2 XVIII. 1 Heathens, see p.84, 93. 324 Characters under which the Gentiles are mentioned. HOMIL. Was not the greatness of the honour alone that was enough to throw them upon jealousy, but the fact too that a nation had come to enjoy these things which was of so little account that it could hardly be considered a nation at all. For I will provoke you to jealousy, he says, by them which are no nation, and by a foolish nation will 1 anger you. For what more foolish than the Greeks'? or what of less account? See how by every means God had given from of old indications and clear signs of these times, in order to remove their blindness. For it was not any little corner in which the thing was done, but in land, and in sea, and in every quarter of the globe. And they saw those in the enjoyment of countless blessings now, who had formerly been objects of their contempt. One should consider then that this is that people of which Moses said, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation will I anger you. Was it Moses only then that said this? No, for Isaiah also after Him saith so. And this is why Paul said, First Moses, to shew that a second will come who says the same things in a clearer and plainer way. As then he says above, that Esaias crieth, so too here. in loc. Ver. 20. But Esaias is very bold, and saith. Now what he means is something of this kind. He put a violence on himself, and was ambitious to speak, not some thing veiled over, but to set the things even naked before your ? Origen eyes, and choosing rather to run into dangers from being plain spoken, than by looking to his own safety, to leave you any shelter for your impenetrableness; although it was not the manner of prophecy to say this so clearly; but still to stop your mouths most completely, he tells the whole beforehand clearly and distinctly. The whole! what whole? Why your being cast out, and also their being brought in; Is. 65,1. speaking as follows, I was found of them that sought Me not, I was made manifest of them that asked not after Me. Who then are they that sought not? who they that asked not after Him? Clearly not the Jews, but they of the Gentiles, who hitherto had not known Him. As then Moses gave their characteristic mark in the words, no people and a foolish nation, so here also he takes the same ground to point them out from, viz. their extreme ignorance. And The Jews had ever been wanting in submission. 325 this was a very great blame to attach to the Jews, that they Rom. who sought Him not found Him, and they who sought Him lost Him. Ver. 21. But unto Israel He saith, All the day long have Is. 65, 2. I stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Observe now that difficulty, which so many make a subject of question, is discovered laid up from of old in the words of the Prophet, and with a clear solution to it too. And what is this? You heard Paul say before. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained unto righteousness. But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness. This Esaias also says here. For to say, I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest unto them which asked not after me, is the same with saying, that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained unto righteousness. Then to shew that what was happening was not of God's grace only, but also of the temper of those who came to Him, as also the casting off of the others came of the disputatiousness of those who disobeyed, hear what He proceeds with. But to Israel He saith, All the day long have I stretched forth my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people; here meaning by the day the whole period of the former dispensation. But the stretching out of the hands, means calling and drawing them to Him, and inviting them. Then to shew that the fault was all their own, he says to a disobedient and gainsaying people. You see what a great charge this is against them! For they did not obey Him even when He invited them, but they gainsaid Him, and that when they saw Him doing so, not once or twice or thrice, but the whole period. But others who had never known Him, had the power to draw Him to them. Not that, he says, they had the power to do it, but to take away lofty imaginings even from those of the Gentiles, and to shew that it was His grace that wrought the whole, He says, I was made manifest, and I was found. It may d This of course does not exclude the other interpretation of J. Martyr. Apol. i. 35. Tryph. 97. and others. See, on the be contrary, St. John 12, 32. also S. Cyr. d XVIII. 326 God's merciful design in provoking them to jealousy. HOMIL. Said, Were they then void of every thing? By no means, for the taking of the things found, and the getting a knowledge of what was manifested to them, was what they contributed themselves. Then to prevent these saying, But why was He not made manifest to us also? he sets down what is more than this, that I not only was made manifest, but I even continued with My hands stretched out, inviting them, and displaying all the concern of an affectionate father, and a mother that is set on her child. See how he has brought us a most lucid answer to all the difficulties before raised, by shewing that it was from their own temper that ruin had befallen them, and that they are wholly undeserving of pardon. For though they had both heard and understood what was said, still not even then were they minded to come to Him. And what is far more, He did not cause them to hear these things and to understand them only, but a thing which hath more force to rouse them up and draw them to Him, when they were disobedient and gainsaying, He added to the others. Now what is this? It