themselves. 2. They that are excluded by men, they are included in the call.

(1.) They that exclude themfelves; and you will find, they are moft particularly called, who are most ready to exclude themfelves.-They that are weary and heavy laden, under a fenfe of fin and apprehenfion of God's wrath, are ready to exclude themfelves; therefore they are particularly called; "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you reft," Mat. xi. 28. I do not confine the fenfe of these words indeed to the humbled and convinced; for I think that even these that are wearying themselves in purfuing vanities, and living contentedly under a heavy load of fin and guilt, or wearying themfelves with a load of legal and unprofitable fervice, are called alfo by that text to come to Chrift, in whom alone they can find that reft and fatisfaction which they are vainly feeking