God；　because　he　exceeded　all　in　piety　and　religion。　（52）　Lastly；　from　Jonah
  iv：2；　it　is　very　evident　that；　not　only　to　the　Jews　but　to　all　men；　God　was
  gracious；　merciful；　long…　suffering；　and　of　great　goodness；　and　repented　Him
  of　the　evil；　for　Jonah　says：　〃Therefore　I　determined　to　flee　before　unto
  Tarshish；　for　I　know　that　Thou　art　a　gracious　God；　and　merciful；　slow　to
  anger；　and　of　great　kindness；〃　&c。；　and　that；　therefore；　God　would　pardon
  the　Ninevites。　（53）　We　conclude；　therefore　（inasmuch　as　God　is　to　all　men
  equally　gracious；　and　the　Hebrews　were　only；　chosen　by　him　in　respect　to
  their　social　organization　and　government）；　that　the　individual　Jew；　taken
  apart　from　his　social　organization　and　government；　possessed　no
  gift　of　God　above　other　men；　and　that　there　was　no　difference　between　Jew
  and　Gentile。　（54）　As　it　is　a　fact　that　God　is　equally　gracious；　merciful；
  and　the　rest；　to　all　men；　and　as　the　function　of　the　prophet　was　to　teach
  men　not　so　much　the　laws　of　their　country；　as　true　virtue；　and　to　exhort
  them　thereto；　it　is　not　to　be　doubted　that　all　nations　possessed　prophets；
  and　that　the　prophetic　gift　was　not　peculiar　to　the　Jews。　（55）　Indeed；
  history；　both　profane　and　sacred；　bears　witness　to　the　fact。　（56）　Although；
  from　the　sacred　histories　of　the　Old　Testament；　it　is　not　evident　that　the
  other　nations　had　as　many　prophets　as　the　Hebrews；　or　that　any　Gentile
  prophet　was　expressly　sent　by　God　to　the　nations；　this　does　not　affect　the
  question；　for　the　Hebrews　were　careful　to　record　their　own　affairs；　not
  those　of　other　nations。　（57）　It　suffices；　then；　that　we　find　in　the　Old
  Testament　Gentiles；　and　uncircumcised；　as　Noah；　Enoch；　Abimelech；
  Balaam；　&c。；　exercising　prophetic　gifts；　further；　that　Hebrew　prophets　were
  sent　by　God；　not　only　to　their　own　nation　but　to　many　others　also。　（58）
  Ezekiel　prophesied　to　all　the　nations　then　known；　Obadiah　to　none；　that　we
  are　aware　of；　save　the　Idumeans；　and　Jonah　was　chiefly　the　prophet　to　the
  Ninevites。　（59）　Isaiah　bewails　and　predicts　the　calamities；　and　hails　the
  restoration　not　only　of　the　Jews　but　also　of　other　nations；　for　he　says
  （chap。　xvi：9）；　〃Therefore　I　will　bewail　Jazer　with　weeping；〃　and　in　chap。
  xix。　he　foretells　first　the　calamities　and　then　the　restoration　of
  the　Egyptians　（see　verses　19；　20；　21；　25）；　saying　that　God　shall　send　them　a
  Saviour　to　free　them；　that　the　Lord　shall　be　known　in　Egypt；　and；　further；
  that　the　Egyptians　shall　worship　God　with　sacrifice　and　oblation；　and；　at
  last；　he　calls　that　nation　the　blessed　Egyptian　people　of　God；　all　of　which
  particulars　are　specially　noteworthy。
  （60）　Jeremiah　is　called；　not　the　prophet　of　the　Hebrew　nation；　but　simply
  the　prophet　of　the　nations　（see　Jer：i。5）。　（61）　He　also　mournfully　foretells
  the　calamities　of　the　nations；　and　predicts　their　restoration；　for　he　says
  （xlviii：31）　of　the　Moabites；　〃Therefore　will　I　howl　for　Moab；　and　I　will
