66 of the tribes of Ifrael to particular inheritances. The Gentiles are, therefore, faid to "receive an " inheritance," literally, " a lot among them who "are fanctified "." We are " made meet to be "partakers of the lot of the faints in light P.” Here creature-merit is excluded on every fide. For the inheritance is not only called a lot, but we are faid to be "made meet for" it, which plainly shews, that we are naturally unmeet, and cannot qualify ourselves by any thing that we can do. Not only is the inheritance faid to be given to the people of God by lot: but the expreffion is reverfed. They are faid to be chofen to it, in the fame manner. For in Chrift " we "have obtained an inheritance," or, "we have "been defigned by lot:" and no wonder fuch language is used, as it follows,-" being predes"tinated according to the purpose of him who "worketh all things after the counfel of his own "will." The latter language fhows the reafon why the former is ufed. It is faid, that we are defigned by lot; because our enjoyment of the inheritance depends wholly on the fovereign pleafure of God. This mode of expreffion does not denote any thing accidental or contingent with refpect to him; but that he pays as little regard to merit in the objects of his choice, as if they were chofen by lot; as little, as a creature would do, who should decide with refpect to an earthly inheritance in this way. We receive the inheritance willingly. But it is God who "worketh in us to “will." o Acts xxvi. 18. p Col. i. 12. q Eph. i. 142 "will." We are eventually qualified for it. But this is only as he "worketh in us to do." 12. As God manifefted his fovereignty, in the inftance already mentioned, with refpect to the tribes of Ifrael in general, he did fo, in other inftances, as to particular tribes, families and perfons. It is generally admitted, that before the giving of the law, the firft-born of the different families of Ifrael had acted as priefts. It appears, that for a time God fanctioned this practice, by hallowing the firft-born. Now, Levi was not the first-born. Yet his pofterity were separated to God for the work of the priesthood. Was it because of any fuperior worth in their progenitor? Surely no. For Levi was brother to Simeon in cruelty. His children could not be better qualified than their brethren for the fervice of the altar, because their father had made a facrifice of the Shechemites. This defignation is wholly referred to the pleasure of God. "The "LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the "ark of the covenant of the LORD, to ftand before "the LORD, to minifter unto him, and to bless in "his name "." "The priests, the fons of Levi "fhall come near; for them the LORD thy God "hath chofen to minifter unto him t." Neither was Judah the firft-born. But God conferred the fceptre on the tribe which bore his name. He "chose not the tribe of Ephraim: "but chose the tribe of Judah "." To it alfo he 7 Numb. iii. 13. gave s Deut. x. 8. t Deut. xxi. 5. 、gave the exclufive promise of the descent of the Meffiah. In this tribe, the regal power was confined to the family of Jeffe, although it was not distinguished for wealth or greatness. Thence fome fpake contemptibly of David: "Who is "David? or who is the fon of Jeffe?" From this confideration David himfelf extols divine fovereignty: "What am I, and what is my father's houfe, that thou haft brought me hitherto ?" Bethlehem was but a mean village. Yet here muft the Meffiah be born: "And thou Bethlehem"Ephratah, although thou be little among the "thousands of Judah, yet out of thee fhall he "come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in If "rael w." The family of Jofeph feems to have been one of the meaneft in the houfe of David, or belonging to Bethlehem. For Jofeph and Mary could find no lodging but in a ftable. Yet from this family muft the Meffiah fpring. 13. God fignalized his fovereignty in the choice of that particular place where he would be worfhipped. All places are alike to Him, to whom "the earth belongs, and the fulnefs thereof;" who filleth heaven and earth;" whom "hea"ven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain." But, under the law, he inculcated the doctrine of his fovereignty on the church, by not only regulating the whole manner of worship, but by limiting the place. That fhe might have ftill more reafon for learning unreserved fubmiffion to his will, fhe was long kept in fufpenfe. All that she 66 was permitted to know, was the certainty of God's choofing fuch a place. But where it might be, or when he might be pleafed to declare his will in this respect, she was abfolutely ignorant. "There "fhall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose, to caufe his name to dwell there, thi"ther fhall ye bring all that I command you *.” He dealt with the feed of Abraham as he had done with their father, with refpect to that very place where he was afterwards to put his name. He commanded him to go and offer up his fon on one of the mountains which he fhould tell him of Here, indeed, was the true Ifaac facrificed. This place, although in itself no better, was preferred to every other in the tribe of Judah, nay, in the land of Canaan: "Unto the place which "the LORD your God fhall choofe, out of all your "tribes, to put his name there,-thither thou "fhalt come "." If their ritual worship, though conformable to the divine inftitution in every other refpect, wanted this fingle requifite of being offered at this place, they were affured that it would be totally unacceptable a. When the LORD diftinguished the tribe of Judah, by putting his name in Jerufalem, it was in the way of rejecting every place in the tribe of Ephraim, within the boundaries of which his tabernacle had flood for many ages. "He refused the tabernacle of Jofeph, and chofe not the tribe of Ephraim: but "chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which 66 y Gen. xxii 2.; 2 Chron. iii. I, Deut. xii. 12, * Deut. xii. S. a Deut. xii. 11, 13. 14. "he "he loved b." Why did he prefer Judah to Ephraim, Jerufalem to Shiloh? In Shiloh, indeed, his ordinances had been profaned. But he knew that this would foon be the cafe in Jerufalem alfo. We can give no reason for the preference, but that which God himself gives. This was his own pleasure. "The LORD hath chofen Zion; he hath "defired it for his habitation. This is my reft "for ever: here will I dwell, for I have defired "it c." 14. The fame fovereignty appears in the means or inftruments which God employs for accomplishing his purposes either of judgment or of mercy. It would naturally occur to us, that when God meant to punish a people for their wickedness, he would employ inftruments prepared for the work by a love of righteousness; that the innocent fhould wield the weapons of his vengeance against the guilty, the fincere against the hypocritical, the humble against the haughty, and the merciful against those "who breathe out cruelty." But "his ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts our "thoughts." He often takes a plan directly the reverse of that which would be fuppofed, or approved, by us. He employs the worft of men for the beft of purposes. He takes inftruments out of the devil's hand for performing his own work. He lets loofe hell, that it may fight the battles of heaven. Short-fighted creatures are in danger of denying the work to be his, because they do not immediately difcern his hand; because they difcern no b Pfal. lxxviii. 68, 69. c Pfal. cxxxii. 13, 44. |
