ANALYSIS.

The conclusion at which the apostle had arrived in the preceding sec- tion was, that God was at liberty to select the objects of his mercy, in- discriminately, from among the Gentiles and Jews. This conclusion he now confirms by the declarations of the Old Testament, according to which it is clear, 1. That those were to be included in the kingdom of God who originally were considered as aliens, vs. 25, 26 ; and, 2. That, as to the Israelites, only a small portion should attain to the blessings of the Messiah's reign, and, of course, the mere being a Jew by birth was no security of salvation, vs. 27 — 29. The inference from all this is, that the Gentiles are called, and 4he Jews, as Jews, are rejected, vs. 30, 31. The reason of this rejection is, that they would not submit to the terms of salvation presented in the gospel, v. 32. As it had been long before predicted, they rejected their Messiah, taking offence at him, seeing in him no form nor comeliness, that they should desire him, v. 33.