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much more declare the glory of God than the sun and the moon in the heavens can do." Some observe, that there was hardly any one considerable nation in the world, but within forty years after Christ's ascension had the glad tidings of the gospel preached to it. Hence the apostle tells us, Tit. ii. 11. That the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men: that is, the gospel without restriction was tendered to all nations, Jew and Gentile; to all persons, bond and free, honourable and ignoble. Behold the goodness and mercy of God in enlightening the dark corners of the world with this glorious light from heaven! Behold the great power and efficacy of the word, under the quickening influences of the Holy Spirit! Behold an example of laborious diligence and industry in ministerial service! what pains did the apostles take! what hazards did they run! what journeys did they undertake, to preach Jesus Christ, to plant and propagate the everlasting gospel! Shall not we attend our flock, and travel from house to house to visit our charge, which falls within the compass of a few miles, when the apostles compassed sea and land, travelled far and near, laboured night and day, to transmit the gospel to the ends of the world? Lord! how does their indefatigable diligence shame our supine negligence!

by the conceited Jews) I will anger you. When God preferred the Gentiles before the Jews, the hearts of the latter were vexed with jealousy and anger, to behold all their privileges taken from them, and given to the former, whom they accounted a people most vile and despicable. The second testimony is that of Esaias, who the apo3tle says was very bold; that is, very plain and express, in foretelling God's calling of the Gentiles and rejecting of the Jews: calling the Gentiles by his free grace, and seeking them that first sought him not; and casting off the Jews, who, after all his forbearance and long suffering, did continue obstinately to reject the offers of his grace, and the tenders of his mercy. Here note, 1. The holy courage of this evangelic prophet Isaiah, in the discharge of his office: with great boldness and freedom he foretells the calling of the Gentiles, and casting off the Jews, although it cost him dear, even his life, being sawn asunder with a wooden saw, as some affirm. There ought to meet in the ministers and messengers of God both courage and impartiality; courage in fearing no faces, impartiality in sparing no crimes. Note, 2. What little cause or reason the ministers of God have to sit down in despondency, after so many unwearied attempts made in vain to reclaim sinners from their wicked ways; when they consider the infinite patience of God towards them, who stretches forth 19 But I say, Did not Israel his hands all the day long to a disobeknow? First Moses saith, I will dient and gainsaying people; that is, patiently contends with their obstinacy provoke you to jealousy by them and perverseness! Lord! why should we that are no people, and by a fool- that are sinners ourselves, think much to ish nation I will anger you. 20 bear with sinners? Let us rather imitate But Esaias is very bold, and saith, thy example in waiting upon them with I was found of them that sought the offers of grace and mercy, and follow me not; I was made manifest unto them with our melting entreaties and pasthem that asked not after me. sionate importunities, till we either overBut to Israel he saith, All day long inexcusable. come their obstinacy, or leave them totally I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

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Did not Israel know, that is, of the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, and of their own infidelity in rejecting it? This they might have known both from the First, testimony of Moses and Esaias. from Moses' testimony, who says, Deut. xxi. I will provoke you (Jews refusing to believe) unto jealousy by them that are (yet) no people (of God); and by a foolish nation (so the Gentiles were accounted

CHAP. XI.

The design and scope of our apostle in this chapter is twofold: 1. To keep the Jews from dejection and despair. 2. To preserve the Gentiles from presumption and pride. To keep the Jews from despair, he tells them, That though God hath certainly rejected them for rejecting his Son, and the gospel of sal vation by him, yet this rejection of theirs was neither total nor final: though many of them were blinded, yet not all; some believed then, and many more should believe afterwards, before the end of the world. To preserve the Gentiles from pride and presumption, he prescribes to them humility and lowliness of mind, not to be high-minded, but fear lest, being ingrafted into the good olive, they

should for their security and unfruitfulness be broken off, as the Jews had been before them,

who were natural branches. Thus he bespeaks them both:

