s An elegant Prolepſis or Anticipation of what might be Ob- jefted againlt the Apoſtles Affertion in the foregoing Words. Tf the Fews (mighr ſome obje&) lie equally expoled to Condemnation with the G-atiles, then rhey have no Excellency above them. Or thus, It eternal Things do not COMMENT US to God (as 'tis affirm d, cap. 2. 28, 29.) but rhe Gentiles are brought into the Church with- out them ; then the Fews have no Prerogative above the Gentiles, though God hath owned them ſo Jong for his peculiar People b i.e Whatis the Uſe of it, or for what End wag it Inſtituted * Seeing the Uncircumciſed are brought in and Accepted, as being
Circumciſcd notwithſtanding, and Clean 1n Heart.
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2 Much cvery way c: || Chiefly d, becauſe * unto them were committed the Oracles of God e.
c Fe Anſwers the before-mentioned Obje&ion, by a liberal and free Conc iiion. The Anſwer doth particularly relate to the firſt Member of the Objcdtion, though Comprehending the other. d his Word is not to be referr'd to the Order of Speech, as Rom. 7. 3 tor he doth not beginany Diſcourſe here ; norto the number of Privileves and Advantages, for he names but One in all ; but to the Quality, and ſo the Excellency of this Privilege here ſpoken of. q d. Itis the chief of all. e Prophane Writers make this Word to ſignific the Anſwer that was given by che Daimons, Or Heathen gods ; and yet the Holy Ghoſt doth not diſdain to make uſe of this Word (as well as divers others) though abuſed ro Heatheniſh Super- ſition. The Sence is, To the Jews were Credited, or given in Cu- ſtody the Holy Scriprures, Containing all the Books of the Old Te- flament, in panticular the Legal Covenan? or Law of God given on Mount Sinai, which Stephen calls rhe lively Oracles, At.” 7. 38. more-eſpeci- al'y vet the Fundamental! Articles of Religion, and Deftrines of Grace, and Selvation by 1h» M:fias, called the Oracles of God, H-b. 5. 12. thovoh more hid, "cis true, in Types, Promiſes, and Predictions, 2 For what * if fome did wor beiiever 5 * {hall their pob&ict make the faith of God 7 withor t effect ?
f If ſome 6id remain in Infidelity, 48. 28. 24. if they would Giveno credit to thi: Oractr, and to the Promiſe of a Meſſiah, g 4, e. The Truthand Faithfulneſs of God, Pfal. $344. The whole Verſe is another Prolepſis : The imply'd ObjeCion 1s this, Thar the Fews are nothins the better for thelt: Oracles, or have no advantage by them, if by Unbelief they have rendred themſelves unworthy or incapable of benefit by them. The Anſwer to this is Anticjpared by pro-
pounding another Queſtion ; Can rhe Infidelity of ſome, be any hin- drance of God's pertorming his Promiſe to others, ro his Choſen Ones ? The Interrogation is a Negarion, 9. 4. It cannot be as the follow - ing Words thew, wid. 2 Tim. 2.13. | : 4 God torbid þ; Vea, tet * God be true z, but * eve- 'Iy mn a liar þ, as ict; wiitten, That thou * mighteſt be and mighteſt overcome mz
juſtificd / in thy fayings , when thou art judged ».
þ The Negation that was cloſely Coucht in the former Verſe, is in this Expreſt by a Note of Indignation, and of the greateſt Dete- Nation. # Let him remain or appear Faithful to his Promiſes and Cemvenant ; or let him be Acknowledg'd to be ſo, according to the
bh,
frequent Teſtimonies of Scripture, vid. Namb, 23. 19. Tit, 1, 2. Heb. 6. 17,18. k Qr, although every Man ſhould be a Lyar ; or whartoever we ſay of 4 "a; who are all Mutable Creatures, who are liable ro Miſtakesia. their own Natures, and fo may eaſily De- ccive others, vid. Pſal. 116, 11. 1 That thou mighteſt be acknow- ledged 7Jult in thy Promiſes and Threatnings. in which Sence the Word is uled in divers Places, Mat. 11.19. Luk. 7. 29, 34. and 10. 29. -m That thou might} be Clear or Pure, fo 'tis in the Pſalm, "The Apoſtle Honours the Seventy, which was the common Tranſlation, and minds the Sence rather than the Words. He that is Clear, is like to cyercome in a juſt Judgment. n Or, when thou Judge; the
\Srd may be taken Aftively or Paſhvely, #. e. When thou doſt Execute Judgment up0n an}, Or when any do preſume to Cenſure thee. 35 Bur if our un:tighteouſneſls commend the righteouſ.
neſs of God ov, what ſhall we ſay pf I: God unrighteous,
that taketh vengeance 7 ? (I ſpeak asa man r.)
o An Anticipation of another ObjeQion, which might be made vpon the preceding Words : That it the Faithfulneſs of God, in kee- puiglh's Promiſes, doth appear in and notwithſtanding the Unfairh- Julucjs of Men ; then we gatherthus much, That rhe Fidelity of God i5 rendred a great deal more Commendable by the Perfidioufneſs of Man, p Thus we Objctt; or, this will be the inconvenience. q 7. e. Then God is unjuſt in Puniſhing the Jews, or any other Wicked Men, for that which tends to his own Glory, and the Com- menditions of his Veracity, r This 1s the Language of Carnal Men, and ifuch Blaſphemy they ſpeak ; I recite the ObjeTion of jome Men, aul ſpeak after their Carnal manner.
6 God torbid 5 : For then how jhall God judge the
world : ?
s He rejeQs the Cavil, with his uſual Note of Deteſtation, as not thinking it worthy of Anſwer. # 9.4. If God were in the leaſt Unrighteous, How could He Govern the World ar preſent, and Judge it at laſt in Righteouſneſs * which is affirmed, Pſal. g6. 13. andg8. g. Or, How could he be God azd Supream, if he were not Juſt by his
» Nature and Eſſince, and his Will, the very Rule of Righteouſneſs, wid. Gen. 18, 25, Job 34.12.
7 For itthe truth « of God hath more abounded through my lye unto his glory : why yet am 1 alſo judged as a ſinner >» ?
« By Truth he means the Faithfulneſs and Veracity of God, as by Lye, the Perfidioufneſs and inconſtancy of Man (ut ſupra & alibi.) w 9. d. If more Glory accrews to the Name of God by my Wickeaneſs ; Vharreafon is there, that I ſhould be puniſhr, and proceeded a- gainlt as an Offender, who have occaſioned this further Glory ro God ? The Apcitle doth plainly Perſonate in this place a wicked ObjeFer, Gr he ſpeaks in the Name and Perſon of ſuch a One. This way of opeaking and Writing is very frequent among all Authors; and