verts whom St. Paul denominates a remnant according to the election of grace, will be mercifully removed; or, in other words, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall have come in, the national conversion of Israel will take place.

2. Such being the case, the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles is the appointed chronological note of the conversion of Israel.

Now, that the national conversion of the Jews and the national restoration of the Jews are synchronical events, may be abundantly collected from the general tenor of prophecy. But the national restoration of the Jews synchronises, according to our Lord, with the fulfilment of the times of the Gentiles. Therefore, with the fulfilment of the times of the Gentiles, the national conversion of the Jews must also synchronise. But the national conversion of the Jews, according to St. Paul, synchronises with the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles. Therefore, the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles, and the fulfilment of the times of the Gentiles, are also, of plain necessity, synchronical events.

3. The synchronism of the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles and of the fulfilment of the times of the Gentiles is thus evident and indisputable but I further contend, that these two phrases set forth, in slightly varied language, one and the same event.

To such an opinion we are naturally led by the very circumstance of the synchronism: and, in this

opinion, we are confirmed by the apparently substantial identity of the two slightly varied phrases themselves. The coming in or the arrival or the occurrence of the FULNESS of the Gentiles corresponds with the FULFILMENT of the times of the Gentiles: for the verbal accordance of the two phrases, which confessedly relate to the same chronological epoch, determines, so far as I can judge, the fulness of the Gentiles to mean the chronological fulness of the Gentiles or the fulness of the times of the Gentiles.

Hence, in point of import, I deem the two phrases to be identical: and hence we learn, on the joint authority of Christ and St. Paul, that the fulfilment of the times of the Gentiles or the expiration of the seven great calendarian times is the chronological note alike both of the national restoration of Israel and of the national conversion of Israel.

II. I am perfectly aware, that St. Paul's expression, the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles, has been very commonly thought to denote the general coming of the hitherto unconverted pagan nations into the pale of the Christian Church: that is to say, the fulness of the Gentiles has been

'The verbal correspondence, here insisted upon, appears yet more distinctly in the Greek. "Αχρις οὗ τὸ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑ τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, says St. Paul. "Αχρις ΠΛΗΡΩΘΩΣΙ καιροί ἐθνῶν, says our Lord. Πλήρωμα is the verbally corresponding substantive to the verb πληρωθῶσι.

thought to denote the ecclesiastical fulness of the Gentiles, not their chronological fulness (

Such an interpretation might very fairly have been received, had it not been irreconcileable, both with the evident purport of St. Paul's own prediction, and with the general voice of prophecy. - 1. If the fulness of the Gentiles denote the ecclesiastical fulness of the Gentiles, then it is obvious, that the general conversion of the gentile world must PRECEDE the general conversion of Israel: for, in that case, the declaration of the Apostle will run, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness or the complete totality of thè Gentiles shall have come into the Church of Christ.

But the necessary result from this interpretation, namely the result, that the general conversion of the gentile world will PRECEDE the general conversion of the Jews, is irreconcileable with the evident purport of St. Paul's own prophecy.

I say then: Have they stumbled, that they should fall? God forbid: but rather, through their fall, salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world; and the diminishing of them, the riches of the Gentiles: how much more their fulness? For, if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world; what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead1?

1 Rom. xi. 11, 12, 15./

Through the fall or the diminishing or (in other words) the unbelief of the Jews at the first preaching of the Gospel, salvation is come to the Gentiles of the apostolic age: for they thankfully received, what the Jews had blindly rejected. Hence, argues St. Paul, if the Gentiles, in their only partial conversion, derived such riches from the unbelief of the Jews, when that nation rejected the promised Redeemer: how much greater riches, evidently in their general conversion, shall they derive from the belief of the Jews, when the chronological fulness of God's ancient people shall at length arrive1?

I say, evidently in their general conversion:

That is to say, when the allotted times of their infidelity and of their consequent rejection shall have been fulfilled or shall have expired; and, therefore, when the fixed time for their conversion and restoration shall have arrived. In the same continued discourse, the Apostle speaks, both of the fulness (rò λnowμa) of the Jews, and of the fulness (rò λnowμa) of the Gentiles. Rom. xi. 12, 25. Hence, clearly, the expression must be understood and interpreted homogeneously. In each text, I conceive it to mean chronological fulness or the completion of a fixed and determinate period. The chronological fulness of the Jews and the chronological fulness of the Gentiles come in or arrive contemporaneously: for the general conversion and restoration of the Jews when the allotted times of their unbelief and dispersion shall have been fulfilled, and the judgment of the great metallic image of gentile domination when the appointed seven times of the Gentiles shall have been fulfilled, alike take place at the close of the latter three times and a half. Dan. xii. 1, 6, 7. Luke xxi. 24. Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44, 45. vii. 11, 13, 25. Rev. xi. 2. xii. 14. xiii. 5. xix. 11-21.

for, unless this elliptic clause be supplied, it is impossible to understand the drift and purport of the Apostle's reasoning. His argument is an argument from the less to the greater.

-". If, from the unbelief of the Jews, the Gentiles received the blessing of a partial conversion: much more, from the belief of the Jews, shall they receive the higher blessing of a general conversion. If the rejection of the unbelieving Jews were the partial reconciling of the gentile world: what shall the receiving of the converted Jews be, but a general spiritual life from the dead to the great mass of the hitherto unreconciled gentile world?

Here the argument is distinct and conclusive: but, under any other aspect, we shall vainly seek to apprehend its cogency. I think it clear, therefore, that such is the purport of the argument. But, if such be the purport of the argument; then, according to St. Paul, the general conversion of the Jews must PRECEDE the general conversion of the Gentiles: because, from or in consequence of the belief of the Jews, the Gentiles are to receive the blessing of their general conversion. And, if the general conversion of the Jews must PRECEDE the general conversion of the Gentiles; then, most indisputably, the fulness of the Gentiles, mentioned by St. Paul, cannot denote their ecclesiastical fulness: for, if the phrase denote the ecclesiastical fulness of the Gentiles; we shall, from such an interpretation, be inevitably brought to the