“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 fullness? “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.”

Now, we are to understand the apostle, as speaking of the return of Israel, when he said, “how much more their fulness,” in their return. “For I would not have you ignorant concerning this matter,” that blindness will depart from them in the day that the fullness of the Gentiles is come in. And the reason is very obvious, because it is said, that out of Zion shall come the deliverer; and for what cause? why, that the word of God might be fulfilled. This deliverer might, through the mercy of God, turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

This work evidently commences at the time God begins to take the darkness from the minds of Israel, for this will be the work of God by the deliverer, for he shall turn away ungodliness from the whole family of Jacob. “For this is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins.”

Now then, we can see that this deliverer is a kind of harbinger or forerunner, that is, one that is sent to prepare the way for another. And this deliverer is such an one, for he comes to turn away ungodliness from Jacob.— Consequently he must receive a dispensation and authortty suitable to his calling, or he could not turn away ungodliness from Jacob, nor fulfill the scriptures.

But the words of the prophets must be fulfilled. And in order to do this, to this messenger must be given the dispensation of the fulness of times according to the prophets. For Paul says again, in speaking of the dispensation of the fullness of times; Ephesians 1, 9. “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he has purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.”

And Isaiah says in the 11th chapter and 11th verse, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people.”

Now, this is the time that the deliverer shall come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from the house of Israel. Now, the Lord has said that he would set his hand the second time, and we ask for what? but to recover the house of Jacob. From what have they fallen? most assuredly they had broken the covenant, that God had made with their fathers, and through their fathers with them.

For Paul says, Romans 11: 19, 20. “Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded but fear.” Now it is evident, that the Jews did forsake the Lord, and by that means they broke the covenant. And now we see the need of the Lord’s setting his hand the second time to gather his people, according to Ephesians 1:10. “That the dispensation of the fullness of times” &c. Now I ask, what is a dispensation? I answer, it is power and authorty to dispense the word of God, and to administer in all the ordinances thereof.

This is what we are to understand by it, for no man ever had the Holy Ghost to deliver the gospel, or to prophecy of things to come, but had liberty to fulfill his mission; consequently, the argument is clear, for it proves itself; nevertheless, I will call on the scriptures to prove the assertion. Ephesians 3: 2. “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-ward. How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote in a few words.” And also Collossians 1: 25. “Wherefore I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.”

It is evident then, that the dispensation given the apostle, came to him by revelation from God. Then by this we may understand, in some degree, the power by which he spake. And also the dispensation of the fullness of times.

Now, this at first thought would appear very small to some, who are not acquainted with the order of God from [p. 40]