is His exasperating them, and making them jealous. For ye know the domineering might of the passion, and how great the power is which jealousy is naturally possessed of for bringing all disputatiousness to an end, and rousing those who have grown remiss. And why need one say this of man, when in brutes without reason, and children before they are of full age, the power it shews is so great. For a child often will not submit to its father when it is called, but continues obstinate. But when another child has notice taken of it, then it even though not called comes to its father's bosom, and what calling could not do, provoking to jealousy will. This then God also did. For He not only called and stretched out His hands, but stirred up in them the feeling of jealousy also, by bringing those far inferior to them (a thing which makes men excessively jealous) not into their good things, but (what was a much stronger step, and makes the feeling even more domineering,) into much greater good things, and of greater necessity than theirs, and such as they had never even fancied in a dream. But still they did not submit. What pardon then do they As in Cornelius' case. See p. 97. and context. Proof that some of the Jews obtained the Promise. 327 deserve who exhibit such excessive obstinacy? None. Yet ROM. this he does not say, but leaves it to the consciences of his 11, 1. hearers, to gather it from the conclusion of what he had stated, and again also confirms it by what he goes on to in his usual wisdom. And this he did also above', by introducing! Tos ἐμπ. Μs. objections both in the case of the Law, and of the people, as Sav. which presented an accusation beyond the true one; and then conj. in the answer, which was to overthrow this, yielding as much Rom. 7, as he pleased, and as the case allowed, so as to make what he was saying not unwelcome. And this he doth here, writing as follows: Chap. xi. ver. 1. I say then, Hath God cast away His people whom He foreknew? God forbid. And he introduces the form a person would use in doubt, as though taking occasion from what had been said, and after making this alarming statement, by the denial of it he causes the sequel to be allowed with readiness; and what by all the former arguments he had been labouring to shew, that he makes good here also. What then is this? That even if there be but a few saved, the promise yet stands good. This is why he does not merely say people, but people which he foreknew. Then proceeding with proof that the people were not cast off, For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 see on 192, 3. I, he says, the instructor, the preacher. Now since this seemed contrary to what was said before in the words, Who hath believed our report? and, all the day long have I stretched forth My hands to a disobedient and gainsaying 3 so Ms. people; and, I will provoke you to jealousy by them which and Ben. are no people; he was not satisfied with the deprecation, nor with having said, God forbid, but makes it good by taking it up again and saying, God hath not cast away His people. But this is not a confirmation, men may say, but an assertion. Observe then the confirmation, both the first, and that which follows it. For the first is that he was himself of that race. But He would not, if on the point of casting them off, have chosen from them him to whom He entrusted all the preaching, and the affairs of the world, and all mysteries, and the whole economy. This then is one proof, but the next, after it, is his saying, that people whom He foreknew, that is, who XVIII. Pocock 328 Seven thousand only approved in the time of Elijah. HOMIL. He knew clearly were suited to it, and would receive the faith. For three, four, even ten thousand were believers on Hos. from among them. And so to prevent any from saying, Art thou the people, then? And because thou hast been called, hath the nation been called? he proceeds. p. 23. and Ms. Ver. 2. He hath not cast off His people, whom He foreknew. As though he said I have with me three, five, or ten thousand. What then? has the people come to be three, five, or ten thousand? that seed that compared with the stars of heaven for multitude, or the sand of the sea? Is this the way you deceive us and put a cheat upon us, by making 1 Mar. the whole people thyself and the very few that are with 2 Mar. thee, and didst thou inflate us with idle hopes, and say that and Ms. the promise has been fulfilled, when all are perishing, and the salvation comes down to a few? This is all bombast and vanity! we cannot away with such sophistry as this! Now that they may not say this, see how in the sequel he proceeds to the answer, not giving the objection indeed, but before it grounding the answer to it upon ancient history. What then is the answer? So Ben. Ver. 2-5. Wot ye not, he says, what the Scripture saith of 3 so Ms. Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, Sav.who [saying,] Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 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. Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. What he means is nearly this. God hath not cast off His people. For had He done so, He would have admitted none of them. But if He did admit some, He hath not cast them off. Still it is said, if He had not cast off, He would have admitted all. This does not follow: since in Elijah's time the part to be saved had come down to seven thousand and now also there are probably many that believe. But if you do not know who they are, this is no wonder, for that prophet, who was so great and good a man, did not know. But God ordered things for Himself when even the prophet knew them not. But consider his judgment. Now in |