ISAY then, Hath God cast away

his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Our apostle having shown, in the end of the foregoing chapter, that the Jews would be rejected, and the Gentiles called, begins this chapter by answering a great and popular objection. Some hereupon might be ready to say," If this be so, then God has cast away his covenant people, violated his covenant promise, forgot the seed of Abraham his friend." He answers by his accustomed form of denial, God forbid and then proceeds to show, that the rejection of the Jews was not total: God did not reject them all, but the unbelieving part of them only. And this he proves by producing himself as an instance in the case; I myself, says he, am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. As if he had said, "I am myself a Jew by nature and nation; not a proselyte converted to the Jewish faith, but a Jew by lineal descent, of the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh; yet am not I cast off by God; therefore God has not cast away all his people." Learn hence, How many unbelievers soever God rejects, he will not cast away one soul that sincerely believes in his Son, and gives up himself to the obedience of the gospel. Be lievers are God's jewels; he will not cast them away. They are his children, his portion, his inheritance; he will never cast them off. They are united to him by the bond of the Holy Spirit, and he has engaged himself to them by the bond of an everlasting covenant. Believers love God and his truth for ever, and the God of truth will love them for ever. God has not cast away his people.

his Holy Spirit, savingly believe on the promised Messias. God never did, never will cast away such, either among Jews or Gentiles.

-Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down. thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

Another instance is here produced, to prove that God had not suffered all the Jews to apostatize and fall away through in whose days there was such a general revolt unbelief; and that is, the instance of Elias, among the Jews from the worship of the true God to Jeroboam's idolatry, that he him, there was not such a dearth of saints thought himself alone. But God assures as he feared, he having reserved to himself seven thousand true and faithful worshippers of himself, who had never bowed the That even in times of universal apostasy and knee to the image of Baal. Learn hence, epidemical degeneracy, God has a number to stand up for, and witness to, his name and truth, and that the number of them is more than we either imagine or believe. seed to serve him, which shall be accounted God has ever had, and always will have, a to him for a generation; and although the number of revolters be great, yet the number of the righteous is not small.

5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works otherwise grace is no more

2 God hath not cast away his grace. people which he foreknew.

Here we have a second argument to prove that God would not wholly cast off the Jewish church and people; namely, because he had foreknown them; that is, had chosen the body of them to be a special and peculiar people to himself, above and before all the people of the earth; and had also foreknown, that is, foreseen, that many of them would, through the assistance of

But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Here we have St. Paul making application of the foregoing example to the present case. As Elias was not alone in the corrupt state of Israel then, so neither was the apostle alone now, in this time of general rejection of the Jewish church and nation. God had a number then, he has a remnant now, which, according to his free and gra

cious purpose, are brought to believe in his Son. Although the Jews who believed were few in comparison of them that were rejected, called therefore a remnant, which is but small and little in respect of the whole piece; yet there were many thousands of them that did believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and obtained, no doubt, salvation by him, Acts xxi. 20. Thou seest, brother, how many thousand Jews there are which believe. Observe farther, The conclusion which the apostle doth infer and draw from the fore-mentioned assertion: "If a remnant be saved, according to the free purpose and gracious election of God, then 'tis not upon the consideration of the merit of their own works; they are not justified and accepted for the works of the law, otherwise grace is no more grace: for what need is there of grace, where men have continued in all things written in the law to do them? for the man that doeth those things shall live in them. But, on the other hand, if it be of works that we are justified and accepted, then it is no more of grace, otherwise work is no more work." Learn hence, 1. That such as are chosen in Christ to be a people near unto God, are put into this state by mere grace, and unmerited favour. Learn, 2. That grace comes in to supply the defect of our works, and to procure pardon for the non-performance of them, according to the tenor of the law. God was good to man before his fall, in making him his creature; he is gracious to man since his fall, in recovering him to the divine favour, by restoring him to the divine likeness. The fabric of grace in the hearts of his people goes up, as did the building of the second temple, with shouts and acclamations, Grace! grace! and every stone in the building of our salvation, from the foundation to the superstructure, is all free-stone: Otherwise grace is no more grace.