  cryout　for　all　Moab〃　（verse　36）；　〃and　therefore　mine　heart　shall　sound
  for　Moab　like　pipes；〃　in　the　end　he　prophesies　their　restoration；　as　also
  the　restoration　of　the　Egyptians；　Ammonites；　and　Elamites。　（62）　Wherefore　it
  is　beyond　doubt　that　other　nations　also；　like　the　Jews；　had　their
  prophets；　who　prophesied　to　them。
  （63）　Although　Scripture　only；　makes　mention　of　one　man；　Balaam；　to　whom　the
  future　of　the　Jews　and　the　other　nations　was　revealed；　we　must　not　suppose
  that　Balaam　prophesied　only　once；　for　from　the　narrative　itself　it　is
  abundantly　clear　that　he　had　long　previously　been　famous　for　prophesy　and
  other　Divine　gifts。　（64）　For　when　Balak　bade　him　to　come　to　him；　he　said
  （Num。　xxii：6）；　〃For　I　know　that　he　whom　thou　blessest　is　blessed；　and　he
  whom　thou　cursest　is　cursed。〃　（65）　Thus　we　see　that　he　possessed　the　gift
  which　God　had　bestowed　on　Abraham。　Further；　as　accustomed　to　prophesy；
  Balaam　bade　the　messengers　wait　for　him　till　the　will　of　the　Lord　was
  revealed　to　him。　（66）　When　he　prophesied；　that　is；　when　he　interpreted
  the　true　mind　of　God；　he　was　wont　to　say　this　of　himself：　〃He　hath　said；
  which　heard　the　words　of　God　and　knew　the　knowledge　of　the　Most　High；　which
  saw　the　vision　of　the　Almighty　falling　into　a　trance；　but　having　his　eyes
  open。〃　（67）　Further；　after　he　had　blessed　the　Hebrews　by　the　command　of　God；
  he　began　（as　was　his　custom）　to　prophesy　to　other　nations；　and　to　predict
  their　future；　all　of　which　abundantly　shows　that　he　had　always　been　a
  prophet；　or　had　often　prophesied；　and　（as　we　may　also　remark　here）　possessed
  that　which　afforded　the　chief　certainty　to　prophets　of　the　truth　of　their
  prophecy；　namely；　a　mind　turned　wholly　to　what　is　right　and　good；　for　he　did
  not　bless　those　whom　he　wished　to　bless；　nor　curse　those　whom　he　wished　to
  curse；　as　Balak　supposed；　but　only　those　whom　God　wished　to　be　blessed　or
  cursed。　（68）　Thus　he　answered　Balak：　〃If　Balak　should　give　me　his　house　full
  of　silver　and　gold；　I　cannot　go　beyond　the　commandment　of　the　Lord　to　do
  either　good　or　bad　of　my　own　mind；　but　what　the　Lord　saith；　that　will　I
  speak。〃　（69）　As　for　God　being　angry　with　him　in　the　way；　the　same　happened
  to　Moses　when　he　set　out　to　Egypt　by　the　command　of　the　Lord；　and　as　to　his
  receiving　money　for　prophesying；　Samuel　did　the　same　（1　Sam。　ix：7；　8）；　if　in
  anyway　he　sinned；　〃there　is　not　a　just　man　upon　earth　that　doeth　good　and
  sinneth　not；〃　Eccles。　vii：20。　（Vide　2　Epist。　Peter　ii：15；　16；　and
  Jude　5：11。）
  （70）　His　speeches　must　certainly　have　had　much　weight　with　God；　and　His
  power　for　cursing　must　assuredly　have　been　very　great　from　the　number　of
  times　that　we　find　stated　in　Scripture；　in　proof　of　God's　great　mercy　to　the
  Jews；　that　God　would　not　hear　Balaam；　and　that　He　changed　the　cursing　to
  blessing　（see　Deut。　xxiii：6；　Josh。　xxiv：10；　Neh。　xiii：2）。　（71）　Wherefore　he
  was　without　doubt　most　acceptable　to　God；　for　the　speeches　and　cursings　of
