were to be cast off, the word of God, which had pro- mised all manner of blessings to Abraham and his seed, would be made void. But to this he replies, that the promises were made to Abraham and his spiritual seed : and that all others, however they might be descended from him after the flesh, would assuredly be cast off, since " all were not Israel, who were of Israel ;" neither, because they were the na- tural seed of Abraham, were they necessarily to be numbered amongst the children to whom the pro- mises were madeb.
Now, in considering this reply, I shall notice, I. The affirmation itself —
It is here supposed that the whole nation of Israel possessed the same advantages, and, in appearance, enjoyed the same blessings. Yet the Apostle distin- guishes between some of them and others; and affirms, that some had claims and privileges, to which the others were not entitled. This was true respecting them : and it is true at this time, also, in relation to ourselves. For, as then, so now also,
1. All are not objects of the same electing love — [It is undeniable, that God chose Abraham out of an ido- latrous world, and gave to him a promise of blessings which were withheld from others of the human race, and which had never been merited by him. To his seed also were these blessings promised ; but not to Ishmael, who was then alive : no ; they were entailed on a son who should afterwards be born, and should be born too after that neither the father nor the mother could, by reason of their advanced age, expect any progeny. Here, then, was the same sovereignty manifested as in the selection of Abraham himself. In the children of Israel, too, was the same sovereignty displayed: for, even whilst the twins were in their mother's womb, God's determination respecting them was made known ; and it was appointed that the blessings of the covenant should descend to the younger in preference to the elder : as it is written, " The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger0." In this, the intention of God to display
b ver. (i, 7. c ver. 11, 12.