7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for ; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, 8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear) unto this day.

Observe here, 1. What the apostle affirms concerning the main body of the Jewish nation, they obtained not what they

sought after; that is, deliverance by the Messiah, justification and righteousness by the works of the law. This they sought, but found not; yet the election hath obtained it; that is, the chosen generation of believers, seeking righteousness and life in a gospel way, namely, by faith in Christ the Mediator, have obtained it. And the rest were blinded; by who, and by whom? Ans. 1. By their own sin and prejudice; and then, 2. By the just judgment of God, leaving them to their own ignorance and obstinacy, for shutting their eyes against the clear light of the gospel; and by giving them over to Satan, the god of this world, who blindeth the eyes of them that believe not, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Observe, 2. The direful judgment which followed upon this dreadful sin; they shut their eyes, and said, they will not see; God closed their eyes, and said, they shall not see. Because they would not obey the Spirit of God, which would have awakened and enlightened them, God gave them up to a spirit of slumber, stupidity, and blindness; that is, he permitted them to continue and lie under those prejudices against the true Messiah, which they had taken up and entertained in their minds. Learn hence, That no greater judgment can befall a people, than a sottish stupidity of mind and insensibility of spirit; whereby they are drowsily careless of their salvation, and know not the things belonging to their peace, although they be before their eyes. This was the case with the chief body of the Jewish nation, and continues to be still their case: they have eyes, and see not; ears, but hear not, unto this day.

9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompence unto them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

The apostle proceeds here to declare unto of heart which was found amongst the reus, that the general unbelief and hardness jected Jews, was not to be wondered at, because it was prophetically foretold by holy David, in the person of the Messiah, of whom he was a type, that his own people the Jews should extremely injure and wrong him, oppress and vex him: for which wickedness he foretells what dreadful and tremendous judgments should come upon the Jews; namely, That their table should

be made to them a snare, a trap, and a stumbling-block; that is, that all their pleasant and delightful things should become the instruments of their destruction. That their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. The darkening of their eyes sig. nifies the taking away of the judgment and understanding from a people. And the bowing down of the back always, intimates and implies their grovelling upon this earth; their relishing and savouring nothing but earthly things, never lifting up either head or heart to God. Now all this which David spake of the wicked Jews in his time, the apostle applies and adapts to the incredulous and unbelieving Jews in his days, to whom the very preaching of the gospel was an occasion of obduration and hardness of heart. Learn here, 1. That to the obstinate and obdurate enemies of God, the best things become baneful, and through their own corruption become the instruments and means of their own destruction. Let their table be made a snare, a trap, and a stumbling-block. Learn, 2. That to be deprived of the use of our judgment and understanding, especially in things pertaining unto God, is a very dreadful judgment. Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see. 3. That imprecations are to be used very warily, and only in weighty matters. These and other expressions of David, which look like imprecations, may as well be accounted prophetical predictions, foretelling what will come upon obstinate sinners, rather than praying that evil may come. Great is the sin and danger of using imprecations lightly, either upon ourselves or others. Some persons use them to gain credit to what they say; but this will not do with wise men, who frequently observe, that persons most guilty are most apt to call for vengence upon themselves, that they may be thought guiltless. Lord! how do some sinners wish and call for that at which the devils tremble!--I mean damnation. Alas! it slumbereth not; within a moment or two thou shalt feel what thou wilt not fear.

11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Our apostle had in the preceding verses proved the rejection of the Jews not to have been total; here he proves, that it shall

VOL, M.

not be final, but they shall be generally called before the end of the world. Have they stumbled says he, that they should fall? that is, "Have they so stumbled and fallen as never to rise more? Are they utterly forsaken and cast off?" No such thing; but God in his just and righteous judgment hath permitted them to fall, that they having obstinately refused the gospel, it might be preached to the Gentiles; and their receiving of the gospel, God will in his infinite wisdom make use of, to provoke the Jews to jealousy and emulation, seeing themselves so far outstript by those whom they contemned and despised, and in the close make this jealousy and emulation a mean and occasion of the Jews' conversion. Learn hence, That emulation and jealousy doth heat and heighten the mind of man to an eager pursuit of the best things. Observe it in the instance before us: the salvation of the Gentiles bred emulation in the Jews. "What! say the Jews, shall the Gentiles go away with heaven alone, whom we thought the vilest people upon earth? Come, let us put in for a part and share in gospel mercies and privileges with them." Thus they were provoked to emulation, and this emulation occasioned their conversion.

