Consider  the  pains  that  Jesus  Christ  took
to  convince  and  to  reform  the  Jews.  To  them
he  consecrated  the  first  functions  of  his  min
istry;  he  never  went  out  of  their  towns  and
provinces;  he  seemed  to  have  come  only  for
them,  and  to  have  brought  a  gospel  formed
on  the  plan  of  the  law,  and  restrained  to  the
Jewish  nation  alone.  The  evangelists  have
remarked  these  things,  and  he  himself  said,
"  I  am  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost  sheep  of  the
house  of  Israel,"  Matt.  xv.  24.  When  he  sent
his  apostles,  he  expressly  commanded  them
"  not  to  go  into  the  way  of  the  Gentiles,  and
into  any  city  of  the  Samaritans  to  enter  not,"
chap.  x.  5.  And  the  apostles,  after  his  ascen
sion,  began  to  exercise  their  ministry  after  his
example,  by  saying  to  the  Jews,  "  Unto  you
first,  God  sent  his  Son  Jesus  to  bless  you,"
Acts  iii.  26.
Consider,  farther,  the  means  which  Jesus
Christ  employed  to  recover  this  people.  Here
a  boundless  field  of  meditation  opens:  but  the
limits  of  these  exercises  forbid  my  enlarging,
and  I  shall  only  indicate  the  principal  articles.
What  proper  means  of  conviction  did  Jesus
omit  in  the  course  of  his  ministry  among  this
people?  Are  miracles  proper?  "  Though  ye
believe  not  me,  believe  the  works,"  John  x.
32.  Were  extraordinary  discourses  proper?
"  If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  unto  them,
they  had  not  had  sin;  but  now  they  have  no
cloak  for  their  sin,"  chap.  xv.  22.  Is  innocence
proper?  "  Which  of  you  convinceth  me  of
sin?"  chap.  viii.  46.  Is  the  authority  of  the
prophets  necessary?  "Search  the  Scriptures,
for  they  are  they  that  testify  of  me,"  chap.  v.