  the　wicked　move　God　not　at　all。　（72）　As　then　he　was　a　true　prophet；　and
  nevertheless　Joshua　calls　him　a　soothsayer　or　augur；　it　is　certain　that　this
  title　had　an　honourable　signification；　and　that　those　whom　the　Gentiles
  called　augurs　and　soothsayers　were　true　prophets；　while　those　whom　Scripture
  often　accuses　and　condemns　were　false　soothsayers；　who　deceived　the
  Gentiles　as　false　prophets　deceived　the　Jews；　indeed；　this　is　made　evident
  from　other　passages　in　the　Bible；　whence　we　conclude　that　the　gift　of
  prophecy　was　not　peculiar　to　the　Jews；　but　common　to　all　nations。　（73）　The
  Pharisees；　however；　vehemently　contend　that　this　Divine　gift　was　peculiar　to
  their　nation；　and　that　the　other　nations　foretold　the　future　（what　will
  superstition　invent　next？）　by　some　unexplained　diabolical　faculty。　（74）　The
  principal　passage　of　Scripture　which　they　cite；　by　way　of　confirming　their
  theory　with　its　authority；　is　Exodus　xxxiii：16；　where　Moses　says　to　God；
  〃For　wherein　shall　it　be　known　here　that　I　and　Thy　people　have　found　grace
  in　Thy　sight？　is　it　not　in　that　Thou　goest　with　us？　so　shall　we　be
  separated；　I　and　Thy　people；　from　all　the　people　that　are　upon　the　face　of
  the　earth。〃　（75）　From　this　they　would　infer　that　Moses　asked　of　God　that　He
  should　be　present　to　the　Jews；　and　should　reveal　Himself　to　them
  prophetically；　further；　that　He　should　grant　this　favour　to　no　other　nation。
  （76）　It　is　surely　absurd　that　Moses　should　have　been　jealous　of　God's
  presence　among　the　Gentiles；　or　that　he　should　have　dared　to　ask　any　such
  thing。　（77）　The　act　is；　as　Moses　knew　that　the　disposition　and　spirit　of　his
  nation　was　rebellious；　he　clearly　saw　that　they　could　not　carry　out　what
  they　had　begun　without　very　great　miracles　and　special　external　aid　from
  God；　nay；　that　without　such　aid　they　must　necessarily　perish：　as　it　was
  evident　that　God　wished　them　to　be　preserved；　he　asked　for　this　special
  external　aid。　（78）　Thus　he　says　（Ex。　xxxiv：9）；　〃If　now　I　have　found　grace　in
  Thy　sight；　0　Lord；　let　my　Lord；　I　pray　Thee；　go　among　us；　for　it　is　a
  stiffnecked　people。〃　（79）　The　reason；　therefore；　for　his　seeking　special
  external　aid　from　God　was　the　stiffneckedness　of　the　people；　and　it　is　made
  still　more　plain；　that　he　asked　for　nothing　beyond　this　special　external　aid
  by　God's　answer　…　for　God　answered　at　once　（verse　10　of　the　same　chapter）　…
  〃Behold；　I　make　a　covenant：　before　all　Thy　people　I　will　do　marvels；　such　as
  have　not　been　done　in　all　the　earth；　nor　in　any　nation。〃　（80）　Therefore
  Moses　had　in　view　nothing　beyond　the　special　election　of　the　Jews；　as　I　have
  explained　it；　and　made　no　other　request　to　God。　（81）　I　confess　that　in
  Paul's　Epistle　to　the　Romans；　I　find　another　text　which　carries　more　weight；
  namely；　where　Paul　seems　to　teach　a　different　doctrine　from　that　here　set
  down；　for　he　there　says　（Rom。　iii：1）：　〃What　advantage　then　hath　the　Jew？　or