And  it  was  upon  this  account  that  God  hath  forgot  nothing  which
might  make  thole  oracles  that  relate  to  the  rejection  of  the  Jews,  in  the
time  of  the  Mefliah,  very  fenfible.
The  chief  privileges  which  made  the  Jews  confider  themfelves  as
God's  peculiar  people,  were  thefe.
1.  God  himfetf  was  in  a  peculiar  manner  their  king  and  Sovereign  j
which  gave  Jofephus  occafion  to  call  their  ftate  a  theocracy.
2.  Their  religious  fervice  did  wholly  depend  upon  God,  who  had
inftituted  their  order  of  prietthood.
3.  God  had  placed  them  in  a  country  by  themfelves,  and  Separated
them  from  all  other  nations.
4.  God  had  given  them  the  Urim  and  Tbummim,  which  gave  them  an
infallible  refolution  in  all  important  cafes  happening  to  their  ftate  j
which  was  an  evident  mark  of  the  Divine  prefence  and  direction.
5.  God  gave  them  particular  marks  of  his  blcfling,  the  extraordinary
fruitfulnefs  which  continually  ufiVred  in  their  fabbatical  year  ;  the  Se-
curity which  they  enjoyed  during  their  three  folemn  feafts  ;  and  above
all,  the  deliverers  which  he  from  time  to  time  railed  up  for  them,  their
fourteen  judges  and  kings.
J  °  °  At

And


Ch.  XXIV.  Books  of  the  Old  TeJlament.  425

And  God  alfo  threatened  them  with  evils  oppofite  to  thefe  bleflings;
and  all  this  is  denounced  againft  them  ftep  by  ftep.
1.  He  declares  that  he  would  no  longer  be  their  God.
2.  That  he  would  abolifh  and  reject  their  order  of  priefthood,  which
was  accordingly  executed  by  degrees.
3.  That  he  would  turn  them  out  of  their  own  country,  without  re-
covery.
4.  That  they  fhould  have  no  more  Prophets  or  revelations.
