The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 271

.r,,l,rr.,',>.11av); of the "vessels of mercy" it "Ltn,e and me?"ey are both contained in tb'l ls said tho.t God " afore prepared" them full meaning of the intellBive form of the unto glory. Predestination to se.lve.tion is Hebrew word." Posey on 'Hosea'); and oerte.inly o. doctrine of St. Paul, but he no- afterwards a l!On, who received the name where intimates predestination to reproba- Lo-ammi ("Not my people"). Both are tion. Further, "Non dioi t qum ,rpo1ta,,.fwruu, symbols of the ten tribes of Israel e.e dis- sed «11r71pr,rrµ.l11a: prmscinditur a cause. efflci- tinct from Judah ; the two names denoting ente: te.ntum dicitur que.les invenie.t Deus (as Pasey explains) successive sta<>es of quibus ire.m inferi" (Bengel). Le.etly, it God's repudiation of the people, and the le.et may be observed that, though ft ,rpo11,,.olµatTev implying entire rejection. Bot in HO!!. i. ds li&~av oe.rries with it the idea of individual 10, after the naming of Lo-ammi, it is said, salvation, yet this only comes in ae the out- " Yet the number of the children of Israel come and ultimate purpose of the calling shall be e.s the sand of the see., which can- of nations or races of men. The drift of not be measured nor numbered; and it shall the preceding e.rgument remains still what come to pass, that in the place where it we ■ it he.a been stated to be. said unto them, Ye a.re Lo-ammi, it shall be said unto them, Ye are the children of Vere. 25-29.-{o) The inheritanoo of the the living God." The subject is p1ll'8ned promises by the Gentiles, with a ,-emnant through Hoa. ii,attheend of which (ver. 23) only of the Jews, shown to be in =dance comes the other paaeage quoted : "And I with prophecy. This is really a new section will sow her nnto me in the earth ; and I will have mercy on Lo-rnhamah; and I will of the argument, though the writer, in a say to Lo-ammi, A.mmi f' My people '], and way usual with him, does not mark it as they shall say, My God." It might seem such, ver. 25 being in logical connection that these quotations are not apposite, since with the preceding one, suggested by the they referred originally, not to the Gentile2, concluding expression, "Not of the Jews but to the ten tribes of Israel. It is to be only, but also of the Gentiles." So far observed, however, that the words were spoken after these tribes had been declared nothing he.a been adduced to support the to be cut off from being God's people at all, idea of Genti'les, to whom no original so that a principle of Divine dealing is ex• promises had been me.de, superseding the pressed whioh is applicable to the Gentile Jewish nation in the inherite.noe, though world. " This, which was true of Israel in it he.d been shown genero.lly tho.t God may its dispersion, was much more true of the Gentiles. These, too, the descendanm of have mercy on whom he will; e.nd in the righteous Noah, God had ca..,,-1; off for the earlier part of the argument (vere. 6-13) time, that they should be no more his people. all tho.t appeared plainly from the Old Tes- when he chose Israel out of them, to make te.ment was ,election out of the total seed of known to them his Being, e.nd his will, and Abraham-not the oe.lling of a new one his laws, and (although in shadow and mystery) Christ who was to come. He had opart from his stook. Hence this section threatened to !Bl'llel that he should be un- is necessary for completing the whole argu- pitied, and no more his people; in reversing ment. his sentence, he embraces in the arms of his meroy o.ll who were not his people, o.nd Vere. 25, 26.-As he saith also in Oaee, I says to them all, that they should be my will oall my people that whioh was not my people and be/011ed" (Pusey on' Hosea.. ' ii. :!3). people, and beloved her who was not be- In 1 Pet. ii. 10 the same text from Hose,\ is loved, And it shall oome to pass, that in the quoted as applving to those who were ad- plaoe where it was said unto them, Ye 1\1'8 dressed in the Epistle, tllld then with more not my people; there sha.11 they be oalled obvious applioobility; for it appenrs to h,\ve the ohildren of the living God, The quo- been written, mnioly at leRSi. to Isrnelites to.tion in ver. 26 is from Hos. i. 10, nnd is of the di."fl6"n·on (see eh. i. I). Still, Gentile oorrectly oitcd; tho.t in ver. 25 is from Hoa. converts may be conoludc,1 to have be€n ii. 28, and vnries from both the Hebrew nnd inoludod (ef. oh. i. H; h·. 3). It is to be the LXX., but not so as to nffeot the fil('[ln- observed thnt in ver. 25 the f,,miniuo 'TY'l""J• ing, Doth refer to tho s1\mo subject, The µl.,.,v hns reforenoe to tho d,111ghkr of tht1 prophet ho.d been diroctcd to "tako unto prophet, Lo-ruhaml\h; l\ml thl\t in v,,r. 26 him o wlfo of whoredoms." He hnd so "in the plnoo wht're" must be understood, to.ken "Gomor tho dl\ughtor of Dibll\im," both in tho orig!nnl proph,'''.Y o.nd tht" 1\ppli- who ho.d borne him I\ dnughtor, to whnm 011tion, 11s mcamng ,my l'l:'gtou when, those wne glvon the symboliol\l 111\1110 Lo-ruhnnll\h who were to be Mll,,d 11111 I""'?<' might l>t.>. (" Not bolovod;" or, 1\11 it I~ interprotod in "And so St. Pekr a11p thl\t this S,•riprnro l Pot. ii. 10, "Ho.th not obt1\inod 1neroy." wu fullillod in them, while &illl IOlllkr,,l 270 THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [cu. 1x. 1-83,