12 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 fulness?

As if the apostle had said, "If the casting off the Jews was so profitable to the Gentile world; if the Gentiles have been such great gainers by occasion of the sin and fall of the Jews; how much more, when they shall become christians, will they add to the fulness, the glory, and greatness of the christian church?" Observe here, The wonderful wisdom, the astonishing goodness, the overruling providence and power of God, in causing the fall of the Jews to be the occasion of God's manifesting his abundant grace in the conversion of the Gentiles, and spreading the plentiful knowledge of Christ over all the world; and also in causing the general conversion of the Jews, towards the end of the world, to confirm the faith of the believing Gentiles.

13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the

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Observe here, 1. The honourable office which St. Paul was called to; namely, to be an apostle, and the apostle of the Gentiles. 2. The honour which God put upon him in the faithful execution of that office: (1.) In making him instrumental for calling many of the blind and ignorant Gentiles to the obedience of the faith: And, (2.) In provoking the Jews (whom he called his own flesh, because of his own nation) not to suffer the Gentiles alone to go away with the privileges of the gospel, but to put in for a share with them: If by any means I may procoke to emulation. As if the apostle had said, "O that I could once see an holy emulation take hold of my countrymen; that rather than not believe at all, and be saved, I might see them at last believe for anger, or for very shame, and go to heaven in a holy chafe." Observe, 3. What an argument the apostle makes use of, why all persons should greatly desire the general conversion both of Jews and Gentiles to the faith of Christ. As the casting away of the Jews at present, will be the reconciling of the world; that is, by an occasion of sending the gospel to the Gentiles all the world over, whereby they become reconciled unto God; what will the receiving of the Jews again into the grace and favour of God, and the communion of the visible church, be to you Gentiles, but even as life or resurrection from the dead? Learn hence, 1. That the conversion of the Jews, and the calling in the fulness of the Gentiles, are mercies, much, very much, to be desired and earnestly prayed for. 2. That such will be the blessed state of the church, when the fulness both of Jews and Gentiles are

brought into it, that it will be looked upon as a new life, or resurrection from the dead.

16 For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Here the apostle produced another argument to prove the universal restoration of the Jews unto the grace and favour of God

before the end of the world; and it is drawn from the covenant of God made with Abraham, (as the root of the Jewish nation,) which said, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed. Now the argument runs thus: "As the branches follow the nature of the root, so do the Jews follow the condition of Abraham, and the holy patriarchs, with respect to the outward privileges of the covenant. Was the root holy? so are the branches holy; not inherently, but federally holy, being called, consecrated, and separated from the world unto the service of God. If then Almighty God, by entering into covenant with Abraham, hallowed to himself all his posterity, even as the first-fruits hallowed the whole lump; in like manner will God, in his own good time, be so mindful of the Jews, the posterity of Abraham, as to bring them again nigh unto himself in remenbrance of his holy covenant; so that they shall be his people, and he will be their God." Learn hence, That the Jews, though at present cast off by God, are still an holy people; they are under an hereditary dedication to God, they have a federal holiness, as descending from holy progenitors, with respect to whom the love and compassion of God are towards them, and they shall in his own time be called and converted by him. And therefore, in the mean time, the Jews are not to look upon themselves with desperation, nor should the Gentiles look upon them with disdain. The first-fruits being holy, the lump is also holy; the root being holy, so are the branches also.

be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive-tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off; and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

17 And if some of the branches

The design and scope of our apostle in

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