people. God, in selecting the Hebrew patriarchs and setting them apart for his service, had reference to their descendants as well as to themselves, and designed that the Jews as a people should, to the latest generations, be specially devoted to himself. They stand now, therefore, and ever have stood, in a relation to God, which no other nation ever has sus- tained; and, in consequence of this relation, their restoration to the divine favour is an event in itself probable, and one, which Paul after- wards teaches (v. 25), God has determined to accomplish.
(17 — 24) The object of these verses is to make such an application of the truths which Paul had just taught as should prevent any feeling of exultation or triumph of the Gentile Christians over the Jews. It is true that the Jews have been partially rejected from the church of God, that the Gentiles have been introduced into it, and that the Jews are ultimately to be restored : these things, however, afford no ground of boasting to the Gentiles, but rather cause of thankfulness and caution. Paul illus- trates these truths by a very appropriate figure.
(17) And if some of the branches he broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, &c. The purport of this passage is plain. Some of the Jews were broken off and rejected ; the Gentiles, though apparently little susceptible of such a blessing, were introduced into the church, and made to partake of all its peculiar and precious privileges. The Jewish church is compared to the olive tree, one of the most durable, productive, and valuable of the productions of the earth, because it was highly favoured, and, therefore, valued in the sight of God. The Gentiles are compared to the wild olive, one of the most worthless of trees, to express the degradation of their state, considered as estranged from God. As it is customary to ingraft good scions on infe- rior stocks, the nature of the product bring determined by the graft and not the root, it has been thought that the illustration of the apostle is not very apposite. But the difficulty may result from pressing the compari- son too far. The idea may be simply this, ' as the scion of one tree is ingrafted into another, and has no independent life, but derives all its vigour from the root, so the Gentiles are introduced among the people of God, not to confer but to receive good.' It is, however said, on the au- thority of ancient writers and of modern travellers, to have been not unusual to graft the wild on the cultivated olive.
It is plain from this verse that the root in this passage cannot be the early converts from among the Jews, but the ancient covenant people of God. The ancient theocracy was merged in the kingdom of Christ. The latter is but an enlargement and elevation of the former. There has, therefore, never been other than one family of God on earth, existing under different institutions, and enjoying different degrees of light and favour. This family was composed of old of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their descendants. At the advent its name and circumstances were changed, many of its old members were cast out, and others introduced,