- Here he adds another Argument to repreſs the Arrogance and in aiting of the Gentiles ; and 'tis token from the hope ot the Jews r:{tzurarion. Though tor the prefent, they ſeem ro be in a de- ſperate and forlorn condition. yet the reſtoring and re-2agratting of the: 1to the Caurch, is not impoſſible. The great Obſtacle is their Unelief, which God ts able to remove. The ſame God that rejefed them, is able to reſfore to them. To him all things are poſſible: He can canfe dead and dry Bones to live. An Argu- ment from the Power of God ( and that in the very words of this Text) is frequently made uſe of in Scripture, to excite 49pe and aſſurance, chap. 4. 21. and 14. 4. 2 Cor. 9. 8, 2 Tim. 1.12. Hes. 2, 18. and 11. 19. |
24 For if thou wert [| cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive-:tree; how much more ſhall theſe
monies are taken ; the former is tound { with fome little variation) in 1/a. 59. 20. As for the Jatter, ſome think it is taken trom Jer, 31. 33. Others think that he joyneth two places in 1[aia+ together (as he did before, wer. 8.) and the Juſt words are taken out of iſa. 27.9. The Seventy have the very words uſed by the Apoſile. Theſe Prophecies and Promiſes, though they were in part fa!filed when Chriſt came in the Fleſh (vid. 4%s 3: 26) yet there will be a more full and compleat Accompliſhment thereof -— Jewiſh Nation and Pcopile, towards the end of the Orid.
27 For this ;s my covenant unto them, when I ſhall take away their ſins.
28 As concerning the Goſpel, :h:y are enemies for your ſake; bur as touching the election, they are be- loved for the fathers ſake &.
k Here an Obje&ion 1s obviated; the Genriles might objeR and ſay, The 7ews can never return and be faved; foralmuch as they have rejeFed the Goſpel, and are therefore hated of God. To this he Anſwers by way of Concetlion, that it vas true indeed, They had rejefed the Goſpe), and for this they were rejefcd and hated of God ; bur this hapned well to the Genziles, and was to their advan- tage ; for the Jews refuſal of the Goſpel, brought it fooner to them ( wid. wer. 11.) Orelſe the meaning is, They are Enemies of God, and of his Goſpel; and the rather reje# it, becauſe you Genrzle: embrace it : "They think the worle of the Golpel, becaute you be- liev? and profeſs it. Then he adds by way of CorreCtion, That they were nor yet in-ſuch deſperate Circumſtances; but inregard of E!:#ion, they are beloved for the Fai hers ſakes. By Elefion, he means, Either Gods chcoling ther to Eternal Lite : Oc rather,
f Be here ſhews the probability, as well as poſſibility of the fews Converſion ; becauſe God hath done that which. is more untkely. 9. d, If the Gentiles, which were a kind of wild Olive branches, were graffcd into a good Olive tree, the Church of God, which 1s contrary to Nature, ſeeing Men ule to graff a good Cion into a wild ſtock ( as an Apple into a Crab) and not a wild Cion 1ntoa good Stock ; how much more” ſhall the Jews, which are the natural branches ; yea, branches of that Olive-tree into which the Gentiles are now engraffed ; be grafſed into their own Olive.tree, to which formerly they did belong : According to the cuſtom of graffing, which was common amongſt them, ro graf One 7ree upon another of the ſame kind ; and grounded on Lev. 19. 19.
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye ſhould be !gnorant of this myſtery leſt ye ſhould be wiſe in your own conceits that {|blindneſs in part is hapned to iſrael until the fulneſs of the Gentiles be comein g,
g Here he ſhews there 15, not only a Poſſibility and Probabili- ty, buta Certainty of the Jews converſion and callizg. This he calleth a Myſtery, or a Secret; though it was vevzaled in the Scripture { as you wil hear )yct it was not underſtood ; nay, the manner, the number, and the time of their Converfion 15 hill concealed and hid from us. The cailinz of the Genriles- was a Myſtery, and a great Secrer, vid. Epheſ. 3.3. And lo 1s the cal- ling and reſt zuraz:ou of the Jews. There are three particulars of this Myfery, which he makes known to the Gentiles, ( and he doth it the rather, leſt they ſhould ſwell with a high conceit of themſelves, and proud!y deſpiſe the Jews ): Two of them are n this Verſe; and the fr is, Thar blindneſs is hapned to 1ſrael, In part only, z. e. They were not all blinded or hardened; or this 3indze(s ſhould not laſt always, but fora time. The Jatter denſe agrees beſt with the word Myſtery; for it was no ſecret that ſome of the Jews believed; this was told them before, © wer. 2.5, 7. Secondly. Another part of this Myſtery was, . That this blindne|s of the Jews ſhould continue till the fulneſs of the Gen- Files camein. By ſneſs here, ( as in ver. 12.) underſtand a
lis chooſing that Nation and Pcople, above all other Nations and
People of the Wor!d, to be his peculiar People ; wid. Deut. 7.6.
Pjal. 135. 4. Afffs 13.46.- And by Gods love tothem, he mcans,
his love of good 1Wi4, which he had to that People ſtill, for their
Fathers ſakes: Not becaulc of the Merit of their Fathers, but becaule
of the Covenant made with their Ft hers ; becauſe tiey are defended
of thoſe Fathers to whom God had promited, That he would be
their God, and the God of their Seed afrer them : Aye, and of their
Seeds Seed forever ; which Promilcs of God, the infidelity of many
of them, can't wholly fruſtrare.
29 For the giits and calling of God are * without re- « 1c. ,-, pentance /. 19. : I Theſe words conſidered ſimply and abfrateily, afford this
Truth, Thar the ſpecial Giirs of God, his Election, ſuſtification, Adoption, and in particular efteCual Calling, are irrevocable, God
never repents of giving, nor weot receiving taein. * Tis otherwiſe
with common Gifts and Graces, 1 Sam. 15.11. Butif you conſider
theſe words relatively, as you reſvect what went before, The Senſe
ſeemsto be this, That rhe gifts and calling of God, whereby he v7as
pleated to adopt the Poſterity of d4braham, and toengage himfelt by
Covenant to them, are inviolatle, and are {uch as thali never be re-
verled or repented of.
3o For as ye in times paſt || have not believed God, j; qe, ©.- yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief. merl» were 21 Even fo have theic alſo now | nor believed, that d:/o5edzer:s, through your mercy they alio may obtain mercy mm. . 194.79? m This is the laſt Argument, to prove the conver/zon and caling i