" I "HE substance of this booklet is an address, afterwards written out in amplified form for The Scattered Nation, whence, by request, it is now reprinted. May the Great Shepherd of Israel bless this weak and inade- quate effort to quicken interest in the hearts of Christians for the people still " beloved for the fathers' sakes," to whom He has never forgotten to be gracious even in the darkest hours of their long night of sorrow.
DAVID BARON.
A DIVINE FORECAST OF JEWISH HISTORY:
A PROOF OF THE SUPERNATURAL ELEMENT IN SCRIPTURE.
Paper, 6<L net (post free, yd.). Cloth, Is. net (post free, is. xirf.).
" Written by one who has made its subject a life-long study, and has devoted many earnest years to work among the Jews ; … full of interest to Bible students."
Preachers' Magazine.
"One of the very sanest and best little books on its subject we have ever read." Life of Faith.
" The renewed scattering of the Jewish oeople, conse- quent upon the repeated massacres in Russia, will invest with timely interest Rev. David Baron's book. In a succinct manner he sketches the familiar story, and after a luminous outline of the apostasy of the nation, he deals with its uniq ae punishment, and the testimony of ' the everlasting people ' to the truth of God's Word. In conclu- sion, Israel s future is indicated as foreshadowed in the prophetic Scriptures. Mr. Baron has written many good books, but none of them has made a stronger appeal than this for a prayerful perusal of those who ' pray for the peace of Jerusalem.'" The Christian.
"A clear re-statement of an interesting theme, and will commend itself to all who value the place and purpose ot the Hebrew people in the general plan of history. '
Irish Congregational Magazine.
LONDON : MORGAN AND SCOTT.
" I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh : who are Israelites ; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises ; whose are the fathers, and of whom as con- cerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."
Rom. ix. 1–5.
"As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes : but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance."
Rom. xi. 28, 29.
Israel's Inalienable Possessions.
THE APOSTLE'S YEARNING LOVE FOR ISRAEL
"For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh "
T7ROM the height of blessed- ness to which the Apostle gradually leads us in the first, or doctrinal section of the Epistle, culminating as it does in the triumphant " No condemnation " and " No separation " to " them
8 THE APOSTLE'S YEARNING
that are in Christ Jesus," we are here at the commencement of the dispensational, or prophetic section of the Epistle, almost abruptly brought down into a vale of sorrow, and we hear the Apostle speak of " great heavi- ness and uninterrupted sorrow in his heart."
And if the question be asked, Why this sudden descent from the mountain-top of blessedness ? could not the Apostle have spared us the knowledge and the sor- row ot this dispensational sec- tion of the Epistle, and have taken up the thread of his argu- ment with the practical section which begins with the 1 2th chap- ter ? the answer is No ! For their own good the Apostle could
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not leave Gentile believers in ignorance of the mystery of God with Israel. God's dealings with Israel, God's purposes in Israel, are subjects with regard to which Christians, for their own good, cannot afford to be ignorant.
The teaching imparted in this section of the Epistle which was written for the express purpose of instructing Gentile believers about Israel is not only salu- tary but absolutely needful, and though in the course of our study of these chapters, if our hearts be filled with the compassion of Christ, we too shall be filled with sorrow in contemplating Israel's present condition, yet we too are sure in the end to emerge with the Apostle with the triumphant,
io THE APOSTLE'S YEARNING
adoring exclamation, " Oh, the depth of the riches botH of the wisdom and the knowledge of God ! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out ! " And our gain in the process will consist of en- larged views of God's character and a better understanding of God's ways and, my dear friends, to the Christian there is no greater gain.
The first five verses of the Qth chapter form the introduction to this section of the Epistle, which consists of Chapters ix., x., and xi., and in these verses the Apostle Paul, before proceeding to vindicate the ways of God in His governmental dealings with Israel and the nations, stops to
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express his own sorrow and deep sympathy for that nation, which, though in the purpose of God exalted so high, is at present, through unbelief, fallen so low.