« 4 d. Thar] may ſpeak more plainly, all thoſe that are the Ch:liren of Abraham according to the Fleih, are not therefore the Japted Children of Goa, 1t 15 Not their Blood, but their Faith 8 make them ſuch, There are ſoin2 of .4braham's ſeed that are {2e&ted from the reſt, ro whom tae Promiſe was made; who are therefore called C5:!Frcn of rhe Promiſe: And of this tort are all they, who are born after the Spirit, (as Iſaac is laid to be, Gal. 4. 1) whether Jews or Gentites. The {ente of this Verte 15 ſully ex- pieſt, Ga. 3.8, 14- and 3. 29. vid. Gal. 4.. 28. WE 9 For this x the word of promiſe, Ar thistime will I
A
' come, and Sarah ſhall have a ſon w,
» The Birth ot 1/aa#c waza Thing extraordinary; for which nei- ther Abraham nor Sarah had any ground to hope, but only that Pro. 11e made, Gen. 18. 10. in theſe words, 4+ this zime, or according 74 this time, Z. e. The Time of bearing Children afcer Conception, 7 will come, and Sarah ſhall have a ſon, 1. e. 1 will manifeſt my Power, in fulfilling my Promiſe of giving thee a Son. By which 'tis clear, that the Birth of 1/aac was an Eff of God's Promiſe, and nothing elſe. G that they to whom the Promſe belongs (whoſoever they be) they are the Seed of Abraham, and upon the Obedience of Fairh, ſhall be accepted for the Children of God, The Apoſtle Peter tells Women (yhether Jews or Gentiles it matters not) that by well-doing, they b-come the Daughters of Sarah.
io And not only thzs x, but when * Rebecca alſo had
conceived by one, ever by our father Iſaac y.
x Some read it, and not only ſhe (The Particle 73:5 1s not 1n the Greek) y This Inſtance is added, becaule there might be ſome Objetion againſt the former ; as1f there were ſome reaton why God choſe Iſaac, and refuſed Iſhmael. Iſaac was born of a Free-woman, and when Abraham was circumciſed; but 1ſhmael was born of a Pond-woman, and when Abraham was uncircumciſed : beſides, T/b- 1! no ſooner came to Years, but he ſhewed fome tokens of Per- verſenets, and of a wicked Spirir, Therefore, in this, and the Three following Verles, he doth give another, which was beyand i!| Exception ; and that is in Eſau and Faced, betwixt whom there ws no Dilparity, Either in Birth or in Works: They had both one 1nd the ſame Nother ; R-becca Conceived with them at one and the fimetime; ard that by no other Perſon, than ow» Father Iſaac ; and yer the one of the: is Choſen, and the other Refuſed. This now was an utdeniable Proof, thar the Promiſe belongs not to all the Children of Azraham, or of Iſaac according to the Fleſh : All the $:c4 of neither are the Children of the promiſe.
ir (For > the children being not yet born, neither havingdone any good or evil a, that the purpoſe of God 5 according to election might ſtand c, notof works d, but
of him that calleth) e,
z. 9.4. As there was nothing in the Birth of thoſe Twins, fo neither in their Works, that occationed the Difttrence that God mde betwixt them ; For when God ſpake of what ſhould happen to them, they were Unborn, and haa done neither Good nor Evil. a le means, Afffual good or evil; ſuch as might Difference them one from another. As for Original Sin, they were both alike tain- ted therewith, 6 This Purpoie of God is to be underſtood about Reprobation, or (if you will) Rejefion, or Preterition, as well as a- bout ElecFion, c Be firm or ſtable. & Either done or foreſeen, ? 1, e, Of the good Pleaſure and vndeſerved Favour of God, who at- ſo ef:Qually Calleth thoſe that He hath Ele&ed, as chap. 8. 3o. See a Parallel place, 2 7im. 1. 9.
12 Ic was ſaid unto her, The || elder ſhall ſerve the [|
younger f.
f This Verſe is to be Read with the Tenth, the whole Eleventh Vaſe being a Parencheſis. Then when She relorted to the Lord for Counſe), about the ſtruggling of the Children in her Womb; it was fold her, or revealed to her of God, that The Elder ſhould ſerve the Towger Of the Senſe of which words, tee Anno. on Gen. 25. 23, where they are Recorded.
1; As 1itis written, Jac1b have | hated g.
£ The foregoing Oracle is expounded by another tilken out of Naiachi 1. 2, 3. fee the Aunt. there. Becauie the foregoing paſ- Lge of Eſar, his ſerving Jacob, doth not ſeem fo full and clear to betoken the EleCtion of Faceb, and the RejeCtion of Eſar in the Purpoſe of God ; therefore the Apoſtle brings this place ro explain the former ; and proves that the ſervice or ſubjeCtion of Eſa: to Jah, was accompanied with God's Eternal and undelerved love o the one, and his juſt and righteons barred of the other. There are ſome, that by Eſau and Facob, do underſtand their Poſterity,, and noy their Perſons ; that fay, the Love and Hatred of God, in the forecited Text, doth only or chiefly refpeCt Temporal things ; God loved Jacob, i. e. He gave him the Land of Promiſe; but ha- 'N Ejau, i e. He gave him a Dry and Barren Country, and made berg oontain waſte ; That by God's hating Ejau, 1s only meant he "Hg im Iefs than Facob, &c. Such ſhould conſider, That the
cope of the Apoltle 15 to Aw, That fome are the Children of
God, and of the Promiſe, and nor others; and th:y muſt not mak:
M Cite ine" out of the 0! Tf amen: impertinently, Much
/01. It.
Fa
nave I loved, but Eſau
he Mouths of the Jews, We are Abraham's ſeed, John 8. 1 yr. ; , wy | 7 'Þ -_ nat here he reils them, That all Ara427's ſeed were. not the
[
thr writes a Commentary, muſt not ume Controverſie. [4 What ſhall we ſay then? * 7: ;e untifhieonts * : neſs with God? Gol forbid 5, 2 Another Anticipation of an Gh;-tion. Swe mike Obich and fay, if God Elect fome, and R-j-Q& other:, how cars being the ſame, or their Perſons being in themitlvis equal and al.ke; thi 1s Unjuſt and Partial : To rhis be Anſwers, r. Move gener Nv, witl
2
þ See ver. 15. and the Notes there.
}
ROMANS | | (han
{ 1s Written pro and co pon this Argiment Riu T remember, Þ
his repeated Note of Dereſtition, God forbid ; ne gpringh Tt
reads it God forgive: Noting thereby, the hinguinels of fick x
by
thought ; and then he anſwers this Cavil mo ing, r. That God is not unjult in Ef foins, vor, 2. That he is not unjuſt in RejeFrng others, wer. 17
”- i * « )}3 = #4
15 For he faith to Mofes, | v!li tave wercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compaiſin on wkem
[ will have compaſlion 7.